Revista Fotografia by Jorge Monteiro

frame

summary

BLACK & WHITE THEME

IN THIS EDITION

HOW TO

INTERVIEW

TOP 10

A photographer is always looking for ways to stretch our creative limits. We want to create the most amazing photos possible, but sometimes we lack the motivation and the right knowledge to get going and shoot images with the amazing impact we are looking for.

Scott Kelby wears a lot of hats as a photographer. He’s known as “The Photoshop Guy” because of his vast knowledge of the program, but he’s also a freelance sports photographer, author, and teacher.

Whether you are a beginner or not, there are some tips that will benefit you and give you better results. Here are some common issues that you may have to deal with and some tips on how you can use them to your advantage.

SHOOT IMAGES WITH IMPACT

2 Frame

magazine

SCOTT KELBY “PHOTOSHOP MAN”

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

editorial

datasheet Director Senior Editor Jorge Monteiro jorgemonteiro@framemagazine.com Associate Editor Amanda Arnold aarnold@framemagazine.com

JORGE MONTEIRO DIRECTOR

n the early days of photography, photographers had no choice but to shoot in black and white, as it was the only available medium. Then, in 1936, the invention of kodachrome gave colour photography to the world. But black and white photography didn’t die off, instead it flourished. Modern black and white photography at it’s best is art, and many photographers regard it as the purest form of photography. So why does black and white photography command such acclaim? One reason is that colour is a distraction. It takes attention away from the visual building blocks of a great photo; texture, tonal contrast, shape, form and lighting. A photographer shooting in black and white has to learn how to use all these elements to create a memorable image. Another reason is that color photography, much of it mediocre, is so abundant that black and white makes a refreshing change.

he key to successful black and white photography is learning to see the world in monochrome. It’s important to understand that not all subjects are suitable for black and white. There are certain types of photo that rely on colour for impact. Think of Steve McCurry’s famous Afghan Girl portrait, for example. The rich colours are an intrinsic part of the image’s power. The successful black and photographer recognizes this, and searches out subject matter that looks better in black and white. As you’re evaluating your subject, try and imagine how it will look in black and white. Pre-visualise the result after you’ve post-processed (or developed and printed if you use film) the image using your favourite techniques, such as adding textures and toning. With practice, your vision will become very accurate.

Art Director Production Manager Debbie Todd dtodd@framemagazine.com Contributing Editor Don Chick & Ellis Vener Director of Sales Strategic Alliances Wayne Jones wjones@framemagazine.com Manager Tara Truitt ttruitt@framemagazine.com EDITORIAL OFFICES ADRESS FRAME MAGAZINE 229 Peachtree Street NE Suite 2200 New York, GA 30303-1608 U.S.A. (404) 522-8600 SUBSCRIPTIONS FRAME MAGAZINE P.O. Box 3606 Northbrook, IL 60065-3606 (800) 742-7468 info@framemagazine.com TO RENEW OR SUBSCRIBE framemagazine.com/subscribe

Frame magazine

HOW TO

SHOOT IMAGES WITH

IMPACT

here is really no such thing as bad light, but it’s hard to create high impact images during the middle of the day when the sun if high

By midday, the sun tends to be harsh and it washes out a lot of color and texture becomes with some heavy dark shadows. Getting the best possible light in a shot is the same difference between shooting a model with and without makeup. The best time to shoot is when the sun is low in the sky, because it creates more interesting side lighting that will give the subject much more depth. The light is warmer, creating highlights with great texture detail. This low warm light is also found near sunrise and sunset, and those are obvious times to add amazing color to a landscape photo.

Another great place to find amazing light is at the edge of a storm. When a storm passes through, the clouds will often break up, allowing the sun to peek through and create a dramatic scene with well lit foregrounds against a dark sky. You absolutely must exercise patience. You might be hiking during the day and find an incredible view, but it’s midday and the light is terrible. To get the shot you desire, you may need to wait several hours for the sun to get lower and provide you with a beautiful sunset. Or the light may not do what you want, and you’ll have sat for hours only to have to return the next day.

ave the equipment you need, but don’t break the piggy bank to do it

Equipment is not as important as you think. The common misconception that better equipment produces better photographs is completely untrue. Every photographer needs equipment, but equipment is nothing more than a vehicle used to transmit what is in your brain to someone else. You need to have a point of view and then you can use anything from a smart phone to a Nikon D3X and your results will be more or less the same. The only time you need a better camera is for get your photography more seriously or to use it professionally.

se many different focal lengths as you can

Focal length is represented in millimeters (mm), and tells us the angle of view for a given lens, or how much of a scene will be captured.

4 Frame

magazine

For all intents and purposes, the focal length is how “zoomed in” your images are. The smaller the focal length, the wider the field of view. The higher the number, the more narrow (or “zoomed in”) your field of view will be. Which focal length to use will depend on what you are photographing, your personal style, and the look you want to achieve. While many landscape and architectural photographers prefer wider angle lenses, many portrait photographers prefer lenses that are a 50-200mm focal length. Wide angle lenses allow for capturing more of the scene, while longer lenses allow you to zero in on your subject.

Don’t b e a chicken! How many times have you arrived at a beautiful landscape and failed to get the shot because you didn’t want to cross a creek or you didn’t want to lay in the dirt to get an awesome new perspective? This is one of the biggest mistakes that you can make as a photographer. Do not hesitate to go above and beyond when it comes to getting the shot you desire.

INTERVIEW

y b l e K t

t o Sc

Frame magazine

INTERVIEW

Scott Kelby S

cott Kelby wears a lot of hats as a photographer. He’s known as “The Photoshop Guy” because of his vast knowledge of the program, but he’s also a freelance sports photographer, author, and teacher. He was born in July 7 in 1960. Kelby is also editor and publisher of the Photoshop User Magazine, president and co-founder of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and president of Kelby Media Group, an Oldsmar, Florida-based software training, education, and publishing firm.

ow did you get into photography?

My brother got me into it. He went off to Europe and came back with these amazing pictures and I thought, ‘I want to do that.’ I took it up as a hobby and like so many photographers I just learned things as I went along. From Above St. Mark’s Square, Venice, Itakly

s there a photo that you’ve taken that you consider your most memorable shot? Yes, I took a shot at my first Florida State college game that really made me consider sports photography. Of course, the shot really isn’t that great when I look at it now, but I still love the picture because when I look at it I think, ‘That’s where it all started.’ After that, It came all the sucess I have today, it’s good to remember where we start to take all in perpective 6 Frame magazine

The shot that inspired Kelby to give photography a shot as a career.

ou’ve become known as “The Photoshop Guy.” How did that nickname come about? A long time ago, before podcasts were popular, me and two other guys were doing these shows as a way to explain what could be done in Photoshop. To give ourselves a catchy title, we went with “The Photoshop Guys” and it just stuck. Years later we still do.

s a sports photographer, what’s the best game or event that you’ve been a part of? Why?

It’s hard to pick just one game. I’m a big football fan, so some games are fun just because I’m a fan; others are fun because I get to capture the action. If I had to pick one though, I’d say the best game that I was a part of was the NFC Championship game between the Bears and Packers. I was excited because if the Bears won, I had a pretty good chance of going to the Super Bowl. While at the game, Aaron Rodgers dove into the end zone and wound up knocking me off my feet and snapping my monopole in half. Thankfully, I wasn’t hurt and I jumped back on my feet and nabbed a few shots of him while we was close. Of course, the Bears lost and I didn’t get a chance to go to the Super Bowl, but it was still an exciting game and getting knocked down by Rodgers just added to the frenzy.

ou have a great picture of a player surrounded by smoke. How did that picture come about?

Some of the most dramatic shots that I’ve taken in football have actually happened before the game starts. This particular shot was taken while I was on the 50-yard line. The players were coming out of the tunnel and there was smoke billowing around them. If you’ve ever shot in smoke, you know how hard it is to lock focus, but I got lucky. I saw the player, got my focus, and captured this shot that shows his emotion. Frame magazine

TOP 10

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

8 Frame

magazine

Use the Rule of Thirds

To use the rule of thirds, imagine four lines, two lying horizontally across the image and two vertical creating nine even squares. Some images will look best with the focal point in the center square, but placing the subject off center at one of the intersecting points of the imaginary lines, will often create a more aesthetically composed photograph. When a photograph is composed using the rule of thirds the eyes will wander the frame. A picture composed by the rule of thirds is usually more interesting and pleasing to the eye.

Avoid Camera Shake First, you need to learn how to hold your camera properly; use both hands, one around the body and one around the lens and hold the camera close to your body for support. Also, for handheld shooting, make sure that you are using a shutter speed that is appropriate for your lens’ focal length. If you’re shutter speed is too slow, any unintentional movement of the camera will result in your entire photograph coming out blurry. The rule of thumb is not to shoot at a shutter speed that is slower than your focal length to minimize this problem: 1 / Focal Length (in mm) = Minimum Shutter Speed (in seconds) So, as an example, if you’re using a 100mm lens, then your shutter speed should be no lower than 1/100th of a second. Use a tripod or monopod whenever possible.

The Sunny 16 Rule The idea with the Sunny 16 rule is that we can use it to predict how to meter our camera on a sunny outdoor day. So, when in that situation, choose an aperture of f/16 and 1/100th of a second shutter speed (provided you are using ISO 100). You should have a sharp image that is neither under or over exposed. This rule is useful if you don’t have a functioning light meter or if your camera doesn’t have an LCD screen to review the image.

Use a Polarizing Filter If you can only buy one filter for your lens, make it a polarizer. The recommended type of polarizer is circular because these allow your camera to use TTL (through the lens) metering such as auto exposure. This filter helps reduce reflections from water as well as metal and glass; it improves the colors of the sky and foliage, and will help give your photos the WOW factor. It will do all that while protecting your lens. There’s no reason why you can’t leave it on for all of your photography. WE RECOMMEND Hoya Polarizer Filters

Frame magazine

Create a Sense of Depth When photographing landscapes it really helps to create a sense of depth, in other words, make the viewer feel like they are there. Use a wide-angle lens for a panoramic view and a small aperture of f/16 or smaller to keep the foreground and background sharp. Placing an object or person in the foreground helps give a sense of scale and emphasizes how far away the distance is. Use a tripod if possible, as a small aperture usually requires a slower shutter speed.

Use Simple Backgrounds The simple approach is usually the best in digital photography, and you have to decide what needs to be in the shot, while not including anything that is a distraction. If possible, choose a plain background – in other words, neutral colors and simple patterns. You want the eye to be drawn to the focal point of the image rather than a patch of color or an odd building in the background. This is especially vital in a shot where the model is placed off center.

Don’t Use Flash Indoors Flash can look harsh and unnatural especially for indoor portraits. Therefore, there are various ways you can take an image indoors without resorting to flash. First, push the ISO up – usually ISO 800 to 1600 will make a big difference for the shutter speed you can choose. Use the widest aperture possible – this way more light will reach the sensor and you will have a nice blurred background. Using a tripod or an I.S. (Image Stabilization) lens is also a great way to avoid blur.

10 Frame

magazine

Choose the Right ISO The ISO setting determines how sensitive your camera is to light and also how fine the grain of your image. The ISO we choose depends on the situation – when it’s dark we need to push the ISO up to a higher number, say anything from 400 – 3200 as this will make the camera more sensitive to light and then we can avoid blurring. On sunny days we can choose ISO 100 or the Auto setting as we have more light to work with.

Pan to Create Motion If you want to capture a subject in motion, then use the panning technique. To do this, choose a shutter speed around two steps lower than necessary – so for 1/250, we’d choose 1/60. Keep your camera on the subject with your finger half way down on the shutter to lock the focus and when ready, take the photo, remembering to follow them as they move. Use a tripod or monopod if possible to avoid camera shake and get clear movement lines.

Experiment with Shutter Speed Don’t be afraid to play with the shutter speed to create some interesting effects. When taking a night time shot, use a tripod and try shooting with the shutter speed set at 4 seconds. You will see that the movement of the object is captured along with some light trails. If you choose a faster shutter speed of say 1/250th of a second, the trails will not be as long or bright; instead you will freeze the action. Try shooting other compositions with moving objects or backgrounds such as waves on a beach, crowds of people walking, cars commuting, with different shutter speeds to either capture blurred movement or snapshots that freeze everything sharply in time. It is critical that the camera is stabilized to eliminate camera shake.

WE RECOMMEND

AmazonBasics 60-inch Portable Tripod Frame magazine