Go Manual - Additional Lighting

Sometimes, no matter how much you want, natural light just isn't enough.

This is typically the case when shooting something that is white on white, like the embroidered USA I just finished.  Natural light will reflect off the white on white subject leaving the lighting uneven and can compromise the details in your picture.

Have no worries, there is a solution and the solution is simple.  Add additional light.  Invest in some clamp lights.

Clamp lights which are sold at most home improvement stores for about $5 or $6 dollars a piece.  2 should be enough to provide additional lighting on each side of your subject. 

To build upon previous 'Go Manual' photography tips, set your camera to 'tungsten light' to push the quality of your pictures even further.

So, next time the sun isn't cooperating with you, get out your clamp lights and make your own light.

Go Manual - FLASH

Last week, we went over tungsten light.  This week, we'll learn how to use the flash while in a manual mode.

If the tungsten post went over your head, have no fears this one is really easy to understand and execute SO keep on reading.

There will be times when you'll need to use your flash.  Like when you are woken up at 5:30 am on Christmas morning to open presents.  There won't be much natural light, leaving your only option:  the flash.

If you are still in a manual mode, you'll have to prompt your camera to use the flash.  On my camera, there is a button that has a squiggly arrow above it.  Press it and your flash will be released.

Take a business card or cut down a white piece of card stock.  Tear the edge of the business card so that it will hook in front of your flash.  There will be little clips that your flash will hook into when it's not in use.  You'll be using these clips to secure your business card into place.

 

Then, take your picture. 

Instead of the light from the flash hitting your subject directly, washing them out, as is the case in the picture below. 

The light from the flash bounces off the business card and to the side of the business card, indirectly lighting your subject.

Get to know your camera and you'll be surprised the difference it can make. 

Photography Tip - Tungsten Light

Are you ready to get to know your camera?

My number one rule, in taking pictures, is to try and use natural light as much as possible.  With that being said, we all know that isn't always possible, as was the case this past holiday.

In an attempt to get a picture of all the cousins, on my husband's side, we took a birth order picture.  Each cousin held a sign representing when they entered the family. 

I loved the concept but had to resort to using the house lights (tungsten light) and a flash.  Gasp, I know.  The result, the picture has more yellow tones to it.

On our ride home, I figured out how to fix it.  I discovered if you take your camera off of automatic, you can set the white balance. 

My camera was set on AWB (automatic white balance) for the birth order picture I took.  So, the camera decided what it thought represented 'white' the best.  BUT, if you take it off of AWB, you can tell tell your camera what kind of light you are shooting in.  Had I selected tungsten light, I could have corrected the color cast and my picture would not have looked as yellow.

Overwhelmed yet?  Hang in there.

You'll also want to set your camera to AV (the aperture mode).

Then, set the ISO speed to the highest setting (I pushed mine to 1600).  Set your aperture to the lowest setting (I set mine to F4.5).  Your camera should have a dial, mine is near the shutter release button (the button you press to take your pictures), that dial will allow you to change your settings.

Ready to see the difference?

Taking a picture using only house lighting (tungsten lighting), leaving your camera on the automatic setting, using no flash, your picture will look something like this.

Taking your camera off of the automatic setting, setting your ISO to the highest setting, your aperture to the lowest and setting the white balance to tungsten lighting (all as described above), the color cast will be removed from your photo and the result should look something like this.

Can you believe the difference?