Photography Tip - subject dictates lens dictates aperture

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If you find yourself thinking, which lens should I use?  Or if you are thinking, which aperture should I use?  Well, I suggest first thinking about what subject are you going to photograph.  I have lenses with the following focal lengths:  17-50mm, 50mm, 105mm, and 80-200mm.  Each one is very good at photographing different subjects.  After all, why have lenses that largely overlap in purpose?  Since I have these different lenses, how do I know which one to use?  And with what aperture?  I decide this by thinking of the subject first.  I phrase it like this:

subject dictates lens --> lens dictates aperture

Using the above image as a reference, if my subject was a single person for a headshot, that dictates to me I want to use my 80-200mm lens (pictured) and when I use that lens, I most often use it at f/5.6 (read this photography tip for more on which aperture for which lens).  In that way my subject dictates everything I need to know for making the shot as far as which lens & which aperture.  

Likewise, if my subject was a landscape, that would then dictate that I use my 17-50mm lens and that lens dictates that I most often want to use an aperture of f/11.  

So my advice is to always think of your subject first, then think which lens is best for that, and then for each lens you have you know which aperture you like to shoot at with it.  If you only have one lens, or a lens with a wide focal range of 18-200mm for example, you can still use the same process, just instead subject dictates lens dictates aperture, it would be subject dictates focal range dictates aperture.  I would think of the lens then as an 18-50mm and a 50mm-200mm in that regard.

Favorite Five Photographs of 2012

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The five photographs below represent my personal favorites that I made in 2012, from various categories.  The process, as always, for selecting my favorite images of the year is based on if the photo made me feel emotion.  Another factor for choosing is if the particular photograph was a breakthrough for me in terms of technique or content.

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione looks out over the Tampa International Jet Center airfield - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 9-exposure HDR tripod mounted with cable release

1 - Alfa Romeo 8C HDR at Tampa Jet Center - category: event, car, HDR

Photographing the Cars & Couture event in October 2012 was the most fruitful evening of shooting of the year for me by far for getting portfolio shots.  The term kid in a candy shop could not be more well applied.  I had free range to photograph numerous supercars in a unique (jet hangar) setting as the light of the day was providing an ideal sunset backdrop.  I felt as if in a blissful trance.  It was hard to choose which shot from the event for my favorite.  I chose the above shot of an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione because it incorporates the best of my 9-exposure HDR technique in a shot that composes the car and event photography categories.  I also believe it tells a story with the couple embracing framed in the windshield of the car, the woman standing alone in the center, the jets in the far background and the other people mingling at the right of the frame.  This image is the one I am currently using on my business card too. (read the original photo story for this image)

 

Abby surrounded by bokeh using "sandwich lighting" - Nikon D300 Nikkor 105mm VR Micro @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/60th Strobist: SB-800 to frame left & SB-600 to frame right both @ 1/4 power

2 - Abby Wrapped in Shadow with Bokeh - category:  model portfolio shot, strobist

I had several model portfolio shoots in 2012, but like the Cars & Couture event described above, my shoot with Abby produced the most portfolio shots of any other model shoot.  The image of her above largely in shadow also represents a new photography style for me pushing my strobist techniques into different, less traditional areas.  This shoot was also on location, not in a studio, and the bokeh in the background is the result of finding trees filled with small lights.  The shadow the model is wrapped in to me, is what produces the emotion of the shot, along with the pose Abby chose on her own.  Both of these add up to some mystery the viewer has to ponder. (read the original photo story for this image) 

 

Isabella dancing at her first communion celebration at the Don Cesar St. Petersburg Florida - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/200th Strobist: SB-800 with diffuser cap @ 1/4 power to frame right

3 - First Communion Dress Sping - category: portrait

I had photographed Isabella's mother twice before as she is a professional flamenco dancer.  She asked me to photograph her daughter's First Communion celebration at the Don Cesar.  As soon as I saw Isabella in her beautiful, flowing white dress, I knew I wanted to make a shot showing the dress twirling in the air.  In the driveway of the Don Cesar I stood on the top of a low wall of potted plants to get a high perspective.  Then it was about timing the shot right to get Isabella smiling and looking at the camera as well as her dress in full spin.  (read the original photo story for this image) 

 

Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 11 sec tripod mounted with cable release

4- Fiery Dusk Sky Over St. Petersburg - category: fine art, landscape, long exposure

2012 may well be the last year I would be able to make a shot like the one above as the location I made it from, the top of The Pier, is slated for demolition soon.  If that is so and this shot is the last twilight sky over downtown St. Petersburg I ever make, then at least I got great cooperation from Mother Nature.  Just minutes before sunset, everything was totally gray and overcast.  Then, suddenly, light burst out from just above the horizon and changed color at least three times.  This view is more commonly shot framed to the west and north, but I chose to frame it west and south, making it stand out from others I have taken from this same vantage point.  (read the original photo story for this image)

 

Kiki's mouth opens too wide when yawning to even fit in the frame! - Nikon D300 Nikkor 105mm VR micro @ f/8 ISO 200 1/60th Strobist: SB-800 @ 1/4 power in brolly to frame right

5 - Kiki Yawns on Digital White Background - category: candid, Photoshop, pet

A photograph of my beloved puppy Kiki returns to my favorites of the year after a one year absence.  This one demonstrates the benefits of being restricted by focal length.  On my Nikon was the 105mm macro lens, making it impossible to get Kiki's entire head in the frame.  I think had another, wider lens been on my camera then and all of Kiki's head could have been in the frame, the shot would not have had nearly the impact this one does by showing only part of her tongue and jaw and featuring her eye looking straight ahead.  The other reason for choosing this shot is that it demonstrates my improved Photoshop technique for removing a subject from a background and my new liking of putting subjects on digitally created white backgrounds.  (read the original photo story for this image) 

My Favorite Five Images of 2011

My Favorite Five Images of 2010

My Favorite Five Images of 2009

--please post links to your own favorite photographs in the comments below

Red 2004 Corvette Z06 Tampa Car Photography in Ybor City

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Corvette Z06 in Ybor City near train tracks Tampa Car Photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 1/30th +1 ev tripod mounted single exposureDustin contacted me about photographing his 2004 Corvette Z06 in the same Ybor City Tampa location he has seen my photographs of a Mustang and a Lexus IS F.  He was open to me shooting however I liked, not wanting any replicated photos and I really wanted to try and produce some different shots after having already shot at this exact spot twice before.  Thanks to our well timed shoot and Mother Nature cooperating with a very well positioned sunset, I was able to produce some new shots for this Corvette shoot.

Red Chevy Corvette Z06 sunset view in Ybor City Tampa Car Photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 1/40th +2 ev tripod mounted single exposureOne of the big differences with the shots from this car photography shoot was I did not rely on HDR for most of the shots.  I still shot a majority of bracketed shots, but I ended up using one of those exposures, as in the shot above, to produce the final image.  I feel this improves my car photography shooting style offering future clients even more variety in final images.  What motivated me to shoot like this?  Looking at lots of photographs of cars on Autoblog.com.  Looking at photographs is a great way to improve your own photography, no matter what you are shooting or what experience level you are.

Corvette Z06 vs train in Ybor City Tampa Car Photography - Nikon D300 Nikkor 50mm @ f/4 ISO 200 1/400th with antique filter in Silver Efex ProOne of the original reasons I scouted this Ybor City shooting location was that the client wanted to have his car near train tracks.  Well these tracks are very active as you can see above allowing me to make a "Corvette vs. Train" shot.  I wonder what the train engineer was thinking?

Z06 Corvette train track sunset in Ybor City Tampa Car Photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 9-exposure HDR tripod mounted with cable releaseI still did make some 9-exposure HDR final images though, like the one above allowing me to show the full details of the red Corvette and full detail in the bright sky background.  As you can see in the shots above, with a single exposure that much detail in the sky cannot be preserved unless you make an HDR image.

Corvette Z06 in Ybor City at sunset Tampa Car Photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 9-exposure HDR tripod mounted with cable releaseMost car shots are usually from a low angle, but I wanted to show more of the shape of the hood of this Corvette so I maxed out the leg height of my tripod to get this upper view of the car and used another 9 exposures to make this HDR image.

Stylized Corvette Z06 view in Ybor City Tampa Car Photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 1/100th +2 ev tripod mounted single exposureA tight rear quarter panel and rear wheel composition is one of my favorite views to photograph a car from, as seen in the photo above.  I think it creates a somewhat exaggerated and therefore interesting view of a car, especially if it has nice wheels!

Corvette Z06 on bricks in Ybor City Tampa Car Photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 9-exposure HDR tripod mounted with cable releaseFor the last shots of the afternoon we went to the other side of the warehouse out of direct sunlight.  Even though there was no bright sky to contend with, I chose to shoot in brackets and ended up using all 9-exposures to make the HDR image above.  In doing so details in the shadows of the car and gate above were revealed.  

Bus Light Trail in St. Petersburg Florida Photography

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Not a spaceship, but a double-decker bus all lit up - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 17.7 sec tripod mounted with cable releaseWalking back to my car after photographing New Year's Eve 2012 Fireworks in downtown St. Petersburg I saw a double decker bus making a very awkward 3-point-turn down the road.  I still had my Nikon on my tripod over my shoulder so I quickly set up on the curb thinking I had a rare chance to make a light trail photo with a tall, lit subject, not just the usual low cars.  

Fortunately, it was more of a 10-point-turn so I had plenty of time to get in position and even make a few test shots before opening the shutter for 17.7 seconds to capture the image above.  

Redington Beach Florida Family Sunset Portraits

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Piggy back rides for everyone on Redington Beach Florida - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/100th - Strobist: SB-800 to frame right & SB-600 to frame leftThe Anderson family was visiting from Canada staying at their condo on Redington Beach for the holidays and while the family was all together, wanted candid Florida sunset beach portraits.  Unfortunately, the weather was not very Florida-like as the temperture was pretty low and the strong wind actually made for a tangible wind chill effect.  Nevertheless, we had a good sunset for a background and made some fun portraits together.

One of my trademark shots, the family facing away from the lens toward the sunset - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/200th - Strobist: SB-800 to frame left & SB-600 to frame rightThey had seen my other photographs of families looking away from the camera and out toward the sunset and specifically requested to have one of these trademark shots of mine.  I added a bit of a soft filter to the image this time as I felt the high detail of the original did not match the overall feel of the shot.

Staying close for warmth & the portrait! - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/160th - Strobist: SB-800 to frame left and SB-600 behind to frame rightOne thing you may notice in all my sunset portraits is that I always get the people's heads above the horizon as much as possible so the horizon is not unpleasantly bisecting anyone's head.  In order to do that for the family while sitting, I had to lay down on my stomach right on the sand!  Beach portrait photography does require getting messy sometimes.

Brother & sister having fun on Redington Beach Florida at sunset - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/6.3 ISO 200 1/250th - Strobist: SB-800 to frame left & SB-600 to frame rightI always like to see siblings having fun together, and here brother gives sister a lift with a bright sun setting behind them.  I feel these kinds of shots will have the most impact twenty years from now and hopefully will help remind the siblings of the fun of their childhood, and in these case, teenage years together.

Photography Tip - Enable Highlights mode

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Go to Highlight alert on Canon DSLRs to show any overexposed areas when reviewing your shots.One very useful feature that is often not on by default in DSLR cameras, is the view highlights mode.  Enabling this mode allows you to see which areas of a photograph have blown out highlights.  The areas will flash giving a clear signal that part of the photograph is overexposed and that you may want to adjust exposure to bring back detail in those highlights.

Nikon offers many types of review views including highlights.As usual, Nikon does highlights mode much better than Canon.  No matter what review mode you look at on a Canon DSLR, the highlights will always be flashing.  This gets annoying when you just want to see the composition of the shot and you may have intentionally overexposed some areas.  On Nikon highlights have their very own review view.  

The black areas in the white sky are the flashing highlight signalIn the image above the large black areas in the sky indicate the portions of the photograph that are overexposed, or blown out.  Those black areas will flash on and off clearing letting you know, "hey, the sky is totally blown out, did you really intend to do that?"  

St. Petersburg Florida Real Estate Photography - resort like pool

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A very nice backyard and pool area - St. Petersburg Real Estate Photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 7-exposure HDR

I recently photographed this St. Petersburg area home for Crown Group Realty which had a surprising resort-like backyard.  I was not expecting to find something like it when I walked out the backdoor!  I chose to make a 7-exposure HDR image to show details in all areas of the yard, sky and home.

An updated St. Petersburg kitchen - Florida Real Estate Photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 5-exposure HDRThe kitchen was recently updated with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, two things it seems everyone wants in a modern kitchen!  I shot from my tripod's maximum height to be able to shoot over and at the same time show the bar and countertops.

This could be your view when you get home! - St. Peterburg Real Estate Photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 7-exposure HDRIf you or someone you know might be interested in seeing this house, please contact Crown Group Realty for an appointment.  If you are a St. Petersburg or other Tampa Bay area real estate agent and would like to have high quality images of your listings that will definitely generate more traffic to them, my professional real estate photography services are available for homes in all price ranges.