Embracing the Blur

Posted on January 29, 2013 by backyardsisters

Blurry pictures are not generally a goal in photography. But there are times that blur in a photo is used as a means of conveying motion. There are a couple of different ways to accomplish this. Calling upon my most faithful backyard model for this motion photo shoot, we dusted off the old cruiser bike and headed out. The first way to convey motion with blur is to put the camera on a tripod, compose the scene, set your exposure settings using a slow shutter speed (anything from 1/30 and lower will work) and have something or someone move through your scene.

The shutter speed I used for this was 1/25. I tried a slower one of 1/8 and it was so slow the subject was unrecognizable.

At the playground, a tether ball beckoned.

So, we set up and had some fun here.

For old time’s sake. . .

Another method of conveying motion is panning. This involves following a subject with your camera creating a blurred background and focused subject.

To achieve this effect, use the tracking mode in auto-focus (or as an alternative you can preset your focus to the spot you will be capturing your image), a slower shutter speed (once again anything from 1/30 down), holding the camera very steady follow your subject in the viewfinder and moving the camera in the same direction as your subject, shoot away. A fluid movement is key to this effect. If there is any jerkiness your subject will also end up out of focus. A mono-pod or tripod can be used but sometimes this is more troublesome, the choice is yours. This works best for subjects moving in a predictable motion that remain at a constant distance from you; subjects moving in a line parallel from you. Cars, bikers, joggers and pets (anything moving really) are all fun subjects for the panning technique. It can be tricky and may require some practice but is a fun tool to add to your photographic toolbox.

So go on and get out there and embrace the blur!

~ Susan

Précis:
Blur can be used in photos to convey motion and this can be achieved by using a slower shutter speed and keeping your camera still on a tripod while an object or something moves through your scene creating a blurry subject and focused background or by using a slower shutter speed and moving your camera with your subject creating a blurry background and sharp subject.

Practice:
Think of things in motion you everyday and how you can convey that motion in a photo.
Using a tripod, set up and capture the blur of something moving while the rest of a scene stays in focus.
Pan your camera with a moving subject. This may involve taking many photos to get one but it’s worth it.

Play:
Call upon your most faithful model and set up a scene with them in motion. Could be jogging, skateboarding, bike riding, scootering or even simply walking with gusto and try using both motion capturing techniques on them. Play around using different shutter speeds also.

It’s a Wild Life

Posted on January 22, 2013 by backyardsisters

I am a paparazzo. Positioning myself in the optimum position to capture the subject while trying to remain hidden so as not to spook it. There have been rumors of sightings. I have actually seen them here before, in this exact location, but this time they are proving to be elusive. I lay on the ground as flat as possible behind a large bush, checking the camera settings; at the ready, finger on the shutter. . . there he is! Snap!
It’s a goldfinch! Joining another one for breakfast.

Not unlike celebrities going about their daily lives, birds are difficult subjects – camera shy, flighty, never staying too long in the same spot – downright evasive.

Sometimes you get lucky and are able to catch them at rest.

Giving you more time for focusing and composing the shot.

More often than not though, you will be trying to capture a moving object . . .

When trying to get that shot, and focus on the avian subject, you have choices. You can use auto-focus or manual focus. When choosing, auto-focus there are options within that choice – the options I describe pertain to Canon cameras, so if you have another type you will have to refer to your user’s manual for the exact terms for your camera. The auto-focus options are: One Shot mode – which is used for still subjects, AI Servo – for moving subjects ( if the subject is moving and the focusing distance keeps changing the camera tracks the subject) or AI Focus – for switching between the two ( if the subject is still and then moves it will switch to the AI Servo mode from the one shot mode). The auto-focus mode can be nice for capturing active subjects out in the open.Take your camera to a location where you know those celebrities congregate out in the open; perhaps near your local watering hole.

Start in either the AI Servo or AI Focus modes and shoot away.

Often, our feathered friends choose to hang out in trees or on bushes with a lot of branches. This can create a problem with auto-focus because if the bird takes flight the camera will sometimes try to focus on the branches. The other option is manual focus discussed last week. If having trouble in auto-focus mode switch to manual focus and see which setting works best for you in your situation.

Sometimes those avians can be very accommodating. . . “I’m ready for my close-up!”

Keeping both eyes focused in the trees.

~ Susan

Précis:
When using auto-focus there are options as to how the camera handles the focusing of a subject. If your subject is still use One Shot mode, if your subject is moving use AI Servo mode and if your subject will be still at times and then move choose AI Focus mode.

Practice:
Use auto-focus in each of the three different settings and conditions this week and see how your camera responds. Birds make excellent action subjects but choose whatever you like.

Play:
Become a bird paparazzo capturing your subjects by being as unobtrusive as possible so you can catch them acting naturally, or catch them before they fly away!

Take Back the Control, and Focus

Posted on January 15, 2013 by backyardsisters

Cameras are great! They are tools for capturing our lives and expressing ourselves, but there are times when they just don’t get it right. Using the auto features on a camera will often work and produce the desired vision but … it’s those times when they don’t that can be exasperating. There are certain situations, when using auto-focus, the lens will have trouble bringing into focus what you want in focus. Low light, low contrast, trying to take a picture of something behind another object and active subjects are all situations that can bring on the frustrating state of the lens searching for focus but never achieving focus lock. There is a solution! Slide the button on the lens over to MF (manual focus). Follow me as I tackle some of these situations on my photographic journey . . .

We have had some clear nights here in Los Angeles lately and the city lights have been shining and twinkling brightly. Wanting to capture the lights of downtown with the outlying suburbs, I drive to my favorite city light vantage point, set up with a tripod and find that in the low light of night, manually focusing the lens is the best way to achieve focus.

It makes me feel as if I am in an airplane looking out at the lights below.

On a recent bike ride, I spot five great blue herons in a field behind a chain link fence. This is a rare occurrence in my experience on this bike path, the most I have seen before is three. Wanting to capture all five in one shot but not being able to get around the fence, I put the lens in manual focus and use the focusing ring to focus through the fencing. Maybe not the ultimate shot but I was able to capture it nonetheless.

Can you see them? Then, I kept manually focusing, so any fencing wouldn’t interfere with my intended subject, and zoomed in on them, one and two at a time, through the links.

Sitting in my backyard, I notice the flash of white of a Matilija poppy peeking through the other foliage in the garden. I decide to take the shot through the other foliage, which is out of focus, and thus creating a frame of sorts for the poppy.

A hummingbird is flying around a sage bush searching for nectar, so I focus on the area using manual focus and capture it. Pre-focusing on the spot the subject is expected to appear is a technique to use to help you get the shot.

The pre-focus technique will work for sports, dancing, anything where the subject is in motion and is in a fairly predictable location. Simply focus on the spot the subject is expected to appear using the focus ring in manual focus and take the shot once the subject enters the frame.

Now you are ready to take on some difficult shooting situations and conquer them!

~ Susan

Using Catherine’s lovely alliterative terms from last week,

Précis:
The camera doesn’t always get it right in auto modes. Certain situations, such as low light, low contrast, moving subjects and subjects behind another object, are best approached with the lens in manual focus rather than auto focus.

Practice:
Familiarize yourself with your lenses and the manual focus ring on them (it is different from the ring you turn on a zoom lens to zoom in and out.) Think of situations where you have had trouble focusing in auto-focus. Go out of your way to put yourself in those situations this week.

Play:
Get creative in low light or shooting through objects. Take a portrait in candle light or in a garden search out a flower or fruit hiding behind leaves and see if you can capture it through manual focusing.

Pay Attention and Focus

Posted on January 8, 2013 by backyardsisters

Focus . . .

Maybe it’s just me, but why can it be so hard to focus sometimes? Is it that there is so much to do that choosing one or two things to concentrate on is downright difficult? Or, is it that fun opportunities trump work, which can be OK, for awhile, but eventually those responsibilities won’t be able to be put off any longer? Once the decision has been made to buckle down and focus on a task at hand, it can be eye opening.

Photographically speaking, focus is important. It shows what a photographer is trying to express by drawing attention to an object or person or part of a whole. Yet, achieving focus on the subject in your pictures can be as difficult as focusing on areas of your life. For DSLR users, I have a few tips to offer and aid in finding focus this month. First things first, it’s time for you to tell the camera what you want to focus on and don’t rely on the camera to know what you want automatically. When in auto mode, the camera chooses the focus points based on the shooting conditions. Sometimes this works, but sometimes it doesn’t and when it doesn’t it can be frustrating. You end up with your subject out of focus and something in the background in focus. To correct this, put your camera in manual, aperture priority, shutter priority or program mode, choose a focus point and take back creative control.

It can turn your world upside down, in a good way! Now that you are out of auto, the first thing is telling your camera where to focus. Go ahead get bossy! Most modern cameras have at least nine auto-focus points (some have many more), which are the spots the camera will look to achieve focus when you have your lens set to auto-focus. Using the selection point button, you can choose one of the nine points by highlighting one and then using the dial to move the highlighter to the different points. If you highlight all the points the camera chooses automatically which point for each shot, so choose one. Often, the center point is the most sensitive and hence fastest at achieving focus, because it uses cross type focusing and the others don’t. But, maybe you don’t always want your subject in the center of your picture. What then? You can do one of two things; either change your auto-focus point to one of the others that is closer to your subject or focus using the center point and then recompose your shot. To do this, push half way down on the shutter button and when focus is locked in, you will either see a red highlight of your focus point and/or hear a beep, keep holding the shutter down half way while recomposing your shot and placing the subject where you would like; then push all the way down on the shutter button taking your shot.

While recomposing, it is important to remember to keep your subject in the same focal plane or risk loosing focus. Now, go out and practice, practice, practice!

This year, we are offering suggestions of ways to practice and hone the skills you may learn from Backyard Sisters and feel free to let us know how it’s going.

To Recap:

Getting out of auto mode and telling the camera where to focus, will give you more creative control in your photography.

Challenge Yourself:

Think about what you want to say in your photos this week and how focus can help convey that message.
Use any mode but auto and use the center point to focus lock and recompose
Also, try switching auto focus points using the point selection button

Cavort:

Try using the eyes of a person or an animal as your focus point in a photo this week. If the person is angled and the eyes are not on the same plane, focus on the eye closest to you.

Keep in mind, according to Mark Twain, “you cannot depend on your eyes if your imagination is out of focus.”

Imagine away,

Susan

Sugar and Spice Sure are Nice

Posted on December 11, 2012 by backyardsisters

Pop a cookie sheet of these cookies in the oven and the house will fill with the scent of cinnamon, ginger and cloves. As the cookies progress from this:

to this:

Molasses Crinkles are another one of the cookies which make an appearance on the Big Platter. The cookbook containing the original recipe is one the Backyard Sisters have turned to many times over the years.

When younger, and the baking urge would strike, we usually pulled out this book and flipped through the pages for just the right confection to satisfy that urge. I don’t remember what prompted the first attempt at Molasses Crinkles. Perhaps it was the exotic sounding ingredients molasses,

and the spices cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Whatever it was, once mixed and baked, they have beckoned with their spicy aroma.

Spices which boast health benefits by the way, and can evoke feelings of comfort and joy.

So, bake a batch and watch them disappear.

The recipe:

Molasses Crinkles

Mix thoroughly in a large bowl:

3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses

In another bowl sift together:
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsps. baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt

Mix dry ingredients into butter mixture until blended well.
Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Heat oven to 375°.
Roll teaspoonfuls of chilled dough into balls the size of large walnuts.
Dip the tops in granulated sugar. Place the cookies, sugar side up on a lightly greased or parchment paper covered cookie sheet, 3 inches apart.
Bake 10 minutes or just until set but not hard.
Cool on wire rack.

Makes 4 dozen.

Or bake some and share with friends and family.

~ Sue

waiting and watching and wishing and hoping

Posted on November 27, 2012 by backyardsisters

While doing the morning dishes and looking out the back window lately, I am entertained by the sight of finches using our bird bath. One recent morning, I grab my camera, stealthily creep out to the backyard and stage myself close enough to hopefully allow for an action shot of the activities. Sitting as still as possible with camera poised I wait. . . and wait; for a half an hour, at least, I wait and not one bird comes close to taking a dip. A few days later, still determined to capture the activities, I venture out again. This time trying a new location a little farther away and armed with a 100mm-300mm zoom lens. About fifteen minutes in, my mind begins wandering. Thinking back, many years ago, to when we purchased the bird bath and one of the backyard daughters, Michele, was about four years old. We lugged it out to the carefully chosen spot in the garden, placed it in the dirt wiggling and maneuvering it back and forth to level it and filled the bowl with water. Michele was excited about the new addition to the backyard and couldn’t wait for the first visitors to arrive for a bath. “How will they know it’s here?” she queried. I assured her the birds would be able to find it but she decided to help out and rode around the backyard on her pink bicycle with training wheels and streamers hanging from the handlebars shouting, every few seconds, “Birdbath! . . . Birdbath!” Unfortunately, it had the opposite of the desired effect and eventually we decided to wait and watch from inside the house. Sitting there in the yard, warmed by the sun and the fond memory, I waited once again. This time there were a few birds but they seemed to distrust me and kept their distance and a watchful eye on me and the bird bath.

No birds were brave enough to dive in that day either. Not one to give up easily, I decide maybe third time’s a charm. Same zoom lens and location, I stake out once again. A few minutes in, there goes my mind again. Thinking of the upcoming holidays and trying to decide when to begin decking the halls, I realize many of the plants in our backyard are festively red and green at this time of year. The pepper tree’s berries are just ripening.

As are the toyon berries.

The only rose bush flowering in my garden right now is the one with the red blossoms.

Spirits lifted by this unexpected holiday gift, I notice the loud caw of many crows nearby. Looking up, I see a beautiful hawk with a crow in hot pursuit.

Those crows are relentless.

Getting back to bird bath watch, I notice there are more birds in the yard getting closer to me and the bath this time. One is slowly working its’ way over. Finally, it alights on the bath; although it is partly obscured by the foreground plant.

It is barely there a second, as I achieve focus and start snapping away, it is spooked and takes off.

Photography can benefit from patience, also the occasional wandering mind to help pass the time and alert the eye to other photo worthy subjects in the area doesn’t hurt. I am not through yet. My spot is waiting and I dare say the birds are becoming accustomed to the occasional visitor. I will be on bird bath stakeout again soon. I want the shot of the water flying as the birds wiggle and splash in the bath and I will get it!

With perseverance, persistence and a bit of meandering,

~Sue

Thanks for the Opportunities

Posted on November 20, 2012 by backyardsisters

Thanksgiving is a couple of days away and while a great deal of my time lately has been devoted to perusing recipes, in my recipe box and magazines; reading the accompanying articles about planning the meal and following countdowns to the feast, creates nostalgia for Thanksgivings past. The urge to take a break from the food planning, sent me to my photos. Thanksgiving offers a wealth of opportunities for photography. The table alone can hold many items which make excellent still life subjects.

Try some macro photography as well…

The action in the kitchen presents another chance to capture memories from the mashing of the potatoes to the slicing of the turkey, every activity is worthy of a memory – even putting the turkey down for its’ rest before slicing.

Here’s a tip: if you are in the vicinity of the turkey as it is being sliced, you may be called in to service as a taste tester!

After the main meal, before dessert, there is nothing quite like a rousing game of photo tag for allowing your food to digest.

These reminiscences are fond ones. Recalling the fun of preparing and sharing the meal with loved ones warms my heart. One thing I did notice while flipping through my photos, I don’t have many pictures of the food. This year, along with my usual people pictures, I am going to make an effort to capture the food in all its’ succulent glory. Better get back to those recipes and deciding what to make for my veggie side dish.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

~Sue

Catch a Setting Sun

Posted on November 13, 2012 by backyardsisters

It occurs every day and can be taken for granted because of this, but some days I am compelled to find a spot to settle in and capture it with my camera. It is the setting sun. There are times when the sky is clear and you can watch it slowly sinking into the horizon until all that is left is a glowing spot where the sun used to be.

It was this sort of day recently that sparked my photographic enthusiasm.

Capturing the colors and beauty of a sunset with a camera can be difficult but there are a few adjustments one can make to help. The sun is very bright and bright things have a tendency to be overexposed. When this happens, the colors are washed out and not as vibrant as they appear to the eye. I start with setting my light meter to spot meter and aim slightly to the left or right of the sun. A smaller aperture opening – which is achieved by using the larger values – keeps the sun’s light from overexposing the scene. I used an f-stop of 22 in these photos. Using a small aperture creates the need to gather light somewhere else; this can be accomplished by either slowing down the shutter speed, raising the ISO or using a combination of both. The higher the ISO number the more sensitive to light the camera becomes. A slower shutter speed increases the risk of blurry pictures due to camera shake, which increases the need for a tripod or a very steady hand. I used an ISO of 800 for these and the shutter speed varied to adjust to the changing light as the sun set.

Digital cameras have a white balance setting to help the camera portray white in changing light conditions. Auto white balance works for most situations but some light sources have different hues which changes the color cast of a scene. There are options to set the white balance for different lighting conditions such as incandescent or fluorescent lighting. If you want to boost the orange and warm tones of the sunset you can set your camera to the shade setting of white balance. The light in the shade has a bluish tint so the camera adds warm tones to balance out the blues and create an even tone in that circumstance, but you can use that property differently also. It can be fun to play around and see what you get.

The cloudy setting also adds warm tones.

For a different effect try the fluorescent setting.

So, though the sun sets every day, each day’s sunset is unique and offers an opportunity to seize a moment to reflect and appreciate the rhythms of the earth . Better yet, grab your camera, turn to the west and capture a moment; maybe you will be lucky enough to catch the elusive green flash.

Westward Ho!

~ Sue

when sentiment meets photography

Posted on November 6, 2012 by backyardsisters

Photography has a practical side. Sometimes, I need help remembering details and pictures have been my prompter; helping fill in the blank spots of my memory. Taking a walk down memory lane via one’s photos reveals all kinds of long forgotten moments. From one’s fashion sense through the years to the small details of a trip, photos can capture, freeze and help one trigger memories of events.

At the Musée Rodin in Paris. . .

The photo, although overexposed, brings a smile to my face as I recall spotting the “look-a-likes” that day.

Without this picture to jog my memory, I undoubtedly would have forgotten our dinner at this restaurant in Alcala de Henares, Spain. It was taken the night Spain won the Euro cup in June 2008 and the people took to the streets to celebrate. Seeing the flag waving owner of the restaurant sparks memories of the throngs of people coming out into the streets to celebrate the victory with cheers, chants and national pride. I am swept up in the excitement of the victory once again.

Using photography to document something as trivial as the time I bought store brand cotton swabs instead of Q-tips has helped me remember why. . .

I will only buy Q-tips brand from now on. Come to think of it, I should frame this and hang it in my bathroom so I can be reminded every day.

Another way to put photography to use in the memory making process is to document an item you want to remember but don’t have enough room to store. My parents recently found and returned a keepsake of mine; a bread dough sculpture one of my elementary school friends made for me as a going away present, on the occasion of our moving out of the area.

I had forgotten this cute little guy. Even though, I must admit, I don’t remember who gave it to me anymore; it still holds a special place in my heart. Now it will be memorialized in pixels forever and I will stash it in my albums to be rediscovered some day in the future; when I will be transported once again back to, not only the original gifting, but now also the time this gift re-entered my life and the photo shoot and fond memories it ignited.

Join me on memory lane,

~ Sue

Cue the fog

Posted on October 30, 2012 by backyardsisters

There’s nothing like fog for creating a spooky atmosphere, and around here, just in time for Halloween, the morning and evening fog has “come on little cat feet” as Carl Sandburg poetically expressed it. Seeing everything through a misty filter gives me an eerie feeling. Perhaps it’s the ability to hide and become almost invisible the haze provides. Or, the trees turning into ghostly figures when shrouded in fog.

Whichever it is I can’t shake a certain uneasiness while walking in the fog. Are those footsteps I hear? What was that movement up ahead? Where did that person, who was just there, go?

Sounds become amplified and ominous. I can often hear the clanging of buoys, moaning of fog horns and crashing of waves from my front yard, which is a couple of miles from the beach, in foggy weather.

At times, the fog can also elicit feelings of calm, coziness and quietude.

This day, however, I choose to get in the Halloween spirit and embrace the spookiness and eeriness of the fog.

Trick-or-treat,

~Sue

backyard sisters

Saving ordinary moments from the brink of oblivion

Category Archives: Weekly Wanderings

Embracing the Blur

It’s a Wild Life

Take Back the Control, and Focus

Pay Attention and Focus

Sugar and Spice Sure are Nice

waiting and watching and wishing and hoping

Thanks for the Opportunities

Catch a Setting Sun

when sentiment meets photography

Cue the fog

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