Hold your ground

Taken in tight, up close, and in front with a wide angle.

When I was working as a newspaper photographer an important thing to remember was to hold your ground. Some of the best pictures are taken when the action is coming right at the photographer.

Very little can beat an exciting image of a basketball, out of control, and speeding towards the camera. Unless, of course, it's a picture of the photographer getting hit.

Finding a position in front of the action can often make for shots that truly involve the viewer. For instance, when shooting football action when the ball is being played deep in the end zone, shots taken with a long lens from off field and behind the goal posts are great. This angle maximizes your chances of capturing some import facial expression, too.

As today's point-and-shoot photo shows, even a simple shot of a child can benefit from being taken from this viewer involving angle. Don't forget composition (the circular opening), capturing ongoing action and background (the low camera angle captured mom to her dismay but I like it better than cropping mom off at the neck).

So let's get out in front and damn the torpedoes. Well, maybe I'd draw the line at torpedoes.

It's about people not pixels.

Cameras like the Fuji HS10 take the worry out of available light photography.

Fuji Canada has a photo contest and I entered the picture of Fiona shown above. The contest is focused on portrait photography. I had thought of doing something traditional. Find a blond (man or woman, boy or girl, light hair is what I'm looking for here) or an older person with greying hair, place a bare-bulb table lamp behind them and one bare-bulb table lamp off to the side and in front and, if necessary, place a white sheet of bristol board off to the side bouncing light into the shadows.

Then I watched as Fiona fell asleep in a dark bedroom. The curtains were almost completely closed.. The light looked great but there wasn't much of it. I thought, "not to worry." With a pose like that I'll work with the light I've got.

This is where today's sophisticated point-and-shoots show their strengths. Fiona tends to move a lot while she sleeps. Working fast was important. This picture opportunity was not going to last. I grabbed my Fuji HS10 and set it to automatic.

This picture was shot hand-held at 1/6 second at f/4.0. Today's cameras with their sophisticated stabilization systems make hand-holding possible even at such extremely slow shutter speeds. I accepted a pushed ISO setting of 800, but then I am not a stickler about noise.

I figure pictures like this are not about pixels but people.

There is one glitch with this image: Colour cast. If you look carefully at the white sweater at the bottom of the picture you will notice a cyan colour cast. If I had noticed this before, I would have removed the cyan stain.

Remember, the room light was almost non-existent. This image is much brighter than the actual scene. When digging deep into dark shadows to make an image, one can expect some problems: colour shifts, colour casts, confetti-colourful noise and blurred detail resulting from over-enthusiastic noise control by the camera software.

Print the picture small and most problems disappear. Print the image large and most folk will view it from some distance and again most problems will again disappear. I have 16X20s that were printed from 4MB files taken with a Canon SD10 and folks have raved about these framed pictures. No one has ever pointed out the technical shortcomings because these are strong images.

Of course, if you are shooting for publication then all bets are off. Unless your technical shortcomings add a patina of style, your images will just come up short in the eyes of an art director.

(If ultimate quality is important to you, and think carefully as for many people it is very important, then take a look at the blog Nothing Special. This blogger knows his stuff and will point out the stuff that I was once also concerned with. My resolution/contrast charts and Macbeth Colour Checker now sit gathering dust in my basement.)

Rules are for breaking

The Rule of Thirds in action.

I have talked at times about shooting children and how one must get down to their level to get the best pictures. Well this is usually true. But like most rules it is made to be broken.

Just don't throw out all the rules at once.

Study today's picture of my granddaughter. The little tyke is asleep in her car seat. I quietly folded the carrying handle back behind the seat and turned the bright yellow duck so that some of its face was visible.

I positioned myself directly above the sleeping child. Note the composition. Think Rule of Thirds. To apply this rule cross the picture with two lines horizontally and with two lines vertically, dividing the image into thirds in both directions. The image is broken into 9 sections.

The four lines are useful for placing strong, directional elements in a photo. Think horizons and trees, etc. Placing strong points of interest at, or near, the intersections of these lines makes for a naturally balanced image.

All three heads, the child's, the teddy's and the duckie's, are approximately at an intersection of two lines. Following this rule while shooting comes naturally to some photographers but many more have to apply it consciously at first.

By activating three of the intersections in my picture of my granddaughter note that the heads trace a triangle in the same way that stars form the Big Dipper in the night sky. In art school we were told this implied triangle gave the image a solid base and added quiet strength. Remember, a lot of this compositional stuff is found after the fact — much like the Big Dipper appeared after the stars were formed.

It is important to shoot lots and, if you can't recall the Rule of Thirds while your taking your pictures, think serendipity and keep an alert eye while editing.

Shooting Kids

Fiona likes her puzzles.

Get down on the level of the child for good shots of kids.

When I saw Fiona, my granddaughter, down on the floor putting one of her puzzles together, I saw a picture. I grabbed my camera, in this case my Fuji HS10, and dropped to the floor. By getting down low, one sees a lot of the little girl's face and can easily see her look of concentration.

This shot was taken with the zoom lens set to 24mm. The shot was illuminated with window light pouring into the bedroom through a very large window.

Personally, I think the best pictures of kids show them engaged in one of their usual day-to-day activities rather than simply posed looking at the camera. I like the small amount of subject motion blurring the little girl's reaching hand. The movement adds to the documentary feel, the unposed moment captured feel, of the image. 

I kept the puzzle pieces in the picture as I thought they added to the story. I'm still debating whether or not the picture could be improved by cropping off the puzzle piece at the bottom right. Cropping the picture so that the puzzle piece disappeared would make for a very deep picture with very little width. It might be very dramatic. What do you think?

One warning. Note the distortion in this picture. That is the result of using such a wide angle lens. If you want less distortion, do not use such an extremely wide lens. Get back a bit from your subject and use a longer lens. Doing this will minimize distortion but it will also give a flatter, less dramatic, perspective.

Cheers!

Shooting food

See it, like it, shoot it, eat it!

I have it from a respected source that at one time photographers specializing in food photography were paid thousands of dollars for an image destined for a national magazine. When I went to art school in the '60s shooting great food pictures was an accepted art and craft.

When shooting soup, drop clear marbles into the broth we were told. These would settle to the bottom and force the vegetables, or whatever, to the surface. We were instructed to use shaving cream for whipped cream as it would hold together longer under the lights. Spraying food with glycerin to give it a "wet look" was an accepted practice. Bluntly, we were taught to cheat. But those days are gone.

Today it is very important to shoot honest food pictures. If the picture needs trickery, you may need a lawyer. This is especially true when shooting product shots for ads and the like.

So, if you like to shoot food, go for it. Take your time, pick your subjects, and you can produce pictures as good as the big shots. Today's picture shows a blueberry and cauliflower salad served on a bed a baby spinach with a fig and lemon balsamic vinegar dressing. It tasted as good as it looked.

Like so many of my food shots, this was shot in our kitchen in the seconds before sitting down to eat. It is illuminated by soft light pouring in through a large window. I admit that I chose the blue placemat for the picture but other than that this salad is just as it appeared.

My wife's the food artist. I'm the photographer. (This image could be even better if it was taken into a photo enhancement program to have the shadow at the bottom of the image lightened.)

Shooting food:
1. Use food that inspires you.
2. When starting out, keep it simple. One slice of back-lit lemon can be enough of challenge for a first picture. My favourite subjects are fresh plates of well-prepared food immediately after they have been brought to the family table.
3. Soft but directional light is often best. This light minimizes deep, dark, harsh shadows. Large windows work well but the glass cannot be tinted, as does bouncing one's flash against a white ceiling. This is where a TTL flash shows it strengths.
4. Try different lens. In tight with a wide angle gives a dramatic perspective to your image. Shooting from farther back with a long lens can make some parts of the subject 'pop' on account of the decreased depth of field. Speaking of depth of field, play with shutting down your lens and teaming this with a slow shutter speed; Often a bit of depth of field looks good with food pictures.
5. Keep the light clean to keep your colours faithful.
6. Be creative and gives this all the attention that you would give any picture.
7. With some subjects you must learn to work fast as bubbles break, froth falls and steam vapourizes and all disappear in seconds.

So work fast, shoot lots, try some different approaches and above all, "Have fun!"

Good luck!

There's a little reason posts are sporatic: Fiona

Both images taken with Canon S90.

For more than a year this collection of blogs enjoyed regular, almost daily, posts. This activitiy has come to a grinding halt and for that I apologize. With both of us in our early 60s, my wife and I have taken on the quite enjoyable task of babysitting a beautiful little girl, Fiona, our granddaughter.

The kid's awake!

The little tyke can be quite demanding --- in a sweet sorta way. I can't move without having Fiona following along. Working at the computer is completely out, unless I want to visit YouTube and share some videos with the kid. She loves movie trailers like the ones for Tangled or Despicable Me and music videos are always worth a look.

As you can see from today's picture, Fiona arrived asleep. I have just a few moments for an explanatory post; Judy tells me the little girl is starting to stir. I best get ready to share a banana and maybe a crushed and chopped pear with the kid.

Have a great day,
Cheers,
Rockinon!

Amazing. The best got better!

Fuji FinePix HS20

Fuji has announced a successor to the FinePix HS10 bridge camera: The FinePix HS20.

I loved the HS10. It wasn't perfect but then it wasn't a lot of money either. The HS10 looked like a DSLR but it was really a glorified point-and-shoot. When it came to its weaknesses, and it did have them, one had to cut this camera a bit of slack. It delivered well on its promises and to expect more would have been unfair.

Come March it is a new game and a new standard. The soon to be in stores HS20 has raised the bar on what to expect from a DSLR wannabe. It promises more, lots more, and my guess is that it delivers.

The bar is now so high that there will be times when owners of bigger, bulkier DSLRs, complete with a bag of lenses, will wish they had the new Fuji.

Shot with the HS10. The new HS20 promises to be even better.

The following is from the Fuji press release and will be updated later. Or just click over to Digital Photography Review for their excellent look at the upgrade to my much loved HS10.

High Speed and Sensitivity
The newly developed EXR Processor and EXR-CMOS sensor in the HS20EXR allow for pristine images to be taken in fast-shooting situations or in low-light environments. The combination of the two technologies creates a fast transfer circuit for quick process and reading of files for high speed shooting and Full HD movies, and the EXR-CMOS sensor itself, where the wiring layer and photo diodes are reversed, creates higher sensitivity for taking impressive images in low light conditions.

Intelligent Processor
With the improved intelligent processor, taking photos can’t get much easier. The GUI, with its new rich user interface that dramatically improves the appearance and searching functions of menus, might be one of the first things you notice, but the most notable benefits are speed and image quality. Additionally, the FinePix HS20EXR can now recognize an impressive 27 scenes. While shooting, the camera configures each scene and recognizes the perfect setting and automatically takes the best quality picture, with a single touch of a button.

Click on photo to view HS10 image quality.

EXR Technology
The EXR technology adds further versatility by modifying its behavior according to the lighting condition. Users can either let the EXR Auto mode choose the correct setting itself, or pick from three manually selected options:
• High Resolution Priority – can be used when you’re after exceptional image quality.
• High ISO & Low Noise Priority – can be used in low light conditions where the combination with the BSI sensor makes for superb results.
• Dynamic Range Priority – takes two pictures and combines them to provide a range of up to 1600%.
With these unique sensor combinations, capturing great pictures has never been easier.

Capture Moving Subjects
The FinePix HS20EXR’s strong mix of sensor and processing technologies allows breathless action shots to be captured, and the continuous full resolution shooting at 3fps, 5fps, 8fps or 11. fps at an eight MegaPixel resolution, will make sure the action is stopped in its tracks. The FinePix HS20EXR also eliminates the need to worry about slow auto focusing or shutter lag. The new solution’s contrast Auto Focus system takes approximately 0.16 seconds (minimum) to focus.

A long lens can make the impossible shot possible.

A 30x Zoom Lens
With a 30x zoom range covering focal lengths from a super-wide 24-720mm (35mm equivalent), the FinePix HS20EXR is ready for anything. Boasting high quality FUJINON optics, the manual zoom lens is now even easier to operate thanks to a reduction in the size of the flashgun. Zooming through the range can be done quickly and precisely to ensure perfect framing for every shot.

The FinePix HS20EXR also is equipped to fight blurring, a common problem when using longer focal lengths. Dual Image Stabilization combines a mechanically stabilized CMOS sensor with high ISO sensitivities for total anti-blur protection. Together these technologies reduce the blurring effect of both handshake and subject movement to provide sharp, clean and clear results even at the longest zoom settings or in challenging lighting conditions.

HD Movie Capture
The FinePix HS20EXR offers an impressive level of video functionality. With the ability to capture movies in true, full 1080p HD quality, the FinePix HS20EXR delivers high sensitivity with low noise for movies captured in low lighting. In addition, movie files (.MOV) are captured with H.264 high profile compression for smaller file sizes without sacrificing quality. With a mini-HDMI output connector, it is easy to connect and view images on your HDTV (HDMI cable not included).

High Speed Movies
Versatility is further increased thanks to the High Speed Movie options, which include capture at an incredible 320 fps. With features like this, even the fastest moving subjects can be captured and watched in slow motion.

One Touch Controls
The FinePix HS20EXR sports a full complement of sophisticated manual and semi-automatic shooting modes and photographic controls. The extensive external controls give the more advanced photographer direct access to virtually every control they will need for uninterrupted shooting, and the specially designed chassis includes dedicated command buttons for quick and easy key functions such as ISO, white balance, focus and metering. The large command dial, manual focus ring, twist and zoom lens barrel, bright, clear electronic viewfinder, high quality tilting LCD screen and deep hand grip ensures the camera handles well. AA batteries (ships with alkaline) provide excellent performance (up to 300 shots with Alkaline batteries) combined with the convenience of a universally available format when shooting for extended periods away from main power.

The FinePix HS20EXR also offers these additional features:

• RAW / RAW+JPEG Shooting: The FinePix HS20 has the ability to shoot both a RAW and JPEG shot simultaneously. RAW is for ultimate quality shots via post processing, JPEG is for great quality with no need for further post-production work.

• Motion Panorama 360°: The sensor extends the sweep range to 360˚ (shots can also be taken vertically). Combined with high quality Fujifilm printing, sweeping and impressive scenes can be taken, showing fine detail, low noise and high resolution at 180°, 240˚ or full 360˚ panoramic ranges.

• Purple Fringing Reducer/Corner Resolution Enhancer: The EXR processor has the capability to spot and reduce purple color fringing, most common on dark subjects against light backgrounds. In addition, the EXR processor improves the resolution at the corners of an image for more uniform image sharpness.

• Super Intelligent Flash: The FinePix HS20EXR offers a flash control system which efficiently controls the level of flash for a given exposure to produce beautifully balanced flash illumination across the foreground and background. Super Intelligent Flash is most useful in macro photography where the contrast between subject and background can be especially challenging, but is also effective for night and backlit photography.

• Multi-Bracketing: The FinePix HS20EXR has 3 bracketing functions useful for high level photography: Film Simulation Bracketing (which automatically sets Film Simulation to PROVIA, Velvia and ASTIA for simultaneous capture of 3 frames), Dynamic Range Bracketing (which automatically sets dynamic range to 100%, 200% and 400% for simultaneous capture of 3 frames) and AE Bracketing (which automatically sets exposure range to even, under and over for simultaneous capture of 3 frames).

• Face Recognition: Users can register up to eight (8) faces, along with names, birthdays and categories, and the HS20EXR will prioritize focus and exposure right on the faces of those special people. Users can also use Image Search to view images of a registered person.

• Face Detection and Automatic Red-eye Removal: To provide perfectly exposed and focused portrait shots, the FinePix HS20EXR is fitted with Fujifilm’s latest Face Detection technology which is able to track up to 10 faces simultaneously, at almost any angle to the camera. The system instantly corrects red-eye and then saves both the original and the corrected image file automatically.

• PhotoBook Assist: PhotoBook Assist lets you select and organize images in your camera to create a digital photo book. You can download the photo books to your computer using MyFinePix Studio software that is included.

Pricing and Availability
The FinePix HS20EXR will all be available in late March 2011 and will be priced at $499.95.

NOTE: For complete camera specifications, please go to: http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/