Wedding Photographer Assistant Tips

Photo captured by Tatiana Garanina (Click Image to See More From Tatiana Garanina)

Before I go into what the requirements are on the wedding day from a second photographer, it would be a good idea to think about what should be considered before the day.

First things first, you may be someone who is trying to get work as a second photographer to get started in the industry before launching into a wedding as a lead photographer.

This can often be difficult so be prepared to travel to an area outside what would be considered your territory. Photographers are business people and are always wary of training a competitor, but they may also be looking for a regular second who they can trust and work with.

Find out about the principal photographer’s style. The main photographer will have been booked based on things such as style of images, personality and customer service. So it would be sensible to find out a bit about the lead. Find out their dress code and be respectful of it even if it is not your normal dress code.
Prepare your equipment, make sure it is clean, batteries charged, cards formatted if using your own and find out if the principal photographer requires your cameras time to be synchronized.

So on the day, make sure you are very punctual, fairly obvious really, but if it is somewhere you haven’t been before do a bit of preparation to know the area. Google street mapping is often a useful tool for research and during my time as a wedding photographer in Lancashire, it has proven to be invaluable. Then comes the time meeting the wedding party for the first time. Be confident, polite and respectful to everyone, including other vendors that are part of the day. You may be thinking this is all obvious, but little things can often be forgotten when nerves and pressure kick in.

Now we come to the working side of the day and I will break these down to bullet points. There may be other things that can be added to the list, but these are the ones that I consider important.

IMPORTANT TASK TO CONSIDER

• Be an assistant to the main photographer. Running errands, gathering guests for groups, moving kit around, watching kit, hold reflectors, flashes, video lights and generally any task that is asked of you.
• Get the shots you are asked to get and inform the lead when you have them.
• Take the camera away from your eyes and look around for the reportage shots, kids playing, different angles that can make a shot look natural and details that the main photographer may not see.
• Watch for things that the main photographer may miss, background distractions is one example.
• Get detail shots that may be of use for album design as background images.

 "Karina & Roman" captured by Elena Zotova (Click Image to See More From Elena Zotova)

• Be prepared to take the lead in the event of main photographer having to break away. This may be the scary part, but act with confidence and it will be fine.
• Be aware of what the main photographers plans are, remind him/her if you think something has been missed. It will be appreciated that you are showing you are thinking about what is happening.
• Finally for the ‘to do’s, think ahead. If you think the need for a reflector is coming, get it to hand, if you know the need for a tripod is coming, get it and extend the legs in preparation, but most importantly, learn something every time and enjoy it. You will be part of a team so make sure you work that way.

NOW FOR SOME OF THE DO NOTS:

• If you have your own photography business, don’t give out your cards or try and drum up your own business. They are not your clients and that is to be respected at all times.
• Do not shoot like the paparazzi unless you are specifically told to. The main photographer would rather a smaller set of well executed, high quality shots than a thousand shots taken in the hope of 20% being successful.
• Do not just shoot over the shoulder of the main photographer to get some portfolio shots unless permission has been gained. It can be very off putting if it hasn’t been discussed. If it has been agreed in advance, then the main photographer will have just to inform clients that some training is taking place.
• Do not publish images on blogs etc without permission from the main photographer. If permission is given, credit the main photographer. The copyright remains with the photographer/business that you are working for.
• Do not chew gum, smoke, drink alcohol, swear etc if that is what is requested by the main photographer.

"Olga" captured by Olesia Kliots (Click Image to See More From Olesia Kliots)

So these are just a few of the basic things to be considered and this list can be added to. So hopefully this may be of help to some and that it will help you to be an asset if you are a second shooter at any time.

About the Author:

Paul Brown produces quality wedding photography in Lancashire and is also a principal wedding photographer with Yorkshire & Lancashire wedding photographer, Mark Pearson Photography.

The 2nd photographer may also need to take over if the lead photographer has an urgent issue or emergency come up. Such as in this case where the primary photographer was caught off guard by a fountain

Good luck and have fun.

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How to Change Mood in a Photograph

Posted on 23 December 2011 by Sean Farmer

The mood in a photo can define the entire photograph. A dark and somber, or even pensive photograph’s mood is typically set by a low key, but if you take the same photograph and shoot it in high key, it can completely change the photograph making it seem light hearted and fun. While it’s important to get the mood right when you shoot by setting the lighting, using filters, or whatever else you need to accomplish the mood you want, sometimes it is not possible, especially in outdoor and location photography. So here is a good method you can do in Photoshop to change the mood of a photograph to better suit what you truly wanted to capture.

I will start with this image, and change its mood to a more Dark and Urban mood.

1) Create a new Empty layer, and fill it with your secondary tone.
This layer will provide a secondary color tone for your image. In the image I am working with I chose to use a darker brown to compliment the models skin color as well as create a darker undertone. Once you’ve created this layer you will need to set its blending mode to Soft Light, and reduce the Fill to somewhere between 25-40%, depending on the strength of the undertone you want. For the image I am using I set the Fill to 37%

Image after adding a Brown toner layer.

2) Create another new Empty layer, and fill it with your primary tone.
This layer will work much like the first, except that the color used in this layer will be the primary tone used to create the mood of the photograph. You will need to set the Blending Mode of this layer to Soft Light and the fill between 50-80%. Typically, I find it best to chose a percentage almost double that of your previous color (I set mine here to about 70%). The color you choose here should directly affect the mood you are trying to create. For example, in my image I am trying to create a darker urban feel, so I decided to use a dark green that complements the previous layers brown.

Image after adding a green toner layer.

3) Merge all of the images together to create a single composite image, then Duplicate it. Once you’ve duplicated the composite image add a Gaussian Blur of about 4.1 to the duplicate. Make sure the duplicates Blending mode is set to Normal, and change the opacity to anywhere between 50-70% and the Fill to between 60-80%. This will create a more surreal look to your image, without drastically changing it. In my image I set the Opacity to 67% and the Fill to 73%.

Final image after adding the gaussian blur.

And that’s it. With these few simple changes you can drastically alter the mood of an image.
The Before and After:

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HDR Photos in a Snap

Posted on 19 December 2011 by MatthewBamberg

All the rage today in photography is the HDR shot. Everyone wants a piece of the surreal action. I say surreal because much of the time the effect is just that—a surreal looking image a la Salvador Dali (well close, maybe).

Most photographers will say that you need a tripod in order to take a shot, and you do if you don’t know how to set your camera to Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB).
If you do, you can get an HDR photo in minutes—take the shots and quickly process the when you get back home in Photoshop CS 5’s HDR Pro.

AEB enables your camera to take 3 images at once: one normally exposed, one underexposed and one overexposed.

Normal exposure

Underexposed

Overexposed

Canon models will only take three shots when in AEB mode. Other model cameras can take more, but all you need is three.

In order for you to get an idea about how to set your camera to AEB mode for a Canon camera, here are the directions for the 5D. Follow the directions in the manual if you’re using another model or make of camera
The first thing you do is press on “Menu.” Then you navigate to “AEB” using the dial at the top of the camera.

Next, press the set button. It’s in the middle of the large dial on the back of the camera.
The AEB will light up on the menu and you can set where you want the three shots by turning it and watching where the three indicators are. For an HDR set, +2, 0, -2 is a good choice.

Finally, shoot by holding down the shutter release until the shooting stops. It will after three shots.

The shots will be taken in the following order: normal exposure, underexposed and overexposed.
To go back to shooting normally, turn the settings dial to “B” and then go back to Av (or whatever setting you like to shoot at).

This process works find on a sunny and bright summer days. You risk camera shake blur in the shot you are overexposing because in order to overexpose the shutter has to stay open longer.

If you’re going to shoot with a tripod inside or in low light, it’s best to use a tripod. In this case I don’t recommend AEB (unless you’re using a remote) because there is a likelihood that the camera will shake when you are holding the shutter release down due to the extra time the shutter needs to remain open, especially when you overexpose.

Also, keep in mind that the AEB mode doesn’t work with the camera’s built-in timer.
The last step of the HDR process is to download the three photos to your computer and run them through Photoshop CS5’s HDR Pro.

Final HDR photo tweaked and cropped
Image by Matthew Bamberg

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Ardalan Photography Workshop

These three below images are of my recent photography workshop...

Wave, by Ardalan R.

Texture - Gunny, by Ardalan R.

Texture - Flooring, by Ardalan R.

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How to Photography Tattoos: Model Tattoo Photography

Posted on 28 December 2011 by Sean Farmer

In my last post I covered the most common type of tattoo photography, Macro Tattoo Photography, which is used to display individual tattoos. While Macro is typically the best for displaying new or interesting tattoos, Model Tattoo Photography is the most memorable type of tattoo photography. Model Tattoo photography is the concept of focusing on not a single tattoo or a model, but rather the painting that a model’s tattoos create on there skin. A common example of this type of photography is that of modern pin-up models.

Model Tattoo Photography is not complicated, but many photographers fail to approach it the right way. As I previously stated, this type of photography focuses on the composition formed by multiple tattoos on a model, rather than the model or an individual tattoo, which is the way many photographers tend to approach this type of photography. Setting up and shooting Model Tattoo Photography can be easy if you keep a few things in mind.

1) Find your pictorial focus. This is different than your focal or any other point. Your pictorial focus is the part of the image you want to emphasize the most. When talking about model tattoo photography, this is usually the central tattoo. For example if your shooting a models back, you should find a good central tattoo to maintain as your primary focus. If your model only has a single back tattoo, use the most interesting part of the tattoo as your focus. The pictorial focus is key for keeping the composition of your photography.

Image by Suicide Girls

2) Pose around the tattoos. While in most posed photography you want to pose the model in a complimentary position to their own body, in model tattoo photography you want to position your model’s body to accentuate their tattoos. This is accomplished by using your pictorial focus and facing that so that it faces the camera in a non distorted manner, and framing the rest around it. For example if your shooting a model’s back you can have the model either lean their shoulders and body forward to stretch out the skin on their back to show off a series or a primary horizontal tattoo, or have them raise their hands into the air to accent a more vertical tattoo.

Image by Tattoo Lover.

3) Properly light your model and tattoos. Lighting a model tattoo photograph is different than lighting a model or even a macro tattoo photo. When you light a model tattoo photograph you need to keep your primary focus on the tattoos rather than the model. This can be done with a simple three point set up, utilizing only a key, soft, and back light. By using the key light to highlight the tattoos and the soft light to reduce the harshness on the shadows of the tattoos and to add a slight light on your model, you can create a stronger emphasis on the tattoos without eliminating the model.

Image by Suicide Girls

4) Moderate to high contrast with moderate sharpness. Unlike macro tattoo photography, you do not want to jack up the contrast and sharpness when shooting model tattoo photography. This is because you need to keep in mind rather than a small section of skin, you are now dealing with an entire person. You will want to adjust the sharpness and contrast to higher settings to really accentuate the different tattoos, but you need to keep from making your model look unrealistic or unattractive.

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How to Shoot Location Photography at Noon

Posted on 14 December 2011 by Sean Farmer

When you are doing a location shoot, one of the key points of consideration when deciding when and where to do the shoot is that of daylight. In general there are three types of natural light you can get while doing a location shoot, morning light, noon light, and afternoon light. Each of these provides it own unique set of advantages and challenges.

Mid-day shoots can prove challanging to get a good shot from. Image by Image by Robert Bejil

Probably the hardest of the three is shooting during noon light, ironically because this is the time of day where you are receiving the most natural light. Since typically this natural light is so strong due to the fact that its source is almost directly overhead, you start to run into a slew of other issues such as lack of direction, over exposure, and washout.

Low ISO and High Shutter Speed

This step should seem pretty obvious to anyone who has used any type of SLR or DSLR camera, but one key point about this step is not the variables listed in the titled, but the one variable that is not. Aperture. Obviously, your going to want a higher f-stop to compensate for the shear amount of natural light at noon. However, here is the point where you need to bypass those shutter speed/aperture equations “photography schools” teach. You will want to set your ISO as low as it will possibly go, this will allow your image to retain the most detail, even in over exposed areas. Setting your shutter speed higher will allow you to catch the most detail the fastest. Aperture should be your compensation variable for achieving good exposure.


Shoot in the Shadows

Using a building as a shadow can aid against over exposure. Image by Image by Robert Bejil

Obviously, you do not want to stick strictly to the shadows of a building or other object, as that defeats the purpose of a location shoot. What you will want to do is use the shadows cast by trees, building, or other objects to create contrast in your image. These shadows will help prevent against a completely washed out image, and might even help prevent over exposure. Using shadows to contrast an image is intended mostly for background contrast, not model contrast. On a model these shadows can look out of place, and take away from the entire image.

Correct Modeling

Using the models own body you can create shadows and contrast, even in the brightest daylight. Image by Robert Bejil

The same principles as shooting in the shadows applies here. Since there is such an abundance of sunlight from directly above, if you simply shoot someone standing straight in front of you, you are most likely going to get an image of a person with really bright hair, over exposed body, and an underexposed face. Work on positioning your models so that they are working with the omnipresent lighting. Have them tilt their heads forward or backward to either allow more or less light on their face. Remember that most location photography is “What You See Is What You Get” lighting.


External Flash

Yes, seriously. If you lower your ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture, so that even in broad daylight your image comes out slightly under exposed, you can used an external flash to create a more controlled lighting model. You will need to make sure you use an angle for the flash in order to avoid over exposure from a straight on flash. The use of reflectors can help aid with this.

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How to Photography Tattoos: Macro Tattoo Photography

Posted on 26 December 2011 by Sean Farmer

Tattoos have moved from a taboo rebellious statement of yesteryear into a mainstream phenomenon in modern society. With this transition from taboo to mainstream there has been a massive change in the way tattoos are perceived, one such change has come in the way tattoos are shown. Everybody wants to show off a new tattoo, and many shops like to keep records of previous tattoos to show off past work to potential clients. One of the best ways to do this is through tattoo photography.

Tattoo photography is separated into two broad categories: Macro Tattoo Photography and Model Tattoo Photography.

Because the way each of these types of tattoo photography is done I will cover it in two separate sections dealing with each different type, Macro and Model. In this section, we’ll cover Macro Tattoo Photography.
Macro tattoo photography is a photography type dealing strictly with an individual tattoo’s artwork rather than the over all composition that multiple tattoos create on a model. This is the most common type of tattoo photography, because it shows off a person’s individual piece, making it perfect to show off new tattoo work for both a tattoo shop and the tattooed. Shooting macro tattoo photography is fairly easy but requires a few steps to execute perfectly.

1) Face the tattoo towards the camera the way it’s meant to be shown. This is the most important step in setting up a macro tattoo shot. Many people will want to strike a pose that looks “cool” when shooting the tattoo, but since this type of tattoo photography focuses on one work in particular, if it’s viewed any other way than the way it’s meant to be than you risk distorting the image, making it unrecognizable. This is especially true of upper arm and leg tattoos.

Image by Michael Tatoo

2) Isolate the tattoo as best as possible. You want to try to remove any unnecessary distractions from the images. For example if you are trying to shoot a calf or ankle tattoo, you want to make sure that you zoom in enough to remove any dead space around the leg, but you want to leave enough space so that the tattoo’s location can still be identified. Also you want to make sure that you don’t accidentally catch the other leg in the shot, unless it has had some work done as well.

Image by St3ve

3) Light the tattoo properly. This cannot be emphasized enough throughout photography, but when your dealing with tattoos it’s an even more important concept. Human skin is naturally oily, and when shooting macro tattoo photography you are emphasizing a section of skin, meaning that if you fail to set up a proper lighting system the tattoo might appear either overly reflective or way to dull. A good light set up for a tattoo is a simply three point light system, with a key, soft, and back light.

4) Tattoos look better with higher contrast and sharpness. This is for the most part a completely factual statement. When you increase the contrast of a tattoo you help bring out the colors of the tattoo and make them define themselves as real colors, rather than tinted skin. Increasing the sharpness will make the line art of the tattoos stand out more and create a surreal look to the tattoo, while keeping the artistic appearance.

Image by Tattoo Lover.

One main thing to keep in mind when doing macro tattoo photography is that how you shoot a new, freshly inked tattoo is fairly different than how you will shoot an older tattoo. A new tattoo will maintain a wet, sometimes bloody look, while and old tattoo will blend in with the skin more. Depending on which you shoot, you may need to adjust the lighting and the amount of contrast and sharpness of the image. Also you should always make sure you clean a new tattoo well before shooting it.

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CES 2012: Fujifilm announces X Pro 1 lenses and accessories

Fujifilm has announced more details about upcoming accessories that will be available for the newly released interchangeable lens camera, the X Pro 1.
As well as a small grip to give better purchase on the body, a flashgun called the EF-X20 has been unveiled. Designed to compliment the X-series and with a guide number of 20m, the flash features automatic and manual control which is selected via a dial on the top.

Anybody with existing Leica M lenses, or with a strong urge to buy some, will be pleased as it has been revealed that an M mount will be available. This means that photographers will be able to invest in a camera body which is expected to be only a fraction of the price of the M9 while still using Leica optics, which are famed for their high quality.
For mere mortals without extremely deep pockets, several more lenses will also become available this year and in 2013. First up are a 14mm and 18-72mm f/4.0 zoom lens.

Looking ahead
In 2013, two more primes in the shape of a 28mm f/2.8 and 23mm f/2 will be joined by a 70-200mm f/4.0 Image stabilised and 12-20mm f/4.0 image stabilised lens.
All of the lenses are subject to change depending on customer feedback, so don't send your pre-orders in just yet.
The X Pro 1 is Fuji's first interchangeable lens camera since 2006 and features an APS-C sized sensor which thanks to technology drawn from the firm's analogue heritage is apparently capable of out resolving a full-frame sensor. As yet there are no prices available for the camera, lenses or accessories.

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Outdoor Photography Tutorial

Posted on 09 December 2011 by Sean Farmer
As an amateur photography I had always viewed outdoor photography as a blessing, due to the fact that I didn’t have to worry about setting up complex lighting arrangements, background selections, or any other complicated procedure involved in studio photography. Now as a professional photographer, I have started to loath outdoor photo shoots. I do not necessarily hate doing outdoor photography, but I do not prefer it to a control studio or indoor shoot. What created this disdain for me was as I grew into my own unique style of photography and I learned how I want to set up lights, models, and the like, but in an outdoor shoot you cannot fully control every variable. Granted you can carry reflectors, or bring portable lighting setups (which are not as portable as they sound), but overall you are at the mercy of natural and artificial light, not to mention seasonal changes, in the area you are shooting.

Image By ab.plan.alp photography

Because of this loathing I gained for outdoor shoots, I had to actually sit down and create a list of considerations, rules, and guidelines to broadly consider when doing an outdoor shoot. Here is the basics of the list I had complied for my own shoots.


Timing Consideration
If you’ve ever had to deal with clients, especially as a freelancer, you know or quickly learn that you do not work on your schedule, you work on the clients. This means that you have to create a windowed time frame that works for both you and the client. When considering an outdoor shoot this can be a real nuisance. Say you have a client who works 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, and they ask you to do some outdoor portraits. The only free time this client has is during the morning and afternoon, meaning either you try to finish the shoot before they go to work or before the sun sets. You need to consider the needs of the client and your own abilities. One way to work around this schedule, is to do a shoot in the morning before your client goes to work, review the shoot throughout the day, and then do a second shoot in the afternoon when they are off work.


Daylight Consideration
Just like the time consideration, you need to keep in mind the amount of daylight you have to complete an outdoor shoot. In addition to the amount you need to consider the direction and intensity of the natural light at the time of the shoot. For example if you did a shoot in the morning you will typically have a waxing light source that provides a cooler white balance and a direction source, in the evening it is just the opposite with a waning directional light source and a warmer white balance, but a mid day shoot will typically provide a nearly neutral white balance and a more omnipresent light source as well as a much higher exposure. Again determine what would work best for your particular shoot and aim for that lighting time frame. I personally find an afternoon shoot to work best when no really consideration is needed.

Example of an over exposure caused by shooting in broad daylight. Image by Craige Morsels

Location Consideration
Interesting locations are a crucial aid to an outdoor photographer, but an overly interesting location can be a bane. This is because if the location becomes more interesting than the model, you will potentially loose your subject in the background. This is particularly true for vibrant backgrounds. While you shouldn’t avoid these locations for this reason, you should take steps to prevent losing your subject. You can do this by cropping in on your subject tighter or even by allowing the background to be blurred to a degree.

Example of a way to keep the background from being to distracting. Image by Xelcise

These are the three most basic things to consider when doing outdoor photography.

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The Ins and Outs of ISO Speeds

Posted on 12 December 2011 by MatthewBamberg
In the old film days it used to be that before a shoot, you’d decide what kind of film to use: that is, choose the film’s sensitivity to light. While in those days the choices were ISO 100, 200, 400 and 800, today’s digital cameras have a wider choice in ISO settings with many cameras capable of taking images at ISO 6400 and beyond.

In terms of values, ISO speeds of 100 is considered slow. At ISO 200 the sensor is twice as sensitive, which means that the shutter can open and close faster, giving you less blur from camera shake.

When possible it’s best to shoot at the lowest ISO speed. You’ll obtain brighter, bolder colors and an image that is sharp without any noticeable noise at 100 percent resolution on the computer screen. Images are required to be noise-free and sharp at that resolution in the stock/microstock photography business.
When you use a tripod, go with the lowest ISO speed at which your camera can be set (usually ISO 100). If light conditions are poor shoot at a higher ISO.

If a surface of an object(s) is lit by sunlight, I shoot at ISO 100. On cloudy days and in shady spots, I shoot at ISO 200-400 and at the break of dawn, the last of dusk and anywhere indoors, I shoot at ISO 800.

Mandalay puppet show shot at ISO 1600.

Image by Matthew Bamberg

Setting any digital camera to a film speed greater than ISO 800 or shooting with film that’s over 400 ISO and scanning the prints or negatives/positives sometimes results in noise (referred to as pixilation in the digital world).
When I was in Mandalay, Myanmar, I went to the main attraction, the Mandalay Puppet Show. The theater is dark but there is enough light on the stage to get a decent image for the web, but not for print.

At 100 percent resolution, images shot at high ISO speeds can be soft and noisy.

Image by Matthew Bamberg

The image was shot at ISO 1600 with a Digital Rebel. At 100 percent resolution there is noise and some softness, which disqualifies the photo for any large magazine spread or for stock/microstock purposes.
Images
On the other hand, an image of a modern house I shot at 100 ISO is free of noise and remained sharp at 100 percent resolution. This is because I used a tripod.

Image at 100 percent resolution shot with a tripod.

Image by Matthew Bamberg

Another thing to keep in mind regarding ISO speed is the size of the camera’s sensor. The small sensors of most point-and-shoot cameras are more susceptible to noise at high ISO speeds because the pixels are smaller and can’t receive as much light as those that are bigger, like in the mirroless cameras and the dSLRs.

Finally, you can consider the make of the camera. For example, even though the Canon 5D Mark II has a 21 MP sensor, the images it takes at high ISO speeds are inferior to those taken with the 12 MP Nikon D 700 I’ve found that images taken above ISO 800 For the most part, Nikon has more advanced sensor sensitivity technology than Canon has.
Cameras are constantly being upgraded to shoot at high ISO speeds, but no matter how good they get, they’ll never beat the sharpness and clarity of a photo that is shot with a tripod.

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Photographing the Law–Your Rights

Posted on 16 December 2011 by MatthewBamberg
On my usual surfing jaunts on the Internet, I was looking at dpreview site and an article caught my eye. The site announced that the American Civil Liberties Union published a set of rights in which photographers are entitled.
I hadn’t been aware that photographers are free to photograph the police. I have a folder with some police shots that I’m working on as part of my photojournalism collection. The folder is filled with compelling shots.
A few years ago, I lifted my camera to photograph a policeman and he put his hand up and told me that I couldn’t. According to the newly published photographers’ rights, he was wrong.

Image by Matthew Bamberg

Of course, this is debatable. If a person—any person—doesn’t want his photo taken, proper photo etiquette is to abide by their command. One thing is for sure, if you go ahead and take a picture when a person doesn’t want to, you risk infuriating your subject, causing him/her to react violently. That is never a pleasant scene.

Image by Matthew Bamberg

An officer isn’t likely to get violent with you. There’s not much he can do. If he detains you, he’s working outside the law. He/she can only do that if they suspect you of a crime, and it is not a crime to photograph publically.
Here’s what the ACLU has to say about photographing police: “When in public spaces where you are lawfully present you have the right to photograph anything that is in plain view.” The guidelines state that this includes images of police and that such photography offers an oversight of the government.
While the police might demand to see the photos and/or that you dump them, they are also acting outside the law. Without a warrant they are not permitted to do that.
There is an aesthetic end to photographing police. Their uniforms are a great color—usually navy blue, and they all wear the same ones, making the shot a great example of repetition if you catch a few of them in one place.
In addition, police often ride bikes and even patrol on horseback in some places (like New York City), photo ops that photographers of all levels don’t want to miss.

Image by Matthew Bamberg

When you photograph a moving policeman or policewoman, make your shutter open and close as fast as it can. To do this, shoot at a high ISO speed (about 800) with you camera set to a wide aperture (about f/4) in Aperture Priority mode.
Finally, every photographer has his/her own limits. Some get a thrill out of taking chances. Others are more conservative, opting to do nothing that may get them into trouble.
Whatever you do, it’s best to not get in the way if someone is getting arrested or being restrained. Let common sense guide you.

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CES 2012: Take a close look at Samsung's high-end compacts

Samsung's WB850F and WB150F are compact cameras with longer than average zoom ranges making them an ideal choice for use when traveling on holiday.
The more advanced WB850F features a 21x zoom lens and GPS technology, while the WB150F has an 18x zoom and is a little smaller and lighter.
Both cameras are wifi enabled and can be controlled and triggered using the Remote Viewfinder app available for Android smart phones like Samsung's Galaxy SII.

WB150F

Like the WB850F, the WB150F has a Schneider Kreuznach lens, but its an 18x zoom rather than a 21x zoom.

Both cameras have a 3in AMOLED screen that provides a nice clear view of the scene.

A mode dial allows the user to select the shooting mode.

WB850F

The metal body of the Samsung WB850F has a high quality feel and the camera is heavier than the WB150F.

A small pop-up flash is useful for low light and fill-in.

As on the WB150F, a mode dial allows the user to select the shooting mode and a control around the shutter release is used to zoom the lens in and out.

The controls on the rear of the camera feel well made and responsive.

When the dial is rotated to ASM, the navigation controls are used to select the desired advanced shooting mode.

There's a collection of creative shooting options.

The WiFi connectivity allows images to be shared in variety of ways including via social media sites and email. Images can also be viewed on compatible TV's and smartphones.

The menu provides all the usual settings options.
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Nikon’s Mirrorless Dynamic Duo

Posted on 21 December 2011 by MatthewBamberg
Finally! Nikon, the first company of the Nikon-Canon dynamic duo to came out with its own version of mirrorless cameras. Two models–the J1 and V1 are small and powerful.
Nikon’s ploy of coming out with two new mirrorless cameras (called the 1 series) to compete against those put out by Panasonic, Olympus, Sony and Samsung puts it at the helm of abiding by Apple’s old slogan: “Think Different.”

The two cameras are different than the others—they have much smaller sensors, a kind-of-inbetween size that has many people puzzled as to why they would do that.
Nikon supposedly markets this camera not to professionals, but to “those who like to take pictures.”
The Nikon pair both have a sensor size of 13.2X8.8 mm, while the other mirrorless cameras are larger (Sony NEX which is 24X16 mm).
Four lenses are on tap for those who opt to shoot both landscapes and portraits: 10 mm f/2.8 (27mm equivalent), 10-30mm (27-81mm 35mm equivalent) f/3.5-5.6, 30-110mm (27-81mm 35mm equivalent) f/3.8-f/5, and 10-100mm(27-270mm equivalent) f/4.5-5.5 “power zoom” lens.

The cameras are also inferior to their big brothers (Panasonic, Olympus, Sony and Samsung) in that their resolution is much smaller 10 MP compared to, say, 24 MP for Sony’s new NEX 7.
No all the professional characteristics are lost, though—both models shoot in Raw format. Both cameras also have a pop-up flash and three-inch LCD display, which has a higher resolution than the other mirrorless cameras.
Just as intriguing in their comparison with other mirrorless models, is the comparison between the J1 and V1.
The V1 is bigger and a little better than the J1. The V1 has an electronic viewfinder and the J1 does not, the V1 has an external flash port for a small flash unit and the J1 has an external flash.
At $900 for the V1 and $650 for the J1, The cameras are not cheap, though cheaper than Sony’s Nex 7 ($1,350)

New options such as the Smart Photo Selector, which takes a series of 20 photos, choosing the 5 best, having you pick the best one; EXSPEED, what Nikon says is the fastest shooting speed in the world—60 frames per second; and you can record a full resolution still shot while the video recording keeps going.
Did someone say video? Yes, the cameras also have video. Both can shoot 20 minutes of 1080p video.
Nikon may be on to something here, but then again it might not.

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