Digital Photography Guide

DPS has a lot of readers who aspire to make money from their photography so I thought it’d be interesting to run a poll to see how many of us have done it and how.

You may vote in more than one category - choose as many as apply to you.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Due to limitations of space - I’ve only included a few options below to classify the ‘yes’ answers - but if you’d like to fill us in on how you’ve made money from your photography (if you have) please do so in comments below.

Discuss making money with your photography in the Earning with Photography section of our forum.

Weekly Assignment

Baby it’s Cold outside… well, for some of our forum members it is at least. And in case you couldn’t tell, we finished the Cold assignment this week too. Let’s put it this way, there was no second guessing that our winners were indeed cold! Our winner this week was canadajan for her picture of some very, very cold looking hands! Our first runner up was peterk’s shot of the man standing outside the car in the middle of a snow storm. That had to be cold! And last, but not least, was visper’s Frozen Tomb shot, which was kind of nuts, but totally creative!

This week’s assignment is the Rule of Thirds. The rule of thirds is a basic compositional trick that suggests putting your subject on one of the lines dividing the photo into thirds. As always, there are a few rules to follow to be included in the mini-contest to have your photo featured here on the blog. First, your image must have been taken between 4 - 18 February 2009. Second, your post must include the words “Assignment: Rule of Thirds” somewhere in the post. And last, the EXIF should be intact, and you should post the date the photo was taken as well as the basic EXIF in your post. Next week’s assignment is another compositional rule, Balance. So read up on it, and good luck!

Hot Threads

• Would you leave your camera in the car?: It’s often said that the best thing you can do is to bring your camera with you everywhere so that if the opportunity to take a photo comes up, you’re not left wishing you had your camera. But what if you either can’t, or don’t really want to take your camera everywhere. Do you leave it in the car? Or do you just not bring it with you at all? Come join the discussion in the forum.
• Nikon to release 35mm f/1.8G Lens: Owners of the D40, D40x, and D60 will be happy to hear the news that Nikon is releasing a new prime lens that will auto focus on these cameras. Unlike their recent 50mm f/1.4G the 35mm f/1.8 is expected to be priced under $200. So now there’s another budget prime lens out there for Nikon users.
• In five words… what makes a good photo?: It will take more than five words to explain this thread, but if you think about it, how would you describe what makes a good photo in only 5 words? My 5 words? Breathtaking and catches my eye. Come share your 5 words in the thread.
• No cameras allowed: Even though many of us like to take a camera everywhere, sometimes there are just places and events where you can’t. Sometimes this means that you just don’t take pictures. But one forum member wants to know where you’ve gone to take pictures where you shouldn’t have or if you just take your camera anyway.
• What Would You Do: This is our weekly post-processing challenge thread where you get the chance to edit the photo of another forum member who has kindly allowed us to use their photo. It doesn’t matter if post-processing is a new or old skill for you, everyone is welcome to show us what they would do!

Ok guys, I know what you’re thinking.

1. “What’s the point?”
2. “Conversions can happen after the fact in post.”
3. “Shooting in color gives you more options after the fact.”

While all these arguments have validity in their own right, there are a few reasons you may just want to consider shooting your black and whites in camera. So here’s the scoop:

Once upon a time there was a girl named Natalie.  She shot everything in color until one day her friend Mike Colon suggested she try shooting her black and whites in camera.  Doubtfully, Natalie obeyed, and this is what she discovered:

1. In camera black and whites force creativity.WOW!  It’s like a creative infusion from the Heavens.  When you’re shooting in camera black and whites you’re making a creative decision as you depress the shutter.  It’s empowering AND it forces you to really focus and think things through to the end as you shoot rather than mentally using Photoshop as a crutch for sloppy photography. It makes you WORK HARDER, and I find that when you work harder on one aspect of your photography, all aspects tend to benefit.
2. They just look better!Black and whites shot in camera are more organic and less “muddy,” thus requiring less work in post processing.  When I shoot my black and whites in camera I find that basically all I need after the fact is a slight contrast boost and perhaps a sepia overlay at a low opacity (see my post on custom black and whites) if I’m going for something with a more antiqued look. I’ll be honest with you, I can get the same affect with color images converted to black and white in Photoshop, but it takes a heck of a lot more tweaking to get the desired result.  Since I’m all over simplicity, in camera conversions have turned out to be my cup of tea.



3. It’s fun!As I’m shooting my black and whites in camera and I check that LCD, it’s refreshing and fun to see those black and white images staring back at me!  Woot woot!

Now do the reasons just listed in favor of in camera conversions trump those presented at the top of the post in opposition?  Meh. It’s preferencial really. But it’s definitely something to think about.

Happy Shooting!

Note from Darren: Of course in photography for every person’s approach there’s another one. I prefer to convert to Black and White later - I talk about why here. What approach do you take?

Tags: Black and White

Weekly Assignment

We finished the High ISO assignment this week, and there were a lot of really creative entries. We were able to pick out 3 of our favourite shots, but it was a challenge (as always!). That being said, our winner this week was duna’s sparklers. The use of the high ISO let her get the shutter speed up high enough to catch the little sparks and their detail. Our first runner up was lyskabar’s “Ingrained Farmer.” While the title creates a lovely play on words, the grain really helps bring out the detail and creates a timeless quality to the photo. And last, but not least was ana.gr’s Julia, 1600. In this case, the grain really helped add to the soft look of the photo and helped create a really lovely portrait. Well done to our winner and runners up! And also nicely done everyone else, it’s all the quality shots that we get submitted that make our task of picking just 3 pictures a difficult one!

Negative Space can have a powerful effect on a photograph. It can help draw the eye to the subject, create feelings of isolation, and just change the entire feel of a shot. That’s why this week’s assignment is Negative Space. In order to be eligible for the mini-contest, your photo needs to have been taken between 21 January - 4 February 2009, you must include the words “Assignment: Negative Space” and the date the photo was taken in your post, and the EXIF should be intact. Next week’s assignment will be “Cold”.

Hot Threads

• You have a great camera…: Have you ever been told this? Does it make you feel like people think that it’s your camera that goes out and takes good pictures rather than you, the photographer? Well, unless you have stitchbug’s camera (which apparently goes for walks on it’s own), you may feel frustrated hearing this. So what do you say when people tell you this?
• Making dull things interesting: A discussion came up in the critique forum which made one forum user ask the question: Can any subject be made interesting and dramatic in a photo? And the result of the question was a challenge to anyone out there to make the list of items in the thread look interesting. Stop by and participate in a thread which is sure to get you thinking more creatively and will help you realise that anything can be made intersting.
• 18 Minute Pinhole at Night: You read that right, one of our forum members (RussHeath) took an 18 minute exposure with a pinhole camera. The aperture for the shot was approximately f/150, and the camera was loaded with Fuji Superia 100 film. The result is definitely something to be seen!
• Do you under or over expose when shooting RAW?: While the ideal choice is to always get your exposure spot on, when you’re forced to choose between under and overexposing, which do you pick? Do you pick underexposure because it’s easier to rescule the shadows or do you come as close to overexposing as possible without clipping your highlights?
• What Would You Do (#84): What Would You Do is our weekly post-processing thread that let’s you edit the photo of another forum member who has graciously offered up their photo for people to edit. Whether you have Photoshop or Paint, The Gimp or Picasa, the game is open to all levels of post-processing skill, so come join in the fun. You’ll be amazed what you can learn!

Tags: Forum, From the Forums

Today we have a post on Wedding Photography - from a slightly different ‘angle’ than the normal Wedding Photography tips post - it’s from that of the Celebrant/Officiant/Minister. It is by one of our forum members Richard Bott (see his Flickr Account here) who is both a photographer and Minister. As someone who has also been a wedding photographer and a celebrant/minister I’ve added a few of my own tips at the bottom of this post.

I’m one of those fortunate people who have been on both sides of the camera when it comes to weddings - as an amateur photographer, as an amateur groom, and as a professional officiant (in my case, clergy).

Putting on my clergy hat (yeah, sometimes the hats look more than a bit strange), I’d like to make some suggestions about how one’s shooting of the wedding can be a whole lot smoother.

First… I realize that you may not have much time… but it’s a really good idea to talk with the officiant before the wedding. Realize that - in churches, at least - the officiant has the final say about what can and cannot happen in the service. Introduce yourself. Find out what their rules are for photography and/or videography. If you can make this phone call or get this visit in before the wedding or the rehearsal, even better. This gives you the chance to explore the space, the lighting… and what photos the officiant will allow. It also gives you the opportunity to explore the possibility of… well… getting the officiant to expand what they will allow.

The rules can be really restrictive. In some situations, you may not be allowed to shoot at all during the service. You may be restricted to using “natural” light only. (”Natural” is in quotes because many worship spaces have a wild number of different bulbs in their fixtures, stained glass, frosted glass, dirty glass, clear glass and candles, all shining right where the bride is going to be standing.) With other officiants, you may be able to use a strobe.

With some, you can shoot at any time - others, not during prayers.

With some, you’re welcome to move as necessary to get the shot - with others, you’re welcome to take what you want, but you need to remain stationary.

A couple of suggestions…

• When you’re meeting with the wedding couple, ask them if they have had an indication of the rules around photography for the service. Whatever they tell you, check with the officiant… it’s a real pain as a photographer to have a list of photos from the couple like, oh, the Exchange of Rings, the Kiss, and the Blessing, only to find out on the day that you aren’t allowed to shoot during the service!
• Remember that, from the officiant’s perspective, the primary purpose of the marriage ceremony/service is for the bride and the groom to share their marriage vows. Everything else (including… and I know this is heresy for us photography types… the pictures) is secondary to that purpose.
• Remember that, from the officiant’s perspective, they and the witnesses need to be able to see and hear the bride and groom as they are speaking. Getting between the officiant and the couple, or the witnesses and the couple may get you a reprimand… or escorted off the premises.
• Remember that sounds… especially that of the mirror going up, the artificial or real shutter sound, various and sundry beeps and/or the motorized movement of film… are greatly magnified by the silent times in religious marriage services - like during prayers. In large spaces, or with couples whose voices do not carry, those same sounds can actually interfere with the congregation hearing the vows.
• Remember that those aisles are pretty narrow. You may not be allowed to set up your tripod. Or your monopod. Or your Gorillia-pod.

As a minister who has officiated at way too many weddings, I’ve got a stack of business cards from photographers. The ones who are willing to work within the bounds that have been set are the ones whose names I’ll pass on to other couples. They’re also the ones that I’m willing to see if I can give some lee-way to, the next time we work together. Sometimes, we’ve even been able to re-work parts of the service to give them a chance at an unobtrusive shot… or a chunk of time to “repeat” parts of the service for photos, afterwards.

I’ve also got a few cards of photographers who I will not allow into the worship space - because they’ve been unwilling to work within the boundaries that have been set to make sure that the couple’s wedding is uninterrupted. They’re the ones I have little difficulty suggesting that colleagues look out for, and stay away from.

A few Comments from Darren

Like Richard I’ve also been in the position of both wedding photographer, minister and groom. It is funny how different a perspective each of these roles have on the photographers job at a wedding.

As a minister I’ve not really had too many horror story with photographers - but have found that the day goes a lot smoother if there is as much communication as possible between all parties. As a minister I was more than willing to take a call from a photographer before an event and even to show them the church in advance of the wedding. I also had a few photographers show up to rehearsals to get the lay of the land and see how the service progressed.

I would also echo Richard’s advice that different churches and ministers have quite different ‘rules’ when it comes to photographers. Some are very strict while many are open to being creative and flexible if given enough warning and approached with respect and in a non pushy way.

I personally would ask photographers to feel free to move around the church as they needed but to remain off the front area and out of the main spotlight - particularly during key moments in the service. I would also put aside time during the signing of documents especially for the official photographer to get their shot and ask other photographers to stay in their seats until the official photographer had had a chance to get their shot.

The last thing I’d say is that many ministers will be able to help you get some great shots because they are the ones that know their church the best. Before the ceremony or in days ahead ask them where other photographers have taken shots or where they usually set up. This is particularly helpful for newer wedding photographers who are not sure at what angle to shoot from. Photographers who have gone before you might help you get some great shots.

I guess the main thing is to communicate, be respectful, allow the minister to do their job without getting in their way and ADD to the experience of the couple on the day. Do all this and I think everyone will have a good experience of your work.

Looking for More Wedding Photography Tips and Help?

You might enjoy some of our previous Wedding Photography Tutorials and Tips.

Tags: Wedding Photography, Weddings