Zenfolio Proofing Gallery | Flickr | Model Mayhem | MySpace | Facebook | Twitter | houzz interior design ideas | RSS

Posts tagged: For Photogs

The Invisible Black Background

comments Comments (0)
By , April 30, 2012 8:00 am

So, I thought I’d try the technique described here to create an “invisible black background” with Nikki the “supermodel.” First we tried shooting inside, but the flash was lighting up the furniture and wall behind her. So, then we moved outside in a shady area in my backyard. I think it would have been better to try this in the evening rather than in the middle of the afternoon because in order to get the background completely black I needed to close the aperture down so far that not enough light from my flash was getting to my camera to light her up. And when I opened the aperture up more the bright spots coming through the trees were showing up in my background. So, most of my photos ended up with a very dark background, but not completely black. It took some trial and error to even get everything close to right, but I did end up with one image that I really liked after a little bit of editing (mostly of the background, not Nikki).

Nikki

Nikki

categories Photography | tags , , , , , , ,

Shooting Independence Day Fireworks

comments Comments (0)
By , June 30, 2010 10:05 am

So, I made recent inquiries (to the Loudoun Photo Club and on Twitter) for tips on photographing fireworks since July 4th is quickly approaching. I thought I would consolidate the advice I received into this post, test it out, and then show the resulting photos from this weekend in a future post. Thank you to all who sent your suggestions! Feel free to add more to the comments.

  • Use a tripod to keep the camera steady.
  • Get to the display early to find the best vantage point.
  • Consider having foreground or background elements in the image as they make the scene more interesting and add scale.
  • Use manual focus and focus on an object close to where the fireworks will be set off from.
  • Plan to take lots of photos and delete about 75% of them.
  • Set shutter speed to “bulb” mode. This allows you to keep the shutter open while you press the button and the shutter won’t close until you release the button.
  • Use a remote or cable release instead of the on-camera button to prevent camera shake.
  • Open the shutter when the rocket starts it’s flight and close as the firework explodes so there is not a gaping black whole in the center of the firework. Should be about 2 seconds, but can range from 1/2 second to 5 seconds. Keep the shutter open longer to have multiple bursts in one image, but not too long or you’ll end up with “big blobs of light.”
  • Most recommended setting the aperture to f/8, but the suggested range was anywhere from f/8-f/11.
  • Set White Balance to Tungsten.
  • Set ISO to 200.

One person recommended this page and which seems to have some good information: http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-fireworks

Have a very happy and safe Independence Day!

UPDATE: Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to photograph any fireworks this year. So, I’ll have to wait until next year to try out these techniques.

categories Photography | tags , , ,

Local Photo Clubs & Meetup Groups

comments Comments (0)
By , November 22, 2009 1:19 am

This list should be helpful for other photographers in the area and a good reference for me as well as I seek to become part of the community here in the DC area. (I moved here about a year and half ago from Ohio. So, I’m still looking to meet new people and create worthwhile connections.) If you are a member of any of these groups, please comment about your experiences and if you think the group would be worthwhile for others. Also, if you know of any other groups in the area, please comment about those as well.

Local Photo Clubs

Local Meetup Groups

categories Photography | tags , , ,

Real Estate Photographer, Architectural Photographer, Interior Photographer, Portrait Photographer, Event Photographer
Serving Southeast Michigan including the following cities and towns in Wayne County: Allen Park, Belleville, Dearborn Heights, Dearborn, Detroit, Ecorse, Flat Rock, Garden City, Gibraltar, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Shores, Grosse Pointe Woods, Hamtramck, Harper Woods, Highland Park, Inkster, Lincoln Park, Livonia, Melvindale, Northville, Plymouth, River Rouge, Riverview, Rockwood, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Trenton, Wayne, Westland, Woodhaven, Wyandotte, Brownstown Township, Canton Township, Grosse Ile Township, Huron Township, Northville Township, Plymouth Township, Redford Township, Sumpter Township, and Van Buren Township; the following cities, towns, and communities in Oakland County: Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Franklin, Holly, Lake Orion, Leonard, Milford, Ortonville, Oxford, Wolverine Lake, Addison Township, Bloomfield Township, Brandon Township, Commerce Township, Groveland Township, Highland Township, Holly Township, Independence Township, Lyon Township, Milford Township, Novi Township, Oakland Township, Orion Township, Oxford Township, Rose Township, Royal Oak Township, Southfield Township, Springfield Township, Waterford Township, West Bloomfield Township, White Lake Township, Andersonville, Austin Corners, Brandon Gardens, Bunny Run, Campbells Corner, Charing Cross, Clintonville, Clyde, Commerce, Davisburg, Drayton Plains, East Highland, Five Points, Four Towns, Gingellville, Glengary, Goodison, Groveland Corners, Hickory Ridge, Highland, Huron Heights, Jossman Acres, Kensington, Lake Orion Heights, Lakeville, New Hudson, Newark, Oak Grove, Oakley Park, Oakwood, Oxbow, Perry Lake Heights, Rose Center, Rose Corners, Rudds Mill, Seven Harbors, Springfield, Thomas, Union Lake, Walters, Waterford, Waterstone, West Highland, Westacres, and White Lake; and the following cities, towns, and communities in Washtenaw County: Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Milan, Saline, Ypsilanti, Barton Hills, Dexter, Manchester, Ann Arbor Township, Augusta Township, Pittsfield Township, Superior Township, York Township, Ypsilanti Township, Bridgewater Township, Dexter Township, Freedom Township, Lima Township, Lodi Township, Lyndon Township, Manchester Township, Northfield Township, Salem Township, Saline Township, Scio Township, Sharon Township, Sylvan Township, and Webster Township.

Copyright Jennifer Arnett Starloft Photography 2005-2013. 734-335-0213 - starloft@gmail.com
Canton, Michigan 48188 - Wayne County
Photos on this site may not be downloaded, printed, or directly linked to without prior written permission from Starloft Photography.
Starloft logo design by Scott Fitzpatrick.