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interested in using any of my photos, please feel free to contact me.
interested in using any of my photos, please feel free to contact me.
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Poor man's image stabilization:
I really enjoy a good panning shot, especially a good aircraft pan. To
me a great photo not only has great lighting, composition, etc., but it
should show some sense of motion!
Here is how I do it: For propeller driven aircraft, I shoot hand-held with
an obnoxiously slow shutter speed! I shoot at around 1/40 sec to
1/100 sec. My best success has been at around 1/40 sec to 1/60 sec.
This will ensure a "streaked" background AND the all important prop
blur.
The photo at the top right (yellow airplane - T-6) was taken with an
inexpensive Canon 75-300 USM III ($174.00) lens at 210mm, f/14,
1/80 sec, and ISO 100!
So, how do you hold the camera steady? Here's the trick: I use a
mono pod connected to the camera which is turned so that it lays
over my right shoulder. There is no need to extend the mono pod out
past the shoulder. The airshow crowd will appreciate this. It works at
airshows as well as anytime I need to use a slow shutter speed and
can't or don't want to use a tripod. It's not going to work if you have
to hold for 1 sec or more though.
I now use an IS (image stabilized) lens but I sometimes still use the
mono pod method in combination with the IS lens, especially at
airshows.
Try it out on anything moving - plains, trains, and automobiles!
me a great photo not only has great lighting, composition, etc., but it
should show some sense of motion!
Here is how I do it: For propeller driven aircraft, I shoot hand-held with
an obnoxiously slow shutter speed! I shoot at around 1/40 sec to
1/100 sec. My best success has been at around 1/40 sec to 1/60 sec.
This will ensure a "streaked" background AND the all important prop
blur.
The photo at the top right (yellow airplane - T-6) was taken with an
inexpensive Canon 75-300 USM III ($174.00) lens at 210mm, f/14,
1/80 sec, and ISO 100!
So, how do you hold the camera steady? Here's the trick: I use a
mono pod connected to the camera which is turned so that it lays
over my right shoulder. There is no need to extend the mono pod out
past the shoulder. The airshow crowd will appreciate this. It works at
airshows as well as anytime I need to use a slow shutter speed and
can't or don't want to use a tripod. It's not going to work if you have
to hold for 1 sec or more though.
I now use an IS (image stabilized) lens but I sometimes still use the
mono pod method in combination with the IS lens, especially at
airshows.
Try it out on anything moving - plains, trains, and automobiles!
Depth of field (DOF) is the area around the chosen focus point of an
image where objects appear to be in focus. For example, if you
would like more DOF (more of your image to be in focus from
foreground to background), then remember this: Don't Open F stop.
Close down the aperture (f/stop) to a smaller opening (higher number
- f/22 as opposed to f/4).
The image to the right was shot at an aperture of f/4. Notice that
there are only 3 flowers that are in focus. This is because the photo
was taken at f/4. Had I used something along the lines of f/8 - f/22
more of the flowers would be in focus as the f/stop numbers
increased (aperture decreased). Thus you can see how controlling
the aperture can really make a big difference in message of an
image.
image where objects appear to be in focus. For example, if you
would like more DOF (more of your image to be in focus from
foreground to background), then remember this: Don't Open F stop.
Close down the aperture (f/stop) to a smaller opening (higher number
- f/22 as opposed to f/4).
The image to the right was shot at an aperture of f/4. Notice that
there are only 3 flowers that are in focus. This is because the photo
was taken at f/4. Had I used something along the lines of f/8 - f/22
more of the flowers would be in focus as the f/stop numbers
increased (aperture decreased). Thus you can see how controlling
the aperture can really make a big difference in message of an
image.
Depth of field (DOF)
Daisy
Canon 20D, Canon 70-200 L f/2.8 IS lens,
1/1250 sec f/4, 280mm, ISO 100.
1/1250 sec f/4, 280mm, ISO 100.
County Fair Pride
Another example of how controlling the aperture controls the message of a
photo can be seen on the left. This was a tough shot because of a
number of reasons, the least of which was the lack of lighting. Because I
wanted to focus the attention on the chicken and still be able to tell the
story, I had to get creative. With bad lighting, I had to back off from the
chicken and use the zoom lens to "compress" the distance between the
ribbon and the chicken so that the ribbon would be legible enough to tell
the story without stealing the thunder from the chicken.
I love that Canon 70-200 L f/2.8 IS lens! The lens made this shot possible
because the LOW shutter speed (1/20 sec) made it necessary to use the
Image Stabilization feature of the lens. Because it was an f/2.8 lens I was
able to get the DOF that I wanted. (Hand-held by the way!!)
photo can be seen on the left. This was a tough shot because of a
number of reasons, the least of which was the lack of lighting. Because I
wanted to focus the attention on the chicken and still be able to tell the
story, I had to get creative. With bad lighting, I had to back off from the
chicken and use the zoom lens to "compress" the distance between the
ribbon and the chicken so that the ribbon would be legible enough to tell
the story without stealing the thunder from the chicken.
I love that Canon 70-200 L f/2.8 IS lens! The lens made this shot possible
because the LOW shutter speed (1/20 sec) made it necessary to use the
Image Stabilization feature of the lens. Because it was an f/2.8 lens I was
able to get the DOF that I wanted. (Hand-held by the way!!)
Canon 20D, Canon 70-200 L
f/2.8 IS lens, hand held 1/20
sec., f/2.8, 110mm, ISO 100.
f/2.8 IS lens, hand held 1/20
sec., f/2.8, 110mm, ISO 100.
