Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Panning Photos


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Last summer when my husband and I were on
vacation in Whistler, British Columbia, I noticed
everyone was biking. They even have extensive
biking trails and obstacle courses.

I loved watching the bicycle acrobatics
and captured this fun shot as a FREEZE FRAME:



But I also wanted to try
Panning Shots to create movement in
the photos like these:



Even a blurry subject looks cool!


I was delighted to see that Sarah Halstead's

is about Panning Shots.

She gives a great explanation of how to do it,
so check out her Naptime Momtog blog.

If you want to try this...look for subjects
that are moving either left to right or right to left
past your camera.

Using a longer shutter speed...up to 1 second...
as the subject enters the frame, pan with them
so they stay in somewhat focus while the
background blurs creating motion.


While in Whistler, I sat on a slight hill facing
a bicycle trail.

I didn't want to look like some kind of
strange stalker,
so I acted like I was photographing the
woods next to the trail and when
a bike whizzed by, I panned with it.

The bikers didn't even notice me.



I had a ton of DUD shots.
It takes LOTS of practice, but
try this with anything moving.

Try this with cars passing on a busy street
or a child running during a soccer game.


I changed my location because
I noticed some purple flowers a bit
farther down the trail...


I like the purple streaks in
the background.

So look for interesting objects
and colors in the background.


Last month, a mother hired me to
take hockey portraits of her ten-year-old son.


I remembered the panning shots
and tried them here.

I LOVE that he is blurry...
looks like neat ART!


She loved them, too!



This summer should provide a great
variety of fun subjects for you to try this techinique.

Have FUN!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Backlighting in Portraits


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I LOVE backlighting in portraits and wanted to share
what I have learned to create spectacular photos with
light from behind the subject.

My favorite time of day for backlit portraits is
the evening, but it also works in early morning right after sunrise. 

For this photo series, I started about two hours before sunset
when the sun was golden and low in the sky.


It's not really an exact science.  It takes experimentation.

Place your model with the sun to their back and see how the
sun reflects off their hair.



I used a large, gold reflector for this series because
I like to see the face,
but you can experiment without a reflector and
shadowed faces which also create a mood.


I meter off their cheek.  Don't worry about
blowing out the background...It will create
amazing art.

There are no perfect camera settings for
backlighting.  Experiment!

I used ISO 100, large aperature (2.8 on a 50mm 1.4 lens)
and a fast shutter speed. But you will need to try various settings
to achieve the look you like.

I LOVE the bokeh around the lighted trees!


Turn your model different ways to achieve
different lighting effects.

Below, the sun lights her from the left side. (I used a reflector.)


I don't have an assistant.  I hold that dang reflector myself
and it's VERY awkward...but works for me.


Did I tell you I LOVE backlighting???


You can also backlight during the afternoon.

When I first started doing portrait work,
I used to PRAY for a cloudy day.

But that isn't realistic, so I had to learn to
embrace the sun however it was that day.

This next group of photos was taken about 2:30 PM with
bright sunshine.


The key is to find a location where
you don't have shadows on the faces.

This means finding some shade like
a tree, a building...whatever will take the direct
sunlight off the subject's face,
but still allow the sun to illuminate the
hair.


These were taken on a covered bridge.

The cover on the bridge blocked sun from
their faces...thus shadows...
but I played with the delightful backlighting.

I did not use a reflector for this series
because I had plenty of mid-day light.


Sunflares can really add to the artistry of your portrait.

Move around, to place the sun over a shoulder or
behind the head.

OR....

You can add a sun flare in Photoshop and Elements
if the sun isn't in the perfect place.


How enchanting is this gazebo photo
with the perfectly placed sunflare? 
(*wink!*)


I don't let a sunny day stop me from taking
portrait shots.  I just find some shade...


And use the bright light as an enhancing feature.


Recently, I photographed a family on a sunny winter
day...the only time they could all be together.

Notice how I found a spot partially
shaded by this pine tree to elminate shadows on
their faces...yet utilized the streaming
sunlight as an effect.


I did the same thing here with that
wall of tall bushes and brush to their
left...yet look at the awesome side light.


For this closer shot, I used the shade from
the trees.


I LOVE action shot portraits!