Candid kids

Here is my grandson, Dec. 19, 2008.  Ok, he's not really my grandson but I claim him and he has fun playing with me.  I will probably have a unique relationship with him, just like I did with his mom and his uncle.  

His grandma loves this photo.  The look on his face is great.  Let's see how I made it.  I was skulking around in back of the couch (which was in the middle of the room).  The boy got on it and I just maneuvered and got the shot.  I actually had a little time to focus, so it should have been sharper.  

Nikon D-50   ISO  200   SS- 1/125   f 5.6  lens at 55mm (slight telephoto).  The flash was bounced straight up.  You can tell this look by seeing the shadows on his forehead and eyes.  

Why did I use ISO 200?  Because I use the slowest ISO I can.  That's the lowest ISO my camera has.  

Why did I use 1/125 shutter speed?  It is the slowest hand held shutter speed I should use with my lens (standard Nikon zoom).  In fact maybe I used 1/100.

Why did I bounce the flash?  For a softer look.  Direct flash can be very hard looking.  You need a flash where the head tilts.  

Photoshop-  I made a selection around the boy.  Did Inverse (which selected what I didn't select).  Used Curves to darken the distracting background (people, gifts).  Used the Clone (rubber stamp) to get rid of exposed underwear.  Then I burned in the couch where his hands are.  

And now to something more philosophical.  People will often say that candid photos reveal more of a person's character than a professional portrait.  Think, the studio portrait is made in an unfamiliar place.  The kids are hauled to wherever.  One kid somehow, gets dirt on his shirt.  The mother is tense, the kids pick up on that and they get nervous and there goes the whole thing.  

Candid photos are usually made in familiar surroundings, with familiar people, everybody's at ease.  

You might well ask, how do you get photos like this?  The answer is, have your camera ready and be at the right place at the right time.  That's all there is to it.  

KT

Ohio woods

This was shot Feb. 8, 2008 at Oak Openings in Ohio, I think.  I think it's called Oak Openings.  I don't know exactly where I was, on the southern part of the place, I guess.  I had been to Oak Openings once before, in March of 1993, but not in this area.  

Camera: Nikon D-50.  Shutter speed 1/6.  Aperture f 13.  ISO 200.  Focal length 31mm. (which is a little off of normal).  Yes, I used a tripod.  I shot it in Raw.  The composition is pattern.  Shot late in the day.  I bracketed. Some may say it is underexposed.  I like it like that, it adds to the effect.  As yet, I don't have a title.  

I sometimes find it hard to talk about why I shoot what I shoot.  I had been walking around for some time before I found this area.  I liked the subdued greens and browns of the scene.  I was alone in this place.  It was almost mystical and fantasy like.  I liked the quietness of it.  That could be what I'm trying to get across in this photo.  Quiet, beautiful, fantasy, a different world.  Actually, it reminded me a little of Lord of the Rings (the newer movie, not the 1978 animation).  I'm not sure what this photos says about me.  All our photos say something about us.  

KT

ISO

ISO or ASA or film speed.

All of these mean the same. Once again ISO is how sensitive the film/sensor is to light. The lower the ISO number, the less sensitive the film/sensor is to light. If you have a lot of light, like a sunny day, then you can use a low ISO. If you are inside, you will have to use a high ISO. Remember with film, a high ISO will produce grain. With digital a high ISO will produce noise. 400 ISO (which was once considered fast) is now kind of in the middle.

The average digital SLR camera has ISO 100 200 400 800 1600. Point and shoot digital cameras may go lower and top out at 400.

Sample scene: ISO 100 1/125 f8 or f8 1/125

ISO 200 1/125 f11 or f8 1/250

ISO 400 1/125 f16 or f8 1/500

ISO 800 1/125 f22 or f8 1/1000

Hopefully you can see that each of these units is a stop apart. Maybe that will make things a little clearer.

Some digital cameras have ISOs that go 100 125 160 200 250 320 400 etc. These are just like film ISOs, so you have more choices. These are a third of a stop apart. Your shutter speeds and apertures are the same way.

Let’s say you want to shoot inside. You have a digital SLR camera with the stock zoom lens. You set your ISO to 400, take a meter reading and come up with 1/30 at f4. You want to hand hold your camera, so this won’t work. You then change your ISO to 800, take a meter reading and you come up with 1/60 at f4, this won’t work either. You set your ISO to 1600, meter and you get 1/125 at f4. Now you can shoot. You’ll have a lot of noise, but you can shoot.

My rule is use the lowest ISO you can.