rkphotog

Sometimes even the best make mistakes. What is important though is that we learn from them.

The other weekend, I was at a friends wedding and taking photos for fun. What was not fun was editing those photos; they were mostly blurry or not sharp. *note, i'm very picky about what is a good photo** What is usually my normal ratio of 1 in 5 (1 in 5 are good, use-able photos to share/upload) was over 1 in 25. It was like when I started photography 7 years ago. I of course took some really good photos, but the ratio bothered me and I checked online what I did wrong and found out that I forgot 3 important rules for sharpness:

1. Having a fast shutter speed, specifically longer than your lens length
- I was using a 90mm and only using 1/60 shutter speed. In normal situations 1/60 is an acceptable speed to freeze motion, and (b/c I wasn't 'seriously' taking photos that night) didn't bring my flash for dark, indoor photography
+ it would have been better to use atleast 1/90 or faster to increase sharpness

2. Do Not shoot wide open. //This has always been hard for me to explain but:// basically your f-stop.. don't use really small numbers like 1.4, 1.8, 2.#
- I was using f1.8.. once again, no flash, so to avoid underexposure, used that. Problem with that is that f1.8 leaves an extremely small margin for error.. the best photos always have pinpoint sharpness/focus on the eyes of the subject (unless doing something artsy)
+ there is an apparent 'sweet spot' of sharpness on each lens
+ I would recommend around f5.6+
note: shooting at f1.4, 1.8 etc can result in desirable blurring of the background, just if your other setting aren't correct, more than just your background will be blurred/not sharp

3. Use low ISO
- with low(ish) shutter speed and shooting wide open, I had to have rather high (1600) ISO
- I've read on some sites that adding grain to the BACKGROUND can increase sharpness.. but I don't imagine grain on your subject contributes to that
- I've never liked the way photos looked at high iso anyways, altho I've found, the newer/better the camera (I've gone from D200 to D300s to D750), the better higher iso pictures look
+ (obviously) it would be better to have a maximum iso at 400.. preferably as low as possible

Honestly, in the future, if I intend on using my camera indoors, I'll be using a flash, which can resolve all three. It'll provide the brightness to allow a quick shutter speed (1/200, 1/250), a low iso (200-400). I would still use a high f stop number, unless I was doing model photography/no movement.

~~Get.a.battery.tester.~~
Why?
Every time I do a photoshoot, I end up *trying* to use my sb700 annnnd it runs out of batteries after the 3rd shot. Defective unit? No. Defective battery. But how can you tell when it uses 4 AA batteries? Trial and error is just a sad way to go about doing it. Just spend a bit of money and save alot of hassle. I find testers aren't very elegant-looking, like they came out of the 60's.. but they do the job. A flash makes a big difference in your photos and is my preference to larger strobes (altho I would like to get a softbox).

~~Women, arch your back!~~
There is a big difference in the look and quality of photos when you do so/don't. If you don't, you may look like you're slouching or uncomfortable (hey maybe you were, and I'm sorry). But I know i'm going to constantly remind my models (both male and female) in the future to arch their back and ill be more cognizant of whether they're doing that as well. Also when photos are taken of myself, ill ensure I do the same.

~~Point your toes!~~
Just like arching your back, usually pointing one's toes makes for a more flattering photo. I'd say this advice is mostly for photos of women..not men. Let me do a few more photoshoots and I'll let you know.

~~Some women look better smiling, some don't, but in general they look better when smiling~~
Lets get straight to the point, some people look horrible when they smile with just the lips, not showing any teeth. Sometimes a person needs frank honesty from someone to tell them what looks better for them; but in most cases a person looks better when they smile with teeth. This is more for candid/casual photography, rather than actual model photography where a more passive look.

~~Get rid of distractions in the background~~
Whether its casual or serious photography being done, distractions can affect the way a photo ends up. There are countless examples out there of people photobombing another person's photo and what normally would be a rather good photo, would end up ruined. When doing photoshoots, try to remove bright or oddly shaped things in the background; in my recent shoot, I had an orange washcloth on the counter and a red container cover on my drainboard. Everything was muted in colors (models and background) except those two

~~Realize if your windows have double glass or not; double glass = double reflections = bad bad~~
Double glass can be identified as very thick glass and while desirable to block out sound from outside, it plays havoc with photos and reflections. It'll give a double vision look that ISN"T pleasing to the eye. It'll actually make you feel dizzy.

~~costume changes are a must~~
Different colors, different styles, makes for much better photos. Bring those unique pieces, or ones you want to just try and see whether it works. Its always better to have extra outfits than not enough; while it may look good in your eyes, it may not be good for photos.. or actually not be very flattering for you.

~~Hair styling makes a difference~~
Many photos, especially in headshots or closeups, benefit from the subtle effect of good hair styling.

~~Get a picture of their shoes~~
In our first photoshoot, my partner kept telling me to make sure I include the model's shoes/feet in the shot. It creates a complete photo, gives curves and adds that "oomph" to the shot. Now whenever I do photoshoots, I can hear her in the back of my mind reminding me to include it.

~~Typically i like to use a zoom lens; very infrequently wide angle altho it makes for a good shot~~
It all depends on what you're comfortable in doing or using, but figure out what kind of lens you like to use. Frequent changes in lens is rather annoying, for you and the model. I normally start with my prime 50mm, end up trying to use my wide angle lens, but settle on the flexibility of my kit lens 18-105mm VR. Why? Because it allows me to zoom in and out, decreasing the amount of moving back and forth which is especially good in tight quarters. The VR helps with shake AND the decrease in stops is always helpful. When it comes to showing off a model's background/landscape, a wide angle gets it best. When light is hard to comeby, stick with a prime/fast 50mm; it'll also be able to product great bokeh. Just be careful when working with f1.8 or smaller #s, make sure your focus is right on the eyes, otherwise the shot will be ruined with the focus being on the nose instead.

~~Make sure all your equipment is setup correctly~~
Setting up strobes, wires, lenses, etc takes an incredibly long time; when you have your model, you should be taking photos and know exactly what type of shots you want to get. I struggle with imagining what I want my model to do; confidence in the shot is key and will result in better photos. In my last shoot, I set up both strobes correctly but throughout the week I disconnected one of them and forgot that I did that; when I was taking photos, I forgot that I had disconnected one of them and squandered a good few minutes trying to get it back on. It makes you look a bit silly, if not amateurish.

~~If you get the black lines on the top or sides of your shots, lower your shutter speed by a stop~~
I was taking photos with my external flash and was getting a weird black line on a side (typically left/top) of my photos. I don't know the reasoning (ill research it), but I was able to fix it by lowering my shutter speed from 1/250th to 1/200th.

~~Communication is very important; make them more comfortable, direct them, make them more confident~~
Be authentic in your compliments and keep them coming. Find something special about them and be specific.

~~Good to discuss what you're going to do with the photos after~~
When it comes to non-professional shoots, its still important for the model to know what you're going to do with the photos; whether you want to use them in a portfolio, put them on a photography website or share on social networking sites. Some people are uncomfortable with that and you may feel cheated (although you can only blame yourself) if you cannot use the photos the way you wanted.

Blogging is just like photography; you always want to be ready to take it, otherwise you'll miss the opportunity.

Countless times I passed by my neighbor's property and saw a tree that reminded me of the Japanese cherry blossoms and thought in my head 'oh that would make a pretty picture.' I would then procrastinate b/c 'it would still be there later.'

WRONG. Photography and blogging are the same in that, the opportunity will be there for only a brief window and eventually it'll be gone. Those blossoms were only available for another week and one day, the day i intended on taking photos, they turned an ugly brown from a snowflake white.

While you may write it differently than other bloggers, if you wait, most of your interested traffic will be gone if you wait too long to articulate your thoughts. Just like how today is the Diablo 3 launch day; its best to talk about your launch day experiences, the day of, not one week from now.

I'd always recommend to be ready for either (writing/photography) opportunity. Carry your camera with you everywhere.. something I still don't do. Bring a notepad with you everywhere.. or type the thought into your phone.. or have a pc notepad window open and (if you're allowed to, of course) write your thoughts out and forward them home.

"Ya only when someone starts a viral vid but why does everyone have to wait to show they care or even know about it..why not start awareness yourself and not wait to jump on the band wagon...better uses can be to show rapists and child molesters in your areas..not to fix other countries problems that don't do shit to fix it


Its other countries problems. You can care to a point but when did that country care about what happened to you or the family down the road...care for yourself,family and community before you try any harder for people in other countries that wouldn't give a shit about u in the first place


I only originally said I hate people that jump on the band wagon to make it look like they care but they really don't...if u do be original, don't use a social website to show u care..go protest, write a letter to your local MP. But don't think "like" is doing anything that will really stop it...go kill the dude if u wanna make a diff or arrest him yourself"


Wow.. just wow.
So... because its happening somewhere else.. you should just ignore it. What happens if you were in the same situation? How would you feel if that was their attitude.

I love "go kill the dude if you wanna make a diff"... that.. was... touching..
More like touched in the head.


Caring only about what affects yourself and not caring about the plight of others shows the type of person that you are.

If you have 3 minutes, you can read this. If you learn even one thing, then it was already worth it.

--my Life Lesson book from Hal Urban's: Life Greatest Lessons--

Success is more than Making Money

Normally, success = money
Money is not bad; the love of money is the root of all evi
l- key: how we earn it & what we do with it-
nothing illegal or immoral about being rich
- but: it isn't everything

When we lose perspective on money: Life gets distorted
-"executive avarice" , "greedy go-for broke ethos"

68% of senior executives said they have neglected their families to pursue professional goals.

"Let each become all that he was created capable of being." ~Thomas Carlyle

Accept life as it is, with its difficulties & challenges
- adapt rather than complainMaintain a positive attitude towards life
- find the good and experience opportunitiesBuild good relationships
- be sensitive to other's feelings, be considerate and respectful

Successful people have a sense of direction and purpose
- set goals and accomplish them

Have a strong desire to learn
- joy of learning, not out of dutyHave high standards in personal conduct
- honesty and truthfulness

Do not exist, Live!
- enjoy life to it's fullest"

To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life."  ~Robert L. Stevenson