In my opinion the colors of the Fujicolor 200 film that I used are very classy-looking, a lot like the colors on old postcards.
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2 hours ago
8/26/2010
I shoot film
During my vacation in the German parts of the Alps I had some time to play around with the Canon EOS 500N that I bought last year. I really like the large optical viewfinder of this camera - it's a lot better than the viewfinders on most digital cameras. The Canon is a bit bulky compared to typical digital cameras but it's lightweight, since it's a plastic construction. Indeed, it's light enough to carry around all day when you are hiking in the mountains. Additionally, the Canon is easy and fun to use.
In my opinion the colors of the Fujicolor 200 film that I used are very classy-looking, a lot like the colors on old postcards.
In my opinion the colors of the Fujicolor 200 film that I used are very classy-looking, a lot like the colors on old postcards.
11/14/2008
Adding a Frame - Part II
This time I'll show how you can create great looking frames for your images in Photoshop. Photoshop is a very powerful and flexible image editing software. Please keep in mind that often less is more! The frame should not end up being so large and gaudy that it swallows up the image contained within. Primarily a border should contain the eye within the constrains of the image, as well as add just a touch of spice to an already great photograph.
1) Just use the “CANVAS SIZE” tool (under Image –> Canvas Size) to create the border. The nice part about the “Canvas Size” tool is that you can set the exact number of pixels in each direction to expand. Additionally, you can have it be “relative” meaning you can tell it how many pixels bigger than it currently is, to draw. What I did in the example above was to set a black background to be relatively 2 pixels larger than my picture (which is 2048*1536). Then I set a white background to be relatively 100 pixels larger. To have enough room for the text, I added another 200 pixels of the white background to the bottom of the picture. To get the outer black frame, I switched back to a black background and set it to be relatively 5 pixels larger. You may need to change the number of pixels based on how large your picture is.
2) To add the text, click the Horizontal Type tool and select a relatively plain font. In my example I used Myriad Pro, black color, 60 pt, all caps, centered. You can adjust the spacing between the font characters if you select the text and then change the properties in the text window. To center the text below the image, select both the text layer and the image layer and choose Layer > Align > Horizontal Centers.
3) If you want to edit a series of photos, you can create an ACTION step in photoshop that can duplicate all these steps for you with one click so you can automate a batch of photos to all have this same frame on them.
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1) Just use the “CANVAS SIZE” tool (under Image –> Canvas Size) to create the border. The nice part about the “Canvas Size” tool is that you can set the exact number of pixels in each direction to expand. Additionally, you can have it be “relative” meaning you can tell it how many pixels bigger than it currently is, to draw. What I did in the example above was to set a black background to be relatively 2 pixels larger than my picture (which is 2048*1536). Then I set a white background to be relatively 100 pixels larger. To have enough room for the text, I added another 200 pixels of the white background to the bottom of the picture. To get the outer black frame, I switched back to a black background and set it to be relatively 5 pixels larger. You may need to change the number of pixels based on how large your picture is.
2) To add the text, click the Horizontal Type tool and select a relatively plain font. In my example I used Myriad Pro, black color, 60 pt, all caps, centered. You can adjust the spacing between the font characters if you select the text and then change the properties in the text window. To center the text below the image, select both the text layer and the image layer and choose Layer > Align > Horizontal Centers.
3) If you want to edit a series of photos, you can create an ACTION step in photoshop that can duplicate all these steps for you with one click so you can automate a batch of photos to all have this same frame on them.
11/10/2008
Adding a Frame - Part I
A frame can give the photograph a smart and professional look. Frames can also be used to separate the picture from the background when image borders are not clearly defined. You can create great looking frames for your images in Photoshop or with other photo-editing software - I will add a Photoshop tutorial in one of my future posts.
1) To be as flexible as possible don’t add a border to the picture itself in Photoshop - instead the framing happens in the HTML-Code or in the CSS-Stylesheet.
2) Some easy-to-use image editors such as a Paint Shop Pro and Picnik allow you to directly add a frame.
For example, Picnik allows you to add different frames with Create -> Frames. Then you can choose between a number of different styles. Two are shown below.
If you use Paint Shop Pro X2 all you have to do to add the border is go to Image —> Add Borders. Type in the size of the borders you want, pick the color and click on Ok.
1) To be as flexible as possible don’t add a border to the picture itself in Photoshop - instead the framing happens in the HTML-Code or in the CSS-Stylesheet.
| |
| no border | border 2px, padding 4px |
2) Some easy-to-use image editors such as a Paint Shop Pro and Picnik allow you to directly add a frame.
For example, Picnik allows you to add different frames with Create -> Frames. Then you can choose between a number of different styles. Two are shown below.
 |  |
| Border | Museum Matte |
If you use Paint Shop Pro X2 all you have to do to add the border is go to Image —> Add Borders. Type in the size of the borders you want, pick the color and click on Ok.
10/30/2008
Practice in the Zoo
A safari in Africa is an incredible experience and a unique setting for wildlife photography. But better start practicing to shoot animals in a zoo before you buy a plane ticket! In the zoo you do not need to spend endless time waiting for the animals to show up. The animals are much easier to spot when they walk on green grass in the zoo compared to the brownish-grayish colors of the savanna. In addition, you can get much closer to the animals than you could (or would want to) in the African bush. You can try out different compositions and all the functions of your camera. A zoo is like a "sports field" where you can practice wildlife photography.
Still, it's not trivial to take good pictures in a zoo. Try to shoot from an angle so that you won't see any walls or fences. You will get the best results on a bright, sunny day - if the animal is in the sunshine and the background is in the shade. It helps to use a large aperture (low f-number) to blur the background. You can see the effect of these tricks in the meerkat photo - there are no distracting fences, bars of a cage, or people visible in the background.
Once you have mastered taking photos of animals in the zoo you can consider taking photos of wild animals. But keep in mind that there is a huge difference between taking a photo of an animal in the wild and one of an animal in a controlled environment. The challenges of getting good shots of truly wild animals are often overlooked! In most circumstances you will need a good tele lens to get a good pic of a wild animal. There are exceptions - in some national parks (e.g., Ethosha National Park, Namibia) you might get close enough to the animals to get a good shot with a standard lens.
Still, it's not trivial to take good pictures in a zoo. Try to shoot from an angle so that you won't see any walls or fences. You will get the best results on a bright, sunny day - if the animal is in the sunshine and the background is in the shade. It helps to use a large aperture (low f-number) to blur the background. You can see the effect of these tricks in the meerkat photo - there are no distracting fences, bars of a cage, or people visible in the background.
Once you have mastered taking photos of animals in the zoo you can consider taking photos of wild animals. But keep in mind that there is a huge difference between taking a photo of an animal in the wild and one of an animal in a controlled environment. The challenges of getting good shots of truly wild animals are often overlooked! In most circumstances you will need a good tele lens to get a good pic of a wild animal. There are exceptions - in some national parks (e.g., Ethosha National Park, Namibia) you might get close enough to the animals to get a good shot with a standard lens.
10/29/2008
Free Online Photo Editors
To edit your photos without having to download and install software, you have a choice of several free online photo editors, for example Picnik and Photoshop.com. While these online editors don't have all the functions, features, and bells and whistles of photo-editing software, they are easy to use, can be used from any computer with an Internet connection, and - best of all - are free. They are great tools to learn and practice photo editing online in your browser, without the complexity of photo-editing software.
These online photo editors are often bundled with special features. For example, Picnik can be used to edit photos that you have uploaded to Facebook and Flickr. Photoshop.com comes with 2 GB of disk space to store and share your photos.
These online photo editors are often bundled with special features. For example, Picnik can be used to edit photos that you have uploaded to Facebook and Flickr. Photoshop.com comes with 2 GB of disk space to store and share your photos.
10/27/2008
Go Analogue!
A surprising and rather counterintuitive result of the fast progress of the digital imaging technology is that it makes shooting film more attractive! The quality of film scanners has improved considerably in the last decade. Thus, if you drop a roll of color print film at a store (e.g., at Costco) you can get a photo CD with high-resolution digital images for a few dollars ($2.99 at Costco, to be precise). Add to that the costs for processing and prints (many stores charge less for prints from film than for prints form digital images) and it will still be less than 10 bucks!
As you can see in the flower picture, these low-cost scans have a very pleasing "look", including great colors, a lot of per-pixel detail and sharpness. No need for post-processing - you can directly post them on the internet or email them to your friends! If you use a fine-grained film and drop it at a photo lab that is scpecialized in high-quality scans (such as NCPS) you can get a maximum resolution of 20 to 24 megapixels from a 35 mm film, comparable to the latest state-of-the art full-frame digital SLRs - for a fraction of the price!
These days you can buy a good used film SLR with a kit lens for a lot less than $100. In contrast, a digital SLR - even a used one - will cost you several hundred dollars! Unless you are shooting thousands of photos per year, a film SLR will be a lot less expensive than a digital SLR! A lot of people who use film SLRs use digital point-and-shoot cameras to take snapshots and use their film SLRs to take high-quality photos.
As you can see in the flower picture, these low-cost scans have a very pleasing "look", including great colors, a lot of per-pixel detail and sharpness. No need for post-processing - you can directly post them on the internet or email them to your friends! If you use a fine-grained film and drop it at a photo lab that is scpecialized in high-quality scans (such as NCPS) you can get a maximum resolution of 20 to 24 megapixels from a 35 mm film, comparable to the latest state-of-the art full-frame digital SLRs - for a fraction of the price!
These days you can buy a good used film SLR with a kit lens for a lot less than $100. In contrast, a digital SLR - even a used one - will cost you several hundred dollars! Unless you are shooting thousands of photos per year, a film SLR will be a lot less expensive than a digital SLR! A lot of people who use film SLRs use digital point-and-shoot cameras to take snapshots and use their film SLRs to take high-quality photos.
10/24/2008
Don't buy a camera
The most "extreme" version of Photography on a Shoestring is not to buy a camera! You have several options to shoot photos when you don't have a camera:
1) You can probably borrow one for a day. You could ask a relative or a friend and explain to them that you would like to use his or her camera for a special day, e.g., visiting a botanical garden or attending a wedding. They might not lend you their expensive SLR gear but an inexpensive camera will do. Just remember to return the camera promptly! For example, I used my mom's camera on a vacation when I was an undergraduate and didn't have much money to spare.
2) If you are lucky you might be able to get a camera for free or for a low price when somebody you know buys a new camera and doesn't want to keep his old equipment. Usually it doesn't hurt to politely ask what they'll do with their old camera. Just don't be a pest. A free cell phone camera from your phone company would also qualify as a free camera. Some cell phones include pretty good cameras.
3) An alternative would be a cheap disposable camera. They don't cost much and they deliver a very reasonable image quality.
4) Some camera stores rent equipment. You can rent a high-quality SLR to take advantage of the superb image quality for a photo tour without having to blow your budget.
1) You can probably borrow one for a day. You could ask a relative or a friend and explain to them that you would like to use his or her camera for a special day, e.g., visiting a botanical garden or attending a wedding. They might not lend you their expensive SLR gear but an inexpensive camera will do. Just remember to return the camera promptly! For example, I used my mom's camera on a vacation when I was an undergraduate and didn't have much money to spare.
2) If you are lucky you might be able to get a camera for free or for a low price when somebody you know buys a new camera and doesn't want to keep his old equipment. Usually it doesn't hurt to politely ask what they'll do with their old camera. Just don't be a pest. A free cell phone camera from your phone company would also qualify as a free camera. Some cell phones include pretty good cameras.
3) An alternative would be a cheap disposable camera. They don't cost much and they deliver a very reasonable image quality.
4) Some camera stores rent equipment. You can rent a high-quality SLR to take advantage of the superb image quality for a photo tour without having to blow your budget.
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