Photo Exploring Photography techniques, tips & tricks by Better Moments

PHOTO EXPLORING Anders Espersen Marlow

BOOKS 1

Photo: Peter Fauland

WELCOME

What drives us to get up early in the morning to catch the first light, explore the back alleys of a passage walkway, climb the hill for the best view or stay out late long after everyone else has gone to bed? Regardless our difference in backgrounds, we as photographers are all driven by the same passion to capture good, meaningful and captivating images and in that process we are constantly striving to improve and learn new techniques so that we can take even better pictures the next time we get up early in the morning. Over the next few pages we aim to give you a few pointers, techniques and rules to remember when you are out shooting the next time. It´s our way of saying Thank You for booking a tour with Better Moments Photo Exploring and at the same time prepare you for your experience with us. We are looking very much forward to welcoming you soon. Anders Espersen Marlow Director

A BETTER MOMENTS BOOK TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ANDERS ESPERSEN MARLOW UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED LAYOUT: KNUD WEST, LAYOUTWEST BETTER-MOMENTS.COM PHOTOEXPLORING.COM FRONT COVER PHOTO: JEAN-SEBASTIÉN POIRIER

CONTENT

Equipment & Clothing:

Basic rules of composition

Working with people/Street photography

Photographing in busy places

20 Architecture 24

Long exposure

Taking panoramic photographs

Shooting in Manual mode

Understanding and shooting in RAW format

Your Better Moments Photo Exploring Experience

Additional tips and tricks

EQUIPMENT & CLOTHING

CAMERA The camera systems on today´s market are many and varies in quality, price and functionality but in reality - and as an old saying goes the best camera you can bring is the one you have on you. Choosing one system over another can be a lengthy process - and one that is outside the scope of this e-book - but something that your personal guide will be gladly to talk to you about for good advice.

To have full control of your exposure we do however recommend a camera system which is capable of Manual mode as some scenes could require you to get off the Auto settings for correct exposure. Having full control of the relationship between Aperture, Shutter speed and ISO is also something your guide will help you with on the tour. That said you can obtain quite amazing images from a smart phone when applying the right technique and settings.

LENSES Photographing the city often presents you with a variety of different scenarios and it can be difficult to plan what you are going to encounter. If you are planning for a day out doing street photography a short telephoto lens in the range of 50-100mm may be best choice but if you are aiming to shoot sceneries and cityscapes a wider choice of lens may be the best option such as in the range of 20-35 mm. Choosing a good quality zoom lens such as for

example 28-70mm would be a good walk-around lens and enable you to quickly compose a scene without too much hassle. CAMERA BAG We recommend carrying a relatively small backpack- or messenger style bag packed with only the essentials for the tour. A couple of lenses, extra batteries, cleaning cloth etc. As you will be carrying the equipment with you all the time think of the weight and distribution of the contents. Using a backpack keeps your hands free to operate the camera if a sudden photo opportunity arises. Although most people are honest by nature and we want to believe in the best in people - never leave your bag behind or unattended. I may not be there when you turn around. TRIPOD We do not use or recommend bringing a tripod for any of our daytime tours as we will be busy enough photographing and exploring. The evening tour is a completely different matter though, where it is required to bring a tripod as we are concentrating on long exposures of the city lights, buildings and moving cars. Finding the right tripod is a compromise between weight, height and stability. You do not want a tripod that is too heavy to carry but you do not want a tripod which is flimsy either. Carbon fibre tripods are light weight but often expensive so aluminium tripods can be a perfectly good alternative. Choose a tripod with a good height (preferably chest height or higher) and sturdy legs fitted with a ballhead which is

easy to operate. Finally the size and weight of the tripod depends on the camera it needs to support. If in doubt ask your local dealer for advice and show them your camera so they can help you find the best match. REMOTE EXPOSE TRIGGER For the evening tour it is also recommended to use a remote release cable or expose trigger which fits your camera. Vibration is the killer of any good long exposure shot so the best thing you can do is not to touch the camera at- and under the time of the exposure. If you do not have a remote release cable you can use the self-timer setting of the camera to achieve the same result. CLOTHING It can be said relatively simple. Wear appropriate and comfortable clothing according to the local weather conditions. You will be on your feet for 3 hours or longer, carrying your equipment through the city so wear comfortable and practical shoes. Although none of our Photo Exploring tours are neither strenuous or exhausting we do cover a lot of different ground and changing surfaces. If it rains make sure to bring an umbrella large enough to protect not only yourself but more importantly your camera equipment from the elements. Tours are not cancelled due to weather as some of the most interesting images can appear right in front of you when the elements are the most challenging. That´s what drives us to make better photography! On that note an umbrella can also be a good shelter against the wind if you are shooting on a tripod.

BASIC RULES OF COMPOSITION The classic rules of composition can be described as 4 individual principles but therein also lie rules for color as a compositional element. Using contrast, complementary and supplementary colors can all add to the composition.

RULE OF THIRDS This most known compositional rule states that the frame can be divided into 9 equally sized sections. The idea here is to place points of interest in the image in the intersections or along the lines to create a more balanced image or to lead the viewers eyes to certain areas of the image.

GOLDEN TRIANGLE In this rule the frame is divided into triangles with diagonals across the composition. Placing points of interest along the diagonals and in the intersecting lines should create a balanced structure and sense of stability. LEADING LINES You will find leading lines everywhere in nature and modern society. Naturally occurring leading lines could be walkways, roads, rivers, bridges, boardwalks, doorways, buildings, rocks etc. even rays of sunlight. Placing these leading lines in the image and applying one of the methods described above will help the viewer focus on a specific point of interest. This could be a gravel road leading up to a house or a river leading up to a famous landmark building and so on.

GOLDEN SECTION Just as with the rule of thirds the frame is also split into 9 sections but here these sections are not equal in size. The middle section of the frame is half the size as the upper and lower sections. The idea is to place the essential subject in the middle “sweet spot” section for a stronger composition.

GOLDEN SPIRAL The golden spiral, also known as the Fibonacci spiral or Golden ratio, is rooted in an ancient formula and is said to have the perfect combination of harmony and balance. The golden ratio is found everywhere in nature. By using the golden spiral as a compositional rule the idea is that you are creating an image that can naturally attract the viewer by creating a strong composition. To do this you are placing the subject of interest on the smallest box of the spiral and placing other prominent areas along the curve. As you gain more experience in composing your images, these rules become a more natural part of your photography to the point where you stop thinking about them. And as with every rule, they can be broken, and sometimes should be, as not every rule applies to every situation.

The most important thing is that you are having fun taking pictures and don’t overthink each situation. Learn from your experiences.

WORKING WITH PEOPLE /STREET PHOTOGRAPHY Street photography can be a challenging genre to endeavour into especially the first many times you attempt to get close to people you do not know in order to take their photograph. However, crossing that comfort zone it is to get close with your camera - instead of using a long telephoto lens - is a very rewarding feeling afterwards when you see your photos.

If you are not comfortable at first in approaching people, you can start with taking pictures of street artists or others who are performing for money and who are used to having their picture taken. However, before you start to shoot, drop a couple of bucks into their hat and make sure they notice. Now you can shoot away and take your time. Shoot from different angles and play with the light. Always pay attention and be respectful to people. If they don’t want their picture taken simply move on to another subject and chances are you will find someone better to photograph. The best street photography portraits are those where you have a natural interaction with the subject. “Sniperstyle” images will lack the connection and intimacy required for a great photograph. Make eye contact with your subject and let them know you want to take their picture. You’ll see - most people will not have a problem with this as long as you clearly state your intentions.

Photo Marvin Girbig, Berlin

Photo Lars Elmo, Rome

As you progress, you can start using objects, geometric shapes and other people in the scene - all to create a dynamic and decisive moment in time. Use light and shadows to create drama and specific points of interest in your images to draw the viewer in. Most importantly, there is no “right” way of photographing people in the streets. Take your time, walk around, get lost, talk to people and experiment. I will all be a rewarding experience for you.

Photo Lars Elmo, Copenhagen

Photo Marvin Girbig, Berlin

PHOTOGRAPHING IN BUSY PLACES When you are visiting a city or a location during the tourist season it can sometimes be difficult to get a clear shot of that famous landmark you just wanted to capture.

Luckily there are techniques we can use to help us get the right image and to shoot pictures which are not just “point and shoot”. It often requires a lot of patience to wait for the right moment where there are no people in front of your camera or where there are people otherwise interacting in your scene in an unwanted manner. But patience is our best friend in photography. Take your time and wait. Other people are usually busy and will be moving along shortly. When we photograph the cityscapes and landmarks in a city we are always looking for a different angle and perspective than what everyone else is doing. This is your chance to also steer clear of the masses, finding an angle and maybe even incorporate people into your scene. Use people moving in opposite directions, coming out of a doorway, entering a courtyard and so on. Sometimes a scene is actually more appealing with something to break the monotony. Lastly, simply ask people to wait for a second. Most people will understand that you are in the middle of taking a picture and will respect this. A couple of other techniques you can use are of a bit more technical nature and would require for you to use a tripod. - Use long exposures to “wash” out people in the scene. If the exposure is long enough this can completely remove any moving objects in the image. In daylight this would in most cases also require the use of a Neutral Density filter.

Photo Iordan Hristov, Sofia

If you are savvy in image editing, doing multiple exposures with people in different positions between the captures, you can do a series of images and combine these images together and thereby eliminating any people in the scene. Your photography guide will help you understand these methods even better on your tour.

ARCHITECTURE You are likely to encounter interesting architecture on any and all of our Photo Exploring tours. Some of our tours are even specifically designed to concentrate on both modern and historic architecture.

Photo: Peter Fauland, Berlin

Photo Iordan Hristov, Sofia

When photographing buildings and other architectural objects the composition is very important. Think back on the chapter on “Basic rules of composition“ on page 8 and experiment with the “rule of thirds” or “golden triangle” rules when making the composition. Especially with modern architecture where you typically find a lot of straight lines, sharp edges and geometry, using leading lines is your friend in composition. Carefully think about how you place corners of buildings in the frame and avoid using extreme wide angle lenses as these will typically distort the proportions of the building.

Also consider excluding intrusive and disturbing objects from your composition such as lamp posts, cars, masts etc. and pay careful attention to objects in the background. Is there another building rising up from behind which could maybe be hidden by moving a few steps to one side? Shooting architecture can be a rather rewarding experience and is one you can typically practice in all weather conditions as there are many options to create powerful and dramatic images - even on a cloudy or rainy day. Think of a gloomy black and white image telling an interesting story instead of an image captured in the harsh noon sunlight.

LONG EXPOSURE As described earlier, long exposure photography would usually require the use of a tripod to avoid any unwanted vibration or image blur in the scene.

In landscape photography a long exposure can be used to blur the movement of the sky, blur motion in a waterfall or seascape etc. In the urban- and city scape scene we furthermore use long exposures to photograph the city in the twilight- and late evening hours and to and capture the atmosphere created by the oncoming city lights. Using a long exposure also helps in creating a “smooth” ambient

atmosphere as we attempt to blur out ripples in the water of the canals or harbour front, create light trails from moving cars, capture ghost trails from pedestrians and of course expose the lights from windows, store fronts and street lights.

typical late evening exposure could look like this: 15 seconds, f:8, 100 ISO. Using a sturdy tripod is essential as vibrations from passing cars, pedestrians or even the wind can have an influence on the final result.

Typically we would want to use an exposure time of anything from 3-4 seconds to sometimes several minutes. There is no single recipe for this as each scene will need an assessment of the exposure, but a

On any of our City Lights tours your personal photography guide will make sure to explain everything in detail and assist you with the correct exposure settings to each individual scene you come across.

TAKING PANORAMIC PHOTOGRAPHS

Have you ever wondered about those wide panoramic images and how they were captured when you personally don’t seem to be able to fit the entire scene in your camera? The trick to this is relatively easy but the method itself to create the images does require a little bit of technique and accuracy. Take the view of Copenhagen as seen from top of the “Church of our Saviour”. The view is not only enormously breath taking but also

incredibly widespread and no wideangle lens will be able to fit the entire view. Only a few years back capturing a panoramic image was a very technical task and required speciality tools and software to accomplish. However, as software has become more powerful and cameras easy to handle - this has become a doable task for anyone. First of all it is important to set the camera to a manual exposure (see

the next chapter on this topic) to avoid any changes in exposure during the captures. It is also advisable to set the white balance to daylight as opposed to using the AWB (Auto White Balance) setting as this could easily change during the exposures. Next, use a relatively wide angle lens- or zoom setting and turn your camera to portrait mode.Then simply, starting from one side, take a range of images with about 1/4 - 1/3 overlap and move steadily in the direction you want to capture. It is

important also to use a relatively fast shutter speed to avoid motion blur and artefacts. Now, some cameras actually have a built-in Panorama feature, but to obtain the best in quality and resolution you should capture in the highest setting or RAW (see chapter on RAW) The next step does require processing software and there are many options out there, but Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Lightroom,

which are industry standard applications, has a built in feature which is very powerful and easy to use. It intelligently evaluates each individual image and modifies the perspective to fit all the images into a final assembled panoramic image. It is simply a powerful way to capture the whole experience of what you are seeing but which cannot be captured in a single frame in your camera. Try it out or ask your guide for more detailed information!

SHOOTING IN MANUAL MODE

Get off Auto! This could really be the title of this chapter but we also understand the convenience of automatic settings on the camera in many situations. Especially if you are shooting in a scene where the light may suddenly change or you need to act fast to get the shot. But it also means that when you are in auto mode you have either none, or at least very little control over what your camera is actually doing when you press the shutter release button. Setting your camera in manual mode naturally requires you to understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings and how they affect the exposure of your image. This may be a little intimidating at first but understanding these vital parameters is guaranteed to elevate your photography. The illustration below, also called the “Exposure Triangle” will help you understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings:

APERTURE: Aperture refers to the size of the hole in the lens in which the light comes through onto the camera sensor. The aperture setting is referred to as f-stop value and a wider aperture allow in more light and therefore a brighter image. The aperture scale can get at little tricky to understand as a smaller f-stop value represents more light and a higher f-stop value equals less light.

Each full f-stop as shown below equals 1 EV (Exposure Value) which again means the double or half the amount of light. The aperture also controls the depth of field in your image. This refers to how much in your scene will appear to be in focus. A narrow aperture then means a deeper depth of field whereas a wider aperture gives us a shallower depth of field. So to summarize, f/16 as an example, is a narrow aperture setting and will let in less light but gives you a deeper depth of field. SHUTTER SPEED: Just as with the aperture setting the shutter speed also controls the amount of light allowed onto the camera sensor. Again this is measured in full f-stops but as with the aperture it can - and often is - set in smaller incremental steps, typically 1/3 or 1/4 stops. Faster shutter speeds (indicated in fractions) such as 1/250 second will allow less light through the lens and slower shutter speeds such as 1/4 second will allow for more light to come through. Typically for handheld operations of your camera you would be in the 1/30 - 1/500 range as increasing the shutter speed is

prone to camera shakes and vibration and would require using a tripod. From this we can conclude that faster shutter speeds will help freeze motion and longer shutter speeds will help capture low light situations and/or create motion blur. ISO ISO is the description of your cameras sensitivity to light. The higher the number the brighter the image will be. The ISO scale is easy to relate to as each doubling of the number equals 1 full stop, or 1 EV (50, 100, 200, 400, 800 etc). It is worth noting that any camera has what is referred to as “native” ISO. This means that this is the ISO setting where the camera performs as its best in terms of image quality. It is so, that the higher the ISO setting is the more noise you will inadvertently add to the image. So using the ISO setting is an evaluation of the scene. If you are shooting moving people in a scarcely lit room you would use a high ISO to freeze the motion, but with added noise as a compromise. If you were to shoot a night scene on tripod, you would use a low ISO but a longer exposure time as this would not add noticeable noise to the image. So the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO are important and changing one of these will require you to change one of the others in order to maintain the same exposure, i.e. if you want a narrower depth of field you lower the aperture setting (remember, higher number=less light) -1 f-stop and increase either the shutter speed or ISO value equally with +1 f-stop.

Photo Peter Fauland, Berlin

UNDERSTANDING AND SHOOTING IN RAW FORMAT

The most commonly known file types are without a doubt JPG and TIF. JPG is supported by all cameras and is the “go to” format for instant images out of the camera and for sharing with friends and family. However the “problem” with JPG is that whatever settings the camera had at the time of capture, these settings are “baked” into the JPG file and cannot be changed. This means that if your camera is set to an incorrect white balance setting or if the AUTO white balance setting of

your camera was incorrectly applied this will reflect in your final image and cannot be changed. Likewise an under exposed image would be difficult to rescue without substantial loss of image quality. At the same time JPG is a compressed format which essentially means that you are missing out important image data in your image potentially resulting in lower resolution, artefacts and loss of correct colour rendition. Most modern camera systems support a RAW format. Usually you

set this in the menu of your camera and often you can actually choose to capture the images in both RAW and a JPG version. This would enable you to have instant images from your camera for viewing and sharing and a high quality image for later editing. Understanding the RAW format of your camera can be intimidating at first and it does require some insights in image processing. The advantages of shooting in the camera manufacturers proprietary RAW format however are many and highly beneficial for ALL your images.

Working with RAW files require you to use a RAW converter software, either the manufacturers own software or something like Adobe Lightroom, Capture One or similar. Unlike JPG and TIF you are able to adjust and control the output of your RAW files indefinitely. You can adjust white balance, contrast, shadows, highlights, individual colours and a whole range of other image parameters - and you do this without altering the raw data of the image file in any way. Essentially this means

that you have much more control of your final image and you will be getting the best possible image quality out of your camera. Therefore we highly recommend shooting in RAW. If you have any questions regarding this, please ask your guide and he/she will help you with a better insight in this.

photo Jean-Sebastién Poirier, Paris

Photo Eva-Lotta Jansson, Stockholm

YOUR BETTER MOMENTS PHOTO EXPLORING EXPERIENCE

Here at Better Moments Photo Exploring we are all driven by the same thing - the love for photography in all its different aspects. The curiosity and interest in exploring and getting lost in the photography. The pursuit of taking the right picture at the right time and the passion and drive to pursue this quest and keep pushing it forward to steady improvement and perhaps some day even perfection! We have built Photo Exploring on the idea of sharing the sites and hidden gems of our cities as well as our accumulated knowledge in photography with you as our special guest. Our photography guides are local working professionals who all carry the same passion for sharing their experiences and knowledge with you.

As much as each of our guides are professionals in their own right we of course make sure that each photographer is trained and certified to our high standards of professionalism and service standards - which again means that no matter where you go and who your guide will be - you are guaranteed a stellar experience with us. Our personal guides are always happy to educate, assist, help and advise you with anything pertaining to the tour or otherwise. If you have any questions prior or after the tour, please do not hesitate to ask us.

HAPPY SHOOTING WITH US.

ADDITIONAL TIPS AND TRICKS

STAY HYDRATED: Be sure to bring a bottle of water or something else to drink along the way. We may not always be just in the area of a convenient store and staying hydrated is important for us all - especially during the summer period. ENERGY: Bring a small snack for the tour. A bag of nuts, a candy or granola bar or something else to just keep your blood sugar up if you feel a little low on energy after walking through the city. BATTERIES: Always make sure to have a spare battery with you. There is nothing more frustrating than running low on battery as you are preparing for your shoot - and you may never come back to that spot again. BATTERIES: A simple yet effective method to see which of your batteries are charged and which are depleted is to use coloured rubber bands, such as green and red for example. BATTERIES: If it is really cold outside make sure to keep the batteries in an inside pocket of your jacket, close to your body. This way the batteries stay fully charged and ready to use. An ice cold battery is almost guaranteed the same as an empty battery! MEMORY CARDS: Another obvious yet important piece of advice is to bring an extra memory card for your camera. Just as frustrating as running low on battery it is to run out of space on your memory card. Save yourself the frustration of having to delete old images in the middle of a shoot and simply bring an extra card. LOCATION NOTES: It can be a good idea to take notes of the sites you are exploring. We cover many and diverse locations on a tour so it can be hard to remember what we saw and photographed. You can use something as simple as a pen and paper or use the tool you most likely already have on you - your smartphone. There are several location scouting apps available. A popular one is called MapAPic Location Scout for the iPhone. LENS HOOD: Always use the lens hood on your camera if you have it. Not only does is prevent direct sunlight and thereby flare in your image but it also protects your lens from nicks and scratches if you accidentally bump into something.

Photo Peter Fauland, Berlin

BOOKS