ISO in a Nutshell.

Have you ever wondered what ISO is?  Well, after reading this post you should have a pretty good idea of how it works.


ISO has been around for a long time.  It is a abreviation for International Standards Organization.  In the old film days it meant the same thing as ASA.  ISO traditionally measures film speed.  The higher the number, the more sensitive the film was to light. So, ISO 400 is a more sensitive film than ISO 100.  Since you are probably not using film anymore,ISO is now how a reference to how sensitive your cameras light sensor is to light. Most cameras have several ISO setting ranging from 100 to 1600.  


Most of the time lower ISO's are most desirable because they give you less noise in your photograph.  However, choosing a higher ISO allows to you to use a smaller aperture or a faster shutter speed.  There are times when a higher ISO setting is useful. If you are shooting in low light or if you are shooting action shots you might want to raise your ISO settings. Also, If you are using a really long lens, such as a 500mm, it might be wise to raise your ISO setting to help avoid camera shake.  


If this is new to you it might be a good idea to do some tests.  Go out and shoot the same scene in all of the ISO setting your camera offers. This way you can get a feeling for what the different ISO settings produce.

Getting Pie

So, I was thinking about photography the other day (actually, I think about photography everyday), and I thought it would be good to go over how to get photo business.  Marketing can be tough for some of us.  So, here are a few ways to get your piece of the pie.

1.  Word of Mouth.  This is the best way to grow a business, but it also is very slow and takes time to build up.

2. Yellow pages. Depending on the other competition, this could be cheap or expensive. But, every serious photographer should be in the phone book. Thinks about this. lets say it costs you $400 for an ad in the phone book. If you get one wedding per year you could easily pay for this form of advertising!

3. Door hangers.  Yep, get them printed and go out and hang them on doors.  This can be a little costly.

4. Craigslist. A great way to start your biz and in most areas it is free!!!!

5.  Direct mail.  This can get expensive.  First you need to get mailers printed and then you have to purchase a list of clients.

6. Business cards.  Every photographer should have these and hand them out to whoever you meet!

7. Door to Door. Go out and knock on a few doors for an evening. I promise you will live and it really doesn't hurt that much if you wear comfy shoes!!! This is a very cheap way of drumming up some biz!!!

These are a few ideas. There are a lot of ways to market your biz, but these should get you started.

A few tips to get better photographs

Even in you are a pro photographer, there is always room to improve.  So, pro or not, here are a few tips to get better shots.

1.  Get down to your subject's level.  This applies to kids, pets, flowers, almost everything.  Try a different angle to see how it looks.

2.  Use flash outdoors. When taking photos of friends or family, use your pop -up flash. Believe me, your photos will look better.  It will get rid of the harsh shadows.

3. Use a plain background when photographing people, pets, etc.  There will be less distraction to take away from the subject.

4.Take a vertical shot.  Most people get used to taking horizontal shots. Mix it up an bit and throw in an odd vertical.

5. Use the rule of thirds (if you don't know what it is, I did a post on it, so go find it.). Better composition always helps a photo.

6. Shoot down.  It adds a creative angle to the shot!(check out the photo below.)





Hope you enjoyed this.  Let me know if  you have any questions.

Excellent Tips. Check this out!!!!

Yes, I know. I have posted a lot of videos. The reason? I am in the middle of a move. So, to not leave you hanging, I am posting videos. They are great videos though, Enjoy.

An Idea for Christmas

I don't know about you, but I am pretty happy with some of my photos.  My friends and family like them too. So, Why not give a photograph to them for Christmas?  The only problem I have with this is deciding what type of frame to use.  Does it fit with the other frames on the wall?  Is it always best to go with a basic white matte and black frame? Why not make it something different? I found this site online called Fotoflot . This is pretty cool. It solves the dilemma of which frame to use because there is no frame.  Check it out and let me know if you like it.

Who to Ask for Help and Who to Avoid: Not All Photographers Are Friendly.

Just a quick thought.  Most photographers are very friendly and will share all the info they can with you.  They are happy to share the tricks of the trade. I am one of these photographers.  It makes me feel good to think I can help others become better photographers. But, there are certain times when you don't want to ask a photographer for advice or information.
Never ask for advice from a local portrait photographer. Some are friendly, most are not. Most of the time, if they think that you might take away business, they will either give you bad advice or they will get upset.
Digital photography has caused a lot of pro photographers to lose business. Digital cameras have made it easier for the masses to learn photography.
A lot of pro photographers get upset when they see novices with digital cameras start shooting weddings and portraits.
I had a run in with a photographer in a group I had joined on stock photography. I asked a simple question and this high and mighty photographer thought it was his responsibility to slam me.  It wasn't nice and I think the reason he did it is because he sees photographers like me as a threat to his income.
The whole point is that you need to watch where you get your information and who you ask for help. Especially when you might take business away from that photographer. Always err on the side of caution.  In this economy pros are working hard to get all the business they can. They can't afford to lose any business and will do whatever they can to get as much of the pie they can.
Let me know if you agree with me.

I always try to find a photo that goes along with the post, but I could not find one that fit with this post so I have included a photo of my family's jack-o-lanterns.

How to Light People, Golf Balls, and Books With the Same Set Up.

O.k. So here is a really easy way to do a portrait. It's called a window light portrait.  The reason it is called a window light portrait is because you use a window to do it.  It works best if it is cloudy outside. Direct sunlight should not be on the subject. Here is the diagram below.

Basically, put the subject a few inches to a few feet from the window and the light from the window should do the trick.

Here is an example of a window light portrait.

Nice Huh?

The fun part about a window light portait is that it does not have to be a person. Look below...

Or this...

All of these shots were lit with window light.

One note to remember is that when doing window light shots, position the subject near the back 1/3rd of the length of the window, so 2/3 of the glass is in front of the subject. Remember we are lighting the front of the subject, not the back. Other than that, window lights are extremely easy to do. Now that you know how to do one all you need to do is try it. So make a promise that you are going to try it. Have some fun. Get a friend to pose for you!

If you have any questions, let me know.

Thanks:)

p.s.  I know pros who use this set up.

How to Price Your Wonderful Photographs

I have been asked to give some information on how much to charge for photographs.  This lesson is for Teri. Enjoy:)

There are several aspects to look at when figuring out pricing for photographs.

1.  Look at your competition.  If there is an excellent photographer in town and he is charging $35 for an 8x10, it makes no sense to charge $55. Usually you want to stay in the in same range. If you are just getting started, charge less. The problem is when you decide to raise your prices later on, it might alienate your customers. The way to combat this is to charge the same amount as the other photographers in your area and then give a discount.  Here is how it works: Bob's photo studio down the road from you is charging $35 for an 8x10. You need to be lower than he is because you are just starting out. So, what you do is charge $35  for an 8x10 and give a $10 off discount. Now your prints are selling for $25. As you move along in your business, you can take away the discount and you don't have to raise prices.  This way you don't upset your customers.


2. The second way to price your photos is to consider your costs and time. Take into consideration the cost of your camera, money for gas, printing, studio costs (utilities, rent), part time employees, and all the other expenses that you will accrue over a year. Divide that by how many jobs you plan to have and this should give you the average amount you need to charge per job. Remember that you still need to be in the same ball park as your competition, but you should never be in a situation where you don't make enough to live on.

These are the two best ways of figuring out prices that I have found.  There are probably others, but these seem to always work.  It is very hard to figure out pricing and sometimes it is trial and error until you find the groove.  Remember to always take into consideration the quality of the work you do.

Another interesting tidbit:  I've found that the higher the price, the easier the customers are to work with.  If you are charging $300 to do a wedding (this is way too low from my point of view) you will get a $300 wedding. I you charge $2,000, you will get a $2,000 wedding.  Not to pick on the poor ( hey, I'm poor right now) but that is just what I have found.

Thanks for checking out my site and if you have questions, let me know!

The photo below is for sale for 5 grand if anyone is interested. LOL!

How Do I Begin and What is the Best Way to Start a Photography Business?

Recently I have been asked what is the best way to start a photography business?  Well, there are several ways. 
Here is the thing: you need to know what you are doing to a certain extent before you to out and get paid for a job. 
So, read this blog and practice. I am serious when I say I will answer questions that I am given. So if you have a question let me know.
After you are comfortable with your camera, go out and get some experience. Build up a portfolio. Go to a wedding as a guest and just shoot away, and give the newlyweds the photos as a present (but don't get in the way of the pro photographer there).
Take photos of your kids or hubby, or the families in the neighborhood.  Do it for free and use the photos to build your portfolio.  
Start to shoot stock photography (if you don't know what this is, ask me).
Take photos of the local businesses around town. Then take them to the owner and offer to sell them the photo of their business. Go out and shoot soccer games just to get experience.  Sell the photos to the parents if you like.
Doing these things will not only build the portfolio, but will also give you more confidence.  
After you have learned how to use your camera and are more confident, go out and find some business. Put an ad on craigslist, or hand out cards. Go to bridal shops and florists. Put up posters around town, or put an ad in the high school newspaper. If you live near a college, go to the drama department and offer to do head shots for the students. 
There are lots of ways to start a photography business (I started a blog)  People are always saying they would love to own a photo business but never get around to doing it. Are you afraid of failing? If you are, that's o.k. Most people are. Remember, the first step in succeeding is to start.  


Here is a photo of a future photographer, my daughter!

Travel Photography Without Traveling? I'm Serious!

Here's a good idea. You want to get into travel photography but don't have the money or time?  Well, do it from home.  You don't need to travel to sell your photos. Here is an example. I live in Southern Utah. I want to do travel photos but can't afford a trip to Japan (I really would like to take a few weeks off and visit there). But, where I live, there several national parks that are within a hundred mile radius. I could visit Zion's or Bryce Canyon.  You say you don't have any national parks near you?  Photograph your town. Now you say it is too small? Come one. I lived in Malad, Idaho, population under 3000 and I still found tons of stuff to shoot. So, there is no excuse not do travel photography. After you get a few good ones, go out and sell them. You can use the money you get from them to buy more photo equipment.  Have fun and don't forget to bookmark this site and visit often. Thanks and enjoy!

Here are a few of my "local" travel shots.

Building a Triangle: Composition for Two or More People.

Today our lesson is on how to photograph a family. This idea also works great for couples.  It's really simple. When posing more than one person at a time, build a pyramid.  Here is an example...

Do you see the pyramid? If you don't I have made it easier to see below. Take a look...

Now it is easier to see.  A lot of photographers will pose a couple or family standing up. I think it creates a more pleasing composition when the family (couple) is sitting.  Don't get me wrong, there are some times when a standing pose looks great, but I like it better when families and couples are sitting.  Also, traditionally the male's head should be posed above the female's head.  Notice also that I used the arm of the man in this photo to complete the triangle. This is not a perfect photo. There are a few things I could do better in this shot, but the point of this lesson is to show how to pose a family (or couple).  The idea of the triangle or pyramid can also be used in posing a person by himself or herself.  When shooting a portrait, put the subject's hands on their hips or in their pockets.  Never pose a standing person with their arms straight to their sides.  So, to wrap it up, always create a pyramid.  If you have any questions let me know. Thanks for looking and don't forget to bookmark this page:)

When Blur is a Good Thing. Dedicated to Head Bangers.

So, most of the time when a photo is blurred it is a bad thing. Well, would you say I was crazy if I said sometimes blur is a good thing? I knew it, you think I am crazy.  I am a bit, I mean I can act weird sometimes. My wife says....uh well, let's leave it at that.
Anyway, I believe that blur can be very effective if used in the right situation. Sometimes you find yourself thinking, "What am I going to do? I forgot my flash and now my photos won't turn out."
That is what happened the other night. I went to see Korean dancers. I really could have banged my head against the seat in front of me, but then the police would have asked me to leave.  I had forgotten my flash.  Instead I just figured I would make the best out of it. This is what I got:

Not too shabby eh? this was taken at f2.8 at 4 seconds.

Well, next time you get in a situation like I put myself in, don't be a head banger, just have fun and do the best you can.

I would love to hear your comments, leave a few :)

2nd Lesson on F-stops: Shallow Depth of Field.

A while ago I had a visitor who was wanting to know more about when to use f-stops. I covered what f-stop to use when taking a landscape(f/11-f/22).  Now I am going to show you when you want to use a larger aperture.  The photo below was taken using f/2.8. Some lenses will not have f/2.8. The might only go to f/4. If you have a camera that has f/4 as the largest aperture, substitute f/4 for f/2.8.  Anyway this is my little boy holding grass (not the kind you smoke) ha ha ha. I used f/2.8 because I wanted to throw him out a focus and bring attention to the grass he was holding. So, when you want attention brought to a subject and you want shallow depth of field, use a large aperture like f/2.8 -f-5.6. The resulting style is sometimes referred to as Bokeh.
Just for some basic info, when shooting a portrait of a person, most pro photographers use f/8. Why you ask? Because f/8 gives enough depth of field to cover the head of a person and throw the background out of focus. Hope you liked this tutorial. If you have any questions let me know and I will do my best to answer them. Remember to bookmark this page so you can come back often. Thanks :)

you can click on the photo for a larger version.

My Favorite Time of Day to Shoot in Autumn

So, most of the time when you ask a professional how to get the most of your photos in autumn, you will hear two things:
1. On an overcast day, shoot in the woods.
2. On a sunny day shoot landscapes, or out of the woods.

Well, I am going to say something a little different.
Shoot at night, or right after the sun goes down.

I know, it takes more effort, and you have to drive home in the dark and, well there are a lot of other excuses.
I think that when you shoot at night, there is a whole other world you get to be a part of.  You really should try it.
I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Oh, and make sure you use a tripod.
Here is one of my shots I took at night.
It was taken at F/11 at 60 seconds

Mystic Forest

I took this photo about 2 years ago.  The fog was pretty thick and it was very pretty. It was taken in Montana, near Missoula. This is one of those shots where I happened to have my camera with me.  I always carry my camera now because you never know if you will miss a good shot. Luckily for me, I had my camera on me that day.

Flashing Yourself! (What?)

Well, here is my first photography lesson for all of you out there.  This lesson will teach you how to get a better protrait with a basic lighting set up.  You can get the equipment to do this for about 100 dollars.  For your info, I get almost all of my equipment from B and H Photo out of New York.  They are great to work with and I recommend checking them out.  Also, check Ebay for great used photo gear. I guess I better explain what a strobe is for those of you who don’t know.  A strobe is simply a flash.  Some cameras have flashes built into the top of them. To take a photo like this you need to have a flash unit that is seperate from the camera body.   For the photo below I use a single strobe (flash unit) on a light stand with a remote trigger unit attached to it.  A remote trigger unit is also know as a slave unit. A remote trigger sets off the flash when light hits it.  When I took this photo I used the small flash that is on the top of my camera to set off  the remote trigger which set off the flash unit and lit me from the side.  The flash unit was about 10 feet from me and the camera was placed on a tripod. I was about 15 feet away from the tripod.  I used a flash meter for this shot, but I have since sold it. I have gotten pretty good at guessing the exposure, but if you have one it will help.  Please feel free to ask questions about this post. I will answer them in a timely manner.  Now it’s time to go out and have some fun.  Thanks for reading! (click on the photos below to see them larger)

10 Tips for Better Photography!

1.Don’t have a tripod?

Set your camera on a bean bag.

2.Shooting in Rain?

To avoid getting your camera wet use a ziplock plastic bag.

3.Want to shoot close-ups but don’t want to spend the money on a new macro lens?

Buy a reversal ring. They cost anywhere from $10 to $30.

4.Do you have old lenses that do not fit on your new camera?

There are adaptor rings out there now that will make it so you can put almost any lens on any camera. I have one that allows me to but a Hasselblad lens on a Canon digital camera (Don’t know what a Hasselblad is? Google it.).

5.Need a reflector for a photo shoot?

Wear a white t-shirt and use yourself as a reflector. Or  aluminum foil on a peice of cardboard works great. A small one can be used to lighten the shadows of a flower.

6.Speaking of flowers, do you have an ugly background behind the flower?  Take a piece of colored paper and place it on the background, or use an 8x10 print of a photo you have taken to liven it up a bit!

7. Do you worry that you are going to scratch up a nice lens when putting it in a back pack or bag?  Wrap it in a sock.

8.Want to create a soft focus look?

Use an old pair of pantyhose over the lens. White will look diffent than black or nude so have fun experimenting.

9. Need some software to edit photos?

Download Picassa 3 for free and start to experiment.

10. Want to become a better photographer?

Be patient, go out and do it, and keep on learning!  You will never get good if you just wish for it :)

Aperture: What is it?

Every profession has its own lingo. It is the same with photography.  Photographers say things like, “Use a wider aperture,” or, “What f-stop are you using?”  So, What is an f-stop?  It is a term for a measurable expression of how much light is entering a camera lens. Aperture is the same thing as an f-stop.

All cameras have a lens which light passes through to help record the image. However, to get a proper exposure so you do not have underexposure or overexposure, light must come in through the lens in the  amount needed.   That is, the photo should be neither too light nor too dark. The f-stop on a camera helps control the exposure.

The “F” in f-stop stands for focal length.  The focal length divided by the diameter of the pupil , or the amount of light entering the lens is how the f-stop is determined. The numbers f/2 or f/16 are expressions of  f-stops.   The number denotes how wide  the opening in the aperture is.  The aperture  is an opening behind the camera lens. The aperture works like the pupil of the eye. It gets wider when there is not a lot of light and smaller when there is more light. Test this out. Get a flashlight and go to a mirror. First look into the mirror at the black part or pupil of your eye. Notice the size. Now turn on the flashligtht and point it at your eye.  While looking in the mirror you will notice that your pupil gets smaller. This is exactly how an apeture works.  The more light, the smaller the pupil of your eye, the less light the wider the pupil of your eye.  Now here is the weird part. When you apeture is open wider, the f-stop will be a small number like f/5.6 or f/2(if you have a fast lens).  If the apeture is smaller, you will have a number like f/16 or f/22.

Now that we have learned a little about apertures and f/stops we need to know about shutter speeds.  To get the proper exposure we need to have an apeture and a shutter speed that correspond.  For instance, you can use a wide apeture or f/stop (which will have a small number) and fast shutter speed, or a narrow f-stop (larger number) and a slower shutter speed. When these correspond the result is a properly exposed photograph. Shutter speeds are measured in amounts of time. For example, you can have 6th of a second or a longer exposure of 1 second.  1 second will let in more light than 6th of a second. To get the proper exposure you will balance the f-stop and the shutter speed.

Now, when you’re out shooting and you hear another person say, “What f/stop are you using?” you will know what to say.

If you need clarification or more help understanding this let me know. Thanks, Brian.

My Favorite Place for Family Photos!!!!

You are going to think I am crazy and the truth is that I am a little bit. When it comes to photographing my family, the best place I have found is the kitchen table.  What the? Yes, I am serious and I will tell you why.  It’s easy, and the kids can’t run away. LOL. Seriously, I love to get shots of my fam at the kitchen table. There are always fun photos like kids with pudding or spaghetti all over them. Then they get a little older and they look at you so tenderly.  My daughter is at the stage where she looks and me and says “I love you Daddy”. It melts my heart. Anyway, next time you are sitting down for a good meal at the table, break out your camera and have some fun. Thanks for visiting, don’t forget to bookmark this blog and if you have questions or want to know about something, let me know. Frank, don’t worry. I’m getting ready to do a post for you on which f-stop to use in which situation.

Being a Bad Weather Friend!

Tonight I was out in a rain storm having fun.  A few posts ago I told you that bad weather is your friend.  This is what I got from the storm. Hope you enjoy!