What's the Trick to getting Good Shots?

[Stan the Man]

There is an old photo-journalistic saying from the days of the Graflex cameras.

"f8 & be there".

The idea was to set the aperture at f8, and place yourself at the right place, and wait for the right time. f8 would provide enough depth of field to allow for being slightly off on the focus. Photojournalism is typically for newspapers and weekly magazines (not National Geographic, Pop Photo, etc.).

Good photojournalism is attained by being at the right place, at the right time, and getting a photo or set of photos that can enhance the story being printed.

If that is what you want to do, keep practicing.

If that is not waht you want to do, work on a different type of photography.

Cool. I kind of want to do it, but I also want to be artistic. I feel there's a time and place for both.

What kind of photos are in National Geographic? I feel like those pictures are solid.

 

[Photog]

Some National Geographic (NG) photos are photojournalistic, in support of the story. Many are quickly made artistic shots. And a few are well planned, posed or coordinated photographs.

Most of the time, NG wants to show its readers that the world is a hard place to live. Showing the underdeveloped or less peacful parts of the planet. Sometimes showing the plight of people.

They usually throw in something on the natural planet, something rarely seen or something we (humans) are destroying.

I have seen a few great articles on the history of people such as Genghis Khan, and others.

Sometimes I can't tell if NG is trying to bring problems to light, of if they are just trying to make the readers feel guilty for the world's problems.

Regardless of NG's intentions, it is a big feather in the cap for photographers that get photos published in NG.

 

[Stan the Man]

Its been several months since I've posted. Here's a shot I took the other day. I think I am getting better at this. Do you?

 

[john101477]

It is ok. It really depends on what your going for. If you nitice the harsh shadow to the right side of her face that is one thing that you want to avoid. Portraits are a different animal than landscapes. A good reflector would be one way to soften this shadow with out removing it and making it seem like it was done on a crappy green screen. I almost would have had her turn away from the sun a little more and use a reflector to fill in the shadow even more. The DOF works but it really depend on your goal.

Practic with a goal and figure how to reach that goal. Learning your cameras capabilities is one thing, learning how to handle exposure, composition, and light is a must. Also your focus points are important. Example, set your focus to the right third of the camera and focus on that eye with out leaving to much dead space to the left and visa versa.

 

[Stan the Man]

It is ok. It really depends on what your going for. If you nitice the harsh shadow to the right side of her face that is one thing that you want to avoid. Portraits are a different animal than landscapes. A good reflector would be one way to soften this shadow with out removing it and making it seem like it was done on a crappy green screen. I almost would have had her turn away from the sun a little more and use a reflector to fill in the shadow even more. The DOF works but it really depend on your goal.

Practic with a goal and figure how to reach that goal. Learning your cameras capabilities is one thing, learning how to handle exposure, composition, and light is a must. Also your focus points are important. Example, set your focus to the right third of the camera and focus on that eye with out leaving to much dead space to the left and visa versa.

Thanks John. I was working with my girlfriend for the first time. Trying out the model thing. I used my 50 f/1.4 for this shoot.

I posted on POTN and got a lot of useful information about lighting and exposure.

I focused on her eye (left eye IIRC) and used f/2.8. I'm going to stop down a tad more next time to get more of her face in focus.

Other things they told me:
-Move to the shade
-Fill flash

Like I said, this was my first time working with someone directly (usually just candid shots). I'll get some more, take the advice and report back :ylsmoke:

 

[Photog]

POTN suggested moving to the shade. This can give you more control of the light across the model's face. You will usually need a reflector or a fill flash to add a little light back into the eyes.

Study portrait lighting, lighting ratios, hair/skip lights, etc. Then, when you are outside, look for those areas that will provide most of the necessary light sources, and add in the missing ones (reflectors or strobes).

You have a nice looking model (girlfriend). Good skin texture, nice smile and beautiful brown eyes. The eyes are a critical part of a portrait. Make sure they are sharp and have enough light to see the color.

Fix her necklace next time. Move the clasp to the back of her neck.

Post your next run at it.

 

[05LR3AZ]

Love this one!

Me too!