Using your flash - tips for great photography

I have some great flash equipment that I use with my DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) Nikon camera. Most smaller cameras have a built in flash, but these usually lack power so stick to using them close to your subject for best results, usually two to three metres, but not so close the image is over exposed. Most will have a 'red eye reduction' system either engaged at the time the picture is taken or in the software that came with the camera. The great thing about digital cameras is that you can review the image and try again, assuming your subject is prepared to try again too! As a professional photographer I not only have the advantage of some great and very powerful technology, but I still take lots of pictures and perhaps people are more prepared for it to take a little more time because, after all, they are paying for the service and want value for money.

The alternative to using flash is to increase the sensitivity or ISO on your images. The drawback here is that picture quality in terms of colour and graininess, although this can be seen as 'arty' especially if the image is turned into a black and white picture. This picture of Oona playing at Knowsley Hall is a case in point, I was there helping Oona with her harp and taking pictures of Oona playing. I was a long way away from the subjects and not using the flash because I did not want to be intrusive. Blur may also be  a problem with moving subjects like this bride.

Recently I photographed a christening and use the portable flash but off-camera on tripods and using reflective umbrellas. This is one of the big advantage of buying a DSLR because it gives you that expandable system of high quality and power flashes and lenses. Such system do come at a price but it is amazing how the entry level cameras are improving, taking on the attributes of the higher end professional cameras.

The bigger the flash the greater the reach and on a number of occasions having the extra power has made the difference. At a recent Charity Masquerade Ball in aid of the St Kentigern Hospice I was able to set up powerful studio flashes which gave almost total light control.

Next posts will look closer at 'red eye' and how to avoid it or deal with it afterwards, and then more about DSLRs an whether it is worth upgrading and the extra cost.

Great places to show off you images - tips for great photography

There are so many places to publish your pictures on the web.

I use a number myself starting with my own website. Being a professional photographer means I need to show case my work and have a way for people to contact me. At www.richardlinnett.com you will see examples of my paid images, although I regard myself as very fortunate that I have a job I love to do and earning a living from photographing people and places is a bonus!

Other places include Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardlinnett/ which has in the past been a great source of encouragement from a community of contacts interested in exchanging comments about images, seeking to help people as they improve their techniques. It is always good when someone comments positively especially if they add your picture to one of their galleries.

Within a social context I have also been building a fan page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RichardLinnett.photography. This has been particularly useful after photographing events like charity ball when people can quickly find me and make a contact to talk about images I have taken of them.

Recently I have also been putting together simple slide shows of my work for clients and publishing them, with permission, on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenLinnett31/videos. It is handy for clients to be able to quickly see the imagery and point friends and family to the relevant video on my channel. These slide show videos do not have to be complicated or over-elaborate, and I often think that 'less is more', allowing the pictures and the music to speak for themselves.

None of the sites mentioned above require more than an intuitive understanding of how to use a website and most are free to use for someone just starting. Try one of the sites out and see what response your work gets. Leave me a message and I will have a look at your work.

Print big! - tips for great photography

New printer has arrived but which picture to enlarge to A3? A lot of people print their images even as small as 4 by 6 inches. I would suggest you only print the very best of your images and when you do, print at least 7 by 5 inches, bigger is even better. You will be amazed at how good your picture looks 10 by 8 inches in size.

Eagle

It is always a joy to see images printed large! I can often say it almost takes my breath away when I see my images on display. Oona and I are going to sit down and choose some images for the house. It could be that we have ideas for wall space but no absolutely right picture for it. This could be an opportunity to get out

37,000 feet

Putting images up  in the studio is a little easier to decide upon although leaving enough blank space to show them off well will be the challenge. I recently bought some signing boards for weddings which take a 10 by 8 inch image with a very broad border. These look great and and links to another post about giving your pictures 'breathing space'. We also want to put some images up as canvases. I had a canvas order recently and the image looked so good we thought we should have some of our own.

Medina - Malta

Happy printing!

Prints look fantastic! - tips for great photography

Did a lot of printing recently, images do look so much better off the screen especially if printed large. I am about to invest in an A3+ printer so that I can print more on demand. I will still use the lab for large orders and wedding album pictures to make the most of economies of scale.

When buying a printer always go for multiple inks as they will give your a greater range of colours. If you are serious about getting the colours 'right' then you need to calibrate your screen to the printer. Computer screens, depending on how they are set up, can generate many more colours than a printer so it is important to match the screen to the printer to avoid disappointment. I have a special device called a 'spyder' which sits over my monitor to help assess accurately the colours. This is important because as a wedding and portrait photographer I need to ensure that clients get accurate prints of what they see on my screen. When I send prints to the lab I used a printer profile they have sent me so that I know colours and tones will come back true.

The spyder does the same job with tones. What I have noticed in the past is that blacks on screen sometimes come out a 'bit thin' so I tend to boost the bottom end of the output range of tones to redress the problem. Some programs allow you to increas the 'dark' in a picture which is the same thing. This must not be overdone though, as the picture might then appear under exposed.

All too technical?

Just enjoy printing some of your favourite pictures as large as you can afford and have wall space for!