Tips for Photographing Fireworks

It’s time to get ready for Fourth of July celebrations and the amazing fireworks show that accompany the barbeques and other events. Want to get some amazing images? You can capture some spectacular scenes if you take a few tips with you before you begin shooting.
Scout Your Spot: If at all possible, get the event early and take a look around. See if you can get an unobstructed view or if you can position yourself where other onlookers’ heads won’t be in the way.

Try a Tripod:
With the combination of low light and fast action (the fireworks), a steady surface can greatly aid in helping you record that perfect image.
Add a Remote Release: A remote release can free you up to focus on your images and keep your eye on the sky. They are inexpensive and many photographers find them to be an invaluable accessory.

Slow Your Shutter Speed:
A long exposure often works best with fireworks since they are moving events and contain bright light. Experiment with keeping the shutter open long but don’t overdo it because you can overexpose the image. Alternate between using a burst mode to capture the action as well as holding the shutter open (by pressing the button half-way at the beginning of the action and continue holding it down until the fireworks burst is complete) in a single shot. Each location and event has unique circumstances so keep experimenting as you go along until you find the effect that works for you.

Forget the Flash:
Your flash can be more of a hindrance in this case because it may signal to your camera that you need a shorter exposure time. The flash only helps when your object is a few feet away, so in this case, even though it’s dark, keep the flash turned off.

Picture Dictionary- Histogram:
Ever wonder what that black and white graph is that sometimes shows up on your camera’s LCD screen? It’s called a histogram, and it’s essentially a representation of the contrast and dynamic range in each image. The histogram shows a range of 0-255 with the value of zero being black and white valued at 255. You’ll find the ‘true white’ illustrated at the far right of the graph and the ‘true black’ on the far left. A well-exposed image will show points close to both ends.

An Introduction to High Dynamic Range Photography by Richmond Camera
High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography is becoming increasingly popular now that digital cameras are the norm. The technique itself, however, was actually created by Charles Wyckoff in the 1930s. HDR refers to a technique that allows an image to display a greater dynamic range between the lightest and darkest areas of the photograph. The intention is to accurately portray the entire range of luminance and do so through a series of bracketed exposures of the same scene so that the result is a stunning display of lighting range.

Many of today’s DSLR cameras have an Auto Exposure Bracketing feature, which will come in handy as you begin experimenting with this technique. The exposure bracketing is simply a way of varying the brightness of the exposure over several sequential frames. Most cameras offer a series of at least three frames while others offer upwards of eleven or more. If you aren’t sure how to set the AEB feature on your camera, check the manual or do an online search for your camera model +AEB. The result should pop up.

You will then need to select your exposure values, which indicate the variance in shutter speed and aperture combinations used to create each image. For maximum effect, choose one complete stop so that you will get a broad range of highlights, shadows and midtones. You’ll also want to set your camera in continuous shooting mode and use the timer.

It’s best to use a tripod for this technique in order to ensure there is no movement between shots as you will be combining multiple images in an editing program later.
Once you’ve finished shooting, you should have a series of images that are underexposed, properly exposed and overexposed. You will then import these images into an image editing program such as Photoshop®, Photomatix or FDR Tools (the latter two being programs specifically designed for creating HDR images).

HDR photography is a fantastic way to play with the more artistic aspects of the craft and allow you to create an image with such variance that it truly stands out among the rest of the images in your portfolio. You may find yourself answering the question, “How did you DO that?” over and over again.

Spring in Bloom: Wildflower Photography by Richmond Camera
May is the perfect time for taking pictures of wildflowers and nature in full bloom. The rains of April have quenched the lands and helped create the beauty you now wish to capture.

Evaluate the Angles:
Don’t rush to shoot the first pretty flower that strikes your fancy. Study it from a variety of angles and evaluate your options looking through your lens. Move about, experiment with top shots, side views, low points and off-center options. The beauty of wildflowers is multifaceted, and your location and vantage point can illustrate those variances.

Clue in on Contrasts:
Look for contrasts in color and texture when surveying your wildflower patch. For example, see if you can incorporate both the bright purple blooms with a nearby yellow bud, or include a smooth petal with a textured leaf. You may need to experiment with angles and positioning to include contrast but the end result will be well worth the effort!

Don’t Overdo It:
When presented with a large field of flowers, it’s tempting to shoot a broad image to try to encompass the entire area but these images often fall short of showing the appropriate scale. Feel free to take a few in this manner but then start focusing on a key flower or bloom and experiment with your depth of field to see if you can also include part of the vast floral background.

Wind and Light:
Some flowers need the warmth of the sun to open, so consider shooting in the morning hours. Wind can also be an obstacle in getting great wildflower photos, so the mornings are often better as wind tends to pick up later in the day. If bright sunlight or reflections are becoming an issue, consider using a skylight or UV filter to combat the harshness of the sun.

Watch it on the Roadside:
Our nation’s highways are bringing us some of the most fantastic wildflower eye candy this season. For example, in Texas, IH-10 seems to be paved with bluebonnets for miles on end. These attractions lure countless admirers to pull over to take photographs, but please take extra care when doing this. Survey your area to find a safe spot to park and make sure you’re shooting far enough away from traffic so as not to be a distraction or cause an accident.

Panasonic GF-1

I've spent the last four days trying out the newest Panasonic G series, the GF-1. While it shares many features with its other "G"
siblings, this model is the stand out in my estimation.

What I liked: While small, it handles very nicely, with a very slight protruding grip on the right side. It feels very solid, a well machined tool.

I tried it with the 20mm/1.7 lens and this would always be my choice, though there is a 14-45mm zoom also available in kit form. The JPEGs are very nice but this is a camera for someone who likes RAW. The depth and color of the RAW image was beautiful. I needed to use the supplied Silkypik converter as my Mac does not, as yet, read the G's raw format.
Up to 800 ISO, the G is the equal to any camera in the price range, beyond that, it does give up some noise control, but it is a fine grain that I prefer to some of the overly "cooked" high ISO you often see in other brands. Its AF is definitely as good as the competition, though how they got the Contrast AF to focus this fast is a mystery.

Though I only tried it once, the video mode is clearly superior to that of the Nikon 5000 and Canon T1i. This system was designed for video capability and it shows.

What could have been better: We didn't have the eye-level viewer at the time of my test and I really would prefer this to holding the camera in front of my face. Not everyone will feel the same, but having the option is valuable. There were also many controls located deep in menus, and I didn't have the time to figure them all out. The built in flash only has a guide # of 6, so has little power. It's better than no flash, but has limited usefulness.

Would I want one? Yes, I would. It reminds me of the Leica CL I've carried over the years with a 40/2 and 90/2.8 lens. In fact, I used the same case to carry the GF-1 as I use for the CL.
With the adapters coming that will allow using M series, as well as other brands of lenses, this is a way to connect to many wonderful lenses of the past.

By: Bill Herbert (Richmond Camera Charlottesville)

White Balance

Shooting digital creates its unique set of challenges. White balance is one of the ever-present challenges that is good to keep in mind when shooting. There are a few really great tools to aid a photographer in setting a customer white balance. First it is important to know when to use a customer white balance.
A good recommendation is to use a customer white balance whenever there is mixed lighting. In other words, when your are using a pop-up flash, sunlight from a near by window, and over head fluorescents to light your subject it is a good idea to set a custom white balance. Although new cameras have fantastic auto white balance, setting a custom white balance is one step towards complete control over the image. When using a custom white balance you can control how cool or how warm the image is. Controlling the warmth gives access to effect the mood of the image. Changing the mood of an image could make the difference between an average photo and a masterpiece.

The following links are a few different options of tools to aid in setting a custom white balance.

This first link is a new product that really takes a look at the entire work flow of a photographer.
ColorChecker Passport

This link is great because the product is really easy to use and it produces great results.
ExpoDisc

This link is a low cost solution that is durable and easy to use.
EZyBalance

Link

If you like great photography you will love this....
O. Winston Link is a photographer that is known for his night time train photographs. Think about it.... try and photograph a train as it steams down the tracks at night with a 4x5 camera. Link's photographs bring back childhood longings of wanting to grow up and be an engineer.
the Link Museum has a collection that is worth the trip. On their website they have this biography about Link:

Winston Link was born on December 16, 1914, in Brooklyn, New York. He was the second of three children. His father was a public school teacher and exerted a strong influence on his children, escorting them around New York City to see the sights, from battleships at harbor to airplanes in the sky. The elder Link taught his son the use and care of tools and introduced him to photography. Winston developed a lifelong love of tools, becoming a skilled woodworker and a meticulous craftsman. As a teenager, he built his own photographic enlarger and went to work for a local photo store.

Link attended Manual Arts High School in Brooklyn and later the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. He played hockey and was a very popular student, serving as class president all four years in college while majoring in civil engineering. He worked as photographer and photo editor of the school newspaper and, upon graduation, was offered a job as a photographer by a public relations firm, Carl Byoir Associates, in New York City. He worked for Byoir from 1937 to 1942. He never did pursue a career in engineering.

With the onset of World War II, Winston left Byoir and went to work for Columbia Institute Laboratory in Mineola, Long Island, where he performed secret war research for the United States Government. The Long Island Railroad operated tracks right behind the lab. Link had always been fascinated by steam locomotives, and the proximity of the LIRR rekindled his interest, and he started taking pictures. He recognized there was one great problem in shooting photos of locomotives --- lighting. He once said, "You can't move the sun, and you can't move the tracks, so you have to do something else to better light the engines." He went on to custom build his own flash equipment required for his large scale railroad photos which he preferred to shoot at night.

After the war, he was invited back to work at Byoir but declined, deciding instead to become an independent, professional photographer. He soon became known for his skillful photos of complicated factory and industrial interiors. In 1955, Link traveled to Staunton, Virginia, to do an industrial shoot. He knew that the Norfolk & Western Railway passed in nearby Waynesboro and that it was the last large steam-powered American railroad. Link went to observe it. Granted permission to access the tracks by R. H. Smith, president of the N & W Railroad, Link returned the night of January 21, 1955 with his equipment and began photographing the trains.

In the next five years, Winston Link made twenty trips to N & W's tracks in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina, producing 2,400 images. Most of the images were produced on 4 x 5 film with a Graphic View Camera.

The last of the N & W's steam locomotives was taken out of service in May 1960, and Winston returned to New York, where he continued his work as a commercial photographer. He documented construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York harbor, photographed for Volkswagen of America as well as a number of advertising agencies.

Link, as much historian as artist, employed his technical skill as a means to document his subjects rather than as a means to fame or fortune. Indeed, he discovered shortly after starting his visual documentation of the railroad that no one was interested in photos of an old technology. However, Winston had also recorded the sounds of the steam engines and found that his high quality sound recordings were quickly gaining recognition. He released the first of six recordings, "Sounds of Steam Railroading," in 1957, years before his N & W photographs began to garner attention. It was only in 1983 that his photography began to receive recognition as works of art. That same year, Link closed his New York City studio and moved to rural South Salem, New York.

Steam, Steel & Stars, published in 1987, represented Winston Link's first collection of his railroad photos in book form and dramatically increased recognition of his work. The Last Steam Railroad in America, published in 1995 sealed his status as America's premier photographer of steam railroading. Exhibitions of his work have been seen throughout the United States, Great Britain, Europe and Japan.

In 2000, Winston Link agreed to creation of the O. Winston Link Museum to be located in the historic Norfolk & Western Passenger Station, in Roanoke, Virginia. The station was restored and refurbished by famed industrial designer, Raymond Loewy, and the museum opened in 2004, with Mr. Link actively involved the planning.

O. Winston Link died of a heart attack on January 30, 2001, near his home in South Salem, New York.