Focus on the small things

Sometimes to see the bigger picture we need to focus on the little things.

The world is a pretty big place, and the challenges and tasks we face can be pretty massive too. Usually these tasks seem overwhelmingly impossible and scary. Fortunately, just about anything can be broken down into lots of small little pieces... which are generally more manageable if we tackle them one by one. Adding together a string of smaller successess makes a single, large goal much easier to achieve!

Over the next few posts I will be focusing on macro photography. Macro photography is photography of small things, done through the use of special lenses and extreme closeups or zooming. It's all about the fine details - the little things. Macro photography is one of my favourite types of photography. It's challenging because it requires careful focus and attention to detail, colour and light but at the same time it can be quite easy because most of your models will either stand still or move pretty slowly.

Except for insects, of course. They tend to fly or scuttle away when the lens gets too close. Something about survival instincts, I think. I wouldn't know, because I've never been able to actually get a reasonable answer from any of them. Still, some don't seem to mind, like this bug I found meandering up a wall.

Do you think he knew he was going the wrong way?

EXIF: Focal Length: 6mm || F-Stop: F/4.5 || Exposure Time: 1/1250 sec.
Canon Powershot SX100 IS
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Taking a break

Sometimes we just need to get away from the madness for a while...

Just long enough for us to be refreshed in body, mind and soul. For the body, there's nothing that a little bit of exercise and a few days of good sleep can't cure. For the mind, the quiet of a tranquil location.. and a good book or two soon have us ready and raring to start thinking again. However, the soul takes a bit more...

The last two or three weeks have been a bit of a tumultuous time - lots of thinking and stressing and a lot of soul-searching about paths in life and purpose. It meant I stopped doing many of my 'now' things and starting focussing on my 'future' things. This is why I havn't posted a new pic in nearly three weeks.

I do apologise to everyone for the long wait. It may be just a little while longer. Also, there's the small fact that I'm running out of photos - usually I am able to supplement my publishable collection at least weekly, but I havn't really touched the camera in three weeks due to the above-mentioned unspecific reasons.

I'm already starting to feel a bit rusty, so it may be a few days while I regain my photo-fitness. I do hope to post at least weekly from now on, more if possible. Thank you for your patience!

The photo for this post really jumped out at me when I thought about what to write about. I love silhouette photos that have deep and rich colouring and easily distinguishable outlines. In this photo it's easy to see a girl and her dog sitting on a slope. It's important to for a silhouette photograph to hide features but still give clear clues as to the subject of the photo.

As I went through my photo choices I thought "I don't really feel like posting - I need a break!". Then this photo came up and I wished I could be back there, in that moment,with the girl and her dog, in the emptiness and quiet, the peace and beauty, the setting sun piercing through the stresses and strains of modern life..

And lo, this post was born.

EXIF: Focal Length: 25mm || F-Stop: F/8 || Exposure Time: 1/1000 sec.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50
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Invisible but not Intangible!

"You can't see the wind either, Sam, but you know it's there..."

"You can hear it, you can feel it, you can see it's effects on the trees..."

- Tonane, Stargate SG1 S2E13 "Spirits".

Wind is a powerful yet gentle force. It can be a light summer breeze, gently cooling and caressing, or it can manifest as a tornado or hurricane that wreaks havoc as it thunders by.

In photography, wind can only be captured by capturing the effect it has on physical things. Wind is a great way to add movement to an image - from the example above of plants bending in the wind, to a model with hair and clothing floating and fluttering.

The next time you need to take a portrait that needs an extra touch of spunk, add a little wind to your picture. When taking photographs in windy conditions, use it to your advantage. Turn your model around in the wind and experiment with the different effects you can create. Make sure you have adequate light and ISO, though, because you will need high shutter speeds to avoid blur.

However, when taking photographs that need to have faces in them, make sure that the wind isn't blowing hair over facial features. Just like squinting in sunlight, pesky hair can ruin a shot.

EXIF: Focal Length: 8.2mm || F-Stop: F/4 || Exposure Time: 1/1000 sec.
Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
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Wedding Photography & Etiquette

Give the bride her flowers back!

Sometimes the best (unofficial) shots are taken when the model -isn't- posing, such as the impromptu wedding picture above. The groom had been holding the flowers for the bride while she was photographed elsewhere. I got this shot just as they reached out to each other.

I love how photogenic the whole area was - the curving pathway, the steppes, the wall in the background all working together to create such beautiful curves and lines in the image. The plants on the right create vertical stability in an otherwise tilted and curvey world.

When I take photographs at weddings I try NOT to get the same shots as the official photographer. I try to take shots in-between their shots and get to really play around with my images. It's the best fun ever. It also helps that the focus is on the official photographer because it allows me to capture these unposed, genuine moments.

While we all love taking our own photos at a wedding, there is a measure of photography etiquette necessary. It's important to remember that the official photographer gets priority! They are paid to be there to do a job. Most wedding photographers will accommodate you when you want to take a specific shot but when they're busy doing their job make sure to stay out of their way.

Try not to take your photograph at the same time as them, especially when you're using a flash. Your flash could cause their image to come out wrong. Before tailing the official photographer around ask them if they mind you taking some shots with them. It's just polite. Also, make it clear to the people being photographed that they should always focus on the official photographer when multiple lenses are pointed their way. If you need them to look at you specifically then try to wait until the official photographer is done and only then ask them to focus on you for a few moments.


Lastly, group photographs: all the extra cameras to come out and a horde of lenses tend to surround the official photographer. Yes, the official photographer does have the best position, the best angle, but try not to crowd the location of the tripod. The photographer needs space to move around and do their job. Please don't bump the photographer or the equipment!

When there are so many cameras the group often don't know who they should be looking at. This results in everybody looking a different direction which can make things especially hard for the official photographer. Be polite, be patient. Let the official photographer get their shot first. It often helps if you announce who should be focused on at that moment. Announce loudly and clearly when the official photographer is to be focused on.

No matter how much you love to have your own photos it is the official photographs that are the most important to the bride and groom. It's their day, after all.

EXIF: (1)Focal Length: 18.9mm || F-Stop: F/8 || Exposure Time: 1/60 sec.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 - No editing.
EXIF: (2)Focal Length: 9.8mm || F-Stop: F/8 || Exposure Time: 1/60 sec.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ-50. This image has been digitally altered.
Parts of the wall, the water, the flowerbed and part of the driveway down the right side of the image were digitally created (using GIMP 2.6) to replace unwanted elements. No other alterations were made.

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Lean on me

Have you ever just needed a break?

Sometimes the smallest, simplest things can have the greatest meaning. An action, a word, a presence. Small things that don't need much to give but that give much needed... This photograph makes me think about how easy it actally is for people to be there for one another but how hard we ourselves make it. We could all be a little more supportive, a little more helpful, a little more friendly. We could all be a little more human, if only we tried.

Technical notes:
When taking photographs in full sunlight, especially close to or at noon, always be careful of vertical shadows that can obscure features. People wearing hats should tilt them back slightly, lift their chins or remove the hat altogether.

To avoid shadows or overexposed backgrounds most photographers tend to place the sun directly behind them. This provides the most direct lighting but usually causes the persons being photographed to squint against the sunlight in their eyes.

Instead of standing directly on the line between the sun and your target, try to place yourself at least 15 degrees off the line. This will eliminate the squinting as the sun is not in their eyes while still providing full light for the photograph.

Lastly, most people believe that a flash is reserved for night-time or dim-light photographs only. This is not true! Your flash can be used in broad daylight. When a photograph with specific positioning has inherent shadows that you cannot eliminate your flash can help to light up those areas.

Tilt your camera (if possible) so that your flash is on the side where the light is required. Set your camera to Forced Flash On to ensure that it goes off. The flash will fill in the darker/shaded areas. An example is a group photograph where some people are in the shade while the others are in the sun.

EXIF: Focal Length: 7.9mm || F-Stop: F/5.6 || Exposure Time: 1/640 sec.
Sony Cybershot DSC-P10
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Raising the Flag

How many Mozambicans does it take to raise a flag?

About halfway up the coast of Mozambique lies the port of Beira and it's slightly more inland sister town, Dondo. From there a (horrible) dirt road northwards brings you to this peninsula and inlet - a tropical paradise called Rio Savane. To gain access to Rio Savane a boat is hailed to transport you across the bay to the peninsula.

Flaggers on the mainland raise this red flag to signal to the boats that passengers are waiting on their shore, while a sister flag on the peninsula hails boats from the mainland for departing visitors. It is a cheap and simple yet effective system of communication.

Rio Savane is probably one of my most memorable experiences ever. I'm not a big fan of beach and ocean, and I don't really eat seafood but at Rio Savane I experienced a tropical beach paradise with the best beach, sea and king prawns on Earth. It helps that the peninsula has been turned into a tropical village with thatch roof huts and palms, woven archways and wooded pathways.

The sea was slightly murky but the water was warm.. very warm! It was like floating in a giant bathtub. The sand was soft, white and didn't cling to you. The tide was low so the beach stretched out before us, swimmers little more than specks in the ocean from our vantage point on the dunes.

Upon arrival we were told to go straight to the "restuarant" (ie Foodshack) to place our order for lunchtime. The options were pretty basic - Mozambican Prawn Plate, Mozambican Line Fish, and one other thing... Mozambican style, of course. I decided to be brave and ordered the Prawn Plate. It was really cheap (R25) so I didn't have much to lose.

We relaxed on the beach and watched as the fishing boats put out to sea. Just before lunchtime they returned. At lunchtime I was presented with my prawns.. a heaped plate of King-size prawns in a lemonbutter sauce of some sort. Allow me to reiiterate "heaped": there were at least 20 king prawns, if not more. It turned out that the fishing boats that had put out to sea had gone to catch our lunch! It really gave new meaning to the term "fresh from the sea".

My compatriots had all ordered the Line Fish, which essentially meant you got whatever they managed to catch on their lines. They were pretty large fish, of an assorted variety, but they were good.


I have since tried numerous times to eat prawns, cooked in a variety of ways, a variety of sizes, and at a variety of authentic Portuguese and Mozambican restuarants, to no avail. I disdain prawns as I do most seafood, with the exception of some fish and calamari rings.
But take me back to Rio Savane, and oh, how I shall feast! Something never tasted before, nor ever tasted again...

EXIF: Somewhere along the line over the years the data for these images went missing. These photos were taken pre-2005 by me on a Fujifilm SLP800.
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Kitty Raaaarrggh!

Beware the wrath of the sleepy kitty?

This is a purely cute photograph. It isn't particularly genius and didn't use any fancy or advanced photographic techniques... but it's cute! That seemed reason enough for me to post it. After all, this isn't just a photoblog of "good" photos - it's a photoblog of my favourite images. This qualifies!

It does have technical merit - the focus is great, especially on the cat's mouth. The timing was also nice, getting the kitty right at the apex of the yawn. Vampirekitty!!

EXIF: Focal Length: 7.4mm || F-stop: F/2.8 || Exposure Time: 1/40sec.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50
All hail the mighty Babs, Lady of the Laps, Seeker of the Scratches. Beware the kittyRaargh teeth. Of Doom.

Muhahaha.

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Pteronophobia? Eek, Feathers!

What exactly is that expression?

Argh not more feathers! Make the fluffiness stop! Colourful feathers are a fun alternative to ordinary confetti at a modern wedding, especially when there's LOTS of them... I love wedding photos that are taken in between the real wedding photos - ones where the moment is real, unforced, unposed. Sometimes you manage to capture a quirky moment that better reflects the person than any posed photograph ever will.

This photograph was taken in the evening at a relatively close range using a flash. The use of presets in such situations is important as it prevents the flash from flooding the image which leaves glowing white people and pitch black surrounds. Try to avoid pointing the flash directly at any reflective surfaces such as glass, shiny metals, white clothing and skin.

Another nifty trick is to tilt your camera so that the flash is on the darker side of the image, which compliments any natural light present and fills in the shadows, resulting in a more even image. It's also better to not stand too close when using the flash. Rather stand further away and zoom a little if you have to take a close-up shot. Also, you can always crop a larger photo later.

Post-processing: Cropping only.
EXIF: Focal Length: 7.4mm || F-Stop: F/5.6 || Exposure Time: 1/60 sec.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 with Flash.
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Unusual Love

How often do you see love like this?

Continuing the theme from the previous photo is this cute shot of sheep and owner connecting in a way that is so normal but so unique... While it's normal for an animal to enjoy a bit of love and attention from its owner, how often is that animal a sheep? This particular sheep, named "Mehh" was raised by hand from birth after being rejected by the mother. It just goes to show that even a sheep knows it's "mommy" and can form a trusting bond with a human.

It's normal to see such "owner recognition" and attachment behaviour in cats and dogs and other more usual domesticated animals but it was the first time I'd seen it with a sheep. Especially seeing how the sheep really seemed to enjoy the chinscratch.

In terms of photographic technicalities - this was another one of those opportunity shots. The WB had been pre-set to the most prevalent lighting conditions. All I did was spot the shot, tilt to create a better frame and zoomed slightly to cut out interfering objests, autofocused and snapped. The camera did all the rest.

At first glance the colouring may seem very brown/orange/red-toned but the spot of blue on the doorframe gives away the fact that the colouring is not as a result of incorrect white balance. The colouring is real to life and while initially it may seem a bit drab it actually gives warmth and realism to the image.

Post-processing: A minor crop to perfect the framing and a touch of lightening/adjusting the midtones to enrich the colours.

EXIF: Focal Length: 26.9mm || F-stop: F/5.6 || Exposure Time: 1/200 sec.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50

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Gentle Nature

I love photographs of interactions between people or animals. Capturing such a connection is a snapshot of the language of the heart.

A photograph is supposed to capture a moment, an action, an emotion. These are the best kinds of photographs. When I look at this photograph all I see is gentleness. It makes me feel all ..fuzzy inside, and I lose the ability to write anything proper about the image.

So no technical composition blabber from me today. Go ahead and stare at the picture a little more. You know you want to.

EXIF: Focal Length: 42mm || F-stop: F/4 || Exposure Time: 1/200 sec.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50
Shoutout: To the model - you're amazing in front of the camera. Thank you for being such a good sport and letting me order you around.

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Of Threes and Halves.. Part 3

As mentioned in Part 1 of this photo series, the rule of thirds is a guide and can be "broken" when you're using something else.

In this particular photo I have gone with a half-half composition.. where the wall on the left and the open sky on the right are the two main elements of the shot. The branches form a transition between the wall and the sky while the grass provides orientation for the photo, bringing the viewer down to ground level.

Lastly, the water tower being smaller than the wall creates a perspective element which gives depth. The photo has a nice diversity of contrasting colours and the detail throughout is very clear, with both the grass in the foreground and the water tower at the back being in focus.

EXIF: Focal Length: 6.7mm || F-stop: F/4 || Exposure Time: 1/640 sec.
Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
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Of Threes and Trees.. Part 2

Our second image is a long-time favourite of mine. It's autumn and the leaves are changing colour.. some trees moreso than others!

Colour is a very important part of photography: bright contrasts, gentle gradations and the ever-nostalgic black&white. Getting the colour of a photograph right is critical.. to having a great photo, especially a photo such as this which is mostly about the colours.

However, colour alone, albeit important, doesn't make for a great photo on its own. Other techniques needs to be used to ensure the composition of the photo is good, with an appropriate frame and focus. This particular shot came from a photo assignment I did called "perspective". Instead of capturing the tree vertically like your average shot I looked for a different perspective. This was taken sitting under the tree.

The light from above helped the colours of the leaves to really stand out without darkening the foreground too much. The rule of thirds is also present.

EXIF: Focal Length: 7.9mm || F-stop: F/5.6 || Exposure Time: 1/30 sec.
Sony DSC-P10
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Of Threes and Thirds.. Part 1

Courtesy of studying, sleeping and being away at a LAN I bring you a three-part image series to make up for the last three days of missing posts.

Our first photo is a nice example of the photography rule of thirds. While the thirds don't always have to be exact it's a good rule to follow when taking a photo. In this photo, the wall forms the right vertical third, with the bricks providing the lines for the horizontal thirds.

While the rule of thirds is good to use to get away from the monotony of centre-framed images it's possible, as shown in this photo, to combine the two. The sheep's head forms the centre of the image with the environment around it being in thirds.

Remember - the rule of thirds is a guide! It's good to use if you have nothing better but sometimes it's good to "break" the rule by using circles, halves or closeups!

EXIF: Focal Length: 13.6mm || F-stop: F/8 || Exposure Time: 1/640 sec.
Panasonic DMC-FZ50
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It's a dog's life

Ever seen a dog look happy? Blissful? Content?

Eyes closed, ears flopping the wind, head held high.. I love this photo.This is my sister's dog, Bala, a Mozambican pavement special with a personality to steal your heart.

I was sitting lower than Bala in this shot. I had already taken several shots of her just ambling about, being diva-doggie-like. When she's in the mood she makes a fantastic model who hogs the spotlight. When she's not, don't even bother trying. I got tired of taking the normal kind of shots and decided to zoom in a little. She kept staring off at the horizon and this is the result.

Post-processing: Minor cropping. No colour adjustment or editing.
EXIF: Focal Length: 62.2mm || F-stop: F/8 || Exposure Time: 1/400 sec.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50

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Wire Horizons

Wire fences seperate areas from each other. The horizon seperates earth from sky. I thought this shot was somewhat ironic.

I love macro photography, especially when using a camera which has decent macro capability. In this case I was testing out my sister's compact digital, a Canon PowerShot SX100 IS. Almost immediately I noticed that it has incredible macro capability, even moreso than my regular-use Panasonic Lumix.

I compared the two by taking the same macro shots with both cameras and the Canon beat the Lumix hands down. I could place the Canon's lens up to 1cm from the subject and it still focused perfectly, whereas the closest I could come with the Lumix was about 5-8cm.

Since I adore Macro Photography I had to take the camera for a spin outdoors. This photo is one of several stunning shots I got with the Canon. The tennis ball pic from "Playtime's over" two posts ago was taken with the Canon too.

Also, I have just figured out how to access the EXIF data of a photograph, so from now on I will attempt to post EXIF where possible.

Post-processing: Cropping.
EXIF: Focal length: 8.2mm || F-stop: F/4 || Exposure time: 1/640 sec

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Bumblebee

A massive bumblebee pulling off the most entertaining gymnastics and flying in an attempt to stay on the flower and reach the nectar.

I've never been very good with action shots. It's rare that I manage a shot where there isn't excessive blur... as I tend to set the shutter speed too low. This comes from bad lighting experience for action shots. If I get the shutter speed right, the aperture is usually too low and the shot comes out dark.

Action shots are one area of my photography that I really need to work on more to improve. In this particular shot the blur of the bumblebee's wings compliments the photo as it highlights the motion of the wings to stay aloft, while the rest is in focus. Post-processing: Cropping, and I think I may have brightened it a touch. I did it quite a while ago.

EDIT: Adding EXIF data.
EXIF: Focal Length: 88.8mm || F-stop: F/11 || Exposure time: 1/250 sec.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50

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Playtime's over

I don't really have much to say about this photo - It speaks for itself.

It's one of my favourites because of the vibrant colours and how the ball in the foreground brings excitement to the image ... which contrasts with the peaceful open grass and skyline behind it. I also love how the trees and clouds in the sky are still visible even though they're out of focus.. It's a photo that says "opportunity for fun here!"

For some reason I also love that one little brown grass stalk peeking into the picture from the right. Post-processing: Minor cropping.

EDIT: Adding EXIF data.
EXIF: Focal Length: 6mm || F-stop: F/4 || Exposure time: 1/800 sec.
Canon PowerShot SX100 IS

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Water Fall

Isn't it great to see how excited the puddle is to have a drop added to it? Look at that cheering action!

Capturing water in motion always makes for a pretty photo. This was my first attempt at taking droplet/splash pics and getting the balance between light and speed while remaining in focus was the biggest challenge... I didn't have any manual controls for this shot and had to make do with hacking the autofocus and autowhitebalance while on the action shot mode.

This photo was taken with a Sony Cybershot DSC-P10, my dad's first digital camera which I probably used more in five years than he will in his entire life. I loved that little camera, especially the amazing low-light ability and the built-in cropping/resizing functions which let you create new edited photographs from old ones right on the camera. I have yet to find another compact entry-level digital camera that can pick up light like the Sony did.

Post-processing: Minor cropping to create a better frame.

EDIT: Adding EXIF data.
EXIF: Focal Length: 23.7mm || F-stop: F/10 || Exposure time: 1/250 sec.
Sony Cybershot DSC-P10

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Reflection

A nice day out sailing, a willing model with very reflective sunglasses, a camera and me.

Voila!

I've noticed that most of my photographs are very rarely set-up shots. Normally I just notice something, or an event occurs and I take the shot. I'm not really one for planning.. a shot in advance. I do it on occaison, when it's necessary, but mostly I prefer impulsive photography.

For this shot, I happenned to notice the clarity of the reflection in the sunglasses and asked the wearer to turn his head slightly and hold as still as possible. I zoomed in a little and used a quick manual focus because auto just wasn't cooperating. Snap.

Post-processing: Cropping, mostly, and I smoothed out one or two blemishes on the sunglasses with GIMP. It wasn't necessary, but I didn't want anything messing with the shiny-ness of the reflection and it was kinda fun.

I mostly photograph using a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50, 10MP 12xOZ with a built-in 35mm Equivalent lens (35mm-420mm). I don't actually own a camera! I'm always using other people's. Someday.. someday..

EDIT: Adding EXIF data.
EXIF: Focal Length: 34.4mm || F-stop: F/5.6 || Exposure time: 1/500 sec.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50

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Skaapie loer vir jou!

This is one little Baa-machine that likes the camera!

This was a chance shot. I was sitting on the ground, camera in hand, just fiddling with the settings and observing the sheep and the light to get an understanding of what would give me the best results later when I actually took proper shots. The sheep suddenly decided that my camera looked interesting... and placed itself right in front of me. All I had to do was adjust my aim a touch, "push da button" and there you have it.

As soon as I took the shot I knew I had it. I was laughing so hard I had to put my camera down, but I guess I also knew there was no way I was going to do better than this shot anytime soon.

Since then, whenever I know that I want to take certain types of photographs I spend a little time getting acquainted with either the subject, the environment, the best settings for my camera, or if possible, as many of the afore-mentioned as possible. Being prepared to just point and shoot when a great opportunity presents itself is important because it gives you the best chance possible to get that perfect shot.

Post-processing: None whatsoever! YEAH! This is the shot exactly as I captured it. (Title translation: Sheepie peers at you!)

EDIT: Adding EXIF data.
EXIF: Focal Length: 7.4mm || F-stop: F/6.3 || Exposure time: 1/400 sec.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50
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