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Technique of making an impressive fire image is very simple. Firstly, you should take a photograph.An easy way to do that is to go to a family picnic. Use an "A" (aperture) mode and set the aperture setting from f/5,6 to f/11. When you're using this values, you will take really good sharp images. Then set exposure compensation to -1 EV due to have a dark background. I recommend to use telephoto lens, because you can use it away from bonfire and your equipment will be intact. The best way to have good final image is to shoot in raw.
The second step is postprocessing. In Photoshop your raw image firstly opens in Camera Raw module. The main option here is Blacks. Set it to 40 or higher to make background almost black. Also you can use temperarture to change hue of the flames.
(above you see settings, which I'm using in 90% of firey images)
To complete this postprocessing you can darken the background using Burn Tool and increase contrast using Curves or Levels. And it's done!
Now you can update your Lightroom to version 2.3 and Camera Raw to version 5.3.Camera Raw 5 works only with Photoshop CS4. If you're using CS3 and earlier versions of Photoshop you can use free Adobe DNG Converter.
You can download updates here:
Adobe just released new update to the last version of Photoshop.Here's a quote from John Nack's Blog.
Concept... You hear this word in every photography genre. In any photography style you can made a concept photograph. But sometimes we don't see that concepts is everywhere around us. And the main thing is that you can made concepts yourself.What is a concept photo? I think that concept is your personal idea which you are including in your art. What are you thinking about now? What problems you think you can include in a photo? These questions is the main in making such type of pictures.
So, just make your ideas live!
The most simple is to raise up your strobe (it only works, if you're shooting in the room or hall with white ceiling). You'll see how soft the light is. But the disadvantage of this method is that you can't use it in big halls or outdoors.
The second way is to use that small equipment. Bouncer card helps you to make a fill light if you're taking photographs outdoor. Just place the speedlight in front of the model and direct it upward on 45 degrees to horizon.
If you want to use only one flash and use some lighting schemes you can use the this small diffuser or big diffuser like this. Also you need a silver or white reflector (to hold it you must use a tripod or you call an assistant to the shooting time). The reflector is using to make shadows more softer.
One of them is bouncer card, which you can use on your speedlight. It is simply made of cardboard, white paper, glue and elastic. To make it, you must glue paper and cardboard together and put it on your strobe and fast it with the elastic.
The second great thing is used to make the light from your strobe more ambient. It is small diffuser. The materials you need are translucent fabric, and sticky tape. Made a cubic shape using your fabric or other material, than strengthen it with the sticy tape.
These stuff you can do at home and this costs more cheaper than the analogues, which you can buy at the photography shop.
Awesome clip! It's very funny and very useful.
Visit Deke's website at http://deke.com/
You can download this video here. (right-click and choose "Save")
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P.S. It were very long holidays. And now I'm back! :-) So, there will be more great stuff in 2009!
Everybody knows the magic of photography shoots made in the silence of the night. There are some types of this great art.
The first popular type is photos of street and highway traffic. The most dramatic effect on this pictures is many moving lights on the road. To shoot such photographs you must have a very strong tripod and wish for walking with your equipment. You can shoot interesting pictures from the bridges or place your tripod near the ground. To take the good sharp you must use f/11 - f/22 aperture settings and long (from 5 to 30 seconds) shutter speeds. So, if you are creative, your photographs will be very impressive!
The other type is photographs of fireworks. It is simple because you mustn't choose the composition - you must only find the place to shoot from.
There is to ways to find this place. First way is to take your pictures from the high hill or other upland and use a telephoto lens. Or you can stand just in 20-50 meters in front of the place of launching and use a wide-angle lenses.
So, we're standing in the place we choosed and the question is: "How can I shoot this?". There's also two ways: to use blub mode and or the manual mode with the 2-8 seconds shutter speed. In both ways the better setting of aperture is f/11 (many professional photographers choose it to make great photographs of the fireworks).
Winter is a really right time to take such type of photographs. I can only say to you: "Catch the moment!"
Nikon has just released a new great camera - Nikon D3x.Some new features:
P.S. I'm sorry for writing a "news only" posts for a few days. I'm too much busy these days :-)
Adobe has announced new Camera Raw 5.2
Also was updated the list of supported cameras. Here are the newest of them:
New version of Camera Raw works with Photoshop CS4, Photoshop Elements 6 or 7, and Adobe Premiere Elements 4.0 or 7.
With it you can simply customize your Photoshop interface.
Hello everyone! You maybe like take photos in your trips. I think they are not bad, but…
I think you can improve your photographs yourself! A few alterations can improve your photographs at all.
To be continued...
