Snapshot Magazine

DEC 2013

CREATIVE TIPS FOR STUNNING SNOW SHOTS

PORTRAIT TIPS

BY UTAH’S TOP PHOTOGRAPHER JON WOODBURY

ANNUAL PORTFOLIO SNEAK PEEK

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DECEMBER

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FEATURES Annual Snap! Portfolio sneak peer featuring young photogrpahy enthusiast Tyler Alexander

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Annual Picture Perfect Contest Winning Photographs

The Snowscape - Proffessional gudelines on taking your best winter shots

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COVER STORY Utah’s top Photographer Jon Woodbury shares secrets on how to take the perfect portrait

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M

y sincere thanks to the readers and to everyone who contributed to the making of this magazine. It’s certainly been a labor of love, especially since almost a year and a half ago I was convinced that my passion for photography and design was merely something I would do in my spare time. It is amazing how we change through time and travel.

All the experiences I have had in my life have not only made me stronger but have brought me exactly where I am today and for that I am incredibly grateful. I encourage you all to follow your passions, even if they seem so far out of reach. I love the quote by Confucius “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life”.

I hope this issue brings you inspiration and reminds you to follow your passion and never give up on your dreams.

Magdalena Cline

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CONTRIBUTORS Jon Woodbury is a Utah-based wedding and portrait photographer that emphasizes the drama and beauty of each individual. He considers himself a Photo Impressionist for his style of using digital technology to capture emotion in unique, artistic ways. While Jon is a superior photographer technically, it is his engaging, energetic personality that has won over amazing clients coast to coast. He has taught classes at the University of Utah as well as public and private workshops.

Tyler Alexander is currently a student at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Tyler grew up in Salt Lake and had an older brother who was a successful painter, he wanted to follow in his footsteps, but never felt quite adequate enough, so he turned to photography as his means of expression and exploration of nature and beauty.

He is still searching for absolute beauty and truth in his work. He explores an array of subjects to find this truth. Tyler’s dream is to travel the world someday.

Christopher O’Donnell is a coastal landscape photographer and educator based in Maine. Through his work, he likes to show a vantage point that is rarely seen in reality; a show of beauty, emotion, and serenity. There are countless mesmerizing scenes among us that are often hidden from society – his goal is to expose them to the world so that he may share the wonders he has seen.

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PORTRAITS ARE PEOPLE TOO TIPS FOR SHOOTING BETTER PORTRAITS

BY JON WOODBURY Utah’s unique portrait and wedding photographer

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ortrait can be a loose term. Is ANY photo of a person a portrait?

I think that photographically speaking, a portrait is any image where the person is the main point of interest in the photo and the subject knows he/she is being photographed. If they are unaware, it becomes a candid or street photograph.

That line is easily blurred (and arbitrary at that) but I think it’s an important distinction for the photographer in one respect–candid is easier. It’s much easier to catch a subject doing something interesting when they don’t know a camera is around. As soon as people see a camera pointed at them, they get all stupid and awkward. This shifts the burden almost fully to the photographer to work with the person in order to create an interesting image. Both types of photography are

lots of fun and perfectly acceptable, just know that as soon as that person sees you, it is left up to you to make a portrait.

The Rules: I would really say that I only have one: If the subject is making eye contact with the camera, the eyes should be focused. That’s it, and it’s really just a rule I’ve imposed on myself after a lot of attempts to the contrary. I simply can’t think of a single time in 500,000 images that it worked so I’ve decided to make it a rule. The rest are just helpful techniques, the goal being to create an image that tells a story of that individual, their relationship to the world, and your vision as a photographer.

So here are a few things to think about.

1. THE EYES

The eyes are important, they really ARE the window to the soul. You certainly don’t have to have the eyes in the frame or in focus, just make sure that you know WHY you don’t have them there.

Remember that the main technique that gives a person that spark of humanity and really engages you with someone is the spark in their eyes known as a catchlight. A catchlight is a reflection of something in the eyes of the subject. It can be sky, flash, building, whatever is reflective–the bigger the better. The image below has a reflection of the window creating a great catchlight. It adds life and vitality to a portrait.

2. LIGHTING

Softer is more flattering. The harshness of the light is related to the size and material of the light source.

The sun is a teeny, tiny light source, therefore the shadows are deep and the transitions from light to dark are sharp and unflattering. A flash head is the same. In the next image, look at the sharp shadow to the left of her nose. This was lit by a single flash off to my right.

As a comparison, the image next to it is a very simple portrait shot using just a large window off to my left. You see no harsh shadow lines. It’s much more forgiving of wrinkles and blemishes. You can also see that because the window light was not as strong the contrast between it and the ambient light filling the room is much lower, where above there was no ambient light leading to very strong contrast.

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Remember that there is ALWAYS direction to light. On an overcast day, there will be stronger light coming from the sun, even when it’s covered by clouds. It is more subtle but it’s there.

Overcast days usually mean nice, soft light, but also can make for odd color to skin tones.

Case in point is the portrait on the left, shot on an overcast day with light reflecting from many directions. The sun was above and behind her, hitting the back of her head, therefore it doesn’t figure into the lighting scheme on her face. Another tip is when you are cropped in tight, adding the subjects hands do wonders in adding interest to the frame.

3. POSING

The image below was shot with one flash to my left in 24 inch softbox, giving it a nice, large spread. The rim light down the subject’s left side is the sun, low on the horizon where it’s much more diffused by the atmosphere so it’s not as powerful. It does a beautiful job of separating the subject from the background. His suit is a similar value to the background and would have been lost without the rim light. You can shoot a natural light portrait this same way but you’ll have to expose for the ambient light which is much dimmer making the sunlight stronger in comparison.

This is where your vision as a photographer can really create a unique style. Do whatever you think will look interesting but here are a few things to keep in mind.

Watch where you frame. As a general rule, don’t chop of a limb or a body at a joint or natural break. It feels like an amputation, the brain doesn’t automatically assume that the limb continues!

If you crop in the middle of a body structure, the brain assumes that the second half is there. So avoid cropping right at the wrists, elbows, waist, knees, and ankles.

If you want a comfortable expression, allow the subject to be comfortable. I know, it sounds obvious but the “best” angles don’t look good on many people because they require uncomfortable twisting and turning of limbs. If you want a formal portrait, use formal rules, if you want a relaxed, candid-feeling portrait, allow the subject to do what comes natural then make them hold it when you see something you like. Don’t be afraid to ask them to do it again. We shot the image below 5 or 6 times

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to get things to come out right. Don’t be afraid to tell people what to do with themselves, unless they’ve modeled before, most people don’t have a clue what to do in front of a camera. Make suggestions but allow for their personal preferences. If they’re uncomfortable with large, demonstrative poses, they won’t pull them off well, find a more sedate, comfortable place and focus more on their inner self.

Whatever you do, encourage people! Tell them they’re doing a great job. It will relax them and they’ll open up more to your vision and direction. People will do some pretty crazy stuff if they know they’ll look good doing it! Remember that there is always a little bit of perspective involved. If you want to minimize hips, have her shift her weight to the back foot, that will shift the hips away from the camera.

It’s subtle but it works. Wide angle lenses typically create more depth while long lenses flatten depth. If a nose is prominent, flatten it a bit by shooting longer. For someone with a flatter, wider face, you can bring more depth by shooting wide.

I could go on forever but in the end, you have to get out there and shoot! Remember that while people resist getting their picture taken, if you’re honest with them about your purpose, ask them politely, and smile, most people will let you practice your art!

Have a great time, I can promise, you’ll never get bored shooting people!

JON WOODBURY IS A UNIQUE WEDDING AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER IN THE GREATER SALT LAKE AREA FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: www.jonwooburyphotography.com

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SNAP

PORTFOLIO PEEK.....

Photographed by Tyler Alexander

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THE SNOWSCAPE

CREATIVE TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING SNOW

BY CHRISTOPHER O’DONNEL

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now-covered scenes are a favored subject for most photographers, not just those who focus on the landscape. Snow has the ability to add interest and texture to any environment, and the opportunities to expand your creative horizons are endless. In particular, falling snow or windblown scenes create a surreal environment that is not only visually attractive, but can evoke a deeper, emotional response to your photography.Adjusting your exposure for snow, as seen in this winter sunrise along the coast of Maine.

Black and white photographers are particularly fond of snow, as it expands the tonal range and contrast to a landscape that lacks any variation until the spring bloom. The smooth transition of tones across the curvature of snow can transform the topography, allowing you to capture a landscape under a stunning blanket of white.

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Black and white snowscapes are a popular subject as the snow enhances the tonal range - seen here of this small fishing village along the coast of Maine.

However, the unique conditions that snow provides also comes with their own workflows in order to capture a scene in the manner you intend – in particular, two challenges that you are often met with are obtaining the proper exposure for snow, and how to capture snow as it falls.

natural and pristine when shot at 1/400ths, and the blocked shadows are now eliminated.

The histograms of each image can tell you much about your exposure, and is a fantastic tool that I use often in the field. You’re not always able to tell for certain how correct your exposure is just by looking at your LCD, and your histogram will let you know how well your image is exposed without any guesswork. You’ll notice that in the properlyexposed photo to the left, the tones are gathered WHY DOES MY SNOW LOOK GRAY? to the right, which is a desired result when your Whether you choose to process your image as a frame consists of mostly snow. Opposite this image black and white or in color, snow doesn’t look is the underexposed version shot at 1/1600ths, and quite right with many shades of gray. This doesn’t the histogram reflects this well with most tones mean that you should eliminate all of the darker tones – in fact, shadows can add depth and texture, gathered on the left side.

Of course, the distribution of your tones is entirely which helps define the variations and curves dependent on your intent, and also the content across your scene. However, some values of your image should be near to pure white (without being of your image. This scene is filled with snow, so it makes sense that most tones are to the right. overexposed) to act as a reference point. If your entire snowscape is just varying levels of gray, then However, if you’re shooting a snow scene with other elements – such as buildings, tree lines, or your snow will appear “dirty” and underexposed, which is most likely not your goal. An easy way to water – than you’ll need to read your histogram critically to avoid over or under exposure. judge your exposure in the field is to look at your histogram. Overall, are your tones gathererd to the Exposure blending your winter scene can allow left (underexposed) or to the right (overexposed)?

Shooting “to the right” is not only preferred in most situations, but will put you in a prime position to fine-tune your exposure in post process, if neccesary. By observing the histogram of your image, you can accurately adjust the exposure of white snow and eliminate dark or gray tones.

By comparing the exposures between these two frames – more specifically, the histogram – you can see that the longer shutter speed allowed for more light to hit the sensor, thus eliminating the “grayness” of the snow that is seen in the shorter exposure to the right. The snow appears more

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you to capture the full tonal range, as seen with this snow image of Eagle Lake in Acadia National Park.

At times, you’ll come across a snow scene that is impossible to expose correctly across the frame – most often when the sky is present in your composition. You’ll have one of two results – properly exposed snow with other elements over and/or underexposed, or snow that is not exposed properly with the remainder of your scene looking accurate.

This is an unfortunate limitation of your camera – not being able to combine different shutter speeds within the same frame – but can be conquered if you know the proper workflow. Depending on your scene, you can either exposure blend or use GND filters to correct your exposure throughout your composition.

PHOTOGRAPHING SNOW AS IT FALLS

Much like photographing any moving object, falling snow requires that you use a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the motion. The exact shutter speed can change greatly depending on many aspects, both with your camera and the elements in your frame – the amount of available light, speed of snowfall, and your combination of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO all have a part to play in both capturing flakes as they fall while having your image being properly exposed. It’s a delicate balance, and will take some adjustments in the field, but is attainable with practice and knowledge of how changes in your manual settings can affect both your exposure and how your scene is rendered.

A common issue that many photographers encounter when photographing the snowfall is a lack of available light. Since snowfall usually occurs during overcast, the amount of natural light you have is limited, which can ultimately affect your shutter speed. If you can’t obtain a fast enough shutter speed, your flakes will appear as streaks across your frame – or if your shutter is very slow, the flakes won’t register at all.

If you find yourself challenged to freeze motion and also have your image properly exposed, there are several changes you can perform – widen your aperture, increase your ISO, or try a shorter focal length.

All of these steps will gradually increase the amount of light that enters your camera, thus allowing you to capture the falling snow.

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This side by side comparison shows how by changing your aperture - and thus, your shutter speed - you can greatly change how your falling snow appears.

For the images above, I used a 300mm prime lens and focused on the tree, which was about 50 feet away. I took some test shots with an ISO of 100, but none of the shutter speeds were fast enough to freeze the action, which prompted me to increase my ISO to 800 for this series. As you can see, the slow shutter speed of 1/40th that I obtained with an aperture of f/16 was not fast enough to freeze the flakes as they fell. Instead of increasing my ISO further – which I could have done without much noticeable noise – I decided to widen my aperture.

In this side-by-side comparison, you can see that as my aperture widened, the snowfall looks quite different as my shutter speed increased. If I were to choose one image to use, I would select the f/5.6 aperture – it’s fast enough to render the falling snow without streaks, but my depth of field isn’t too shallow where I lose many flakes as they are thrown out of focus.

for a given aperture. In the image above, I used a focal length of 300mm set at f/4, which gave me multiple layers of snowflakes at various sizes – yet many are out of focus and transformed into soft bokeh, which adds texture and depth. By using a longer focal length, you can create multiple layers of snowflake interest by flattening the distances – even during a very light snowfall.

By knowing how to achieve the results you want, you can avoid much frustration in the field, allowing you to focus on the creative aspect of photographing snow.

CHRISTOPHER O’DONNELL IS A LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER LIVING ON THE COAST OF MAINE. READ VALUABLE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS AND TUTORIALS AND YOU CAN VISIT HIS PORTFOLIO TO VIEW HIS LATEST WORK ACCOMPANIED BY PERSONAL COMMENTARY. www.christopherodonnellphotography.com

CREATING LAYERS WITH SNOWFALL

However, there’s more to photographing falling snow than finding the best shutter speed. Your chosen focal length has much to do with how your snowflakes will appear – most importantly, their size and layers. Longer focal lengths compact your distances and increase the size of falling flakes, which will give you varying degrees of snowflake weight, and will also produce a layered effect.

Adjusting your focal length when photographing the snowfall can greatly impact your image, as seen here in this photograph of Bailey Island during a winter snow shower.

Also note that the longer your focal length is, the more shallow your depth of field will become

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