The Digital Photography Book [1, 1 ed.] 9780321474049, 9780321474049

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The Digital Photography Book: The Step-By-Step Secrets for How to Make Your Photos Look Like the Pros'! ByScott Kelby ............................................... Publisher: Pe a ch pit Pr e ss Pub Dat e: August 2 3 , 2 0 0 6 Print I SBN- 10: 0 - 3 2 1 - 4 7 4 0 4 - X Print I SBN- 13: 9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 1 - 4 7 4 0 4 - 9 Pages: 2 4 0

Table of Cont ent s | I ndex

Scot t Kelby, t he m an who changed t he " digit al darkroom " forever wit h his groundbreaking, # 1 best selling, award- winning book The Phot oshop Book for Digit al Phot ographers, now t ackles t he m ost im port ant side of digit al phot ography- - how t o t ake pro- qualit y shot s using t he sam e t ricks t oday's t op digit al pros use ( and it 's easier t han you'd t hink) . This ent ire book is writ t en wit h a brilliant prem ise, and here's how Scot t describes it : " I f you and I were out on a shoot , and you asked m e, 'Hey, how do I get t his flower t o be in focus, but I want t he background out of focus?' I wouldn't st and t here and give you a lect ure about apert ure, exposure, and dept h of field. I n real life, I 'd j ust say, 'Get out your t elephot o lens, set your f/ st op t o f/ 2.8, focus on t he flower, and fire away.' You d say, 'OK,' and you'd get t he shot . That 's what t his book is all about . A book of you and I shoot ing, and I answer t he quest ions, give you advice, and share t he secret s I 've learned j ust like I would wit h a friend, wit hout all t he t echnical explanat ions and wit hout all t he t echno- phot o- speak." This isn't a book of t heoryit isn't full of confusing j argon and det ailed concept s: t his is a book of which but t on t o push, which set t ing t o use, when t o use t hem , and nearly t wo hundred of t he m ost closely guarded phot ographic " t ricks of t he t rade" t o get you shoot ing dram at ically bet t er- looking, sharper, m ore colorful, m ore professional- looking phot os wit h your digit al cam era every t im e you press t he shut t er but t on. Here's anot her t hing t hat m akes t his book different : each page covers j ust one t rick, j ust one single concept t hat m akes your phot ography bet t er. Every t im e you t urn t he page, you'll learn anot her pro set t ing, anot her pro t ool, anot her pro t rick t o t ransform your work from snapshot s int o gallery print s. There's never been a book like it , and if you're t ired of t aking shot s t hat look " OK," and if you're t ired of looking in phot ography m agazines and t hinking, " Why don't m y shot s look like t hat ?" t hen t his is t he book for you.

The Digital Photography Book: The Step-By-Step Secrets for How to Make Your Photos Look Like the Pros'! ByScott Kelby ............................................... Publisher: Pe a ch pit Pr e ss Pub Dat e: August 2 3 , 2 0 0 6 Print I SBN- 10: 0 - 3 2 1 - 4 7 4 0 4 - X Print I SBN- 13: 9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 1 - 4 7 4 0 4 - 9 Pages: 2 4 0

Table of Cont ent s | I ndex

Scot t Kelby, t he m an who changed t he " digit al darkroom " forever wit h his groundbreaking, # 1 best selling, award- winning book The Phot oshop Book for Digit al Phot ographers, now t ackles t he m ost im port ant side of digit al phot ography- - how t o t ake pro- qualit y shot s using t he sam e t ricks t oday's t op digit al pros use ( and it 's easier t han you'd t hink) . This ent ire book is writ t en wit h a brilliant prem ise, and here's how Scot t describes it : " I f you and I were out on a shoot , and you asked m e, 'Hey, how do I get t his flower t o be in focus, but I want t he background out of focus?' I wouldn't st and t here and give you a lect ure about apert ure, exposure, and dept h of field. I n real life, I 'd j ust say, 'Get out your t elephot o lens, set your f/ st op t o f/ 2.8, focus on t he flower, and fire away.' You d say, 'OK,' and you'd get t he shot . That 's what t his book is all about . A book of you and I shoot ing, and I answer t he quest ions, give you advice, and share t he secret s I 've learned j ust like I would wit h a friend, wit hout all t he t echnical explanat ions and wit hout all t he t echno- phot o- speak." This isn't a book of t heoryit isn't full of confusing j argon and det ailed concept s: t his is a book of which but t on t o push, which set t ing t o use, when t o use t hem , and nearly t wo hundred of t he m ost closely guarded phot ographic " t ricks of t he t rade" t o get you shoot ing dram at ically bet t er- looking, sharper, m ore colorful, m ore professional- looking phot os wit h your digit al cam era every t im e you press t he shut t er but t on. Here's anot her t hing t hat m akes t his book different : each page covers j ust one t rick, j ust one single concept t hat m akes your phot ography bet t er. Every t im e you t urn t he page, you'll learn anot her pro set t ing, anot her pro t ool, anot her pro t rick t o t ransform your work from snapshot s int o gallery print s. There's never been a book like it , and if you're t ired of t aking shot s t hat look " OK," and if you're t ired of looking in phot ography m agazines and t hinking, " Why don't m y shot s look like t hat ?" t hen t his is t he book for you.

Copyright Th e D igit a l Ph ot ogr a ph y Book PUBLI SHED BY Pe a ch pit Pr e ss Copyright © 2007 by Scot t Kelby FI RST EDI TI ON: August 2006 All right s reserved. No part of t his book m ay be reproduced or t ransm it t ed in any form , by any m eans, elect ronic or m echanical, including phot ocopying, recording, or by any inform at ion st orage and ret rieval syst em , wit hout writ t en perm ission from t he publisher, except for t he inclusion of brief quot at ions in a review. Com posed in Myriad Pro ( Adobe Syst em s I ncorporat ed) and Lucida Grande ( Bigelow & Holm es I nc.) by Kelby Publishing. Th e D igit a l Ph ot ogr a ph y Book Te a m TECHNI CAL EDI TORS Kim D ot y Cin dy Sn yde r EDI TORI AL CONSULTANT Bill For t n e y PRODUCTI ON EDI TOR Kim Ga br ie l PRODUCTI ON MANAGER D a ve D a m st r a GRAPHI C DESI GN Je ssica M a ldon a do COVER DESI GNED BY Scot t Ke lby STUDI O SHOTS D a ve Ga le s

Trademarks All t erm s m ent ioned in t his book t hat are known t o be t radem arks or service m arks have been appropriat ely capit alized. Peachpit Press cannot at t est t o t he accuracy of t his inform at ion. Use of a t erm in t he book should not be regarded as affect ing t he validit y of any t radem ark or service m ark. Phot oshop and Light room are regist ered t radem arks of Adobe Syst em s, I nc. Nikon is a regist ered t radem ark of Nikon Corporat ion. Canon is a regist ered t radem ark of Canon I nc.

Warning and Disclaimer This book is designed t o provide inform at ion about digit al phot ography. Every effort has been m ade t o m ake t his book as com plet e and as accurat e as possible, but no warrant y of fit ness is im plied.

The inform at ion is provided on an as- is basis. The aut hor and Peachpit Press shall have neit her t he liabilit y nor responsibilit y t o any person or ent it y wit h respect t o any loss or dam ages arising from t he inform at ion cont ained in t his book or from t he use of t he discs or program s t hat m ay accom pany it . 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Print ed and bound in t he Unit ed St at es of Am erica w w w .peachpit .com w w w .scot t kelbybooks.com

Dedication Dedicat ed t o t he am azing Dr. St ephanie Van Zandt for her excellent advice, for t aking such good care of m y wife, and for delivering t he sweet est lit t le baby girl in t he whole world.

Acknowledgments Alt hough only one nam e appears on t he spine of t his book, it t akes a t eam of dedicat ed and t alent ed people t o pull a proj ect like t his t oget her. I 'm not only delight ed t o be working wit h t hem , but I also get t he honor and privilege of t hanking t hem here. This is m y 37t h book, and in each book I writ e, I always st art by t hanking m y am azing, wonderful, beaut iful, hilarious, and absolut ely brilliant wife Kalebra. She probably st opped reading t hese acknowledgm ent s 20 or m ore books ago because I keep gushing on and on about her, and despit e how am azingly beaut iful, charm ing, and capt ivat ing she is, she's a very hum ble person ( which m akes her even m ore beaut iful) . And even t hough I know she probably won't read t his, I j ust have t o t hank her anyway because not only could I not do any of t his wit hout her, I sim ply wouldn't want t o. She's j ust " it ." I t 's her voice, her t ouch, her sm ile, her heart , her generosit y, her com passion, her sense of hum or, and t he way she sneaks around behind t he scenes t rying t o m ake sure m y life is t hat m uch bet t er, t hat m uch m ore fun, t hat m uch m ore fulfilling, and you j ust have t o adore som eone like t hat . She is t he t ype of wom an love songs are writ t en for, and as any of m y friends will gladly at t est I am , wit hout a doubt , t he luckiest m an alive t o have her as m y wife. I love you m adly, sweet heart ! I also want t o t hank m y crazy, fun- filled, wonderful lit t le nine- year- old boy Jordan. He won't read t his eit her, because as he says, " I t em barrasses him ." And since I know he won't read it ( or even let m e read it t o him ) , I can safely gush about him , t oo. Dude, you rock! You are about t he coolest lit t le boy any dad could ask foryou love St ar Wars ( and our light saber bat t les in t he kit chen) , you dig Bon Jovi, you're always up for a gam e of golf, you love t o go t o t he m ovies wit h m e, and you get as excit ed about life as I do. You are not hing but a j oy, I 'm so t hrilled t o be your dad, and you're already a great big brot her t o your new lit t le sist er. I am very, very proud of you lit t le buddy. I also want t o t hank m y beaut iful daught er Kira, who is t he best - nat ured, happiest lit t le baby girl in t he whole wide world. You're only five m ont hs old, but you're already reflect ing your m om 's sweet nat ure, her beaut iful sm ile, and her loving heart . You're t oo young t o know what an am azing m ot her you have, but before long, j ust like your brot her, you'll realize t hat your m om is som eone very special, and t hat t hanks t o her you're in for a really fun, excit ing, hug- filled, and advent ure- filled life. Also, t hanks t o m y big brot her Jeff. Brot hers don't get m uch bet t er t han you, and t hat 's why Dad was always so proud of you. You are t ruly one of t he " good guys" and I 'm very, very lucky t o have you in m y life. Special t hanks t o m y hom e t eam at KW Media Group. I love working wit h you guys and you m ake com ing int o work an awful lot of fun for m e. I 'm so proud of what you all dohow you com e t oget her t o hit our som et im es im possible deadlines, and as always, you do it wit h class, poise, and a can- do at t it ude t hat is t ruly inspiring. I 'm honored t o be working wit h you all. Thanks t o m y layout and product ion crew. I n part icular, I want t o t hank m y friend and Creat ive Direct or Felix Nelson ( creat or of all t hings t hat look cool) . Thanks t o m y in- house edit ors Kim Dot y and Cindy Snyder, who put t he t echniques t hrough rigorous t est ing and t ried t o st op m e from slipping any of m y fam ous t ypos past t he goalie. Also, t hanks t o Dave Dam st ra and his am azing crew for giving t he book such a t ight , clean layout . My personal t hanks t o m y friend Dave Gales who shot t he product shot s for t he book. Ya know, for a phot oj ournalist , you're not a bad st udio guy. Thanks a m illion! Thanks t o m y best buddy Dave Moser, whose t ireless dedicat ion t o creat ing a qualit y product m akes every proj ect we do bet t er t han t he last . Thanks t o Jean A. Kendra for her st eadfast support , and an ext ra special t hanks t o m y Execut ive Assist ant Kat hy Siler for keeping everyt hing running sm oot hly while I 'm out t raveling and writ ing books. You are, wit hout a doubt , t he best !

Thanks t o m y publisher Nancy Ruenzel, m arket ing m averick Scot t Cowlin, product ion hound Ted Wait t , and t he incredibly dedicat ed t eam at Peachpit Press. I t 's a real honor t o get t o work wit h people who really j ust want t o m ake great books. Also, m y personal t hanks t o Pat rick Lor at iSt ockphot o.com for enabling m e t o use som e of t heir wonderful phot ography in t his book. I owe a special debt of grat it ude t o m y good friend Bill Fort ney for agreeing t o give t he book a good " once over" and it 's infinit ely bet t er because of his com m ent s, ideas, and input . Bill is j ust an am azing individual, a world- class phot ographer, a t est am ent t o how t o live one's life, and I 'm t ruly honored t o have got t en t he chance t o work wit h som eone of his caliber, int egrit y, and fait h. I want t o t hank all t he t alent ed and gift ed phot ographers who've t aught m e so m uch over t he years, including Moose Pet erson, Vincent Versace, Bill Fort ney, David Ziser, Jim DiVit ale, Helene Glassm an, George Lepp, and Eddie Tapp. Thanks t o m y m ent ors whose wisdom and whip- cracking have helped m e im m easurably, including John Graden, Jack Lee, Dave Gales, Judy Farm er, and Douglas Poole. Most im port ant ly, I want t o t hank God, and His son Jesus Christ , for leading m e t o t he wom an of m y dream s, for blessing us wit h such a special lit t le boy and an am azing lit t le girl, for allowing m e t o m ake a living doing som et hing I t ruly love, for always being t here when I need Him , for blessing m e wit h a wonderful, fulfilling, and happy life, and such a warm , loving fam ily t o share it wit h.

Other Books By Scott Kelby The Phot oshop CS2 Book for Digit al Phot ographers Phot oshop Down & Dirt y Tricks Phot oshop CS2 Killer Tips The Phot oshop Channels Book Phot oshop Classic Effect s The iPod Book The Adobe Light room eBook for Digit al Phot ographers I nDesign CS/ CS2 Killer Tips Mac OS X Tiger Killer Tips Get t ing St art ed wit h Your Mac and Mac OS X Tiger

About The Author Scot t Ke lby

Scot t is Edit or- in- Chief and Publisher of Phot oshop User m agazine, Edit or- in- Chief of Nikon Soft ware User m agazine, Edit or and Publisher of Layers m agazine ( t he how- t o m agazine for everyt hing Adobe) , and co- host of t he popular weekly video show Adobe® Phot oshop® TV . Scot t is President and co- founder of t he Nat ional Associat ion of Phot oshop Professionals ( NAPP) and is President of t he soft ware t raining, educat ion, and publishing firm KW Media Group. Scot t is a phot ographer, designer, and an award- winning aut hor of m ore t han 35 books, including The Phot oshop Book for Digit al Phot ographers, Phot oshop Down & Dirt y Tricks , The Phot oshop Channels Book, Phot oshop Classic Effect s, The iPod Book , and is Series Edit or for t he Killer Tips book series from New Riders. Scot t 's books have been t ranslat ed int o dozens of different languages, including Russian, Chinese, French, Dut ch, Korean, Spanish, Polish, Czechoslovakian, Greek, Germ an, Japanese, I t alian, and Swedish, am ong ot hers. For t wo years st raight , Scot t has been awarded t he dist inct ion of being t he world's # 1 best selling aut hor of all com put er and t echnology books, across all cat egories. Scot t is Training Direct or for t he Adobe Phot oshop Sem inar Tour and Conference Technical Chair for t he Phot oshop World Conference & Expo. He's feat ured in a series of Adobe Phot oshop t raining DVDs and has been t raining Adobe Phot oshop users since 1993. For m ore inform at ion on Scot t , visit www.scot t kelby.com .

Chapter One. Pro Tips for Getting Really Sharp Photos If Your Photos Aren't Sharp, the Rest Doesn't Matter

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Having phot os t hat are sharp and in focus is so vit ally im port ant t o pro phot ographers t hat t hey act ually have coined a t erm for t hem . They call t hem " t ack sharp." When I first heard t hat t erm t ossed around years ago, I nat urally assum ed t hat it was derived from t he old phrase " sharp as a t ack," but once I began writ ing t his book and doing som e serious research int o it s hist ory, I was shocked and surprised at what I found. First of all, it 's not based on t he " sharp as a t ack" phrase at all. Tack sharp is act ually an acronym . TACK st ands for Technically Accurat e Cibachrom e Kelvin ( which refers t o t he color t em perat ure of light in phot ographs) , and SHARP st ands for Shut t er Hyperfocal At Refract ed Polarizat ion. Now, t hese m ay seem like highly t echnical t erm s at first , but once you realize t hat I t ot ally m ade t hem up, it doesn't seem so com plicat ed, does it ? Now, you have t o adm it , it sounded pret t y legit im at e at first . I m ean, I alm ost had ya, didn't I ? Com e on, you know I had you, and I 'll

bet it was t hat " color t em perat ure of light " t hing I put in parent hesis t hat helped sell t he idea t hat it was real, right ? I t 's okay t o adm it you were fooled, j ust like it 's okay t o adm it t hat you've t aken phot os in t he past t hat weren't t ack sharp ( j ust in case you were wondering, t he t erm " t ack sharp" is act ually form ed from t he Lat in phrase t ant us saet a equina which m eans " t here's horsehair in m y t ant us" ) . Anyway, what 's really im port ant at t his point is what ever you do, keep your spot t ed palom ino away from anyt hing wit h a sharp, point y end used t o at t ach paper t o a bullet in board. That 's all I 'm saying.

The Real Secret to Getting Sharp Photos

BILL FORTINEY Hey, before we get t o "The Real Secret t o Get t ing Sharp Phot os," I need t o let you in on a few quick t hings t hat will help you big t im e in get t ing t he m ost from t his book ( sorry about duping you wit h " The Real Secret t o Get t ing Sharp Phot os" headline, but don't worryt hat subj ect and m ore are com ing right up, but first I have t o m ake sure you t ot ally underst and how t his book works. Then it will all m ake sense and we can worry about sharp phot os) . The idea is sim ple: you and I are out on a phot o shoot . While we're out shoot ing, you have lot s of quest ions, and I 'm going t o answer t hem here in t he book j ust like I would in real lifest raight and t o t he point , wit hout t eaching you all t he t echnical aspect s and behind- t he- scenes t echnology of digit al phot ography. For exam ple, if we were out shoot ing and you t urned t o m e and said, " Hey Scot t , I want t o t ake a shot where t hat flower over t here is in focus, but t he background is out of focus. How do I do t hat ?" I wouldn't t urn t o you and give you a speech about sm aller and larger apert ures, about how exposure equals shut t er speed plus apert ure, or any of t hat st uff you can read in any book about digit al phot ography ( and I m ean any bookit 's in every one) . I n real life, I 'd j ust t urn t o you and say, " Put on your zoom lens, set your apert ure at f/ 2.8, focus on t he flower, and fire away." That 's how t his book works. Basically, it 's you and m e out shoot ing, and I 'm giving you t he sam e t ips, t he sam e advice, and t he sam e t echniques I 've learned over t he years from som e of t he t op working pros, but I 'm giving it t o you in plain English, j ust like I would in person, t o a friend.

The Other Most Important Secret

BILL FORTINEY Again, ignore t hat headline. I t 's j ust a cheap com e- on t o get you t o keep reading. Anyway, t hat 's t he scoop. Now, here's anot her im port ant t hing you need t o know. To get t he kind of qualit y phot os I t hink you're looking for, som et im es it t akes m ore t han changing an adj ust m ent in t he cam era or changing t he way you shoot . Som et im es, you have t o buy t he st uff t he pros use t o shoot like a pro. I don't m ean you need t o buy a new digit al cam era, but inst ead, som e accessories t hat t he pros use in t he field every day. I learned a long t im e ago t hat in m any fields, like sport s for exam ple, t he equipm ent doesn't really m ake t hat big a difference. For exam ple, go t o Wal- Mart , buy t he cheapest set of golf clubs you can, hand t hem t o Tiger Woods, and he's st ill Tiger Woodsshoot ing 12 under par on a bad day. However, I 've never seen a field where t he equipm ent m akes as big a difference as it does in phot ography. Don't get m e wrong, hand Jay Maisel a point - and- shoot cam era and he'll t ake point - and- shoot shot s t hat could hang in a gallery, but t he problem is we're not as good as Jay Maisel. So, t o level t he playing field, som et im es we have t o buy accessories ( crut ches) t o m ake up for t he fact t hat we're not Jay Maisel. Now, I don't get a kickback, bonus, or anyt hing from any of t he com panies whose product s I recom m end. I 'm giving you t he sam e advice I 'd give you if we were out shoot ing ( which is t he whole t hem e behind t his book) . This is not a book t o sell you st uff, but before you m ove forward, underst and t hat t o get pro result s som et im es you have t o use ( and t hat m eans buy) what t he pros use.

Perhaps Even More Important Than That! [View full size image]

St ill a fake headline. Don't let it t hrow you. Now, alt hough we want pro- qualit y phot os, we don't all have budget s like t he pros, so when possible, I break m y suggest ions down int o t hree cat egories:

I 'm on a budget . These are denot ed wit h t his sym bol. I t sim ply m eans you're not loose wit h m oney ( m eaning you're probably m arried and have kids) . I can swing it . I f you see t his sym bol, it m eans phot ography is your passion and you don't m ind if your kids have t o work a part - t im e j ob once t hey get t o college t o buy books. So you're willing t o spend t o have som e bet t er- t han- average equipm ent . I f you see t his sym bol, it m eans you don't really have a budget ( you're a doct or, lawyer, vent ure capit alist , U.S. Senat or, et c.) , so I 'll j ust t ell you which one I would buy if I was one of t hose rich bas* % $# s. ( Kidding. Kind of.)

To m akes t hings easy, I put up a webpage at w w w .scot t k elby book s.com / gear guide wit h direct links t o t hese goodies if you're so inclined. Again, I don't get a red cent if you use t hese links or buy t his st uff, but I don't m ind because I m ade such a killing on you buying t his book. Again, I kid. Now, where do t hese links act ually go? ( See next page.)

If You Skip This, Throw Away Your Camera [View full size image]

Hey, how do you like t hat grabber of a headline? Sweet ! Tot ally a scam , but sweet nonet heless. Now, t hose links on t he webpage lead t o one of t wo places: ( 1) t o t he individual m anufact urer who sells t he product , if t hey only sell direct , or ( 2) t o B&H Phot o's websit e. So, why B&H? Because I t rust t hem . I 've been buying all m y personal cam era gear from t hem for years ( so do all m y friends, and m ost of t he pros I know) and since you're now going t o be one of m y shoot ing buddies, t his is where I would t ell you t o go wit hout a doubt . There are t hree t hings I like about B&H, and why t hey have becom e som et hing of a legend am ong pro phot ographers: ( 1) They carry j ust about every darn t hing you can t hink of, no m at t er how sm all or insignificant it m ay seem . Lose your Nikon brand lens cap? They've got 'em in every size. Lose your neck st rap wit h Canon st it ched on it ? They've got t hem t oo. Lose t hat t iny lit t le cap t hat covers t he input for your rem ot e shut t er release? They've got it . ( 2) When you call t hem , you t alk t o a real phot ographer, and m y experience is t hat t hey give you t he real st raight scoop on what t o buy. I 've called up wit h som et hing in m ind, and have had t heir reps t ell m e about som et hing bet t er t hat 's cheaper. That 's rare t hese days. And finally ( 3) , t heir prices are very, very com pet it ive ( t o say t he least ) . I f you're ever in New York Cit y, m ake it a point t o drop by t heir st ore. I t is absolut ely am azing. I t 's like Disneyland for phot ographers. I could spend a day t here ( and I have) . Anyway, t hey're good people. Now, does t he headline scam t hing cont inue on t he next page? You bet cha.

If You Do This Wrong, It Will Lock Up

I t 's not as good as t he last fake headline, but we're only one m ore page away from t he real chapt er cont ent , so I 'm backing it off a lit t le. Now, once you t urn t he page you'll not ice lot s of phot os of Nikon and Canon cam eras, and it m ight m ake you t hink t hat I 'm part ial t o t hese t wo brands. I t 's not j ust m e. Apparent ly m ost of t he world is part ial t o t hese t wo brands, so you'll see lot s of shot s of t hem ( m ost ly t he Nikon D70s and t he Canon 20Dt wo incredible digit al cam eras for t he m oney, and ones which m any working pros use) . Now, what if you don't shoot wit h a Nikon or Canon cam era? No sweat m ost of t he t echniques in t his book apply t o any digit al SLR cam era, and m any of t he point - and- shoot digit al cam eras as well, so if you're shoot ing wit h a Sony or an Olym pus or a Sigm a, don't let it t hrow you t hat a Nikon or Canon is pict ured. This book is about t aking dram at ically bet t er phot osnot about how t o set up your Nikon or Canon, even t hough since m ost people are shoot ing wit h one or t he ot her, I usually show one or t he ot her cam era or m enus. So, if I 'm t alking about whit e balance, and I 'm showing t he Canon whit e balance m enu, but you're not shoot ing wit h a Canon, sim ply breat he deeply and say t o yourself, " I t 's okay, m y [ insert your cam era nam e here] also has a whit e balance set t ing and it works pret t y m uch like t his one." Rem em ber, it 's about choosing t he right whit e balance, not exact ly which but t ons t o push on your cam era, because if we were really out shoot ing t oget her, we m ight not have t he sam e brand of cam er a.

It's Time to Get Serious [View full size image]

I have good news: Not only are we at t he end of t his " fake headline" t hing, you'll also be happy t o know t hat from here on out , t he rest of t he book isn't laced wit h t he wonderfully inspired ( lam e) hum or you found on t hese first few pages. Well, t he int ro page t o each chapt er has m ore of t his st uff, but it 's only one page and it goes by pret t y quickly. My books have always had " enlight ened" chapt er int ros ( m eaning I wrot e t hem when I was plast ered) and t he chapt er nam es are usually based on m ovies, song nam es, or band nam es ( t he act ual chapt er nam e appears below t he fake chapt er nam e) . The ot her reason I do it is because I need a chance t o writ e som et hing t hat doesn't use any of t he t erm s shut t er, apert ure, or t ripod. I n a book like t his, t here's not m uch room t o int erj ect personalit y ( if you want t o call it t hat ) , and since t he rest of t he book is m e t elling you j ust what you need t o know, t here's lit t le t im e for m y brand of hum or. I n fact , in life t here's lit t le t im e for m y brand of hum or, so I sneak it in t here. I have so lit t le. Anyway, as you t urn t he page, keep t his in m ind: I 'm t elling you t hese t ips j ust like I 'd t ell a shoot ing buddy, and t hat m eans oft ent im es it 's j ust which but t on t o push, which set t ing t o change, and not a whole lot of reasons why. I figure t hat once you st art get t ing am azing result s from your cam era, you'll go out and buy one of t hose " t ell m e all about it " digit al cam era books ( see page 192 for som e suggest ions) . I n all seriousness, I t ruly hope t his book ignit es your passion for phot ography by giving you som e insight int o how t he pros get t hose am azing shot s, and showing you how t o get result s you always hoped you'd get from your digit al phot ography. Now pack up your gear, it 's t im e t o head out for our shoot .

Getting "Tack Sharp" Starts with a Tripod

There's not j ust one t rick t hat will give you t he sharp phot os t he pros get it 's a com binat ion of t hings t hat all com e t oget her t o give you " t ack sharp" shot s. ( Tack sharp is t he t erm pro phot ographers use t o describe t he ult im at e level of sharpness. Sadly, we aren't t he best at com ing up wit h highly im aginat ive nam es for t hings.) So, while t here are a num ber of t hings you'll need t o do t o get t ack- sharp phot os, t he m ost im port ant is shoot ing on a t ripod. I n fact , if t here's one single t hing t hat really separat es t he pros from t he am at eurs, it 's t hat t he pros always shoot on a t ripod ( even in daylight ) . Yes, it 's m ore work, but it 's t he key ingredient t hat am at eurs m iss. Pros will do t he lit t le t hings t hat m ost am at eurs aren't willing t o do; t hat 's part of t he reason t heir phot os look like t hey do. Keeping t he cam era st ill and st eady is a t ripod's only j ob, but when it com es t o t ripods, som e do a lot bet t er j ob t han ot hers. That 's why you don't want t o skim p on qualit y. You'll hear pros t alking about t his again and again, because cheap t ripods sim ply don't do a great j ob of keeping your cam era t hat st eady. That 's why t hey're cheap.

Scott's Gear Finder Bogen/ Manfrot t o 3001BD ( around $120)

Bogen/ Manfrot t o Mag Fiber 055MF3 ( around $400)

Git zo G1327 Mount aineer Mk2 ( around $600)

A Ballhead Will Make Your Life Easier

Here's t he t hing: when you buy a pro- qualit y t ripod, you get j ust t he t ripod. I t doesn't com e wit h a t ripod head affixed like t he cheap- o t ripods do, so you'll have t o buy one separat ely ( by t he way, t his ballhead t hing isn't necessarily about get t ing sharp im ages, but it is about keeping your sanit y, so I t hought I 'd bet t er t hrow it in) . Ballheads are wonderful because wit h j ust one knob t hey let you quickly and easily aim and posit ion your cam era accurat ely at any angle ( which you'll find is a huge advant age) . Best of all, good ballheads keep your cam era locked down t ight t o keep your cam era from " creeping" ( slowly sliding one way or t he ot her) aft er you've set up your shot . Like t ripods, a good ballhead isn't cheap, but if you buy a good one, you'll fall in love wit h it .

Scott's Gear Finder Bogen/ Manfrot t o 486RC2 ( around $65)

Kirk BH- 1 ( $355)

Really Right St uff BH- 55 ( $455)

Don't Press the Shutter (Use a Cable Release)

Okay, so now you're lugging around a t ripod, but your phot os are looking m uch sharper. Not t ack sharp yet , but m uch sharper. What will t ake you t o t he next level of sharpness? A cable release. This is sim ply a cable t hat at t aches t o your digit al cam era ( well, t o m ost sem i- pro or high- end consum er dSLRs anyway) and it has a but t on on t he end of it . That way, when you press t his but t on on t he end of t he cable, it t akes t he phot o, but wit hout you act ually t ouching t he shut t er but t on on t he cam era it self. So, why is t his such a big deal? I t 's because, believe it or not , when you press t he shut t er but t on on t he cam era, it m akes t he cam era m ove j ust enough t o keep your phot os from being t ack sharp. I know, it sounds like a lit t le t hing, but t his one is bigger t han it sounds. Using it is easier t han you m ight t hink, and t hese days m ost cam eras support wireless rem ot es t oo, and t hey're fairly inexpensive as well. Now your phot os are j ust t hat m uch sharper.

Scott's Gear Finder You can get a vinyl cable release for about 8 bucks.

You can get a wireless rem ot e for about $25.

Get t he Nikon high- t ech rem ot e for about $90.

Forgot Your Cable Release? Use a Self Timer

I f you don't want t o spring for a cable release ( or wireless rem ot e) , or if you're out shoot ing and forgot yours ( which has happened t o m e on num erous occasions) , t hen t he next best t hing is t o use your digit al cam era's built - in self t im er. I know, you norm ally t hink of using t his so you can run and get in t he shot real quick, but t hink about it what does t he self t im er do? I t t akes t he shot wit hout you t ouching t he cam era, right ? Right ! So, it pret t y m uch does t he sam e j ob of keeping your cam era from m ovingyou j ust have t o wait about 10 seconds. I f you hat e wait ing ( I sure do) , t hen see if your cam era allows you t o change t he am ount of t im e it wait s before it shoot s. I 've lowered m ine t o j ust five seconds ( see t he Nikon m enu above) . I press t he shut t er but t on and t hen five seconds lat er, t he shot fires ( I figure t hat five seconds is enough t im e for any m ovem ent caused by m y pressing t he shut t er release t o subside) .

A Better Cable Release I f you're t hinking of get t ing a cable release t o reduce vibrat ion, you're bet t er off get t ing an elect ronic cable release rat her t han one t hat act ually presses t he shut t er but t on wit h a plunger- st yle wire. Because, even t hough it 's bet t er t han you pressing t he but t on wit h your big ol' st ubby vibrat ion- causing finger, it doesn't com pare wit h an elect ronic ( or wireless) version t hat doesn't t ouch t he cam era at all.

Getting Super Sharp: Mirror Lock-Up

All right , we're st art ing t o get a bit obsessed wit h cam era shake, but t hat 's what t his chapt er is all about rem oving any m ovem ent so we get not hing but t he sharpest , cleanest phot o possible. The next t rick we're going t o em ploy is m irror lock- up. What t his essent ially does is locks your cam era's m irror in t he up posit ion, so when you t ake t he shot , t he m irror does not m ove unt il aft er t he exposure is m adelim it ing t he m ovem ent inside your cam era during t he exposure, and t herefore giving you t hat m uch sharper a phot o. How m uch does t his m at t er? I t 's probably second only t o using a solid t ripod! So, you'll need t o find out where t he m irror lock- up cont rol is for your cam era ( m ost of t oday's dSLR cam eras have t his feat ure because you also use t his t o clean your sensor) . Once you set your cam era t o m irror lock- up, you now have t o press t he shut t er release but t on ( on your rem ot e or cable release) t wice: once t o lift t he m irror, and t hen a second t im e t o act ually t ake t he shot . Now, t his t echnique sounds a bit nit picky. Does it m ake t hat big a difference? By it self, no. But add t his t o everyt hing else, and it 's anot her st ep t oward t hat t ack sharp nirvana.

Turn Off Vibration Reduction (or IS)

The big rage in digit al lenses t hese days are t he Vibrat ion Reduct ion ( VR) lens from Nikon and t he I m age St abilizat ion ( I S) lens from Canon, which help you get sharper im ages while hand- holding your cam era in low- light sit uat ions. Basically, t hey let you hand- hold in m ore low- light sit uat ions by st abilizing t he m ovem ent of your lens when your shut t er is open longer, and honest ly, t hey work wonders for t hose inst ances where you can't work on a t ripod ( like weddings, som e sport ing event s, when you're shoot ing in a cit y, or j ust places where t hey sim ply won't let you set up a t ripod) . I f you're in one of t hose sit uat ions, I highly recom m end t hese VR or I S lenses, but depending on which one you use, t here are som e rules about when you should t urn t hem off. For exam ple, we'll st art wit h Nikon. I f you are shoot ing on a t ripod wit h a Nikon VR lens, t o get sharper im ages t urn t he VR feat ure off ( you do t his right on t he lens it self by t urning t he VR swit ch t o t he Off posit ion) . The non- t echnical explanat ion why is, t hese VR lenses look for vibrat ion. I f t hey don't find any, t hey'll go looking for it , and t hat looking for vibrat ion when t here is absolut ely none can cause ( you guessed it ) som e sm all vibrat ion. So j ust follow t his sim ple rule: When you're hand- holding, t urn VR or I S on. When you're shoot ing on a t ripod, for t he sharpest im ages possible, t urn VR or I S off. Now, t here are som e Nikon VR lenses and som e older Canon I S lenses t hat can be used on a t ripod wit h VR or I S t urned on. So, be sure t o check t he docum ent at ion t hat cam e wit h your VR or I S lens t o see if yours needs t o be t urned off.

Shoot at Your Lens' Sharpest Aperture

Anot her t rick t he pros use is, when possible, shoot at your lens' sharpest apert ure. For m ost lenses, t hat is about t wo full st ops sm aller t han wide open ( so t he f- st op num ber you use will go higher by t wo st ops) . For exam ple, if you had an f/ 2.8 lens, t he sharpest apert ures for t hat lens would be f/ 5.6 and f/ 8 ( t wo full st ops down from 2.8) . Of course, you can't always choose t hese apert ures, but if you're in a sit uat ion where you can ( and we'll t alk about t his lat er in t he book) , t hen shoot ing t wo st ops down from wide open will usually give you t he sharpest im age your lens can deliver. Now, t hat being said, t his isn't t rue for all lenses, and if t hat 's not t he case wit h your lens, you'll find your lens' sweet spot ( it s sharpest apert ure) in short order if you keep an eye out for which apert ure your sharpest im ages seem t o com e from . You can do t hat by looking at your phot os' EXI F dat a ( t he background inform at ion on your shot s em bedded by your digit al cam era int o t he phot os t hem selves) in Phot oshop by going under Phot oshop's File m enu and choosing File I nfo. Then click on Cam era Dat a 1. I t will show t he apert ure your shot was t aken at . I f you find m ost of your sharpest shot s are t aken wit h a part icular apert ure, t hen you've found your sweet spot . However, don't let t his override t he m ost im port ant reason you choose a part icular apert ure, and t hat is t o give you t he dept h of field you need for a part icular shot . But it 's j ust nice t o know which f- st op t o choose when your m ain concern is sharpness, not cont rolling dept h of field.

Good Glass Makes a Big Difference

Does buying a really good lens m ake t hat big a difference in sharpness? Absolut ely! A few weeks back I went shoot ing wit h a friend in Zion Nat ional Park in Ut ah. He had j ust bought a brand new Canon EF 2470m m f/ 2.8L, which is a t ack- sharp lens. I t 's not cheap, but like anyt hing else in phot ography ( and in life) , t he really good st uff cost s m ore. His ot her lens was a fairly inexpensive t elephot o zoom he had been using for a few years. Once he saw t he difference in sharpness bet ween his new, good qualit y lens and his cheap lens, he refused t o shoot wit h t he t elephot o again. He had been shoot ing wit h it for years, and in one day, aft er seeing what a difference a really sharp lens m ade, he wouldn't shoot wit h his old lens again. So, if you're t hinking of buying a zoom lens for $295, sharpness clearly isn't your biggest priorit y. A qualit y lens is an invest m ent , and as long as you t ake decent care of it , it will give you cryst al clear phot os t hat inexpensive lenses j ust can't deliver.

When t alking about t he qualit y of lenses, we don't use t he word " lens." I t 's t oo obvious. I nst ead, we say st uff like, " Hey, Joe's got som e really good glass," or, " He needs t o invest in som e good glass," et c. Try t his t he next t im e you're at t he local cam era st ore, and see if t he guy behind t he count er doesn't get t hat " you're in t he club" t winkle in his eye.

Avoid Increasing Your ISO, Even in Dim Light

When you're shoot ing on a t ripod in dim or low light , don't increase your I SO ( your digit al equivalent of film speed) . Keep your I SO at t he lowest I SO set t ing your cam era allows ( I SO 200, 100, or 50, if your cam era's I SO goes t hat low, as shown on t he Nikon m enu above) for t he sharpest , cleanest phot os. Raising t he I SO adds noise t o your phot os, and you don't want t hat ( of course, if you're hand- holding and have no choice, like when shoot ing a wedding in t he low light ing of a church, t hen increasing t he I SO is a necessit y, but when shoot ing on a t ripod, avoid high I SOs like t he plagueyou'll have cleaner, sharper im ages every t im e) .

So what do you do if you can't use a t ripod ( i.e., t he place where you're shoot ing won't allow t ripods) ? I n t his case, if t here's plent y of light where you're shoot ing, you can t ry using very fast shut t er speeds t o m inim ize hand- held cam era shake. Set your cam era t o shut t er priorit y m ode and choose a speed t hat m at ches or exceeds t he focal lengt h of your lens ( a 180m m lens m eans you'll shoot at 1/ 200 of a second) .

Zoom In to Check Sharpness

Here's a sad fact of digit al phot ographyeveryt hing looks sharp and in focus when you first look at t he t iny LCD screen on t he back of your digit al cam era. When your phot o is displayed at t hat sm all size, it j ust about always looks sharp. However, you'll soon learn ( once you open your phot o on your com put er) t hat you absolut ely can't t rust t hat t iny lit t le screenyou've got t o zoom in and check t he sharpness. On t he back of your cam era t here's a zoom but t on t hat let s you zoom in close and see if t he phot o is really in focus. Do t his right on t he spot right aft er you t ake t he shot , so you st ill have a chance t o ret ake t he phot o if you zoom in and find out it 's blurry. The pros always check for sharpness t his way, because t hey've been burned one t oo m any t im es.

Custom Quick Zoom Settings Som e of t oday's digit al SLR cam eras have a quick zoom opt ion, where you can set a part icular am ount you want your zoom t o zoom in t o. Check your owner's m anual t o see if your digit al cam era has a cust om quick zoom set t ing.

Sharpening After the Fact in Photoshop

I f you've followed all t he t ips in t his chapt er t hus far, and you've got som e nice crisp phot os, you can st ill m ake your phot os look even t hat m uch sharper by adding sharpening in eit her Adobe Phot oshop ( t he soft ware darkroom t ool t he pros use) or Adobe Phot oshop Elem ent s ( t he sem i- pro version) . Now, which phot os need t o be sharpened using Phot o- shop? All of t hem . We sharpen every single phot o we shoot using Phot oshop's Unsharp Mask filt er. Okay, it sounds like som et hing nam ed " unsharp" would m ake your phot os blurry, but it doesn't t he nam e is a holdover from t radit ional darkroom t echniques, so don't let t hat t hrow you. Using it is easy. Just open your phot o in Phot oshop, t hen go under Phot oshop's Filt er m enu, under Sharpen, and choose Unsharp Mask. When t he dialog appears, t here are t hree sliders for applying different sharpening param et ers, but rat her t han going t hrough all t hat t echnical st uff, I 'm going t o give you t hree set s of set t ings t hat I 've found work wonders.

1 . For people: Am ount 150% , Radius 1, Threshold 10 2 . For cit yscapes, urban phot ography, or t ravel: Am ount 65% , Radius 3, Threshold 2 3 . For general everyday use: Am ount 85% , Radius 1, Threshold 4

Pro Sharpening

This part icular sharpening t echnique can only be done in t he full- blown version of Phot oshop ( in ot her words, not in Elem ent s) , because it requires access t o Phot oshop's Channels palet t e ( which Elem ent s doesn't give you) . So, if you have Phot oshop, t his is t he m et hod m ost widely used by pros because it let s you sharpen m ore wit hout creat ing nast y halos and color art ifact s which m ight ot herwise occur when you use lot s of sharpening. Here's how it 's done: 1 . Go under t he I m age m enu, under Mode, and choose Lab Color. 2 . Go t o t he Channels palet t e and click on t he Light ness channel. ( Not e : This Light ness channel cont ains only t he det ail and not t he color in t he phot o, which is why you sidest ep som e of t he color problem s you get by sharpening t he full- color phot o.) 3 . Now apply t he Unsharp Mask filt er using t he set t ings shown on t he previous page. 4 . Try applying t he Unsharp Mask filt er again, using t he sam e set t ings. I f your phot o appears t oo sharp, before you do anyt hing else, go under t he Edit m enu and choose Fade Unsharp Mask. I n t he Fade dialog, lower t he Opacit y slider t o 50% , so you only get halfst rengt h on t he second applicat ion of t he filt er. 5 . Now go back under t he I m age m enu, under Mode, and choose RGB Color.

That 's it pret t y easy st uff once you know t he secret , eh?

Hand-Held Sharpness Trick

Anyt im e you're hand- holding your cam era in anyt hing but nice direct sunlight , you're t aking your chances on get t ing a sharply focused phot o because of cam era shake, right ? Well, t he next t im e you're hand- holding in less t han opt im al light , and you're concerned t hat you m ight not get a t ack- sharp im age, t ry a t rick t he pros use in t his st icky sit uat ionswit ch t o cont inuous shoot ing ( burst ) m ode and hold down t he shut t er release t o t ake a burst of phot os inst ead of j ust one or t wo. Chances are at least one of t hose dozen or so phot os is going t o be t ack sharp, and if it 's an im port ant shot , it can oft en save t he day. I 've used t his on num erous occasions and it 's saved m y but t m ore t han once. ( Nikon's cont inuous shoot ing m ode but t on is pict ured above. See Chapt er 5 for m ore on shoot ing in cont inuous [ burst ] m ode wit h bot h Nikon and Canon cam eras.)

Getting Steadier Hand-Held Shots

SCOTT KELBY I picked up t his t rick from phot ographer Joel Lipovet sky ( pict ured here) when we were out on a shoot and I saw him hand- holding his cam era wit h his cam era st rap t wist ed int o what he called " The Deat h Grip." I t 's designed t o give you ext ra st abilit y and sharper shot s while hand- holding your cam era by wrapping your cam era st rap around your arm ( j ust above t he elbow) , t hen wrapping it around t he out side of your wrist ( as shown above) and pulling t he st rap pret t y t ight , which m akes your cam era m ore st able in your hand. You can see how it wraps in t he phot o above, but t he pose is j ust for illust rat ive purposesyou st ill would hold t he cam era up t o your eye and look t hrough t he viewfinder as always. Thanks t o Joel for sharing t his surprisingly cool t ip.

Lean on Me! Anot her t rick t he pros use ( when t hey're in sit uat ions where t hey can't use a t ripod) is t o eit her: ( a) lean t hem selves against a wall t o help keep t hem selves st eadyif t hey're st eady t hen t he cam era's m ore st eady, or ( b) lean or lay t heir lens on a railing, a fence, or any ot her already st at ionary obj ect as kind of a m ake- shift t ripod. Keep an eye out for t hese t ripod subst it ut es whenever you're wit hout yoursit can m ake a big difference.

Chapter Two. Shooting Flowers Like a Pro There's More to It Than You'd Think

[View full size image]

You're probably surprised t o see a chapt er in here about shoot ing flowers because flowers seem like t hey'd be easy t o shoot , right ? I m ean, t hey're j ust sit t ing t herenot m oving. They're colorful. They're already int erest ing, and people love looking at t hem . I t should be a t ot al no- brainer t o get a good flower shot . But ya know what ? I t 's not . I t 's a brainer. I t 's a t ot al brainer. Ya know why? I t 's because of pollinat ion. That 's right , it 's t he pollinat ion t hat nat urally occurs in nat ure t hat put s a t hin reflect ive film over flowers t hat can't norm ally be seen wit h t he naked eye, but t oday's sensit ive CMOS and CCD digit al cam era sensors capt ure t his reflect ance and it appears as a gray t int over our im ages. Not only does it t urn t he phot os som ewhat gray ( which causes flowers t o lose m uch of t heir vibrant color) , you also lose sharpness as well. Now, t here is a special phot ographic filt er ( called t he Flora 61B from Phot oDynam ics) t hat can help reduce t he effect s of t his pollinat ion and bot h bring back t he

sharpness and reduce t he graying effect , but because of U.S. t rade sanct ions im posed by t he Federal Trade Com m ission, we can no longer buy t his filt er direct . Especially because I t ot ally m ade t his whole t hing up. I can't believe you fell for t his t wo chapt ers in a row. Seriously, how are you going t o get good flower phot os if you're falling for t he old Flora 61B t rick? Okay, I 'm j ust t easing you, but seriously, get t ing good flower shot s is an art , and if you follow t he t ips I 'm laying out in t his chapt er, t he very next flower shot s you t ake will be t hat m uch bet t er ( especially if you don't m ind t he graying and loss of sharpness caused by pollinat ion) . See, t here I go again. I t 's a sickness.

Don't Shoot Down on Flowers

SCOTT KELBY On an average day, if you were t o walk by som e wildflowers in a field, or along a pat h in a garden, you'd be looking down at t hese flowers growing out of t he ground, right ? That 's why, if you shoot flowers from a st anding posit ion, looking down at t hem like we always do, your flower shot s will look very, well...average. I f you want t o creat e flower shot s wit h som e serious visual int erest , you have t o shoot t hem from an angle we don't see every day. That usually m eans not shoot ing down on t hem , and inst ead get t ing down low and shoot ing t hem from t heir level. This is anot her one of t hose t hings t he pros rout inely do and m ost am at eurs m iss. Hey, if you're going t o shoot som e great flower shot s, you're going t o have t o get your hands dirt y ( well, at least your knees anyway) . The shot s above show t he difference: on t he left , t he t ypical " shoot ing down on flowers" shot ; on t he right , t he sam e flowers in t he sam e light using t he sam e focal lengt h lens shot 30 seconds lat er, but I shot t hem from t he side ( down on one knee) inst ead of shoot ing down on t hem . You can see t he difference shoot ing a non- t ypical angle m akes. So, t o get great flower shot s, st art by not shoot ing down on t hem . By t he way, while you're down t here, t ry get t ing really low ( down below t he flowers) and shoot up at t hem for a fascinat ing angle you rarely see!

Shooting Flowers with a Zoom Lens

SCOTT KELBY You don't have t o have a m acro ( close- up) lens t o t ake great flower shot szoom lenses work j ust great for shoot ing flowers for t wo reasons: ( 1) you can oft en zoom in t ight enough t o have t he flower nearly fill t he fram e, and ( 2) it 's easy t o put t he background out of focus wit h a zoom lens, so t he focus is j ust on t he flower. St art by shoot ing in apert ure priorit y m ode ( set your m ode dial t o A) , t hen use t he sm allest apert ure num ber your lens will allow ( in ot her words, if you have an f/ 5.6 lens, use f/ 5.6) . Then t ry t o isolat e one flower, or a sm all group of flowers t hat are close t oget her, and focus on j ust t hat flower. When you do t his, it put s t he background out of focus, which keeps t he background from dist ract ing t he eye and m akes a st ronger visual com posit ion.

Save Your Knees When Shooting Flowers I f you're going t o be shoot ing a lot of flowers, t here's an inexpensive accessory t hat doesn't com e from t he cam era st ore, but you'll want it j ust t he sam eknee pads. They will becom e your best friend. Find t hem at Hom e Depot , Lowe's, or any good gardening st ore.

Use a Macro Lens to Get Really Close

I f you've ever wondered how t he pros get t hose incredibly close- up shot s ( usually only seen by bees during t heir pollinat ion dut ies) , it 's wit h a m acro lens. A m acro lens ( j ust called " m acro" for short ) let s you get a 1: 1 view of your subj ect and reveal flowers in a way t hat only m acros can. A m acro lens has a very shallow dept h of fieldso m uch so t hat when phot ographing a rose, t he pet als in t he front can be in focus and t he pet als at t he back of t he rose can be out of focus. I 'm not t alking about an arrangem ent of roses in a vaseI 'm t alking about one single rose. By t he way, you m ust ( see how t hat 's set off in it alics?) , m ust , m ust shoot m acro on a t ripod. When you're really in t ight on a flower, any t iny bit of m ovem ent will ruin your phot o, so use every sharpening t echnique in Chapt er 1 t o capt ure t his am azing new world of m acro flower phot ography.

Turn Your Zoom Lens into a Macro Zoom I t 's easyj ust add a close- up lens ( like we t alk about on t he next page) ont o your regular zoom lens. As I m ent ion, t hese close- up lenses ( also called t wo- elem ent close- up diopt ers) are cheaper t han buying a full- blown m acro lens, plus adding it t o your zoom gives you zoom capabilit y, as well. You can buy single- elem ent close- up filt ers, but t hey're generally not as sharp at t he edges, but for flowers t he edges usually aren't as im port ant anyway.

Can't Afford a Macro? How 'bout a Close-Up?

I learned about t his from m y buddy ( and fam ous wildlife and nat ure phot ographer) Moose Pet erson, and what it let s you do is t urn your t elephot o zoom lens int o a m acro lens for 1/ 4 of t he price, and 1/ 10 t he weight and size. I t looks j ust like a t hick filt er ( it 's about 1" t hick) , and it screws ont o bot h Canon and Nikon lenses j ust like a t radit ional filt er, but it t urns your zoom lens int o a m acro zoom . What 's great about t his lit t le close- up lens is t hat :

1 . it t akes up so lit t le room in your cam era bag; 2 . it weighs j ust a few ounces; 3 . and best of allit 's pret t y inexpensive ( well, com pared t o buying a decent m acro lens, which would run you at least $500) . I t 's called t he Canon Close- Up Lens ( even t hough it 's from Canon, you can get a version t hat screws ont o a Nikon lens. I t 's t he only t hing I know of from Canon t hat 's designed for Nikon cam eras. I use t he Canon Close- Up Lens 500D t o at t ach t o m y 70200m m Nikon VR lens [ it 's 77m m ] , and it works wonders) . So, how m uch is t his lit t le wizard? Depending on t he size of t he lens you're going t o at t ach it t o, t hey run anywhere from about $70 t o $139. That ain't bad!

When to Shoot Flowers

©ISTOCKPHOTO/ANDREI BOTEZATU There are t hree ideal t im es t o shoot flowers: 1 . On cloudy, overcast days. The shadows are soft as t he sun is hidden behind t he clouds, and t he rich colors of t he flowers aren't washed out by t he harsh direct rays of t he sun. That 's why overcast days are a flower phot ographer's best friend. I n fact , t here's probably only one ot her t im e t hat 's bet t er t han shoot ing on an overcast day, and t hat is... 2 . Just aft er a rain. This is a m agical t im e t o shoot flowers. Shoot while t he sky is st ill overcast and t he raindrops are st ill on t he pet als ( but of course, t o prot ect your digit al cam era [ and yourself] , don't act ually shoot in t he rain) . I f you've got a m acro lens, t his is an am azing t im e t o use it . While you're shoot ing m acro, don't forget t o shoot t he raindrops on leaves and st em s as well, while t hey're reflect ing t he colors of t he flowers ( of course, don't forget t o shoot on a t ripod if you're shoot ing m acro) . 3 . I f you shoot on sunny days, t ry t o shoot in t he m orning and lat e aft ernoon. To m ake t he m ost of t his light , shoot wit h a long zoom lens and posit ion yourself so t he flowers are backlit , and you'll get som e spect acular ( but cont rolled) back light ing.

Don't Wait for RainFake it!

SCOTT KELBY This one m ay sound cheesy at first , but you'll be shocked at how well t his works. I nst ead of wait ing for a rainy day t o shoot , t ake a lit t le spray bot t le wit h you, fill it wit h wat er, and spray t he flowers wit h wat er yourself. I found a nice lit t le spray bot t le in Walgreens' beaut y sect ion ( I know what you're t hinking, " Walgreens has a beaut y sect ion?" Believe it or not , t hey do) for a couple of bucks, and it works wonders. Just a couple of quick sprit zes wit h t he spray bot t le and you've got som e lovely drops of wat er on your pet als, and no one will ever know you didn't wait pat ient ly for Mot her Nat ure t o int ervene. Get a sm all enough bot t le and you can carry it in your cam era bag ( em pt y, of course) . By t he way, I 've used t his spray bot t le t echnique t o shoot som e yellow roses I bought for m y wife, and by using a m acro lens you'd swear I was shoot ing on t he Whit e House lawn aft er a spring shower. Try t his onceyou'll becom e a believer.

Tip That Doesn't Belong in This Book There's anot her hidden benefit of carrying a sm all spray bot t le in your cam era bag: get t ing wrinkles out of clot hes. Just give your shirt , sport coat , phot ographer's vest , et c., a couple of sprit zes before bed and when you wake up in t he m orning, t he wrinkles are gone. I know, t his has lit t le t o do wit h phot ography, but I had t his em pt y space at t he bot t om here, so I figured I 'd pass t his on.

Flowers on a Black Background

SCOTT KELBY One of t he m ost dram at ic com posit ions for shoot ing flowers is t o posit ion a single flower on a black background. You can add a black background in Phot oshop, but in m ost cases t hat is j ust way t oo m uch work. I nst ead, do what t he pros doput a black background behind your flower when you shoot it . My buddy Vincent Versace, one of t he leading nat ure phot ographers ( and inst ruct ors) in t he business, t old m e his t rickhe wears a black j acket while out shoot ing flowers, and if he sees a flower he want s on a black background, he has his assist ant ( or a friend, or his wife, or a passerby, et c.) hold t he back of his j acket behind t he flower. I know, it sounds crazyunt il you t ry it yourself. I f you're shoot ing flowers indoors ( I shoot nearly every arrangem ent I buy for m y wife, or t hat we receive from friends) , buy a yard of eit her black velvet or black velour ( velvet runs around $1015 per yard; velour runs around $510 per yard) and lit erally put it behind your flowers. You can prop it up on j ust about anyt hing ( I hat e t o adm it it , but I 've even propped up m y velour background by draping it over a box of m y son's Cookie Crisp cereal) . Leave a few feet bet ween your flowers and t he black background ( so t he light falls off and t he black looks really black) and t hen shoot away. Now, what kind of light works best ? Keep reading t o find out .

Shooting on a White Background

SCOTT KELBY Anot her popular look for a flower phot ographer is t o shoot on a whit e background. You could buy a seam less roll of paper from your local cam era st ore ( it 's pret t y cheap) , but it 's usually m uch wider t han you need. Plus, unless you're shoot ing flowers for a florist , you're usually not going t o want t o see t he vase. That 's why I go t o Office Depot and buy t wo or t hree 20x30" sheet s of whit e m ount ing board ( it looks like post er board, but it 's m uch t hicker and st iffer) . I usually posit ion one behind t he flowers ( in a vase) , and t hen use t he ot her t o reflect nat ural light ( from a window wit h indirect sunlight ) back ont o t he whit e background so it doesn't look gray. Again, put about 3 feet bet ween your flowers and t he background, and use t hat nat ural light t o capt ure your flowers on what appears t o be a solid whit e background you added in Phot oshop, but it was even easier because you did it in t he cam era.

Put That Shower Curtain to Work I f you buy t he whit e shower curt ain m ent ioned in t he t ip on t he next page, here's anot her way t o st ret ch your shopping dollaruse it as your whit e background. As long as you're using a shallow dept h of field, you'll never know t hat whit e background is a shower curt ain. Just don't shoot at f/ 11 or f/ 16 or people will say t hings like, " Hey, nice shower curt ain," or, " Did you shoot t hat in t he bat hroom ?"

The Perfect Light for Indoor Flower Shots

SCOTT KELBY I f you're shoot ing flowers indoors, you don't have t o buy an expensive light ing rig ( finally, som et hing you don't have t o spend a bunch of m oney on) , because flowers love diffused nat ural light . By diffused, I m ean t hat it 's not get t ing direct sunlight , so any soft light com ing in from a window works j ust great . I f your window is really, really dirt y, t hat 's even bet t er because it m akes t he light even m ore diffuse. So look for a window in your house, st udio, office, et c., t hat has non- direct sunlight com ing in. Then set your flowers near t hat window, and posit ion t hem so you're get t ing side light ing ( if t he nat ural light hit s t he flowers head on, t hey'll look kind of flat you need t hat ext ra dim ension t hat side light ing brings) . Now set up your t ripod so you're shoot ing t he flowers at eye level ( rem em ber, don't shoot down on flowers) . Now you're ready t o shoot in som e beaut iful, soft light , and you didn't spend a dim e ( at least on light ing, anyway) .

How to Create the Perfect Natural Light by Cheating I f you're faced wit h not hing but harsh direct sunlight t hrough your open window, you can cheat j ust go t o Wal- Mart , Km art , or Target and buy t wo t hings: ( 1) a frost ed whit e shower curt ain ( or shower curt ain liner) , and ( 2) som e t acks or push pins. Go back t o your harsh light window, t ack up your frost ed shower curt ain, and enj oy t he best diffused nat ural light you've seen. Don't worryI won't t ell anybody.

Where to Get Great Flowers to Shoot

©ISTOCKPHOTO/CHRIS BENCE This m ay sound like t he " Duh" t ip of t he book, but I can't t ell you how m any t im es I 've t old a phot ographer about t his and t hey say, " Gee, I never t hought of t hat ." To get som e really great flowers t o shoot , j ust go t o a local florist and buy t hem ( see, t here's t hat " duh" part ) . You can pick exact ly which individual flowers you want ( I like shoot ing roses, calla lilies, and daisies m yself) , and chances are t he flowers you're get t ing are in great shape ( t hey're fresh) . You can rej ect any flower t hey pull out t hat has brown spot s or is m isshapen ( I love t hat word, " m isshapen" ) , and you don't have t o pay t o have t hem arranged. You can oft en walk out for less t han 10 bucks wit h som e am azing- looking subj ect s t o shoot at t he height of t heir freshness ( t hough som et im es you have t o wait a day or so unt il your roses are in full bloom ) .

Stopping the Wind

SCOTT KELBY I f you're shoot ing flowers out doors, you're bound t o run int o t he nat ural enem y of flower phot ographywind. There's not hing m ore frust rat ing t han st anding t here, t ripod set , cam era aim ed and focused, and you're wait ing for t he wind t o die down enough t o get t he shot . This is especially bad if you're shoot ing m acro, where t he slight est m ovem ent spells disast er ( well, not disast er, but a really blurry phot o) . You can t ry t he old use- your- body- t o- block- t he- wind t rick ( which rarely works by t he way) , but you're act ually bet t er off let t ing t he cam era fix t he problem . Swit ch t o shut t er priorit y m ode ( where you cont rol t he shut t er speed and your cam era t akes care of adj ust ing t he rest t o give you a proper exposure) , t hen increase t he shut t er speed t o at least 1/ 250 of a second or higher. This will generally freeze t he m ot ion caused by wind ( unless it 's hurricane season) . I f t he higher shut t er speed doesn't do t he t rick, t hen you have t o go t o Plan B, which is m aking t he wind t he subj ect . That 's right , if you can't beat 'em , j oin 'em use a very slow shut t er speed so you see t he m ovem ent of t he flowers ( you'll act ually see t rails as t he flower m oves while your shut t er is open) , and in effect you'll " see" t he wind, creat ing an ent irely different look. Give t his seeing- t he- wind t rick a t ry, and you m ight be surprised how m any t im es you'll be hoping t he wind picks up aft er you've got your regular close- ups already done.

Chapter Three. Shooting Weddings Like a Pro There Is No Retaking Wedding Photos. It's Got to Be Right the First Time!

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I f you're living your life and you t hink t o yourself, " Ya know, I 've got it pret t y easy," t hen it 's t im e t o shoot a wedding. Don't worryt his isn't som et hing you're going t o have t o go looking forif you've got even one long lens ( 200m m or longer) , it will find you. That 's because in a lot of people's m inds, if you have a long lens, you're a serious phot ographer. I t 's t rue. Seriously, t ry t his: show up at an event wit h a 200m m t o 400m m lens on your cam era and people will lit erally get out of your way. They assum e you've been hired by t he event and t hat you're on official phot ography business, and t hey will st and aside t o let you shoot . I t 's t he equivalent of walking int o a fact ory wit h a clipboardpeople assum e you're legit and t hey let you go about your business. Add a phot ographer's vest and it 's like having an official press pass t o anyt hing ( t ry t his oneyou'll be am azed) . Anyway, if you have a long lens, before long som eone you know will get m arried but t hey won't have a budget for a

professional phot ographer ( like your cousin Earl) . He'll ask, " Can you shoot our wedding phot os?" Of course, you're a nice person and you say, " Why sure." Big m ist ake. You're going t o work your but t off, m iss all t he food, drinks, and fun, and you'll experience st ress at a level only NORAD radar operat ors m onit oring Nort h Korea ever achieve. A wedding cerem ony happens once in real t im e. There are no second t akes, no room for m ess- ups, no excuses. Don't m ake Earl's bride really m adread t his chapt er first .

The Trick for Low-Light Shooting in a Church

Alt hough you usually should use a t ripod when shoot ing t he form als ( t he group shot s aft er t he cerem ony wit h t he bride, groom , fam ily m em bers, et c.) , when shoot ing t he wedding cerem ony in a low- light sit uat ion like a church, you'll oft en need t o hand- hold your shot s. This is a problem because hand- holding in low- light sit uat ions is alm ost a guarant ee of having blurry phot os ( because of t he slow shut t er speeds of low- light sit uat ions) . So, how do t he pros get t hose crisp low- light shot s in a set t ing like a church? Two t hings: ( 1) t hey increase t heir digit al cam era's I SO ( t he digit al film speed) . Today's digit al SLR cam eras ( in part icular, t he Nikons and Canons) let you shoot at very high I SOs wit h lit t le visible noise. So how high can you go? At least I SO 800 ( see Canon LCD panel above) , but you can usually get away wit h as high as I SO 1600 in m ost sit uat ions. This let s you get away wit h hand- holding in t he low light of a church, while avoiding t he cam era shake you'd get at I SO 100 or 200. ( 2) They shoot wit h t heir fast est lens ( your lens wit h t he largest available f- st op, like f/ 1.4, f/ 2.8, or f/ 3.5) , which let s in m ore available light , allowing you t o shoot in lower light wit hout blurring your im ages.

Way Cool Tip I f you're shoot ing in very high I SOs, you'll want t o know about a popular Phot oshop plug- in for wedding phot ographers called Noise Ninj a ( from Pict ureCode.com ) . Besides reducing noise, a happy side effect is t hat it also sm oot hes skin.

Getting Soft, Diffused Light with Flash, Part 1

I f you're shoot ing your weddings wit h a flash indoors, you're likely t o get harsh shadows and unflat t ering, flat light , but it doesn't have t o be t hat way. The t rick for get t ing soft , diffused light from your built - in flash wit hout t hose harsh, hard shadows is t o get a flash diffuser ( a t ranslucent sheet t hat fit s over your flash t o m ake t he light soft er and diffused) . I f you have a built - in pop- up flash on your digit al cam era, you can use som et hing like Lum iQuest 's Soft Screen Diffuser ( which runs around $13) , or if you have an ext ernal flash unit , t ake a look at Gary Fong's Light sphere- I I , which sells for around $48, at t aches over your flash unit , and does a great j ob of soft ening t he light and dispersing it evenly. This will m ake a big difference in t he qualit y of t he light t hat falls on your bride, groom , and bridal part y, and you'll get m uch m ore professional result s for a very sm all invest m ent .

Getting Soft, Diffused Light with Flash, Part 2

The ot her m et hod of get t ing soft , diffused, and bet t er yet , direct ional light using a flash ( t he key word here is direct ional, because it keeps your flash shot s from looking flat ) works if you're using an ext ernal flash unit ( and not t he built - in flash on your cam era, which is pret t y lim it ed, as you'll soon see) . The advant age of an ext ernal flash unit is t hat you can change t he angle and direct ion of t he flash. The reason t his is cool is t hat inst ead of aim ing your flash right int o your subj ect 's face ( which gives t he m ost harsh, flat light you can im agine) , you can bounce t he light off one of t wo places: ( 1) t he ceiling. I f t he room you're shoot ing in has a whit e ceiling ( and chances are t he ceiling is whit e) , t hen you can aim your flash head up at t he ceiling at a 45° angle ( as shown above, and pro vided t hat t he ceiling isn't m ore t han 10 feet t all) and t he ceiling will absorb t he harsh light , and what will fall on your subj ect is m uch soft er, sm oot her light and, best of all, it won't cast hard shadows behind your subj ect . I nst ead, your soft shadows will cast on t he ground ( and out of your fram e) . Now, want t o t ake t his up anot her not ch? Then inst ead of aim ing at t he ceiling, ( 2) have an assist ant ( a friend, relat ive, et c.) hold a reflect or on your left or right side, slight ly above shoulder height , t hen angle your flash head int o t hat . So now, t he reflect or eat s up t he harsh light , but bet t er yet , since t he reflect or is at an angle, it cast s soft direct ional light on an angle, t oo. This put s soft shadows on one side of t he bride's ( groom 's, bridesm aid's, et c.) face, giving a m ore pleasing and less flat light ing effect ( t hink of it as side light ing) .

Use Your Flash at Outdoor Weddings

MATT KLOSKOWSKI One t rick t hat wedding phot ographers have been using for years is t o use fill flash out doors on sunny days. I know, it sounds crazy t o use a flash when t he sun is bright in t he sky, but wedding phot ographers add flash t o t hese daylight shot s t o help elim inat e t hose hard, harsh shadows in t heir subj ect s' faces, and m ake t he bride and groom look m ore nat ural under t hese undesirable light ing condit ions ( plus it will usually add nice cat chlight s in t he eyes of your subj ect s, as well) . Make sure you check t he result s in your LCD m onit or t o m ake sure your light is properly balanced. Here's a shot of m e t aken while shoot ing a recent wedding. Not ice t he flash doesn't fire st raight int o t he wedding part y's faces. I nst ead, t he head is rot at ed t o t he right ( or left ) and t ilt ed 45°, so t he flash fills in t he shadows yet doesn't have t hat harsh look you'd get by aim ing t he flash st raight at your subj ect s. As long as you're not m ore t han 8 or 10 feet away from your subj ect , don't worryt he flash will st ill be effect ive, even t hough it 's not aim ing st raight on.

Another Cool Flash Tip Here's anot her t ip t hat will m ake your flash seem less " flashy" when shoot ing out doors: use your cam era's flash exposure com pensat ion but t on and change t he flash exposure com pensat ion t o 1 ( it works t he sam e way regular exposure com pensat ion works, but for flash exposures) . Your flash will st ill help lift out t he shadows, but now wit hout being so obvious.

Keep Backup Memory Cards on You

I t 's not unusual for a pro wedding phot ographer t o shoot 750 shot s in one wedding, covering t he four m aj or part s of a wedding ( t he pre- wedding shot s, t he cerem ony, t he form als, and t he recept ion) , so it 's likely you'll be shoot ing a sim ilar am ount ( m aybe less, m aybe m ore, but it will be lit erally hundreds of shot s) . The last t hing you want t o happen is t o run out of film ( in ot her wordsyou don't want t o fill up your digit al cam era's m em ory card unless you have an em pt y backup card ready t o st ep right in so you can keep shoot ing) . The t rick here is t o keep a spare backup m em ory card physically on you at all t im es. Keep one right t here in your pocket ( or purse) so t he m om ent your card reads full, you're j ust seconds away from cont inuing your shoot . I t 's a nat ural law of wedding phot ography t hat your m em ory card will becom e full at t he m ost crucial m om ent of t he cerem ony, and if you have t o st op t o go find your backup card ( in your cam era bag across t he room , in t he car, or in t he recept ion hall) , you're going t o m iss t he m ost im port ant shot of t he day ( I learned t his t he hard way) . So always keep a backup physically on you, so you're only 10 seconds away from shoot ing again.

Formals: Who to Shoot First

©ISTOCKPHOTO Aft er t he cerem ony, in m ost cases you'll shoot t he form al port rait s of t he bride and groom posed wit h everyone from bridesm aids t o grandparent s. The hard part is rounding up all t he people you'll need t o shoot wit h t he bride and groom at t he exact t im e you need t hem . This can t ake 30 m inut es or t hree hoursit 's up t o you and how organized you are. Here's a t ip t o m ake t hings m ove as quickly as possible: gat her everyone t hat will appear in any shot t oget her right from t he st art . While t hey're all sit t ing t here, shoot t he form al bride and groom port rait s first ( you'll see why in j ust a m om ent ) . Once you've got t hose out of t he way, shoot t he largest groups of people ( t he huge fam ily port rait s) , and t hen once you're done wit h a group ( like t he grandparent s for exam ple) , send t hem off t o t he recept ion. So, in short st art wit h everyone, and t hen as you shoot t hem , release t hem t o go t o t he recept ion unt il you're left wit h j ust t he bride and groom again. I f you don't do it t his way, you'll wind up st anding around for long periods of t im e wait ing for Uncle Arnie, who's som ewhere in t he recept ion hall. The reason you shoot t he bride and groom first is t hat t he pressure t o get t he bride and groom t o t he recept ion hall increases exponent ially as t im e goes by, because generally t hey hold t he m eal unt il t he bride and groom have arrived. So, everyone is sit t ing in t he recept ion hall wait ing on yout he phot ographer. You t hen wind up rushing t he m ost im port ant port rait s of t hem all ( t he ones t he couple will act ually buyt heir form al port rait s) . Make your life easyst art big, t hen get sm all.

Formals: Where to Aim

©ISTOCKPHOTO/KEVIN RUSS When shoot ing large groups for t he form al port rait s, you'll want t o m ake sure t hat you use an apert ure set t ing t hat keeps everyone in focus. Try f/ 11 for a reasonable dept h of field for groups. Now, where do you focus? I f you have m ore t han one row of people deep, t he old rule ( which st ill st ands t rue t oday) is t o focus on t he eyes of t he people in t he front row. You have m ore dept h behind t han in front , so m ake sure you focus on t hem , and t he rest should be okay, but if t hat front row is out of focus, t he whole shot is a bust .

The Trick to Keeping Them from Blinking

©ISTOCKPHOTO/NICK SCHLAX I f you shoot a group of five people or m ore, it 's alm ost guarant eed t hat one or m ore people will have t heir eyes shut . I t 's anot her nat ural law of wedding phot ography, but you're not going t o have t o worry about t hat very m uch, because you're about t o learn a great t rick t hat will elim inat e m ost , if not all, inst ances of people blinking or having t heir eyes closed. When you're ready t o shoot t he shot , have everybody close t heir eyes, and t hen on t he count of t hree have t hem all open t heir eyes and sm ile. Then, wait one m ore count before you t ake your shot . When I 'm shoot ing t hese groups, here's what I say, " Okay, everybody close your eyes. Now open t hem on 3- 2- 1...open! " Then I wait one count aft er t hey open t heir eyes before I t ake t he shot . I t works wonders.

Reception Photos: Making Them Dance

SCOTT KELBY There's a problem wit h t aking phot os of people dancing. I f you shoot t hem wit h a flash ( and m ost likely you will) , it will freeze t heir m ovem ent , so t hey'll look like t hey're j ust st anding st ill, but in som ewhat awkward poses. I t st ill am azes m e how people doing a line dance can be pict ured as people in a police lineupt he cam era j ust doesn't capt ure m ot ionunless you t ell it t o. There are really t wo t echniques: t he first is in t he cam era. I t 's called panning, where you t ake t he cam era and follow t he m ovem ent of one of t he people dancing ( usually t he bride, groom , a bridesm aid, or a groom sm an) , while using a slow shut t er speed so t he rest of t he people have a m ot ion blur, which m akes t hem look like ( you guessed it ) t hey're dancing. I f you didn't rem em ber t o em ploy t his t echnique during your recept ion shoot , t hen you can add t his m ot ion blur in Phot oshop. The first st ep is t o duplicat e t he Background layer. Then go under t he Filt er m enu, under Blur, and choose Mot ion Blur. Set t he Angle t o 0°, t hen increase t he Dist ance unt il t hings look like t hey're really m oving. The last st ep is t o get t he Eraser t ool, choose a really big soft - edged brush ( like t he soft round 200- pixel brush) and erase over t he person you're focusing on ( like t he bride, et c.) so t hat person appears in focus, while everyone else is dancing and m oving around having a good t im e.

Your Main Job: Follow the Bride

©ISTOCKPHOTO/ELIANET ORTIZ The m ain focus at any wedding is t he bride, so m ake darn sure your m ain focus at t he prewedding, t he cerem ony, t he form als, and t he recept ion is t he bride. Follow t he bride j ust like you would follow t he quart erback if you were shoot ing a foot ball gam e. Especially if you're going t o be selling t hese phot os as it will be t he bride ( eit her direct ly or indirect ly) t hat will be buying t he print s. So m ake darn sure t hat she's t he clear st ar of t he show ( phot os of Uncle Arnie at t he recept ion don't sell well, if you get m y drift ) .

Formals: How High to Position Your Camera

©ISTOCKPHOTO/DAMIR SPANIC When you're shoot ing your form al shot s, t he height t hat you posit ion t he cam era is act ually very im port ant , because if it 's not posit ioned correct ly, your subj ect 's body can look dist ort ed or som e part s can look larger t han norm al ( in general, t his is j ust not good st uff) . So, finding t he right height for professional port rait s is crit ical. Here are a few guidelines t o help you get t he pro look: St anding, Full- Lengt h Port rait : Posit ion your cam era ( on your t ripod) at t he bride's waist height ( yes, you'll have t o squat down/ bend over, et c., but t he final result will be wort h it ) . Keep your lens st raight ( don't aim up t owards t he bride's face) . 7/ 8 Shot s ( from t he Calf Up) : Posit ion your cam era ( on your t ripod) at t he bride's chest level and shoot wit h your lens st raight from t here. Head and Shoulders Shot s: Posit ion your cam era ( on your t ripod) eit her at t he bride's eye level or slight ly above.

Formals: Don't Cut Off Joints

©ISTOCKPHOTO When you're fram ing your form als in your viewfinder, for a m ore professional look, be careful not t o cut off anyone at t he j oint s ( in ot her words, don't let t he bot t om of t he fram e cut anyone off at t he elbow or knee. On t he side of t he fram e, don't cut anyone off at t he wrist or elbow eit her) . Basically, st ay away from t he j oint s. I f you have t o crop an arm or leg off, t ry t o do it as close t o t he m iddle of t he arm or leg as possible, st aying clear of t he j oint s. 'Nuf said.

Formals: Build Off the Bride and Groom

©ISTOCKPHOTO/KEVIN RUSS There's a popular form at for creat ing all your form alshave t he bride and groom in t he cent er, and have t hem st ay put . They don't m oveinst ead you have groups of ot her people ( bridesm aids, groom sm en, t he best m an, m aid of honor, parent s, grandparent s, et c.) m ove in and out around t hem . Use t he bride and groom as building blocks and everyt hing will be m uch easier ( well, as far as posing your large groups goes anyway) .

Formals: The Trick to Great Backgrounds

©ISTOCKPHOTO/PHIL DATE I n form al port rait s, t he backgrounds are j ust t hat backgrounds. And t he key t o a great background is using a very sim ple one. The sim pler, t he bet t er. So don't look for an out door shot wit h a wat erfall, 36 different kinds of plant life, and flowers blossom ing from hanging vines, et c. Look for sim plicit y or it will great ly dist ract from your port rait s, and give your form als an uncom fort able look ( yet nobody will know why) . Plus, if for any reason you have t o ret ouch t he background lat er in Phot oshop, t he less busy t he background, t he easier your ret ouch will be.

Background Tip Here's anot her good t ip: vary your background for your form als. I t m ay not seem like a big deal at t he t im e, but when you see t he sam e background over and over and over again in t he final wedding album , it can becom e really t edious. Once you've shot a few set s on one background, if t here's anot her sim ple background nearby, t ry it in order t o keep t he album from looking like a cookie cut t er.

Shooting the Details (& Which Ones to Shoot)

SCOTT KELBY The phot oj ournalism st yle of wedding phot ography is very big right now ( where you t ell t he st ory of t he wedding in phot os as if you were covering it for a newspaper or m agazine) . One of t he cornerst one elem ent s of t his t echnique is t o m ake sure t o phot ographically capt ure t he t iny det ails of t he wedding, especially behind t he scenes before t he wedding. Here's a list of t hings you m ight want t o capt ure ( shoot ) , which can eit her st and alone in t he wedding album or be used as backgrounds for ot her phot os: The bride's shoes The bride's dress hanging on a hanger The bride's t iara, necklace, et c. The wedding invit at ion The sheet m usic played at t he wedding The guest book ( once a few people have signed it ) Their cham pagne glasses Nam e cards at t he recept ion Their wedding rings ( perhaps posed on t he invit at ion wit h som e rose pet als casually placed nearby) The airline t icket s for t heir honeym oon The sheet m usic, or CD j ewel case, t o t he m usic for t heir first dance The groom 's bout onniere The bride's bouquet

Any fine det ail in her dress

Change Your Vantage Point to Add Interest

©ISTOCKPHOTO/ROBERT DEAL Want t o creat e a shot everyone will rem em ber? Shoot it from a high vant age point ( look for a second st ory window you can shoot down from , or a balcony on t he second floor, a bridge, et c.) . I f you can't find an exist ing high vant age point , t hen you can always creat e your own by bringing ( or borrowing) a ladder t o shoot from . Of course, be careful, because being on a ladder wit h expensive cam era equipm ent is t he st uff Hollywood com edies are m ade of. This high vant age point t rick is ideal for shoot ing bridesm aids, groom sm en, and even t he bride and groom , as shown here.

Finding That Perfect Bridal Light

SCOTT KELBY At m ost weddings t here is a spot wit h really spect acular light j ust wait ing for you t o walk over and find it , but once you find it , you have t o know how t o use it . That light , of course, is nat ural light com ing in t hrough a window ( it 's hard t o m ake a phot o look bad in t hat light ) . Look for a window t hat doesn't have direct sunlight ( a window facing nort h usually works well t o provide som e soft , diffused light ) . So, once you find t his wonderful nat ural side light com ing in from a window, where do you place t he bride? I deally, about 6 t o 8 feet from t he window, so t he light falls evenly and soft ly upon her ( alm ost sounds like a song, doesn't it ?) . This is a great spot for shoot ing som e pre- wedding shot s of t he bride alone, t he bride wit h her m ot her, and t he bride wit h her fat her.

How to Pose the Bride with Other People

SCOTT KELBY When you're posing ot her people wit h t he bride, including t he groom , t o creat e t he level of closeness you'll want in your phot os, be sure t o posit ion t he heads of t he bride and t he ot her person very close t o each ot her. This doesn't sound like it would be a problem , unt il you act ually st art posing people. When t hey fall int o what feels like a nat ural pose, t hey leave way t oo m uch room bet ween t heir head and t he bride's head. While t his m ay look perfect ly nat ural in person, t he phot os will lack a closeness t hat will be really obvious. I 've seen t his again and again, and I const ant ly have t o rem ind people, even t he groom , t o m ove t heir head in very close t o t he bride. To t hem , it j ust feels unnat ural being t hat close while posing, but if t hey don't do it , your shot s will look st iff and unnat ural. Keep an eye out for t his on your next wedding shoot and you'll be am azed at how t he level of closeness bet ween your subj ect s goes up, giving you m uch m ore powerful im ages.

What to Shoot with a Wide-Angle Lens

©ISTOCKPHOTO/KEVIN RUSS At weddings, t here are t hree t hings you're definit ely going t o want t o shoot wit h a wide- angle lens. One is t he rice t hrowing ( of course, t hey don't act ually t hrow rice anym ore) . You'll want t o shoot t his wit h a wide- angle lens so you get t he bride, groom , andj ust as im port ant t he crowd t hrowing t he rice ( or rice byproduct ) behind and around t hem . The ot her t hing you'll want a wide- angle lens for is shoot ing t he int erior of t he church. The bride is going t o expect a phot o t hat t akes it all in and your wide- angle lens will be your Get Out of Jail Free card when it com es t o covering t his all- im port ant shot . Last ly, you'll want your wide- angle lens for shoot ing t he bouquet t oss and gart er t oss, so you can get bot h t he t osser and t he anxious crowd wait ing t o capt ure t he prize ( so t o speak) . Go wide, shoot from in front of t he bride, and you'll get it all in one shot ( but don't j ust t ake one shot t his is where a burst of shot s will pay off) .

Back Up Your Photos Onsite

A wedding happens once. You don't get a redo, so m ake sure t hat backing up your phot os on locat ion is a part of your workflow. I f you fill a m em ory card, and pop in a new one, t he next t hing you should be doing is backing up t hat full card t o a hard drive. I recom m end eit her t he Epson P- 2000 or P- 4000 ( shown above) , bot h of which enable you t o pop a Com pact Flash card direct ly int o t he unit and back up your phot os ont o it wit hout having a com put er nearby. I keep a P- 2000 in m y cam era bag, and as soon as I fill a card, I pop it int o t he P- 2000 and hit t he copy but t on. I n j ust a few m inut es, m y m em ory card ( wit h t hose irreplaceable phot os) is backed up. Also, as soon as I ret urn t o m y st udio, I im m ediat ely copy all t he phot os ont o a rem ovable hard drive, so now I have t wo backups of t he wedding phot os. This backing up is so im port ant wit hout a backup, you're placing a lot of fait h in t hose m em ory cards. I m agine how you'd feel having t o t ell a bride and groom t hat your m em ory card som ehow becam e corrupt ed and you lost t he shot s of t heir cerem ony. You can sidest ep t hat crisis by m aking one or t wo sim ple backups.

Scott's Gear Finder The Epson P- 2000 ( 40- GB hard drive) sells for around $499. The Epson P- 4000 ( 80- GB hard drive) sells for around $660.

If Shooting JPEGs, Use a Preset White Balance

I f you're shoot ing wit h your digit al cam era set t o RAW form at , you don't need t o worry about t he whit e balance ( leave it set at Aut o Whit e Balance, you can always change it lat er, in Phot oshop) , but if you're like m any pro wedding phot ographers, you're shoot ing in JPEG Fine form at ( so you can t ake m ore shot s and writ e t o t he m em ory card fast er) . I f t hat 's t he case, t hen you're bet t er off choosing a preset whit e balance in t he cam era t hat m at ches t he light ing sit uat ion you're shoot ing in ( t hat way, t he overall color of your phot o looks balanced for t he light ) . I f you don't set t he right whit e balance, your phot os can look t oo yellow or t oo blue. Luckily, choosing a whit e balance is easier t han you'd t hink, and it will save you loads of t im e lat er when you're processing your phot os in Phot oshop. Just go t o t he m enu on your digit al cam era, scroll t o t he whit e balance cont rol and choose I ncandescent if you're shoot ing in a st andard recept ion hall, or Daylight if you're shoot ing an out door wedding. I f you're using a flash, set your whit e balance t o Flash. I t 's t hat easy t o get your color in line.

Chapter Four. Shooting Landscapes Like a Pro Pro Tips for Capturing the Wonder of Nature

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I f you ever get t o shoot in som e t ruly am azing out door locat ions, like t he Grand Canyon or Yosem it e Nat ional Park, it 's really a very hum bling phot ographic experience. The reason why is you're looking at t his am azing vist a, at t he sheer grandeur of it all, and it looks so awe inspiring you'd figure a chim p could even t ake a great phot o of it . I m ean, it 's j ust so spect acular, how could you m ess it up? Then you set up your t ripod, look in your viewfinder, and it happensyou begin t o silent ly sob. You're sobbing because you bought all t his expensive cam era gear, wit h m ult iple cam era bodies and lenses t hat cost m ore t han a Toyot a Prius hybrid, you've got m ore filt ers t han a Rit z Cam era st ore, and your cam era bag weighs approxim at ely 54 lbs. You saved all year, t ook your t wo- week vacat ion from work, bought round- t rip airfare, and rent ed a huge SUV big enough t o haul you, your fam ily, and all your expensive gear out int o t he swelt ering sum m er heat of t he canyon. Now you're looking

t hrough your viewfinder and what you see doesn't look half as good as t he st inkin' post cards in t he park's gift shop t hat sell for $1.25 each. Tears begin t o st ream down your face as you realize t hat you're not going t o get t he shot you cam e for. And whose fault is all t his? Ansel Adam st hat 's who. He screwed up t he Grand Canyon, Yosem it e, and a dozen ot her locat ions for us all. But even t hough we're not Ansel Adam s, we can surely get bet t er phot os t han t he ones in t he gift shop, right ? Well, it st art s wit h reading t his chapt er. Hey, it 's a st art .

The Golden Rule of Landscape Photography

SCOTT KELBY There's a golden rule of landscape phot ography, and you can follow every t ip in t his chapt er, but wit hout st rict ly following t his rule, you'll never get t he result s t he t op pros do. As a landscape phot ographer, you can only shoot t wo t im es a day: ( 1) dawn. You can shoot about 15 t o 30 m inut es before sunrise, and t hen from 30 m inut es t o an hour ( depending on how harsh t he light becom es) aft erward. The only ot her t im e you can shoot is: ( 2) dusk. You can shoot from 15 t o 30 m inut es before sunset , and up t o 30 m inut es aft erward. Why only t hese t wo t im es? Because t hat 's t he rule. Okay, t here's m ore t o it t han t hat . These are t he only t im es of day when you get t he soft , warm light and soft shadows t hat give professional qualit y light ing for landscapes. How st ringent is t his rule? I 'll never forget t he t im e I was doing a Q&A session for professional phot ographers. The ot her inst ruct or was legendary Nat ional Geographic phot ographer Joe McNally. A m an in t he crowd asked Joe, " Can you really only shoot at dawn and dusk?" Joe quiet ly t ook his t ripod and beat t hat m an t o deat h. Okay, t hat 's an exaggerat ion, but what Joe said has always st uck wit h m e. He said t hat t oday's phot o edit ors ( at t he big m agazines) feel so st rongly about t his t hat t hey won't even consider looking at any of his, or any ot her phot ographer's, landscape work if it 's not shot at dawn or dusk. He also said t hat if he t akes t hem a shot and says, " Look, it wasn't t aken during t hose m agic hours, but t he shot is am azing," t hey'll st ill refuse t o even look at it . The point is, professional landscape phot ographers shoot at t hose t wo t im es of day, and only t hose t wo t im es. I f you want pro result s, t hose are t he only t im es you'll be shoot ing, t oo.

Become Married to Your Tripod

BILL FORTNEY Okay, so now you know t hat as a pro landscape shoot er your life is going t o be like t his: you get up before dawn, and you m iss dinner about every evening ( rem em ber, t here's no sham e in com ing t o dinner lat e) . I f you're okay wit h all t hat , t hen it 's t im e t o t ell you t he ot her harsh realit ysince you'll be shoot ing in low light all t he t im e, you'll be shoot ing on a t ripod all t he t im e. Every t im e. Always. There is no hand- holding in t he professional landscape phot ography world. Now, I m ust warn you, you will som et im es find landscape phot ographers out t here at dawn som e m ornings shoot ing t he sam e t hing you are, and t hey're hand- holding t heir cam eras. They don't know it yet , but once t hey open t heir phot os in Phot oshop, t hey are going t o have t he blurriest , best - lit , out - of- focus shot s you've ever seen. Now, what can you do t o help t hese poor hapless souls? Quiet ly, t ake your t ripod and beat t hem t o deat h. Hey, it 's what Joe McNally would do. ( Kidding. Kind of.)

Tripods: The Carbon Fiber Advantage The hot t est t hing right now in t ripods is carbon fiber. Tripods m ade wit h carbon fiber have t wo dist inct advant ages: ( 1) t hey're m uch light er in weight t han convent ional m et al t ripods wit hout giving up any st rengt h or st abilit y, and ( 2) carbon fiber doesn't resonat e like m et al, so you have less chance of vibrat ion. However, t here's a downside: as you m ight expect , t hey're not cheap.

Shoot in Aperture Priority Mode N ik on

Ca non

The shoot ing m ode of pro out door phot ographers is apert ure priorit y m ode ( t hat 's t he lit t le A or Av on your digit al cam era's m ode dial) . The reason why t his m ode is so popular is t hat it let s you decide how t o creat ively present t he phot o. Here's what I m ean: Let 's say you're shoot ing a t iger wit h a t elephot o zoom lens and you decide you want t he t iger ( who's in t he foreground of t he shot ) t o be in focus, but you want t he background out of focus. Wit h apert ure priorit y m ode, it 's easyset your apert ure t o t he sm allest num ber your lens will allow ( for exam ple, f/ 2.8, f/ 4, f/ 5.6, et c.) and t hen focus on t he t iger. That 's it . The cam era ( and t he t elephot o lens) does t he rest you get a sharp phot o of t he t iger and t he background is t ot ally out of focus. So, you j ust learned one of t he t hree apert ure t rickslow num bers ( and a zoom lens) leave your subj ect in t he foreground in focus, while t he background goes out of focus. Now, what do you do if you want t he t iger and t he background t o bot h be in focus ( you want t o see t he t iger and his surroundings clearly) ? You can m ove your apert ure t o eit her f/ 8 or f/ 11. These t wo set t ings work great when you j ust want t o capt ure t he scene as your eye sees it ( wit hout t he creat ive t ouch of put t ing t he background m aj orly out of focus) . Far away backgrounds ( way behind t he t iger) will be a lit t le bit out of focus, but not m uch. That 's t he second t rick of apert ure priorit y m ode. The t hird t rick is which apert ure t o use when you want as m uch as possible in focus ( t he foreground, t he m iddle, t he backgroundeveryt hing) : j ust choose t he highest num ber your lens will allow ( f/ 22, f/ 36, et c.) .

Composing Great Landscapes

SCOTT KELBY The next t im e you pick up a great t ravel m agazine t hat feat ures landscape phot ography or look at som e of t he work from t he m ast ers in digit al landscape phot ography, like David Muench, Moose Pet erson, St ephen Johnson, and John Shaw, t ake a m om ent t o st udy som e of t heir wonderful, sweeping im ages. One t hing you'll find t hat m ost have in com m on is t hat t hese landscape shot s have t hree dist inct t hings: ( 1) a foreground. I f shoot ing a sunset , t he shot doesn't st art in t he wat erit st art s on t he beach. The beach is t he foreground. ( 2) They have a m iddle ground. I n t he case of a sunset shot , t his would be eit her t he ocean reflect ing t he sun, or in som e cases it can be t he sun it self. And last ly, ( 3) it has a background. I n t he sunset case, t he clouds and t he sky. All t hree elem ent s are t here, and you need all t hree t o m ake a really com pelling landscape shot . The next t im e you're out shoot ing, ask yourself, " Where's m y foreground?" ( because t hat 's t he one m ost am at eurs seem t o forget t heir shot s are all m iddle and background) . Keeping all t hree in m ind when shoot ing will help you t ell your st ory, lead t he eye, and give your landscape shot s m ore dept h.

Another Advantage of Shooting at Dawn Anot her advant age of shoot ing at dawn ( rat her t han at sunset ) is t hat wat er ( in ponds, lakes, bays, et c.) is m ore st ill at dawn because t here's usually less wind in t he m orning t han in t he lat e aft ernoon. So, if you're looking for t hat glassy m irror- like reflect ion in t he lake, you've got a m uch bet t er shot at get t ing t hat effect at dawn t han you do at dusk.

The Trick to Shooting Waterfalls

©ISTOCKPHOTO/THIERRY MAFFEIS Want t o get t hat silky wat erfall or t hat st ream effect you see in t hose pro phot os? The secret is leaving your shut t er open ( for at least a second or t wo) , so t he wat er m oves while everyt hing else ( t he rocks and t rees around t he wat erfall or st ream ) rem ains st ill. Here's what you do: swit ch your digit al cam era t o shut t er priorit y m ode ( t he S or Tv on your cam era's m ode dial) , and set t he shut t er speed t o 1 or 2 full seconds. Now, even if you're shoot ing t his wat erfall on a bit of an overcast day, leaving your shut t er open for a few seconds will let way t oo m uch light in, and all you'll get is a solid whit e, com plet ely blown- out phot o. That 's why t he pros do one of t wo t hings: ( 1) t hey shoot t hese wat erfalls at or before sunrise, or j ust aft er sunset , when t here is m uch less light . Or t hey ( 2) use a st op- down filt er. This is a special darkening filt er t hat screws ont o your lens t hat is so dark it shut s out m ost of t he light com ing int o your cam era. That way, you can leave t he shut t er open for a few seconds. Such lit t le light com es in t hat it doesn't t ot ally blow out your phot o, and you wind up wit h a properly exposed phot o wit h lot s of glorious silky wat er. Now, if you don't have a st op- down filt er and you run across a wat erfall or st ream t hat 's deep in t he woods ( and deep in t he shade) , you can st ill get t he effect by t rying t his: put your cam era on a t ripod, go t o apert ure priorit y m ode, and set your apert ure t o t he biggest num ber your lens will allow ( probably eit her f/ 22 or f/ 36) . This leaves your shut t er open longer t han usual ( but t hat 's okay, you're in deep shade, right ?) , and you'll get t hat sam e silky- looking wat er.

A Tip for Shooting Forests

©ISTOCKPHOTO/SIMON OXLEY Want a great t ip for shoot ing forest scenes? Don't include t he ground in your shot s. That 's right , t he ground in t he forest is oft en surprisingly m essy ( wit h dead branches, and leaves, and a real clut t ered look) and t hat 's why so m any pro forest shot s don't include t he groundit dist ract s from t he beaut y of t he t rees. So, easy enoughfram e your shot s so t hey don't include t he ground, and you're shoot ing bet t er forest shot s right off t he bat . Now, if t he ground looks good, t hen by all m eans include it , but if it 's a m ess, you've got a way t o save t he shot . Here's anot her forest shoot ing t ip: overcast days are great for shoot ing forest s because it 's difficult t o get a decent forest shot in bright , harsh sun. However, t here is one except ion t o t his rule: if t here's " at m osphere" ( fog or m ist ) in t he forest on bright days, t he sun rays cut t ing t hrough t he fog or m ist can be spect acular.

This Isn't a Forest Tip. It's for Waterfalls So why is t his t ip here inst ead of on t he wat erfalls page? I ran out of room on t hat page. The t ip is t his: when shoot ing wat erfalls, if you don't have a st op- down filt er, t hen you can t ry put t ing your polarizing filt er on inst ead. This serves t wo purposes: ( 1) it cut s t he reflect ions in t he wat erfall and on t he rocks, and ( 2) since it darkens, it can eat up about t wo st ops of light for you, so you can shoot longer exposures wit h it t han you could wit hout it . Also, choosing slower shut t er speeds exaggerat es t he silky wat er effect , so t ry a few different shut t er speeds ( 4 seconds, 6 seconds, 10 seconds, et c.) and see which one gives you t he best effect for what you're current ly shoot ing.

Where to Put the Horizon Line

SCOTT KELBY When it com es t o t he quest ion of " Where do I place t he horizon?" t he answer is pret t y easy. Don't t ake t he am at eur rout e and always place t he horizon in t he dead cent er of t he phot o, or your landscape shot s will always look like snapshot s. I nst ead, decide which t hing you want t o em phasizet he sky or t he ground. I f you have a great - looking sky, t hen put your horizon at t he bot t om t hird of your phot o ( which will give you m uch m ore em phasis on t he sky) . I f t he ground looks int erest ing, t hen m ake t hat t he st ar of your phot o and place t he horizon at t he t op t hird of your phot o. This put s t he em phasis on t he ground, and m ost im port ant ly, eit her one of t hese m et hods will keep your horizon out of t he cent er, which will give your shot s m ore dept h and int erest .

Really Boring Sky? Break the Rule I f you're shoot ing a landscape shot wit h a sky where not hing's really happening, you can break t he 1/ 3 from t he t op horizon line rule and elim inat e as m uch of t he sky from view as possible. Make it 7/ 8 ground and 1/ 8 sky, so t he at t ent ion is t ot ally off t he sky, and ont o t he m ore int erest ing foreground.

Getting More Interesting Mountain Shots

SCOTT KELBY One t hem e you'll see again and again t hroughout t his book is t o shoot from angles we don't see every day. For exam ple, if your subj ect is m ount ains, don't shoot t hem from t he road at t he bot t om of t he m ount ain. This is exact ly how we see m ount ains every day when we drive by t hem on t he int erst at e, so if you shoot t hem like t hat ( from t he ground looking up) , you'll creat e shot s t hat look very norm al and average. I f you want t o creat e m ount ain shot s t hat have real int erest , give people a view t hey don't norm ally seeshoot from up high. Eit her drive up as high as you can on t he m ount ain, or hike up as high as is safe, t hen set up your cam era and shoot down on or across t he m ount ains. ( This is t he sam e t heory as not shoot ing down on flowers. We don't shoot down on flowers because t hat 's t he view we norm ally have of t hem . I n t urn, we don't shoot up at m ount ains, because we always see t hem from t hat sam e view. I t 's boring, regular, and doesn't show your viewer som et hing t hey haven't seen a hundred t im es before.)

The Trick for Warmer Sunrises and Sunsets

Here's a t rick I picked up from Bill Fort ney for get t ing even warm er sunrises and sunset s. For Nikon shoot ers, go t o your cam era's m enu and choose Daylight as your whit e balance. Press t he right arrow but t on t o get t he Fine- t une screen, dial in 3 ( as shown above) , and click OK. This does an am azing j ob of warm ing t hese t ypes of phot os. I f you're a Canon shoot er, go t o w w w .scot t k elby book s.com / w ar m bal for com plet e st ep- by- st ep inst ruct ions on how t o set t he whit e balance for Canon cam eras. Not e : Don't forget t o t urn t his set t ing off when you're not shoot ing sunrises or sunset s. Okay, it wouldn't be t he worst t hing in t he world ( it won't ruin all your subsequent shot s) , but your world will be a lit t le warm er.

Turn on "The Blinkies" to Keep More Detail

Okay, t hey're t echnically not called " t he blinkies" ( t hat 's our nicknam e for t hem ) , t hey're act ually called highlight warnings ( or highlight alert s) and having t his t urned on, and adj ust ing for it , is a crit ical part of get t ing properly exposed landscape shot s. This warning shows exact ly which part s of your phot o have been overexposed t o t he point t hat t here's no det ail in t hose areas at all. You'll be am azed at how oft en t his happens. For exam ple, even on an overcast day, clouds can blow out ( t urn solid whit e wit h no det ail) easily, so we keep our cam era's highlight warning t urned on. Here's how it works: When t he highlight warning is t urned on and you look at t he shot in your LCD m onit or, t hose blown out areas will st art t o blink like a slow st robe light . Now, t hese blinkies aren't always badfor exam ple, if you shoot a shot where t he sun is clearly visible, it 's going t o have t he blinkies ( I don't m ean sunlight , I m ean t he red ball of t he sun) . There's not m uch det ail on t he suface of t he sun, so I 'd let t hat go. However, if your clouds have t he blinkies, t hat 's a different st ory. Probably t he quickest way t o adj ust for t his is t o use your cam era's exposure com pensat ion cont rol ( covered on t he next page) . For now, let 's focus on m aking sure your highlight warning ( blinkies) is t urned on. I f you have a Nikon cam era, press t he playback but t on so you can see t he phot os on your m em ory card. Now, push t he right arrow but t on unt il t he word Highlight appears below your phot o on t he LCD m onit or. I f you have a Canon cam era ( like a 20D, 30D, or a Rebel) , press t he playback but t on t o view your im ages and t hen press t he I nfo but t on t o see t he blinkies.

How to Avoid the Dreaded Blinkies

I f you look on your cam era's LCD m onit or and you see t he blinkies appearing in an area t hat 's im port ant t o you ( like in t he clouds, or in som eone's whit e shirt , or in t he snow, et c.) , t hen you can use your digit al cam era's exposure com pensat ion cont rol. Basically, you're going t o lower t he exposure unt il t he blinkies go away. I t usually t akes a few t est shot s ( t rial and error) t o find out how m uch you have t o back down, but norm ally t his only t akes a few seconds. Here's how it works: Nik on: Press t he exposure com pensat ion but t on t hat appears j ust behind your shut t er but t on ( as shown above) . Then m ove t he com m and dial unt il your exposure com pensat ion reads 1/ 3 ( t hat 's m inus 1/ 3 of a st op) . Now t ake t he sam e shot again and see if t he blinkies are gone. I f t hey're not , do t he sam e t hing, but lower t he am ount anot her 1/ 3, so it reads 2/ 3 of a st op, and so on, unt il t he blinkies are gone. Canon: Turn t he m ode dial t o any creat ive zone m ode except m anual, t hen set t he exposure com pensat ion by t urning t he quick cont rol dial on t he back of t he cam era and using t he set t ings m ent ioned above.

How to Show Size

©ISTOCKPHOTO/JAN PAUL SCHRAGE I f you've ever had a chance t o phot ograph som et hing like t he California redwood t rees or a huge rock form at ion out in Ut ah's Monum ent Valley, you've probably been disappoint ed t hat when you looked at t hose phot os lat er, you lost all sense of t heir size. I n person, t hose redwoods were wider around t han a t ruck. I n your phot os, t hey could've been t he regular pines in your backyard, because t hey lost t heir sense of size. That 's why, when t rying t o show t he size of an obj ect , you need som et hing in t hat shot t o give t he obj ect a sense of scale. That 's why m any phot ographers prefer t o shoot m ount ains wit h people in t he scene ( hikers, clim bers, et c.) because it inst ant ly gives you a fram e of referencea sense of scale t hat let s t he viewer im m ediat ely have a visual gauge as t o how large a m ount ain, or a redwood, or t he world's largest pine cone really is. So, t he next t im e you want t o show t he sheer size of som et hing, sim ply add a person t o your shot and you've got an inst ant fram e of reference everyone can ident ify wit h. I t 'll m ake your shot s t hat m uch st ronger. ( Not e : By t he way, t his also works for t hings t hat are very sm all. Put t he obj ect in som eone's hands, and it inst ant ly t ells t he st ory.)

Don't Set Up Your Tripod. Not Yet

SCOTT KELBY Okay, so you walk up on a scene ( a landscape, a m ount ain range, a wat erfall, et c.) and you set up your t ripod and st art shoot ing. What are t he chances t hat you j ust happened t o walk up on t he perfect angle t o shoot your subj ect ? Pret t y slim . But t hat 's what m ost people dot hey walk up on a scene, set up t heir t ripod right where t hey're st anding, and t hey st art shoot ing. I t 's no big surprise t hat t hey wind up wit h t he sam e shot everybody else got t he " walk up" shot . Don't fall int o t his t rapbefore you set up your t ripod, t ake a m om ent and sim ply walk around. View your subj ect from different angles, and chances are ( in fact , it 's alm ost guarant eed) t hat you'll find a m ore int erest ing perspect ive in j ust a m inut e or t wo. Also, hand- hold your cam era and look t hrough t he viewfinder t o t est your angle out . Once you've found t he perfect angle ( and not j ust t he m ost convenient one) , you can t hen set up your t ripod and st art shoot ing. Now t he odds are in your favor for get t ing a bet t er t han average t ake on your subj ect . This is one of t he big secret s t he pros use every day ( legendary landscape phot ographer John Shaw has been t eaching t his concept for years) t hey don't t ake t he walk- up shot . They first survey t he scene, look for t he best angle, t he best view, t he int erest ing vant age point , and t hen ( and only t hen) t hey set up t heir t ripod. I t sounds like a lit t le t hing ( surveying t he scene before you set up) , but it 's t he lit t le t hings t hat set t he pros apar t .

The Trick to Getting Richer Colors

One t ool t he pros use t o get richer, m ore vivid colors is t he polarizing filt er. Of all t he addons used by landscape pros, t he polarizing filt er is probably t he m ost essent ial. This filt er screws ont o t he end of your lens and it basically does t wo t hings: ( 1) it cut s t he reflect ions in your phot o big t im e ( especially in wat er, on rocks, or on any reflect ive surface) , and ( 2) it can oft en add m ore rich blues int o your skies by darkening t hem and generally giving you m ore sat urat ed colors t hroughout ( and who doesn't want t hat ?) . Two t ips: ( 1) polarizers have t he m ost effect when you're shoot ing at a 90° angle from t he sun, so if t he sun is in front of you or behind you, t hey don't work all t hat well, and ( 2) you'll use t he rot at ing ring on t he filt er t o vary t he am ount ( and angle) of polar izat ion ( it 's also helpful so you can choose t o rem ove reflect ions from eit her your sky or t he ground) . Once you see for yourself t he difference a polarizing filt er m akes, you'll say som et hing along t he lines of, " Ahhhh, so t hat 's how t hey do it ."

Polarizing Tip I f t here's a lens t he polarizing filt er doesn't love, it 's t he super- wide- angle lens ( like a 12m m or 10.5m m , et c.) . Because t he field of view is so wide, t he sky winds up having uneven shades of blue, and because of t hat , m any pros avoid using polarizers wit h super- wide- angle lenses. Also, when it com es t o polarizers, it pays t o buy a good onet hat way it will be t ruly color balanced. I t doesn't pay t o scrim p here.

What to Shoot in Bad Weather

©ISTOCKPHOTO/DUNCAN WALKER Okay, so you're t hinking t hat it 's an overcast or drizzly day, and you're going t o spend t he day inside working on your phot os in Phot oshop. That 's not t he worst idea in t he world, but you'll m iss som e great shoot ing opport unit ies, like:

1 . Right aft er a rain, while it 's st ill cloudy and dark, is t he perfect t im e t o shoot foliage, forest s ( t he green leaves look m ore sat urat ed and alive, even leaves on t he ground look good, plus t he wat er droplet s on t he leaves and flowers add int erest ) , m ossy rivers, and wat erfalls ( you can use slower shut t er speeds while t he sun is buried behind t he overcast rain clouds) . 2 . I f it 's st orm ing, t here's a good chance t hat right aft er t he rain st ops, and t he clouds break, and t he sun peeks t hrough, t here's a very dram at ic shot com ing. I t m ay only last a couple of m inut es, and it will eit her st art st orm ing again or clear up and j ust get really sunny ( an out door phot ographer's enem y) , so be ready for t hose few m agical m om ent s bet ween st orm s. They're wort h wait ing for. 3 . Before t he st orm " let s loose," you can get som e really am azing skies, wit h angry clouds and som et im es colorful light or st rong light beam s. Most people m iss t hese shot s, so be ready ( j ust don't shoot in t he rain, t o prot ect you and your gear) .

Atmosphere Is Your Friend

©ISTOCKPHOTO/FRED DE GROOT Besides j ust keeping us here on eart h, t he at m osphere ( low- hanging clouds or fog) can m ake for som e really int erest ing landscape phot os ( we're t alking soft , diffused light heaven) . I n fact , som e of m y personal favorit e shot s are t aken when t he fog rolls in bet ween m ount ains ( but of course, you need t o shoot t his from above t he fog on a higher m ount aint op) . I 've shot horses on t he beach wit h t he fog rolling in and it creat es alm ost a Hollywood fant asy effect t hat looks great on film ( digit al film , anyway) . Also, beam s of light in t he forest , beam ing t hrough m oist ure in t he air, or t hrough t hick fog, can be j ust am azing. Get up early ( or m iss dinner) t o m ake t he m ost of t hese at m ospheric effect s.

Protect Your Gear Tip Fog and m oist ure are fancy nam es for wat er, and digit al cam eras flat out do not like wat er, so m ake sure your gear is not get t ing silent ly soaked. You can buy rain gear for your cam era from B&H, but in a pinch, use t he shower cap from your hot el room and put it around your cam erait 's not pret t y, but it works.

Getting Rid of Lens FlareThe Manual Way

MATT KLOSKOWSKI Anot her great reason t o wear a baseball cap when you shoot ( besides t he t wo obvious reasons: [ 1] it prot ect s you from t he harm ful rays of t he sun, and [ 2] it looks cool) is t o help elim inat e ( or at t he very least , reduce) lens flare. I f you're using a lens hood on your cam era, t hat can cert ainly help, but I 've found t hat oft en it alone is not enough. That 's where your ballcap com es inj ust t ake it off and posit ion it above t he right or left t op side of your lens ( depending on where t he sun is posit ioned) . Then look t hrough your cam era's viewfinder t o see ( 1) right where t o posit ion your ballcap so it blocks t he lens flare from t he sun ( it 's easier t han you t hink) , and ( 2) t o m ake sure your ballcap doesn't show up in your phot o ( I 've had m ore t han one phot o wit h t he edge of a ballcap in t he fram e. I guess t hat 's why t hey m ake Phot oshopt o rem ove silly st uff like t hat ) . I 'm st ill surprised how well t his t ot ally m anual t echnique for rem oving lens flare works.

The Landscape Photographer's Secret Weapon

So, earlier you learned about t he polarizer and how essent ial t hat filt er is. This filt er, t he neut ral densit y gradient filt er, isn't necessarily essent ial but it is t he secret weapon of professional landscape phot ographers. I t let s t hem balance t he exposure bet ween t he ground and t he sky t o capt ure a range of exposure which, wit hout it , t heir cam era could never pull off ( it 's eit her going t o expose for t he ground or for t he sky, but not bot h at t he sam e t im e) . For exam ple, let 's say you're shoot ing a landscape at sunset . I f you expose for t he sky, t he sky will look great but t he ground will be way t oo dark. I f you expose for t he ground, t hen t he sky will be way t oo light . So, how do you get bot h t he sky and t he ground t o look right ? Wit h a neut ral densit y gradient filt er ( a filt er t hat 's dark at t he t op and sm oot hly graduat es down t o t ransparent at t he bot t om ) . What t his essent ially does is darken t he sky ( which would have been overexposed) , while leaving t he ground unt ouched, but t he brilliance of it is t he gradient it m oves from darkening ( at t he t op of t he filt er) and t hen graduat es sm oot hly down t o t ransparent ( on t he ground) . That way it only darkens t he sky, but it does so in a way t hat m akes t he t op of t he sky darker, and t hen your sky gradually becom es light er unt il t he filt er has no effect at all by t he t im e it reaches t he ground. The result is a phot o where bot h t he sky and ground look properly exposed.

Keeping Your Horizons Straight

There is not hing t hat looks worse t han a crooked horizon line. I t 's like when you don't get t he flesht one color right in a phot oit j ust j um ps out at people ( and people can't resist point ing t his out . I t doesn't m at t er if you've t aken a phot o wit h com posit ion t hat would m ake Ansel Adam s proud, t hey'll im m ediat ely say, " Your phot o's crooked" ) . A great way t o avoid t his is wit h a double levela sim ple lit t le gizm o t hat slides int o your flash hot shoe ( t hat lit t le bracket on t he t op of your cam era where you'd at t ach an ext ernal flash) . This double level gizm o has a m ini- version of t he bubble level you'd find at Hom e Depot and it let s you clearly see, in an inst ant , if your cam era is level ( and t hus, your horizon line) . The double level version works whet her your cam era is shoot ing in port rait or landscape orient at ion and is wort h it s weight in gold ( of course, t hat 's not saying very m uch, because I doubt t he t hing weighs even one ounce, but you get m y drift ) . As luck would have it , t hey're m ore expensive t han t hey should bebet ween $25 and $75but st ill very wort h it .

Shooting on Cloudy Days

SCOTT KELBY This is anot her one of t hose t hings t hat m ay init ially illicit a " Duh" response, but I 've been out shoot ing wit h m ore phot ographers t han I can t hink of who didn't t hink of t his sim ple concept when shoot ing on gray, overcast daysshoot t o avoid t he sky. I know, it sounds silly when you're reading it here, but I 've heard it t im e and t im e again, " Ah, t he sky is so gray t oday, I 'm not going t o shoot ." Baloney. Just t ake shot s t hat lim it t he am ount of visible sky. That way, if you m ake a t onal adj ust m ent lat er in Phot oshop ( t hat 's a fancy way of saying, " I 'm going t o m ake t he sky look bluer t han it really was on t hat gray, overcast day" ) , you won't have t o work very hard. This j ust happened on m y last shoot , where we'd have 20 m inut es of blue sky and t hen an hour and a half of gray, overcast sky. I j ust really lim it ed t he am ount of sky in m y phot os ( I was shoot ing urban cit y phot os) , and t hen it t ook j ust seconds t o fix in Phot oshop. Here's what I did: St e p On e .

I opened one of t he phot os where t he sky looked nice and blue, t hen t ook t he Eyedropper t ool ( I ) , and clicked on t he blue sky t o m ake t hat m y Foreground color .

St e p Tw o.

I t hen opened a phot o wit h sm all am ount s of gray, overcast sky and wit h t he Magic Wand t ool ( W) clicked in t he sky t o select it ( which t ook all of t wo seconds) .

St e p Th r e e . I added a new blank layer above m y Background layer and filled t he select ion wit h m y Foreground color. That 's it m y gray sky was blue.

Tips for Shooting Panoramas, Part 1

RANDY HUFFORD There is som et hing so fascinat ing about what happens when you st it ch t oget her five or six ( or m ore) landscape phot os int o one long, single im age. I t 's as close as you can get ( wit h a phot ograph anyway) t o recreat ing t he experience of being t here. However, when it com es t o creat ing t hese panoram ic im ages, it can be eit her a piece of cake or a huge night m are, and it 's alm ost ent irely based on how you shoot t he panoram a in t he first place. Do it right and Phot oshop will st it ch t he whole t hing t oget her for you wit h lit t le or no input from you at all. Do it wrong and you'll be working your but t off for hours t o t ry t o get your pano t oget her, and Phot oshop will m ock you every st ep of t he way. Now, alt hough t his will t ake m ore t han one page t o describe, shoot ing panos right is easyyou j ust have t o follow t he rules t hat m ake it easy t o assem ble t he separat e phot os int o one seam less im age in Phot oshop. Here we go: 1 . Shoot your pano on a t ripod. I f you don't , you'll pay. 2 . Shoot vert ically ( in port rait orient at ion) rat her t han horizont ally ( in landscape orient at ion) . I t 'll t ake m ore shot s t o cover t he sam e area, but you'll have less edge dist ort ion and a bet t er looking pano for your ext ra effort . 3 . Swit ch your cam era's whit e balance t o Cloudy. I f you leave it set t o Aut o, your whit e balance m ay ( will) change bet ween segm ent s, which is bad, bad, bad. 4 . There's m orego t o t he next page...

Tips for Shooting Panoramas, Part 2

RANDY HUFFORD 5.

Press your shut t er but t on halfway down t o set your exposure, t hen look in your viewfinder and m ake not e of t he f- st op and shut t er speed. Now swit ch your cam era t o m anual m ode and dial in t hat f- st op and shut t er speed. I f you don't , and you shoot in an aut o exposure m ode of any kind, your exposure m ay ( will) change for one or m ore of t he segm ent s, and t his will drive you insane when working in Phot oshop.

6.

Once you focus on t he first segm ent , t urn off aut o focus for your lens. That way, your cam era doesn't refocus as you shoot t he different segm ent s, which would be ( will be) very bad.

7.

Before you shoot your first segm ent , shoot one shot wit h your finger in front of t he lenst hat way you'll know where your pano st art s. Do it again aft er t he last shot .

8.

Overlap each segm ent by 2025% . That 's right , m ake sure t hat about 1/ 4 of your first shot appears in t he second shot . Each segm ent needs t o overlap by at least 20% so Phot oshop's st it ching soft ware can m at ch t hings up. This is very im port ant .

9.

Shoot fairly quicklyespecially if clouds are m oving behind your landscape. Don't be lollygagging for t wo m inut es bet ween each shot . Git 'er done, or som et hing could change ( light ing, clouds, et c.) in your pano, which will really m ess t hings up.

1 0 . Use a shut t er release, or at t he very least a self t im er, so you don't have any cam era m ovem ent as you're shoot ing each segm ent . Not hing's worse t han one segm ent t hat is blurry.

Tips for Shooting Panoramas, Part 3 [View full size image]

SCOTT KELBY Now, if you followed t he rules set out on t he previous t wo pages, t he rest is easy: St e p On e .

Open Phot oshop and t hen open all t he phot o segm ent s ( so all t he phot o segm ent s are open at t he sam e t im e) .

St e p Tw o.

Go under Phot oshop's File m enu, under Aut om at e, and choose Phot om erge.

St e p I n t he result ing dialog, from t he Use pop- up m enu, choose Open Files. Make sure t he Th r e e . At t em pt t o Aut om at ically Arrange Source I m ages checkbox is t urned on, and t hen click OK. St e p Fou r .

When t he m ain Phot om erge dialog appears, it will st it ch t he phot os t oget her int o one seam less panoram a ( well, as long as you followed t he rules laid out earlier) . I f you see a sm all seam at t he t op, bet ween t wo segm ent s, go ahead and click OK anywaychances are it will be gone when t he final im age is creat ed. I f for som e reason it 's not , use t he Clone St am p t ool ( S) t o cover it by pressing- and- holding t he Opt ion key ( PC: Alt key) and clicking nearby in an area of sky t hat looks sim ilar t o sam ple t hat area. Then, choose a soft - edged brush from t he Brush Picker and clone ( paint ) over t he lit t le seam t o hide it .

Faking Panoramas [View full size image]

SCOTT KELBY I f you have Phot oshop or Phot oshop Elem ent s, t here's a great way t o creat e a fake panoram acrop t he phot o so it becom es a panoram a. Just get t he Crop t ool ( C) and click- anddrag so it select s j ust t he cent er of your phot o ( as shown above) , cropping off t he t op and bot t om . Then press Ret urn ( PC: Ent er) and t he t op and bot t om are cropped away, leaving you wit h a wide panoram ic crop of your original phot o. Hey, don't knock it unt il you've t ried it .

Why You Need a Wide-Angle Lens

I f you're shoot ing landscapes, you've probably com e back from a shoot m ore t han once and been disappoint ed t hat t he incredible vist a you saw in person didn't t ransfer t o your phot os. I t 's really t ough t o creat e a 2D phot o ( which is what st ill phot os aret wo- dim ensional) t hat has t he dept h and feeling of being t here. That 's why I recom m end one of t wo t hings:

1 . Don't t ry t o capt ure it all. That 's right , use a zoom lens and deliberat ely capt ure j ust a port ion of t he scene t hat suggest s t he whole. These can oft en be m uch m ore powerful t han t rying t o fit everyt hing int o one phot o, which oft en can lead t o a phot o wit hout a clear subj ect , and wit h dist ract ing im ages and backgrounds. This is why I oft en shoot wit h a 70200m m lenst o get in t ight on a port ion of t he scene. 2 . Buy a super- wide- angle lens. Not a fish- eye lensa super- wide- angle lens ( like a 12m m ) . I f you're t rying t o capt ure it all, a super- wide- angle ( som et im es called ult ra- wide- angle) lens is oft en j ust t he t rick you need t o t ake in t he big pict ure. My favorit e out door lens is m y 1224m m zoom lens ( which is also a good sport s shoot ing lens by t he way) . I m ust adm it , I rarely use t he 24m m end, because I use t his lens when I 'm t rying t o get " t he big pict ure," so I use t he 12m m end m ost of t he t im e. You'll love what it does t o clouds, alm ost giving t hem a sense of m ovem ent along t he edges.

Shooting Wildlife? Aim at Their Eyes

PEGGY GUENZEL Okay, t hat headline doesn't sound great when you say it out loud ( it sounds like we're act ually shoot ing wildlife wit h a gun, rat her t han t aking phot os) , but it 's right on t he m oney. When you're shoot ing wildlife phot ography, your point of focus needs t o be t he anim al's eyes. I f t hey're not in focus, it doesn't m at t er what else is. Oft ent im es you'll be capt uring wildlife in m ot ion ( or in flight , as t he case m ay be) , and t hat 's where it 's especially im port ant t o m ake cert ain t he eyes are in focus. I f you're using a panning t echnique ( where you follow t he m oving anim al wit h your lens) , m ake sure your focal point is t he eyes. Everyt hing else can be blurred, but keep t hose eyes t ack sharp and you'll have a winner.

Don't Crop Wildlife in Motion Too Close

PEGGY GUENZEL I f you're shoot ing wildlife, when you're com posing t he im age, don't fram e it so close t hat t he anim al has nowhere t o go. I n ot her words, give t he anim al som e space in front of t he direct ion it 's going for a m uch st ronger com posit ionone t hat t ells a st ory. I f you crop in t oo t ight and don't leave room for t he anim al t o exit t he fram e, it 's alm ost like t rapping t hem in your shot , and t he phot o will look uncom fort able t o t he viewer. When you're com posing in t he viewfinder, leave som e ext ra space t o " run" in front of your subj ect , and your phot o will be t hat m uch st ronger for it .

Shooting Wildlife? Get in Really Tight

There is a phenom enon t hat happens when shoot ing wildlife t hat doesn't seem t o happen when shoot ing anyt hing else. However close your subj ect looks in your view- finder, when you see t he act ual phot o it seem s only half as close as you rem em ber. I t 's crazy, but it 's consist ent it always looks m uch fart her away t han you hoped. So, when it com es t o shoot ing wildlife, you want t o get in incredibly t ight . That 's why t he pros shoot wit h t hose giant 400m m and larger lenses. But if your budget doesn't allow for t hat ( I know m ine doesn't ) , you can cheat and use a t eleconvert er ( also som et im es called a t ele- ext ender) . These basically ext end t he reach of your current t elephot o ( or zoom ) lens by m agnifying t hem . So if you have a 200m m t elephot o ( or zoom ) lens ( which is already equivalent t o around a 300m m t hanks t o digit al) , and add a 1.4x or 2x t eleconvert er, you inst ant ly have t he equivalent of a 450m m or 600m m t radit ional t elephot o lens. A Canon 1.4x t eleconvert er runs around $275, and a Nikon 2x t eleconvert er runs around $300 ( m ake sure you check t o see t hat t he t eleconvert er you buy works wit h your current lensget it t o m at ch your m ake and m odel) .

What to Shoot at Sunset

©ISTOCKPHOTO/ANDRZEJ BURAK Besides j ust shoot ing t he sunset it self, anot her great subj ect t o shoot at sunset is silhouet t es. There are t wo basic rules t o shoot ing silhouet t es: ( 1) m ake sure t he subj ect ( or t he obj ect ) you're silhouet t ing is easily recognizable. I see lot s of silhouet t e snapshot s where m y first t hought is, " What is t hat t hing?" Keep t he obj ect sim ple, and it will work m uch bet t er. ( 2) Posit ion your subj ect direct ly in front of t he set t ing sun, so t he sun is covered and helps out line your silhouet t e, t hen expose for t he sky ( t his will pret t y m uch m ake cert ain t hat your subj ect will appear in a black silhouet t e) .

Silhouette Tip Keep an eye on lens flare when you're shoot ing silhouet t es because you're basically shoot ing int o t he sun. You'll see a lot of classic silhouet t es where t he sun is peeking around t he subj ect j ust a t iny bit , and t hat 's okay if you like t hat effect , but m ake sure it doesn't reveal t oo m uch det ail in your subj ect t hey should rem ain black.

Chapter Five. Shooting Sports Like a Pro Better Bring Your Checkbook

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This is t he one chapt er in t he book where you have a choice. Do you want t o get m uch bet t er at shoot ing sport s using t he t ips t he pros use, but pret t y m uch use your own exist ing gear? Or, do you want t o seriously shoot sport s for a living? Here's why I m ent ion t his: we're going t o conduct a brief, t ot ally scient ific t est which will quickly det erm ine which pat h you should t ake. Ready? Let 's begin. Quest ion 1: This book ret ails for $19.99. When you t urned t he book over t o look at t he price, how did you react ? You t hought : ( a) $19.99, t hat 's cheap enoughI t hink I 'll buy it ; ( b) I dunno, it 's $19.99I hope t his is wort h it ; ( c) $19.99, t hat 's pret t y st eep, but I really need t o learn t his st uff; or ( d) $19.99! $19.99! I can't believe t hey're charging $19.99! Well, I 'm not happy about it , but I have t o have t his book. Answer: I f you answered a, b, c, or d, you're not ready t o ent er t he world of professional sport s phot ography, because professional sport s phot ographers spend so m uch on t heir equipm ent

t hat t hey would never even t hink of looking at t he price of anyt hing. Ever. They see som et hing t hey want and t hey j ust t ake it t o t he checkout count er and buy it , never quest ioning it s price, because t hey figure t hey've spent so m uch on t heir phot ography equipm ent , t here's no way any book, or flat screen TV, or luxury car could ever cost anyt hing close. So what are we m ere m ort als t o do? We use t he t ricks in t his chapt er t o get bet t er shot s wit h what we've got . Of course, a few accessories wouldn't hurt , right ?

Set Your White Balance for Indoor Sports

I f you're going t o be shoot ing sport s indoors, you can count on your phot os having a yellow or green t int , caused by t he indoor light ing used at m ost indoor event s. You can save yourself a lot of Phot oshop edit ing down t he road if you change your whit e balance t o eit her Fluorescent or Tungst en/ I ncandescent now, in t he cam era. ( Set it at Fluorescent and do a t est shot , t hen t ake a look at your t est shot in your LCD m onit or. I f t he overall color looks t oo yellow or green, t hen t ry Tungst en/ I ndcandescent . See t he Nikon m enu above.) By doing t his, you're off set t ing t he yellow or green t int you would have had, which will keep you from pulling your hair out lat er. I f you're shoot ing in RAW form at , you can always reset t he whit e balance lat er in your RAW processing soft ware. But by set t ing t he correct whit e balance in t he cam era, at least you'll see your phot os in t he proper color t em perat ure when you view t hem in t he LCD m onit or on t he back of your cam era.

Don't Use Color Filters Your first t hought m ight be t o add a screw- on color balance filt er t o your lens t o off set t he indoor color cast , but don't do it . When you're shoot ing sport s, you're already going t o be challenged by lower t han ideal light ing sit uat ions, and adding a filt er t akes away even m ore light . You're bet t er off using a cust om whit e balance set t ing because it only affect s t he color of light , not t he am ount .

Shoot at a 1/640 Sec. Shutter Speed or Faster

©ISTOCKPHOTO/JASEN LEATHERS Wit h sport s phot ography, m ost of t he t im e you're going t o want t o st op t he act ion, and t o do t hat you'll have t o swit ch t o shut t er priorit y m ode ( or m anual m ode if you're com fort able wit h it ) , and t hen shoot at a speed of at least 1/ 640 of a second ( or fast er) t o st op t he m ot ion and keep your im age sharp. The slowest you can generally get away wit h is 1/ 500 of a second, but t hat 's iffy. Go wit h 1/ 640 or higher for bet t er result s ( t here are t im es when you're going t o int ent ionally want t o shoot at slower speeds so you can blur part s of t he phot o t o exaggerat e t he m ovem ent and speed, but for m ost sit uat ions, you'll want t o freeze t he m ot ion wit h a fast er shut t er speed like we're using here) .

Pro Sports Shooting Is Dang Expensive

©ISTOCKPHOTO Of all t he phot ographic professions, professional sport s phot ography is probably t he m ost expensive, so if you t hink you want t o go t his rout e, bet t er bring your checkbook. The m ain reason it 's so expensive is because m any sport ing event s are held indoors ( or in dom ed st adium s) or at night , so you'll need t he m ost expensive ( fast est ) lenses m oney can buy ( well, only if you want t o com pet e at a professional level) . For exam ple, you're going t o need som e long t elephot o lenses ( ideally 400m m or 600m m ) and since you'll generally be shoot ing in lower- light sit uat ions, t hey'll need t o be f/ 2.8 t o f/ 4 lenses. I f you haven't priced qualit y 400m m f/ 2.8 lenses, t hey're around $6,600. Each. You'll also need m ore t han one cam era body, and m ore t han one ext ernal flash. Plus a couple of m onopodsone or t wo t o hold your long heavy lenses, and one t o st rap your flash unit s ( which cost around $600 apiece) t o. Also, t o be com pet it ive ( wit h t he pro shoot ers) , you're going t o need a cam era body t hat shoot s around 8 fram es per second ( which m eans as a Canon shoot er, you're going t o spend around $6,900 for an EOS 1DS Mark I I or for a Nikon shoot er, you're going t o spend around $4,700 for a D2Xs) . By t he t im e you add up t wo cam era bodies, a handful of flashes, som e long, expensive lenses, m onopods, t eleconvert ers, lot s of very fast m em ory cards ( plan on shoot ing around 900 phot os for a t ypical baseball or foot ball gam e) , you're in t he $30,000 and up range, j ust for st art ers. I t helps if you were a doct or or lawyer first ( it doesn't m ake you a bet t er sport s phot ographer, but it helps you pay for your gear) .

Don't Plan on Changing Lenses

©ISTOCKPHOTO/ANTONIO HARRISON Now, don't read t his headline t o m ean you only need one lens for sport s phot ography. I t m eans j ust what it says, don't plan on changing lensesplan on changing cam eras. That 's right , if you're really int o sport s phot ography, you'll m iss " t he shot " if you have t o change lenses. That 's why t he pros have m ult iple cam era bodies hanging around t heir necksso t hey can change from a wide- angle lens t o a 400m m t elephot o in an inst ant . I f t hey didn't do t his, while t hey were changing lenses, t he guy next t o t hem would be get t ing " t he shot " ( which winds up on t he cover of t he m agazine) . I f you want t o com pet e wit h t he big boys, you'll be hanging m ore t han one cam era body around your neck so you're ready t o cat ch t he shot wit h a m om ent 's not ice. I t old you t his digit al sport s phot ography t hing was expensive.

Which Lenses to Use

©ISTOCKPHOTO/TAN KIAN KHOON When you're shoot ing sport s, carrying a load of lenses and a big cam era bag ( even a cam era backpack) will st rain your back and j ust add t o your frust rat ion. I nst ead, go light wit h j ust t wo lenses:

1 . A wide- angle lens ( like a 1224m m zoom ) . You'll need t hese wide angles t o capt ure full st adium shot s, full court shot s, close- up group shot s, et c. 2 . A 300m m or 400m m t elephot o lens ( or a 200400m m zoom ) . You'll be bet t er off if you can spring for a VR ( Vibrat ion Reduct ion for Nikon cam eras) or an I S ( I m age St abilizat ion for Canon cam eras) lens, because you'll be able t o hand- hold m ore shot s in t he lower light s of indoor event s or night t im e event s. Again, you're not going t o want t o change lenses, so ideally you'd put one lens on one cam era body, and one lens on t he ot her. The only ot her t hing you'll need t o carry ( besides ext ra m em ory cards and a backup bat t ery) is a 1.4x t eleconvert er t o get you even closer t o t he act ion ( t hese m agnify t he am ount of zoom , t urning a 300m m t elephot o int o a 450m m ) . Not e : Som e pros advise against 2x t eleconvert ers because t hey feel 2x phot os are not as sharp and you lose up t o t wo f- st ops of light , m aking it harder t o get t he fast shut t er speeds you need. To m ove all t his st uff around wit h t he great est of ease, t ry a Tenba or Dom ke phot o vest , or at t he very least , keep your ext ra gear in a phot o waist pack rat her t han a cam era bag or backpack. You'll t hank m e lat er.

Pre-Focus to Get the Shot

©ISTOCKPHOTO/GALINA BARSKAYA I f you're covering an event where you have a pret t y good idea where t he act ion is going t o happen ( for exam ple, you're covering baseball and you know t he runner on second base is headed t o t hird, or you're covering snowboarding and you know approxim at ely where t he snowboarder is going t o land) , pre- focus on t hat spot , so when it happens, all you have t o do is press t he shut t er but t on. You can st art by leaving aut o focus on, and t hen focus on t he spot where you expect t he act ion t o occur, t hen swit ch your lens t o m anual focus and leave t he focus alone ( it 's set ) . Now you can pret t y m uch relax and wat ch t he event unfold. When t he runner ( j um per, skier, et c.) get s near your pre- focused point , j ust aim back t o t hat area and fireknowing t he focus is locked ont o t hat point . No wait ing for aut o focus t o eit her get , or m iss, t he focus. You're good t o goj ust fire away.

Raise Your ISO to Get the Speed You Need

I deally, you'd have a super- fast long lens ( like an f/ 2.8 or f/ 4, right ?) for your sport s shoot ing, but t hose cost a bundle. So, how are you going t o shoot sport s wit h your f/ 5.6 zoom lens? By raising t he I SO, t hat 's how ( see Nikon m enu above) . You can get away wit h 400 or 800 for m ost decent qualit y digit al SLRs t hese days ( t he Canons, Nikons, et c.) . That should give you t he 1/ 640 sec. or higher speed you need t o freeze t he m ot ion of sport s wit hout t oo m uch visible noise. Now, if t here's enough light where you're shoot ing so you don't need t o raise t he I SOdon't do it . Preferably, you'll leave your I SO at 100 or 200 ( or what ever t he lowest I SO is t hat your cam era allows) , but in sit uat ions where your lens j ust isn't fast enough ( which will probably be t he case when shoot ing indoors wit h f/ 5.6 lenses, which are fairly com m on) , you'll have no choice but t o raise t he I SO. You do t hat in t he m enu on t he back of your cam era ( as shown here) . Luckily, you can usually get away wit h an f/ 5.6 lens when shoot ing in daylight , but as soon as you m ove indoors, you're probably going t o have t o raise your I SO t o get enough shut t er speed t o freeze t he act ion. That 's why fast lenses ( f/ 2.8 and f/ 4) are so im port ant t o pro sport s shoot ers.

The Pros Know the Game

©ISTOCKPHOTO/ROB FRIEDMAN I f you know t he gam e you're shoot ing ( for exam ple, if you're a baseball fanat ic and you're shoot ing a baseball gam e) , you're going t o get bet t er shot s t han t he next guy because you're going t o know where t he next play is likely t o unfold. This is a huge advant age in sport s shoot ing, and being able t o ant icipat e when and where t he big m om ent will unfold can m ake all t he difference in get t ing " t he shot ." The key is you have t o wat ch t he gam e while you're shoot ing, so you can see t he play unfolding and be ready t o aim where you feel t he act ion will t ake place. You won't always be right , but you'll be right enough t hat you'll get t he shot m ore oft en t han not . So, what if you're assigned t o shoot a gam e you don't know well? Go t o Blockbust er and rent som e videos, go t o t he m agazine st ore and buy som e m agazines on t he t opic, and st udy how t he pros t hat cover t hat sport are shoot ing it find out who t he st ars are in t hat sport and m ake sure you follow t hem ( aft er all, t he st ars are m ost likely t o be involved in t he big plays, right ?) . I t basically com es down t o t his: if you know t he gam e, you're put t ing yourself in t he best posit ion t o get " t he shot ." I f you don't know t he gam e, t he only way you'll get " t he shot " is by sheer luck. That 's not a good career st rat egy.

Don't Always Focus on the Winner

©ISTOCKPHOTO/JAMES BOULETTE I n sport s phot ography ( and in sport s in general) , it 's only nat ural t o follow t he winner. I f som eone scores a crit ical point , you'll be capt uring shot s of t he at hlet e t hat m ade t he big score, right ? I f a t eam wins, you'll be shoot ing shot s of t he winning t eam celebrat ing. But if you follow t hat t radit ion of covering only t he winner, you m ight m iss som e of t he m ost dram at ic shot s wit h t he m ost powerful st ory- t elling angle, which are t he expressions and react ions of t he loser or t he losing t eam . This is especially im port ant if you j ust m issed t he act ion playquickly swit ch t o t he react ion of t he guy who m issed t he ball, or didn't block t he shot , or m issed t he goal, et c. Som et im es t heir react ions are m ore fascinat ing t han t hose of t he person who m akes t he shot . Next t im e, t ry cat ching t he expression of t he golfer who m issed t he put t ( or t he golfer who lost because her opponent j ust sank a 40 foot er) , and see if it doesn't elicit as m uch or m ore em ot ion as a shot of t he winner.

Shooting in Burst Mode

Much of t he shoot ing you'll be doing in sport s phot ography will require you t o t ake burst s of shot s ( four or m ore shot s per second) in order t o m ake sure you get t he shot while a play is in m ot ion. So, you'll need t o set your cam era t o shoot m ult iple shot s while you hold down t he shut t er but t on ( t his is called burst m ode on som e digit al cam eras) . By default , m ost cam eras shoot one fram e at a t im e, so you'll have t o swit ch t his burst m ode on. On Nikon cam eras, you can swit ch t he cam era's m ode t o cont inuous ( where holding down t he shut t er release t akes m ult iple phot os) by holding down t he shoot ing m ode but t on ( found t o t he left of t he viewfinder) and rot at ing t he m ain com m and dial unt il you see an icon of a st ack of phot os in t he t op right of t he cam era's LCD m onit or. On Canon cam eras, press t he Drive• I SO but t on ( which appears j ust in front of t he LCD panel on t he t op- right side of t he cam era) , t hen rot at e t he m ain dial ( j ust behind t he shut t er release but t on) unt il you see an icon t hat looks like a st ack of phot os on t he right side of t he LCD panel. I f you have a 30D, you can swit ch t o high- speed cont inuous shoot ing m ode by rot at ing t he m ain dial unt il you see an H next t o t he st ack of phot os icon. Now, you can sim ply hold down t he shut t er but t on t o fire m ult iple shot s.

Stability for Shooting Sports

©ISTOCKPHOTO/TOMASZ SZYMANSKI Sport s phot ographers don't generally use t ripods for a num ber of reasons: ( 1) t hey're not m obile enough for t he st yle of fast - act ion shoot ing t hat t ypifies sport s phot ography, ( 2) m any professional sport s won't allow t he use of t ripods, and ( 3) having a t ripod set up near t he playing field ( in foot ball, basket ball, et c.) has t he pot ent ial t o inj ure a player. That 's why sport s shoot ers, especially t hose shoot ing wit h long lenses, use m onopods inst ead. These one- legged versions of t ripods generally wind up support ing t hose long lenses ( t he lens at t aches direct ly t o t he m onopod it self for support and t o keep t he lens and cam era st ill during t he low- light sit uat ions m any sport ing event s are played under) . Monopods are easy t o m ove ( or t o quickly m ove out of t he way if need be) , and m any professional sport s t hat have banned t ripods allow m onopods. The carbon fiber m onopods are t he m ost popular t oday because, while t hey can hold a lot of weight , t he carbon fiber m akes t hem surprisingly light weight . Now, not surprisingly, t hey're not cheap ( not hing in sport s phot ography is) .

Shoot Vertically for More Impact

©ISTOCKPHOTO/GAVIN MACVICAR Much of pro sport s phot ography is shot vert ically because it 's easier t o fill t he fram e wit h your subj ect ( plus, it 's ideal for m agazine covers, ads, et c.) . Just t urn t he cam era sideways, get in t ight ( wit h your long lens) and m ake t he m agic happen ( so t o speak) . This part icularly holds t rue if you're shoot ing a single at hlet e, rat her t han t wo or m ore, where a horizont al shot m ight work best , but when it com es t o shoot ing a single subj ect , your best bet is t o go vert ical. That being said, if you want t o really cover your bases ( like t he way I worked t hat sport s m et aphor in t here) , shoot bot h as m uch as possible. As m y t ech edit or Bill Fort ney says, " The edit or will always ask for t he orient at ion you didn't shoot ."

Pan to Show Motion

©ISTOCKPHOTO/ANDREA LEONE For t his ent ire chapt er we've been t alking about using super- fast shut t er speeds t o freeze t he m ot ion of sport ing event s, but t here are t im es when it 's m ore dram at ic t o em phasize t he m ot ion and let part s of t he phot o becom e int ent ionally blurry from m ovem ent . There are t hree keys t o t his t echnique:

1 . Use a slow shut t er speedideally, eit her 1/ 30 of a second or 1/ 60 of a second. So, swit ch t o shut t er priorit y m ode ( using t he m ode dial on t he t op of your digit al cam era) and set t he shut t er speed accordingly. 2 . Pan right along wit h your subj ect following t hem wit h your cam era. Believe it or not , it 's t he cam era's m ot ion t hat creat es t he blurring background, because you're t rying t o m ove ( pan) right along wit h t he at hlet e so t hey rem ain sharp while everyt hing around t hem appears blurred. 3 . Use cont inuous shoot ing ( burst ) m ode for your best chance t o capt ure a sharp shot capt uring m ult iple shot s per second really pays off here. One im port ant t hing t o rem em ber: Don't st op panning when t he at hlet e leaves your fram econt inue panning for a couple of seconds aft erwards t o get a sm oot h release.

Shoot Wide Open

By shoot ing wide open, I m ean shoot as close t o your wide open apert ure as possible ( so if you have an f/ 2.8 lens, shoot at f/ 2.8 or one st op up) . This will pay off in t wo ways: 1 . This will blur t he background, creat ing a m ore dram at ic, dynam ic, and unclut t ered phot o of your subj ect . Busy backgrounds are a problem when shoot ing sport s, and shoot ing wit h a t elephot o lens at such a wide open apert ure gives you a very shallow dept h of field ( m eaning your subj ect in t he foreground is in focus, while t he background is out of focus) . 2 . You'll be able t o shoot at fast er shut t er speeds, which will great ly help when shoot ing indoors under art ificial low- light sit uat ions.

Go for the Face

©ISTOCKPHOTO/SUZANNE TUCKER When you're shoot ing at hlet es, what 's t he m ost im port ant t hing t o capt ure? Generally, it 's t heir face. I t 's t heir facial expressions t hat t ell t he st ory, and it 's t heir faces t hat people want t o see. So if you're not capt uring t hat , you're m issing " t he shot ." Don't worry about shoot ing close- ups of t heir hands, or t he ball, or t heir feet kicking up dirt , et c. Want a phot o t hat 's going t o capt ure t he im aginat ion of your viewer? Then go for t he face. I t 's t he " m oney shot " !

RAW or JPEG for Sports Shooters?

Because of t he fact t hat m uch of sport s phot ography is t aken in burst m ode ( see page 103) and t he fact t hat you only have so m uch m em ory space in your cam era's m ult iple- shot buffer, t he larger t he phot os you t ake, t he quicker t hat buffer will becom e full. When it 's full, you're done shoot in' ( well, at least unt il it has t im e t o writ e t he shot s t o your m em ory card, which em pt ies t he buffer again) . That 's why m any pro sport s phot ographers choose t o shoot in JPEG form at rat her t han RAW. I t 's because JPEG files are considerably sm aller in file size so m ore of t hem fit in t he buffer ( plus, since t hey're sm aller, t hey writ e t o your m em ory card fast er, so you can effect ively shoot m ore unint errupt ed shot s in JPEG form at vs. RAW form at ) . Now, t here are som e purist s who feel so st rongly about shoot ing in RAW for every occasion ( including shot s of t heir kid's birt hday part y at Chuck E. Cheese) t hat reading about anyone advocat ing any file form at ot her t han RAW sends t hem scram bling int o a t ower wit h a high- powered rifle t o pick off pedest rians. To t hem , I j ust say, " Rem em ber, RAW is a file form at . Not a religion." ( By t he way, I know a popular Sport s I llust rat ed m agazine shoot er who now set s his cam eras t o shoot RAW+ JPEG, which capt ures bot h file form at s at t he sam e t im e. Just t hought you'd like t o know.)

Composing for Sports

©ISTOCKPHOTO/GLENN JENKINSON When com posing your sport s im ages, use t he sam e t echnique we t alked about earlier in shoot ing wildlife ( Chapt er 4) give your at hlet e som ewhere t o go. Don't com pose t he shot so your at hlet e is running out of t he fram e, com pose it so t here's room in front of t he at hlet e t o m ove t o cont inue his visual st ory, so t he at hlet e ( like t he wildlife) doesn't look boxed in. I t 's as uncom fort able a look for sport s as it is for wildlife, so when you're com posing, be sure t o leave som e running room ( i.e., for a shot of an at hlet e running left , com pose t he shot wit h him on t he far right side of t he fram e. That way, he visually has room t o run) . This sim ple com posit ional t rick will m ake a big difference on t he im pact of t he final im age.

Chapter Six. Shooting People Like a Pro Tips for Making People Look Their Very Best

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Now, t he subhead above says t his chapt er is how t o m ake people look t heir very best , and t hat is kind of m isleading because it 's really about m aking your phot os of people look bet t er. I f you've got som e really ugly looking people in your phot os, t here's not m uch you or I can do t o help t hese poor souls. They've been hit wit h t he ugly st ick, and t hey don't m ake a digit al cam era t hat will m ake t hese people, who didn't have a dat e for t he prom , suddenly look like Jessica Biel or Mat t hew McConaughey ( who, not coincident ally, were chosen as t he Sexiest Wom an Alive and Sexiest Man Alive by People m agazine, j ust in case you cared) . By t he way, alt hough I did not m ake t his year's cut , if you read m y bio at t he beginning of t his book, you learned t hat I was am ong People m agazine's t op 50 sexiest picks back in 2004. This surprises m any people, including m y wife, as she has no recollect ion of t his what soever, but I 'm act ually t hankful for t hat because she has also com plet ely erased any m em ory of m y

brief but highly publicized affair wit h Angelina Jolie while we were film ing t he m ovie Taking Lives in Toront o. But I digress. Now t his chapt er isn't so m uch about st udio port rait t echniques, because if you're shoot ing in a st udio, t hen you're a professional phot ographer and, honest ly, t his chapt er ( and t his book for t hat m at t er) really isn't for you. This is really for get t ing bet t er out door, or candid, or posed shot s t hat are supposed t o look candid, but really aren't , but you can t ell t hey are because t hey're posed. Are you t aking all t his down?

The Best Lens for Portrait Photography

There are not m any aspect s of phot ography t hat have a specific focal lengt h you should t ry t o shoot wit h, but luckily port rait phot ography is one of t hem . Most pros shoot port rait s wit h a short zoom lens, and one of t heir favorit e focal lengt hs is t he 85100m m range. I n fact , t elephot o lenses in t he 85100m m range are oft en called port rait lenses because t hey let you shoot from a good working dist ance ( 10 t o 12 feet from your subj ect , giving you and your subj ect som e breat hing room , while let t ing you st ill fill t he fram e wit h your subj ect ) , but m ore im port ant ly, shoot ing wit h focal lengt hs bet ween 85m m and 100m m elim inat es t he unflat t ering facial dist ort ion wide- angle lenses are not orious for, while avoiding t he com pression long t elephot o lenses give. Som e port rait pros swear t hat t he 85m m focal lengt h is t he port rait sweet spot , and ot hers swear by 100m m , but t hat 's t he kind of t hing pros debat e in online forum s all day long ( and you can t ry bot h wit h your zoom lens and choose t he one you like best , because t hey bot h give a pleasing perspect ive for port rait s) , so I won't t ake up t hat bat t le here. ( Not e: Bot h Nikon and Canon m ake 28105m m zoom s t hat are ideal for port rait s because you can choose 85m m , 100m m , or anyt hing bet ween t he t wo.) Anot her reason t hese short zoom lenses are ideal is because you won't have t o pick up your t ripod and m ove it ( or your m odel) each t im e you need t o slight ly recom pose t he shot . So, get yourself a zoom lens t hat covers t he 85100m m range, and you're good t o go. By t he way, t he lens shown here is a 24120m m zoom , so t his lens would do t he t rick because wit h it you can choose any zoom focal lengt h bet ween 85m m and 100m m ( t he sweet spot s for port rait s) .

Which Aperture to Use

SCOTT KELBY One t hing I love about port rait phot ography is t hat a lot of t he decisions are m ade for you ( like which lens/ focal lengt h t o use) , so you can focus on t he harder part s of port rait phot ographyensuring t hat you have great light and capt uring t he personalit y of your subj ect . So, now t hat you know which lens t o use, believe it or not ( and t his is very rare) , t here is a special apert ure ( f- st op) t hat seem s t o work best for m ost port rait phot ography. When it com es t o port rait s, f/ 11 is t he t icket because it provides great sharpness and dept h on t he face ( and isn't t hat what port rait s are all about ?) , which gives you a great overall look for m ost port rait phot ography ( now, I say " m ost " because t here are som e art ist ic reasons why you m ight want t o t ry a different apert ure if you're t rying t o get a special effect , but for t he m ost part you can choose apert ure priorit y m ode, set your apert ure at f/ 11, and t hen worry about t he really im port ant st ufft he light ing, capt uring your subj ect 's personalit y, how m uch t o bill your client , et c.) .

Using Seamless Backgrounds

©ISTOCKPHOTO/TOBIAS LAUCHENAUER Backgrounds provide quit e a challenge for port rait phot ographers because t hey generally get in t he way of t he port rait phot ographer's goalcapt uring t he personalit y, t he dram a, t he soul ( if you will) of t he person t hey're shoot ing. That 's why so m any port rait phot ographers shoot t heir subj ect s on as plain a background as possible. I n t he st udio, perhaps t he least expensive opt ion is t o use a seam less backgroundt hese are very inexpensive because t hey're m ade of paper. That 's right , it 's j ust a big giant roll of paper, and a st andard size ( 53" x36" ) will only run you about $25. That ain't bad for a professional st udio background ( you can find t hese backgrounds at your local cam era st ore) . Som e phot ographers t ape it t o t he wall, ot hers nail it t o t he wall, but t he best opt ion is probably t o buy an inexpensive st and t hat holds t he roll up for you ( you can get a decent one for around $70) . Now, which colors should you use? For st art ers, st ick wit h black ( for dram at ic port rait s) or whit e ( for everyt hing else) . The nice t hing about a whit e seam less background is t hat it usually appears as a shade of gray. To m ake it really appear whit e like t he one above, you'll have t o aim one or m ore light s at t he background or t he light from your flashes will fall enough, giving you a gray backround. Gray is not a bad background color ( in fact , it 's very popular) , but if you're really going for whit e, m ake sure t o posit ion one or t wo light s behind your subj ect , aim ing at t he background it self. I f you go wit h a black seam less background, you m ay need an ext ra light t o backlight your subj ect ( especially if t hey have dark hair) , so t hey st and out against t he black.

Using Canvas or Muslin Backgrounds

©ISTOCKPHOTO/FLOYD ANDERSON Canvas or m uslin backgrounds aren't quit e as cheapI m ean as inexpensiveas seam less rolls, but t hey're inexpensive enough t hat you should consider using one as a form al background, as well ( a decent canvas background only runs around $120) . These backgrounds are seam less t oo, and I 'd recom m end buying one ( at least t o st art ) t hat 's kind of neut ral, like one t hat 's m ost ly gray or m ost ly brown. These backgrounds add t ext ure t o your phot o wit hout dist ract ing from t he subj ect , and t hey're very popular for use in everyt hing from form al business port rait s t o engagem ent phot os. Again, an inexpensive st and will pay for it self in no t im e ( t hey st art at around $70) , and you'll be am azed at how quickly you can change t he look of your background by reposit ioning your light ing.

The Right Background Outdoors

SCOTT KELBY When shoot ing port rait s out doors, you're not going t o be able t o use a m uslin background or seam less paper ( did I even have t o say t hat ?) , and because of t hat you have t o t hink about your background even m ore. The background rule for shoot ing port rait s out doors is t o keep t he background as sim ple as possible. The sim pler t he background, t he st ronger your port rait will be, so posit ion your subj ect where t he least possible am ount of act ivit y is going on behind t hem . Here's where you m ight want t o break t he f/ 11 rule, so you can t hrow t he background out of focus by using an apert ure like f/ 2.8 or f/ 4 wit h t he port rait focal lengt h you like best . Rem em ber, when it com es t o port rait backgrounds out doors, less is m ore.

The Background Lighting Rule When it com es t o backgrounds, t here's anot her sim ple rule you can follow t hat will keep you out of t rouble. When you're choosing a sim ple background t o shoot on, m ake sure your background is no bright er t han your subj ect ( in fact , darker is bet t er because a dark subj ect on a bright background rarely works) .

Where to Focus

SCOTT KELBY Over t he years, t here have been conflict ing t hought s as t o where t he opt im al place is t o focus your cam era when shoot ing port rait s ( t he cheek, t he t ip of t he nose, t he hairline, et c.) . Luckily, t oday t he consensus is fairly clear ( you'll st ill find som e cheek holdout s here and t here, but don't let t hem t hrow you) : focus direct ly on t he subj ect 's eyes. By shoot ing at f/ 11 and focusing on t he eyes, t his will give you a nice level of sharpness t hroughout t he face ( and m ost im port ant ly, t he eyes will be t ack sharp, and in port rait s t hat is absolut ely crit ical) .

Where to Position Your Camera

JOEY LIPOVETSKY Port rait s generally look best when you posit ion your cam era at t he subj ect 's eye level, so set your t ripod up so you're shoot ing level wit h t heir eyes. This is part icularly im port ant when shoot ing childrendon't shoot down on children ( j ust like you don't shoot down on flowers) , or you'll wind up wit h som e very disappoint ing shot s. So, wit h kids, you're eit her going t o raise t hem up t o your eye level ( on a t all seat ) or you're going t o lower your t ripod down t o t heir eye level and shoot on your knees ( I knowt he indignit ies we have t o suffer for our craft and all t hat ...) . Also, now t hat you're at t he right height , about how far back should you posit ion your t ripod from your subj ect ? Your focal lengt h will pret t y m uch dict at e t hat for you, but if you're about 8 t o10 feet from your subj ect you'll be in good shape.

Positioning Your Subject in the Frame

SCOTT KELBY I f you're shoot ing port rait s out doors, especially candid port rait s or edit orial st yle shot s, t here's a rule t hat m any pros use about where t o posit ion t he subj ect 's eyes in t he fram eposit ion t hem 1/ 3 of t he way down from t he t op of t he fram e. This is anot her one of t hose t ricks t hat gives your port rait s m ore visual int erest , and it 's easy enough t o do since you j ust com pose t he shot so your subj ect 's eyes are 1/ 3 of t he way down from t he t op.

Tip for Framing Portraits

SCOTT KELBY I f you're looking for anot her t ip for great port rait shot s, t ry zoom ing in close so your subj ect 's face fills t he ent ire fram e. Also t ry zoom ing in close enough so t hat eit her t he t op of t he head or t he sides ( t he ears) act ually ext end out side t he fram e.

Getting Great Light Outdoors

SCOTT KELBY Alt hough t here's plent y of light for shoot ing port rait s out doors in t he m iddle of t he day, m ost of t hat light is very direct and will wind up cast ing hard, unflat t ering shadows on your subj ect 's face ( not t o m ent ion t hat your subj ect will usually be squint ing, sweat ing, or bot h) . So, how do you get great out door port rait s at t wo o'clock in t he aft ernoon? I t 's easym ove your subj ect int o t he shade, where t he light is soft er, and t he shadows are less prom inent and m uch soft er. Now, don't m ove int o a cavej ust m ove t o a shady area near t he direct sunlight ( t ypical places include under a large t ree, under t he overhang of a building or house, on t he porch of a house, under an um brella, et c.) . Just find a place you'd norm ally go t o get out of t he sun on a hot day, and you're ready t o get port rait s where your subj ect isn't squint ing, and t he light is soft and flat t ering. The phot os above perfect ly dem onst rat e t he advant age of doing t his. The shot on t he left was t aken in direct sunlight and t he shot on t he right , of t he sam e m odel in a sim ilar pose, was t aken one m inut e lat er less t han 30 feet away but in open shade. Not ice how m uch soft er and warm er t he light is, how vibrant t he color is, and how m uch bet t er t he sam e m odel looks. All I did was m ove her int o t he shade. I t m akes t hat big a difference.

Getting Great Light Indoors

SCOTT KELBY What 's t he pros' t rick for get t ing great port rait light indoors wit hout set t ing up som e ext ensive st udio light ing? Use t he best light ever creat ednat ural light . This is such wonderful light t hat m any pros insist on using not hing but nat ural light for t heir port rait s. To t ake advant age of t his wonderful light source, j ust posit ion your subj ect beside a window in your house, office, st udio, et c., t hat doesn't get direct light . The m ost ideal window light is a nort h- facing window, but any window get t ing nice, soft , non- direct sunlight will work. I f t he window is dirt y, t hat 's even bet t er because it helps diffuse t he light and m akes it even soft er. I f t he only window you have get s direct light , t ry using sheers ( t hin curt ains t hat are alm ost see- t hroughyou find t hese in hot el room s quit e oft en, and t hey m ake great light diffusers) . You can posit ion your subj ect st anding or sit t ing, but t o keep t he light from looking flat , m ake sure your subj ect is get t ing side light from t he windownot direct light . The soft shadows on t he ot her side of t he face will enhance t he port rait and give it dept h and int erest .

Don't Forget the Shower Curtain Trick That 's it don't forget t he frost ed shower curt ain t rick you learned in Chapt er 2. I t can work wonderfully well here t oo, and alt hough your subj ect m ay t hink you're a lit t le lam e for pinning up a frost ed shower curt ain, t he people who look at t heir port rait will only t hink, " What soft , m agical light ingyour phot ographer m ust be a genius" ( or som et hing along t hose lines) .

Taking Great Photos of Newborn Babies

SCOTT KELBY By now you've probably heard how hard it is t o phot ograph babies. That m ay be t rue, but newborn babies usually have a dist inct advant aget hey're asleep. That 's right , newborns spend m ost of t heir days sleeping, so get t ing great shot s of t hem is easier t han you'd t hinkbut you have t o put t hem in t he right set t ing or everyone who looks at t he phot os will say som et hing along t he lines of, " Aw, t oo bad she was asleep." Generally, people like babies t o be wide awake and sm iling in phot os, but t here's a very popular brand of newborn phot ography where t he baby and m om ( or dad) are sharing a quiet m om ent , and it really set s t he st age for a t ouching port rait . I saw t his first - hand when David Ziser ( t he world- class wedding and port rait phot ographer) spent one evening phot ographing m y newborn daught er, Kira. Now, David had a huge advant age because m y daught er j ust happens t o be t he cut est lit t le baby in t he whole wide world, but he did st ack t he deck in his favor wit h a sim ple, but ext rem ely effect ive, t echniquehe had m y wife and I bot h wear long- sleeved black t urt leneck shirt s ( you can find t hese at Target ) . Then, he phot ographed Kira as m y wife held her in her arm s ( I t ook a t urn as well) . David shot very t ight ( zoom ed in) , so what you basically got was a sweet lit t le baby rest ing peacefully in her m ot her's ( and fat her's) arm s. You can use a diffused flash ( m ore on t his in Chapt er 3) , or you can use soft nat ural light from a side w indow .

Great Sunset Portraits

©ISTOCKPHOTO/KEVIN RUSS Everyone want s t o shoot port rait s at sunset because t he sky is so gorgeous, but t he problem generally is t hat ( a) your subj ect eit her com es out as a silhouet t e because t he sunset is behind t hem , or ( b) you use a flash and your subj ect looks washed out . Here's how t o get great port rait s at sunset wit hout washing out your subj ect : st art by t urning off your flash and aim at t he sky. Then hold your shut t er but t on halfway down t o t ake an exposure reading from t he sky, and while st ill holding t he shut t er but t on halfway down ( or you can t urn on t he exposure lock but t on on your digit al cam era) , recom pose t he shot by aim ing at your subj ect , but now t urn t he flash on and reveal your subj ect wit h t he light of t he flash. This way, your subj ect get s fill flash, but t he sky behind t hem st ill looks great . I t 's an old t rick, but it 's st ill around because it works so well.

Better Natural-Light Portraits with Reflectors

SCOTT KELBY I f you're going t o be shoot ing port rait s using glorious, wonderful nat ural light , t here's som et hing you probably ought t o pick up t hat will m ake your port rait s t hat m uch bet t erone ( preferably t wo) collapsible reflect ors ( I choose collapsible reflect ors because t hey t ake up virt ually no st orage space when you're not using t hem ) . These aren't j ust for big- t im e pros because t hey j ust don't cost t hat m uch, but t hey do wonders for opening up t he shadows in your port rait s and m aking t he m ost of t hat m arvelous nat ural light . You sim ply use t hese t o reflect ( or bounce) t he nat ural light from t he window back int o t he shadow areas in your subj ect . I use t he Phot oflex 22" circular collapsible reflect ors wit h gold on one side ( if you want t he light you reflect t o look warm er) and silver on t he ot her side ( for a cooler reflect ed light ) . They sell for around $37 each. I t old you t hey didn't cost m uch, but t he result s are golden ( or silver, as t he case m ay be) .

Chapter Seven. Avoiding Problems Like a Pro How to Avoid Digital Headaches

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Pros are out shoot ing every day. And when I say out , if t hey're st udio phot ographers t hey're act ually usually shoot ing indoors, so in t hat case, of course I m ean t hey're out shoot ing in t he st udio. St ick wit h m e here, will ya? Anyway, t hese pros are out shoot ing every day, while m ost of t he rest of us only get t o shoot when our wives let us. I m ean, we only get t o shoot on cert ain occasions ( like when our wives are out of t own) , so alt hough we run across digit al problem s when we're shoot ing, since we won't have t o deal wit h t hem again unt il our wives fly t o Minnesot a t o visit t heir parent s, we j ust let t hem slide. The pros don't because t hey have t o deal wit h t hese t hings every day ( m eaning t heir in- laws live in t he sam e t own t hey do) , so t he way t hey keep from having m igraine headaches t he size of t he Shut t le's boost er rocket s is by figuring out clever ways t o deal wit h t hem on t he spot . So, t his chapt er is kind of a short cut because you're going t o get t he benefit s of years of ot her

people's headaches, but you're going t o get t o fix t hem right now, sidest epping one of t he real downsides of shoot ing digit al, and t hat prim arily is having t o shoot your cousin Earl's wedding ( see, you should have list ened t o your wife when she t old you not t o get t hat long lens) . Now, you m ay have not iced t hat I 've been referring t o wives as if all phot ographers were m en, and clearly t hat 's not t he case. I t 's j ust t hat I am a m an ( a m asculine, m annish, m anly m an) and t herefore it would be silly for m e t o say, " My husband didn't want m e t o go shoot ing t hat day," when you know darn well he wouldn't m ind. Wait t hat 's not what I m eant .

Pro Tips to Avoid White Balance Problems

Whit e balance problem s oft en happen when you shoot indoors under fluorescent , incandescent , or j ust " t hem regular ol' light bulbs." Of course, you don't generally find out about t hem unt il you open t he phot os lat er on your com put er and all t he shot s have eit her a yellowish, or greenish, or blueish color cast . By default , your cam era is set t o Aut o Whit e Balance, which works pret t y well out doors, but generally doesn't work wort h a darn indoors. The pros use t hree m et hods t o avoid whit e balance problem s when t hey shoot : ( 1) t hey go int o t he cam era and choose a preset whit e balance set t ing t hat m at ches t he light ing t hey're shoot ing in ( it 's easier t han you t hinkj ust go t o your cam era's whit e balance sect ion, and choose eit her I ncandescent [ for regular indoor light ing] or Fluorescent [ for t ypical office light ing] ) . You can choose preset whit e balance set t ings for out door shot s as well, and you'll get m ore realist ic colors t here t oo. ( 2) They creat e a cust om whit e balance. Luckily, your cam era will do m ost of t he work for you if you j ust put a neut ral gray card ( you can find t hese at any cam era st ore or B&H Phot o) about 8 t o 10 inches in front of your lens, and zoom in/ out so t he card fills your fram e. Then go t o your cam era's cust om whit e balance m enu and set it up t o m easure what it sees t o creat e a cust om whit e balance ( it 's easier t han it soundsj ust t ake a peek in your cam era's m anual) . And, ( 3) They shoot in RAW form at , so t hey don't worry about whit e balance, because t hey can choose t he whit e balance aft er t he fact , eit her in Adobe Phot oshop's Cam era Raw dialog or in t heir RAW processing soft ware ( if t hey don't use Phot oshop's RAW processor) . This is j ust one advant age of shoot ing in RAW ( see Chapt er 10 for m ore on why RAW rocks) .

Cold Weather Shooting Means Extra Batteries

Anot her t hing t he pros have learned is t hat digit al cam era bat t eries don't last nearly as long in cold weat her. So if you're going out shoot ing in t he snow, you'd bet t er bring at least one or t wo backup bat t eries for your cam era or it could t urn int o a very short shoot .

Extra Batteries Are a Shoot Saver I go out of m y way t o avoid using flash ( I 'm one of t hose nat ural light freaks) , so m y bat t eries last a good long t im e, and I seldom have t o change bat t eries during a shoot . However, I have at least one backup bat t ery for bot h of m y cam eras, and alt hough I don't use t hem t hat oft en, when I have needed t hem , t hey've been a shoot saver big t im e. I f t here's a m ust - have accessory, it 's an ext ra bat t ery.

Don't Change Lenses in Dusty Weather

SCOTT KELBY I f you're shoot ing out doors, t ake a t ip from t he pros and don't change lenses if you're in a dust y environm ent . That 's t he last t hing you want get t ing down inside your digit al cam era, and alt hough you can't som et im es see t he dust swirling around you, your cam era's sensors will see it , and t hen so will you ( when you open t he phot os on your com put er) . I f you m ust change lenses, t ry t o go back t o your car, or som e indoor locat ion, and swit ch lenses t here. Rem em ber, it doesn't t ake a whole lot t a dust t o m ake your cam era really m iserableit 's wort h t he ext ra effort t o eit her plan carefully for shoot s in desert or sandy condit ions and go wit h j ust one lens, or t o keep your car nearby so you can go inside, shut t he door, and change t he lens wit hout fear of fouling your gear.

Protect Your Gear Tip You can buy prot ect ive gear for your cam era for shoot ing in harsh or rainy weat her condit ions. But , if you find yourself in t hat kind of sit uat ion wit hout t hat prot ect ion, you can do what m y buddy Bill Fort ney does and t ake a clear plast ic shower cap from t he hot el you're st aying at , and use it t o cover your cam era and lens. I t balls up right in your pocket , and it does a bet t er j ob t han you'd t hink.

Apply for Permits to Shoot with Your Tripod [View full size image]

Many indoor locat ions ( including m useum s, aquarium s, public buildings, et c.) don't allow you t o shoot on a t ripod, even t hough t hese locat ions generally have very low " m useum - like" light ing. However, in som e cases you can apply for a free perm it t o shoot on a t ripodsuch as t he one shown above from New York's Met ropolit an Museum of Art you j ust have t o ask in advance. I 've had a num ber of inst ances where, by asking in advance, t hey would let m e com e in before or aft er hours t o shoot when nobody's t here ( alleviat ing t heir fear t hat som eone m ight t rip on m y t ripod and sue t hem ) . Som et im es governm ent buildings or m useum s will let you apply for a perm it so you can shoot during t heir regular open hours, but oft en t hey'll have you com e before or aft er hours, which I act ually prefer. So, usually it 's j ust m e and a securit y guard shoot ing at five o'clock in t he m orning or nine o'clock at night , but at least I 've got a st able shoot ing plat form , I 'm get t ing sharp shot s because I 'm on a t ripod, and I don't have t o worry about anyone t ripping over m y t ripod, shoot ing t heir flash while I 'm t rying t o shoot , or rushing m e t o get out of t he way.

Be Careful What You Shoot

©ISTOCKPHOTO/NANCY LOUIE Especially since Sept em ber 11t h in t he U.S., people can som et im es get freaky when t hey see som eone shoot ing phot os out side t heir building ( which is com m on in downt own areas) , and t hey're part icularly t ouchy out side st at e and federal buildings. Recent ly, a phot ographer I know was shoot ing in a downt own area, and when he pulled his eye away from his viewfinder he was surrounded by t hree securit y guards. He didn't realize t he building he was shoot ing was a federal building ( it j ust looked like a fascinat ing old building t o him ) , and t he guards want ed t o confiscat e his cam era's m em ory card. Luckily, he was able t o convince t he guards t o let him j ust delet e t he phot os from his card right in front of t hem , but if he hadn't , t he police would have been involved wit hin m inut es ( it was a federal building, aft er all) . However, building securit y for corporat ions can be very aggressive as well ( I 've heard st ories t here, t oo) , so j ust t ake a lit t le care when shoot ing in downt own areas and be prepared t o delet e shot s off your card if necessary. Also, as a general rule, in t he U.S. and in ot her count ries, you're t aking your chances any t im e you shoot governm ent buildings, airport s, m ilit ary bases, t errorist t raining cam ps, nuclear m issile silos, Russian sub bases, et c.

A Tip for Shooting on an Incline

RANDY HUFFORD I f you find yourself shoot ing on an incline wit h your t ripod, here's a t ip t hat can save your cam era from inst ant deat h. Let 's say you're shoot ing on a rock or on t he side of a hill. Your t ripod has t hree legsplace only one facing you. That way, if t he cam era st art s t o t ip back, t he single leg act s like an anchor and keeps it from falling. I f t he t wo- legged side is on t he ground, wit h a single leg on t he rock or hillside, your cam era will t opple right over.

Tip for More Stable Shooting on a Tripod When you're shoot ing on a t ripod, depending on t he t errain, you don't always wind up ext ending your t ripod's legs all t he waysom et im es you j ust ext end one set of legs and not bot h. I f t hat 's t he case, t he pros ext end t he t op ones ( t he legs nearest t he cam era) first , because t hey're t hicker and provide m ore st abilit y and balance t han t he t hinner lower legs.

The Other Reason Pros Use a Lens Hood

The lens hood t hat com es wit h m ost good- qualit y lenses t hese days is designed t o reduce or elim inat e t he lens flare t hat can creep int o your lens when shoot ing out doors in daylight , but pros keep a lens hood on even indoors ( basically t hey keep it on all t he t im e) for anot her reasonit prot ect s t he lens. Think about it t he glass end of your lens is pret t y m uch flush t o t he end of t he lens barrel, and if it com es in cont act wit h anyt hing t hat 's not really, really soft , it can get scrat ched, cracked, or j ust fingerprint ed or dirt y. However, when you put a lens hood on t he end, it put s a buffer bet ween t he glass and t he scary world around it . I t can save your lens if you drop it or knock it int o som eone or som et hing.

Keeping Your Lens Out of Trouble

I f you're going t o be using good- qualit y lenses wit h your digit al cam era, t hen I highly recom m end buying a UV filt er for each lens. Alt hough t he UV part doesn't do all t hat m uch ( it filt ers out UV rays t o som e ext ent , which m akes your phot os look bet t er t o som e sm all ext ent ) , t he real reason t o use one is t o prot ect your lens ( specifically, t he glass on your lens, which can get scrat ched easily or break if you drop it ) . Alt hough t his " buy a UV filt er/ don't buy one" cont roversy is heavily debat ed on t he Web, I can t ell you from personal experience it saved one of m y lenses from cert ain deat h. I was out on locat ion, and while changing lenses I som ehow lost m y grip and m y lens crashed t o t he ground, glass first . My filt er was severely dam aged, but once I unscrewed it and t ook a look at m y lens, it was t ot ally unscat hed. The filt er t ook all t he dam age, and it 's m uch cheaper t o buy a new filt er t han it is t o replace an expensive lens. So, while a UV filt er m ight not do all t hat m uch for your phot os, it does a lot for your peace of m ind.

Back Up Your Photos in the Field

When you're out shoot ing, as soon as you fill up a m em ory card, back it up t o a port able ext ernal hard drive ( ideally, you'd like a port able drive t hat let s you pop in your m em ory card and copy it ont o t he drive wit hout having t o be connect ed t o a com put er) . That way, you've backed up your digit al negat ives right t here on t he spot . Here's how I use t his workflow: let 's say I do an early m orning shoot ( t he 5: 00 a.m . sort ) . As soon as I 'm done wit h m y shoot ( around 7: 00 a.m .) , when I get back t o m y car, I pop m y m em ory card out of t he cam era, pop it int o m y Epson P- 4000, and st art copying t he card over. Then, while it 's st ill copying, I put t he P- 4000 back int o it s carrying case, and t hen back int o m y cam era bag. By t he t im e I get t o t he breakfast rest aurant ( a yum m y breakfast is a crit ical part of t he early m orning shoot ) , t he phot os are copied ont o t he hard drive. Right aft er I place m y breakfast order wit h t he server, I break out m y P- 4000 and st art seeing if t he m orning shoot yielded any " keepers" in t he P- 4000's huge LCD window. That way, not only do I have a solid backup, but I also get a preview of how m y m orning shoot went .

Limit Your LCD Time to Save Battery Life

One of t he biggest drains on bat t ery life is t he color LCD m onit or on t he back of your digit al cam era. Alt hough it 's a very im port ant part of digit al phot ography, using it t oo oft en can really drain your bat t ery, but here's som et hing t hat can helplower t he num ber of seconds t hat your LCD displays right aft er you t ake t he shot . Aft er all, if you need t o see a shot you j ust t ook again, you can j ust press t he playback but t on on t he back of your cam era and it will reappear. Also, lim it your chim ping ( adm iring your phot os on t he LCD m onit or or showing t hem off t o ot hers while m aking " Oooh! Oooh! " sounds) .

Be Careful When Throwing Out CDs/DVDs

Be careful when t hrowing away old CDs or DVDs wit h phot os on t hem . One t hing t he pros have learned ( som e t he hard way) is t hat if you j ust t hrow a CD or DVD of phot os away, t here's a chance t hose phot os m ight " com e back from t he grave" and reappear where you least expect t hem , like on t he Web, or on a st ock phot o sit e, or...wherever. These days, old CDs oft en at t ract unwelcom e at t ent ion in a landfill because t rollers are looking for credit card num bers, personal inform at ion, et c., and if t hey find anyt hing of value ( including your phot os) , t hey m ay find a way t o use ( or abuse) t hem . How do you prot ect yourself against t his? Buy a serious shredderone t hat will shred CDs/ DVDs ( like t he Fellowes PC70- 2CD, which will shred j ust about anyt hing on eart h) and shred your CDs so t hey're unusable by j ust about anybody. I t doesn't seem like a big t hreat unt il you see som eone else selling your work.

Bracket If You're Not Sure About Exposure

I n a t ricky light ing sit uat ion, or a sit uat ion where you've j ust got t o get t he correct exposure for t he shot , t he pros m ake use of t he cam era's built - in exposure bracket ing feat ure. This basically set s up your cam era t o shoot m ult iple versions ( as m any as five, if you like) of your current scene using different exposures ( som e light er, som e darker) wit h t he idea t hat one of t hem will be j ust right . I t st art s by using t he suggest ed exposure reading t aken by your cam era ( which your cam era believes is t he correct exposure, by t he way, but it can som et im es be fooled in t ricky light ing sit uat ions) , t hen it creat es anot her im age t hat is slight ly underexposed, and anot her slight ly overexposed ( so you've bracket ed bot h ends of t he original exposure) . This great ly increases your odds of get t ing t he perfect exposure, and since digit al film is freehey, why not , right ? You t urn on bracket ing right on t he cam era it self. For Nikon digit al cam eras, t here's a bracket ing but t on t o t he left of t he viewfinder ( it says " BKT" on t he but t on) . On Canons ( like t he 20D or 30D) , you have t o t urn on bracket ing from t he m enu it self.

Bracketing Tip I f you're shoot ing in RAW, bracket ing becom es m uch less im port ant because you have so m uch cont rol aft er t he fact ( in your RAW conversion soft ware) , and because you can m ake as m any copies, wit h different exposures, as you'd like.

Avoid Red Eye

SCOTT KELBY Wit hout going int o all t he t echnical ( and physiological) reasons why people in our phot os oft en get " red eye" when we use a flash, let 's j ust look at how t o avoid it . The m ain culprit is your cam era's pop- up flash, which sit s right above your lens and is an alm ost aut om at ic recipe for red eye. The easy fix ( t he one t he pros use anyway) is t o eit her get t hat flash ( ideally) off t he cam era and hold it a couple of feet away from t he lens, or at t he very least up m uch higher away from t he lens, t o reduce t he chance for red eye. Anot her m et hod is t o bounce your flash off t he ceiling, which is a great cure for red eye. Of course, all of t hese require you t o have a separat e ext ernal flash unit ( and not j ust your cam era's built - in pop- up flash) . I f you can't spring for an ext ernal flash, t here are a few ot her popular st rat egies when you have no choice but t o use your built - in pop- up flash: ( 1) t urn on som e room light s, if possible. I t let s your subj ect 's pupils cont ract , and t hat causes less red eye t han shoot ing in com plet e darkness. ( 2) I f your cam era has a red- eye reduct ion m ode ( where it sends a preem pt ive flash, which causes your subj ect 's pupils t o quickly cont ract , before it fires t he m ain flash) , t hat som et im es reduces red eye. ( 3) Ask your subj ect t o look slight ly away from t he lens and t hat will cert ainly help, plus ( 4) m oving your cam era closer t o your subj ect can also help reduce t he dreaded red eye.

Remove Red Eye [View full size image]

DAVE MOSER Okay, let 's say you forgot t o t ry one of t he st rat egies on t he previous page and you wind up wit h an im port ant phot o t hat has red eye. Luckily, it 's easier t han ever t o get rid of red eye. Whet her you're using Adobe Phot oshop CS2 or Phot oshop Elem ent s ( t he consum er version of Phot oshop) , you can use t he Red Eye t ool t o quickly get rid of red eye. Here's how t hey work. Open t he phot o in Phot oshop CS2 ( or Phot oshop Elem ent s) , t hen get t he Red Eye t ool ( it 's in t he Toolbox on t he left side) , and sim ply click direct ly on t he red area in one of t he eyes. That 's it it does t he rest . Then do t he ot her eye. Not t oo shabby, eh? I f clicking direct ly on t he red part of t he eye is t oo hard ( t he person is st anding kind of far away so t heir eyes are kind of a sm all t arget ) , t hen j ust t ake t he t ool and click- and- drag a rect angle around t he whole eye area, and when you release t he m ouse but t on, it will do it s t hing. Eit her way you do it , t hat red eye is going t o be gone in seconds. Just anot her reason why I love Phot oshop.

Chapter Eight. Taking Advantage of Digital Like a Pro It's More Than Just a Replacement for Film

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I added t his chapt er t o t he book for a very im port ant reasonI const ant ly run int o people who t reat t heir digit al cam era like a film cam era t hat com es wit h free film . These people ( freaks) don't realize t hat digit al is m uch m ore t han j ust a new t ype of " free- film cam era" and digit al cam eras offer advant ages t hat we ( t hey, t hem , us, et c.) never had in film cam eras. So, t hat 's what I t ried t o do in t his chapt ershow how t he pros t ake advant age of digit al cam eras t o get t he m ost out of t heir invest m ent . Now, t hese pros have t o squeeze every advant age out of t heir cam eras for t wo reasons: ( 1) t hey have t o m onet ize t he result s. They paid a lot of m oney for t hese t ools for t heir business, and t hey have t o have a verifiable m eans of t racking t heir ROI ( ret urn on invest m ent ) . And ( 2) t hey have t o be able t o m ake enough m oney t o pay bot h alim ony and child support , because t heir spouses left t hem short ly aft er t hey went digit al, because now t hey spend all t heir free t im e playing around

wit h t heir phot os in Adobe Phot oshop. Hey, it 's an easy t rap t o fall int o, and I 've been known t o spend an hour or t wo in Phot oshop m yself. But t hat doesn't m ean I 've t urned m y back on m y wife and child. I m ean, wife and t wo children. My t wo boys. I m ean, m y son and daught er, right ? Lit t le what 's- her- nam e? And of course, m y son Gerald. Er, Jordan. That 's it Jordan. Great lit t le boy, t oo. What 's he now, six? Nine! No kidding, he's nine already? Boy, t hey sure do grow up fast .

Level the Playing Field: Press That Button

Will digit al phot ography really get you bet t er phot os? Absolut ely. There are t wo huge advant ages digit al brings ( if you t ake advant age of t hem ) , so I 'm covering bot h of t hem on t hese first t wo pages. The first isfilm is free. I n t he days of t radit ional film cam eras, every t im e I pressed t he shut t er, I heard in m y head " 22¢." Each t im e I clicked off a shot , it cost m e around 22¢. So whenever I considered t aking a shot , I would consciously ( or subconsciously) t hink, " I s t his shot wort h 22¢?" Of course, I wouldn't know for days ( when t he film cam e back from t he processing lab) , but it always m ade m e pause. Now I can push t he shut t er again and again and again, and in m y head I j ust see a sm iley face inst ead. Why? Because I 'm insane. But besides t hat , it 's because once you've bought your m em ory card, film is free. This really levels t he playing field wit h professional phot ographers, because t his has always been a huge advant age t hey had over t he am at eurs. The pros had a budget for film , so if t hey were shoot ing a port rait , t hey'd shoot lit erally hundreds of phot os t o get " t he shot ." Am at eurs would shoot , m aybe, a roll of 24. Maybe 36. So, here's a pro phot ographer shoot ing hundreds of shot s vs. an am at eur shoot ing 36. Who had t he best chance of get t ing t he shot ? Exact ly. Now, j um p ahead t o digit al. I t 's port rait t im et he pro will shoot hundreds of shot s, right ? Now, so can you, and it doesn't cost you a dim e. When you shoot " wit h wild abandon" ( as m y friend Vincent Versace always says) , you level t he playing field. Your chances of get t ing " t he shot " go way, way up, so fire away.

Put the LCD Monitor to Work

SCOTT KELBY The second t hing t hat levels t he playing field is t hat now, wit h t he LCD m onit or on t he back of your cam era, you can see if you " got t he shot ." And by " got t he shot ," I m ean you can t ell if your color is in t he ballpark, if your subj ect blinked when t he phot o was t aken, if your flash act ually firedt hat sort of t hing ( I 'm not t rying t o t rivialize t hem t hese are huge advant ages) . But because t he LCD m onit or is so sm all, it can also fool you. Everyt hing looks in focus when it 's 2" t all on t he m onit or. When you open t hat phot o lat er in Phot oshop, you m ight find out t hat t he key shot from your shoot is horribly out of focus ( or your cam era focused on t he wrong obj ect , so t he background is in sharp focus, but your subj ect is blurry) . This act ually happens quit e oft en because ( all t oget her now) everyt hing looks in focus on an LCD m onit or. To really t ake advant age of t he LCD m onit or for focus, you'll need t o zoom in and see if it 's really in focus ( see page 17 for how t o zoom in) .

The LCD Monitor Challenge Anot her way t he LCD m onit or will m ake you a bet t er phot ographer is t hrough inst ant creat ive feedback. I f you t ake your shot , look at t he LCD, and what you see disappoint s you, t hen it challenges you t o com e up wit h som et hing bet t er. I t m akes you work t he shot , t ry new angles, get m ore creat ive, and experim ent unt il you finally see on t he m onit or what you set out t o capt ure in t he first place.

Edit as You Shoot to Get More Keepers

One of t he t ricks t he pros use t o keep an efficient workflow, and t o keep from unnecessarily filling up t heir m em ory cards, is t o edit out t he bad shot s as t hey go. I f t hey t ake a shot and look on t he LCD m onit or and see t hat it 's grossly underexposed, overex- posed, has t ons of blinkies, is clearly out of focus, or is j ust plain badly com posed, t hey delet e it right t here on t he spot . I f you do t his as well, lat er, when you download your phot os int o your com put er, you're only looking at shot s t hat act ually have a chance of being a keeper. Plus, you can t ake m ore shot s per card, because t he bad ones have been erased t o m ake room for m ore pot ent ial good shot s.

The Hidden "Edit as You Go" Advantage You m ay t hink t his is silly ( at first ) , but if you edit out all t he really bad shot s, when you finally do download and st art looking at t hem , you'll feel bet t er as a phot ographer. That 's because you'll be looking at a bet t er group of phot os from t he very st art . The really bad shot s have already been delet ed, so when you st art looking at t he day's t ake, you'll t hink t o yourself, " Hey, t hese aren't t oo bad."

Take Advantage of the Blinkies

SCOTT KELBY I know I m ent ioned t his earlier, but it bears repeat ing. Turning on your highlight warning ( or highlight alert , t he st robe- like flashing you see on your LCD m onit or which shows t he part s of your phot o t hat are t ot ally blown out and have no det ail) and looking for t he " blinkies" will yield you m ore keepersno doubt . So, what do you do when you see t he blinkies? Use your cam era's exposure com pensat ion cont rol t o back down t he exposure a 1/ 3 st op and shoot t he sam e phot o again. I f you st ill see t he blinkies, t ake it down anot her 1/ 3 st op and shoot it again. Keep shoot ing unt il t he blinkies go away. Not e : Som e t hings will always have blinkieslike t he sunand t hat 's okay. What you want t o be concerned about is specifically " blinkies t hat m at t er" ( blinkies in part s of t he phot o t hat you care about ) . A reflect ion of t he sun on t he chrom e bum per of a car is an okay sit uat ion t o let blinkies live. However, blinkies blinking on t he forehead of your subj ect is not accept able. Also, when looking at t he LCD m onit or, keep an eye on t he overall exposure of t he phot odon't let it get way underexposed j ust t o st op a t iny blinky som ewhere. Here's how t o adj ust using exposure com pensat ion: Nik on: Press t he exposure com pensat ion but t on j ust behind t he shut t er but t on, t hen m ove t he com m and dial t o t he left unt il it reads 1/ 3 in t he viewfinder readout . Canon: Turn t he m ode dial t o any creat ive zone m ode except m anual, t hen set t he exposure com pensat ion by t urning t he quick cont rol dial on t he back of t he cam era.

Change Your ISO on the Fly

A huge advant age of digit al is t hat you can change t he I SO anyt im e t he scene dict at es it . Wit h t radit ional film , t hat was im possible. Well, it wasn't im possible, it was j ust incredibly expensive, because t o change t he I SO ( film speed) you act ually had t o change film . So, for exam ple, let 's say you're shoot ing t he out side of a church wit h a brand new roll of I SO 200 film ( 36 exposures) , and you crank out four or five shot s. You walk inside, and it 's very dark, and t hey won't allow you t o set up a t ripod ( which isn't unusual for a church) . I f you needed t o swit ch t o I SO 800 film , you'd need t o pop out t he 36- exposure roll ( basically sacrificing 31 unexposed shot s t o t he film gods) , as you pop in a new roll of I SO 800. So you crank off 17 shot s, and t hen you're back out side. Whoopsyou've got I SO 800 film in, and it 's a sunshiny day. Tim e t o swit ch film again ( and sacrifice 19 m ore shot s) . See where t his is going? But wit h digit al, you can t ake advant age of on- t he- fly I SO swit ching. You shoot at I SO 200 out side, t hen walk inside, change t he I SO on your cam era t o 800, and crank out a few m ore. Maybe t ry a few at I SO 400 t o see if you can get away wit h it . Maybe a few shot s at 1600 j ust for kicks, t hen you walk out t he door and change t he I SO back t o 200. All wit hout ever changing film ( because, aft er all, t here is no film we're digit al) . Take advant age of t his power t o shoot hand- held in low- light sit uat ions where a t ripod is off lim it s. For t he least noise possible, we t ry t o shoot at t he lowest I SO possible, but when t he right sit uat ion present s it self, t ake advant age of t his big digit al advant age t o " get t he shot ."

No Penalty Fee for Experimenting

SCOTT KELBY I n t he days of t radit ional film , t he only people who could really afford t o experim ent were pros ( or wealt hy am at eurs) , because bot h t he film and processing cost m oney, and experim ent ing was j ust t hat t aking a chance wit h m oney. Now, wit h digit al, not only can you see t he result s of your experim ent inst ant ly ( on your LCD m onit or) , but you can see t he fullsize result s on your com put er, and best of allit doesn't cost a dim e. Got a crazy idea? Try it . Want t o shoot a subj ect from a really wild angle? Do it . Want t o t ry som et hing t hat 's never been done before? Go for it . Now t here's not hing holding you back from t rying som et hing new ( except , of course, t he int ense hum iliat ion t hat com es wit h experiencing ut t er and com plet e failure, but t here's not hing digit al can do t o help you deal wit h t hat . Well, not yet anyway) .

Don't Cram Too Much on One Card

One t hing a lot of pros do t o help avoid disast er is t o not t ry t o cram all t heir phot os on one huge m em ory card, especially when shoot ing for a paying client . Here's why: Let 's say you're shoot ing a wedding and you want t o capt ure everyt hing on one 8- GB card, so you don't have t o swit ch cards. That 's cool, as long as t he card doesn't go bad ( but sadly m y friend, cards do go badnot oft en, but it happens. I t 's a sobering fact of digit al phot ography, but rem em ber t hat t radit ional film can go bad as wellt here is no " never fails" film ) . So, if you get back t o your st udio and find t hat your 8- gig card t ook a fat al dive, every phot o from t hat wedding m ay be gone forever. You m ight as well j ust sit by t he phone and wait for t heir lawyer t o call. That 's why m any pros avoid t he huge- capacit y cards, and inst ead of using one huge 8- GB card, t hey use four 2- GB cards. That way, if t he unt hinkable happens, t hey only lose one card, and j ust one set of phot os. Wit h any luck, you can save t he j ob wit h t he 6 GB of phot os you have on t he ot her t hree cards, and avoid a really harrowing conversat ion wit h " t he at t orney represent ing t he bride and groom ."

Shooting RAW? Leave a Little Room on That Memory Card A word of warning: I f you're shoot ing in RAW form at , don't use up every shot on your m em ory card ( leave one or t wo unshot ) because you could pot ent ially corrupt t he ent ire card and lose all your shot s. I t happens because som e RAW shot s t ake m ore room on t he card t han ot hers, but your cam era calculat es how m any shot s are left based on an average size, not act ual size. So, don't chance it leave one or t wo unshot .

Take Advantage of Poster-Sized Printing [View full size image]

You don't have t o have a large- form at print er t o out put large- form at print s, because t oday t here are loads of professional, reput able color labs t hat will print st unning, full- color, post ersized print s ( 16x20" , 20x30" , et c.) for m uch less t han you'd t hink. I n fact , you can use som e of t he online services and upload your digit al im age, and t hey out put and ship right t o your door crisp, wonderful 20x30" post er- sized print s for as lit t le as $23. That 's j ust incredible. They do all t he work, and before you know it , you're holding som e am azingly large print s at am azingly low prices. By t he way, t he process is so m uch easier t han m ost people t hink, and once you do one, you'll get hooked. So will your client s.

Where to "Go Big!" Here are a couple of services t hat I use for large- form at print s: Shut t erfly.com ( one of t he biggest and t he best ) Kodak ( big print s from a t rust ed nam e)

You Can Make One Film Fit All

Here's anot her advant age digit al has over t radit ional film , and if you t ake advant age of it , you'll save yourself loads of t im e lat er in Phot oshop, and t hat is t o set t he right whit e balance. I n t he old days, wit h t radit ional film , if you ran int o a problem light ing sit uat ion ( like shoot ing under indoor fluorescent light s in an office or ret ail environm ent ) , you had t o eit her swit ch t o film t hat was balanced for shoot ing under fluorescent light or you had t o add a special filt er t o your lens t o off set t he color cast creat ed by t hose light s. Even t hough t oday's digit al cam eras let you choose a preset whit e balance for t he light ing you're shoot ing in, m ost am at eurs j ust leave t heir cam eras set t o Aut o Whit e Balance because it 's easier. But t he pros know t hat alt hough t hey can fix it lat er in Phot oshop, it 's easier for t hem t o get t he shot right by changing j ust one lit t le set t ing.

Is It Better to Underexpose or Overexpose?

There have been som e t heories bouncing around a few of t he phot ography forum s on t he Web t hat claim t hat you should underexpose by a st op for digit al phot ography. First off, let m e say t his: your goal ( m y goal, our com m on goal) is t o get t he proper exposure. That 's our goal. Always. But if t hat 's not possible, if given a choice bet ween overexposing ( a phot o t hat 's a bit t oo light ) and underexposing ( a phot o t hat 's a bit t oo dark) , go wit h overexposingyou'll have less noise. That 's because noise is m ost prevalent in t he shadows, and if you have t o light en an underexposed phot o, in Phot oshop ( see t ip below) you're light ening ( increasing) t he noise in t he phot o. That 's why it 's bet t er t o shoot light er ( overexposed) , because darkening a phot o doesn't increase noise t he way light ening it does. So, if you'd rat her have one t han t he ot heroverexpose ( but again, or goal is t o do neit her. That 's why we bought t hese fancy cam eras wit h t heir highly advanced m et ering syst em s) .

What to Use Photoshop For I f you're shoot ing in RAW, t hen you're going t o use Phot oshop t o process your RAW phot os, but once you leave Cam era Raw and you're in t he regular part of Phot oshop, t he idea is t o use Phot oshop t o finish your phot osnot fix t hem . You want t o spend your Phot oshop t im e being creat ive and having fun, not fixing t hings you should have done correct ly in t he cam era.

Keep from Accidentally Erasing Memory Cards

This is a sm all t ip, but one t hat can save your hide when you're out shoot ing in t he field. I f you keep your spare m em ory cards in a card holder ( and for t he sake of your cards, I hope you do) , t here's a sim ple rout ine t he pros use t o keep t rack of which cards are full and which cards are em pt y and available for quick use. They t urn t he full cards backwards in t he case ( wit h t he labels facing inward) , so t hey can inst ant ly t ell which cards are available for use ( t he ones wit h t he labels visible) and which ones are full. The next t im e you're shoot ing in a fast - paced environm ent ( like a wedding shoot or a sport ing event ) , you'll be glad you adopt ed t his syst em .

Chapter Nine. Taking Travel & City Life Shots Like a Pro Tips for Urban Shooting

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Ya know what t here's not a whole lot of? Professional t ravel phot ographers. Ya know why? I t 's because t here are not a whole lot of t ravel m agazines. I m ean t here's Condé Nast Traveler , and Nat ional Geographic Traveler ( one of m y personal favorit es) , and Travel & Leisure , and well...I 'm sure t here are a couple m ore, but t he t hing is, t here's not like a whole bunch of t hem . But j ust because t he m arket 's t ight for j obs in t he professional t ravel phot ographer m arket , t hat doesn't m ean we don't want t o t ake t ravel and cit y life shot s like we're t rying t o com pet e, right ? Well, t hat 's what t his chapt er is all about t ips on beat ing t he living crap out of a couple of t hose pro t ravel phot ographers, so t hey're in t he hospit al for a while so we can snag som e of t heir assignm ent s. I t 's t he law of t he j ungle, and shoot ing in t he j ungle sounds like fun, except for t he fact t hat som e sm ug pro t ravel phot ographer already has t he gig. Or did he j ust fall ( was pushed?) off t he side of a m ount ain in Trinidad

and all his expensive gear went right along wit h him ? What a sham e. I wonder who'll cover t hat assignm ent t o shoot t he sand dunes in Nam ibia? Hey, what t he heckI 'll do it ( see, t hat 's t he spirit behind t his chapt erj um ping in and t aking over when one of your phot ographic com rades has a series of unexplained accident s while shoot ing on locat ion) . Hey look, I 'm obviously kidding here, and I 'm not act ually recom m ending on any level t hat you learn t he t echniques in t his chapt er so you'll be ready for a last - m inut e pro assignm ent , but heyaccident s do happen, right ?

How to Be Ready for "The Shot" N ik on

Ca non

When you're shoot ing urban ( cit y) or t ravel phot ography, you're looking for " t he shot ." My buddy Dave calls it " t he m oney shot ." You know, t hat shot where you t urn t he corner and som et hing fascinat ing, am azing, or [ insert your own adj ect ive here] happens and you j ust happen t o be t here wit h a cam era t o record it . I t happened t o m e in Barcelona when I walked by an alley and saw a m an sit t ing in t he dead cent er of t he alley, facing t he alley wall, reading a book. I t was an incredibly com pelling phot o ( so m uch so t hat m any people have asked m e if it was posed) . So, how do you st ay ready t o cat ch a phot o t hat j ust appears on t he scene ( or m aybe drives by in a car) ? You shoot in a m ode t hat let s you concent rat e on one t hingget t ing t he shot . That 's right , when you're walking t he cit y st reet s, you shoot in program m ode. I know, I know, t his goes against all sacred rules of professional phot ography, except t he one t hat says get t ing t he shot is m ore im port ant t han t he m ode you shoot it in. So, swit ch your digit al cam era's m ode dial t o program m ode ( which set s bot h t he apert ure and shut t er speed for you, wit hout popping up t he annoying on- cam era flash every t wo seconds like aut o m ode does) and get t he shot . Now, if you get t o a scene t hat isn't changing for a few m inut es, you can always swit ch back t o apert ure priorit y ( or m anual) m ode and t ake creat ive cont rol of your shot , but for quickly get t ing t he shot as you roam t hrough t he cit y, t here's no m ore pract ical m ode t han program . Not e: Nikon's program m ode has a feat ure called Flexible Program Mode, which let s you change eit her t he shut t er speed or apert ure set t ing while t he cam era aut om at ically changes t he opposit e set t ing t o keep t he sam e exposure. I f you don't t ouch eit her dial, it does all t he work for you. Sweet !

Shoot Kids and Old People. It Can't Miss

SCOTT KELBY The next t im e you pick up a t ravel m agazine, t ake a look at what 's in t he phot os t hey publish. I can save you t he t rouble. Their t ravel phot os have t wo m ain people t hem es: old people and children. Now, when I say old people, I don't m ean people in t heir lat e 50s. I m ean really old people, and by t hat I specifically m ean old, wrinkly, craggy- looking wom en whose skin looks like shoe leat her, and old, hobbly, crust y m en wit h a cane wearing hat s t hat haven't been washed since t he Korean War. As for kids, t he younger t he bet t er ( but skip t he babies) . As long as you shoot t hem on uncom plicat ed, sim ple backgrounds, kids m ake incredibly com pelling addit ions t o your urban and t ravel pics ( t hat 's why t he m agazines love t hem ) . Also, if you get eit her age group t o pose for you, m ake sure you spend som e t im e t alking wit h t hem before you st art shoot ingit can go a long way t oward loosening t hem up, which will give you m ore nat ural looking poses and expressions ( plus, t hey'll probably let you shoot longer aft er you've built up a lit t le rapport ) .

What Not to Shoot Okay, so kids and old people are " in." What 's out ? Crowd shot s. They're j ust about useless ( you won't even put 'em in your own t ravel album ) . Shoot an em pt y st reet first t hing in t he m orning, or shoot t wo people t oget her, but skip t he crow ds.

Hire a Model (It's Cheaper Than You'd Think)

SCOTT KELBY How do t he pros get t hose am azing shot s of people in exot ic locales? One of t heir t ricks is t o hire a local m odel ( especially if t hey're shoot ing t o sell t he phot os t o a st ock phot o agency) . Now, before you t urn t he page because you t hink hiring a m odel is out of your budget , it 's usually cheaper t han you'd t hink ( well, unless you were t hinking it 's really, really cheap) . Here's a real world exam ple: I hired a professional m odel recent ly for a shoot out in New Mexico, and t he going rat e was $15 per hour, plus I had t o provide her print s from t he shoot for her port folio. Som e m odels new t o t he business will work for free in exchange for you m aking print s for t heir port folio ( t he t erm for t his in t he business is TFP, which st ands for " Tim e For Print s," [ t hey are t rading t heir t im e for your print s] ) , so ask your prospect ive m odel if t hey do TFP. I f t hey look at you and ask, " Does t hat m ean Tam pa Free Press?" you should probably find anot her m odel.

Get That Model Release! I f you've hired a m odel, m ake absolut ely cert ain t hat you get your m odel t o sign a m odel release, which enables you t o use t hose shot s for com m ercial work. You can find som e sam ple m odel releases online ( I believe t he PPA [ Professional Phot ographers of Am erica] has downloadable release form s available for it s m em bers) , and having one could m ake all t he difference in t he world.

What Time to Shoot

SCOTT KELBY Many pros prefer t o shoot urban and t ravel shot s at dawn for a couple of reasons: ( 1) t he light is perfect . That 's right , t he sam e golden, m agical light t hat looks great for landscape shot s looks great for shoot ing in t he cit y, t oo. And ( 2) t he st reet s are usually em pt y, so t here's lit t le dist ract ion for your archit ect ure shot s, cat hedral shot s, or charm ing lit t le st reet s and alleys. You only have a lim it ed t im e t o shoot before t he sun get s t oo light in t he sky ( and t he light ing t urns harsh) and t he st reet s st art t o fill wit h t raffic, so get set up before sunup and, of course, shoot on a t ripod. Anot her great t im e t o shoot is at dusk. The light ing will once again be golden, and t he only m aj or downside is t hat t he st reet s won't be em pt y. There are st ill som e decent opport unit ies t o shoot urban and people shot s during t he day, because cit ies oft en have lot s of open shade ( som et im es court esy of t he t all buildings in downt own areas) . So unlike t he landscape phot ographer, you can oft en get away wit h shoot ing all day, especially if it 's an overcast or cloudy day ( rem em ber, if t he sky is gray, t ry t o avoid including m uch sky in your phot os) . Aft ernoon is a perfect t im e t o shoot charm ing doorways ( in t he shade) , windows, kids playing in t he parkpret t y m uch anyt hing you can find in decent open shade. So, t o recap: t he best t im e is probably m orning. Second best is dusk, but you can st ill get away wit h shoot ing in open shade during t he day, and t here's oft en plent y of it , so fire away ( so t o speak) .

Look for Bold, Vivid Colors

SCOTT KELBY One of t he t hings t o keep an eye out for when you're shoot ing urban and t ravel shot s are t he bold, vivid colors of t he cit y. You'll oft en find brilliant ly colored walls, doors, ( shot s wit h a bold- color wall wit h a cont rast ing colored door) , shops, signs, cars, and bikes. One of m y favorit e urban shot s was of a bright red Vespa scoot er parked direct ly behind a bright yellow Lot us sport s car. I t alm ost looked set up for m e, and I t ook dozens of shot s of it because t he colors were j ust so vivid, and so perfect ly m at ched. Keep your eyes peeled for bright ly paint ed walls ( especially wonderful if you find som eone working in front of t he wall, or wait ing pat ient ly for a bus wit h t he colorful wall in t he background, or a bright yellow car parked in front of a bright blue wall) . I f you're looking for t hese colorful com binat ions while you're out exploring, you'll be surprised at how oft en t hey'll reveal t hem selves t o you. By t he way, I know I 'm beat ing a dead horse here, but t hese colors will look richer and have m ore dept h in ( you guessed it ) great light , which generally occurs ( you know it ) around dawn and dusk. Just rem em ber, t he next best t hing t o t hose t wo is open shade.

Shooting Travel? Visit PhotoSecrets.com First [View full size image]

I f you're looking t o find t he shot s everybody else m isses ( in ot her words, you don't want shot s t hat are t oo t ourist y) , before you leave on your t rip visit Phot oSecret s.com . This sit e is a big help because t hey list , cit y by cit y, som e of t he best locat ions t o get " t he shot ." Best of all, t hey give you phot o exam ples of t he shot s you can t ake from each locat ion, so you can see before you go if it 's t he kind of shot you're looking t o get . Alt hough t he sit e is prim arily t o prom ot e t heir com plet e list of books on t he t opic, t hey do share a num ber of great shoot locat ions and phot os on t he sit e, so it 's definit ely wort h a look t o see if t hey have som e free t ips on t he cit y you're heading for.

Don't Try to Capture It All: Shoot the Details

SCOTT KELBY I 've heard a lot of phot ographers com plain about t he result s of t heir urban shoot ing, and m uch of t he t im e it 's because t hey t ry t o capt ure t oo m uch. What I m ean by t hat is t hat t hey t ry t o capt ure t he ent iret y of a m aj est ic building or t he grandeur of a m agnificent cat hedral, but even wit h an ult ra- wide- angle lens t his is very, very hard t o pull off. That 's why t he pros shoot det ails inst ead. For exam ple, inst ead of shoot ing t o capt ure t he ent ire cat hedral at Not re Dam e in Paris, inst ead capt ure det ails t hat suggest t he wholeshoot t he doors, a window, a spire, a gargoyle, t he pigeons gat hered on t he st eps, or an int erest ing archit ect ural elem ent of t he church, rat her t han t rying t o capt ure t he ent ire st ruct ure at once. Let your phot o suggest t he height , or suggest t he craft sm anship, and t he m ind's eye will fill in t he blanks. By shoot ing j ust t he det ails, you can engage in som e very com pelling st oryt elling, where a piece is oft en st ronger t han t he whole. Aft er all, if you want a phot o of t he ent ire cat hedral, you can j ust buy one from t he dozen or so gift shops j ust st eps away. I nst ead, show your im pression, your view, and your t ake on Not re Dam e. Give t his a t ry t he next t im e you're out shoot ing in a cit y and see if you're not infinit ely m ore pleased wit h your result s.

The Best Shot May Be Just Three Feet Away

SCOTT KELBY My good friend Bill Fort ney said it best , " The biggest im pedim ent t o phot ographers get t ing great shot s is t he fact t hat t hey don't m ove. The best shot , t he best view, and t he best angle is som et im es j ust 3 feet from where t hey're st andingbut t hey j ust don't m ovet hey walk up, set up, and st art shoot ing." I t 's so t rue ( t hat 's why I also m ade reference t o t his non- m oving phenom enon in t he landscape chapt er) . Once you find t hat fascinat ing det ail, t hat vividly colored wall, t hat unique scenewalk around. Be on t he lookout for ot her m ore int erest ing views of your subj ect and shoot it from t here as well. Besides j ust m oving left and right , you can present a different view by sim ply changing your shoot ing height : st and on a chair, squat down, lie on t he ground and shoot up, clim b up a flight of st airs and shoot down on t he scene, et c. Rem em ber, t he best shot of your ent ire t rip m ay be wait ing t here j ust 3 feet t o your left ( or 3 feet up) . Not e: The shot shown above is proof of t his concept . I t was t aken in Morocco. Well, Disney's version of it anyway ( at Disney's Epcot Cent er in Florida) . I f you were t o walk 3 feet t o t he left ( which is t he shot I saw first ) , you'd see an out door court yard full of park visit ors eat ing dinner. But when I st epped 3 feet t o t he right , it hid t he basket s of food and Coca- Cola cups and gave m e t his m ore aut hent ic- looking view. By t he way, t hat orange light t hrough t he open window is com ing from a Disney gift shop. Anot her few feet t o t he right , and you'd see som e st uffed Mickey Mouse dolls.

Shoot the Signs. You'll Thank Yourself Later

SCOTT KELBY Want t o save yourself from a lot of headaches? When you're out shoot ing a cat hedral, or a st adium , or a building, et c., t ake one ext ra shot shoot t he sign. That 's right , lat er on you m ay be scram bling t o find out t he nam e of t hat am azing church you shot , and wit hout a lot of research, you m ay be out of luck. That is, unless you t ook a shot of t he sign t hat has t he nam e of t he church ( or building, bridge, et c.) . This has saved m e on m ore t han one occasion, and if you ever wind up selling t he phot os, you will absolut ely need t his info ( st ock agencies generally won't accept " Pret t y Church in Cologne" as a saleable nam e for an im age) . Shoot t he sign and you'll t hank yourself lat er.

Tripod Wisdom When it com es t o t ripods, it 's like m y buddy Bill Fort ney says, " There are t wo t ypes of t ripods: t hose t hat are easy t o carry and good ones." Even wit h t he advent of carbon fiber, if your t ripod feels really light weight , it 's a light weight . Spend t he ext ra m oney and get a kick- but t t ripodyou'll never regret it .

Showing Movement in the City

©ISTOCKPHOTO/TODD SMITH I f you want t o show t he hust le and bust le of a busy cit y, t here's a sim ple t rick t hat will do j ust t hat slow down your shut t er speed and let t he people and t raffic creat e m ot ion t rails wit hin your im age. I t 's easy ( as long as you've got a t ripod, which is absolut ely required for t his effect ) j ust swit ch your cam era's m ode t o shut t er priorit y and set t he shut t er speed at eit her 1/ 16, 1/ 8, or 1/ 4 of a second ( you can go longer if you have low enough light t hat it doesn't blow t he highlight s out in your phot o) . Then press t he shut t er, st and back, and in less t han a second t he m ot ion of t he cit y will reveal it self as t he buildings, st at ues, light s, and signs st ay st ill, but everyt hing else has m ot ion t rails around it . I f you're shoot ing at night , you can really have a blast wit h m ot ion. Try t o find a high vant age point ( like from a hot el room window, or on a bridge, et c.) where you have a good view of t raffic. Then put your cam era on a t ripod ( an absolut e m ust for t his effect t o work) , go t o shut t er priorit y m ode, set your exposure t o 30 seconds, and t ake a shot . Thirt y seconds lat er, you'll see long laser- like st reaks of red lines ( t aillight s and brake light s) and whit e lines ( from t he headlight s) , and you'll have an am azingly cool im age t hat m ost folks won't get .

Use an Aperture That Takes It All In

When you're shoot ing in a cit y, unless you're shoot ing an obj ect close up ( where you int ent ionally want t he background out of focus) , chances are you want as m uch of t he cit y in focus as possible, right ? That 's why an f- st op like f/ 11 works great in a cit y. I t keeps pret t y m uch everyt hing in focus, as long as you don't set your focus on t he closest t hing in t he fram et he rule of t hum b is t o focus on som et hing about 1/ 3 of t he way int o t he scene you're t rying t o capt ure.

For Maximum Impact, Look for Simplicity

SCOTT KELBY The single t hing t hat probably kills m ore properly exposed cit y life phot ographs t han anyt hing else is clut t erall t he dist ract ing background it em s, foreground it em s, and j ust general st uff t hat get s in t he way. So, one of t he big secret s t o creat ing powerful and dram at ic urban and t ravel shot s is t o st rive for sim plicit y. Look for sim plicit y in your backgrounds, in your people shot s, in your archit ect ural elem ent s, in every aspect t he sim pler t he surroundings, t he m ore powerful t he im pact . Go out shoot ing wit h t hat very goal in m ind. Look for t he absence of dist ract ion. Look for t he absence of clut t er and noise, wat ch for dist ract ing elem ent s t hat sneak int o t he t op and sides of your fram e, and creat e som e phot os t hat have great im pact not because of what t hey have, but because of what t hey don't havelot s of j unk.

The Monopod Scam

SCOTT KELBY Now, a lot of places sim ply won't let you set up a t ripod indoors ( for exam ple, t ry t o set up a t ripod in som eplace like Grand Cent ral St at ion. You can count t he seconds before securit y arrives) . However, here's t he weird t hing: while m any places have a st rict policy on t ripods, t hey don't have a policy on m onopods ( a one- legged version of a t ripod, oft en used for longlens sport s phot ography. Alt hough t hey're not quit e as st able as a good t ripod, t hey're way m ore st able t han hand- holding) . So, t he scam is t his: if t hey say anyt hing t o you about shoot ing on a m onopod, you can always count er wit h, " Hey, t his isn't a t ripod." I t oft en st ops t hem dead in t heir t racks. One reason t hey let you get away wit h a m onopod is sim ply because t hey don't t ake up m uch space, and since t here are no ext ended legs, t here's not hing really for anyone t o t rip on ( a concern for m any building int eriors, m useum s, et c.) . So, if you know t he indoor environm ent you're planning t o shoot doesn't allow t ripods, see if you can pull t he old m onopod scam . My guess isyou'll float right by 'em .

What to Do When It's Been "Shot to Death"

©ISTOCKPHOTO/ARKADIUSZ LATKO So, you're st anding in front of t he Eiffel Tower ( or t he Lincoln Mem orial, or t he Golden Gat e Bridge, et c.any t ourist y landm ark t hat 's been shot t o deat h) . You know you have t o shoot it ( if you go t o Paris and don't com e back wit h at least one shot of t he Eiffel Tower, friends and fam ily m em bers m ay beat you wit hin an inch of your life wit h t heir bare hands) , but you know it 's been shot t o deat h. There are a m illion post cards wit h t he shot you're about t o t ake. So what do you do t o show your t ourist y landm ark in a different way? Of course, t he obvious t hing ( you'll find in every phot ography book) is t o shoot it from a different angle. Frankly, I 'd like t o see an angle of t he Eiffel Tower t hat hasn't been shot . But since, in m any cases, t hat angle j ust doesn't exist , what do you do next ? Try t hisshoot t he landm ark in weat her it 's not norm ally seen in. That 's right shoot it when nobody else would want t o shoot it . Shoot it in a st orm , shoot it when it 's covered in snow, shoot it when a st orm is clearing, shoot it when t he sky is j ust plain weird. Since t he landm ark doesn't change, shoot it when it s surroundings are changing t o get t hat shot t hat you j ust don't see every day. Here's anot her idea: Try shoot ing it from a difficult place t o shoot from ( in ot her words, shoot it from som e view or vant age point t hat would be t oo m uch bot her for m ost folks t o consider. Find t hat " pain in t he but t " viewpoint , and chances are you'll pret t y m uch be shoot ing it t here alone) . Hey, it 's wort h a shot . ( Get it ? Wort h a shot ? Ah, forget it .)

Including the Moon and Keeping Detail

©ISTOCKPHOTO This sounds like it would be easya night t im e cit y skyline wit h a crisp det ailed m oon in t he background, but m ost people wind up wit h a t ot ally overexposed bright whit e circle, rat her t han t he det ailed m oon shot t hey were hoping for. That 's because it 's j ust about im possible t o get bot h t he cit y ( which t akes a long exposure) and a det ailed shot of t he m oon ( which t akes a very short exposure because it 's act ually quit e bright ) in t he sam e shot . So, what phot ographers have been doing for years is creat ing m ult iple exposures ( t wo im ages capt ured in t he sam e fram e) . Now, t here are som e digit al cam eras t oday t hat let you creat e double exposures, but it 's j ust as easy t o t ake t wo separat e phot osone of t he cit y, one of t he m oonand com bine t hem lat er in Phot oshop. First , st art wit h your night t im e cit y skyline. Use a wide- angle lens ( m aybe an 18m m or 24m m ) , put your cam era on a t ripod ( an absolut e m ust ) , set your cam era t o apert ure priorit y m ode, choose f/ 11 as your f- st op, and your cam era will choose t he shut t er speed for you ( which m ay be as lit t le as 20 or 30 seconds or as long as several m inut es, depending on how dark t he cit y is) , t hen t ake t he cit y skyline shot . Now swit ch t o your longest t elephot o ( or zoom ) lens ( ideally 200m m or m ore) . Swit ch t o full m anual m ode, and set your apert ure t o f/ 11 and your shut t er speed t o 1/ 250 of a second. Zoom in as t ight as you can get on t he m oon, so t here's not hing but black sky and m oon in your shot ( t his is crit icalno clouds, buildings, et c.) , t hen t ake t he shot . Now add t he m oon t o your cit y skyline in Adobe Phot oshop ( visit w w w .scot t k elby book s.com / m oon t o see m y st ep- by- st ep Phot oshop t ut orial on how t o do t his) .

Shooting Fireworks

©ISTOCKPHOTO/PHILIPPE MAITZ This is anot her one t hat t hrows a lot of people ( one of m y best friends, who didn't get a single crisp fireworks shot on t he Fourt h of July, m ade m e include t his t ip j ust for him and t he t housands of ot her digit al shoot ers t hat share his pain) . For st art ers, you'll need t o shoot fireworks wit h your cam era on a t ripod, because you're going t o need a slow enough shut t er speed t o capt ure t he falling light t rails, which is what you're really aft er. Also, t his is where using a cable release really pays off, because you'll need t o see t he rocket 's t raj ect ory t o know when t o push t he shut t er but t onif you're looking in t he viewfinder inst ead, it will be m ore of a hit or m iss proposit ion. Next , use a zoom lens ( ideally a 200m m or m ore) so you can get in t ight and capt ure j ust t he fireworks t hem selves. I f you want fireworks and t he background ( like fireworks over Cinderella's Cast le at Disney World) , t hen use a wider lens. Now, I recom m end shoot ing in full m anual m ode, because you j ust set t wo set t ings and you're good t o go: ( 1) set t he shut t er speed t o 4 seconds, and ( 2) set t he apert ure t o f/ 11. Fire a t est shot and look in t he LCD m onit or t o see if you like t he result s. I f it overexposes, lower t he shut t er speed t o 3 seconds, t hen check t he result s again. Tip: I f your cam era has bulb m ode ( where t he shut t er st ays open as long as you hold t he shut t er release but t on down) , t his works great hold t he shut t er but t on down when t he rocket burst s, t hen release when t he light t rails st art t o fade. ( By t he way, m ost Canon and Nikon digit al SLRs have bulb m ode.) The rest is t im ingbecause now you've got t he exposure and sharpness covered.

Chapter Ten. How to Print Like a Pro and Other Cool Stuff After All, It's All About the Print!

[View full size image]

This is a great chapt er t o read if you're a doct or, because you're going t o want a great print er, and you're going t o want big print s ( at least 13x19" , right ?) , and t hat m eans you're probably going t o need t o spend som e m oney, and nobody spends m oney like doct ors. Ya know why? I t 's because people always get sick or get hurt . Why j ust t he ot her day t his phot ographer was in Trinidad shoot ing and t he next t hing you know he t um bles down t his hillside and winds up in t he hospit al ( I know t hat last sent ence m ade it sound like he finally st opped t um bling when he hit t he wall of t he hospit al, but t hat was m isleadinghe act ually was st opped by hit t ing a large llam a grazing at t he bot t om of t he hill, but luckily it was a pret t y sharp llam a, and she was able t o sum m on an am bulance for him , but not before t he llam a put all his cam era gear on eBay. Hey, I said she was pret t y sharp) . Anyway, who do you t hink is going t o show up at t he hospit al t o help t his unfort unat e accident vict im ? That 's

right a doct or. And is t his doct or going t o fix t his phot ographer for free? I doubt it . The doct or is going t o get paid handsom ely from t he insurance carrier t hat covers t he t ravel phot ographer. So what 's t his doct or going t o do wit h t he m oney? He's going t o go on eBay and get a great deal on som e cam era gear. He'll probably save t housands. Now, what 's he going t o do wit h t he savings? Buy a 13x19" print er. See, t his is t he wonder of m arket - driven econom ies and why we should all sell our cam era equipm ent and go t o m edical school, because wit hin a few years we'll all be able t o buy som e really nice gear.

The Advantages of Shooting in RAW

I 've m ent ioned shoot ing in RAW several t im es in t he book, but I haven't t alked t hat m uch about it . RAW is an im age qualit y m ode, and m ost professionals t oday agree t hat RAW gives you t wo big advant ages over t he JPEG- qualit y im ages: ( 1) it provides t he highest possible im age qualit y because t he phot os are not com pressed ( JPEG files are com pressed t o a sm aller file size by t hrowing away som e of t he original dat a) , and ( 2) t he im ages are j ust as t hey were capt ured by your cam era's sensors, and no in- cam era processing is done ( when you shoot JPEGs your cam era act ually does som e color correct ion, sharpening, et c., t o m ake t he JPEGs look good) . When you shoot in RAW, your cam era doesn't do any of t his aut om at ic correct ionyou get t o do it yourself ( including m aking whit e balance, exposure, shadow, and ot her decisions aft er t he shot has been t aken) eit her in Adobe Phot oshop or in your cam era m anufact urer's RAW processing soft ware. Pros love t he cont rol t his gives t hem because t hey can process ( and experim ent wit h) RAW im ages t hem selves, and best of all t hey never dam age t he original ( t he RAW digit al negat ive) .

The Downside of Shooting in RAW There are really only t wo: ( 1) RAW files are larger in size, so you'll fit about 1/ 3 fewer phot os on your m em ory card, and ( 2) since RAW files are m uch larger in file size, it t akes longer t o do any edit ing wit h t hem in Phot oshop.

How to Process RAW Photos in Photoshop [View full size image]

SCOTT KELBY Once you im port RAW phot os ont o your com put er, if you open t hem in Adobe Phot oshop, a t ot ally different dialog appears ( like t he one shown above) . This is a RAW processing window called Adobe Cam era Raw, and it was developed by Thom as Knoll, t he sam e m an who originally developed Adobe Phot oshop in t he first place. Adobe Cam era Raw is pret t y brilliant ly designed. I t let s you sim ply and easily process your RAW phot o by choosing whichever whit e balance set t ing you'd like, and by choosing your exposure, shadow, and m idt one set t ings, along wit h about a dozen or m ore ot her adj ust m ent s, so you can t weak your phot o j ust t he way you want t o ( and even fix exposure and lens problem s) before you ent er regular Phot oshop for ret ouching and finishing t ouches. And best of allit never changes your original RAW phot o, so you can always creat e new print s from your digit al negat ive anyt im e you want . Don't forget t his special dialog only appears when you set your cam era t o shoot in RAW qualit y m ode.

Where to Learn More About RAW I f you want t o learn m ore about processing your RAW phot os in Adobe Phot oshop, I have t hree suggest ions: ( 1) Ben Willm ore's Phot oshop Training DVD called Phot oshop CS2 Mast ering Cam era Raw , from www.phot oshopvideos.com , ( 2) m y book, The Phot oshop Book for Digit al Phot ographers , which has an ent ire chapt er on processing RAW im ages st ep by st ep, or ( 3) Bruce Fraser's book, Real World Cam era Raw .

Compare Your LCD to Your Computer Monitor [View full size image]

SCOTT KELBY Once you've filled up a m em ory card wit h phot os from your lat est shoot , go ahead and open t hem on your com put er in what ever soft ware package you use t o view and organize your phot os ( I use Adobe Light room , which is a new soft ware applicat ion from Adobe especially designed for professional phot ographers. You can find out m ore at w w w .adobe.com ) , and t hen keep your cam era nearby. Once you've got your phot os opened on your com put er, grab your cam era and st art com paring how t he phot os on your cam era's LCD m onit or look com pared t o t he phot os you're now seeing on your com put er screen. This will give you a quick idea of how close your digit al cam era's LCD m onit or is t o what realit y is, and t hat can be a big help when you're out shoot ing. For exam ple, if you learn t hat your LCD m akes everyt hing look cooler t han it really is on your com put er screen ( where you'll ult im at ely be edit ing your phot os) , t hen you know you don't have t o worry about adding a warm ing filt er t o your lens t o warm up your phot os. I f t he LCD is t oo dark ( com pared t o your com put er screen and/ or print er) , t hen you know you need t o shoot a lit t le light er for realit y. Try t his and you'll be am azed at how knowing how " t rue" your LCD is can im prove your phot ography.

Organizing Your Photos with Lightroom [View full size image]

SCOTT KELBY Alt hough I use Adobe Phot oshop for all t he serious ret ouching and high- end t weaking of m y phot ographic work, I use a new product from Adobe called Adobe Light room for m anaging and organizing m y t housands of digit al phot os, processing m y RAW phot os, creat ing onscreen slide shows, and print ing out m ult i- phot o spreads. This is an applicat ion designed from t he ground up for phot ographers, is available for bot h Macint osh and Windows users, and it only cost s a fract ion of what Phot oshop cost s. Now, it cert ainly doesn't replace Phot oshop, because it doesn't really allow for any ret ouching ( rem oving spot s, or wrinkles, or age spot s and wrinkles, whit ening t eet h, or any one of a hundred t hings we do in Phot oshop t o m ake people look t heir very best ) , nor does it creat e t he am azing special effect s, cool layout s, and t he m yriad of t hings t hat only Phot oshop can do, but t hen Light room isn't supposed t o do all t hose t hingsit 's for organizing and viewing your phot os, and it does t hat pret t y brilliant ly I m ight add. I f you get serious about t his whole digit al phot ography t hing ( and if you bought t his book, you're get t ing serious) , I recom m end you check out Light room especially because if you act ually go and buy it , I get a cash kickback from Adobe. I 'm kidding of course, but I wish I weren't .

How Many More Megapixels Do You Need?

There's a t on of confusion ( also known as m arket ing hype) around m egapixels, and m any people t ruly believe t hat m egapixels have t o do wit h im age qualit yt he higher t he num ber of m egapixels, t he bet t er t he qualit y. Unfort unat ely, t hat 's not t rue. So, if you were using t hat as an excuse t o buy a new cam era, t hat 's not going t o float wit h m e ( alt hough your spouse m ay buy t hat line) . Here's what m egapixels really m ean: how large can I print m y final phot ograph? That 's it . I f you're not going t o print anyt hing larger t han 8x10" , t hen a 5m egapixel cam era is absolut ely all you need. I n fact , it 's really m ore t han you need, but since 5 m egapixels is about as few m egapixels as you can buy t hese days, we'll leave it at t hat . I f you want t o rout inely print 13x19" color print s, t hen you only need a 6- m egapixel cam era ( I know, t his is hard t o swallow aft er years of t hinking you needed 10 m egapixels or m ore) . So, what are t oday's 10- and 12- m egapixel cam eras for? Suckers. ( Okay, not really, but you knew I was going t o say t hat .) Act ually, 10- and 12- m egapixel cam eras are for pros who need t o print 24x36" post er- sized print s. I f t hat 's you, t hen it 's t im e t o pony up, but if you're not rout inely print ing post er- sized print s, a 6- m egapixel cam era is all m ost people will really ever need, so put away your checkbook. Hey, don't blam e m e. I 'm t rying t o save you som e m oney so you can buy som e decent lenses and a fancy t ripod.

Printing Lab-Quality 8x10s

At som e point , aft er put t ing all t hese t echniques t o use, you're going t o want print s, and t oday m any pro phot ographers creat e t heir own print s. Personally, I only use Epson print ers, and about every ot her pro I know uses Epson print ers as well, because t hey've becom e t he st andard for professional qualit y color and black- and- whit e inkj et print ing. Now, before I st art m aking recom m endat ions as t o which Epson print er t o buy, I want you t o know up front t hat t he only reason I 'm t elling you t his is because it 's exact ly what I 'd t ell any friend who asked. I don't get a kickback or cut from Epson. They have no idea I 'm t elling you t his, so if you t ell t hem , " Hey, Scot t said I should buy an Epson," t hey'll say som et hing along t he lines of, " Scot t who?" I personally have t hree Epson print ers, and I love t hem dearly for t hree m ain reasons:

1 . They work pret t y flawlessly m ost of t he t im e, but if I do run int o a bum p along t he way, t hey have live 24- hour t ech support , which is act ually quit e good. 2 . They not only sell t he print ers, but t he paper as well, and I love t heir paper. 3 . The out put is absolut ely st unning. The qualit y print s t hat com e out of m y Epson print ers st ill am aze m e. For print ing borderless 4x6s, 5x7s, and 8x10s, I use ( and highly recom m end) t he Epson St ylus Phot o R800. I t cost s about $399. Wort h every penny.

Printing Lab-Quality 13x19" Prints

A popular print size wit h pro phot ographers is t he 13x19" large print , and t he Epson St ylus Phot o R2400 is t he king of t his realm . I 've never seen anot her print er even t ouch it , except for m aybe t he R2200 it replaced. I t s color out put is really st unning, but where t he R2400 really kills is when you print black- and- whit e print s. You'll lose your m ind. Plus, t he R2400 uses Epson's Ult raChrom e K3 archival- qualit y inks, so your print s are going t o last longer t han you will by a long shot . Of course, besides t he 13x19" print s, it also does all of t he sm aller sizes as well ( Epson claim s it does 11x14s in less t han t wo m inut es, but I can't swear t o t his because once I print ed m y first borderless 13x19" print , t hat was t he last t im e I want ed t o print an 11x14" , and you'll probably feel t he sam e " bigger is bet t er" way I do, t oo) . This is as in love wit h a print er as I 've ever becom e. I t cost s around $850, which, for what it does, is a bargain.

Printing 16x20sThe Pros' Top Choice

Pros who sell t heir print s know t hat t he bigger t he print , t he bigger t he paycheck, and m aybe t hat 's why so m any favor t he 16x20" large print form at , and t he print er for t hat is Epson's St ylus Pro 4800. Alt hough it t echnically print s 17" by as wide as you want t o go, t he size everybody's t rying t o hit is t hat 16x20" sweet spot , and t he 4800 does it wonderfully well, but be forewarnedat t his point , Epson doesn't m ake 16x20" paper ( which t ot ally baffles m e since t hat 's t he size preferred by m ost pros) . There are, t hough, ot her paper m anufact urers ( like Red River Paper) who m ake 16x20" paper t hat is designed t o be used wit h t he 4800, so unless you like cut t ing down larger- sized paper t o 16x20" , you m ight want t o consider t hat . Ot her t han t hat cut t ing chore ( which m ay or m ay not bot her youit bugs t he heck out of m e personally, but t hat 's j ust m e) , t he 4800 is a dream m achine.

Which Paper Should You Print On? [View full size image]

I f you're get t ing an Epson print er, t hen you definit ely want t o print on Epson paper ( wit h only t hat Red River Paper except ion I m ent ioned for t he 4800) . Epson paper not only works best on Epson print ers, som et im es it 's t he only paper t hat will work ( for exam ple, one t im e when I was in a bind, I t ried som e HP paper. I t didn't work at allt he paper went t hrough t he print er and ink cam e out , but it looked like...well, let 's j ust say it didn't work and leave it at t hat ) . So, which papers do I recom m end? Here t hey are: Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper: This is a cot t on paper wit h a m at t e coat ing t hat looks like wat ercolor paper and has a wonderful t ext ure t hat gives your phot os alm ost a paint ed feel. Client s love t he feel of t his paper and it 's usually t he first t hing t hey not ice. Epson Prem ium Lust er Phot o Paper: This is probably m y all- around favorit e paper ( and a favorit e wit h m any pros) because, alt hough it definit ely has a sheen t o it , it does so wit hout being overly glossy. I t 's t hat perfect paper bet ween glossy and m at t e. Epson Enhanced Mat t e Paper: This is a great paper for black- and- whit e print s, and it has bot h a nice t ext ure and finish t hat gives a surprisingly crisp det ail. All of t hese papers are available direct ly from Epson.com , but I also oft en find t hese at m y local Com pUSA in sizes up t o 13x19" .

What Determines Which Paper You Use?

SCOTT KELBY So, how do you know which paper t o use? Believe it or not , t here's an easy wayt he paper you choose t o print on is det erm ined by one t hing: t he subj ect m at t er of your phot o. For exam ple, if you're print ing t hings of a soft er nat ure, like flowers, birds, landscapes, wat erfalls, or any t ype of im age where you want a soft er feel, t ry a t ext ured paper like Epson's Velvet Fine Art Paper ( provided you are print ing t o an Epson print er) , which works wonderfully well for t hese t ypes of im ages. This is your choice any t im e you want t hat " art sy" feel t o your phot ography, and it also works well when your phot o isn't t ack sharp. Try it for black- and- whit e phot ography, t oo ( especially on Epson's R2400) , when you want ext ra t ext ure and dept h. For serious port rait work, archit ect ure, cit y life, t ravel, and finely det ailed landscape shot s, t ry Epson's Prem ium Lust er Phot o Paper. Anyt hing wit h lot s of det ail looks great on t his paper, and it really m akes your colors vivid. So, when t he shot has lot s of det ail and sharpness, lot s of color, and you need it t o " pop," t his is t he t icket for sharp, crisp print s. Epson's Enhanced Mat t e Paper is a nice choice for black- and- whit e phot os. Enhanced Mat t e Paper m inim izes reflect ions so phot os look especially good behind glass ( t hey pick up a lit t le of t he shine t hat 's m issing in all m at t e finishes) , so if you're t hinking of fram ing your print s, you won't be disappoint ed wit h t he final result . However, t his isn't an acid- free paper, so print ing color phot os on it is dicey because t hey m ay warm over t im e.

Getting Your Monitor to Match Your Printer

Color m anagem ent ( t he art of get t ing your color inkj et print s t o m at ch what you see on your m onit or) has got t en dram at ically easier in recent years, but t he key t o get t ing a color m anagem ent syst em t o work is get t ing your m onit or color calibrat ed. A few years ago, t his was a cost ly and t im e- consum ing process usually only undert aken by paid consult ant s, but now anybody can do it because ( 1) it 's very affordable now, and ( 2) it pret t y m uch does all t he calibrat ing work aut om at ically while you j ust sit t here and m unch on a donut ( you don't have t o eat a donut , but it doesn't hurt ) . Probably t he m ost popular m onit or calibrat or in use by pros t hese days is t he Eye- One Display 2 from Gret agMacbet h ( recent ly purchased by XRit e) . I t sells for around $230, and t hat 's pret t y m uch all t hat st ands in t he way of having your m onit or m at ch your print s. Well, t hat and downloading t he free color profiles for t he paper you're print ing on ( m ore on t hat on t he next page) .

Download the Color Profiles for Your Paper [View full size image]

I f you buy Epson papers ( or any of t he m aj or nam e- brand professional inkj et papers) , you'll definit ely want t o go t o Epson's ( or your paper m anufact urer's) websit e, go t o t heir downloads page for your part icular inkj et print er, and download t heir free color profiles for t he exact paper you'll be print ing t o. Once you inst all t hese free color profiles ( t hey inst all wit h j ust a double- click) , when you go t o Phot oshop t o print your phot o, you can choose t he exact print er and paper com binat ion you'll be print ing t o. This gives you t he best possible result s ( and color fidelit y) for your part icular paper and print er. The pros do t his every t im e and it m akes a huge difference in t he qualit y of t heir print s.

Tip for More Predictable Color Your print er has a color m anagem ent syst em , and Phot oshop has one, t oo. Having t wo color m anagem ent syst em s going at t he sam e t im e is a guarant eed recipe for bad color. So, if you're print ing from Phot oshop, you should definit ely t ur n off t he color m anagem ent syst em for your print er and use Phot oshop's inst ead ( in ot her words, let Phot oshop det erm ine t he right colors) .

Selling Your Photos as "Stock" Online [View full size image]

Selling phot os t o a st ock agency is a dream of m any phot ographers ( pros included) , but generally only t he best of t he best get t his opport unit y. Unt il now. Now you can st art selling royalt y- free st ock phot ography t oday t hanks t o iSt ockphot o.com , which is a com m unit y of phot ographers all around t he world who sell t heir phot os online as st ock ( which m eans you give t he right s t o ot her people t o buy, download, and use your phot os in brochures, ads, websit es, flyers, and ot her collat eral m at erial graphic designers and Web designers creat e for t heir client s) . The great t hing is anybody t hat follows t heir guidelines can upload t heir own phot os and st art selling t hem right away as part of iSt ockphot o's huge dat abase of im ages. Now, you only get paid on how m any people act ually buy your phot o, and since t he phot os sell for $1 ( for sm all size) , $3 ( for m edium size) , and $5 ( for full- page) , you're going t o need t o m ove a lot of phot os t o m ake t his a business. But let m e t ell you t his, t here are phot ographers who m ake t heir living ( and t heir Porsche paym ent s) st rict ly from what t hey sell on iSt ockphot o.com , because iSt ock- phot o is used by about a bazillion people around t he world. Needless t o say, t he bet t er qualit y your work is, and t he m ore popular t he subj ect s are, t he m ore your im ages will get downloaded. How popular has iSt ockphot o.com becom e? Well, Get t y I m ages, one of t he world's leading and m ost respect ed providers of high- qualit y st ock im ages, recent ly bought t hem out if t hat gives you any idea.

A Quick Peek at My Gear

For t hose int erest ed in what kind of phot o gear I use, here's a quick look: m y m ain cam era is a Nikon D2X and m y backup cam era body is a Nikon D200. I carry t hree lenses wit h m e when I 'm shoot ing: a Nikon 1224m m f/ 4 wide- angle zoom , a 70200m m VR f/ 2.8 zoom , and a 24120m m VR f/ 3.5 zoom . I also have a 70180m m f/ 4.5 m acro zoom lens. I use polarizers, split neut ral gradient filt ers, and UV filt ers. That 's it . I use a Nikon SB800 ext ernal flash and I have bot h an Epson P- 2000 and P- 4000, and an 80GB LaCie Rugged All- Terrain Hard Drive ( as m y second backup drive, because I eit her carry t he P- 2000 or t he P- 4000, but not bot h at t he sam e t im e) . I use a Slik carbon fiber t ripod, and a Really Right St uff BH- 55 ballhead ( t he m ot her of all ballheads, if you ask m e) . I use five SanDisk Ext rem e I I I Com pact Flash m em ory cards ( t hree 4- GB and t wo 2- GB cards) . Last ly, I lug all t his gear around in t wo ways: on m ost days I pull ( it rolls) a Lowepro Pro Roller 1, but when I want t o t ravel light I use a Lowepro St ealt h Report er D200 AW Shoulder Bag, which works great !

Some Books I Personally Recommend [View full size image]

I hope t his book has ignit ed your passion t o learn m ore about t he craft of phot ography, and if t hat 's t he case, here are som e books I recom m end ( in no part icular order) :

1 . Underst anding Exposure: How t o Shoot Great Phot ographs wit h a Film or Digit al Cam era by Bryan Pet erson 2 . Rick Sam m on's Travel and Nat ure Phot ography

by Rick Sam m on

3 . Digit al Phot ography Pocket Guide, Third Edit ion

by Derrick St ory

4 . Bill Fort ney's Great Phot ography Workshop by

Bill Fort ney

5 . Rick Sam m on's Com plet e Guide t o Digit al Phot ography: 107 Lessons on Taking, Making, Edit ing, St oring, Print ing, and Sharing Bet t er Digit al I m ages by Rick Sam m on I f you j ust love great phot ography, here are som e phot o books I recom m end:

1 . Am erica From 500 Feet !

by Bill and Wesley Fort ney

2 . Golden Poppies of California: I n Celebrat ion of Our St at e Flower

by George Lepp

3 . Flying Flowers by Rick Sam m on 4 . Window Seat : The Art of Digit al Phot ography and Creat ive Thinking 5 . Through t he Lens: Nat ional Geographic's Great est Phot ographs, Bendavid Val

by Julieanne Kost edit ed by Leah

Learn from Me on Adobe® Photoshop® TV [View full size image]

I f you want t o learn m ore about Adobe Phot oshop and how t o process and edit your digit al phot os, t hen check out Adobe® Phot oshop® TV ( w w w .phot oshopt v.com ) . I t 's a 30- m inut e weekly video show t hat I co- host wit h m y friends ( and fellow Phot o- shop gurus) , Dave Cross and Mat t Kloskowski. Each week we give you t he lat est t ips, st ep- by- st ep t ut orials, Phot oshop news, and lot s of ot her cool st uff ( like prizes and cont est s) . Adobe® Phot oshop® TV is free, and you can wat ch it right t here on our web- sit e or you can download it and wat ch it on your com put er or your iPod ( as a video podcast ) . I n fact , you can subscribe t o t he show for free, and each Monday t he show will be aut om at ically downloaded t o your com put er, so you can wat ch it at your leisure. Here's how t o subscribe:

1 . Whet her you're running Windows or Mac OSX, launch Apple's iTunes soft ware ( it 's free for Mac or PC) and go t o t he iTunes Music St ore. 2 . Click on t he Podcast s link on t he left side of t he iTunes Music St ore page. 3 . I n t he Search field on t he left side of t he Podcast page, t ype in " Phot oshop" and press t he Ret urn ( PC: Ent er) key on your keyboard. 4 . I n a couple of seconds, you'll find Phot oshop TV. Click on it , and t hen press t he Subscribe but t on. That 's it you're subscribed. Now you can wat ch it from right wit hin t he iTunes window ( at any size you'd like) , or you can download it t o your video iPod and wat ch it t here.

Chapter Eleven. Photo Recipes to Help You Get "The Shot" The Simple IngredientsThat Make It All ComeTogether

[View full size image]

Hey, it 's t he end of t he book, and now is as good a t im e as any t o let you in on a secret . There's really no way in hell we're going t o get t hose really m agical shot s ( like you see in m agazines such as Out door Phot ographer or Shut t erbug ) . That 's because when we get out t o t hat prim e shoot ing locat ion at t he crack of dawn t o hopefully capt ure one of t hese once- in- alifet im e shot s, carrying so m uch gear t hat our chiropract ors are on speed dial, we'll soon find t hat it 's t oo lat et here are already a dozen or so phot ographers set up t here wait ing for t hat m agical light , t oo. Since t hey were t here first , t he only spot left on t hat t iny plat eau is behind t hem , and every shot you t ake is going t o have som e, if not all, of t heir cam era gear fully in your fram e ruining any possible chance of you get t ing " t he shot " . But t his chapt er is all about recipes for get t ing t he shot , and I 've got a special recipe for t his very sit uat ion. Just as t he golden light appears over t he horizon, you quiet ly slide your foot inside one of t heir t ripod

legs, t hen quickly pull your foot back, t oppling over t heir ent ire rig, and as t heir t housands of dollars of gear begins t o crash violent ly t o t he ground, you deft ly press t he cable release on your cam era and capt ure t hat am azing vist a as t he sound of broken glass echoes off t he canyon walls. Ahh, t hat m y friends is t he m agical sound of you get t ing " t he shot " . I f you hear t he faint sound of sobbing in t he dist ance, it all becom es t hat m uch sweet er. Enj oy.

The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot

SCOTT KELBY Ch a r a ct e r ist ics of t h is t ype of sh ot : t he wat er is very st ill; you can see t hrough t he wat er because t here's very lit t le reflect ion; t he overall t one is blueish; t he light ing and shadows are very soft ; you get a full sweeping view.

1 . This t ype of light doesn't happen at 5: 30 p.m .you have t o get up early and be in place ready t o shoot at 5: 30 a.m ., right before t he sun com es up. 2 . To get really st ill wat er, you also have t o shoot at dawn. I f you shoot t his sam e scene at sunset , t he winds will have picked up and t he wat er won't be as sm oot h. 3 . Set up your t ripod wit hout ext ending t he legs, so your lens is close t o t he rocks for a low, m ore int erest ing angle ( rem em ber, m ost point - and- shoot ers would have shot it st anding upt he average viewpoint we usually see, which would be boring) . 4 . To rem ove som e of t he reflect ion from t he wat er and see som e of t hose rocks, you'll need t o screw on a polarizing filt er and rot at e t he filt er around unt il, like m agic, t he reflect ion disappears ( t hat 's right polarizing filt ers are not j ust for skies) . 5 . Use a wide- angle lens t o give t he shot it s " vast ness" . I f you have an 1880m m zoom , set it at 18m m ( t he widest set t ing for t hat lens) . 6 . Use apert ure priorit y m ode and choose an f- st op like f/ 22 t o give you good sharpness t hroughout t he ent ire phot o, from t he rocks t o t he m ount ains. 7 . To furt her enhance t hat " blue m orning" effect , if you're shoot ing in JPEG, change your whit e balance t o Fluorescent , t ake a t est shot , t hen look at t he result s in your LCD m onit or. I f you're shoot ing RAW, you can choose your whit e balance lat er in Phot oshop.

The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot

SCOTT KELBY Ch a r a ct e r ist ics of t h is t ype of sh ot : soft , nat ural light ; shot on a black background, very close t o t he subj ect . This t ype of shot is easier t han it looks.

1 . You need a black background behind your flowers. These were sit t ing in a vase, wit h black post er board placed about 3 feet behind t hem . You can use black velvet ( which works even bet t er t han what was used here) t hat you buy from t he local fabric st ore. 2 . You have t o set up your t ripod's height so it 's level wit h t he flowers. You don't want t o shoot down on t hem you want t o shoot t hem at eye level, so put t he vase on a t able so t hey're up high enough, t hen posit ion your t ripod at t he sam e height . 3 . Use nat ural light . These were posit ioned about 4 feet from an open window t hat wasn't get t ing direct light . Don't shoot st raight int o t he window, shoot from t he side so your flowers are get t ing side light ing. 4 . Use a m acro or close- up lens t o get t his close t o t he flowers. When you use a m acro ( or close- up lens) , t he dept h of field is very shallow aut om at ically, so t he flower( s) in t he background will already be blurry, and t hat 's what you want . 5 . The f- st op was f/ 5.6, which again gives you m axim um sharpness on t he obj ect closest t o t he cam era, and everyt hing behind will be blurry. I t was shot in apert ure priorit y m ode ( which is an ideal m ode for cont rolling your dept h of field) . When shoot ing wit h a m acro lens, t he dept h of field is m uch m ore shallow. 6 . To get super sharp, you need t o be super st ill; use t he m irror lock- up t rick in Chapt er 1.

The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot

SCOTT KELBY Ch a r a ct e r ist ics of t h is t ype of sh ot : your subj ect fills t he fram e from side- t o- side; no visible sky; great cont rast of color; int erest ing placem ent of subj ect .

1 . The st ar of t his shot is really t he cont rast ing colorsot herwise it would j ust be anot her " rowboat in t he wat er" shot . There were dozens of boat s in t he harbor t hat day, but t his one was t he only one wit h such great cont rast ing colors. The whit e and salm on color against t hat blue wat er creat es lot s of visual int erest t hrough color. 2 . To get t his wonderful light and t he soft shadows, t here are only t wo t im es of day you can shoot eit her at dawn or dusk. This was t aken at dusk, and t hat 's why t he colors are so vivid ( t he colors are vivid because t he sun isn't washing t hem out ) . 3 . To get t his close t o t he boat , you eit her have t o be in anot her boat or on t he dock wit h a long lens, which is t he case here. Put on your longest zoom lens and zoom in so t hat t he boat alm ost fills t he widt h of t he fram e. 4 . You m ust use a t ripod t o get a shot like t his for t wo reasons: ( a) it 's dusk so t he light is low and you really can't hand- hold and get a sharp phot o, and ( b) you're using a long lens. The furt her you're zoom ed in, t he m ore any t iny vibrat ion will be exaggerat ed and your phot os will be blurry. You've got t a use a t ripod for shot s in low light wit h a zoom . 5 . The ot her key t o get t ing a shot like t his is com posit ion. By put t ing t he boat up t op, rat her t han dead cent er, it creat es loads of visual int erest and draws your eye right t o t he subj ect .

The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot

SCOTT KELBY Ch a r a ct e r ist ics of t h is t ype of sh ot : fascinat ing color; high cont rast bet ween t he car and t he background; t he com posit ion of t he shot t ells a st ory.

1 . This is one of t hose cit y life shot s, and t he best way t o get t hem is t o be ready for t hem t o happen. As I m ent ioned in Chapt er 9, when you're in a cit y, be ready for any shot by shoot ing in program m ode. The flash won't pop up on you ( ruining t he shot ) , but you can basically point and shoot . This unexpect ed shot happened when I was walking back t o m y hot el in St ockholm , Sweden. I t was graduat ion day for St ockholm 's high school st udent s, and m any were riding around t own in convert ibles and open bed t rucks cheering, waving Swedish flags, and celebrat ing t heir achievem ent . I had m y cam era over m y shoulder and som e incredibly delicious fries in m y hands ( it 's a long st ory) . Anyway, while carefully balancing m y fries ( so as not t o lose a single delicious st rand) , t his car pulled up beside m e. My cam era was in program m ode, so wit h m y one free hand I held up t he cam eraclickand got t he shot . Had I been in apert ure priorit y m ode ( m y usual shoot ing m ode) , I would have m issed it while set t ing t he apert ure because a split - second lat er t he car drove away. 2 . By including j ust a lit t le of t he driver's arm , passenger's arm , and flag, t he phot o t ells a st ory: What were t hey doing? Why were t hey carrying flags? Where are t hey going? However, an even bet t er com posit ion would have a lit t le m ore room showing on t he left side, in front of t he car, so t he car had som ewhere t o go.

The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot

SCOTT KELBY Ch a r a ct e r ist ics of t h is t ype of sh ot : st ill wat er; close- up shot of t he flower, but obviously not a m acro shot ; fairly soft light , but well- defined shadows.

1 . This t ype of shot is t aken in open shade ( by t hat , I m ean t he wat er was in t he shadows, under som e sort of cover) . That 's why t he shadows are pret t y well definedenough light was get t ing under t he shade t hat t he shadows were m aint ained. Look for open shade ( or cloudy days where whit e puffy clouds act as your soft box, diffusing t he light ) t o get shot s like t his, where t he colors are vibrant and t he light is st ill soft . 2 . Use as long a zoom lens as you have t o get t he flowers t o fill t he fram e as m uch as possible. I n t his case, I used a 300m m zoom , but t his was a rare inst ance when I didn't have a t ripod wit h m e, and you generally can't hand- hold a 300m m lens st eady enough t o get a sharp phot o, so I im provised. I shot t his from a bridge overlooking a sm all pond, so I rest ed t he lens on t he handrail of t he bridge t o st eady t he cam era and lens and it worked perfect ly. I n a pinch, rest your cam era ( or lens) on anyt hing st able. 3 . Everyt hing in t he shot is at t he sam e dept h ( t here is really no foreground or backgroundit 's all at t he sam e dist ance from t he cam era) , so an f- st op like f/ 11 works well for shot s like t his when you want everyt hing at t he sam e dist ance in focus.

The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot

SCOTT KELBY Ch a r a ct e r ist ics of t h is t ype of sh ot : you're shoot ing a well- known subj ect ( t his lone t ree in Zion Nat ional Park) in harsh direct light ; it has surprisingly warm colors for a shot t aken in noon- day sun.

1 . Som et im es you have t o t ake t he shot in less t han ideal light ing sit uat ions ( I was passing t hrough Zion on m y way t o anot her shoot , so I could eit her t ake t he shot in bad light or not t ake it at all) . I n cases like t his, pull out your polarizing filt er and rot at e unt il it adds m ore blue t o t he lifeless sky. 2 . Make a com posit ion decision t hat will m ake t he shot int erest ing. Point - and- shoot ers would cent er t he t ree. You want t o eit her: ( a) m ake t he rock below t he t ree have t he m ost em phasis in t he fram e, or ( b) m ake t he sky above t he t ree have t he m ost em phasis. ( I n t he shot shown here, I m ade t he rocks below t he t ree have m ore im port ance in t he fram e, but I shot it bot h wayssom e wit h lot s of blue sky above t he t ree, wit h t he t ree way down low in t he fram e, and t hen som e like t his, wit h t he t ree near t he t op, wit h lot s of rock below it . I went wit h t he rock shot , because I felt it was m ore int erest ing t han t he blue, cloudless sky.) 3 . Shoot in apert ure priorit y m ode and set your f- st op t o f/ 11, which is a great f- st op when you want a really sharp shot and you're not t rying t o put any part of t he phot o visibly out of focus. I t 's kind of t he no- brainer f- st op. So is f/ 8.

The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot

SCOTT KELBY Ch a r a ct e r ist ics of t h is t ype of sh ot : soft , direct ional light ; visual int erest t hrough t he com posit ion; no flash used so skin t ones look nat ural.

1 . Set your subj ect s up about 6 t o 8 feet from an open window wit h nat ural light com ing in. The key is t o m ake sure t he light com ing in t hrough t hat window isn't direct sunlight , so t he light is soft not harsh beam s of light . Don't use flash. Let t he nat ural light do all t he work. 2 . Put your cam era on a t ripod. Alt hough t here is nat ural light , t he light is lower t han you'd t hink, and for m axim um sharpness you want your cam era on a t ripod. 3 . Posit ion your subj ect s so t he light com es in from one side ( in t he phot o above, t he light is com ing from a window t o t he right of t he bride) . 4 . Focus on t he subj ect 's eyes ( in t his case, t he bride) because if her eyes aren't in focus, t he shot goes in t he t rash. 5 . Shoot in apert ure priorit y m ode wit h your f- st op at f/ 11, which is great for port rait s. 6 . By not posit ioning t he fat her and bride in t he dead cent er of t he phot o, it m akes t he port rait t hat m uch st ronger and m ore visually appealing. Kick t hem over t o t he left or right a lit t le bit , so t hey don't look dead cent er. 7 . The glow around t hem was added in Phot oshop. To see t his Phot oshop t echnique st epby- st ep, visit w w w .scot t kelbybooks.com / glow .

The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot

SCOTT KELBY Ch a r a ct e r ist ics of t h is t ype of sh ot : sm oot h, silky wat er; dram at ic skies; sharp det ail from front t o back; cont rast of color in t he sky and t he wat er.

1 . To get a shot like t his, wit h t he silky wat er look, requires a num ber of t hings. First am ong t hem is you have t o shoot it in very, very low light ( before t he sun com es up or well aft er it goes downt his shot was t aken m ore t han one hour aft er sunset ) because you have t o leave t he shut t er open long enough ( 10 seconds or m ore) so t he waves can wash in and out while your shut t er is opent hat 's what gives it t he silky look. Norm ally, leaving your shut t er open for 10 or m ore seconds will t ot ally blow out your sky. That 's why you do it well aft er sunset so t here's lit t le light in t he skybut don't worry, t he long exposure will capt ure what lit t le light is t here, giving you a shot like t he one above. I f you have a neut ral densit y gradient filt er, you can also use t his so you don't have t o wait quit e as lat e t o shoot , because it darkens j ust t he sky for you. 2 . Set your cam era t o shut t er priorit y m ode, set your exposure t o 10 seconds, and t ry a t est shot t o see if t he ground is light enough ( t he sky won't be t he problem ) . Your cam era will aut om at ically choose your f- st op in shut t er priorit y m ode. 3 . I f your cam era has a feat ure called long exposure noise reduct ion, t urn it on before you t ake your shot and it will help reduce noise in your shadow areas. 4 . Shoot low by set t ing up your t ripod very low t o t he ground ( don't ext end t he legs) , and use eit her a cable release or your cam era's self t im er t o reduce cam era shake.

The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot

SCOTT KELBY Ch a r a ct e r ist ics of t h is t ype of sh ot : flower fills t he fram e; t he background is out of focus; cont rast ing colors; visual int erest t hrough com posit ion.

1 . Shoot wit h a zoom lensuse your longest zoom t o get in t ight and get t he flower t o fill t he fram e. This was shot wit h a 200m m lens, and t he flower was act ually a few feet away in a garden. 2 . Shoot at flower level. Set up your t ripod so you are level wit h t he flower ( rem em ber, don't shoot down on flowers) , which requires you t o squat down ( knee pads are great for get t ing shot s like t hisI wish I had rem em bered m ine t hat day) . 3 . Shoot in apert ure priorit y m ode and use t he sm allest num ber f- st op your lens will allow ( in t his case, on t his part icular lens, it was f/ 5.6) t o keep t he flower in focus but t he background out of focus. 4 . Now, bee pat ient ( okay, t hat was lam e) . Act ually, I saw bees flying around from flower t o flower, so I sat t here wit h m y cam era focused on t he flower unt il a bee act ually landed on t he flower. Then all I had t o do was press t he shut t er but t on. 5 . The shot was t aken in nat ural light , but it looks fairly soft because t he sun had t ucked behind som e whit e fluffy clouds, which are great for flower shot s because it diffuses t he harsh direct light . I didn't set up m y t ripod unt il t he sun act ually went int o a large bank of clouds, so pat ience ( for t he right light , and for t he bee t o land) pays off.

The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot

SCOTT KELBY Ch a r a ct e r ist ics of t h is t ype of sh ot : nice light ; vivid colors; soft shadows; m ot ion, which adds excit em ent and int erest t o t he phot o.

1 . To get m ot ion in t he shot , you have t o shoot wit h a slower shut t er speed. Set your m ode t o shut t er priorit y and choose 1/ 8 of a second or slower, so your shut t er is open long enough t o capt ure any m ovem ent as a blur. Wit h t his slow of a shut t er speed, you'll need t o be on a t ripod so t he rest of t he phot o rem ains sharp. 2 . To get t he rich, vivid colors and soft light , you'll need t o shoot a shot like t his in t he lat e aft ernoon when t he sun is low in t he sky, or in open shade, and t his shot had a lit t le of bot h. I f you look closely, you'll see t he sunlight is com ing from t he right ( as seen on t he singer's face) and t hat adds som e dram at ic light ing, but because t his was t aken downt own on t he side of a building t hat was already m ost ly in t he shade, t he light is very soft . By t he way, you'd t hink direct sunlight would m ake t he colors m ore vivid, but it usually does j ust t he opposit eit washes t he colors out . 3 . You can shoot a shot like t his in apert ure priorit y m ode, choose a play- it - safe f- st op like f/ 11, and in t he low light of t he lat e aft ernoon/ early evening your cam era will aut om at ically choose a slow enough shut t er speed for you t hat will exaggerat e any m ot ion in t he shot .

The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot

SCOTT KELBY Ch a r a ct e r ist ics of t h is t ype of sh ot : perfect light reflect ed on t he side of t he car; beaut iful color in t he sky; it 's a sunset shot t hat 's not j ust about t he sunset .

1 . Shoot wit h a wide- angle lens, and t urn your cam era vert ical ( port rait orient at ion) t o capt ure bot h t he subj ect ( in t his case, a car) and enough of t he sky t o m ake t he shot visually appealing. This was t aken wit h a 24120m m wide- angle lens, wit h t he lens lengt h at 24m m . 2 . To get a shot like t his, once again you have t wo choices: ( a) shoot at dawn, or ( b) shoot at dusk ( t his part icular shot was t aken at dusk, j ust aft er t he sun dipped int o t he ocean in t he Marin Headlands overlooking San Francisco) . 3 . I n light ing t his low, you'll have t o shoot on a t ripod t o get a sharp phot o. 4 . Com pose t he shot wit h your subj ect ( t he car) at t he bot t om of t he fram e t o add visual int erest , rat her t han cent ering t he car in t he fram e which would give t his m ore of a snapshot feel. 5 . The rest is j ust posit ioning your cam era t o m ake t he m ost of t he reflect ion on t he side of t he car. The beaut iful light is really doing all t he workyou're j ust wait ing for t he right m om ent t o press t he shut t er release ( act ually, you're bet t er off in t his low light eit her using a cable release or your cam era's self t im er t o reduce cam era shake and give you a sharper phot o) .

The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot

SCOTT KELBY Ch a r a ct e r ist ics of t h is t ype of sh ot : int erest ing point of view; great cont rast of colors; int erest ing com posit ion.

1 . To get a shot like t his, you need a very low angle t o shoot from , and t hat 's what really m akes t he shot int erest ingt he angle isn't one you'd see very oft en because your average phot ographer would t ake t he shot st anding up ( in fact , I was surrounded by phot ographers doing j ust t hat . Just in case you were wondering, t his shot was t aken out side a Lam borghini dealer locat ed in a downt own area) . To get t his shot , which was hand- held, I sat in t he m iddle of t he st reet while m y buddy looked out for cars. 2 . To get t he red car in t he cent er in sharp focus and m ake t he ot her cars soft er in focus, shoot in apert ure priorit y m ode, choose a low num ber f- st op ( in t his case, it was f/ 5.6) , and shoot wit h a zoom lens ( t his was t aken wit h an 18200m m zoom , wit h t he lens at 180m m ) . The reason t he yellow car in front is out of focus is because of how dept h of field works: 1/ 3 of t he area in front of your focus area ( t he red car) will be out of focus, and 2/ 3 of t he area behind your focus area will be out of focus. 3 . Anot her t hing t hat m akes t his phot o work ( besides t he int erest ing angle of view) is t he close- up view of t he cars, leaving m ore of t he st ory ( t he rest of t he cars) out of view. 4 . The rest is j ust t he luck of com ing across a row of bright ly- colored Lam borghinis on an overcast day.

The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot

SCOTT KELBY Ch a r a ct e r ist ics of t h is t ype of sh ot : colors; visual int erest inside t he window; com posit ion t hat shows det ails.

1 . The key t o t his shot is com posit ion in t he viewfinder. Don't t ry t o capt ure t he whole building or t he ent ire wall. What m akes t his shot int erest ing is t hat you're not t rying t o capt ure everyt hing you're j ust showing one det ail of t he building, which suggest s t he whole. Plus, by get t ing in close, it begs t he quest ion: " What 's inside t hat window? Who put t hose t hings t here? What 's in t hose blue boxes?" I t m akes t he viewer t hink. Also, t he window isn't dead cent erit 's off t o t he left , which adds t o t he visual int erest . 2 . To capt ure a window in a cit y life shot like t his, you're going t o need a zoom lens ( t his was shot wit h an 18200m m zoom , wit h t he lengt h around 100m m ) . 3 . You can shoot t his in program m ode and have t he cam era do all t he work ( as I m ent ioned earlier in t he book, I oft en shoot in program m ode while shoot ing cit y life so I can quickly get t he shot wit hout having t o m ake any adj ust m ent s t o t he cam era) . 4 . A polarizing filt er will help you see t hrough t he glass by reducing glare. 5 . Cit y life is usually hard t o capt ure wit h a t ripod, because t he shoot ing is oft en spont aneous and if you set up a t ripod in a downt own area, t he only spont aneous t hing t hat will probably happen t hese days is t he response of t he securit y guards, so it 's oft en best t o hand- hold your shot s.

The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot

SCOTT KELBY Ch a r a ct e r ist ics of t h is t ype of sh ot : t he classic sunset shot , but not shot in t he classic snapshot way.

1 . Use t he widest wide- angle lens you've got ( t his was t aken wit h a 1224m m zoom , wit h t he lengt h set at 12m m for m axim um wideness) . 2 . What m akes t his work is t he fact t hat t he horizon line isn't dead cent er ( and sadly, dead cent er is where am at eurs work so hard t o get t he horizon line) . When shoot ing a shot like t his, m ake your choice bet ween t hese t wo: ( a) you want t o em phasize t he beach, or ( b) you want t o em phasize t he sky. I n m ost cases, since you're shoot ing a sunset aft er all, m ake t he sky t he st ar of t he show by put t ing t he horizon line in t he lower t hird of t he fram e ( as shown above) . Now, m ost people shoot ing sunset s don't include t he beach at allt hey're at t ract ed t o t he sun and t he horizon, so t heir sunset shot s are usually m ade up of j ust sea and sky, but by including a lit t le bit of beach, it helps lead t he eye and t ell t he st ory. 3 . I t doesn't m uch m at t er which shoot ing m ode you use, because t here's no im port ant obj ect t o focus onyou pret t y m uch want it all in focus, so you can use program m ode or apert ure priorit y m ode wit h your f- st op set t o anyt hing from f/ 8 t o f/ 16 and everyt hing will look sharp from front t o back. 4 . I know I 've beat t his t o deat h, but you're shoot ing in low light ; it 's t ripod t im e.

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z]

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] accessories 2nd [See also camera gear; specific accessories.] acid-free paper Adams, Ansel 2nd Adobe Camera RAW 2nd 3rd Lightroom 2nd Photoshop [See Photoshop.] Photoshop Elements [See Photoshop Elements.] Adobe Photoshop TV America From 500 Feet! animal photos 2nd aperture priority mode 2nd 3rd aperture setting 2nd 3rd 4th athlete shots2nd 3rd [See sports photography.] atmospheric effects Auto White Balance feature 2nd 3rd 4th [See also white balance.]

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] B&H Photo 2nd baby photos backgrounds brightvs. dark for city-life shots for flowers 2nd 3rd for portraits 2nd for sports photos out-of-focus 2nd 3rd using shower curtain for 2nd backups, photo 2nd ballcaps ballheads baseball caps batteries 2nd Bill Fortney's Great Photography Workshop black backgrounds 2nd black-and-white photos 2nd 3rd 4th blinkies 2nd 3rd blinking "blue morning" effect blurry photos and low-light situations and shutter speed and wind checking LCD monitor for 2nd intentionally sharpening bracketing, exposure bridal light bride-and-groom shots 2nd 3rd 4th 5th [See also wedding photos.] bubble levels budget, camera gear bulb mode burst mode 2nd 3rd

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] cable release 2nd calibration, monitor camera gear [See also cameras.] author's budget considerations for sports photography protecting 2nd 3rd 4th recommended source for Camera Raw 2nd 3rd [See also RAW format.] camera shake and cable release 2nd and continuous shooting mode and ISO setting and mirror lock-up and self timer 2nd and shutter speed cameras [See also digital cameras.] digitalvs. film 2nd 3rd 4th hand-holding 2nd most popular self timers for 2nd 3rd 4th steadying 2nd [See also tripods.] candid shots Canon cameras and bracketing and bulb mode and burst mode and exposure compensation 2nd and highlight warnings and white balance for sports photography lenses for 2nd 3rd popularity of teleconverter for Canon Close-Up Lens canvas backgrounds car shots 2nd 3rd carbon fiber monopods carbon fiber tripods 2nd card holders, memory CDs, shredding Channels palette (Photoshop) children, shooting 2nd 3rd churches, shooting in city shots 2nd 3rd 4th 5th [See also urban shooting.] Clone Stamp tool (Photoshop) close-up lenses 2nd 3rd 4th cloudy-day shots collapsible reflectors

color casts 2nd color contrasts 2nd 3rd 4th color filters color management 2nd color printers 2nd 3rd color profiles 2nd CompactFlash cards composing flower shots 2nd formal shots 2nd landscapes 2nd portraits 2nd silhouettes sports shots 2nd wildlife shots CompUSA Condé Nast Traveler continuous shooting mode [See also burst mode.] contrasting colors 2nd 3rd 4th Crop tool (Photoshop) Cross, Dave crowd shots

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] darkening filters 2nd darkroom tools, software dawn, shooting at 2nd 3rd Death Grip depth of field details, shooting 2nd diffused lighting 2nd digital cameras and ISO setting and megapixels batteries for 2nd built-in flash for 2nd exposure bracketing feature most popular quick zoom setting for rain gear for vs. film cameras 2nd 3rd 4th Digital Photographers, The Photoshop Book for Digital Photography Pocket Guide digital SLR cameras 2nd 3rd 4th 5th [See also digital cameras.] double levels dusk, shooting at dusty weather, changing lenses in DVD, Photoshop Training DVDs, shredding

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] edit-as-you-go technique electronic-cable release Epson backup devices 2nd paper 2nd 3rd printers Eraser tool (Photoshop) EXIF data exposure bracketing exposure compensation control 2nd exposure, over-vs. underexternal flash units 2nd 3rd Eye-One Display Eyedropper tool (Photoshop) eyes aiming at avoiding closed correcting red focusing on positioning in frame

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] f-stop 2nd family portraits Fellowes shredders fill flash 2nd film cameras 2nd 3rd 4th 5th film speed 2nd [See also ISO setting.] filters color darkening 2nd Motion Blur neutral density gradient polarizing 2nd 3rd 4th 5th stop-down 2nd Unsharp Mask 2nd UV fireworks shots fish-eye lenses flash and battery life and red eye external 2nd for indoor shots for outdoor shots getting diffused light with flash diffusers flash exposure compensation flowers and macro lenses 2nd faking rain on lighting for non-typical angles for 2nd on black background 2nd on white background printer paper for shooting outdoors when to shoot where to get zooming in on 2nd fluorescent lights 2nd Flying Flowers focal length focus and aperture priority mode checking in LCD monitor for city shots for flowers for portraits 2nd for sports shots for wildlife shots

fog, shooting in Fong, Gary forest shots 2nd formal portraits [See also portraits.] avoiding blinking in backgrounds for framing popular format for positioning camera for shooting sequence for time required for where to focus for Fortney, Bill 2nd 3rd Fortney, Wesley Fraser, Bruce

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] gear [See camera gear.] getting "the shot" for sports photos 2nd for urban/travel photos 2nd how LCD monitor helps with recipes for Getty Images glass 2nd [See also lenses.] Golden Poppies of California: In Celebration of Our State Flower government buildings, shooting in/around 2nd 3rd 4th GretagMacbeth 2nd

2nd

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] hand-held shots 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th highlight warnings 2nd 3rd 4th horizon line 2nd 3rd 4th HP paper 2nd

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] image quality 2nd Image Stabilization lenses 2nd 3rd 4th incandescent lights 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th inkjet printers 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th IS lenses 2nd 3rd 4th ISO setting 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th iStockphoto.com 2nd

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] Johnson, Stephen 2nd JPEG format 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] Kloskowski, Matt 2nd knee pads 2nd Knoll, Thomas 2nd Kodak 2nd Kost, Julieanne 2nd

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] ladder, shooting from 2nd landscape photographers 2nd 3rd 4th landscape photography 2nd and aperture priority mode 2nd 3rd 4th and exposure compensation 2nd and highlight warnings 2nd and neutral density gradient filter 2nd and polarizing filters 2nd 3rd 4th and tripods 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th and wide-angle lenses 2nd avoiding crooked horizon in 2nd composing shots for 2nd getting richer colors in 2nd golden rule of 2nd hand-holding camera for 2nd lighting considerations 2nd 3rd 4th masters of 2nd non-typical angles for 2nd 3rd 4th panoramas 2nd placing horizon in 2nd printer paper for 2nd showing size in 2nd weather considerations 2nd 3rd 4th large-format prints 2nd 3rd 4th LCD monitor and battery life 2nd and blinkies 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th and edit-as-you-go technique 2nd and white balance 2nd 3rd 4th checking focus in 2nd 3rd 4th checking lighting in 2nd comparing with computer monitor 2nd pros and cons of 2nd lens flare 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th lens hoods 2nd 3rd 4th lenses 2nd and dusty weather 2nd and photo sharpness 2nd close-up/macro 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th fish-eye 2nd for portraits 2nd for sports photography 2nd 3rd 4th Image Stabilization 2nd 3rd 4th polarizing filters for 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th protecting 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th quality considerations 2nd sweet spot for 2nd telephoto [See telephoto lenses.] Vibration Reduction [See VR lenses.]

wide-angle 2nd 3rd 4th zoom [See zoom lenses.] Lepp, George lighting [See also low-light photography.] and backgrounds and exposure bracketing avoiding harsh diffused 2nd for brides for flowers for landscapes 2nd for portraits 2nd natural [See natural light.] studio Lightroom 2nd Lightsphere-II Lipovetsky, Joel low-light photography and continuous shooting mode and IS lenses 2nd and ISO setting 2nd 3rd and VR lenses 2nd LumiQuest

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] macro lenses 2nd 3rd 4th macro, shooting 2nd Magic Wand tool (Photoshop) McNally, Joe megapixels memory cards and RAW format 2nd and sports photos 2nd and wedding photos 2nd 3rd avoiding accidental erasure of backing up 2nd holder for size considerations mirror lock-up model releases models, hiring monitor calibration monopods 2nd 3rd moon shoots Motion Blur filter (Photoshop) motion shots 2nd 3rd 4th motion trails mountain shots 2nd mounting board Muench, David multi-photo spreads museums, shooting in 2nd muslin backgrounds

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] National Geographic 2nd National Geographic Traveler natural light for flowers 2nd 3rd 4th for portraits 2nd 3rd 4th 5th neutral density gradient filter newborn photography Nikon cameras and bulb mode and burst mode 2nd and Canon Close-Up Lens and exposure compensation 2nd and highlight warnings and VR lenses and white balance bracketing button Flexible Program Mode for sports photography popularity of teleconverter for noise 2nd Noise Ninja

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] old people, shooting out-of-focus backgrounds 2nd 3rd Outdoor Photographer outdoor shots [See also landscape photography; travel photos.] and aperture priority mode and lens flare and white balance 2nd and wide-angle lenses at weddings backgrounds for 2nd in bad weather in dusty weather lighting for 2nd of people 2nd 3rd on windy days using flash for overexposed photos

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] panning panoramas paper backgrounds paper, printer 2nd 3rd people, shooting [See also portraits.] Peterson, Bryan Peterson, Moose 2nd photo recipes photo shoots 2nd 3rd [See also shooting.] Photoflex reflectors photographers, professional 2nd 3rd 4th 5th photography [See also shooting.] digitalvs. film 2nd 3rd 4th equipment [See camera gear.] flower 2nd [See also flowers.] landscape [See also landscape photography.] low-light [See low-light photography.] outdoor [See outdoor shots.] portrait [See also portraits.] problems recommended books on sports [See also sports photography.] travel [See also travel photos.] wedding [See also wedding photos.] wildlife photojournalism Photomerge feature (Photoshop) photos backing up combining 2nd correcting red eye in getting sharp [See sharp photos.] organizing panoramic printing [See printing.] selling sharpening after the fact PhotoSecrets.com Photoshop and Camera Raw 2nd 3rd changing white balance in 2nd Channels palette Clone Stamp tool color management system combining photos in correcting red eye in creating panoramas in Crop tool Eraser tool

Eyedropper tool Magic Wand tool making tonal adjustments in Motion Blur filter Photomerge feature processing RAW photos in sharpening photos in Training DVD Unsharp Mask filter 2nd viewing EXIF data in vs. Lightroom weekly video show Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers, The Photoshop Elements 2nd 3rd PictureCode.com point-and-shoot cameras polarizing filters 2nd 3rd 4th 5th portrait lenses portraits [See also formal portraits.] and aperture setting and collapsible reflectors and focal length at sunset avoiding shadows in backgrounds for best lens for lighting for 2nd positioning camera for positioning subject for printer paper for shooting sequence for group where to focus for zooming in for poster board poster-sized printing 2nd printer paper 2nd 3rd printers 2nd printing and megapixels and monitor calibration borderless prints 2nd multi-photo spreads poster-sized 2nd with archival-quality inks product recommendations 2nd professional photographers 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] rain protecting gear from 2nd shooting in simulating RAW format and exposure bracketing and memory cards 2nd and Photoshop 2nd 3rd and sports photography and white balance 2nd pros and cons of recommended books on vs. JPEG 2nd Real World Camera Raw reception photos, wedding recipes, photo red eye Red Eye tool (Photoshop) Red River Paper 2nd reflectors 2nd release forms, model Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Digital Photography Rick Sammon's Travel and Nature Photography

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] Sammon, Rick scottkelbybooks.com seamless backgrounds 2nd security issues 2nd self timers 2nd 3rd 4th shadows 2nd 3rd 4th sharp photos and aperture setting and cable release and hand-held cameras 2nd and IS lenses and ISO setting and lens quality and mirror lock-up and self timers and tripods 2nd and VR lenses importance of zooming in to check for sharpening tools Shaw, John 2nd shooting at dawn/dusk 2nd 3rd athletes 2nd 3rd cars 2nd 3rd children 2nd 3rd crowds dance photos details 2nd fireworks flowers 2nd 3rd 4th [See also flowers.] forests/trees 2nd 3rd from high vantage point getting permits for in bad weather in bright sunlight in burst mode 2nd in churches in cold weather in dusty weather in fog in low-light conditions [See low-light photography.] in museums 2nd in RAW format 2nd in urban areas 2nd in windy weather in/around government buildings 2nd landscapes [See also landscape photography.] moon

motion shots 2nd 3rd 4th mountains 2nd on cloudy days on inclines outdoors [See outdoor shots.] panoramas people 2nd 3rd 4th [See also portraits.] real-lifevs. by-the-book signs silhouettes 2nd sky [See sky.] sports [See also sports photography.] sunrises/sunsets 2nd 3rd 4th 5th "the shot." [See getting "the shot".] touristy landmarks water 2nd 3rd waterfalls 2nd 3rd weddings [See also wedding photos.] wildlife 2nd shower caps shower curtains 2nd 3rd shredders shutter priority mode 2nd 3rd 4th shutter speed 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Shutterbug Shutterfly signs, shooting silhouettes 2nd skin tones sky adjusting in Photoshop capturing pre-storm emphasizing/de-emphasizing exposure considerations limiting amount of photo recipes 2nd 3rd slide shows SLR cameras 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Soft Screen Diffuser software darkroom tools sports photography and aperture setting and burst mode 2nd and color filters and ISO setting and RAW vs. JPEG format and shutter speed 2nd 3rd and tripods and white balance backgrounds for camera gear required for composing shots 2nd emphasizing motion in learning the game lenses for 2nd pre-focusing shots professional story-telling with using multiple cameras for verticalvs. horizontal shots

stock-photo agencies stop-action photos stop-down filters 2nd stormy weather, shooting in Story, Derrick studio lighting sunrise shots sunset portraits sunset shots 2nd 3rd 4th 5th super-wide-angle lenses 2nd sweet spot, lens

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] tack-sharp photos 2nd teleconverters 2nd 3rd telephoto lenses and aperture priority mode and portrait photography and sports photography 2nd and teleconverters 2nd quality considerations turning into macro lenses textured paper TFP "the shot." [See getting "the shot".] Through the Lens: National Geographic's Greatest Photographs tight shots timers, self 2nd 3rd 4th touristy landmarks Travel & Leisure travel magazines 2nd 3rd travel photographers travel photos backgrounds for capturing details in getting "the shot," 2nd importance of color in main themes for non-typical angles for 2nd of signs of touristy landmarks printer paper for showing movement in simplicity in when to shoot tree shots 2nd tripod heads tripods [See also monopods.] alternatives to 2nd and fireworks shots and ISO setting and landscape photography 2nd 3rd and macro lenses and motion trails and panoramas and portraits and sports photography and tack-sharp photos and VR/IS lenses ballheads for carbon fiber cost considerations

getting permits to use lightvs. heavy using on inclines vs. monopods TV showPhotoshop two-element close-up diopters

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] ultra-wide-angle lenses underexposed photos Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera Unsharp Mask filter (Photoshop) 2nd urban shooting backgrounds for capturing details in getting "the shot," 2nd importance of color in non-typical angles for 2nd simplicity in when to do UV filters

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] Val, Leah Brendavid VR lenses 2nd 3rd

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] walk up shots waterfall shots 2nd 3rd wedding photos avoiding closed eyes in backgrounds for backing up bouquet/garter toss ceremony changing vantage point for detail shots formals 2nd [See also formal portraits.] format considerations importance of bride in lighting conditions for 2nd memory cards for 2nd 3rd outdoor shots photojournalism technique for posing bride with others in pre-wedding shots reception rice throwing typical number of shots for using flash for using wide-angle lens for white background for flowers for portraits using shower curtain for 2nd white balance and JPEG format and panoramas and RAW format and sports photos and sunrise/sunset shots avoiding problems with 2nd fixing in Photoshop 2nd wide-angle lenses 2nd 3rd 4th wildlife photos 2nd Willmore, Ben wind, shooting flowers in Window Seat: The Art of Digital Photography and Creative Thinking wireless remotes 2nd

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] X-Rite

Index [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Z] Ziser, David zoom button zoom lenses and aperture priority mode and flower photography 2nd and landscape photography and portrait photography and wildlife shots extending reach of quality considerations turning into macro lenses 2nd