SLR Photography Guide - December Edition 2014

S L R PHOTOGRAPHY GUI DE

DE C E MBE R 201 4I SSUE

Au t oF o c u s C h r i s t ma sL i g h t s

T HANKSF ORCHECKI NGOUTSL RPHOT OGRAPHYGUI DE

ht t p: / / www. s l r phot ogr aphy gui de. c om/ onl i nec our s es . s ht ml

2 0 1 4 DE CE MB E RE DI T I ON

DI GI T ALP HOT OGR AP HYMAGAZI NE E DI T ORT ANY AP UNT T I S L R P HOT OGR AP HY GUI DE .

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Thi smont hcoverphot o© J e nni eNol e nVa ug ht e r s( US A)

i nt hi si ssue

I MAGE© JOHN SMI TH USA

Oneoft hebi gges tmi s t a k esI s eebegi nner sma k ewhen r s ts t a r t i ngouti n phot ogr a phy , i st opr es umema nua l f oc usi sbet t ert ha na ut of oc us .T het r ut h i s , f oc us i ngha snev erbeens os i mpl e!

Ha l fpr es sy ours hut t erbut t onwi t h y ourl enss ett oa ut of oc us , 99%oft het i met hec a mer awi l l f oc usi nas pl i t s ec ond, r ea dyf ory out ot a k et hes hot .

I fy ou ndy ourc a mer ai sf oc us i ngons omet hi ngot hert ha nt hema i ns ubj ec t , i ti spur el ybec a us ey oua r ey ett ol ea r nhowt opr oper l yus ey ourf oc a l poi nt s( L es s on3f ort hos et a k i ngouronl i nephot ogr a phyc our s eov era t ht t p: / / www. s l r phot ogr a phy gui de. c om/ onl i nec our s es . s ht ml ) Per s ona l l y , t heonl yt i meI s wi t c ht oma nua l f oc us( MF /M) i si fmyl ensi sha v i ng t r oubl ef oc us i ngi t s el fa ndi ss wi mmi ngba c ka ndf or t hf ors omet hi ngt ol oc k ont o.

F orex a mpl e, i nl owl i ghtorl owc ont r a s ts c enest hel ensma yha v e t r oubl ef oc us i ng.

Ot her wi s eI ’ m mor et ha nha ppyt oma k ei tea s i eronmy s el f a ndk eepi tona ut of oc us .

Ofc our s eev er yphot ogr a pherwi l l ha v et hei rownopi ni onont hema t t er , buti f y oua r eus i ngma nua l f oc usa ndwonder i ngwhyy ouri ma gesa r enota ss ha r p a sy ou’ dl i k e, whynott r ya ut of oc us i nga ndc ompa r et her es ul t s ?

Cheer s !

T a ny aPunt t i

I f y ouar eus i ngmanual f oc us( MF/ M) andy ouri mage sar enot ass har pas y ou’ dl i k e , s wi t c ht oaut of oc usandc ompar et her e s ul t s .

i ma ge©Cher i

Pa v a o Va l i ne( US A)

i ma ge©Kr i s t y

T i nk( Aus t r a l i a )

i ma g eŠ T a ny aPun

Keepi ngDet ai lI n Hi ghl i ght s Di dy ouk nowa nov e r e x pos e di ma g ei sha r de rt os a v e( i fa ta l l )t ha na n unde r e x pos e ds hot ?I fhi g hl i g ht sa r ebl ownout , t he ywi l l nothol da nyde t a i l t ha ti sr e c ov e r a bl ei npos tpr oc e s s i nga ndt he r ei sus ua l l ynot hi ngy ouc a ndot o s a v et hei ma g e .

Ont heot he rha nd, a nunde r e x pos e di ma g eo e nc ont a i ns muc hde t a i l t ha ti sr e c ov e r a bl ei npos tpr oc e s s i ng .

T hei de a l s i t ua oni st owa i tf ort her i g htl i g ht .

T hi sma yme a ng e ngupwe l l be f or es unr i s et obea tt hede sna onbe f or et hes unbe c ome sapr obl e m.

L i k e wi s ei nt hee v e ni nga tt wi l i g ht , whe r et hef a di ngl i g hti spe r f e c t .

Y e tt he r ea r e me swhe ny ouwi l l undoubt a bl ybei nt her i g htpl a c ea tt hewr ong meofda y .

Doy oumi s st hes hotbe c a us et hel i g h ngi s n' tpe r f e c t ?Ofc our s e not .

T he r ewi l l be me swhe nal a nds c a pephot og r a phe rmus tunde r e x pos et he f or e g r oundt oe ns ur et ha tt hes k yi snotov e r e x pos e dorbl ownout .

F i r s t l y , y ouc a nma nua l l ys e ty oure x pos ur eoneort wos t opsunde rz e r oa nd l i g ht e nt heda r k e ra r e al a t e roni npos tpr oc e s s i ng , dr a wi ngoutt hes ha dows .

Y ouc a na l s oe ns ur eag oode x pos ur ebyus i ngt hebr a c k e ngf uncont ha tmos t c a me r a sha v ebui l ti n, whe r et hec a me r at a k e s3s hot sa t1, 0, + 1e x pos ur e i nc r e me nt sa ndy oume r g et hei ma g e si npos tpr oc e s s i ng .

Whe nus i ng br a c k e ngy oumus te ns ur ey ourc a me r ai sonat r i poda st hes ma l l e s t mov e me ntbe t we e ns hot swi l l beno c e a bl e .

Br a c k e ngt he r e f or eg i v e sone e x pos ur ef ort hehi g hl i g ht s , onene ut r a l e x pos ur ea ndl a s t l ya ne x pos ur ef ort he da r k e ra r e a soft hes c e ne .

Anot he rop onf ort hephot og r a phe ri st oc ompos et hes c e nes ot ha ty oudon' t i nc l udet hes k yi nt hei ma g e .

Y ouc a na l s ous eapol a r i z i ngďŹ l t e rorg r a dua t e d ne ut r a l de ns i t yďŹ l t e rt oda r k e nt hes k y .

T hei mpor t a ntt hi ngt or e me mbe ri st ha tbl ownouthi g hl i g ht swi l l ar a c tt he v i e we r se y et ot ha ta r e aofas c e ne .

T hi si snotus ua l l ywhe r et hel a nds c a pe phot og r a phe rwa nt st hev i e we rt ol ook .

Ke e pde t a i l i nhi g hl i g ht sbye x pos i ngf ort hehi g hl i g ht swhi c hma yme a n unde r e x pos i ngot he ra r e a sofa ni ma g e .

i ma ge©Ci ndy

Ca mp S pa i n( US A)

i ma ge©L a ur en S ha r k ey( Aus t r a l i a )

Fi ndi ngA Ment or Phot og r a phyc a nbeal one l ybus i ne s s .

Whi l ey ouma yt a k ephot og r a phsofl ot sofpe opl e a twe ddi ng sorot he rg r oupwor k , t he r ea r el onghour sa l one , j us ty oua ndt hec omput e r , s orng , e ding , pr i n ng .

I tc a na l s obel one l ybe c a us ei t ' sav e r yopi ni ona t e dme di uma ndonewhe r ea nov e r r e l i a nc eofy ourownopi ni onc a nc a us ey out os t umbl e , orbeuns ur ea st ot hequa l i t yof y ourwor k .

Ar t , ora ny t hi ngi nv ol v i ngc r e av i t y , i shi g hl ys ubj e cv et opr a i s eorc r ic i s m.

Mos te v e r yphot og r a phe rr e g a r dst he ms e l v e sa sbe i nga na rs t , whi c hl e a v e sourwor k ope nt oc r ic a l e v a l ua on.

Oneoft hec ha l l e ng e si st ofindame nt orwho' sopi ni ony ouwoul dr e s pe c ta nda c c e pt , noma e rwha t .

Onewhoi se nc our a g i ng , y e thone s t .

Cr ic a l y e the l pf ul .

Br ut a l whe n ne c e s s a r yi npoi n ngoutt hebl e e di ngobv i ousy ouma yha v eov e r l ook e d, y e tar odt o l e a nona ndl e a r nf r om, i nor de rt oi mpr ov ey ourc r a.

Whe r edoy oufinds uc hape r s on?

Y ouc a nj oi nag r oupt ha tha sme mbe r st ha ta r emuc hmor ea dv a nc e dt ha nwhe r ey ou a r enow.

Got oe a c hoft he i rme e ng sa ndg r oupou ng s .

Be c omei nv ol v e da ndi twon' t bel ongbe f or es ome onei nt ha tg r oupwi l l t a k ey ouunde rt he i rwi ng .

Mos tc ie sa ndt ownsha v es omet y peofc a me r ac l ubwhi c hi sag r e a tpl a c et os t a r tt he huntf orame nt or .

Re me mbe r , t he r ewi l l be me swhe ny out a k eas hoty our e a l l yl i k e , e v e nt houg hy ou k nowt ha tt e c hni c a l l ya nda e s t he c a l l yi ti squi t epoor .

Y oul i k ei t !Y ouma ybet heonl y pe r s onone a r t hwhol i k e si t , a ndi t ’ si mpor t a ntt ok now, t ha ti sok .

© Al i s haS t a r rPr i ddy( US A)

© Kr i s t yMoor eOa k s , S out he r nCha r mPhot og r a phy( US A) © Koda kKe v( UK)

PROTECTI NG YOUR GEAR I N WI NTER ( qui c kt i pf o rt ho s ei ns no wywo nde r l a nds ) Di dy ouk nowy our unt her i s kofda ma gi ngy ourc a mer agea r , not whi l ey oua r eout s i des hoot i ngi nc ol dwea t her , butwheny ou c omeba c ki nt oahea t eda r ea ?

Ahea t edr oom us ua l l yc ont a i nsmoi s t ur e.

Whent hi smoi s t ur e c ondens esoni nt er na lpa r t sofy ourgea r , i tc a nea s i l yt ur nt o mol da ndpr omot ec or r os i on.

Thegoodnewsi s , t hemoi s t ur ewi l l ev ent ua l l yev a por a t ei ft heequi pmenti sa l l owedt owa r m upt o r oom t emper a t ur e.

Bef or ebr i ngi ngy ourgea ri ns i de, i t ’ sbes tt os ea li ti na na i r t i ght pl a s t i cba g, f orexa mpl eas i mpl ega r ba geba g.

Thena f t er c omi ngi ns i de, l ea v ei ti nt heba gf oraf ewhour sunt i li tr et ur ns t or oom t emper a t ur ebef or eopeni ng.

i ma ges©Ta ny aPunt t i -SL RPhot ogr a phyGui de

i ma ge©Debbi e Coa dy( Aus t r a l i a )

i ma ge©Ani t a

Gowi ng

i ma geŠ J ohnHodgk i n( Aus t r a l i a )

Sety ourc a mer at oBul bModewi t ha na per t ur eF4.

6a ndI SO200.

Wi t hy ourc a mer as i t t i ngon at r i pod, c l i c ka ndl oc kt hes hut t eropen.

Wa i tr oughl y5s ec ondst henunl oc kt hes hut t era nd v i ewt her es ul t s .I fy ou’ r ephot ogr a phi ngoneoft hos ehous est ha tha v eawi des equenc eof l i ght sda nc i ngi nas pec i cor der , y ouma ya l s owa ntt os i mpl yhol da ndl oc kt hes hut t er whent heys t a r t , t henr el ea s ei naf ews ec ondst i mewhent hel i ghts howi sov er .Ver ys i mi l a r t ol i ghtpa i nt i ng.

I fy oudon’ tha v ear emot er el ea s et ha ta l l owsy out ol oc kt heex pos ur e, us ema nua l mode a nds i mpl ys eta5s ec ondex pos ur e, i gnor i ngt heex pos ur el i nepr i ort ot a k i ngt hes hot .

I fy oundt hei ma get ooda r k , ory oudi dn’ tgetenoughl i ght si nt ot hes hot , t r ya ga i nwi t ha l ongers hut t ers peed.

Ori fy oundt her es ul tt ool i ght , t henc hoos eas hor t ers hut t ers peed wi t hy ournex tphot o.

I twi l l onl yt a k eac oupl eofs hot st ondt heper f ec tba l a nc e.

AsChr i s t ma sl i ght sa r eus ua l l yv er yda r ks c enes , y ouma yneedt oma nua l l yf oc usy ourl ens .

Cheer s !

i ma g e© Me r y l eS t a nl e y( Aus t r a l i a )

i ma g e© Da phneS t e v e ns( Ca na da )

i ma g e© Da r r e nO' S ul l i v a n( Aus t r a l i a )

Di dyouknowouronl i nephot ogr aphycour s e nowcomeswi t hdownl oadabl echeats heet s ? " I fyouhaven' tt akenadvant ageofpr i nt i ngt hecheats heet s , Is t r ongl ys ugges tyout aket i met odos o.

Thes eal onear ewor t h t hepr i ceoft hecour s e. " ~JohnSmi t h( s t udent ) Checkoutouronl i nephot ogr aphycour s eoverat ht t p: / / www. s l r phot ogr aphygui de. com/ onl i necour s es . s ht ml