Collins Complete Photography Projects

I dedicate my part of this book to my Laurence and thank her for all the support and inspiration. She was with me when I made many of the pictures. She was my muse.

John

I dedicate the book to my wife Margaret for being a long-time helpful companion. She is the main inspiration for most of my photo projects – without her I would be wanting.

Graeme

contents

Cover

Title Page

Dedication

Introduction

1 Photography Basics

2 The Great Outdoors

3 Sightseeing and Cities

4 Out and About

5 Capturing Action

6 Still Life

7 Portraits

8 Body Beautiful

9 Celebrations

10 Children

11 Animals

12 Patterns

13 After Dark

14 Perfecting Your Images

Conclusion

Resources

List of Searchable Terms

Acknowledgements

Copyright

About the Publisher

INTRODUCTION

In our first book together, Collins Complete Photography Course, we tackled the complexities of modern digital and film cameras, taking an in-depth look at their controls and the techniques needed in order to start producing great pictures. The next logical step, it seemed to us, was to apply the knowledge learned in the first book to the great themes of photography in this second book.

While it would benefit you to study our earlier book if you’re a novice, Complete Photography Projects stands alone, with a concise technical section to bring you up to speed. For those of you still using film, this book is equally valid, showing you how to deal with the many subjects you may want to shoot. Each chapter is devoted to a different genre, with most of the photographs shot especially for the book.

The book is written with a view to the facts of real life. We know that you may have to pack much of your photography into the odd weekend and annual holiday. We have travelled the world with small children and know how frustrating it can be to miss a great shot because the kids are hungry or tired, but we are also grateful that we did have that wonderful photographic subject on hand – the children. Finding ourselves in the right place at the wrong time has always been a dilemma too, perhaps bedevilled by awful weather or scaffolding on the great cathedral we’d been waiting a long time to shoot, and so on. We could probably make a list of problems that would fill a page.

However, our aim is to help you to turn those negatives into positives. The first section of the book will help you get to grips with that amazingly sophisticated machine that you bought. It’s basically a computer, so anyone familiar with those will not have much of a problem navigating around its menus. The job of this section is to make you become master of your machine rather than, as is often the case, the camera intimidating the photographer and blocking the creative process. This book is not for equipment geeks, but we must all get to know our cameras so well that we can just concentrate on the subject rather than struggling with our equipment. We discuss technique as related to creativity, for there is not a single technical decision that is not in fact a creative one.

When one starts out in photography the problem is not just how to take pictures, but what pictures to take. This issue delays the learning process for many novices, because to progress you need to shoot, shoot, shoot. We offer lots of themes to help you find inspiration and our photographs will show the process involved in the making of an image. So, with your new-found confidence, we hope you’ll soon be raring to get up and go under your own steam.

GABRIELLA

You don’t need a lot of equipment to take a professional-looking shot. I just used the available back light and a gold reflector to create this publicity portrait of singer Gabriella Cilmi. 1/1000 second at f5.6, 150mm, 200 ISO. JG

LOBSTER

I found this lobster outside a restaurant in Copenhagen, where the bright overcast light really made the red zing out against the cool blue ice. I stopped the aperture down to f11 to make sure the lobster was sharp from front to back and placed him right in the centre of the viewfinder to make a symmetrical composition. 1/125 second at f11, 30mm, 400 ISO. JG

PHOTOGRAPHY BASICS

Whether your camera is old or new, you will only take really good photographs if you know how to create strong images – the saying ‘cameras don’t take photographs, photographers do’ is right. You should certainly not get hung up on needing the latest camera on the market, especially in these digital days, when there will be an even newer one out next week.

We feel that the push for more megapixels and ever-bigger sensors is largely driven by the industry’s need to sell us more gear. All this technology is not going to make your pictures any more creative; many of our favourite pictures – those that inspired us to take up photography ourselves – were made on far less sophisticated cameras than even the average point and shoot camera that you can buy today. To quote the American photographer Chase Jarvis, ‘The best camera is the one you have with you.’

You will no doubt have read through your camera manual; if you had trouble understanding it, this chapter will help to make it clearer. If you still feel in need of more detail, you will find it in our first book, Collins Complete Photography Course (HarperCollins, 2008).

Although this book is more about pictures than equipment, it is essential that we photographers get to know our cameras like a best friend. Our aim is to show you how to take better pictures no matter what your camera may be, just using it as a tool with which to transform your creative ideas into exciting images.

QUICK TIP

Your camera manual is vital if you are to understand the controls and functions of your camera. Don’t be embarrassed about carrying it around with you – today’s cameras are so complicated that few people can remember everything they do.

HOW JOHN CHOSE HIS NEW CAMERA

Just before writing this book I bought a new camera because I was feeling the need to simplify my travel photography and lighten my load. I wrote a priority list of features that I regarded as essential in a new all-round camera and spent a great deal of time finding exactly the right camera for me. This list might be helpful to you when you are choosing your next camera.

 Size and weight: small enough to fit in a coat pocket, light enough to carry all day without causing fatigue.

 Instant focus without shutter delay, for people and action.

 

 A viewfinder – I don’t like trying to compose pictures on the LCD screen as I often can’t see the image when the light is bright.

 Improved performance at high ISO speeds.

 An articulated screen – I find it very useful for shooting above my head or from ground level, or for shooting people surreptitiously.

 Interchangeable lenses to give me more choices, with the addition of an adaptor ring so that I can use my beautiful analogue Nikon lenses, which are creatively interesting.

 The feel and balance of the camera – I need to regard it as a part of me and I want to enjoy shooting with it.

 A menu system that makes sense to me.

CAMERA

After weighing up all the pros and cons I decided on this interchangeable-lens lightweight mirrorless camera. It has a large APS-C sensor and an electronic viewfinder, making it easier to use than trying to compose on the screen. It will fit comfortably in my coat pocket and accompany me wherever I go. JG

DIGITAL CAPTURE

In digital cameras, the sensor and memory card have replaced the film we used to shoot our images on. It is the pixels on the sensor that record the image gathered by the lens. Via the camera’s computer, the sensor then conveys the image as electronic signals to the memory card for short-time storage.

FILE FORMATS

Digital cameras have two different means of writing and storing image information onto the memory card, each with their own advantages.

JPEG format

This type of file contains all the settings that you have selected via the camera’s menu, such as image size and quality, colour balance, contrast and noise reduction. The camera applies these settings to the image and compresses them onto the memory card. The most popular format, JPEG produces images processed by the camera, ready to show on the computer or to print.

The JPEG file can be reprocessed with image-editing software such as Adobe Photoshop at a later date, but the settings applied by the camera cannot be completely reversed. Always work on a copy of the original JPEG, as repeated opening and saving will degrade the image.

RAW format

This format stores all the information from the sensor in an unprocessed and uncompressed form. It is the pure information of the picture and can be likened to a film negative. Once downloaded to the computer it has to be processed, with the photographer applying settings of brightness, contrast, colour balance and so on. After the interpretation has been made it is saved as a separate TIFF or JPEG file, leaving the original RAW file untouched and available for a new interpretation at a later date. TIFF files are not compressed like a JPEG file and provide better quality, so they are the option to choose if you plan to do extensive retouching.

Raw files are large and take up a lot of space on the memory card, but this has become less of a problem now as the price of memory has dropped considerably in recent years.

MEMORY CARDS

These are available in different sizes to suit the system your camera uses. Many of the DSLR cameras use large CF cards, but in order to make cameras more compact, recent models accommodate the smaller SD cards. Some cameras are able to use two cards, usually two SD cards on the newer models. You can buy cards in a variety of memory capacities and they also have different image transfer speeds, affecting how fast you can shoot.

Memory cards are quite fragile and should be protected from moisture and extreme temperatures; take care not to drop them, too. The images on the card should be copied to a computer as soon as possible, since many people have lost their pictures as a result of card failure or loss of the camera. Use the format feature in the camera to erase the card and set it up for shooting again. Once it is reformatted the previous images on the card will be lost.

Memory cards are quite stable and don’t give many problems, though it’s good practice to buy the best quality. While it has been recommended that they be replaced after about two years, we have been using the same cards for many years without problems – so far.

CARD

Memory cards hold all your precious images. Buy good-quality cards and treat them with care.

FORMAT

Once your pictures have been transferred to your computer and/or other safe storage places, reformat the card in the camera, which will set it up properly to be used again on your next shoot.

RAW

Use RAW if you intend to do extensive retouching on your pictures. If using JPEG, make sure you set the image size and quality to maximum, since you may want to make large prints from the pictures at some time in the future.

EXPOSURE MODE DIAL

Most cameras have an exposure mode dial on top of the camera, though it’s becoming more common to set the exposure modes from the menu instead. Today’s cameras offer a wide choice of modes.

AUTO (Automatic mode)

This is the camera in complete control, making all the exposure decisions, including whether flash is necessary. It is the mode that is recommended for first-time users.

P (Program mode)

The camera is still in automatic but you can override it using exposure compensation and flash. Some cameras will allow flexible program and auto exposure bracketing. This mode is intended for snapshot shooting.

S or Tv – TIME VALUE (Shutter priority mode)

Shutter priority is a semi-automatic setting; you set the shutter speed and the camera sets the aperture for the correct exposure. Use it when the choice of shutter speed is most important for your photograph.

A or AV – APERTURE VALUE (Aperture priority mode)

Aperture priority is also a semi-automatic setting, but this time you set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed for the correct exposure. This is the mode to set when the choice of aperture is most important for your photograph.

M (Manual mode)

Here you are completely in control of both shutter and aperture. You need to use this mode if you want to make long exposures on Bulb setting or shoot with studio flash, where shutter speed and aperture are set independently.

PRESET SCENES

The preset programs are the result of an enormous amount of information that has been programmed into your camera. They set up the camera functions to match the subject you have selected, choosing combinations of shutter speed, aperture, flash, colour balance and focus that the camera decides is ideal. These programs are useful when you are starting out, but you will probably want to move on to take your own decisions as your knowledge increases.

Cameras vary in the style of the graphics and menu for the presets, and in the presets that are available – some offer a wider choice than others. The following are among the most common.

Portrait mode

On the assumption that you want the face to stand out from the background by making the background soft, the portrait mode sets the camera to the largest aperture possible in the lighting circumstances.

Landscape mode

This sets the camera to the smallest possible aperture that the lighting conditions will allow in order to get as great a depth of field as possible.

Close up

For close up, the camera sets a medium aperture of around f8, depending on available light, to ensure some depth of field to the subject with the background slightly out of focus. It also sets centre focus area. It is advisable to use a tripod, since this preset may give slow shutter speeds.

Sports

In order to freeze motion, this mode sets the highest shutter speed that the lighting allows. Focus is set to continuous while the shutter release button is pressed halfway. The built-in flash is turned off.

Night landscape

The camera selects slow shutter speeds for night shots. For speeds slower than 1 second, set noise reduction if your camera has it. When using this mode you will probably need to put the camera on a tripod to avoid blur from camera movement.

Night portrait

Here the camera balances the flash on the subject with the existing light in the background. You have two choices here: keep the camera and subject still to render everything sharp, or move the camera slightly during the exposure if you want a blurred background. The high speed of the flash will freeze the subject, while the slower shutter speed will allow the background to blur.

THE ISO SETTING

Before you start shooting pictures with your camera you must select the ISO setting, either from a button on the camera body or via the menu.

The ISO (International Standards Organization) index is a system for calibrating the sensitivity to light of film emulsions and digital sensors; the higher the ISO number, the greater the sensitivity. On most cameras the ISO settings go from 100 to approximately 3,200, though the latest digital sensors allow settings of up to ISO 25,000.

The lower the ISO number, the finer the quality of the image, whether film or digital. As the ISO number rises so does the amount of noise in a digital image and grain in a film negative, breaking up the image and reducing sharpness and detail. Noise reduction can be turned on when shooting at higher ISOs, but it tends to soften the image somewhat. It has no benefit at low ISOs.

Grain and noise are not necessarily a bad thing – they can be another creative tool, used to enhance subjects such as misty mornings and night shots, for example, and often most effective in black and white shots.

QUICK TIP

Try to get into the habit of checking the ISO setting each time before you start shooting or you may end up with a lot of pictures on a setting that does not suit the subject. Remember you can change your ISO at any time during a shoot – for instance, if the light drops suddenly and you find the shutter speed has become too slow for a hand-held camera, just turn up the ISO and retain your higher shutter speed.

LOW ISO

This is a small section taken out of a portrait to demonstrate the quality of image that is possible on a digital camera with a low ISO setting.

HIGH ISO

The section here is proportionally the same size in an image as the eye from the portrait, but the shot has been taken with a high ISO setting. While great effort is made by manufacturers to reduce grain and noise, it can be really attractive on some images.