Understanding Histograms

“I was flicking through my camera’s menu today and came across a little graph labeled ‘histogram’. What is it and should I take any notice of it? Is there such a thing as the ideal histogram? What should we be aiming for?” - Brent

What is a Histogram

Histograms are a topic that we could (and probably should) spend a lot of time talking about but let me give you a very brief answer to get you through in the short term.

Histograms are a very useful tool that many cameras offer their users to help them get a quick summary of the tonal range present in any given image.

It graphs the tones in your image from black (on the left) to white (on the right).

The higher the graph at any given point the more pixels of that tone that are present in an image.

So a histogram with lots of dark pixels will be skewed to the left and one with lots of lighter tones will be skewed to the right.

The beauty of a histogram is that the small LCD display on your camera is not really big enough to give you an great review of a picture and you can often get home to find that you’ve over or under exposed an image. Checking the histogram can tell you this while you’re in a position to be able to adjust your settings and take another shot.

Some Examples of Histograms

Let’s look at a couple of examples of histograms on shots I’ve taken over the first year of my son’s life (it’s his birthday this week so we’re going through some shots).

Compare these two shots and their corresponding histograms:

The above shot has a lot of light tones - in fact there are parts of the shot that are quite blown out. As a result on the right hand side of the histogram you can see a sudden rise. While there are quite a few mid tones - everything is skewed right and with the extreme values on the right hand side indicate an over exposed shot.

This second shot has a lot of dark tones. This is partly because of the black and navy clothes in the shot - but also because it’s slightly underexposed shot. The resulting histogram is quite different to the first one - the values are skewed to the left hand side.

Is there such a thing as a ‘good’ histogram?

As with most aspects of photography, beauty is the in eye of the beholder and there’s always a lot of room for personal taste and different ways of expressing yourself as a photographer.

There is no such thing as the ‘perfect’ histogram - different subjects and photographic styles will produce different results. For example taking a silhouette shot might produce a histogram with peaks at both ends of the spectrum and nothing much in the middle of the graph. Taking a shot of someone at the snow will obviously have a histogram with significant peaks on the right hand side…. etc

Having said this (and to generalize) - in most cases you’ll probably want a fairly balanced shot with a nice spread of tones. Most well exposed shots tend to peak somewhere in the middle and taper off towards the edges.

Using Histograms While Shooting

So now you know what a histogram is - grab your digital camera’s manual and work out how to switch it on in playback mode. This will enable you to see both the picture and the histogram when reviewing shots after taking them.

Keep an eye out for histograms with dramatic spikes to the extreme ends of either side of the spectrum. This indicates that you have a lot of pixels that are either pure black or pure white. While this might be what you’re after remember that those sections of the image probably have very little detail - this is a hint that your image could be either over or under exposed.

The histogram is really just a tool to give you more information about an image and to help you get the effect that you want. Having your camera set to show you histograms during the view process will tell you how your image is exposed. Learning to read them will help you to work out whether you’re exposing a shot as you had hoped.

Another Example of a Histogram

Lets finish this tutorial by looking at one last example of a histogram:

Win a Cam-Pod - New Digital Photography School Competition!

As I said in the last post, it’s time for another DPS competition. This time I’m excited to announce that we have a sponsor!

That’s right - instead of having to come up with prizes myself the wonderful people at Cam-Pod are putting up for of their innovative Cam-Pod products up for grabs to this month’s lucky winners.

What is a Cam-Pod?

You might have seen little bean bag tripods before - but the Cam-Pod takes the concept in a whole other direction.

The Cam-Pod has bi-folding cushions, enabling the user to mould to the shape of your camera and lens according to desired angle and height. In addition, this folding ability reduces the size and weight, allowing for a lighter and compact support bag. And because it contains plastic beads, you will not have issues with customs at airports.

Cam-Pods come in two sizes (regular, for DSLRs or mini, for point and shoot cameras). They are hand made in Australia (another reason I love them) and are a great way to help keep your camera still when shooting in low light or with longer shutter speeds.

The best way to say what a Cam-Pod is is simply to show you, so below you’ll find some pictures showing Cam-Pods being used.

The team at Cam-Pod are putting up 2 regular sized products and 2 mini’s for the winners of this competition.

How Can You Win a Cam-Pod?

All you have to do to be in the running for a Cam-Pod is sign up for the DPS forums and start posting.

Every time you post in the forums between now and 31 July you go in the running to win one. Each post/comment you leave you put another entry in. The more you post the more chances you have to win

How to Photograph Silhouettes in 8 Easy Steps

I normally talk about the importance of using a flash when taking shots into the sun to give sufficient light to add features to your subject but there are also times when making your subject featureless apart from their outline against a bright background can be most effective - or when in other words silhouette is a worth exploring.

Silhouettes are a wonderful way to convey drama, mystery, emotion and mood to the viewers of your photos and often stand out in an album because of the combination of their simplicity but also the story that they convey. I love them because they don’t give the viewer of a clear picture of everything but leave part of the image up to their imagination to wonder about.

The basic strategy you’ll need to employ in taking silhouette shots is to place your subject (the shape you want to be blacked out) in front of some source of light and to force your camera to set its exposure based upon the brightest part of your picture (the background) and not the subject of your image.

In doing this your subject will be under exposed (and very dark, if not black).

There are a lot of very technical descriptions going around on how to take great silhouette shots that you might want to look up but let me attempt to run through some basic steps that should get you the results you’re after. In essence what we’re trying to do is make your camera think that it’s the bright parts of the picture you are most interested in.

Here’s how to do it:

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1. Choose a Strong Subject

Almost any object can be made into a silhouette, however some are better than others. Choose something with a strong and recognizable shape that will be interesting enough in its two dimensional form to hold the interest of those viewing your image. Silhouettes can’t draw on the colors, textures and tones of subjects to make them appealing - so the shape needs to be distinct.

2. Turn off your Flash

If you have your camera in automatic mode your camera will probably want to use its flash which will ruin the silhouette. Basically you want as little light on the front of your subject as possible - so the flash has to go (basic - but I’ve seen a few attempted silhouette shots with the flash firing).

3. Get Your Light Right

When it comes to lighting your subject you’ll need to throw out a lot of what you’ve learnt about normal photography and think a little backwards. Instead of lighting the front of your subject, in silhouettes you need to ensure that there is more light shining from the background than the foreground of your shot - or to put it another way - you want to light the back of your subject rather than the front. The perfect light for this is placing your subject in front of a sunset or sunrise - but really any bright light will be able to do the trick.

4. Frame your image

Frame your shot so you are shooting with your subject in front of a nice plain, but bright background. Usually the best backgrounds will be a bright cloudless sky with the sun setting. You want to position the brightest light source behind your subject (either so that they hide it or so that its in the background somewhere).

5. Make silhouetted shapes distinct and uncluttered

If there is more than one shape or object in the image that you’re attempting to silhouette, try to keep them separated. ie if you are silhouetting a tree and a person don’t have the person stand in front of the tree or even leaning on it as it will merge them into one shape and as a result your viewers could be confused about what the shape is.

Also when framing you’ll probably want to photograph silhouetted people as profiles rather than looking straight on. This means that more of their features (nose, mouth, eyes) are outlined and they are more likely to be recognized.

6. In Auto Mode

Most modern digital cameras have automatic metering which are pretty good at sensing how to expose a photograph so that everything is well lit. The problem with this is that most cameras are so smart that they will light up your subject instead of underexposing it to get a silhouette so you need to trick it. Most cameras work out the exposure levels in auto mode when you push your shutter half way down (at the same time that they focus). So point your camera at the brightest part of your picture and then press the shutter halfway down (don’t let go). Then move your camera back to frame your shot with the subject where you want it and then finish taking the shot. With most digital cameras this will result in a silhouetted subject. In effect what you’re doing is tricking your camera into thinking that the bright part of the image is the mid tone of it so that anything darker than it will be exposed as a nice dark shadow.

Some digital cameras also have ’spot’ or ‘centered’ metering modes that you can switch on which helps with the above technique as they will set the metering on the central spot of your frame rather than multiple spots. This means you can accurately tell your camera exactly which bit of the bright background you want it to set the exposure on.

7. Manual Mode

If this technique doesn’t work and your camera has controls to allow manual exposure or exposure compensation you might like to try some of your own settings. The beauty of digital is that you can experiment to your hearts content until you get the result you’re after.

A simple way to start using manual mode is to look at the shutter speed and aperture that it suggests in automatic mode and to start from there. If in auto mode your subject is too light (ie you need to make it darker) stop down the shutter speed a stop or two and see what impact that has. Use the ‘bracketing’ technique that I described in my previous tip on sunrises and sunsets to get a variety of shots at slightly different exposures.

8. Focusing

In most cases you’ll want the subject which is silhouetted to be the thing that is in focus most crisply. This can mean that the process described in point 4 can be a little tricky as pushing your shutter half way down to get the metering right also means that you’ll focus on that spot in the background. To get around this you can use two strategies. Firstly if your camera has manual focusing you might want to try that. Pre focus your shot before you meter your shot.

The other strategy is to use Aperture to maximize your depth of field (the amount of your image that is in focus). Set a small aperture (ie a larger number) to increase the depth of field - this means you’re more likely to have a sharper foreground and background in your shots.

One last tip on Silhouettes - while a total silhouette with a nice crisp and black subject can be a powerful shot, also consider the partial silhouette where some detail of your subject is left. Sometimes a touch of light on them makes them slightly more three dimensional and ‘real’. This is the beauty of bracketing your shots as it will leave you with total and partial silhouettes to choose form.

Popular Post Production Software

Last week’s reader question was Which Post Production Software do you use?

The discussion that happened as a result of asking it was fascinating with all manner of post production products mentioned by close to 200 readers. The software mentioned ranged from professional grade photo editing packages, through to free online photo sharing and organizational tools.

With DPS readers using such an array of tools it was difficult to make any big trend observations (not made any easier by the spread of operating systems and software versions. However I did pull together a Top 13 from the responses. I’ve listed them below (and graphed it here):

1. Lightroom
2. Photoshop CS2
3. Photoshop CS3
4. The Gimp
5. Picasa
6. Apple’s Aperture
7. Photoshop Elements
8. Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo
9. iPhoto
10. Adobe Photoshop 7.0
11. Noise Ninja
12. Bibble Pro
13. ACDSee

By no means is this a full list. Around 40 different tools were mentioned in the comments of the previous post - but the above were those that featured more often than others.

It would be also unfair to compare all in the list above as they are not all products aiming to fullfill the same tasks - however these (and others suggested) would make a good starting place for those looking into choosing a photo editing and organization software tool/s.

“Does my butt look big in this?” - What Clothes to Wear in Portraits

This post was submitted by portrait photographer Grant Mayer. It is a ‘classic DPS post’ - one of hundreds from our archives of photography tips.

What Should I Wear in my portrait?

This is a question I get asked a lot by clients - so I thought it might be something that was worth some exploration in a tutorial.

The clothes a person wears in a portrait can have a big impact upon the end result of your image. When talking to a subject about what to wear I generally ask them to bring a few different outfits so that we can have a little variety to work with.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. The comfort of your subject is important - to some extent

One of the challenges of photographing someone that you might not know very well is helping them to relax. I find that the clothes that they wear and the environment that you’re photographing them can have a big impact upon how relaxed they are and how natural they look. If they are happy with how they look then you’ll have a good chance of capturing them looking themselves.

Having said that - sometimes the best shots are of people when they are slightly ‘on edge’ or out of their comfort zone.

I can’t really explain it - but I’ve had some real luck in choosing outfits for people that they might not necessarily have chosen for themselves.

Sometimes throwing a curve ball at your subject in this way can take them slightly out of their comfort zone and get you a ‘wow’ shot.

2. Clothes Can Put People into Context

As much as we all like to talk about not judging a book by it’s cover and getting to know the ‘real person’ before summing them up - a person’s outward appearance says a lot about who they are and what we think of them.

The clothes that a subject wears in a shot will convey meaning and tell those viewing the image something about the person. So think carefully about what you’re trying to achieve with the image and let this be communicated through the clothes that you suggest your subject wears.

ie - if you’re after a fun vibe in your shot let them get a little casual and crazy with their clothes. If you’re wanting to portray them in a more formal way dress them that way.

3. Dark and Plain Clothes

While I generally let my subject choose a few outfits for themselves I almost always ask them to include a darker top in their options.

There’s something about a simple, dark top that allows the real focus of an image to be the persons face. An added bonus of dark clothes is that they tend to be slimming also (so your butt might not look big afterall).

As I looked back over my portfolio recently realized that the majority of portraits that I’d selected to show off my work were of people in fairly plain and unobtrusive clothes. No crazy patterns, lines, dots or bright colors - just understated basics that allowed the person to shine.

One exception to the black/dark top rule is that it can depend upon the complexion of the person. A very fair complexion with a very dark top can be too much of a contrast and when shooting someone with dark skin tones dark clothing can mean not enough contrast.

Another exception to this rule can be with kids whose portraits can come alive when you introduce some nice bright colors. The key however is to watch out for when the bright colors include zany patterns.

4. Collars

Another quick tip which I base upon my portfolio - collared shirts can be an effective thing to have your subjects wear.

I’ve not put a lot of thought into why they work - but particularly when photographing men, I find that a collared shirt has a way of framing the face that can be quite flattering.

I wouldn’t say collars are essential for every shot (I’ve taken plenty of good shots of guys in non collared shirts and T-Shirts) - however there’s something about them that just ‘works’ - at least in my mind.

Long Sleeves and Pants

Lastly - I also like to avoid short sleeved tops or shorts.

When arms and legs are exposed and there’s lots of skin visible I find that it can be a distraction from the main focal point of the photo - the face. That one is just a personal preference though and I’m not even sure why it is that I like to do it that way.

What do You Think?

What’s your view on what clothes you prefer your subjects to wear?

Is it more important to you for your subject to be comfortable or is your style to put them in an outfit that will add something special to the shot.

Surf Photography for Beginners - Equipment, Techniques and Tips

This introductory tutorial on Surf Photography has been submitted by Ryan Cardone from Ryan Cardone Photography.

Being eaten by sharks, broken bones, getting run over, or even drowning; these are just some of the risks involved in surf photography, but when you get that one shot, it is all worth it!

I have been a surfer for most of my life and it was only natural for me to take my love for photography in the water. Surf photography really gives me a feeling that is indescribable.

I am dealing with the same elements that the surfers are dealing with. If they are getting barreled, most likely I am getting barreled. Just that feeling is an enough rush for me, but when you get the film back or see the photos on the computer it is that much better.

Every shot I have taken from the water has a great story. Here are some tips to use so that you can go out and try surf photography for your self.

Equipment for Surf Photography:

You do not have to have the most expensive photo equipment to get a great a surf photo.

If you are just starting out and want to get your feet wet, excuse the pun, Fuji and Kodak both make throw away waterproof cameras. These are great to learn and practice with. They are an inexpensive way for you to get used to the water and the surfers coming at you.

If you prefer digital, Pentax and Olympus both make digital underwater cameras; they run in the $300 price range. These work great and I have shot with both and have been happy with the results.

Remember with point and shoot digital cameras, there is a lag before the picture is actually taken. The trick to making better pictures with these is to learn how long that lag time actually is, and then you can estimate when to push the button.

Timing is everything in surf photography. Moving up the price scale are water housings. These are basically boxes that keep your camera dry. Water Housings can be made for many different kind of cameras from point ($300-$1000) and shoots to SLR’s ($1000-and up).

I use a SPL water housing made for my Nikon Cameras.

Here is a list of Manufactures Websites:

DSLR Lenses - An Introduction

When I first started writing about digital cameras the main question i was asked by readers was ‘Which Camera should I buy?‘ Usually they were in the market for a point, fairly entry level point and shoot digital camera.

However these days with the increase in people buying DSLR cameras (they are so much cheaper and more people are feeling comfortable enough with digital now that they want to take it to the next level) the biggest question that I’m now asked is ‘Which Lens Should I buy for my DSLR?‘

Answering the question is something of a minefield as each digital camera manufacturer offers a large range of lenses of different qualities and budgets. Add to this that each photographer shoots differently and has their own styles and preferences and it can be something of a minefield to navigate to answer the ‘which lens’ question.

What follows below is an attempt to unpack the different types of lenses that most manufacturers offer in the DSLR market. I’m not going to get into talking about specific lenses but want to give a brief introduction to some of the terms and types of lenses that you’ll come across as you begin to explore the DSLR lens market.

Keep in mind that most DSLRs are not what are known as ‘full frame’ cameras. Their sensors are generally smaller than full frame and as a result lenses don’t have the same impact on these cameras as they would on a film camera. This is why you’ll often hear manufacturers talking about the ‘equivalent’ focal length of a lens.

Types of DSLR Lenses

Standard Lenses - this is a term that seems to be disappearing a little from terminology. Traditionally on film cameras it was used to describe lenses in the 50mm range because this is what usually came with the camera.

Kit Lenses - These days the lens that is offered as a package with the DSLR is generally called the ‘kit lens’. It is generally an entry level quality zoom lens. They are usually a fairly general purpose lens designed for everyday shooting. My personal preference is always to buy the DSLR as a body only and to upgrade the lens from the kit lens as they are generally at a lower to medium end of the spectrum of lenses.

Prime Lenses - A prime lens is a lens that has one focal length only. They are becoming less popular in an age where photographers like to have the convenience of a range of focal lengths at their finger tips (see zoom lenses) but they are definitely worth considering. Zoom lenses are increasing in the quality that they offer but prime lenses are known (especially at the top end) for their image quality and speed (faster aperture).

While many like the convenience of zoom lenses I actually enjoy the challenge of prime lenses and find that they make me think about my photography a little more than when I have a zoom attached (I get a little lazy).

Telephoto Zoom Lenses - Zoom lenses are the most popular DSLR lenses at present and come in a range of configurations and levels of quality. Obviously the benefit of zooms are that you do not need to physically get closer to your subject to get a tighter framing of the image. These lenses can have quite narrow ranges or quite long ones.

Keep in mind that if you buy one with a long focal length (for examples you can get them in lengths ranging up to 300mm or longer) that the longer your focal length the more impact that camera shake has on your images. More and more lenses these days are being released with Image Stabilisation (IS) to combat camera shake.

Macro Lenses - these lenses are specifically designed for shooting objects up close. Many lenses and cameras come with a ‘macro’ setting but true macro lenses will produce images that are life size and that enable you to get in incredibly close from the subject you’re shooting.

Wide Angle Lenses - As their name suggests, these lenses enable their users to take shots with a very wide perspective. They are useful for landscapes and for getting in nice and close to subjects still fitting a lot of them in.

Wide angle lenses come both as prime lenses but also are being found at the lower end of telephoto zoom lenses increasingly. Be aware that very wide lenses will sometimes distort your image a little (or a lot), especially at the edges of your photos where they can be quite curved. This can be used to great effect but can also be quite frustrating at times.

At the extreme end of the ‘wide angle’ range are ‘fisheye lenses’ which purposely distort your image in a curved way to get more into the shot. Again this is a style of photography that many love but is an art to get right.

So there you have it - you’re now at least equipped with some definitions and starting points for shopping for your next DSLR lens purchase.

How to Take Great Group Photos

One of the most common types of digital photographs is the ‘group photo‘. They happen everywhere from weddings, to camps, to parties, to sporting teams, to school etc.

Thousands of group photos must be taken each day around the world - but unfortunately many of them leave those taking them disappointed with the results. Common problems include:

• one or more subjects always seem to be looking away or in different directions (ie at different photographers)
• subjects blinking (there’s always one)
• someone being missing from the photo
• different moods in the group (some smiling, some serious, some playing up to the camera etc)
• the group being too far away or not all fitting into the shot

While there will always be such challenges with Group Photos there are a number of things you can do to help improve your chances of getting the shot you’re after:

1. Prepare

There is nothing that will make of people posing for a photograph turn upon you faster than you not being prepared. People don’t like to be kept waiting so think ahead about some of the following aspects of your photo:

• scope out the location of your shot before hand
• think ahead about how you will pose people and frame your shot
• one of the group’s head hiding behind another person
• make sure everyone you want in the shot knows you want them a few minutes ahead of time
• make your your camera is on and has charged batteries

2. Location

The place that you have your group stand is important to group shots for a number of reasons. For starters it can give the photo context - for example a shot of a sporting team on their playing field means more than a shot of them in front of a brick wall. The other reason that choosing locations carefully is important is that it can have distractions in it.

Choose a position where your group will fit, where there is enough light for the shot and where there is no distractions in the background. Also avoid setting up a group shot directly in front of a window where the light from your flash might reflect back in a way that destroys your shot.

3. Take Multiple Shots

One of the best ways to avoid the problems of not everyone looking just right in a shot is to take multiple photos quickly. I often switch my camera into continuous shooting mode when taking group shots and shoot in short bursts of shots. I find that the first shot is often no good but that the one or two directly after it often give a group that looks a little less posed and more relaxed.

Similarly - shoot some frames off before everyone is ready - sometimes the organization of a group shot can be quite comical with people tell each other where to go and jostling for position.

Also mix up the framing of your shots a little if you have a zoom lens by taking some shots that are at a wide focal length and some that are more tightly framed.

4. Get in Close

Try to get as close as you can to the group you’re photographing (without cutting some members of it out of course). The closer you can get the more detail you’ll have in their faces - something that really lifts a shot a lot.

If your group is a smaller one get right in close to them and take some head and shoulder shots. One effective technique for this is to get your small group to all lean their heads in close to enable you to get in even closer. Another way to get in closer is to move people out of a one line formation and stagger them but putting some people in front and behind.

5. Pose the group

In most cases your group will pose itself pretty naturally (we’ve all done it before). Tall people will go to the back, short people to the front. But there are other things you can do to add to the photo’s composition:

• If the event is centered around one or two people (like a wedding or a birthday) make them the central focal point by putting them right in the middle of the group (you can add variation to your shots by taking some of everyone looking at the camera and then everyone looking at the person/couple).
• For formal group photos put taller members in the group not only towards the back of the group but centered with shorter people on the edges of the group.
• Try not to make the group too ‘deep’ (ie keep the distance between the front line of people and the back line as small as you can). This will help to keep everyone in focus. If the group is ‘deep’ use a narrower aperture.
• Tell everyone to raise their chins a little - they’ll thank you later when they see the shot without any double chins!

6. Timing Your Shoot Well

Pick the moment for your shot carefully. Try to choose a time that works with what is happening at the gathering that you’re at. I find it best to do a group shot when the group is already close together if possible and when there is a lull in proceedings.

Also towards the start of events can be a good time as everyone is all together, they all look their best and if there is alcohol involved no one is too under the weather yet.

7. Think about Light

In order to get enough detail in your subjects you need to have sufficient light. The way you get this varies from situation to situation but consider using a flash if the group is small enough and you are close enough for it to take effect - especially if the main source of light is coming from behind the group.

If it’s a bright sunny day and the sun is low in the sky try not to position it directly behind you or you’ll end up with a collection of squinting faces in your shot.

8. Take Control

I’ve been in a number of group photos where the photographer almost lost control of his subjects by not being quick enough but also by not communicating well with their group of subjects. It is important to keep talking to the group, let them know what you want them to do, motivate them to smile, tell them that they look great and communicate how much longer you’ll need them for.

Also important is to give your subjects a reason to pose for the photograph. For example at a wedding you might motivate people to pose by saying ‘((insert name of couple being married here)) have asked me to get some group shots’ or at a sporting event ‘lets take a group photo to celebrate our win’. When you give people a reason to pose for you you’ll find they are much more willing to take a few minutes to pose for you.

Another very useful line to use with group is - ‘If you can see the camera it can see you’. This one is key if you want to be able to see each person’s face in the shot.

If there are more photographers than just you then wait until others have finished their shots and then get the attention of the full group otherwise you’ll have everyone looking in different directions.

Of course you don’t want to be a dictator when posing your group or you could end up with lots of group shots of very angry people. The best photographers know how to get people’s attention, communicate what they want but also keep people feeling relaxed and like they are having fun.

9. For large groups

Large groups of people can be very difficult to photograph as even with staggering people and tiering to make the back people higher you can end up being a long way back to fit everyone in.

One solution to this is to find a way to elevate yourself as the photographer. If I’m photographing a wedding and the couple wants one big group shot I’ll arrange for a ladder to be present (I’ve even climbed up onto church roofs) to take a shot looking down on the group. In doing this you can fit a lot more people in and still remain quite close to the group (you end up with a shot of lots of faces in focus and less bodies). It also gives an interesting perspective to your shots - especially if you have a nice wide focal length.

10. Use a Tripod

There are a number of reasons why using a tripod when taking photographs of groups can be useful. Firstly a tripod communicates that you’re serious about what you’re doing and can help you get their attention (it’s amazing what a professional looking set up can make people do). Secondly it gives you as the photographer more freedom to be involved in the creation of the posing of your subjects. Set your camera up on your tripod so that’s ready to take the shot in terms of framing, settings and focus and then it will be ready at an instant when you get the group looking just right to capture the moment.

11. Use an Assistant

If you have a very large group and assistant can be very handy to get the group organized well.

An assistant is also incredibly handy if you are taking multiple group shots (like at a wedding when you’re photographing different configurations of a family). In these cases I often ask the couple to provide me with a family or friend member who has a running sheet of the different groups of people to be photographed. I then get this person to ensure we have everyone we need in each shot. Having a family member do this helps to make sure you don’t miss anyone out but also is good because the group is familiar with them and will generally respond well when they order them around.

12. Smile

Yes YOU should smile! There’s nothing worse than a grumpy stressed out photographer. Have fun and enjoy the process of getting your shots and you’ll find the group will too. I usually come home from a wedding which I’ve photographed with an incredibly sore jaw-line from all the smiling because I find the best way to get the couple and their family to relax and smile is to smile at them. It really does work.

PS:

One more quick tip. Get a little Creative. Check out the shot below which is one of the more unique group photos that I’ve ever seen!

Introduction to Filters for DSLRs

What filters should I buy for my DSLR lenses?

The ‘filter’ question is another of the common ones that I’m asked these days (along side the ‘which lens should I buy’ question. It’s a slightly tricky question because the answer will depend upon the type of photography that you do, the type of lenses that you have, your budget and your ability with and willingness to use a post production software tool like photoshop to get similar effects to those that the filters can give you.

I personally only use two types of filters - UV filters and Polarizing filters. However I know photographers who make strong cases for ND grad filters and neutral density filters also. Let’s briefly explore each and talk about why you might consider them.

Polarizing Filters

I’ve written a more extensive guide to Polarizing Filters previously so won’t completely rehash it here. Polarizing filters change the way that your camera sees and treats light. Particularly - when using one you’ll notice a change in how your camera sees reflections, glare and even some colors. Polarizing Filters can give you deep blue skies, help get rid of reflections on glass or water etc.

As a result they’re a great filter for landscape photographers or anyone shooting outdoors (I always take one when traveling). I have one for each of my walk-about type lenses (my 24-105mm and EF 17-40mm) but don’t have one for my telephoto lenses which I use more for sports.

UV Filters

The main reason that I buy UV filters the for all of my lenses is protection of the lenses. Lenses are not cheap and the thought of scratching or cracking the front glass element is enough to send shivers down most photographers backs. I’d rather have to replace a $50 filter than a $1500 lens any day. UV filters are also great at keeping salt spray, dust and grime off the front of your lens.

Those still using film cameras will find UV filters handy also for cutting back the ultraviolet light. However most digital cameras have the ability to cut down UV and Infrared light.

Just be aware when buying a UV filter (or an alternative for protection might be a skylight filter) that the quality varies. I tend to buy higher end professional filters for my higher end lenses.

ND Graduated Filters

If you’ve ever shot a landscape image with impressive cloud formations in it and have gotten the image home to your computer to be disappointed in how the sky has blown out and lost it’s detail through overexposure (while the rest of the shot is fine) you’ll be a candidate for a ND Grad filter.

These ’slot in’ filters look like a two tone filter in that the top half will look a little like sunglasses and the bottom half will look clear. The top half decreases the amount of light being let in (usually by 1, 2 or 3 ’stops’) while the bottom half lets the darker part of your scene to be exposed normally.

You usually can buy these filters in a set of three (at different stop levels) and can get the the ‘graduation’ between the two parts of the filter either as ’soft’ (the graduation is gentler) or ‘hard’ (where the graduation is more sudden).

Lastly - ND Graduation Filters are a ’slot in’ filter and you need to buy an attachment to put on the end of your lens that holds them in place.

As I’ve said above - I don’t use ND Grad filters - but they will be something to consider for landscape photographers.

Neutral Density Filters

I have had very little experience with Neutral Density lenses but do have one friend who swears by them. He shoots a lot in his beautiful garden and his goal is to get a well exposed flower with a nice blurry background. As a result he has to shoot at very large Apertures (to get the blur). The problem he faces is that on a bright sunny day this can lead to over exposed shots.

The solution is a Neutral Density Filter which cuts down the light getting into your camera. You can buy them at different levels (ie 1 stop, 2 stops, 3 stops etc).

This type of filter is useful in any setting where you want to use larger Apertures and/or slow shutter speeds in bright conditions.

One work-around that you might try in an emergency is to simply use a polarizing filter in such conditions as they also cut out light getting into your lens in a similar way. Keep in mind though that they also could impact other aspects of the shot (reflections, color etc).

Depth of Field Preview

Depth of Field Preview

One feature that I find may DSLR owners (and some point and shoot owners) have on their cameras that they fail to know about (and/or utilize) is Depth of Field Preview.

I know it’s under utilized - because I constantly forget that it’s in my toolbox of camera features myself.

On many DLSRs the depth of field button is located on the front of your camera, right where your left hand will rest when holding your camera, next to the lens.

Pressing this button will tell the camera to set the aperture at the selected level, allowing you to see what the shot will look like in the view finder - particularly the depth of field. This enables you to see how much of your image is in focus sharply.

I’ve ‘rediscovered’ this function in the last few weeks (I always knew it was there but got out of the habit of using it) and have found it quite helpful - particularly when shooting in Aperture Priority mode (when I’m constantly changing apertures).

Of course in digital photography it doesn’t take a lot to access DOF by actually taking the shot and assessing it in review mode on the camera’s LCD - but sometimes it’s easier to do it before taking the shot.

Depth of Field Preview works best in bright conditions - but in low light situations you’ll find that using it might make the viewfinder too dark for it to be much use.

If your camera has depth of field preview make a conscious effort to use it this week and see if it enhances your photography.