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Contents LETTER FROM KEN
ON-CAMERA FILL FLASH
THE STORY BEHIND THE PICTURE
PROCESSING ARTICLE OF THE MONTH Vignette and Aura Techniques
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PHOTO TOURS AND WORKSHOPS
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QUICK TIP Exposing for Snow (and How Your Camera’s Meter Can Be Tricked)
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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH Anne Belmont
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LINKS TO PREVIOUS ISSUES OF INSPIRATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
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LOW PERSPECTIVE WITH A WIDE-ANGLE LENS
Cover Photo: Lofoten, Norway 2
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Letter From Ken
Shooting with a Collective Portfolio in Mind I am in Lofoten, Norway as I write this. Landscape photographers flock to Lofoten during Winter. And for good reason... a combination of jagged mountains covered in snow, icy blue lakes, fishing villages, majestic fjords and the Northern Lights. My friend Mirko Vecernik and I have been very fortunate to have gotten some fantastic lighting and active Aurora Borealis throughout the trip. We have been shooting with more of a “collective Lofoten portfolio� in mind, as opposed to exclusively hitting the most scenic locations. We created a list of the types of images we wanted to bring back that together function more like a portfolio and offer some variety. For example, we wanted ice and moving water in the foreground, textured ice on the beaches with Northern Lights reflections, foreground leading lines, an icy river, some telephoto shots of mountain sides, shots looking down into a valley or fjord, images shot into the sun, long exposure water blur images, and others. Beyond that, we have spent considerable time scouting locations away from the crowds so that we can shoot on our own and come back with pictures that not everyone else has. I like this approach of deciding ahead of time the specific types of images to be captured and then seeking out subjects and locations and making lens choices based on that. Of course, you will run across unexpected opportunities that you will want to take advantage of, but this type of list helps ensure a more balanced portfolio. Thanks for reading! Ken Koskela http://www.kenkoskela.com To receive this magazine FREE each month click HERE 3
On-Camera Fill Flash
In February, I led my 2017 Venice Carnival Photography Workshop, together with Renee Doyle. This involved numerous private shoots with masked models, both indoors and outdoors. At times, we photographed in some fairly dark environments, such as window-lit palace ballrooms and outdoor locations before sunrise. During many of our shoots, we used on-camera fill flash. I actually don’t use on-camera flash very often. Excluding Venice, all of my portraits are shot with off-camera or natural lighting, which I much prefer. In fact, on-camera flash has a reputation for creating flat, one-dimensional and uninteresting lighting. There is definitely some truth to this. You are pointing light directly at your subject and softening or potentially removing the shadow areas that are important in creating dimension. However, when used effectively, fill flash can positively impact your image without resulting in a 4
noticeable flattening of your subject’s features. In Venice, the addition of subtle flash made a real difference in many of our images. Why Use On-Camera Fill Flash I use on-camera fill flash for three purposes: 1. To create separation between the subject and the background. 2. To soften the shadows a bit. 3. To create “catch lights” in the eyes. Despite its drawbacks, a touch of on-camera flash can go a long way towards accomplishing all three of these things. On-camera flash is also much more versatile than off-camera lighting in cases where you need to change positions often or if you are photographing in a crowded area. This is why event photographers usually leave their flash on the camera.
A Quick Lesson in How to Ruin Your Picture with On-Camera Flash
mined by the camera. More about that soon. 2. Put the Camera in AV, TV or Manual Mode Without complicating the article too much, the mode you shoot in can affect how your flash behaves in automatic mode with some flash systems. For example, with Canon, shooting in lower light conditions while in Program (P) mode will cause your flash to act more like a key light rather than fill light. I generally stick with Aperture Value (AV), Time Value (TV) or Manual (M) mode on the camera. 3. Dial Down the Flash Power
Too Much Flash! The easiest way to ruin your image is to blast your subject with too much flash. If your goal is to photograph your subject within a scene, then too much flash will make your subject look pasted over the background.
This part is critical. In ETTL mode, I dial down the flash using Flash Exposure Compensation.
In the above example, you can see that the model is much brighter than the rest of the scene. Additionally, the high-powered flash aimed straight at her makes her look one-dimensional. Compare that to the cover photo on the previous page in which I used some very subtle fill flash.
In most cases, I dial down about 11/3 to 12/3 stops. However, with the white reflective masks of the models, I dialed down more in Venice... about 2 full stops. With this much adjustment to the flash, most viewers cannot tell that artificial lighting was added. However, I got the benefit of slightly softened shadows and catch lights in the eyes.
Camera and Flash Settings
To illustrate, here is an image with no flash used:
Taking control of your on-camera flash settings is important. You cannot just fire your flash off in automatic mode without making adjustments and expect good results. My method is not the only way for using on-camera flash. However, the following settings and techniques work well for me: 1. Put the Flash in Automatic Mode For off-camera flash, I always set my flash on manual mode and control the output of the flash manually using the flash power ratios (1/16, 1/8, etc). However, for on-camera flash, I always set my flash to ETTL on my Canon camera (for Nikon, it is called i-TTL). In this mode, my camera and flash work together to determine the “correct” power of the flash. However, I always override the flash output that is deter-
Notice the model is sad here because no fill flash was used and the lighting on her looks pretty lame. You cannot even see her eyes. At the top of the next page, I’ve included an image with way too much on-camera flash: 5
and motion blur when you are using dialed down flash as a fill light... both for the subject and the background. So, be sure to set your shutter speed fast enough to avoid blur from camera shake or motion blur related to moving elements in the frame. However, you cannot exceed your camera’s maximum sync speed, which is often around 1/200 or 1/250 (I’m ignoring a discussion around high speed sync here). Focal Length of the Flash Beam This is what your image might look like when you do not dial down the flash... usually not this harsh, but I’ve seen it this bad before. Lastly, below is an image with my flash dialed down about 2 stops. It looks fairly natural and you can see some subtle catch lights in the eyes. 4. Shutter Speed Set to Avoid Blur While flash freezes motion due to the speed of the light, you are still quite susceptible to camera shake
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On many flashes, the focal length (or width) of the flash beam itself can be modified. Similar to a zoom lens, your flash beam can go wider or narrower. Because I am shooting with a Canon camera, Canon lens and Canon flash (I believe the same would go for Nikon) that all communicate with each other, the width of the flash beam automatically adjusts according to my focal length when I shoot in ETTL. So, if I am shooting at 50mm, the flash beam will be adjusted to precisely cover the visible area within the frame.
Light Modifiers Although it is an entire topic in and of itself, there are a variety of modifiers available for flash units. Most of these are designed to diffuse and soften the light.
If you are shooting indoors and some of the lighting in the scene is from light bulbs, those bulbs give off a different color temperature than your flash will. So, the flash-lit area might look white or a bit blue and your background lit by the lights might look orange, for example.
Without these units, your direct flash can look fairly harsh. So, I recommend adding a diffuser. I have seen some great results from very basic and inexpensive diffusers.
Look at this first image in which the lamp in the background is left on. Notice the warm orange light from the lamp contrasts with the light from the flash on the model.
Direction, or Angle, of the Flash You don’t need to point your flash directly at your subject. In fact, you can get softer light if you bounce the light off of a wall. To do this, you can point the flash straight up or even behind you. When bouncing flash, you do need to be aware of the color of the surfaces you are bouncing light off of. A bright red wall will result in a red color cast on your subject. Additionally, you will lose some brightness, so adjust your Flash Exposure Compensation accordingly. Even if you are outside and just want catch lights in the eyes, point your camera straight up and, if your flash has one, pull up the little white reflector built into your flash.
In the next image, the lamp is turned off and the color temperature mismatch disappears.
This issue is not just limited to indoor shooting. Even outdoors at sunrise or sunset, the light is warmer and can create a mismatch with your on-camera flash. Color Temperature It is important to at least mention color temperature here. Flashes are set at a color temperature that is consistent with shooting outdoors during the day.
You can buy small gel filters to put over your flash to help balance the color temperature. Some flashes even have filters built into the flash itself. This is your best option for overcoming inconsistent color temperature when using on-camera fill flash. 7
The Story Behind the Picture Transported
This is Christopher, a friend of mine from Malawi. For years, I traveled to Malawi perhaps once or twice a year to work with a microfinance bank that my former company started and operated. In front of the bank, there is a market targeted at visitors to the area. Here, you can buy paintings, sculptures, souvenirs and other things to bring home from your trip. In 2013, I had purchased a few things from Christopher during one of my visits. I did not get back to Malawi again until 2015. As I got out of the car to go into the bank, I heard someone call my name. I immediately recognized him as the person I had bought some things from a couple years ago. To my surprise, Christopher not only remembered my name from that one interaction, but also told me exactly what I had bought from him two years prior. Pretty impressive! I was shooting portraits by this time and asked Christopher if he could help pull together a few portrait subjects for me to photograph in the area behind the bank. Christopher rounded up a few of his friends and we all had a good time taking pictures. I shot Christopher’s portrait and really liked how he looked, but did not like the background as my background options were limited due to some harsh lighting. About 6 months later, I had arranged to photograph someone else in an old factory back in the United States. Unfortunately, my subject canceled at the last minute. So, I went to the factory anyway and shot scenes throughout the building. I then composited Christopher into the factory. I am not big on composites and have only done a few, but I really like this image. I’ve stayed in touch with Christopher through Facebook since shooting his portrait. Christopher really loves this image. 8
Vignette and Aura Techniques Post-Processing Article of the Month
I’ve written a previous article about a gradient vignette technique I use in Lightroom. For this month’s post-processing article, I am going to broaden the vignette discussion to show you the various ways that I create vignettes and also include the creation of “auras” around your subject. The type of vignette we will be discussing here is a reduction in brightness around the edges relative to the center of a photograph. Photographers use vignettes to put a subtle frame around (and draw attention to) the subject of the picture. I’ll separate these techniques into two types:
Open up Nik’s Color Efex Pro and choose Darken/ Lighten Center, which will open a menu like this:
1. Vignettes and auras that target a specific area of the image; and 2. A centered vignette that darkens the outer edges of the frame. 1. Vignettes to Target Specific Areas of an Image a. Google Nik Collection’s Darken/Lighten Center As you probably already know, the Google Nik Collection is a set of Photoshop add-on filters that is now free (and for which some of us paid a lot of money years back!). Included in the Collection is Color Efex Pro, which has dozens of filter effects that can each be customized. I often use the Darken/Lighten Center filter to create a custom vignette. At the top of the next column is a picture with two hikers on Patagonia’s Perito Moreno Glacier. The hikers are in a darker area of the glacier as compared to the middle of the image. I want to get the viewer to look at the hikers, not the brighter area of the snow in the middle. Although some dodging and burning will also help here, let me quickly illustrate how this very user-friendly filter works.
The filter allows you to place a center point anywhere in the image (such as on the hikers) and create a vignette around that center point. Just click on the center point button and then on the image. You can then customize how large or small the area for brightening is (using the Center Size slider) and how bright the chosen center area is relative to the rest of the image (through the Border Luminosity and Center Luminosity sliders). You can also choose whether to use a circle or oval shape for your vi9
gnette using the pull-down shape box. I use this filter in cases where I have a pretty clear section of the image I want the viewer to focus on, such as with the hikers. After adjusting the sliders, hit OK and a layer appears back in Photoshop. You can then adjust the opacity of that layer. Additionally, if the brightened center area is also brightening a section near the hikers that I do not want brightened, I can simply add a mask to the layer and paint black over the area that I do not want brightened.
You can create a similar effect using Photoshop’s Ellipse tool. However, I have personally gotten better results using the Darken/Lighten Center filter. b. Gradient Vignettes - Lightroom As mentioned, in the April 2016 issue of Inspirational Photography (see pages 8-9), I wrote a short article on creating a gradient vignette in Lightroom. You can do this type of custom vignette in either Lightroom or Photoshop.
Once you are happy with the first gradient, then hit “New” to repeat with an additional gradient(s) from other sides. You can read the full article if you want more details. That article also discusses how to do the same in Photoshop. c. Creating an “Aura” Around Your Subject Although not technically a vignette, I often create a subtle brightening (an “aura”) around my main subject, especially with portraits. Here is how to do this: 1. Create a Curves layer, which will automatically create a white mask.
To summarize the Lightroom approach, first click on Lightroom’s gradient local adjustment tool:
The gradient adjustment window will open. Pull the exposure slider down somewhat as seen in the picture at the top of the next column. Then click and drag from outside the image (in the gray area) towards the center. This will darken the area from the start of the gradient and fade as you move towards the center. Then, adjust the exposure slider until the effect is how you like. If you don’t like the angle of the gradient, you can simply click and drag again. You can see the adjustment to the Exposure slider and the created gradient from the lower right corner here: 10
2. Double click on the left side of the layer to make the curve visible. 3. Click on the curve’s center and drag it down:
4. With the mask selected, use a large soft brush with black paint and paint around your subject so that the edge of the brush stroke fades off around the subject’s edges. You do not need to be precise here. Your mask might look something like this:
5. Bring down the opacity so that the aura is barely detectable but helps direct the viewer’s attention to the subject. 6. If there are areas near your subject that are being unintentionally brightened, switch your brush to white and paint over them on the mask to remove the brightening effect.
The end result is a subtle aura around your subject that helps direct the viewer’s attention. Be careful not to go too heavy on the effect so that it is obvious to the viewer that you have created the aura.
2. Centered Vignette Around the Perimeter - Lightroom’s Post-Crop Vignette I like Lightroom’s Post-Crop Vignette. This is found in the Develop Module, on the Effects panel.
You simply pull the Amount slider to the left and Lightroom creates a nice vignette around the outer edges of your image.
Then, if you later crop the image in Lightroom, the vignette automatically adjusts to the crop. Pretty cool. You can also do the same thing in Photoshop using the Ellipse Tool (but without the benefit of automatically adjusting with crops), but I won’t go into that technique here. My Vignette Workflow • • •
For landscape images, I use Nik’s Darken/Lighten Center in Photoshop to highlight the subject. For portraits, I typically create an aura around my subject. For both landscape and portraits, I usually add a post-crop vignette back in Lightroom as a final step, after I have finished my work in Photoshop. I usually go pretty subtle with the vignette, using around -7 or -8 on the Amount slider. 11
2017 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
PATAGONIA w/ RICK SAMMON & KEN KOSKELA November, 2017
JUST ANNOUNCED!!
Words simply cannot describe the landscape you will experience in Patagonia. In Chile’s Torres Del Paine National Park, we will photograph the stunning peaks of “Los Cuernos” and Cerro Paine Grande with beautiful turquoise waters and white rapids in the foreground. In Argentina, we will stand in awe of Mount Fitz Roy and photograph from vantage points in Los Glaciares National Park. A highlight of the trip will be experiencing amazing blue glaciers that have to be seen to be believed. We are also offering an optional 2-day camping add-on in Argentina, allowing for closer vantage points of Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2017-patagonia-photography-tour/
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2018 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
VENICE CARNIVAL w/ KEN KOSKELA & RENEE DOYLE February, 2018
JUST ANNOUNCED!!!
Venice is one of the most beautiful and unique cities in the world. Each year, during the Carnival festival, Venice comes alive as amazing models in ornate masks and incredible costumes descend upon the city to be admired and photographed. I am very excited to be co-leading this workshop with Renee Doyle, whose masterful Venice Carnival composites are an inspiration to many photographers, including myself. Renee and I have some great connections with many of the best models which will allow our group to have opportunities for private shoots in some locations away from the crowds. http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2018-venice-carnival-photography-workshop/
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2017 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
TUSCANY & CINQUE TERRE w/ JIM ZUCKERMAN & KEN KOSKELA October, 2017
1ST TOUR SOLD OUT - 2ND TOUR ADDED!!
Fortified medieval towns, golden mists in the morning, cobblestone streets, artistic stands of trees, awe inspiring cathedrals -- all of these are Tuscany plus a whole lot more. Combine the Tuscan experience with the stunning Cinque Terre Coast, where five colorful villages hug rocky cliffs above the deep blue sea and you’ve got an Italian experience that will thrill anyone who loves photographing beauty, history, culture and art. We will take advantage of the best lighting early and late in the day to offer opportunities to capture beautiful images. This is not a trip to be missed! http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2017-tuscany-cinque-terre-jim-zuckerman-ken-koskela-tour-2/
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2017 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
NEW ZEALAND w/ KEN KOSKELA & RENEE DOYLE April, 2017
New Zealand is on most photographer’s bucket lists. Join Ken and Renee to photograph this amazingly beautiful country during the best time of year... Autumn. In addition to the iconic Church of the Good Shepherd, the lone Wanaka Lake tree and Nugget Point Lighthouse, we will photograph turquoise lakes, rolling hills, hidden waterfalls and New Zealand’s beautiful mountainous regions. We will also visit and photograph the majestic Milford Sound to round out an amazing visit to the South Island of New Zealand!! http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2017-new-zealand-photo-tour/
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2017 PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS & WORKSHOPS http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/photo-tours-workshops/
CANADIAN ROCKIES w/ KEN KOSKELA & JOSH MERRILL October, 2017
The Canadian Rockies are a place of unparalleled beauty and adventure. From jagged, snow-capped peaks to turquoise glacial lakes, the Rockies offer some of the best landscape photography opportunities in the world. We will focus on the majestic Banff and Jasper National Parks and adjust our daily shooting locations to maximize our chances for good light. Additionally, we will keep our eyes open for clear skies at night with the hopes of capturing the Northern Lights and star-filled skies with the Rocky Mountains as an amazing foreground. This is not a trip to be missed! http://www.kenkoskela.com/product/2017-canadian-rockies-photo-adventure/
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Quick Tip
Exposing for Snow (and How Your Camera’s Meter Can Be Tricked) Metering modes aside, your camera meter determines what a proper exposure is by balancing out the various luminosity values in your scene to arrive at a middle gray tone. Most scenes with snow in it, such as the one below, will be interpreted correctly by your meter. This is because there is a full range of tones in the image, from dark to light.
The meter has exposed the white paper as gray. This is because the meter is trying to make the image average out to be middle gray in tone. For the white paper on its own, the meter is tricked. Next, just for fun, I’ll shoot a picture of the back of a studio umbrella, which is completely black: However, in some situations, snowy conditions can trick your meter. To illustrate, I’ll put my camera in Evaluative metering mode and shoot a white piece of paper on some carpeting and next to a black piece of plastic that broke off one of my printers.
It has done the same with the black, but in reverse. It has pushed the exposure up to middle gray.
The image looks a bit underexposed to me, but you can see that the piece of paper is white. Now, I’ll shoot a close-up of the same white piece of paper, but excluding the other elements.
So, pay attention to your snow when you shoot snowy scenes, especially if your scene does not have a full range of tones. If your snow is looking gray, you can simply boost your exposure (when shooting in Manual) or dial up a bit using Exposure Compensation. Be careful not to blow out any highlights when doing this. Blown highlights mean the texture in your snow is forever lost. You can use your histogram to confirm that you are not blowing any highlights. 17
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: www.annebelmontphotography.com
Anne Belmont
I met Anne about a year ago and was really impressed with her photography. Anne is a nature photographer specializing in flower photography. It is the small, often unnoticed details that draw Anne to her subjects - the patterns, textures, curves and unique personality of each subject. With a lifelong involvement in the arts and her deep love of nature, photography became a perfect way for Anne to share her vision of the natural world with others. Her first career as an art therapist has shaped the way she views art and has reinforced her belief in the healing power of both art and nature in our lives.
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On any given day you will find her at her favorite place to photograph, the Chicago Botanic Garden. Anne was commissioned by the Garden to do a solo exhibition of her orchid photography, displayed in 20 larger-than-life panels during the 2015 - 2017 Orchid Shows. Instagram: @annebelmontphotography
Anne partners with Lensbaby, and is passionate about using and promoting their creative lenses to enhance the artistry of photography.
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MISS AN ISSUE? Click the magazine covers below to see past issues.
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March 2016 • Pushing blue into the shadows • Smoke composites • Guilin, China • Including motion in your images • Wide-angle portraits • Backing up your pictures • Big impact with small subjects
April 2016 • Complementary colors • Dealing with foggy lenses • Effective silhouette images • Gradient vignettes • Watch the windows • Shooting into the sun
May 2016 • Solid neutral density filters • Web sharpening using TK Actions • Following and breaking the rule of thirds • Packing for an outdoor photography camping trip • Pictures that make people think
June 2016 • Using a circular polarizer • Intro to luminosity masking • Oil and water pictures • Minimum shutter speeds • Coastline moving water images
July 2016 • Exposing flash and ambient light separately • Incorporating opposites into your images • Venice during Carnival • Orton effect • Including reflections in your pictures
August 2016 • Shooting the Milky Way, Stars and Northern Lights • Cathedral images • Controlling tonal contrast with a histogram • Focusing strategies for moving subjects
Click HERE to receive Inspirational Photography each month. September 2016 • Post-processing Milky Way shots • Controlling motion in landscape images • Increasing water texture with Nik • Shooting cities at night
October 2016 • Shooting and processing star trails • Eliminating distractions • Dramatic side-lighting • Creating a texture layer in Photoshop • Inconvenience leads to better pictures.
November 2016 • How to use an ultra-wide lens • Search Engine Optimization for Images • Photoshop’s Smart Objects for 2nd Chance Adjustments • Leading Lines
December 2016 • Natural vs. Artificial Light Portraits • Blurred Water Creek Images • Layer Adjustments for Printing • Don’t Miss the Shot
January 2017 • Eliminating Camera Shake • Location Feature: Cinque Terre • How to Create Starbursts in Camera • Photoshop’s Blend If Feature
February 2017 • Making the Hands Prominent in Portraits • Hummingbird Photography - Guest Article by Jim Zuckerman • De-Mystifying Image Sharpening • Precise Camera Placement
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Low Perspective With a Wide-Angle Lens With a wide-angle lens, a little can mean a lot. Bringing your camera to the left or right or else up or down slightly can dramatically change your image. I notice most photographers usually setting up their tripods with legs fully extended. Sometimes, this is the best option. For example, if you are shooting a landscape that has some elements in the middle ground that you want included, shooting from
a low angle is not the best option. It would result in losing some of those middle ground elements. Bringing your tripod up gets the camera higher so that the middle ground is visible. The image to the left would have been weakened if I had shortened the legs on my tripod and shot. I would be excluding the water and placing more emphasis on a bunch of grass in the foreground. Having said that, there are many cases where shooting low can really add interest to an image. I generally shoot from a low perspective for two reasons: 1. To create a distorted look in the image. 2. To give more prominence to foreground elements that are positioned low to the ground. Low Perspective for Distortion Objects that are closer to your wide-angle appear much larger than they are relative to farther away
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objects. So, shooting low will elongate or expand the elements that are lower and closer to the camera. I shot this next image in Venice during Carnival several years back. I like the low perspective of the wide-angle that helps elongate the dress and create an interesting perspective. The image looks distorted and surreal, which I like here.
Below is a Patagonia image taken from a low perspective. Because I shot low, the foreground rocks and pool reflections are prominent foreground elements.
In the example below, positioning myself close to the water allowed me to place much more emphasis on the small waves which, in my opinion, make for an interesting foreground element. Giving Prominence to Low Foreground Elements For landscape images, I often like to shoot low with an ultra wide-angle lens to give more prominence to foreground elements. I shot the Northern Lights picture on the previous page in Norway just a few days ago. I really like how the foreground rocks and textured patterns on the beach are brought out more prominently because they were close to the camera. 23
Click the link below to sign up to receive this magazine for free each month! http://www.kenkoskela.com/page/inspirational-photography-magazine/ Website: http://www.kenkoskela.com Click here for my Facebook page Click here for my 500px page Instagram: @kenkoskela Twitter (just joined!): https://twitter.com/ kenkoskela Questions? You can reach me at: kenkoskela@hotmail.com 24