Tips from pros in the field?

[timjenner]

I'm sure that others, like me, admire and aspire to achieve the quality of photos that professionals manage and to the inspiring images we see so often posted here. Much of the quality is, of course, having a photographic eye - but much of it also stems from well honed and practiced technique. I'm not talking photographic technique here (exposure compensation, focusing etc) which are covered elsewhere, but more practical things.

So, could any pros or advanced amateurs let us in on your tips for success? Anything from basics like how you hold your camera (e.g. left hand cupped under lens, palm supporting body) to get the most stable shots to handy things you've learned in the field.

To kick things off, a problem I always find when walking around is how to carry the camera. If I'm not shooting, I put the strap over my right shoulder with the front of the camera facing my body and the lens resting against the base of my back. This is fine, but it means taking the strap off my shoulder to get the camera to my eye for a shot - not good for that quick candid! Any better ways? If I just have the strap around my neck and the camera on my front it bumps off my beer belly when I walk!

Cheers,
Tim.

 

[The Big Bad]

national geographic photographer take about 30,000 shots on the average for one single article. Those articles maybe have about 5 - 10 photos in them so that means that 29990 photos are rejected, so they have a keeper rate of .0003

sports illustrated has 11 photographers and took over 100,000 shots of the superbowl in order to produce those few amazing photos they run in the magazine.

Franz Lanting's latest book has about 150 great nature photos but they were taken over a 20 year period

The common misconception amoung amatures is that these pro's are so good that they get all these photos in a single day. its simply not true. Look at my animal gallery, I think theres some fine photos there but its taken be about a year to get all those shots and lots of trips to various zoos, wildlife perserves and more. I didnt just go to the zoo one day and take 100 perfect photos. I dodnt even see some of the animals on display half the time I go

so just keep shooting, its the best way to get good results
--
http://www.pbase.com/bigbad

 

[Daniel Chui]

Obviously skill and composition are important, but quantity is also VERY important. On a typical shoot of a client, I'll do anywhere from 180 to 360 shots, and of those I will usually decide 1-10 "keepers". Sometimes I don't even get so many.

Take a lot of pictures, and take pictures every day. Mimic the photography you like. I don't mean flat-out copy it, but learn the styles and adopt them. When you have a firm understanding and foundation in phography, then you can start working with your own stylistic patterns and ideas.

national geographic photographer take about 30,000 shots on the
average for one single article. Those articles maybe have about 5

• 10 photos in them so that means that 29990 photos are rejected,

so they have a keeper rate of .0003

sports illustrated has 11 photographers and took over 100,000 shots
of the superbowl in order to produce those few amazing photos they
run in the magazine.

Franz Lanting's latest book has about 150 great nature photos but
they were taken over a 20 year period

The common misconception amoung amatures is that these pro's are so
good that they get all these photos in a single day. its simply
not true. Look at my animal gallery, I think theres some fine
photos there but its taken be about a year to get all those shots
and lots of trips to various zoos, wildlife perserves and more.
I didnt just go to the zoo one day and take 100 perfect photos. I
dodnt even see some of the animals on display half the time I go

so just keep shooting, its the best way to get good results
--
http://www.pbase.com/bigbad

--
http://www.chewyphoto.com

 

[Justme]

Quite agree with that. Myself, I may shoot a subject from a variety of angles at various settings and different metering and hope to get one or two decent shots....if that. Oh, and I'm very much an amateur who shoots as a hobby.

national geographic photographer take about 30,000 shots on the
average for one single article. Those articles maybe have about 5

• 10 photos in them so that means that 29990 photos are rejected,

so they have a keeper rate of .0003

sports illustrated has 11 photographers and took over 100,000 shots
of the superbowl in order to produce those few amazing photos they
run in the magazine.

Yeah, that was an interesting read.

Franz Lanting's latest book has about 150 great nature photos but
they were taken over a 20 year period

The common misconception amoung amatures is that these pro's are so
good that they get all these photos in a single day. its simply
not true. Look at my animal gallery, I think theres some fine
photos there but its taken be about a year to get all those shots
and lots of trips to various zoos, wildlife perserves and more.
I didnt just go to the zoo one day and take 100 perfect photos. I
dodnt even see some of the animals on display half the time I go

so just keep shooting, its the best way to get good results
--
http://www.pbase.com/bigbad

--
http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/canadian_tulip_festival_2004

 

[timjenner]

Thanks for the responses, guys - good advice. I'm glad my keeper ratio isn't too bad compared to the best! I really need to make more of an effort to get out there and find things to shoot.

Keep 'em coming!
Cheers,
Tim.

Take a lot of pictures, and take pictures every day. Mimic the
photography you like. I don't mean flat-out copy it, but learn the
styles and adopt them. When you have a firm understanding and
foundation in phography, then you can start working with your own
stylistic patterns and ideas.

national geographic photographer take about 30,000 shots on the
average for one single article. Those articles maybe have about 5

• 10 photos in them so that means that 29990 photos are rejected,

so they have a keeper rate of .0003

sports illustrated has 11 photographers and took over 100,000 shots
of the superbowl in order to produce those few amazing photos they
run in the magazine.

Franz Lanting's latest book has about 150 great nature photos but
they were taken over a 20 year period

The common misconception amoung amatures is that these pro's are so
good that they get all these photos in a single day. its simply
not true. Look at my animal gallery, I think theres some fine
photos there but its taken be about a year to get all those shots
and lots of trips to various zoos, wildlife perserves and more.
I didnt just go to the zoo one day and take 100 perfect photos. I
dodnt even see some of the animals on display half the time I go

so just keep shooting, its the best way to get good results
--
http://www.pbase.com/bigbad

--
http://www.chewyphoto.com

 

[s k u l p t118025]

Here are some random thoughts on what I work on. I'm sure as heck not a pro, but here are some thoughts...

1) For handholding low light shots, try and brace yourself against something. A tree, rock, bench, car, ice scupture.... ; ) Stay relaxed, and get into a nice relaxed breathing pattern. Sounds stupid but it works.

2) For hiking and tripod work, I keep the camera on the tripod and fold the legs inward, but keep the legs partially extended. I can grab the leg end of the tripod and balance everything nicely on my shoulder that way. This keeps everything easy access.

3) Traveling and not being a target for theft---- People seem so stuck on spending a lot of money on camera bags. This can be fine, but it also puts a label on your head that you have some really nice gear. I've modded some lunch pack insolator bags quite nicely to fit some of my gear in. I backpacked a month in the tropics this way, and never really got people staring at me this way. Not only that, but these bags keeps you gear cool, which is essential in hot weather.

4) You can use an inverted 50mm bright lens on another lens to make a quick cheap macro

5) You can use paper on the end of your camera for a quick on board flash diffuser. : )

6) If you think you've nailed a shot, take at least another because you might have missed it

7) Take loads of shots, and don't gimp out on storage

8) Shoot in RAW all the time if you have the time. If you don't want to shoot all the time, consider shooting RAW in difficult lighting situations, when your subject could blow highlights easily (like a swan in the sun), or for purposefully underexposing to gain shutterspeed.

9) Don't be afraid to get nailed with critiques. If you are too thin skinned, you won't learn some important lessons and techniques. Far too many people go on these forums for the sake of having their egos stroked. If an issue is raised or they suggest something, go with it.

10) Read books and learn from others. You can always do better. I've got such a long ways to go before I'll be happy, and even then I'll need some work.

I could go on, but I'll shuddap for now.

Brian

I'm sure that others, like me, admire and aspire to achieve the
quality of photos that professionals manage and to the inspiring
images we see so often posted here. Much of the quality is, of
course, having a photographic eye - but much of it also stems from
well honed and practiced technique. I'm not talking photographic
technique here (exposure compensation, focusing etc) which are
covered elsewhere, but more practical things.

So, could any pros or advanced amateurs let us in on your tips for
success? Anything from basics like how you hold your camera (e.g.
left hand cupped under lens, palm supporting body) to get the most
stable shots to handy things you've learned in the field.

To kick things off, a problem I always find when walking around is
how to carry the camera. If I'm not shooting, I put the strap over
my right shoulder with the front of the camera facing my body and
the lens resting against the base of my back. This is fine, but it
means taking the strap off my shoulder to get the camera to my eye
for a shot - not good for that quick candid! Any better ways? If
I just have the strap around my neck and the camera on my front it
bumps off my beer belly when I walk!

Cheers,
Tim.

--
-------------------------------------------
Graphic Design Directory: http://www.adigitaldreamer.com
My Portfolio: http://skulpt.com

 

[jimcreative]

I'm sure that others, like me, admire and aspire to achieve the
quality of photos that professionals manage and to the inspiring
images we see so often posted here. Much of the quality is, of
course, having a photographic eye - but much of it also stems from
well honed and practiced technique. I'm not talking photographic
technique here (exposure compensation, focusing etc) which are
covered elsewhere, but more practical things.

So, could any pros or advanced amateurs let us in on your tips for
success? Anything from basics like how you hold your camera (e.g.
left hand cupped under lens, palm supporting body) to get the most
stable shots to handy things you've learned in the field.

To kick things off, a problem I always find when walking around is
how to carry the camera. If I'm not shooting, I put the strap over
my right shoulder with the front of the camera facing my body and
the lens resting against the base of my back. This is fine, but it
means taking the strap off my shoulder to get the camera to my eye
for a shot - not good for that quick candid! Any better ways? If
I just have the strap around my neck and the camera on my front it
bumps off my beer belly when I walk!

Cheers,
Tim.

Maybe I am being too esoteric here but here goes...

Photography is not that unlike any other form of art. The things that make a photograph work from a purist's standpoint are the exact things that make a good painting, a good piano sonata or a good book.

The two prevailing concepts in all arts are unity and contrast. If one has too much unity then, well, it might as well be a shot of a gray card. If there is too much contrast (not lighting contrast, but thematic contrast) then the final piece will probably seem disjointed. The skill that a good photographer has to master is how to strike a balance between the contrasts of color, light, texture and form with the unifying structures of rhythm, balance and harmony between all of the components of the shot.

I would suggest an excercise where you take a very mundane object, say a metal trash can, and you spend a half hour shooting it in each and every way you can possibly think of. Shoot it in different light. Try to make it more than what it is.

You might think this is silly but I am dead serious...

 

[RATPhoto]

I'm no pro but I do have some advice 8).

First, I agree it is best to remember that the pros took those amazing shots over a period of time. I think it may have been at an Ansel Adam's exhibit that I read him saying that you should strive for one really good photo a month. After all, that is 12 a year and after 10 years you have 120 dynamite shots.

Second, I don't necessarily agree with the idea of taking lots of shots. In fact, I have deliberately slowed down the rate at which I take shots and I was never in the speed demon category to start with. I find with myself that I get better results if I slow down and think about what I am doing and how I can improve. I can and have gone out to the swamp to shoot wildlife and come back after several hours with less than 1 256 Meg card filled up. Now I am deleting some in the field but still. There are times however where you should take lots of shots quickly. Continuous mode is on the camera for a reason. All I am saying is that even a two year old can take 100 shots. Don't go so fast that you get sloppy about technique.

I like to tell my daughter who is also interested in photography that there is no point to taking shots that are junk. And often you can tell a shot is junk in the view finder. Of course if it is the first time you have seen a Green Heron, you take the shot no matter how bad just to document it. But after you have some Green Heron shots, why take a shot where you know you have much better (unless you are documenting what time of year they stick around).

Third, be honest with yourself. Rightly try to appraise your work. Chances are you aren't the most amazing photographer on the planet and chances are you aren't the worst either. Try to honestly analyze where you are and what you can do to improve. It is a mistake to think that you can cure all problems with better equipment. It is also a mistake to think that equipment makes no difference. Be realistic about what is causing what.

Fourth, if this is a hobby, make sure you are enjoying it. Do what you like! Hopefully it is a source of pleasure and not aggravation.

Fifth, realize that location can make a difference. Sometimes it is worth looking around for nice places to do the photography. An example, I found a place near me that had Bald Eagles. I did a lot of shooting there but I realized that the sun was in the wrong direction for when the eagles were out and most active. I found a different place nearby that has the eagles in much better light.

--

Please respect my copyright and do not repost my images. This includes edits that show possible improvements. I appreciate your thoughts and ideas but I want to retain control of how and when my images are seen. Thanks!

If you are a new user chances are good your question is answered in the FAQ at:
http://www.marius.org/eos300dfaq.php

For a gallery of my photographs, see:
http://www.pbase.com/ratphoto

See my profile for my equipment

 

[bunhill]

Jeez. Maybe things have changed but I'm sure that 30,000 is a bit of an exageration. Imagine editing that lot. You'd be finding the good shots years later, in retirement.

Back when I was fresh out of college and was working as an assistant, I worked for a guy who was shooting for the NG and many other big publications. I used to see his film straight from the lab. He averaged, say, 1 good shot per 2 rolls. And one excellent shot per, say, 5 good shots.

At 30,000 it simply wouldn't have been cost effective. Thats more than 2000 shots per day on a 2 week trip. Or 55 rolls per day. Which isn't really practical. And remember that a photographer shouldn't care whether it is film or digital. The format simply makes no difference. If anything you'll be shooting less with RAW because bracketing is less of an issue.

If you shot that many you wouldn't have time to assess the shots before the next job.

Any good project is about thinking about it in advance and understanding your subject. Whatever the subject. The pictures you take will often be essentially pictures that you have made before, or seen, in other places.

Incidentally - he normally shot, say, about 100 - 150 rolls on a typical 2 weeks trip.

 

[bunhill]

yup. Well said. I remember watching a TV programme, years ago, in which a few different photographers photographed the same scene.

Linda McCartney turned up and shot several rolls of 35mm. She walked around trying to get different angles and aspects. Then chose the best (in her opinion) shot.

Don McCulllin, with a large format camera, already knew his simple composition. He talked about where the light would be at a certain moment. He waited for that and made 1 exposure. Guess who I respected more. She was just playing.

 

[Bobby Timonera]

Tim,

As BigBad suggested, go take lots of photos. But don't just go for volume of fire. Stop and think, too. Is composition all right? What if I move a little to the right/left, zoom in/out? what if I shoot from the ground, or from up high? Are the background/foreground elements not distracting? Sometimes, an inch of moving camera angle matters a lot.

The danger with digital is we can shoot like an Uzi and sometimes we forget to let the mind work. I cherish my B&W darkroom days when I encounter problems printing a photo I really like, laboring a lot to get my perfect 8x10, wasting paper and chemicals along the way. From there, I'd know how to take similar shots later. With the digital darkroom, it's so easy to enhance images that sometimes, the lessons that we should have learned with our mistakes get forgotten so quickly.

Go browse photo galleries of the masters, or buy their photo books. I like books featuring great works, with explanation how they were done, like Ansel Adams' Example.

Re carrying the camera, why not do the Winograb? That's how the master Gary Winogrand carry his Leicas -- the neck strap, wrap it around your wrist and carry your Rebel ready to fire, your right index finger on the shutter release button. I use this often. Or go buy that hand strap instead. That I have to buy, too.

Bobby T.

I'm sure that others, like me, admire and aspire to achieve the
quality of photos that professionals manage and to the inspiring
images we see so often posted here. Much of the quality is, of
course, having a photographic eye - but much of it also stems from
well honed and practiced technique. I'm not talking photographic
technique here (exposure compensation, focusing etc) which are
covered elsewhere, but more practical things.

So, could any pros or advanced amateurs let us in on your tips for
success? Anything from basics like how you hold your camera (e.g.
left hand cupped under lens, palm supporting body) to get the most
stable shots to handy things you've learned in the field.

To kick things off, a problem I always find when walking around is
how to carry the camera. If I'm not shooting, I put the strap over
my right shoulder with the front of the camera facing my body and
the lens resting against the base of my back. This is fine, but it
means taking the strap off my shoulder to get the camera to my eye
for a shot - not good for that quick candid! Any better ways? If
I just have the strap around my neck and the camera on my front it
bumps off my beer belly when I walk!

Cheers,
Tim.

--
BOBBY TIMONERA, Iligan City, Philippines
http://www.pbase.com/timonera / http://www.photos.ph/timonera

 

[noisebeam]

I've read thru the tips so far, many good, I won't repeat them.

The tip I want to give is not to dwell on correcting a bad photo. It is always better to re-shoot than to try and salvage via photoshop. Don't get in a mental block or excuse that you will never get the shot again.

Of course if you want to improve your photoshop skills then plan to do so and use such needy photos to work on. We all have times when we can be in front of a PC, but not our favorite shooting environment.

Al

 

[KennyG]

To kick things off, a problem I always find when walking around is
how to carry the camera. If I'm not shooting, I put the strap over
my right shoulder with the front of the camera facing my body and
the lens resting against the base of my back. This is fine, but it
means taking the strap off my shoulder to get the camera to my eye
for a shot - not good for that quick candid! Any better ways? If
I just have the strap around my neck and the camera on my front it
bumps off my beer belly when I walk!

I'll start at the end. It all depends where you are taking your equipment. A friend who does a lot of street work puts his camera over his head/shoulder like a bandolier, then his jacket over the top. This gives a degree of weather protection as well as keeping it low profile. Change the 'steal me' Canon strap for an Op/Tech Pro which has in-line clips so you can disconnect the camera from the strap and re-join the ends into a short strap. Works well for him and he does not miss much.

Don't become a spray and pray photog. Taking a couple of thousand images just to get two or three good ones will do nothing to improve your skills. It is the old idea of sitting enough monkeys at typewriters for long enough and they will eventualy write a Shakespeare play.

You have to hone your skills as an on-going process. After 25+ years in this game I still find something new to learn and practice. Anyone who claims they know it all is just plain lying.

You have to enjoy what you are doing. If taking pictures of a dead tree does not excite you, don't do it. Find what interests you and what you understand. If it is birds, planes, animals in a zoo or street life, just go with how you feel about what you are shooting. If the subject bores you, trust me, your shots will be boring too. It has to be fun or pay very well to get me interested, even then I have turned down well paid work in preference for something that I really wanted to do.

--
Kenny

Motorsport Photographer

If you really want to know what I shoot with - look under my profile.

 

[Natalia*W]

--




http://www.pbase.com/natalia

 

[Doc Tonic]

I shoot mostly indoors in a videography studio with good lighting, I am not as good at shooting outdoors, sunsets, night shots, landscapes etc. I would love to learn how some pros set their camera for things like:

1. Sunsets: aperature, exposure, iso, where to meter at?
2. Night shots of cities on tripod, again, what camera settings?

3. landscape shots, what type of DOF? Do you focus the traditional 2/3rds the way out?

Now for my contribution:

Here is my tip for full body portraits shot in a studio type of setting. One of the most important tip nowadays is planning ahead of time to use photoshop. For example, when shooting an individual that is a little heavier or a woman who wants a little off the hips or more on other areas, shoot on a solid surface backdrop and have her at least 5 feet away from it. This way when you take the image to photoshop, you can easily apply the liquify filter and using subtle nudges with the push tool you can easily do some soft body sculpting. One of the best portrait lenses is the 50mm 1.8 and is only $100 bucks. The 100mm 2.8 and the 85 1.8 are also great for portraits. My last little portrait tip is to always try and use a hair light. Most people forget about this and you lose detail in the hair and it ends up looking unprofessional. If you don't have access to a boom light, just have someone hold a small flashlight and shine it on the person's hair, you'll be surprised at how much better the photo turns out. Light reflecting into the subjects face also can do wonders for a portrait. Reflectors can be bought for $10 and can make a world of a difference in your photography.

 

[The Big Bad]

I guess if your friend shot 150 rolls that about 5400 frames, and perhaps on a larger assignment they had more than 1 photographer.

30,000 may be high for the average but is just what ive heard. At the same time im sure for some assignments its a valid figure

at any rate, I think the point remains, that your friend who is a pro is taking 150 rolls of film, not just taking one roll of film per trip and expecting to come back with amazing results.

ansel adams took tons of frames as well, not 30,000 but he didnt just show up to a site, take one photo and call it a timeless photo of the 20th century. Instead he took tons of shots, processed and printed them tons of different ways and ended up with one great one
--
http://www.pbase.com/bigbad

 

[kerryw]

I'm no pro but I do have some advice 8).

I like to tell my daughter who is also interested in photography
that there is no point to taking shots that are junk. And often you
can tell a shot is junk in the view finder. Of course if it is the
first time you have seen a Green Heron, you take the shot no matter
how bad just to document it. But after you have some Green Heron
shots, why take a shot where you know you have much better (unless
you are documenting what time of year they stick around).

Good comment, in fact I think it is good to take a photo then try and improve on it. I've done this with a lot of my photos, take a photo, decied what you did right and maximize that next time, like wise decide what you did wronmg and minimize that..

Take photos maybe not 1000's but enough to ry everything.

KLW

 

[William Night]

I shoot mostly indoors in a videography studio with good lighting,
I am not as good at shooting outdoors, sunsets, night shots,
landscapes etc. I would love to learn how some pros set their
camera for things like:

Well, I'm not a pro, but here's what I do.

1. Sunsets: aperature, exposure, iso, where to meter at?

Meter on the sky, it's what you want. Silhouette something against it for bonus points, but (usually) don't try to get sky and land in the same shot.

Low ISOs, there'll be a lot of dark areas you want to be very smooth, and you're shooting the sky which is bright enough to give a decent shutter speed anyways.

Here's an example or two.

2. Night shots of cities on tripod, again, what camera settings?

Meter on the detail you want. Let the lights burn out, it doesn't hurt the picture at all. Low ISO as well, it's already on a tripod, might as well leave it there a little longer.

I don't have any of my night shots web-sized or I'd post a few examples. Remember that the light and what it's pointed at are all you can see... My wife and I took a neat series of shots where we wrote our names in the air with an LED keychain in front of a park-scape at night and you can't see us moving around (except where I accidently lit my hand with the light), just the lights and the moonlight on the water. Quite neat.

3. landscape shots, what type of DOF? Do you focus the traditional
2/3rds the way out?

I don't do as many landscape shots as just general nature shots. I like mist-covered settings and you need to be careful not to blow the mist, it can be fairly bright. Also, pick a high-contrast setting because all the mist can appear just as lower contrast. Backlit works well.

 

[RATPhoto]

I really like that first mist shot despite the tree getting cutoff. The 3rd I like as well.

--

Please respect my copyright and do not repost my images. This includes edits that show possible improvements. I appreciate your thoughts and ideas but I want to retain control of how and when my images are seen. Thanks!

If you are a new user chances are good your question is answered in the FAQ at:
http://www.marius.org/eos300dfaq.php

For a gallery of my photographs, see:
http://www.pbase.com/ratphoto

See my profile for my equipment

 

[Flower]

Hmm tips from a pro huh?

I'm going to disagree with the rest of the guys and tell you to take less pics instead of just shooting 100s every day and hope you get lucky and one pic turns out great by accident or random chance.

Instead, gain a complete understanding of the basics. Learn to hold the camera in stillness. I teach kung fu and I tell my students before you can wield a sword you have to learn to hold it in stillness. Completely relax your body. Breathe softly until all distraction is gone. Then wait for the perfect moment.

Really think about what you are going to shoot. Just wander around all day looking for a shot. Think about composition, lighting, etc. You have to be patient. Wait until the cast of the shadow is just right before you click that button.

Of course if you're shooting a bunch of little kids bouncing around, I would
set the sucker on sports mode and snap away. hehe.

I'm sure that others, like me, admire and aspire to achieve the
quality of photos that professionals manage and to the inspiring
images we see so often posted here. Much of the quality is, of
course, having a photographic eye - but much of it also stems from
well honed and practiced technique. I'm not talking photographic
technique here (exposure compensation, focusing etc) which are
covered elsewhere, but more practical things.

So, could any pros or advanced amateurs let us in on your tips for
success? Anything from basics like how you hold your camera (e.g.
left hand cupped under lens, palm supporting body) to get the most
stable shots to handy things you've learned in the field.

To kick things off, a problem I always find when walking around is
how to carry the camera. If I'm not shooting, I put the strap over
my right shoulder with the front of the camera facing my body and
the lens resting against the base of my back. This is fine, but it
means taking the strap off my shoulder to get the camera to my eye
for a shot - not good for that quick candid! Any better ways? If
I just have the strap around my neck and the camera on my front it
bumps off my beer belly when I walk!

Cheers,
Tim.