The Obsessive Photographer

Bad Speaker Placement!

Something I am asked routinely is “why is retouching important”? Many people think of retouching as removing blemishes and imperfections, which is part of it of course…but that’s just the beginning.

Retouching is a painstaking and very time consuming process, but one that must not be overlooked when preserving family memories. Taking photos that avoid “background clutter” is the job of your photographer. When doing a photo session the entire frame has to be considered, not just the subject. Backgrounds should enhance the beauty and concentrate focus on the subject, not be distracting.

In reality “retouching” is something you really shouldn’t even think about, and certainly not SEE in your finished images.  That’s your photographer’s job.  So, how do you find a photographer that will do this masterfully for you?

• First you need to find someone who is able to find the annoying background items that many people will miss.  You’d be surprised how many people overlook the “rest of the picture”, focusing only on the subject.  Find someone very detail oriented.
• Most software packages provide tools for removing background items through “cloning”.  Some are automatic, but they never work as well as hand manipulation.  You have to find someone who is talented at using their tools to their fullest extent.
• Aside from software and technology…look for an artist.  Again, software can help you remove background items, but only someone with an artistic eye will make things dissappear like they were never there.

Along with the example at the top of this post here is an additional image from a recent wedding I shot.  As you’ll see there was very little I could have done about the background…but providing images with the “eyesores” wasn’t even a consideration.

Security Cameras shouldn't grow out of the Bride's head

As you can see in the above images the background may not “ruin” the images, but there are distracting elements that shouldn’t be there. These are just two images out of about 30 that required painstaking work to prepare from this particular shoot, which represents hours of work most people don’t realize.

Shadow Play...removed additional shadows as well as vollyball net.

The shot above is from a recent family shoot I did.  I loved the shadow from the little boy on the sand, but there were other kids playing in the background, and the volleyball net.  Instead of abandoning the idea of the shot I took it and worked on it in post-processing.

Again, ultimately you shouldn’t even see anything was done.  You should just concentrate on the beauty of the image, and remember the moment.

So whether you’re booking a large wedding, a family shoot, or any commercial session, look for an artist.  Find someone completely dedicated to their craft and you’ll get what you’re truly looking for!

Lightning streaks across the Florida night sky

More storms tonight, perfect positioning for me and my camera, my son Tucker joined me in my shoot too and my wife Kim watched from our screened porch.  He was very excited to see each image displayed in between shots.  It was funny, he wanted me to move my camera every time a flash came from another part of the sky.

Florida Fireworks

Shots like this aren’t magic, although some photographers would like you to believe they are.

If you have a good vantage point and a camera with manual controls you can do this fairly easily.  Truthfully it has more to do with luck than anything else as long as you have the gear you need.

If you’re interested you can view my earlier post about shooting lightning.

It’s been a productive summer for lightning shots.  I’ve spent more time than usual getting eaten alive by Florida mosquitoes.  For the record, the itching is all worth it!

Palm and the angry sky (licensing available on Getty Images, click photo)

Hi, my name is Thomas, and I’m addicted to photographing lightning.

The beauty of natures fury is inescapable, but there’s more too.  Growing up in Wyoming gave me an appreciation of being immersed in nature.  Truth be known, if you venture a few miles out of town you didn’t have much choice, no one else was there to talk to.  Releasing yourself to the power of the natural world is an often exhilarating experience, and at times a dangerous one.

I’m fortunate enough to have the perfect stage to witness and capture Florida’s violent thunderstorms, almost on a nightly basis during the summer.  Living on a small lake just outside Tampa (the lightning strike capital of North America) [wiki link] allows me a great 180 degree view of the skyline as the storms roll in.

Standing on my deck, camera perched securely on my tripod, I watch the storms rage and strike again and again.  If I’m lucky enough (and yes, there is a tremendous amount of luck needed here) I’ll capture something special.  Lightning in a bottle.

The most important, and most dangerous part of capturing lightning is location. You need an unobstructed view of the sky in the direction of the storm.  This often puts you directly in harms way of a strike.  Lightning can strike miles away from the storm cloud [ref.], so use your best judgment before scampering out in the storm.

After you’ve scouted your location you need a camera capable of adjusting both the aperture, shutter speed and ISO (SLR works best), a tripod and an off camera shutter release.  Also helpful if you have it is a rain cover for your camera and rain gear for yourself in case you get caught in the rain.

Important: If you are using an “image stabilized” lens remember to turn the stabilizer OFF.  Small vibrations from the stabilizer will transfer to the sensor and make your shots blurry when your camera is mounted to a tripod.

Locate the area of the storm that’s most active with strikes and point your camera in that direction.  If you’re anything like me you’ll be swearing under your breath the whole time as beautiful bolts strike right in front of you before you’re all set up.

OK, you’re there, the lighting is still striking, you’re ready to capture the epic image you have in your mind.   The length of time between shots will guide you to your settings.  I’ve been successful using the following guideline: More frequent strikes, use a wider aperture (f4 to f8), a low ISO (200-320) and a shorter shutter speed (5-8 seconds).  Less frequent strikes requires a more closed aperture (f18 – f22), longer shutter speed (20-30 seconds) and a slightly higher ISO (320-500).  These are just guidelines, and have a lot of variables based on your location, time of day, ambient lighting, and even cloud speed.  Keeping the shutter open for a long time with fast moving clouds can “soften” your image.  This can be interesting, it’s all a matter of personal taste. 

Always shoot in RAW format if possible.  RAW images can be adjusted much more effectively without degradation of the image quality.  Over exposed images are pretty much a lost cause, but subtle lightning “tendrils” can be brought out by processing RAW images.

Electrified Stick Figure

Getting the lighting in the frame is less of a challenge than you would think, it just isn’t that difficult given you have the location, tools, and an open shutter.  Getting the shot without overexposing or “blowing out” the image takes practice and skill.  Small changes to aperture, exposure and ISO can have dramatic effects.  The other big factor is the white balance setting.  I used to use the pre-set temperatures on my camera (and available on most cameras).  I have found the “Tungsten” setting works very well in most cases.

Lightning, Reflected

The real trick to doing this successfully is patience.

I’ve compared shooting lightning to fishing when talking with people about it.  When the conditions are right you can catch a big one, but you have to be n the right place at the right time with the right tools.  When the “fish are biting” it’s very hard to stop “fishing”, even if the weather is coming in on you.  The second you decide to pack it up you will see a huge “fish” jump right in front of you, making you cast “just one more time”.  This “just last one more shot” can lead to 10-20 “last shots”, often forcing you to race inside ducking for cover as you run.

I’m fortunate enough to have my own special alarm to force me inside if I’m lost in the moment.  My wife simply won’t allow me to stay out too long.  I’ll stop short of calling it “nagging” (primarily to prevent having thunder and lightning inside the house), I’ll just say it’s a gentle reminder of her love for me and concern for my safety.  Whatever your method is, know  your limits and be careful.

Shooting is just half the fun.  Downloading your images to check what treasures you uncover is almost as exciting as taking the photos.  It’s exciting going through each shot, waiting for “the” image you’ve been looking for.  It’s a fun way to spend a stormy evening if you have the desire.  Be warned though, you may just get hooked in the process.

Lightning Over The Lake (my first lightning shot)

#53 Gets Some Air

I only intended to be up there for an hour or so but that didn’t work out. I shot virtually everything with my $90 “Plastic Fantastic” lens…without flash using only the overhead lights. Shooting completely on manual settings (including white balance, thanks Randy) I was able to push farther than I had on my last trip but I was still missing the mark when it came to the close shots I had seen of Randy’s.

I ran into Randy when I was about to leave for the night. I showed him a couple of examples of what I had gotten. We did some more talking and he ended up taking me to the edge of the track and showing me exactly what he was doing. Working within the limitations of my $90 lens (he shoots with a $2000 “L Series” lens which has a much faster focusing speed) he was able to show me first hand what he was doing for the close up, high speed shots. He literally forced my camera to comply…using techniques I had never even considered but made perfect sense the way he explained them. Using the “TV” or “Shutter Priority” mode at 640 (to slightly blur the background) and a high ISO (3200), he showed me how to compensate for my slower focusing lens by tracking my target and only firing the shot when they had come to a pre-selected spot on the track. Keep in mind these shots are still being fired in very low light without the use of flash.

I know many photographers, and have run into many more while out and about. It’s rare to find a photographer who is so kind and patient to take time to help a fellow photographer on such a complicated subject. Now that I have a good base knowledge I’m sure I’ll be back up there shooting. The people are great, the competition is furious, and the photo ops are endless…it’s a great place to spend a Thursday or Saturday evening and I highly recommend it!