[Photography] Recovering From Disasters During Photo Sessions

As a photographer who captures rare and priceless moments, you can’t afford to have disasters during photo sessions. However, sometimes things go wrong regardless.

If you have a recovery plan in action before anything goes wrong, you’ll never have to freeze up and panic at that moment. You’ll never have to fear a photo session getting ruined.

If you psychologically prepare yourself for disasters in advance and rehearse the crisis in your mind, then you can switch to autopilot when it happens.

Let me walk you through what to do when cameras fail, families fight, or photos fall short of your vision.

Knowing that you are prepared for any disaster will allow you to banish your worry and focus on the moment.

1. Technology

If you show up to a session with only one camera and one lens, you’re asking for a disaster to happen. You should always have a backup camera with you. Even if you have no intention of using it during the session, you need to have something to fall back on.

I heard of a wedding photographer who showed up with one camera and one dead battery. The wedding was delayed for an hour while she searched around for somebody to help her find a battery. Don’t let that be you!

Instead, bring two cameras and two lenses to every photo gig (along with spare batteries). I bring a Fuji camera with a 56mm lens. It’s the only camera and lens I’m interested in using.

However, I keep a Nikon with an ultra-wide 10-24mm lens tucked in my camera bag (from before I switched to Fuji). It’s there in case I want a unique wide-angle photo. It’s also there in case of disaster.

This is the sort of photo that I would take with my spare Nikon camera and wide angle lens. A couple of nice wide angle photos like this balance out the look of the photos taken with the portrait lens.

Last spring, I timed a maternity session for the golden hour. If you’ve ever photographed during the golden hour, then you know how quickly the time passes. When the family arrived, I pulled out my camera, dialed in my settings, and then noticed with surprise that the battery was dead. ‘That’s strange; I always charge my batteries,’ I thought. I reached into my camera bag to pull out a spare battery and panicked when I realized I hadn’t brought any!

Decide right now what you’ll do when your camera stops working, or you make a foolish mistake as I did. Decide right now what your backup plan is so that when it happens, you can switch to autopilot and get the job done.

Most likely, you’ll reach for your second camera. That’s what I did.

I had no choice but to shoot the whole session with an ultra wide angle lens! It’s the last lens I would ever choose to photograph portraits.

All of the photos in this article are from the photo session with the ultra-wide lens. You can let a family down with your mistakes, or you can rise above and make whatever you’ve got work. I’ve seen enough episodes of “Pro Photographer, Cheap Camera” to know that beautiful photos can be made with nearly any camera and lens.

During one session, I was waist deep in a river. There was one camera around my neck and one in my hand. After a few minutes, I realized I had been dunking the camera around my neck into the water. Panic rushed through my head and chest – I just drowned a $2000 camera. But I calmly walked ashore, packed away the camera and got back to work. Nobody knew but me. I allowed the need to capture memories to overcome the panic I was feeling in the moment. I could deal with the camera later, there was a family counting on me. Decide in advance not to let your negative feelings rule you.

I’m more concerned about the people I’m photographing than the gear I’m using. Personality knows nothing about cameras and lenses, it shines whenever it wants to.

2. People

Beyond technology, other disasters can happen during your photo session.

How about a family that arrives at the photo session in miserable moods and arguing? They probably found it stressful getting ready for the photo session.

It’s uncomfortable for the photographer and might even lead to the family completely blowing up at each other.

You can get upset and stressed out (how dare they treat me like this as a professional photographer?), or you can diffuse the situation.

These scenarios can be tricky to figure out. Try to get them focusing on something else by asking questions and bringing up topics they love. Focus more on the kids first. If you can cheer them up, their excitement becomes contagious. You’ll find the moment that the tension is released, the scene turns to laughter.

Laughter is so contagious. My wife always comments that I come home from photo sessions in a better mood. It’s because there is so much laughter.

Challenging Kids

Once in a while, families bring me very challenging kids. One mom came with her non-verbal child. He didn’t take direction at all, and immediately ran off into the woods! All of the photos from that session were candid because the child didn’t sit long enough to pose. It wasn’t until he rested with exhaustion that I finally got a photo of him and his mom.

It was the first session where I thought I had failed. However, upon reviewing the photos, I discovered many wonderful moments, and the mom loved them.

You need to begin every tough situation by telling yourself, ‘there is a way.’ I now know that completely candid photo sessions are possible.

As a photographer, I prefer candid moments over posed ones. Even when posing a photo, I wait for the candid moment to appear.

Terrified Kids

I remember one little guy who was terrified of cameras. Just the sight of one sent him into hysterical tears. Beginning with the phrase, ‘there is a way,’ I built a trusting relationship with the child. It naturally led to smiles and no fear of my camera. It took a while, but it worked.

3. Photos that Fall Short of Your Vision

Every master was once a disaster – T. Harv Eker

You may feel like some photo sessions were a disaster because you weren’t happy with how the photos turned out. It is perfectly reasonable for creative photographers struggling with their vision. It’s part of how you grow as a photographer. Allow that dissatisfaction to push you harder next time. Learn from your mistakes and let them prepare you to avoid future disasters.

In the end, I learned that an ultra wide angle lens can lead to nice photos. I broke my dependency on my favorite lens. It makes me wonder what other disasters will help me grow as a photographer.

What is Your Biggest Fear?

Technology, people, and our lack of creativity threaten our photo sessions all the time. But if you create and rehearse your backup plan in advance, you’ve got much less to actually worry about.

What’s your biggest fear about a photo session going wrong? Let me know in the comments and see if we can figure out your backup plan in advance.

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[Photography] 5 Tips for Using Continuous Lights in Your Photography

Lighting is an essential building block of photography. Learning how to use light to your advantage can transform an ordinary photo into an extraordinary one. Many photographers begin their journey working with natural light and I firmly believe this is is a great place to start. But depending on the circumstance, artificial light may be needed.

When it comes to artificial light, there are many options to choose from. Speedlights, strobe lights and continuous lights are all at your disposal, not to mention the various light modifiers. But while it’s nice to have this variety, trying to work out which light source is best for your shoot can become overwhelming.

The Difference Between Speedlights, Strobe Lights and Continuous Lights

Speedlights are portable, battery operated lights that can attach to most cameras through the hot shoe mount. They can also be used off-camera by attaching them to a light stand and then activating them via wireless triggers.

Strobes are larger (and typically more powerful) lights that are attached to light stands and activated through wireless triggers. Both speedlights and strobe lights emit a powerful burst of light when fired.

Continuous lights emit light the entire time you have them on. Years ago these lights were commonly used in video production. After using them they’d be physically hot, and you had to wear special gloves to break them down. (I remember those days.)

Thankfully, continuous lights are now more powerful, more portable, and cool to the touch.

 

When to Use Continuous Lights

Continuous lights are often overlooked in the world of photography. But sometimes they’re the best choice. If you’re an event photographer, you may find yourself shooting in a venue that doesn’t allow flash photography. In these cases, continuous lights may be permitted. Even if flash photography is allowed, you may still opt for continuous lights to avoid being a distraction. If it’s a sensitive event, setting continuous lights and leaving them on may be a better option.

Continuous lights are also a viable option for portrait photography, especially for beginners. When using strobe lights, you can’t truly evaluate your lighting situation until they’re fired. Because of this, they often take more time to set up and adjust. (You need to keep taking photos of your subject and adjusting the lights until they’re right.)

With continuous lights, you can see the lighting situation in real time, which helps you learn to see the best lighting situations and achieve your aesthetic goal. They generally emit an even stream of light onto your subject, allowing you to set them up once and then forget them.

And many strobe lights need a moment to power up between shoots. Those few seconds could bethe difference between a perfect shot and a mediocre one. If you’re taking photos of a subject that might move around a lot such as children or pets, continuous lights may be the answer.

Here are five photography tips to make using continuous lights easier and more effective.

1. Get stronger lights

Because of their design, continuous lights generally aren’t as powerful as strobe lights. To ensure you get a nice light source, opt for more powerful lights. I recommend an LED with at least 1000 bulbs. If it’s too strong, you can always dial it back. Better to have more than you need in these situations.

2. Soften the light

We want a soft light on our subject to avoid unwanted harsh shadows. Continuous lighting is no different. Use light modifiers to soften your light as much as possible, especially if you’re taking portraits. Whether you use softboxes or umbrellas is up to you. (I like using softboxes or scrims.)

3. Check the color temperature

Unlike most photography lights, some continuous lights let you change color temperature. In most cases you’ll want to make sure they’re set to daylight (around 5600k), which will give you the most natural look. Check your lights to make sure they’re set to the right color temperature.

4. Turn off all other available lighting

Because color temperature is so important, chances are the current lighting in the space will interfere and mix the color temperatures. Turn off all other light sources in the space to ensure the only light your camera is working with is the light you’ve provided.

5. Use a three-point light system

If you’re taking portrait, I suggest using a three-point light system, especially with continuous lights as they aren’t as powerful. The two front lights will be your key and fill, while the back light can serve as a hair light or be used to separate your subject from the background.

Ready to Try Continuous Lights?

I hope you consider using continuous lights next time you’re in the studio. The results may surprise you.

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[Photography] Making Photoshop Luminosity Masks Easy with Lumenzia

As you advance with your photography, you may want to edit your photographs with more precise control. In this article, I discuss how to use Lumenzia Luminosity Masking Panel to easily edit sections of your image using Luminosity Masks in Adobe Photoshop.

These masks allow you to control different aspects of your image without affecting others. You can manually create these luminosity masks, or you can use a product such as Lumenzia to make them for you automatically, as well as applying many commonly used adjustment layers in Adobe Photoshop.

Hoar Frost on a River Stone after Using Luminosity Masks

Lumenzia is a luminosity masking panel that is an add-on application that works within Adobe Photoshop. It allows you to quickly create and efficiently use a wide range of luminosity masks for your image editing. To understand how Lumenzia works, because it is a little technical, you need to understand how Photoshop layers work.

Lumenzia, in its most basic terms, is used within Adobe Photoshop to allow you to manipulate images with layer masks. For this article, all the references and images are for Lumenzia V6.0.  Lumenzia appears as a panel within Photoshop.

Lumenzia Panel

Luminosity Masks

Luminosity masks, also known as Luminescence masks, are a way of making advanced selections in Photoshop based on luminosity values. This method is particularly useful for images with a high dynamic range.

For example, let’s say we are looking at the hoar frost ice ball image. It is a bright object on a dark background, where the exposure is likely to have been selected for the darker areas rather than the ice ball, making the ice ball more gray than white. The image is uneven because the white section (the ice ball) is underexposed. We could make a second exposure, this time exposing to account for the ice ball and then smoothly blend the area of the ice into the darker background.

Underexposed Original Hoar Frost Ice Ball

There are many ways to make selections in Photoshop, but in this particular example, Luminosity Masks would allow us to select the over-exposed area because it targets luminosity values (i.e., the brightness of an area), and smoothly blend in the darker exposure. The image below shows the luminosity histogram for this image.

Ice ball histogram

Luminosity masks are incredibly powerful because you can manipulate specific parts of your image. As with all masks, the key to remember is that white reveals and black conceals. There are multiple uses for these types of masks including fine-tuning images, highlight recovery, HDR images, black and white imagery, and general masking uses.

Lumenzia is an add-on product for Photoshop CC that allows for the automation of using Luminosity Masks. The limits of what you use this tool for is related to your imagination and how far you want to manipulate images.

Bonavista Harbour at Night – High Dynamic Range

What is a Luminosity Mask?

In general, there are two fundamental characteristics of the data contained in the photographic information in digital form: Chromatic (color, hue, and tint) and Luminosity (brightness). Luminosity masks focus on using the brightness of the information contained in the image data to allow you to manipulate portions of the image selectively.

There are some other great articles on dPS regarding Luminosity Masks. This being a fairly advanced concept, understanding how layers work in Photoshop is vital, or you may not understand much of this article.

Why use Luminosity Masks?

In times past and to this day, many photographers use techniques such as a white seamless background behind a portrait subject to allow for the background to be changed in post-production. Some other photographers use color to allow the background to replaced.

Cute Puppy on White Seamless Background

The distinction between the two backgrounds is that the white background has different luminosity levels, making it easier to mask out the background manually. Colored backgrounds can create problems due to the color of the clothing worn and color from the background affecting the edges of the subject in the foreground. The lighting on the subject can also affect this. The colored background is a chromatic mask rather than a luminosity mask. Luminosity masks are used to solve this issue.

Again, layer masks always work on the premise that white reveals and black conceals.

Let’s look at three masks for the Ice Ball image:

• ‘Lights’ (L2) Mask (just from the high end)
• ‘Mid-tone’ Mask (just from the middle)
• ‘Darks’ mask (just from the darker end)

It’s the same image using the different masks. By using these masks, you can modify the image in those specific areas. The white areas are the selected areas of the histogram and the further you get from the selection, the darker the mask is. For the ‘Highlights,’ only the light values are white. For the ‘Mid-tone’ selection, only the mid-range values are white, making the highlights dark as well as the dark range. Finally, the ‘Darks’ selection shows the dark range in white.

Lights 2 Mask

Mids 2 Mask

Darks 2 Mask

How do you create Luminosity masks?

There are three ways to create luminosity masks. Firstly, you could create your own (time-consuming) and then automate this process. Secondly, you could purchase Lightroom or Photoshop presets that have someone else create an automated process for you. The third way is an add-in product that works within Photoshop. Lumenzia is an add-in product that works well.

There are two issues with the first two methods of generating Luminosity Masks; the time it takes to set up and automate them and the size of the files that have them applied with layer masks. Using presets or actions to generate Layer Masks can significantly increase the size of the files within Photoshop because each layer is effectively an image. This process takes up hard drive space and can place extra processing power on your computer.

Lumenzia uses Vector Masks instead of Layer Masks to rapidly create the Luminosity Masks. It allows for the rapid manipulation of images and discarding of masks is easy. All while keeping the image size smaller and more flexible.

How does Lumenzia work?

Lumenzia is an exciting product on its own as it allows you to efficiently control and automate many tasks related to Luminosity Masks. It integrates into Photoshop CC as a panel with simple button commands – many of which have instructions as you hover over them.

It is a powerful tool, and while the initial concepts are simple, the learning curve for using the product efficiently may be steep for some. Luckily, there are also integrated video tutorials that are launched from within Photoshop directly from the panel (you require an internet connection for these to function). The purpose of this review is to give you a bit of an overview of how it works so you can see if it’s right for you.

The Lumenzia Panel

The majority of the panel shows the selections of the luminosity ranges you need – once you understand how to select the various luminosity levels. To illustrate, consider a standard histogram for an image.

The RGB histogram shows the distribution of all the luminosity levels from pure black on the far left and pure white on the far right. The Lumenzia panel is divided up into sections. The top portion of the panel is the luminosity mask selection and preview area that allows you to see what you have selected.

Selection Portion of Lumenzia Panel

This top section divides up the luminosity ranges based on the ranges you are looking to use. Visually, the buttons give you a clear idea of the luminosity range that the buttons select. The buttons can be combined and inverted.

Once you press a selected range, a temporary selection appears and the layer buttons show.

Look at the luminosity histogram and notice the buttons visually show (on the same horizontal line) an approximate distribution of the luminescence values being selected.

The line of numbers (0-10), just above the bottom, is the zone values that Ansel Adams made famous as part of his processing technique.

Once you select a range, a preview appears with a set of orange tabs. These are just temporary to show you how the mask looks.

Orange Preview Tabs

The second section is the ‘Apply Panel.’ This panel allows you to use the mask on a common set of adjustment layer commands within Photoshop, such as curves, levels, contrast, brightness, HSL, and selective color. It applies the masks you have selected by creating an adjustment layer with the layer controls set up from the mask. The properties of the adjustment layer can then be modified.

Lumenzia Apply Panel

The third section is the ‘Refine Panel’ for refining the mask you have selected. It allows you to group and combine your selections as well as work with edge refinement. This section of the Lumenzia panel is suited for more advanced users.

Refine Panel

Conclusion

Once you get familiar with Lumenzia, creating adjustment layers that work on your images with precision is fantastic. The online tutorials provide a wide array of examples of how to control all aspects of your images. The panels mentioned come with the full add-in program ($39.99 US), but there is also a basic free panel that helps you get a feel for how it works. The Lumenzia website can be found here.

Using Lumenzia to control your images can help you produce dynamic results for your images.  Happy processing!

Have you tried Lumenzia? What results have you had with it? Please share with us in the comments below.

Wansford Bridge

 

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[Photography] How to Choose the Right Tripod for Landscape Photography

A tripod is an essential piece of equipment for a landscape photographer. Sure, you won’t always need to use it. But you’ll find yourself in situations where it can help you capture a high-quality image you wouldn’t be able to get otherwise.

But how do you choose the right tripod? There are hundreds (if not thousands) of options out there, with prices ranging from $10 to more than $1,000. How do you know which one will best suit your needs? Should you just go for the most expensive tripod you can find? It must be the best, right?

Not necessarily.

Why You Need a Tripod

Before we get into the best options for you, I want to go over a few key reasons why you need a tripod.

Tripods are essential for capturing razor-sharp images, especially in low-light situations where you want to keep your ISO low.

While increasing the ISO lets you use a quicker shutter speed, it can introduce unwanted grain/noise and reduce the overall quality of your image. But keeping the ISO low means you’ll need a longer shutter speed. (Yes, you can adjust the aperture. But I won’t be talking about that here).

Capturing a sharp image using a shutter speed of 1/10th of a second or slower with a handheld camera is almost impossible. It’s very difficult to avoid any camera movement which, with such a slow shutter speed, means you’ll introduce some blur into the image.

Mounting the camera on a tripod lets you use slower shutter speeds and still capture sharp images. The camera sits still on the tripod, so you don’t have to worry about the motion of you holding it.

Using a tripod also allows you to use even slower shutter speeds and capture long exposures (i.e. images that make use of extra slow shutter speeds).

What to Consider Before Buying a Tripod

The first tripods I bought were cheap $20 aluminum models from the local electronic shop. While most photographers start with such a tripod, I strongly advise you not to buy one. For landscape photography, they simply won’t do a good job. In some situations, they may even do more harm than goods. These also break more easily than something of a higher quality.

So what should you consider before purchasing your next tripod? Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Price and quality (i.e. what does your budget allow?)
• Flexibility
• Weight (aluminum vs carbon)

Taking these topics into account before you buy will make it easier to find the best one for your needs.

1. Price

The first thing most of us consider is the price. Photography equipment is rarely cheap, and if you want quality you need to pay for it. As I said earlier, a tripod can cost you anything from $10 to several thousand. But are more expensive tripods necessarily better?

In general, yes. A $1,000 tripod will outperform a $200 tripod in most tests. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right one for you. Ask yourself what you need. What type of photography do you do? Do you need the most expensive model? For most people, the answer is no.

Chances are a mid-range ($200) tripod will be more than adequate and perform perfectly in most scenarios.

2. Flexibility / Height

What about the specs? Should you choose a short one or a tall one? Can the legs spread wide, or are they locked into a fixed position? Flip-lock or twist-lock?

Let’s start with the height. In most situations, you won’t need a tall tripod. But there may well come a time where you need that extra leg length. Is it worth paying extra for? If you often find yourself in rivers, rocks or rugged seascapes, then yes. But if you’re not into extreme landscape photography and mount your tripod on flat and stable ground instead, I wouldn’t bother.

While a tall tripod is nice, it’s also nice to have one that lets you get close to the ground. For this image, the tripod held my camera just a few centimeters off the ground, which allowed me to get extra close to the flowers.

So what’s more important to you? Having a tall tripod, or being able to take photographs from a low perspective?

The good news is that some of the more expensive tripods can give you both. While they can stand close to two meters tall, they can also lay more or less flat on the ground for those extremely low perspective shots. 

3. Weight

The final thing to consider is the tripod’s weight. This is important, especially if you head out on long hikes to reach particular destinations. Your backpack can get quite heavy once you add all the gear you need, so the last thing you want is unnecessary weight from a tripod.

Now, a lightweight tripod doesn’t necessarily mean a low-quality tripod. In fact, some of the best tripods out there are lightweight. You just need to make sure they’re sturdy and can support the weight of your camera. However, these tripods are rarely cheap and are often found in the higher end of the price range.

If you’re an avid hiker and tend to go a long way to photograph your subjects, I strongly recommend looking into a lightweight carbon-fiber tripod. These tripods are just as sturdy (if not more sturdy) than the heavier aluminum alternatives.

But if you’re not into hiking, weight might not be such an issue. In fact, if you photograph in rough conditions you may prefer the extra weight. When photographing beaches in Arctic Norway I depend on having a sturdy tripod that won’t break when hit by waves or move when the waves are receding. In these situations, a low-quality travel tripod is far from ideal. Even strong winds can make these tripods vibrate, leading to blurry images. A heavy and solid tripod is a much better option.

What types of landscapes do you normally photograph? And what do you need to capture those scenes?

Which Tripod is Best for You?

Unfortunately, I can’t answer this question for you. It really depends on who you are and the kinds of photographs you take. But when you’re ready to buy one, consider what I’ve talked about and ask yourself what you need. Do you need a light tripod you can easily bring on long hikes? Do you need a sturdy tripod that can handle wind and rough conditions? Perhaps you need a combination of the two.

And what about the price? Do you really need the most expensive model, or will a medium-priced alternative do the job?

Answering these questions should help you narrow down the options, and help you find the tripod that is best for you.

Personally, I have two tripods: a lightweight travel tripod I can bring on long hikes, and my main tripod that’s a little heavier (and more expensive) but solid enough to use in even the roughest Arctic conditions.

Let us know what tripod you ended up choosing. We’d love to hear about it.

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[Photography] How to Create Dark and Dramatic Backgrounds Using High-Speed Sync

The Usefulness of High-Speed Sync

Among other things, high-speed sync lets you underexpose your backgrounds for dramatic images.

High-speed sync (HSS) is easily one of the most useful features in lighting. Not only does it let you overpower the sun for more flattering light in the middle of the day, it also lets you use your largest apertures in broad daylight.

It also lets you use another useful technique – underexposing your backgrounds by several stops. With a powerful enough light you can even underexpose the sun by three or four stops, thus making it a compositional element in your frame. This lets you create dark, dramatic backgrounds for visual impact. It also brings your subject forward in the frame, ensuring they’re the dominant aspect of your image.

Fortunately, using HSS to create dark backgrounds like this is easy. And in this short tutorial, I’ll show you how to do it using both E-TTL and manual exposure modes.

Why Darken Your Backgrounds?

While you won’t want to darken the background in every situation, dark backgrounds in scenes that would normally be very bright look great. It may be a stylised affair, but it’s a cool style.

Darkening the background brings your subject forward in the frame(providing they’re well lit), and emphasizes them as the focal point of the background. And the inherent contrast added by putting extremely dark tones in the frame helps to make things pop.

This shot was taken without a flash and is all natural light. You can see the background shares a similar tonality to the subject, reducing the subject’s impact within the frame.

 

By intentionally underexposing the background with HSS, the subject now dominates the frame.

What Do You Need?

To get started with this technique you’ll need:

• A flash with HSS capability (and TTL capability if you don’t want to use manual).

Some studios strobes (such as the Pixapro Citi600) now come with HSS functionality built in.

• A trigger or some other means to fire your flash. (You’ll need a TTL-compatible trigger if you want to use TTL.)

If you want to use manual mode, a PC Sync cable will do the job. But for E-TTL you’ll need a compatible trigger. (The icon circled in red is the HSS icon.)

E-TTL Mode

To use this technique with TTL metering, turn on the flash, trigger, and camera of whatever system you’re using. Set your flash mode to HSS and E-TTL. (If you don’t know how to do this, refer to your manual.) You should also zero out the flash exposure compensation settings on your flash.

Switch your camera to ‘Aperture Priority‘ mode and choose the desired aperture. I’m fond of f/4 and f/5.6 for this technique, but it’s not a rule.

Now dial between -1 and -3 stops of exposure compensation into your camera. What this does is underexpose all the ambient light in your scene. It’s how you achieve the dark backgrounds – everything that isn’t properly exposed by your flash will be darkened.

Backgrounds that are already in shadow (such as the one in this photo) may only need one stop of underexposure.

For dark backgrounds already in shadow, -1 stop of exposure compensation will be enough. For bright backgrounds or backgrounds in direct sunlight, you’ll need to underexpose more. To overpower the sun, you’ll need to underexpose by at least three stops.

Backgrounds lit by direct sunlight (such as the one in this image) may need up to four stops of underexposure.

Take a test shot, evaluate the image and the histogram on your camera, and adjust the flash exposure compensation as needed.

That’s all there is to it.

Manual Mode

HSS is great for overpowering the sun. Here, three stops of underexposure controlled the appearance of the sun in the frame. Notice how dark the rest of frame (lit in broad daylight) appears.

The steps for manual mode are almost identical to using E-TTL mode.

1. Set up the flash, trigger, and camera of your system.
2. Set the camera to aperture priority mode.
3. Set the camera to your desired aperture.
4. Dial in -1 to -3 stops of exposure compensation.
5. Take a test shot.
6. Adjust your flash power as needed.

However, in manual mode, the meter in your camera doesn’t relay any exposure information to your flash as it does in E-TTL mode. That means you’ll need to set your flash power yourself by evaluating your test shot and turning the flash power up or down as needed. You may need to alter the flash power a lot more than you would with E-TTL. Just keep taking tests shots and evaluating the exposure until it’s where you want it.

Adjusting the power in manual mode means dialing through all the increments on your flash. This isn’t a problem, but it’s harder than E-TTL.

As an aside, light meters are now available that can measure HSS such as the Sekonic L-858D. However, they’re very expensive. A Slovenian company called Lumu also makes a light meter that plugs into an iPhone to measures HSS. I saw these being demoed at a trade show and was very impressed with the results. They’re less expensive, but they currently work only with iPhones.

That’s It

Provided you have the necessary equipment, the technique is quite easy. And it can give you a variety of results, so make sure you experiment with different amounts of exposure compensation.

Though limited by your access to the equipment, this HSS technique is easy to employ and can result in bold, dramatic imagery.

Other Considerations

Here are a few things to keep in mind while using this technique:

ISO. Generally speaking, you should keep your ISO as low as possible. Of course, if you have a particularly low-powered flash you may need to bring it up.

Flash Meters. Most flash meters can’t meter for HSS exposures. There are specialist meters that can, but be prepared to pay through the nose for them.

Daylight Conditions. This technique works in all sorts of lighting conditions, from direct midday sun to diffused light on a cloudy day. You’ll need a powerful light to overpower the sun on a bright day, but if you do the technique works really well.

This HSS technique works well in all lighting conditions. The image on the left was created in overcast conditions, while the image on the right was taken in direct sunlight.

Flashguns / Speedlights. Many flashguns have HSS functionality built in and are capable of great results. If you have a flashgun, consider using them for this technique.

Give it a try

Now that you’ve seen what can be accomplished with this relatively easy technique, I encourage you to get out and try it for yourself. And let us know how you went in the comments.

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[Photography] How to Find the Best Kinds of People to Photograph While Traveling

Photographers often struggle to make portraits of strangers while they’re traveling. They’ll have wonderful photos of all the picture postcard views and landmarks, but none of their pictures will have faces. We often encounter this with people who join our photography workshops.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

One of the keys to returning home with a good selection of people pictures is being able to pick the best people to photograph. If you learn to observe people you can often judge who’ll enjoy having their portrait made. These are the best people to photograph.

Not everyone likes having their photo taken. Photographers often fall into this group. If you’re like this then your perception, based on your own feelings and experiences, can be negative. You presume others don’t like being photographed because you don’t enjoy the experience.

How do I know this? Because I used to think the same way.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Practice on Your Friends

Take your camera to your next social gathering and photograph your friends. You’ll soon learn who enjoys the experience because they’ll probably tell you if they don’t.

If you’re not used to photographing people, making portraits for your friends is a great way to ease into the experience. It’s easier to communicate with someone you already know. And make a point of reading their body language. It’s an important skill to have when you’re visiting a place where you can’t speak the language.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Look for Clues and Cues

People of a different culture won’t necessarily respond the same way you would. Here in Thailand, people often laugh if they are uncomfortable or embarrassed. Sometimes they’ll even laugh when something terrible happens, which is a lot different to where I grew up.

Other cultures may become a bit hostile at having a snapshot of them taken in the streets.

Look for talkative people who are engaging with others – they’re often happy to be photographed. Quiet and sullen people are less likely to respond positively to your request to photograph them.

When I’m in the street or at a market, I look for a place where I can stand back and observe the people and my surroundings. I look for people who:

• are having fun and enjoying their day
• are deeply engaged in a task or a conversation
• have an interesting face and look a bit bored, and probably wouldn’t mind having a conversation with a photographer.

These are the types of people I find it easiest to make engaging portraits of.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Photographing Children

I always get permission before taking photos of children. Most parents will love the face you want a picture of – they are likely the delight of their life.

Be ready to be confronted by a forced toothy (or toothless) grin. These generally don’t make great portraits, but it’s worth taking a few photos and then working towards a more natural expression. Show them the photos and thank them. They’ll probably go right back to what they were doing. Stay close by, and move back to photograph them again. Hopefully, this time they’ll ignore your camera, thinking you’ve already taken their picture. (This method works equally well with adults.)

Getting down to the child’s level also helps. Look them in the eye and smile. You can get a better response than if you were towering over them with a huge camera.

Some kids enjoy getting their picture taken more than others. Malu lives in an ethnic minority village we often visit on our photography workshops. From the moment we first encountered her we knew she’d be wonderful to photograph. Not only is she super cute, but she also loves being photographed and interacts with us. We’ve built a relationship with her and others in this village that works to our advantage. When we visit with our workshops, our participants can make more intimate portraits than if they were on their own.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Take a Workshop or Photo Tour, or Hire a Guide

Local knowledge and relationships can be extremely helpful and valuable. People who’ve developed relationships with locals and have a rapport with them can help you. Make the most of their relationships so you can connect more easily with your subjects.

Guides and teachers can also help you by translating questions you may have. Being able to ask questions and show an interest in the person you’re photographing can lead into a more open portrait.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Photograph People You Interact With

It’s unlikely that the bellhop at your hotel or the receptionist will refuse a photo. Even the cleaning staff will most likely pose for a portrait. Taxi drivers and boatmen can be great to photograph.

If you’re in one location for a few days, keep buying your coffee of fruit juice from the same vendor. Once they’ve seen you a few times, ask if you can make a picture of them. Anyone you’re giving money to will usually oblige.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Be Open and Approachable

People often reflect the feeling you express. They read your body language. If you’re smiling, open and confident, they’ll more than likely be the same. But if you’re nervous, fiddling around with your camera and not making eye contact, their response may not be so positive.

Learn to say “Hello” and “May I take your photo?” in the local language. This will bring a smile to most people’s faces as they appreciate the fact you’re making an effort to connect with them.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Fit a Wide Lens to Your Camera

Avoid the temptation to use your longest lens. The photos you take will appear distant and removed. Use either a 50mm or wider lens on a full-frame sensor or a lens around 35mm on a crop sensor. I prefer a 35mm on a full-frame camera for travel portraits. A wider lens means you need to be close, which lets you interact more easily.

If your subject seems a little uneasy, start with a few photos from further back. Show them the picture on your camera monitor. They’ll usually smile. If you’re quick, you can squeeze a few more frames of them. But if you have a longer lens you’ll need to be further back.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

That’s how I managed to make this portrait of Malu just after her neck ring was removed. She was quiet and a bit self-conscious that morning, so I crouched next to her and asked if I could take her photo. She nodded, and I took a few frames using my 35mm f1.4 lens. I showed her the photos, and suddenly realized she hadn’t seen herself without her traditional neck ring.

She reached behind her neck and pulled her hair back so I could make another photo and see her neck more clearly. If I’d had an 85mm or other longer portrait lens I would have missed this photo because I would have been too close.

A wider lens also means a more intimate portrait. You need to instill confidence in the person you want to photograph. Observe carefully, and ask people who look as if they’ll enjoy the experience.

By following these tips, I’m sure you’ll find great people to photograph, and create some wonderful travel portraits.

Have you taken some great travel portraits, or have some other photography tips? We’d love you to share them in the comments below.

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