Table of Contents 4. Define pattern 9. When contrast is good 15. Photography quiz 16. Pan-blurs
19. Jim’s eBooks
22. What's wrong with this picture?
25. Short and sweet
27. Ask Jim
28. Photography tours 30. Student Showcase 36. Past issues 44. Subject index
On the cover: The dramatic Tianzi Mountains in China. This page: A crested caracara in flight photographed during Jim's Texas Birds Workshop.
Gratitude is one of the keys to being a happy person, so I try to be grateful all the time. One of the things I'm continually grateful for is that I've lived long enough to embrace and enjoy the remarkable creative tools we now have in photography. When I bought my first camera in 1968, a Canon FT QL, it was lightyears ahead of taking pictures with glass plates and developing the black & white emulsions in a covered wagon like Edward Curtis used to do as he photographed the American West around the turn of the last century. Imagine dealing with the dust!
Yet, my new single lens reflex Canon didn't even have open aperture metering, an innovation that came about in the 70's. In other words, when I'd manually close the lens down, the viewfinder became darker because less light was entering the camera. Most young photographers don't know that was a problem back in the day. My first Canon also didn't have autofocus, automatic film advance and zone metering. Although zoom lenses had recently been introduced, they weren't nearly as sharp as prime lenses.
Fast forward to today and, compared to yesteryear, it's simply astonishing what we have at our creative fingertips: eye-tracking autofocus, HDR, focus stacking, Photoshop, the remarkable plugins by Topaz AI software, phenomenal printing technology, super fast frame rates, ISO settings that go to dizzying heights (some of the early glass plate coatings had an ISO of 6), remarkably accurate built-in exposure meters, stitched panoramas, and more. I wouldn't have wanted to miss this for anything. Most likely in 50 or 100 years future photographers will think of the 2020's as a bunch of old fashioned people using horribly outdated equipment similar to how we look at film photography today. Imagine having to wait to see your pictures because the film has to be developed!
But we are living through this time, not the past, and it's definitely an exciting time to be a photographer.
Jim Zuckerman
photos@jimzuckerman.com
www.jimzuckerman.com
DEFINE PATTERN
Photoshop has a lot of capabilities that most people don't know about or use. One of these interesting techniques worth exploring and experimenting with is Define Pattern. It is found under the Edit pulldown menu tab.
The two images below illustrate what Define Pattern can do. The original on the left is a portrait I took in Morocco. The young girl was in the frame of a doorway, and the interior of her home became completely underexposed because my light reading was on her much brighter face.
To create the unique pattern behind her, I selected the rectangular marquee tool and made a narrow horizontal selection of the fabric on the front of her garment. I then copied that to the clipboard, Photoshop's (invisible) place for holding a photo or part of a photo, with Edit > Define pattern. I then deselected the selection using Select > deselect.
I now used the magic wand tool to select the dark background behind the young girl and
then saved the selection with Select > save selection.
The command that creates the pattern behind the subject is Edit > fill. With the dark background still selected, Photoshop creates a pattern based on the portion of the fabric selected and then places that pattern within the selection, i.e. the dark background in this example.
When you choose Edit > fill, a dialog box opens (shown at right). If you click the small down arrow to the right of 'Custom Pattern' (red arrow), you will be shown all of the selections you made that are destined to become patterns. Choose the one you want (it will be the last one in the list). In addition, the 'Contents' field (green arrow) must show Pattern. When you click OK, Photoshop creates a pattern into the area behind the subject you've selected.
The design of the pattern is entirely based on the type of selection you made. In the case of the Moroccan model, the section was of fabric. A larger selection of a different area of the garment, or if the selection were a vertical rectangle instead of a horizontal one, that would produce a very different pattern design.
The image of King Tut's famous gold mask I photographed in the Cairo Museum, Egypt, on the previous page has a pattern in the background based on using the rectangular marquee to define the portion of the mask used for this pattern. However, I took artistic license and abstracted the pattern by choosing the command, Filter > distort > polar coordinates.
Once you have a pattern behind a subject, you can embellish it a number of ways. For example, behind the mirrored image of a Venetian carnival participant, below left, you can see the original pattern. I made a vertical rectangular selection from the center of the costume just below the hands, and define pattern created a striking pattern.
Then, I used Filter > distort > spherize. This
was applied only to the background, which was still selected. This created the background shown in the lower right image.
I followed this by applying, again to the same background, Filter > distort > wave shown on the next page. In the wave dialog box, there are a number of parameters, and by experimenting with them you can come up with some amazing designs, all based on the original define pattern effect.
The beauty of this technique is the background is made up of the identical colors as the subject, and therefore it's always complementary. The types of backgrounds you can create are truly endless because they are based on the original selection, which can be so varied, and then in post there are many more variables. §
Winter Wildlife Workshop
February 6 - 11, 2025y 13 - 22024
When Contrast is Good
Many articles have been written about contrast as it pertains to photographic images. The articles I've written myself universally describes contrast as a negative and as something to avoid. In fact, HDR was a huge innovation in photography because it was specifically designed to mitigate contrast in pictures. In other words, it reduces overexposure in the highlights and increases the brightness level in the shadows so we can see and appreciate more detail in our images. This is what burning and dodging was all about in the darkroom going back to the 1800s.
Photography has always been about revealing as much detail as possible, and that usually means overcoming contrast. For example, the incredible interior of the Sienna Cathedral in Tuscany at right, the image is vastly improved because we can see well exposed detail in the bright stained glass windows as well as in the deep shadows. I was able to reveal good detail throughout the entire image because I shot this with a 7-frame HDR composite.
In art, there are very few, if any, absolutes. As much as contrast degrades many types of images, sometimes that same contrast -- the huge discrepancy beween highlights and shadows in an image -- can be used creatively and to your advantage in capturing beautiful pictures.
The first type of image that comes to mind are silhouettes. As you can see on the following page, each example shows the subject to be very
dark or black with virtually no detail at all. The background, though, is several f/stops lighter. This is the definition of a silhouette, and this is a perfect example of where contrast is needed to make a strong visual statement. Shooting into or toward the sun is the easiest way to create silhouetted images. The bright backlighting forces the in-camera meter to adjust, and the subject becomes underexposed.
The type of contrast you get when shooting toward the sun varies depending on the fo-
cal length of your lens (the longer the lens, the larger the sun will be in the frame and, therefore, the more it will affect the meter), whether or not the foreground subject(s) block the sun, how high the sun is in the sky, and whether or not there are thin clouds or atmospheric haze partially obscuring the sun.
Be prepared to override the meter if you don't like what you're getting from any one of the automatic exposure modes. When dealing with extreme contrast, you may want the subject to be completely black with no detail, or you may want a compromise exposure between the very bright background and the subject. In the shot of the elk in Yellowstone, right, you can see the area around the sun is blown out with no texture or detail. At the same time, there is detail in the foreground snow and subtle tonality in the elk itself plus the rocks forming the geyser. By adjusting the exposure compensation in the camera, you control how much detail there is throughout the image.
The photograph at the top of the next page shows how shooting into the sun at this geyser in New Zealand made such a dramatic picture. I exposed so the sun was confined to a smaller area as compared to the shot of the elk, and because the water was translucent, the backlighting created amazing forms in the geyser.
Another scenario where contrast works to your advantage is when diffused daylight
streams into an interior through a door or window. With no other lights in the room, the contrast between the highlights and shadows is dramatic as you can see in the dilapidated staircase I captured in Cuba, below. Notice how the two windows are completely blown out. In this instance, that works. We don't need to see detail outside. This is another example of the lack of absolutes in art. I learned as a very young photographer in the early 70's that highlights always require detail. This picture is obviously an exception.
The image on page 13 is a portrait I took in Morocco. It is the extreme contrast that makes the shot so powerful. I would never think of doing HDR in this case because it's the lack of detail in the shadows that forces all our attention on the subject. §
Ethiopia Photo Tour
Jan. 21 - Feb. 3, 2025
Pantanal Photo Tour, Brazil
Jaguars in the wild, birds, caiman, otters and more
Nov. 9 - 17, 2025
Photography Quiz
1. What is 'dodging' in photography
a. Making the exposure darker during printing or editing
b. Balancing the light meter
c. Making the exposure lighter during printing or editing
d. Changing the aspect ratio of the image
e. None of the above
2. An image with a size of 5616 pixels x 3744 pixels is produced by a camera with a resolution of:
a. 21 megapixels
b. 63 megapixels
c. 24 megapixels
d. 45 megapixels
3. A digital camera image opens in Photoshop with a document size of approximately:
a. 2x the megapixel size
b. 3x the megapixel size
c. 4 x the megapixel size
d. 5x the megapixel size
4. A 'snoot' in photography is:
a. A filter
b. A tripod head
c. A lighting modifier
d. An underexposure technique
5. If you move a light source away from an object from one meter to two meters, what proportion of the illumination on the object do you have now?
a. 1/2
b. 1/4
c. 1/3
d. 1/6
6. The prefix 'giga', as in gigapixel, refers to the mathematical quanty of:
a. A million
b. A billion
c. A trillion
d. A quadrillion
7. If shooting in Aperture priorty and the picture looks too dark, what do you do?
a. Use exposure compensation to tweak the exposure
b. Raise the ISO
c. Change the shutter speed
8. Which f/stop has more depth of field?
a. f/45
b. ft/90
9. A speck of dust on the front glass element of a 500mm lens will show up in every picture.
a. True
b. False
10. In the Kelvin temperature scale, which is used to define the color of white light in photography, zero degrees is impossible to achieve because it's only theoretical.
a. True
b. False
SP A N - B L U R S
harpness is the name of the game in photography, but once in a while it's fun to break the mold and do something different. Even beginning students of photography have experimented with slow shutter speeds, but pan-blurs are different. This variation of the technique results in some very cool images.
A pan-blur means you pan with, or follow, the moving subject with your camera. The end result is both subject and background are blurred, but the background is blurred more. This is an interesting artistic way to direct attention to the subject.
The question which immediately comes to mind is, what shutter speed should you use? It's not an easy answer because there are several variables: the speed of the subject, the focal length of the lens (telephotos show more movement than wide angle lenses do d), the subject-camera distance, and how fast you pan with the subject.
Therefore, it's really impossible to suggest a particular shutter speed for a particular look. Having said that, most of my pan-blurs are either 1/6th or 1/8th of a second. If you use a shutter longer than that, the subject usually becomes so abstracted that the essence of it is
lost. It becomes too obscure. If the shutter is too fast, instead of a 'creative' blur the image looks like a mistake because it's almost sharp.
Usually when long shutter speeds are used to blur waterfalls, traffic lights, etc., you need a tripod. For this technique, you can handhold the camera.
Backgrounds become much more blurred when long lenses are used. For the shot of the white pelican, below, flying past hundreds of pink flamingos, I used a 500mm focal length. That made the background completely undefined. For the shot of the cyclists on the previous page, I used a 16-35mm wide angle. The background is blurred, but we can still recognize the black fence.
A variation of this technique is to pan the camera past stationary subjects. For example, the abstraction of a forest, above right, was produced by panning the camera vertically using a shutter speed of
1/6th second. If I had panned horizontally, the definition of the trees would have been lost. I'd have just green and brown horizontal streaks. The vertical movement kept the shapes in the forest. During autumn when deciduous forests are ablaze with color, this technique is especially effective. Also try this in flower gardens where there is a large density of colorful flowers. Pan the camera horizontally, vertically and even in a radial motion. §
UPCOMING PHOTO WORKSHOPS
Snowy Owl Workshop
Close up encounters with these beautiful birds of the North. Capture bird in flight shots in a snowy environment. Jim guides you in camera settings and technique to take the best pictures possible.
January 9 - 13, 2025
AI Course Online
Learn how to make amazing images -- real or fantasy -- with the online AI software. Let your imagination run wild! You can create the most stunning, dramatic, and outrageous images -- as well as works of art, still lifes, wildlife, landscapes, floral abstracts, and more.
Nov. 23, 30 & Dec. 7, 2024
Carnival in Venice
Photograph amazing costumes in a Medieval environment. We shoot inside a 16th century palace, in an iconic gondola, in a stunning bedroom with traditional Venetian decor, and at other great locations. The photography as well as the experience is phenomenal.
February 23 - March 1, 2025
eBooks
Click on any ebook to see inside
Abandoned in Georgia
April 21 - 27, 2025
What's Wrong with this Picture?
Beeauty is in the eye of the beholder, and while some people may like this picture, I don't. I actually like everything about it except for the fact it's not sharp. If you enlarge this page on your device, you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. The legs, face and beak are sharp, but the feathers are not because they were moving very fast to give this roseate spoonbill enough lift to take off.
I took this picture in 2007 as I was perfecting my birds-in-flight technique. At the time, I thought 1/800th of a second would be fast enough to freeze the wings of large birds who typically have slower moving parts compared to small birds. I was wrong. That shutter speed just wasn't enough to get the tack sharp wing tips I wanted.
My other settings were f/14 and 250 ISO. This was a mistake. I could have easily opened the lens to f/6.3, which is two f/stops, to make the shutter 1/3200. That would have made all the difference.
This picture taken in the golden light of sunset is better, but if you look at the bird's right wing (our left) the extremeties of the wing are not sharp. It's close, but not perfectly sharp. My shutter speed here was 1/1250. I was experimenting with various shutter speeds to see which one gave me the sharpest images, and the conclusion I came to was 1/3200. Later, I learned this works for most small birds as well, but not all. When I shoot very small and very fast birds, I err on the side of speed and shoot at 1/4000.
Some of the people who travel with me on my tours say they like when the wings tips of birds in flight are blurred because that implies motion. I can't object because that's what they like. For me, though, I prefer the sharpness. Birds have such beautiful detail in their feathers that I want to capture as much of it as possible, and only a super fast shutter speed will do that. Even if I have to raise the ISO to uncomforable levels in order to be able to use a fast shutter in low light, I'll do it, knowing I can mitigate the noise in post-processing with the Photoshop plugin, Topaz DeNoise AI.
On Safari: Kenya
March 9 - 18, 2026
SHORT AND SWEET
1. There are four things that usually don't look good as a prominent foreground element: dirt, gravel, cement, and asphalt. If you have no choice, I feel the best approach is to darken it so it's less of an eyesore. You can do that easily with the burn tool in Photoshop. Use a lesser opacity so you can tweak the image slowly.
3. Most outdoor portraits of both animals and people usually look best when photographed in diffused light. You never have to worry about bad shadows, too much contrast, or unwanted hotspots on either the subject or the background. And the bonus is a much easier exposure.
2. Every building, every city skyline, looks best photographed in the blue hour. The advantages of shooting in the early evening is that more lights are turned on. The advantage of shooting at the blue hour in the early morning is there are virtually no people about and streets are mostly empty.
4. When there are two subjects, they both have to be sharp. If one them is sharp and the other one is almost sharp, the picture is a failure in my opinion. If the two subjects are not on the same plane, as in the example below, it's essential to use a small enough lens aperture to hold focus on both subjects. §
Vietnam Photo Tour
October 13 - 23, 2025
ASK JIM
Every month, Jim answers a question from his online students, from people who participate in his tours and workshops, or from subscribers to this magazine. If you have a question you’d like Jim to answer, please drop him a note at photos@jimzuckerman.com.
Q: Jim . . . Do you think the color black is an appropriate background for an outdoor portrait? I know it really doesn't look natural, but I like the drama of it. What do you think? Pam Washington, Albany, New York
A: I think it's appropriate if you like it. I happen to like black as a background behind many subjects, including outdoor portraits. The image below is an example. I took this shot in Vietnam and then used Photoshop to eliminate the original unattractive background and replace it with black. Not all of your images have to look 'natural'. Photography is art, and as such, you can do anything you want to your images. §
Partial List of Photography Tours
2024 - 2026
COLORADO in AUTUMN Sept/Oct 2024
GREAT GRAY OWLS, CANADA Feb 2025
Sept 2025
Nov 2025
SNOWY OWLS in CANADA Jan 2025
ISLANDS Apr/May 2025
Oct 2025
PAST May 2026
WINTER WILDLIFE Feb 2025
Mar/Apr 2025
Oct/Nov 2025
Aug 2026
Great Gray Owls, Canada
February 16 - 21, 2025
Student Showcase
Each month, Jim features one student who took beautiful and inspiring images on one or more of his photography tours or workshops. It’s really fascinating how photographers see and compose such different images even though we may go to the same places. Everyone takes great photographs on Jim’s trips.
Fred Hauser, Mongomery, Ohio Venice Photo Worksop.
