photo credit - craig42k (that's me)
The Photography Lesson
Jon Washburn helped me with some photography last week at Pat Kennedy's house. Pat Kennedy hosted the DC area Active Rain gathering while Jon was in town for his presentation to NAR. In a conversation about Social Media, I explained I'm following Teresa Boardman, Kristal Kraft and Chris Griffith on Flickr, whose photography I enjoy, admire and try to emulate.
We took two photos where the Sake was the subject. In both pictures, we turned the flash off, positioned the camera on the table and set the timer. The photo above is the 2nd one.
The difference between the two though was Jon had me move the Sake closer to the camera in the second photo. He also had me raise the camera how I wanted, by using the ring from the Sake cap, and position the candle so we could get a reflection in the Sake.
Jon explained natural lighting and lens are very important in capturing depth photography. The larger the maximum aperture (size of the hole), the more light the lens will allow in, the more natural or real the photo will look. I thought that was very thoughtful of him to share his experience with me.
Subtle Change, Dramatic Difference
Here are the two photos side-by-side. While the lesson was brief, it was not short on usefulness, it was fairly comprehensive. You can see the reflection of the candlelight in the second photo. The color of the shrimp is also brought out and the reflection from the blue plate is caught from the glass table.
Are there any other differences that you see?
Photography 101
I realize some of these techniques are probably photography 101, I thought I'd share my experience and what I learned. Even though my hardware is old and limited and really don't know what I'm doing, I had a blast doing this and thought the outcome was pretty darn cool.
Do you have some photography tricks, thoughts, ideas or experience you'd like to share?
Natural lighting just before sunset with long strong sun and its shadows can make dramatic image taking too!
Taking pictures of homes with lots of glass and all of the lights turned on at night from the outside can give you a dramatic presentation.
In the summer 5pm is known as the golden hour. That is when the sun is low and colors are more vibrant than at noon where colors are often washed out.
Not much of a photographer....but my computer does some nice things once I have the picture.
Love the pictures and seeing the huge difference the adjustments made. You also moved the sake closer to the dish of shrimp, the overall composition is much nicer.
Very interesting! Will try this myself...thanks for sharing.
Craig, it was really fun watching you and Jon taking these! Cool looking sake!
Craig - this is great to see the end result! I was wondering how those pictures turned out!
You did post it for us to see.... YAY!!!! Congratulations on GREAT results. Seeing the results of your efforts and listening to the conversation about it while in progress... I might have to try some fancy photography myself. Very very neat.
Craig: What a super post. Lots of stuff to learn. Your results were really great, and you explained what you did really well. Thanks for sharing.
Craig, thanks for sharing - it is definitely a moe interesting pic that way. I have been taking pics just as the sun sets, with the windows open - they really do come out better, both outside and in. I learned this one day when I was running late and got there about 5:00 pm.
Craig - Photography is not my speciality, so anytime I can read a bit on some tips or tricks, I run to them (and yes, I look through Teresa's photos as much as possible...she's a genius with it). Glad to hear you learned something new and thanks for sharing!
Hi Craig;
I thank you for sharing great information. Good to know!
Craig,
That's something I have never thought about before. I love the things I learn on active rain!
Craig, this is a great lesson on photos, light and positioning. I particularly like the fact that it included simple things versus expensive equipment. Keep on shooting ... it looks great.
Yes, candlelight and dim light make a difference. Depends on the mood you are trying to present.
Thanks...I love this!
Great post....thanks for sharing.....it is amazing what I do not know that I need to know.....a professional photography class is on my list.
Photography is something I could lose myself in, that is, having so much fun with. I loved the regular old black and white film and developing them myself. The experimentations are limitless, nad insightful.
Cool. The colors on the flowers pop just a little better and the picture with the candle is sharp. Looks good. Thanks for the post.
Love the advise.... Now, I really want to know how to take pictures when it's brighter outside... HELP!!
BTW, I want to commend you all for showing up at Pat's house... You would not want president Obama to reprimand the DC guys for being wimps... ;-) BRAVO, I say!
Great advice I will keep this in mind on my next shoot. I have a new listing to photograph on Tue. Thanks
Great tips here! Lighting always fascinates me...sounds like you had a party of STARS at the DC AR gathering.
Hi Craig...Well, now I'm feeling even worse. I was planning to be at Pat's that evening.
I would have gotten to watch you taking your lesson. You make a good student. The second shot has a more golden cast to it and I like the fact that the bottle is hidden more as it is not as distracting. The contrast is also better.
Like you I am an admirer of Theresa Boardman and Kristal Kraft. Thanks for mentioning Chris Griffith. I will be sure to take a look.
Kate
P.S. I had seen the photo Margaret took in her post so thanks for showing us the results.
For someone like myself who knows nothing about photography I appreciate your experiences!
Although I miss my old 35mm camera and developing my own black and white photos, I love what we can do with our digital cameras....and the fact that we see our results immediately. Thanks for sharing your experience with candlelight....sounds like you had a great time plus you created a great photograph! Keep it up and keep sharing!
Craig- thank you for letting us be a part of your photography experience. It sounds like you had a blast!
A picture is better than a thousand words. Thanks for the words and the great photos!
I never thought about this before you mentioned it. Thanks for sharing your tips with us here...
Thanks for sharing the tips with those of us who are photographically challenged!
Thanks so much for sharing. I have learned more about what not to do when it comes to photography than what to do . Nobody told me that when I became a realtor, I would be to phtographer as well. I love to take pictures, but they don't always love me.
I love the way your candle lilt photo turned out. It is very warm and inviting.
Nice effect! Thanks for sharing your technique.
WoW.. this is very interesting.. Thanks for sharing your experiment
very simple (and common) but when taking room photos, do not point the camera towards the window. instead auto focus on a darker spot (like the floor) then back to your room to take the photo. comes out much brighter
Playing with aperture and shutter speed and trying to avoid flash will revolutionize your photography. Oh, and so will using a tripod and timer. Great post!
Dear Craig,
Thanks for sharing! I love the way candlelight makes a room look! Now, I have seen the effects in your photos. The first was not really appealing. The second one made me want to be there!
Craig, this is a very dramatic difference. I love the idea of the candle light and will try this myself. Placing the camera on the table was a great idea too. I guess with the apature being open for a longer time you would have the possibility of blurring? Lovely photo!
Later in the rain~Deb
Thanks for sharing.. I never get compliments on my pictures so maybe I'll try this trick...
Craig I honestly never knew this type of technique existed. Very neat and thanks for posting it. Take care and happy blogging!
wow! that is great! Thank you for sharing. It is endless what you learn here!
Great photo tip! I know a little about light and how it changes pictures but have never used candlelight. Thanks!
Craig, Photo #2 is a definite improvement. I haven't tried photographing by candlelight, but now I will. Have you ever tried HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography, where you take photos at different F stops and then use a software program to combine the images to get the best aspects of all three exposures? It would bring out the details of plant that is largely a dark shadow now and make the image look almost 3-D. I learned about it on AR through Margaret Hokkanen, the founder of the HDR group on AR, and it has given me a competitive edge in my real estate business.
You are learning that is what is important. Thanks for sharing.
Ah Craig, I finally understood that I'm a realtor and a blogger. Now a photographer too??? Just kidding. The difference really is dramatic. Question. You said your camera is old. It looks like a digital NO?
Craig, thanks for sharing. Photography 101 is what we need.
Craig - It is amazing how much difference can be made by adjusting a few minor details. As several people mentioned, capturing a house at dusk (or sunrise) can really yield some great results.
I love transforming pictures. Sometimes I take photos and distort them to get ideas to paint on canvas. It helps me to paint more primitive and not be exact all the time.
Very clever.... Pictures sell. More candle power...
Craig: Thanks for the photography lesson! I love taking pictures and I have a pretty artistic eye, but I don't really know much about technique, so I really enjoyed learning from your post.
Have a great day,
Anne Rains
Is there anything Jon Washburn doesn't know ? It may be simple but I learned so much for this post.
Thanks for the tip here, Craig. Aside from photographing houses I like to dabble in it on the side.
Who would have thought that simple change would make such a big difference? I"m so glad you shared this with all of us. I'm with many others that have commented so far...lacking in photography skills :) Ditto to Missy Caulks comment...is there anything Jon doesn't know?
Nice...I love taking candlelight pictures too! And table top pics as I call them(where you have your camera on the table, as you did above). They're super sneaky cause usually you get some great candid shots of friends and fam.
Craig ~ The photo looks great, and so does the shrimp and sake! I'll bet it was a fun party at Pat's house!
All - Thank you for sharing your tips and experiences. I think we all benefit from it.
Pat, Margaret and James - Isn't it cool?!? Man, that was off-the-hook fun!
Herb and Virginia - I didn't know that. I had always assumed the brightest part of the day was best. 5pm, here I come.
Matt - No doubt Teresa is brilliant with photography. You should check out Kristal's and Chris's photographs. You know I am always happy to share what I learn.
Jennifer - Cool tip! I get it.
Gail - I've heard of HDR, but haven't explored it. Thanks for pointing out the HDR group.
Connie - It is a digital camera, but it's almost 5 years old.
Deb - Placing the camera on the table and setting the timer mitigates the risk of blurring.
Michael - Hey, that's pretty cool.
Missy - No kidding, it seemed we talked about everything... you name it. I found Jon to be very interesting, plus he's a runner! He didn't bring his running stuff, otherwise I'd have met him downtown to go for a run and we'd have some running photos too.
and Elizabeth - I'm right there with ya.
Great Photo example. Thanks for posting!
Craig,
Nice....I need some photography lessons--it's on my "to do list". Amazing what small changes can do for a photo.
For us who have not taken photography 101 this was great info! I appreciate the tip.
Hi Michael! - Long time no see? Haha. I bet the coastal sun sets and the light displayed is off-the-hook!
Just after the golden hour, try holding your camera into the brightest part of the sky then push the shutter button down half way and don't let go. Now compose your shot, still holding it half way and now press it the rest of the way down.
If it is the right time you will get dramatic color in the sky. If you had something cool, like a catus, in the forground, then your photo will not just be all sky.
Michael Provost
www.Picbug.net
http://www.picbug.net
PS I have a sunset shot on my site, I was trying to make it show up here. If anyone knows how to insert a photo in this blog let me know.
Hey Michael, You've got some great shots on your site! I don't think you can insert a photo, but I will gladly do that for you and include a click through to your site. Email me the photo craigwbarrett at gmail dot com.
Thanks for sharing the photography tips! I will have to try them out.
Craig, Great post. The adjustments mean everything in photography. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day Barbara