I have embed a short video of the work of Ernst Haas, as you can see his work covered every genre of photography from macro to street and everything in between. It is truely inspirational, I can't wait to go out and try to emulate his work.
Sunday, 12 December 2010
Saturday, 11 December 2010
JOE CORNISH / LECTURE
The landscape photographer Joe Cornish came to the college to give a lecture which I was lucky enough to attend.
As well as viewing his images he gave a lengthy talk on his career and experiences, which was very inspirational.
After attending art college he became interested in photography and served a 10 year apprenticeship with a professional photographer, thoroughly learning his craft. He drew a comparison with Ansel Adams, the American photographer, who worked as a warden in the Yosemite national park for many years, learning the landscape, before becoming famous for his images.
Another photographer who has greatly influenced Joe Cornish and from whom he takes inspiration is Ernst Haas. Born March 2 1921 in Vienna, died September 12 1986 New York. His photography encompasses all the genres and he was known for his innovations in colour photography, experiments in abstract light and form, and a member of Magnum Photos agency.
The following four images are from his portfolio and you can clearly see their influence on Joe's work, capturing the quality of light in reflections, and energy and movement in the flow of water and the rodeo scene. The quality and saturated depth of colour is beautiful.
Joe Cornish is famous for his landscapes, but has also worked in architecture and is very interested in photographing detail. He has worked quite extensively for the National Trust and spends long hours trecking in all seasons, to obtain iconic pictures of the landscape.
Once you have developed an infallible technique, knowing the camera, using a tripod, understanding exposure and that a period of time has potential, as in the softening effects of shutter speed on the flow of water and showing the energy in that flow, then you can put yourself at the mercy of inspiration.
In the seascape above, a slower shutter speed has been used to soften the flow of water against the cliff face, with lichens on rocks in the foreground repeating the colour and pattern from the base of the cliff.
Here again the flow of the surf is soft and reflects soft fluffy clouds, a wavy surf line leads your eye into the distance and forms a connection with the sky. He has used tones of blue reflected from the sky throughout the composition, with a hint of coastline adding a focal point and giving a sense of perspective.
Don't forget to use focus as a creative tool, in landscape most images are sharp all the way through, but aperture and focus should be used as a creative tool to add a sense of mood and depth. Lenses can be used for compression or to expand space, you should study your scene and decide what you want to include, exposure can be managed with the use of filters.
Explore your surroundings, many photographers miss out on 20% of opportunities by not making use of detail as in macro and close up photography.
In tones of blue again, creating harmony in the shot, with the lines running diagonal to add energy and dynamism.
Another tip was to learn to see colour casts in light, the quality of light changes throughout the day being at its softest and warmest during and shortly after, and before, dawn and dusk. Here use has been made of the glowing light of early morning.
Here the rising sun is reflected off a seaweed strewn rock, unfortunately I did not have a graduated filter to hold back the sunrise, the picture is therefore overexposed in the top right.
In this photograph taken in the Lake District I have made use of reflections in water to echo the sky, with muted tones of colour adding to the tranquil atmosphere.
I think one of the most important messages I have taken away from the lecture is to know your equipment thoroughly, after that know what the light is doing and what can be achieved and then look for inspiration and keep the composition simple and natural.
As well as viewing his images he gave a lengthy talk on his career and experiences, which was very inspirational.
After attending art college he became interested in photography and served a 10 year apprenticeship with a professional photographer, thoroughly learning his craft. He drew a comparison with Ansel Adams, the American photographer, who worked as a warden in the Yosemite national park for many years, learning the landscape, before becoming famous for his images.
Another photographer who has greatly influenced Joe Cornish and from whom he takes inspiration is Ernst Haas. Born March 2 1921 in Vienna, died September 12 1986 New York. His photography encompasses all the genres and he was known for his innovations in colour photography, experiments in abstract light and form, and a member of Magnum Photos agency.
The following four images are from his portfolio and you can clearly see their influence on Joe's work, capturing the quality of light in reflections, and energy and movement in the flow of water and the rodeo scene. The quality and saturated depth of colour is beautiful.
Joe Cornish is famous for his landscapes, but has also worked in architecture and is very interested in photographing detail. He has worked quite extensively for the National Trust and spends long hours trecking in all seasons, to obtain iconic pictures of the landscape.
Once you have developed an infallible technique, knowing the camera, using a tripod, understanding exposure and that a period of time has potential, as in the softening effects of shutter speed on the flow of water and showing the energy in that flow, then you can put yourself at the mercy of inspiration.
In the seascape above, a slower shutter speed has been used to soften the flow of water against the cliff face, with lichens on rocks in the foreground repeating the colour and pattern from the base of the cliff.
Here again the flow of the surf is soft and reflects soft fluffy clouds, a wavy surf line leads your eye into the distance and forms a connection with the sky. He has used tones of blue reflected from the sky throughout the composition, with a hint of coastline adding a focal point and giving a sense of perspective.
Don't forget to use focus as a creative tool, in landscape most images are sharp all the way through, but aperture and focus should be used as a creative tool to add a sense of mood and depth. Lenses can be used for compression or to expand space, you should study your scene and decide what you want to include, exposure can be managed with the use of filters.
Explore your surroundings, many photographers miss out on 20% of opportunities by not making use of detail as in macro and close up photography.
In tones of blue again, creating harmony in the shot, with the lines running diagonal to add energy and dynamism.
In this picture taken on a beach near Tenby in Wales, I have tried to use the device of reflected light in the water on the beach, with seaweed and ripples in the sand adding texture. The evening light has given a pink glow to the whole scene.
Here the rising sun is reflected off a seaweed strewn rock, unfortunately I did not have a graduated filter to hold back the sunrise, the picture is therefore overexposed in the top right.
In this photograph taken in the Lake District I have made use of reflections in water to echo the sky, with muted tones of colour adding to the tranquil atmosphere.
I think one of the most important messages I have taken away from the lecture is to know your equipment thoroughly, after that know what the light is doing and what can be achieved and then look for inspiration and keep the composition simple and natural.
Although much of Joe Cornish's work is the panoramic landscape shot, the principles he has outlined in his lecture, for example composition (if it isn't interesting, leave it out), using the rule of thirds, perspective to give a sense of depth, different lenses for compression or expansion and creative use of depth of field, can all be applied to architecture and all other forms of photography.
In these and the following landscape and detail shots I have tried to use all of this advice to improve my photography.
Sunday, 5 December 2010
TILT-SHIFT PHOTOGRAPHY
I tried out a tilt-shift lens to see what effect this created, it was interesting to try and as you can see the shift has a noticeable affect, turning the lens left and right.
With the shift over to the left above and right, below.
I found it rather fiddly to use since the shift has to be turned and then manually focused. Interesting operation though to see the lens actually moving from left to right.
The pictures below show the tilt in operation, the first taken as a straight 45mm shot,
then with the tilt up which throws the bottom of the picture out of focus,
finally with the tilt down which throws the top slightly out of focus, although it is difficult to see this clearly on blogger.
Although these lenses were developed to correct perspective in architectural photography, they have since been used to create some very interesting artistic effects, although they remain very expenses items of equipment, usually beyond the means of the amateur photographer.
Friday, 3 December 2010
RESEARCH/HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON
Cartier-Bresson trained as an artist before starting a career as a photographer in the 1930's. With Robert Capa, David Seymour and others he founded Magnum, a photographic agency and has worked and exhibited all over the world.
"For me photography is to place head heart and eye along the same line of sight. It is a way of life" Henri CB
Many of his photographs are iconic and are well known outside the photographic community.
Cartier Bresson took up photography when the so called 'snapshot' photo was invented, with pictures no longer posed or set up, but capturing an isolated moment, it was new in its time since highly posed and polished images were the norm, along with avant-garde artistic images, as in the experimental work of Man Ray and the surrealists.
Glass tears - Man Ray
"So what is a snapshot? The intensification of a fracture between two classes of image: those that are man-made, like painting and drawing, and those created machanically by imprinting light on sensitive film. Images in the first category are unique works. The rest, because they are capable of being reproduced, are judged not by their uniqueness but by the unique moment they record..... Cartier-Bresson waits in ambush for the right time to occur. Siezing that moment is a matter of instinct". Jean-Noel Jeanneney, President of the Bibliotheque nationale de France.
In this image a girl leaning on a pillar in the bottom right, is echoed by a shadow at the top of the stairwell adding an element of human interest to an otherwise static scene. Here dark and light make up most of the picture with the shadow of the pillar and girl pointing directly up the stairs, which also narrow as they rise adding perspective and a feeling of depth.
This is another image with bright light illuminating alleyways between buildings, the zig zag of light leads you directly into the picture, with a figure caught resting against a wall in the shade.
Another small figure with towering buildings, the focal point is placed slightly off centre in the bottom two thirds, with all the light pointing directly to it.
This image by Edward Swindon seems to be directly influenced by Cartier-Bresson's earlier work, although he has pared this series of pictures down, to show only a small strip of light illuminating the figure, with the dark area taking up most of the image area, this concentrates your gaze directly to the focal point, and the story of the figure forming a miniscule part in a much larger whole, as bees in a hive or worker ants.
Bright strips of light point directly between buildings guiding the eye into the picture, forming leading lines, with figures caught standing in the shade adding a focal point and animating the scene.
In my final images I would like to emulate the work of Cartier-Bresson and more modern photographers such as Edward Swinden.
Sources - 'Henri Cartier-Bresson the man, the image, & the world' a retrospective by Foundation Henri Cartier Bresson. (book)
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
STATEMENT OF INTENT - ARCHITECTURE
AN ITALIAN ADVENTURE
Intention & Professional application
For this module I intend to produce at least 10 architectural images, using material collected on my recent visit to Naples and the surrounding area.
These will form a portfolio of images which can be used in a professional application, for example to illustrate guide and travel journals, as art work for books, magazines or calenders, in photojournalism or as illustrations in architectural magazines.
Stimulus & Influences
My stimulus for this has been my recent visit to Italy and the desire to capture a photographic record of the amazing buildings I have seen there, with all the influences that have come from the peoples of ancient and modern civilisations, who have made a home in this part of the world.
I have been influenced by historians and archaeologists past and present, fist during my school years when ancient history was part of the curriculum and latterly by some of the excellent history programmes shown on television.
Equipment & Media
Since this trip to Italy is primarily a touring holiday, I have only been able to take one camera due to luggage weight restrictions. I will therefore be using my Canon EOS 5D MK11 with 24 - 70mm lens and polarising filter where necessary. I do not have a tilt and shift lens available and feel that this will not be needed since it is an artistic impression I want to achieve. It would be nice to have a tripod available to enable me to take some shots in low light or at night, but unfortunately this is not possible.
I will publish the finished photographs in a portfolio available via the internet, either on a dedicated photosharing website or on blogger. I feel this is more convenient since I will not have to carry around a bulky portfolio of printed photographs and can reach a larger audience without having to be physically present myself.
Techniques
Since my portfolio is not intended for illustration of technical journals, I would like to capture an artistic impression of architecture, rather than a technically correct photograph, showing no perspective for example. On the contrary I prefer the exagerated, elongated look that is achieved by standing close to a structure and shooting upwards.
As well as photographing buildings as a whole, I want to show detail in the architecture by taking close-up shots of interesting decoration and fittings, internally as well as externally. In order to isolate detail, I want to use, where possible due to lighting conditions, a wide aperture in order to throw surroundings distractions, out of focus.
Lighting
I do not have any flash equipment available and could not carry it with me due to the nature of the trip, so I will be relying on ambient light. This may be problematical since many churches and museums have small windows which let in only a limited amount of light. However, this can provide some dramatic shafts of light which will give exciting results.
If light levels are low I will have to increase ISO, I have up to a reading of 6400, which can be expanded to 12800 and 25600 in very extreme cases. I anticipate keeping the iso to 2500 and lower where possible, since at higher readings picture quality deteriorates.
Health & Safety
Since I am taking photographs as a tourist on holiday and in public places, I should not need any special permissions. The general public and authorities seem to be well used to tourists snapping away and I have never been challenged as to what I am doing. However, I would not try to take pictures in a sensitive location, such as a police station or army barracks for example, unless I was commissioned to do so. I would then have to obtain the necessary permissions from any authorities involved.
I am always sensitive as to the reactions of other people whom I may capture in my photographs, if anyone objected I would discontinue and would not try to photograph children unless given permission by their parent or responsible adult.
The other considerations relate to personal safety, trips or falls, traffic and obstructions, climbing or making myself a hazard by obstructing others, or personal safety as in being attacked if out alone or threatened in a robbery.
Intention & Professional application
For this module I intend to produce at least 10 architectural images, using material collected on my recent visit to Naples and the surrounding area.
These will form a portfolio of images which can be used in a professional application, for example to illustrate guide and travel journals, as art work for books, magazines or calenders, in photojournalism or as illustrations in architectural magazines.
Stimulus & Influences
My stimulus for this has been my recent visit to Italy and the desire to capture a photographic record of the amazing buildings I have seen there, with all the influences that have come from the peoples of ancient and modern civilisations, who have made a home in this part of the world.
I have been influenced by historians and archaeologists past and present, fist during my school years when ancient history was part of the curriculum and latterly by some of the excellent history programmes shown on television.
Equipment & Media
Since this trip to Italy is primarily a touring holiday, I have only been able to take one camera due to luggage weight restrictions. I will therefore be using my Canon EOS 5D MK11 with 24 - 70mm lens and polarising filter where necessary. I do not have a tilt and shift lens available and feel that this will not be needed since it is an artistic impression I want to achieve. It would be nice to have a tripod available to enable me to take some shots in low light or at night, but unfortunately this is not possible.
I will publish the finished photographs in a portfolio available via the internet, either on a dedicated photosharing website or on blogger. I feel this is more convenient since I will not have to carry around a bulky portfolio of printed photographs and can reach a larger audience without having to be physically present myself.
Techniques
Since my portfolio is not intended for illustration of technical journals, I would like to capture an artistic impression of architecture, rather than a technically correct photograph, showing no perspective for example. On the contrary I prefer the exagerated, elongated look that is achieved by standing close to a structure and shooting upwards.
As well as photographing buildings as a whole, I want to show detail in the architecture by taking close-up shots of interesting decoration and fittings, internally as well as externally. In order to isolate detail, I want to use, where possible due to lighting conditions, a wide aperture in order to throw surroundings distractions, out of focus.
Lighting
I do not have any flash equipment available and could not carry it with me due to the nature of the trip, so I will be relying on ambient light. This may be problematical since many churches and museums have small windows which let in only a limited amount of light. However, this can provide some dramatic shafts of light which will give exciting results.
If light levels are low I will have to increase ISO, I have up to a reading of 6400, which can be expanded to 12800 and 25600 in very extreme cases. I anticipate keeping the iso to 2500 and lower where possible, since at higher readings picture quality deteriorates.
Health & Safety
Since I am taking photographs as a tourist on holiday and in public places, I should not need any special permissions. The general public and authorities seem to be well used to tourists snapping away and I have never been challenged as to what I am doing. However, I would not try to take pictures in a sensitive location, such as a police station or army barracks for example, unless I was commissioned to do so. I would then have to obtain the necessary permissions from any authorities involved.
I am always sensitive as to the reactions of other people whom I may capture in my photographs, if anyone objected I would discontinue and would not try to photograph children unless given permission by their parent or responsible adult.
The other considerations relate to personal safety, trips or falls, traffic and obstructions, climbing or making myself a hazard by obstructing others, or personal safety as in being attacked if out alone or threatened in a robbery.
Monday, 22 November 2010
Street & Architectural Photography
This is an interesting short video combining architectural and street photography, it also encompasses graffiti and street art, illustrating how the divisions between these genres can be blurred.
Architectural shots can often be enhanced, adding scale by including people, trees, cars, showing how these buildings and spaces are used.
Sunday, 21 November 2010
Low light photography tips
Low light photography tips
Posted: 17 Nov 2010
Low light photography - Robin Whalley's low light photography advice.
Words and images by Robin Whalley.
Gear:
Shutter speeds
Low light means slow shutter speeds and you need to know how you will deal with this. If your shutter speed is too slow to hand hold you will end up taking blurred images (not always a bad thing). Ask yourself, do you want a blurred image or a sharp image? If you want a sharp image you need to find a way to support the camera so you can manage the slow shutter speed, or find a way to increase the shutter speed. We will look at some of the techniques you can use to achieve sharp images in low light shortly.
If however you want a blurred image then you may need to slow down the shutter speed even further so you can ensure the image is blurred and isn’t just camera shake. Remember camera shake is poor technique and obvious. Deliberately blurring an image for creative effect requires good technique in order to appear attractive. If you want to experiment with creative blur in low light situations you should try to create shutter speeds of at least a second or more and experiment with different camera movements. Consider also experimenting with a shallow depth of field and defocusing the subject whilst moving the camera.
Movement
Low light conditions also provide opportunities for you to accentuate movement in your images, for example people moving around a train station or in a night club. It’s often the contrast between sharp stationary objects and blurred moving objects that give such images appeal. Consider how you could use low light levels to create this contrasting effect. In some locations, the light levels might be too high for this, even when you reduce the aperture to its minimum. You can artificially limit light reaching your sensor to achieve longer shutter speeds with 8 and 10 stop filters, but don’t forget you can also use a polarizing filter which will typically remove 3 stops of light.
Panning is another creative technique that can be used in low light conditions. Simply mount your camera on a tripod and pan the camera as you release the shutter. For the best results ensure you have the tripod level so that the horizon is level throughout the panning. I find longer lenses tend to give better results than wide angle. It’s helpful to use a cable or remote release so that you don’t need to press the shutter button as you pan.
Sharp image
If you want to create a sharp image in low light conditions, conventional wisdom says you should try for a shutter speed at least as fast as the focal length of your lens. For example, if you are using a 200mm lens then your shutter speed should be at least 1/200” or preferably faster. If your sensor is a cropped frame sensor and has a magnification factor then this will require an even faster shutter speed e.g. a 200mm lens on a 1.5x crop sensor effectively becomes a 300mm lens so needs a shutter speed of at least 1/300”. There are however lots of ways to improve this to allow shooting at much slower shutter speeds.
The best and most obvious option is to mount the camera on a support such as tripod but this isn’t always possible. In such circumstances consider using other support such as a monopod, clamp or beanbag. The innovative gorillapod is very flexible and can be wrapped around railings and posts to provide a good support. The “reverse monopod” is also worth considering and you can make your own easily from a length of string. Attach a piece of string to the bottom of your camera (I tie it to a tripod quick release plate screwed to my camera) and tie a loop in the other end. Put your foot through the loop and bring the camera up to your eye so that the string pulls tight. You will need to experiment a little to get the length correct but once made it can easily fit in your pocket. This is an ideal accessory for inside churches and houses where tripods and monopods might be prohibited.
Handhold shots
If you need to handhold your shots, good technique is vitally important. Where possible, try to find a position where you can brace yourself against something solid in order to reduce shake. Hold the camera too tight or away from you and you will introduce shake. I have a little Sony with an articulated screen which comes in useful for shooting at waist height. I find I can adopt a position with this camera at waist height that allows me to shoot as slow as ¼” and still achieve sharp images. Brace the camera against something solid and you can achieve even slower shutter speeds. In this shot of the spiral stairs inside the London Monument the shutter speed was in excess of half a second and was achieved by holding the lens against the handrail.
When you come to take the picture be sure also not to snatch the shot but to carefully squeeze the shutter release. I would also suggest with slower shutter speeds to switch your camera onto continuous shooting rather than single shot (if your camera supports this). This allows you to keep the shutter button pressed and take perhaps 3-6 images in quick succession. I have found when I do this that usually at least one of the images comes out pin sharp despite the shutter speed being very slow.
ISO
Increasing the ISO is another obvious ways to achieve a faster shutter speed, the downside being increased noise levels. In recent years camera manufacturers such as Nikon have made great advances in high ISO quality and you can certainly achieve usable shots at ISO 800 or 1600. It’s also worth considering the use you will put the image to and the resolution of your camera. If you have a 14Mpixel camera and you are shooting images for display on the web at 800-1200 pixels then you can get away with higher ISO than if you wanted to produce a large A3+ fine art print.
RAW or JPEG?
Do you shoot in RAW or JPEG? When shooting in JPEG your camera probably gives you little or no control over how noise is removed and you may find detail in your image becomes “mushy”. Shooting in RAW will give you much more post production control over noise removal and allow you to fine tune this to your image, retaining far more detail.
Image stabilisation
Finally, if you have image stabilisation in your camera or lenses make use of it.
Low light situations can offer some of the most beautiful and creative light but you need to have good technique to be ready to take advantage when the opportunities present themselves.
Words and images by Robin Whalley.
Gear:
- A Camera such as the Nikon D7000 which offers control over the ISO, Aperture and/or Shutter speed.
- For stability - Tripod, Monopod, Gorillapod, Clamp, Beanbag or SteadePod.
- Cable or remote release
- 8 or 10 stop Neutral Density filter, Regular Neutral Density filters and a Polarizing filter.
- Shutter speeds
- Adding movement to your shots
- Create a sharp image
- Working without a tripod
- ISO choices
- Shoot RAW or JPEG?
- Image stabilisation
Shutter speeds
Low light means slow shutter speeds and you need to know how you will deal with this. If your shutter speed is too slow to hand hold you will end up taking blurred images (not always a bad thing). Ask yourself, do you want a blurred image or a sharp image? If you want a sharp image you need to find a way to support the camera so you can manage the slow shutter speed, or find a way to increase the shutter speed. We will look at some of the techniques you can use to achieve sharp images in low light shortly.
If however you want a blurred image then you may need to slow down the shutter speed even further so you can ensure the image is blurred and isn’t just camera shake. Remember camera shake is poor technique and obvious. Deliberately blurring an image for creative effect requires good technique in order to appear attractive. If you want to experiment with creative blur in low light situations you should try to create shutter speeds of at least a second or more and experiment with different camera movements. Consider also experimenting with a shallow depth of field and defocusing the subject whilst moving the camera.
Movement
Low light conditions also provide opportunities for you to accentuate movement in your images, for example people moving around a train station or in a night club. It’s often the contrast between sharp stationary objects and blurred moving objects that give such images appeal. Consider how you could use low light levels to create this contrasting effect. In some locations, the light levels might be too high for this, even when you reduce the aperture to its minimum. You can artificially limit light reaching your sensor to achieve longer shutter speeds with 8 and 10 stop filters, but don’t forget you can also use a polarizing filter which will typically remove 3 stops of light.
Panning is another creative technique that can be used in low light conditions. Simply mount your camera on a tripod and pan the camera as you release the shutter. For the best results ensure you have the tripod level so that the horizon is level throughout the panning. I find longer lenses tend to give better results than wide angle. It’s helpful to use a cable or remote release so that you don’t need to press the shutter button as you pan.
Sharp image
If you want to create a sharp image in low light conditions, conventional wisdom says you should try for a shutter speed at least as fast as the focal length of your lens. For example, if you are using a 200mm lens then your shutter speed should be at least 1/200” or preferably faster. If your sensor is a cropped frame sensor and has a magnification factor then this will require an even faster shutter speed e.g. a 200mm lens on a 1.5x crop sensor effectively becomes a 300mm lens so needs a shutter speed of at least 1/300”. There are however lots of ways to improve this to allow shooting at much slower shutter speeds.
The best and most obvious option is to mount the camera on a support such as tripod but this isn’t always possible. In such circumstances consider using other support such as a monopod, clamp or beanbag. The innovative gorillapod is very flexible and can be wrapped around railings and posts to provide a good support. The “reverse monopod” is also worth considering and you can make your own easily from a length of string. Attach a piece of string to the bottom of your camera (I tie it to a tripod quick release plate screwed to my camera) and tie a loop in the other end. Put your foot through the loop and bring the camera up to your eye so that the string pulls tight. You will need to experiment a little to get the length correct but once made it can easily fit in your pocket. This is an ideal accessory for inside churches and houses where tripods and monopods might be prohibited.
Handhold shots
If you need to handhold your shots, good technique is vitally important. Where possible, try to find a position where you can brace yourself against something solid in order to reduce shake. Hold the camera too tight or away from you and you will introduce shake. I have a little Sony with an articulated screen which comes in useful for shooting at waist height. I find I can adopt a position with this camera at waist height that allows me to shoot as slow as ¼” and still achieve sharp images. Brace the camera against something solid and you can achieve even slower shutter speeds. In this shot of the spiral stairs inside the London Monument the shutter speed was in excess of half a second and was achieved by holding the lens against the handrail.
When you come to take the picture be sure also not to snatch the shot but to carefully squeeze the shutter release. I would also suggest with slower shutter speeds to switch your camera onto continuous shooting rather than single shot (if your camera supports this). This allows you to keep the shutter button pressed and take perhaps 3-6 images in quick succession. I have found when I do this that usually at least one of the images comes out pin sharp despite the shutter speed being very slow.
ISO
Increasing the ISO is another obvious ways to achieve a faster shutter speed, the downside being increased noise levels. In recent years camera manufacturers such as Nikon have made great advances in high ISO quality and you can certainly achieve usable shots at ISO 800 or 1600. It’s also worth considering the use you will put the image to and the resolution of your camera. If you have a 14Mpixel camera and you are shooting images for display on the web at 800-1200 pixels then you can get away with higher ISO than if you wanted to produce a large A3+ fine art print.
RAW or JPEG?
Do you shoot in RAW or JPEG? When shooting in JPEG your camera probably gives you little or no control over how noise is removed and you may find detail in your image becomes “mushy”. Shooting in RAW will give you much more post production control over noise removal and allow you to fine tune this to your image, retaining far more detail.
Image stabilisation
Finally, if you have image stabilisation in your camera or lenses make use of it.
Low light situations can offer some of the most beautiful and creative light but you need to have good technique to be ready to take advantage when the opportunities present themselves.
Words and images by Robin Whalley.