Questions and answers (2) continued from previous page. |
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 Hints and tips by Philip Grosset If you'd like to submit photos for criticism, click here. |
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 24. "Greetings from Canada! I just got my first SLR after Christmas and I am very much an amateur with some troubles. I am attaching a photo I took a couple of days ago at a friends house of his Shih-Tsu. I am baffled as to where the curved shadow on the right side of the photo is coming from. I have a couple more from the same time that have a similar problem. One other in particular, of my friend and his wife, has the same problem except that it is much more pronounced. I am using a Minolta StSi, (Dynax 404), with 400 speed film using the built in flash with the red-eye reduction. In addition I have two filters on the lens, a circular polarizer and a UV. Any suggestions as to the cause of the problem, and to a possible solution would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance." (Neil Ollerhead) Obstructions are commonly caused by fingers or, as in my experiment on the left, by part of an ever-ready case slipping in front of the lens. Is it possible that some obstruction was in front of the lens as you were taking the shot? It would be worth checking inside the camera too, just to see if there is any foreign matter blocking the view, but this would be a persistent fault that I gather yours is not. I'd be interested to hear the final solution! Reply from Neil Ollerhead :"I was thinking about it and I was wondering if it could it be a shadow from the lens. The camera manual talks about lens shadow from the hood when taking pictures indoors. I'm not using the hood but what if the two filters are extending the lens just enough such that it casts a shadow on the closer-up pictures? Just a guess, I will try some experiments on my next roll to see, in the interim I will check out the camera body and lens. Thanks for your time and I appreciate the suggestions. I will let you know when I figure it out." 25. "From my limited experience with digital cameras, I have found most of them to be of the point and shoot variety. Are there any that have the manual controls similar to SLR cameras? How does the picture quality of digital cameras compare with the picture qualtiy of medium and large format cameras? I am very excited by the improvements you made to the photos submitted to your website with a photo editing program but I am concerned that after the improvements are made, one has an image that cannot be printed much larger than the sizes shown on your website." (Jacob Messing, Chicago) Many digital cameras offer exposure compensation, some offer manual overrides for focusing as well as exposure, and there is a developing range of professional (and highly expensive) SLR digital cameras that give you full control. The picture quality of prints depends on the image resolution of the camera, and the quality of the printer being used, but, as I suggest on my Going Digital? page, there are limits on the size (for most us, probably about 6x4 or 7x5in). To find the maximum size, divide the image resolution (say, 1280x960 dots-per-inch, by the 200 dpi needed to get a good print. This would come to 6.4x4.8in). Photos reproduced on the net, however, gain from being digital. 26. Hi Philip, I want to take a picture of a skyscraper from ground level of the building with my camera pointing toward the sky to get that really neat angle of the building. Now my question is, how do I do so and get all of the skyscraper in focus? Conversely, do I use the same focusing technique for the ground level angle if I were to go to the roof of the skyscraper and look down on the streets? I was told that in order to get such a wide and deep field in focus, I must tinker with both the shutter speed and f-stop so that they correspond with each other. I don't understand this concept because I'm still set in the beginner's mind set of using the f-stop solely depending on what my light meter reads and setting my shutter speed at 1/125 or 1/60 everytime, regardless of the situation. What exactly is depth of field? Is it a component on the camera or how deep the scene is that you're shooting? For instance, would a deep alley be called a large depth of field and a wall five feet from you be called a small depth of field? Thanks a bunch! -Jen Depth of field is the range of distances from the lens within which, at any given setting, subjects appear sharp. 4-8ft would be a small depth of field; 4ft to infinity would be a very large one! The smaller the aperture, the larger the depth of field. So aim to use an aperture as small as, say, f16 on your skyscraper shot, and increase the shutter speed accordingly. 27. "I don't have a scanner but I take photos of weddings and I use studio lights to light up the church photos. The last wedding I did the background was VERY dark, but nice face light. Would you put a light in back of the people to flash the background and meter the back wall? Please let me know. Thanks a lot." (Nyconf4) Yes, you've suggested what sounds a good answer. Alternatively, keep your subjects closer to the background. (This is also the simplest solution when using flash.) 28."I would like to know if there is any way to prevent light distortions while taking photos on a very sunny day? I have spent many years in the Middle East and am now planning to go to Greece. Naturally, the best and most interesting light conditions in that area appear early in the morning or late afternoon. But, if I would still want to make some attempts during the day? I am using Minolta x300-s and the Seikonic spot meter, so parameters are fine. But after processing I have the impression that although the photo seems correct, the colours are faded and the contrasts are not very attractive. Should I apply a filter on the lenses or use a special film (I usually prefer Kodak 400 or 800 ASO)? I would appreciate if you gave me some advice in this respect. With kind regards, Agnes." (Agnieszka Zelazowska Rogowiec) You seem to be using very fast films. Maybe you are just overexposing! Anyway, try a slower film (say 100 which is better suited for very bright conditions) and see what happens. 29. "HELP! I am 23yrs. old and have been on the computer for days trying to find someone out there who will help me figure out how to get started on a career in photography. I don't know if going to school is a necessity or how to get my work circulating. I don't know if I need to copyright all of my work before trying to submit it anywhere. Please respond with some answers. I am just looking for someone to help point me in the right direction. Photography is my life's passion. I just need help getting started. Discouraged in Indiana, Christine BonJour." I really don't think I'm the best person to advise you as I've never been a professional photographer - and I live in England! Try asking at your local photographers/newspaper and see what they say. Look too at photography magazines, and in careers books such as the one listed at the foot of my More Books page. 30. "Hello Sir! I need an advice from you. I am a beginner in photography and I need to buy a camera suitable for outdoor photography etc. One of my friend has a brand new camera for sale and that is Olympus C-2000 digital filmless camera. I could not understand the term filmless ....is it really a filmless camera , anyhow ,please give me advice whether it is suitable for me or not? (aamir rashid) You'll find advice on digital photography (and an explanation of "filmless") on my Going Digital page. I can't really offer advice on specific equipment, but the Olympus C2000 should be a fine camera, if you're really sure you want to go digital. 31. "Hiya, I'm using a Yashica 38-140mm Zoom 35mm camera. I am going to a musical concert in 3 days that is being held at night outside in a baseball statium. Can you recommend what speed of film I should use and if I should use a flash. Although it will be fairly dark outside, I'm sure the stage area will be well lighted. I'm always confused if I use a flash or not. Of course the camera is suppose to have an automatic flash so perhaps I should set it to auto flash.Thank you so much. I understand my equipment is far from professional but anything I can do to make the pictures better, I'd appreciate. Our seats are in row 6 from the stage so I'm hoping with the zoom we will be able to get some shots." (Brenda) Flash will only work if you're not further than about 10-12ft from your subject - and that's assuming you're allowed to use it. For this, set the camera at auto flash. If not, switch off the flash, find something to lean the camera on, and try to hold it really firm! It really all depends on the lighting, but I'd try film of ISO 800, or even faster, if you don't mind the grain. It gives you more of a chance! If you're certain you're going to use flash, go for ISO 400. (You'll get the correct coloring with flash). Also see my answer to the similar question18! There's a very helpful page about rock concerts on the Apogee photo magazine site. Good luck! 32. "We just purchased a Canon Elan II and I use a Sigma 100-300 Zoom lens. The man said spend a few extra bucks for the Canon 75-300 for the ultrasonic, he was right. I was wondering when shooting multiple exposures how do you get your main subject to stand out. An example would be say, on the first picture shoot an American flag. On the second a close up of a person. How can the flag be in the background and not the person? Is it the sequence of shots or the exposure settings of each shot? Thanks." (Jim) It all depends on the relative exposure settings. Only trial and error will show you how to achieve just the effect you want! If you want more control over superimpositions, a computer photo editing program would give you this. 33. "I was told by a bloke in a camera shop that I "need" a skylight filter to reduce haze and add warmth to the picture (and it can be left on the camera permanently as a protection cover). I was also talked into buying a polarising filter for that "rich blue sky" effect. I know nothing about how cameras actually work, and having read your comments about filters, realise that one filter reduces blue, whilst the polarising filter enhances it. If I have both filters on at the same time (as was suggested by the camera shop owner), will the combined effect cancel out any filtering enhancement? As you seem to know what you are on about, could you explain what the filters do (in layman's terms), and what the ideal situation would be for using such filters?" (Matthew Whitford) You can certainly leave a skylight filter on, although modern lenses don't need quite the protection of older ones. You'll probably find it makes very little difference to colour rendering unless you're up on the hills or by the seashore. It's not very often you're likely to need a polarising filter, but if you want to combine it with a skylight filter, what happens will depend on conditions at the time. The best way to judge the effect is by trial and error! 34. "Hi, I'm an amateur photographer who wants to get a new camera. I know these "which camera is best" questions are probably annoying and difficult to answer, but I am in China and advice on this topic hard to find now. What I really want to know is if I plan to do primarily black and white photography (and eventually some underwater b&w--avid diver!), does it make sense to get a relatively fancy SLR camera (I am considering the ElanIIe and the F80)? How much difference does the camera body and a lot of added functions make for b&w photos? What functions should I be concerned with? Budget is not really a concern; I am primarily concerned about utility. Does the FM2 make more sense to start with than something like the ElanIIe or F80? I would really appreciate it if you could give me a little advice on this. Thanks in advance! Best Regards, Nat." I'm afraid I can't help you very much as I have no first hand experience of either of the cameras, or underwater photography! However, I'd go for the most versatile camera you can, as long as it isn't too big and cumbersome. Camera features are just as useful with b&w as with color. Features you don't need now could easily come in useful later on. If you want close-ups of really small creatures underwater, be sure to get a lens that allows you to get close enough. You'll find there are websites that deal specifically with either specific cameras or underwater photography. Try Google or another search engine. If you're interested in a camera specifically designed for use underwater, start with Nikonos. Hope this helps! There are useful books on black & white photography, and on underwater photography, on my More Books page. 35. "I have a Canon T50 with 2 different lens. With film in the camera, can I safely change lens without ruining the film in the camera? Thank You." (Don) Yes, you can because the shutter is closed. Otherwise, they'd never be able to sell second lenses! 36."I am attempting to find a place that will superimpose photos. My father died when I was 7 months old and I would like to take some of his photos and some of mine and superimpose them as if we had the photo taken together. Any help would be greatly appreciated." (Dennis Pruett) The most effective way to superimpose pictures is with a scanner, a computer and a photo editing program like Photoshop, but you'd need to know someone who has got these. You could try searching the photographic press (or internet) for a firm that would help you, but, even if you found one, you'd have difficulty controlling the results. Assuming you haven't got a darkroom and don't do your own enlarging, you could try cutting out a picture of yourself in outline, placing it on your father's photo, and photographing the result, but this probably won't look very convincing. In both instances you'd have to ensure that the lighting and camera positions on both photos match up. Or you could just buy a photo frame with a mask with two apertures in it, and put a photo in each. This would link you both strongly and yet stay true to life. A lot easier than anything else - but it might well be the best solution, although, of course, it wouldn't show you both in the same place. 37. "Hello. I've just stumbled across your sight and it's fantastic! Really useful and practical advice - and not at all patronising like some of them can be. I was just wondering what make of film you would recommend for general colour and general black and while photography. I've had some really bad results with Kodak recently and know virtually nothing about any of the others for colour. As for black and white, it's all a mystery. Someone mentioned Paterson but I can't seem to find it. What would you recommend? I don't know if you need to know but I use a Nikon F60. Thanks a lot." ( Katharine Hall) The best colour neg films are probably those produced by Fuji and Kodak. 38."I have just recently been introduced into the world of photography. I am shooting with a manual Nikon FM10 35mm. It has a built in light meter that takes the guess work out of adjusting for aperture and shutter speed when shooting in daylight. The main problem that I am having is when I use the flash. I am not sure at what settings the camera needs to be in order to obtain a nice clear picture say at nite (of people). I have bought some photography books, but they do not cover what I am looking for. Any help will greatly be appreciated. Thank You." (Daniel Lawrence) I have no personal experience of using a Nikon FM10, but suggest that you set the shutter at 1/60th sec, and divide the guide number of your flash unit by the subject-lens distance (in metres). This will give you the aperture you must use. Hope this helps . 39. "I was really impressed with your pictures. I was wondering if you had any suggestions on the best camera to buy for taking pictures. I want to purchase a really nice one and just thought you might have a good idea. Thanks for your opinion." (Jane White) I'm afraid I can't recommend any specific camera as I don't know enough about your own needs nor have I had first hand experience of every camera! But have a look at lists of what is available and reviews in photographic magazines.  40. Hi, am currently in 3rd yr college and I have this photography subject in school since am taking up advertising then, we have this "panning" topic where we shoot cars that passes by... my background is suppose to be blurred and the car suppose to be clear..... i tried to follow the speed of the running car but i don't know why it's still blur... all my shots were blurred! (my camera has "auto-speed"). What went wrong?" (Francia Cua, -18yrs old, Philippines)Panning shots require lots of practice. Here it looks as though you haven't got the swing quite right, although you are not far off! You need to combine really smooth camera panning with a relatively slow shutter speed. Experiment with different shutter speeds, starting with1/125th sec to practise, but using 1/60th sec or longer when you have perfected the swing! "Thanks. I'll be trying that. =) -Francia." 41."Saturday I took many pictures of my kids at the beach, and most of them turned out better than I hoped or ever dreamed of, but on some of them the tops of their heads are grazed slightly, but when I look at the negatives it looks as though there is plenty of room, is it possible that the developer did this to my photos....or is there something I do not understand here? Thank you. Also I am considering taking a photography course at the local jr college, are these courses really helpful?" (Janet Plummer) A small part of the neg is often left out when prints are made. You just have to avoid getting too near the edges when taking the pic! Some photo courses are worth taking, while others aren't! Check whether you are the sort of photographer your local course(s) are aimed at, and try to get in contact with someone who has actually been on the course to see what they think of it. "Thank you, one of the local photographers here has looked at my pics and told me that he did not think I needed lessons, that I seemed to have a real knack for this, he thought just a little time with the camara and a better flash (which I am shopping for now), and that I would be just fine. I have been hired already and have also sold some photos at the local dance studio where my daughter takes lessons, the parents love the candids of their girls in tutus, not my idea, they just offered to pay if I would shoot!!!! Hired to do candids at a halloween party this weekend too, just gonna go on a per photo basis with it. Good ideas to check references on the course...I will defenitly check into it. Thank you...I am very attatched to your site and have bookmarked it." (Janet Plummer) 42."I have a Canon T50 and I am having a problem trying to figure out what my problem with the camera is. When I press down the shutter button the camera hesitates then I have to press the shutter button again. Can you please tell me what I'm doing wrong?" (Paula James) The pause is likely to be to give the camera time to focus and set the exposure. With automatic cameras, you may have to semi-depress the shutter button, then wait for just a moment before you can fully push it down. 43. "I have a SLR camera and mostly I have a pretty good handle on the relationship between f-stop and shutter speed in all but one situation. When I use a flash especially in a real close-up how can I stop from getting a washed out affect? What should I set the f-stop at in a flesh photo where I don't care about depth of field. If I set it wider does that make the picture wash out more? When, if ever, should I set the shutter speed slower than the flash sync speed? Thanks for your advice." (Audrey DeRose-Wilson) You do not say whether you have a separate or built-in flash, but the flash/camera should adjust itself automatically unless you get really close. You can discover the minimum distance for which the flash is recommended from the flash/camera instruction books. It's likely to be under 1.5 ft. If you get closer than the recommended distance, manually close down the lens to a smaller stop (take some test shots. Only trial and error will tell you what is needed). It's sensible to stick to the recommended flash sync setting. 44. "Just purchased a new add on flash unit for my minolta maxium 400si. It came (the flash )with a red, blue, and green filter. I am wondering where one would use them and for what effect." (Robert Marcinkewicz, Plainwell) Filters are often supplied with flash units. They are probably most useful for compensating for fluorescent or other unusual lighting. Which filter to use depends on the particular sort of lighting and film in use. So, if flororescent light produces an overall green tinge when used with daylight film, try compensating for this by using a red or blue filter, both of which will block green to varying extents. Remember that a color filter always lightens its own color and darkens its complementary color, so you can use it to obtain a variety of special effects. If you really want to master all this, I'd recommend quite a few test shots! "Thanks a lot for the info I am really surprized at the quick response. Manufacturers should be so good. Bob." 45."What are your suggestions for a good, face forward, photo of people beside a body of water? Is it better with the sun setting behind them, or in the morning with it coming into their faces, or when high overhead? What is the best choice for clothing? How do you feel about khaki slacks with light blue blouses/shirts on the people? How about a filter? Any suggestions? I want to make this the BEST photo that I can possibly take! Any advice will be greatly appreciated."(Mary Mills, Florida) A flash photo of people with the sunset behind them would certainly be dramatic, but a morning picture with the sun at the side (or even behind them, boosted by fill-in flash) might produce more natural looking results. It's really a matter of taste. Avoid sun from directly overhead. If you want to avoid flash, choose cloudy bright conditions when people will not screw up their eyes and their faces won't be partly in shadow. In any event, take enough photos to allow your subjects some choice.People will look more natural if wearing their normal-colored clothes. There's no need for a filter. Good luck. "Thank you so much for the advice about photographing my friends for Christmas. I was able to use some of your advice, but not all of it, because of their preferences and time constraints. I would have loved a sunset shot with the Gulf of Mexico in the background, but because they live near the Manatee River, that was our background, and morning was our time. The sun was largely a problem and made shadows or caused squinting to a large degree, but with some creativity and two rolls of film (one 200 and one 400) we had plenty of choices for their gift photos. The best were at their home (an after thought) where I had their daughter sit in front of a blooming bouganvilla - wish I had a scanner to share those with you! - and in front of a large, heavily leafed tree, of the three of them. I will do the shot at the beach another time. Thanks so much for the wonderful response to my question." (Mary Mills) 46. "I received a Canon EOS Rebel 2000 camera for Christmas and have had a great time learning how to use it and to compose pictures correctly. I have take around 7 or 8 rolls of film since Christmas and I am having a lot of trouble with my night shots. Some of them have turned out blurry which is from the lack of a tripod with a longer shutter speed. The other problem I have is that some of them are turning out orange which I'm guessing is an exposure problem. I am still using the camera's automatic settings and cannot understand why this is happening. I hope you can help. Awaiting your response." (Beverley Wheeler) If the whole picture is blurry, this is indeed because you have not used some firm support (such as a tripod) to hold the camera really still. If you're using daylight film, you can't expect to reproduce non-flash night scenes accurately. Tungsten light, for example, produces an orange hue when used with ordinary daylight film. It's a question of color balance, not of exposure. 47."Hii Philip, My Name is Panky from Jakarta Indonesia. I'am a begginer photograp using SLR 35 mm Nikon FM 10 I'm very interest in landscape and children photographic and would you give me recomended which one the book related above subject. In Jakarta, I got dificulty to buy the book like this one because these book are not available at book store. many thank for your kindly help. Regards." (Panky) For landscape photography, I'd recommend "The Better Picture Guide to Landscape Photography" by Michael Busselle. You can obtain it from Amazon using the link on my Useful Books page. "CreativeTechniques for Photographing Children" by Vik Orenstein (details on my More Books page) may possibly be useful if your aim to become a creative professional - and there are good color illustrations. 48. I am writing from Newfoundland - Just stumbled across your website and think you're doing a great service to aspiring photographers. I have planty of questions, but for today, I'll stick to just one. I would like your advice on how to better capture the facial features in a subject as dark as Sailor Jack as shown in the attachment. I would have liked to have had him facing the bright sun, but he rarely cooperates when I try to pose him. This photo was taken with a Pentax K-1000 using a 28~80 lens." (Sean Power) It's really better to avoid taking a black dog in front of a white snow background - but if you want to expose correctly for the dog, take a close-up reading of him. The snow will be over exposed, but that may not matter to you. In any event, try to exclude as much snow as possible, then the processing labs too will not be misled by the large white area. And the best of luck! 49. "I wanted to do some B&W photos of my new son (6 mos old) and our camera doesn't take great pictures on B&W film. In fact...they were all awful and out of focus. So I thought I'd do the old trick by color pictures and then changing them to B&W on the computer. Easiest thing I've ever done. But...to get the best pictures for black and white...what would you suggest for backgrounds or even clothing. All the professional pictures that you see done are always in a white bkg in the studio...well of course I have nothing of that sort in my home. But maybe some suggestions?? Or if in the white studio...what would be the best for clothing...something dark for the contrast? I know nothing about B&W so this is all new. Thanks for any help." (Piper Butler, Wichita, KS) I suggest you try a light colored wall as a background (a white wall is ideal as then you can light it to produce any shade). It can often be more effective using available light from a nearby window instead of flash. Your son's ordinary clothing should do fine - and that's what you'll probably want a record of, anyway. But it's really all a matter of trial and error. 50. "I am a high school senior with two years of photography experience. I own a Nikon N80 with a 28-205mm lens. I recently purchased a 70-300mm lens as well. I am about to become the head sports photographer of my high school paper, and I am worried about indoor/nighttime shots. The built-in flash in my camera will only function at 1/125 or slower shutter speed. Is this fast enough to get the action shots of a basketball or volleyball game? Is it even worth using the built-in flash indoors? If not, will the pictures turn out blurry or underexposed? I am also concerned about nighttime shots. Our football games are played at night, under stadium lights. I know that I must use a high speed ASA (1600 or 3200), but I must also use a fast shutter speed. Will the flash even work, or should I just take the shots without them? I realize there will be some blur, but I want to make the pictures as crisp as possible. Any advice you have about sports photography would be greatly appreciated. It is my responsibility to train new photographers as well, and I really want these pictures to turn out well enough to print. We are limited in out resources (my Nikon is the highest-quality camera we have) and cannot afford any stronger lenses/cameras. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response." ( Katie Zuparko) Your built-in flash will only work if your subjects are fairly close to the camera, so you may often be be better off without it but with very fast film. However, the flash itself is very much faster then the 1/125 sec your camera needs to synchronise it, so you should be able to obtain good action pictures if you are close enough. Outdoors, flash will only be of very limited use. It is easier to "freeze" people running towards you than from one side to the other, and you can also experiment with panning to follow a running figure as long as you don't mind the background being blurred. In fact, this often adds to the effect of speed. Or, if you can't use a very fast shutter speed, aim for those sports moments when there's not too much movement. But make some experiments first! 51. "Hi there. With winter in northen maine coming what to you do with your camera when taking it in and out of the cold in to the warm house? How do you keep the condensation and water for getting in to the camera,film,flash ECT And messing it all up. thank's for you help." (Eric Homan) Condensation can occur when you bring a camera in from the cold into a warm room. Allow a few minutes for it to clear before trying to use the camera indoors. In really extreme conditions, try to keep your camera at a constant temperature, experimenting if necessary with plastic bags. Outdoors, keep the camera protected from snow and cold. 52. "I recently purchased a photo editor home program. On a recommendation from a photo lab, I purchased the Jasc Paint Shop Pro 7. They assured me it was very simple. I'm not so computer literate and am very frustrated with the product. I was wondering if you were familiar with the Jasc product? If so, can you compare its user friendly-ness with Adobe Photo (I'm not sure of the exact Adobe name). I've seen the enhancements you've made to pictures (on your questions/answers page) and thought that's what I was going to get with my program. I'm afraid I may have to purchase the Adobe version, unless the one you're using is the $700 version! Thank you." ( Ali Thompson) I'm afraid I have no first-hand experience of Paintshop Pro, but it it is widely used and generally thought to be good value for money. I use the full version of Photoshop 5.5 which is the market leader and very expensive. The cutdown version of this, Adobe Photoshop Elements, is very well reviewed and would be my second choice. All of these programs need quite a bit of learning (especially the full version of Photoshop!). If you want something much simpler and cheaper, you might like to consider Adobe PhotoDeluxe. I suggest this because it's included at no extra charge with every copy of the book "Digital photography. I didn't know you could do that" which also devotes a lot of space to using the program (see my More Books page). Or you could decide just to persevere with Paintshop ! 53. "I recently bought a Minolta Maxxum StSi (the same as Dynax 404) along with a Vitacon 28-210 mm zoom lens. I have now used two rolls of film (Kodak 200) on testing and I must admit that I am very dissapointed. On many of the pictures all four corners or sometimes only two of them are black and the border between the visible picture and the black has a circular shape. Is it the lens or the camera.... or maybe me as the photographer? Further more, when I am using the zoom close to its limit, the pictures are blurred. I don't know if I need to use a faster shutter speed or what? Finally, assume that I use the same aparture setting at 28 mm focal length and at 210 mm focal length. Will the depth of field be larger on the small focal length (28 mm) than at the big focal length (210 mm) or maybe the same? Thank you for taking you time to answer my question." ( Rune Sylow Pedersen) The most common cause of cut-off in the corners is the use of the wrong lens hood (or too many filters). This can be noticeable when short focal lengths/large apertures are being used. When you use the telephoto end of the zoom, you need a shorter exposure time or a firm support for the camera to stop the picture being blurred. The depth of field is very much larger at the 28mm setting than the 210mm one. 54. "I tried rather unsuccessfully last night to take some photos of lightning. I tried to take photos on the bulb setting and found the camera would not take the photo and also on a fast shutter speed (1/2000) the same thing happened. What did I do wrong? I have a Canon EOS Rebel 2000 camera. Thank you." (Beverley Wheeler) To photograph lightning, you need a tripod plus a time exposure (T) used with a wide angle setting of the lens. This way, you can leave the shutter open until there have been one or more lightning flashes, then you can press the button again to close it. It's much more awkward trying to use the bulb (B) setting, as then you have to keep the button depressed manually (without jogging the camera). It would be better to look for a cable release with a locking screw that will give you a time exposure. 55. "I am a mother of two boys and a wife of a very avid hunter. Of course, when the animal has been shot and if brought home, a picture has to be taken. It is very embarrassing when the next door neighbor comes over with his $25 camera and his pictures come out better than mine. I use a Cannon Rebel and have no problem taken pictures in the daylight, I'm getting better with the ones in the house and the ones outside at night, stink. When you snap the picture, the shutter does not open and close fast enough. The picture comes out blurred or whatever. Just not good. Can you give any advice? Thanks for whatever you can do." (Tracy Higgins) If you didn't use flash, you are not holding the camera steady enough. Rest it on or against some support. If you are using flash, use the camera's full auto setting - not the night scene one as this provides a longer exposure so as to show up more of the far background, and gives a longer exposure than you'll require. 56. "You recently critiqued some photos for me and I appreciated it very much. So much that I would like to ask you a few questions if you have time: Just what exactly is a tearsheet? If I am a freelance photographer who has a regular paying gig for, say a newspaper, am I considered a professional because I am paid? What I really want to know is if I can compete in contests that indicate amateur only. What is the difference between a transparancy and a slide? How do I notate each digital photo, or add a copyright mark to it that cannot be removed? (I have Adobe photoshop, Picture Gear, etc.) I know I would have to register photos before submitting them to other sources besides the newspaper, (who has exclusive, forever rights to whatever work I do for them), but I am nowhere near getting to that point. Thanks for your response." (Jeannie Wright) Tearsheets are really outside the scope of my site, but in the newspaper world are, I understand, pages mailed to advertisers for approval. If you have a contract offering regular payment for photos, I would say you might well count as a professional - but different competitions may have different definitions of what they mean by amateur, so you should read the rules of each carefully. A slide is the complete mount that includes the transparency. For information on adding digimarc watermarks to photos, see Photoshop online help (use the index to look up digimarc), and/or look at http://www.digimarc.com. 57. "I want to photograph snakes at the San Diego zoo. How can I photograph through glass and what slide film should I use?" (Gail Compton) Press the camera lens right against the glass, and you'll avoid unwanted reflections. You don't need special slide film - as long as it is fast enough to cope with the lighting on the snakes. "Thanks for responding to my question about photographing snakes at the zoo. I do have a question about the slide film since I assume the zoo lighting is not balanced for daylight film." (Gail Compton) I'm afraid I have no way of knowing what sort of lighting is used to light the snakes. However, choose a film suitable for the main light source, whatever that is, and see how it turns out!  I took this photo of an alligator through glass in daylight. An advantage of using a digital camera is that it will automatically adjust to the type of lighting in use so you don't have to worry about using the appropriate film. There is more about photographing through glass on my Animals page. 58. "i am an amateur photographer still grappling with the basics.... i would be obliged if you could answer a couple of my questions.1. what is asa/din?? is it shutter speed ? if so-- how am i supposed to use it?? 2. is it alright if i use a flash for black and white photography?? i did - at my sister's wedding and the film turned out blank!!! please!!!! more tips needed!!" (nishant worah) ASA/DIN were the old ways of expressing the speed (sensitivity to light) of a film. They have now been superseded by ISO ratings. The higher the number, the greater the sensitivity. Most modern cameras automatically adjust themselves to suit the speed of the film. Older cameras had a control that you had to set. Flash should work perfectly well with b & w film. Have a careful look at the camera/flash instructions to see why it is not synchronising properly. Go on to QUESTIONS (3) I'd be most grateful if you'd let me know what you think of this site by signing my guest book. NEXT PAGE PICKING THE BEST VIEWPOINT |
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