On a trip to Railay Bay in the beautiful Thailand last week I was posed with the dilemma, do I shoot into the sun or in the opposite direction at sunrise and sunset? Railay Bay is a landlocked peninsula with two beaches facing West, and a dense mangrove bay facing East. For the most part we are stuck with only one option, especially in Australia. In my local area (Northern Beaches, Sydney) the points of interest are largely on the coast. So regardless of what or when I’m shooting I will point East. So with options to make an educated choice we need to look at what makes a good sunrise/sunset and what doesn’t.

Good Sunrise/Sunset

First and foremost, clouds make for a good sunrise or sunset. Without clouds your photos are likely to be bland and lack all the beautiful colours of sunrise/sunset. Of course this is not always true but for the most part a spectacular sunset or sunrise is present when the last rays of light hit the clouds. With that in mind, first check where the clouds are siting and point your camera towards them (whilst keeping interesting foreground). This could be in any direction not necessarily East or West.

Pointing into the sun makes for a harder shot especially if you want to retain dynamic range. Multiple exposures (one for the sky, one for the foreground) or sufficient strength ND grads are generally required to keep detail in both the sky and foreground. Silhouettes are easier to shoot as you only need to expose for the sky (see photo below). If you want those cool sun stars wait until only a sliver of the sun is showing and shoot with a high aperture (as show in photo to the right). The higher the aperture (F16, F22 etc.) the bigger the star burst.

Pointing away from the sun or shooting before sunrise / after sunset is far easier and will still give you great results. Try to previsualise the shot you want to achieve or just work with what you have.

Lots of clouds sitting on the horizon blocking the sun is a dead set sunrise or sunset killer. It means that the sun won’t light up the clouds in the opposite direction or any low lying clouds above it. Which brings me to…

Low lying clouds are ace! They will always give you the best results, shoot them where you can. If the are moving fast then all the better, with long exposures you can get some nice motion blur.

Use The Photographer’s Ephemeris to figure out the angles of sunrise/sunset/moonrise/moonset relative to your shooting location. Think of where the sun will hit as it becomes lower or higher in the sky and where you need to be to capture it. Do you want the sun in the shot? Where is the subject relative to the sun? Can I point away or to the side of the sunrise? Where will my shadow cast (and do I really want it in my shots)?

Well as you may have figured out, there is no clear cut magical answer. Best to get out there and work with what you have. Hopefully some of the tips may help and save you from running around like a maniac!

Photographed pointing away from the sun shortly before sunset – Railay Beach, Thailand

Photographed 7 minutes later pointing into the sun as it dips behind some clouds – Phra Nang Beach, Railay Bay, Thailand (Princess Cave silhouetted)

So which dSLR should I get? Well there are a few things to consider, here are my recommendations:

Which flavour?

First up you need to decide on a brand. In reality there is no wrong decision although you might think so later down the track. Nikon’s are better in low light, but Canon’s do video better, this guy takes awesome shots and uses Nikon, should I sell all my gear and buy the other? No, just stick with what you have and stop worrying about it.

To pick a manufacturer I suggest going to a local camera store and have a play. See which camera you prefer, which you can navigate you way round and find easiest to use. After you have found the manufacturer pick the model you can afford. All the camera’s from the same manufacturer basically operate in a similar fashion with the only differences being hardware (how many Mpixels) and features. There are a few features you may wish to include but at the end of the day the decision is likely to be based on what you can afford or want to spend. Don’t be concerned by Mpixels, quality comes from the lens.

Glass

There are a lot of lens/camera package deals out there. I have a few suggestions to get the right one for you. If you can’t find the right deal buy the camera body only and source a lens or lenses elsewhere.

For starts I would buy one good multipurpose lens over a twin lens pack. I bought my first dSLR camera with the twin lens package (18-55mm & 75-300mm) and found that I very rarely used the 75-300mm, carrying the extra lens was a major pain and swapping between them inconvenient. For this reason I suggest getting something that covers most bases being both wide and telephoto in length (how much you can fit in and how far you can zoom). Here are some suitable lenses:

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
Olympus Zuiko Digital 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 SWD Standard Wide Zoom
Sony DT 16-105mm f3.5-5.6

Note: the above recommendations are for cropped sensor cameras (all entry level cameras). The important bit is the focal length measured in mm. Aim to get something about 15mm to as long as possible (60mm upwards).

If you want to specialise in a particular genre of photography then you can get other lenses later on. That being said a really great, cheap lens that will give you professional looking, shallow depth of field (blurry background) photos, is the 50mm F1.8. For about $130 they are really worth it (available by all camera manufacturers). Here’s a landscape I recently shot with it.

If I post my images on the Internet does it mean that anyone can use them as they wish? Legally no, but from what I have found people are obviously ignorant or choose to be so! A few months back after a quick Google search I found a tourism website illegally using my images so I decided to email the webmaster advising them of their glaring omission and that if a suitable payment was agreed upon I would over look this. As they had no budget for photography they removed the image and I decided not to pursue it any further. So how do you protect your images online?

Watermark / Copyright your images
Put a distracting bit of text all over your images saying © Lee Duguid 2011. You think this might stop people but NOOoooo! I’ve seen one person stealing other photographers work and passing it off as their own, they even removed the Copyright text.

Disable Right Click functionality
Disabling the right click functionality on your site (using JavaScript) to stop people from saving your images will only stop the technically incompetent (may just be enough). Images can still be obtained via the temporary Internet files where images are cached by your web browser.

Digitally Watermark your images
Companies such as Digimarc for a fee allow you to digitally watermark your images. A digital watermark is a bit different to adding text to your image in that it is not visible. On a subscription basis you can then track your images online and see exactly where they are being used. This is absolutely the best way to protect your images but of course it costs money. I would say it’s a small price to pay if you are running a stock photography business as you can make sure customers stick to their contractual image usage restrictions! For the rest of us the on going cost might out way the benefit.

Google it!
I found my image being used without permission as the photo is rare in Google terms being of a remote location in Tasmania. But how do you know who is using your photo of the Opera House? Do you trawl through thousands of images? Thankfully help is at hand, dude who stole my pictures….well it would appear that many people have. This amazing Firefox plugin allows you to right click on your own image and search for all uses or similar images via Google and a number of other search engines. All you then need to do is scan through a couple pages of links to check for sites that you know it shouldn’t be on. I’ve been amazed at where my images have turned up.

So what now?
Well that depends what you want to achieve. It most cases you might be happy for them to be removed, others you may want compensation or to take legal action. The most important thing to do before taking any action is to make sure you obtain evidence. For this I suggest doing a screen capture with Camtasia or similar showing exactly where from the websites homepage or Google your images can be found. Now send the website owner an email giving them chance to rectify their omission rather than straight out threatening legal action.

“I am willing to overlook this transgression if you pay a premium for its legal use. The price for exclusive use is $ALOTOFMONEY (1 YEAR) after which the image must be removed from your site or we can negotiate a continuing rate. If you wish to pay for a second year upfront you can do so for $NOTSOMUCHMONEY”

From here you can decide what to do. For legal advice read more here: RightsforArtists.com

Is there anything such as the perfect camera bag? Read on to see how the F-Stop Tilopa BC stacks up.

The Lowepro Mini Trekker camera backpack I have been using for years has lasted me really but was not suitable for a trip I had planned to the snow. It has limited space for extra gear required on long day treks and had become uncomfortable to carry, especially when loaded with close to 15kg of camera gear. So I blindly purchased an F-Stop camera bag having read very little about it, doing no research but only hearing excellent feedback from its users. There certainly seems to be a buzz about this brand just now, no doubt fuelled by the Australian distributer, Rod Thomas and the numerous photographer endorsements (sadly I am not one….yet).

So I bought the Tilopa BC, with both a medium and large ICU at a pocket lightening $420 including delivery. The ICU, or internal camera unit is a nifty interchangeable way to store your camera equipment. The units can be swapped in and out depending on your space requirements or used separate to the bag with the attached carry handle. For the most part I will use the large ICU as I can fit and easily access to all my gear. For the trip to the snow I wanted the medium ICU as I didn’t need all my gear or the weight and also to maximise space for extra’s (clothes, gloves, water, food). As with most camera bags the ICU is compartmentalised and can be somewhat customised arranging the gear how you want using the velco dividers. There are a ton of dividers and Velcro straps to play with so you are bound to find combination to suit your needs.

Large ICU with space for 5DMkII, and the massive Canon 70-200mm F2.8

Medium vs Large ICU

Left – Tilopa BC with large ICU removed
Right – Tilopa BC with large ICU

Initial thoughts were wow this bag is BIG and complicated! After slotting in the ICU and packing it the bag sits a lot better and all the straps seem to have a use. The bag really lends itself to all-day trips, the size was perfect for my trip to the snow. With the medium ICU I still had enough space for the rest of my gear spreading it across the bags numerous pockets.

On the bags first outing I found getting access to the gear somewhat cumbersome especially with gloves on. First you need to unzip the back opening (this bag is a back loader) where the shoulder straps get in the way and then the ICU using two fiddly small zips. This was not ideal however I soon discovered folding the ICU’s top back on itself into the base of the bag allows for far easier access. This was my major grievance at first but now I’m a happy man.

The base of the bag is waterproof, great for putting it down on snow, wet grass or rocks. As it is a back loader this is only really useful when the bag is not in use. For the most part the bag will be put down on its front which thankfully is easy to clean. The Lowepro opens from the front so I would have to put the bag down on its back and straps making them and my clothes dirty.

A tripod can easily attach to either side of the bag using special pockets to rest the feet in and a couple straps to secure it place. I never at any stage felt the bag was unbalanced with the tripod set to one side, although it is made of carbon fibre so it could be different with something of weight.

Waterproof base and small pocket with a drainage hole for tripod feet

Inside the bag is space for a laptop, one or two ICU’s (a small and a medium ICU can be used at the same time) and some room for other gear depending on your ICU choice. In addition there are numerous other pockets notably a large one on the top and two on the front (really just one split in two). The bag has a number of internal mesh and closed pockets ideal for memory cards, business cards, filters and the like. They have even put in a pocket designated to carry rubbish which I used whilst in the snow.

The build quality seems very good. The exposed zips are waterproofed and even have a cover to put the two zips under when closed covering the gap where they meet. To carry the bag when fully loaded feels quite comfortable. The shoulder straps are quite thick and support from the hip and chest straps help to take the weight. They really have thought of everything (that I can think of just now) and haven’t compromised on quality, the bag and ICU’s even come packed in great F-Stop cloth bags that I’m sure I can use elsewhere.

This bag is the best I’ve used and is pretty much perfect for my needs. I’m a discerning customer, especially when paying so much for a bag. You can justify it however you want, I know I don’t want to be carrying several thousand dollars worth of gear into a hazardous environment and to be worrying about my bag, how comfortable it is, how it will hold up and the fact I didn’t have space for those extra gloves!

I’ll update this blog post as I use the bag, please let me know if you have any questions.

Kosciuszko national park – F-Stop Tilopa

I would have to say NO…but read on.

Starting out in photography we all do the same regardless of who we are and where we end up. First we buy an SLR with a kit lens or two, then a UV filter, then a polarising filter. Why? I have no idea, I would love to hear your thoughts.

So are UV filters any good? What do they actually do? UV filters are designed to filter Ultra Violet light (funny that, wonder where they got the name from) which was an issue with some film types back in the day. In the days of digital and modern film, UV is no longer an issue so instead the filters are used as an inexpensive form of protection.

UV filters are great for protecting the front lens element but buying a cheap filter can have an adverse effect on your photos. The guys at LensRentals.com posted an excellent article that really shows the difference between the cheap and more expensive UV filters. Read the post here: UV Filters.

As I am predominantly a landscape photographer I tend to use ND graduated filters. This mean I have to screw an adaptor ring onto the end of the lens, add a filter holder and then slide in the filters. This really adds up so adding any additional thickness such as a UV filter is likely to cause vignetting issues. I suggest if you use any other type of filter don’t bother with a UV filter. However if this is not the case, go for it but be sure to invest a bit of cash. The more expensive filters are colour neutral, optically true, and are design with a special coating to reduce additional lens flare.

A great resource for a somewhat confusing topic for photographers, X-rite have release a series of videos on colour management. If you are unsure what a colour managed work flow is or have some questions hopefully they will be answered here. Of course they are plugging their brand X-Rite, but the same principles apply with any calibration tool. The first and absolutely most important step is to calibrate your monitor. Check out the videos here: Colour Calibration, How to

And no, MACs are not exempt from Colour calibration!

I came across this the other week and it has really been a great introduction into the world of shooting HD video with dSLR’s. Hosted by Shane Hurlbut a cinematographer from the States, these short videos really break down the basics and are well worth a watch.

They cover everything from setting up your camera (menus, lenses, settings), what kit to buy (for steady shots, sound etc.), and how to shoot (tips and techniques).

Check it out: dSLR HD Video Tutorials

Oooh, Sigma released a new 8-16mm lens, that’s seriously wide!! At 12-24mm equivalent on a full frame body this will be a great lens for wide angle landscape and other interesting creative photography. Of course you wouldn’t use this on a full frame camera but it is ideal for cropped sensor cameras like the Canon 7D, 550D or Nikon’s D90, D5000. I used and abused the Sigma 10-20mm on a 350D for a number of years and got some great results. Here are a couple shots I took with this setup.

For all the details check it out here: SIGMA 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM

Composition doesn’t come naturally to many photographers. The technical aspects can be learned relatively easily but some say that composition can not. Although I don’t believe this to be totally true, photography is an art form and does require some natural ability.

So what can i do, my composition sucks? Composition is subjective so there will always be someone out there who likes you work regardless of how bad you may think it is. Most non-photographers are not that discerning but to capture truely great shots composition is key. A well composed photograph just works, it’s pretty clear cut but it is more a feeling than conforming to a set of rules.

Here are some tips to remember next time you go out to shoot. Keep them at hand and see if they work for you.

1. A painter chooses what to include in a painting, a photographer must choose what to exclude. Decluter compositions removing unnecessary components by selective framing. Use your legs, walk about looking for alternative compositions and use the cameras zoom to control what you want to include and more importantly, exclude.

2. The ‘rule of thirds’ is a well known compositional practice but doesn’t necessarily need to be strictly adhered to. The rule dictates that the main elements that make up the image should fall on or near imaginary vertical or horizontal thirds (see image below).

3. Check your horizon. For me the horizon should only ever be perfectly horizontal. Use the top of the window in the view finder as a reference. I often point the camera downward to align the horizon before recomposing.

4. Don’t leave large empty spaces. Leaving large holes in the composition such as uninteresting expanses of water or dark or very bright elements should be avoided. Change perspective by shortening the tripod legs to compress large gaps in the mid to near foreground. Conversely elements should not be cluttered, raise the height of the camera to increase the distance between elements.

5. Take a walk before settling on two or three compositions to shoot. Take time to refine them instead of shooting anything and everything.

6. Make both the foreground and background interesting.

7. Use leading lines such as rock formations or movement in water to lead the eye into the frame.

8. Check the edges of the frame for any distracting elements (half a tree, breaks in clouds etc.), and recompose if necessary. Make sure you are able to concentrate the viewers attention to the subject and try not to distract them away from it unnecessarily. Ask yourself, ‘what is this image about?’

9. Try to keep compositions balanced to some degree where possible. A protruding headland or building can upset the balance, eliminate it and look for an alternative composition.

10. Practice, critically reviewing your own work and looking at how other photographers compose their photos. Check out this landscape photographer for a start.

Above all, get out there and enjoy, exploration of composition is a continuous learning curve.

Ask Lee a question:

I wanted to blog about my new tripod (exciting stuff I know) as I’m very happy with it and having spent hours, days trawling the Internet, researching which one to buy I would like to share my thoughts and experience. This post is really for anyone who doesn’t quite know which tripod to buy, and is after some ideas on what they need to consider or for those already considering the brand Benro, the tripod I went for.

For many years I have used an aluminium Manfrotto 190 series tripod, with a large three handle tripod head. It did a great job but has now been relegated to use as a spare for participants taking my photography course. I don’t treat my gear too well (it’s there to be used after all), and the tripod took a bit of a beating, with regular dunks in both salt water and sand, without being cleaned. It is now rusty, almost unusable and too heavy to travel with.

In comes my new travel angle Benro carbon fibre tripod and ball head (Benro C2681 + B-1 ball head). For a cheap carbon fibre tripod I had my doubts but thankfully I’m very happy with it and willing to give them a free plug. At a ‘reasonable’ $400 AUD from eBay this is cheap by carbon fibre standards.

The Benro tripod exceeded my requirements, which were as follows:

1. It must be light in weight. I have strict weight allowances for luggage on some airlines. Including the head the tripod weighs about 3kg.

2. It must support at worst my 5D Mark II, with a battery grip, batteries, Canon 70-200mm L Series lens, Really Right stuff pano head, filters and allow a bit extra for additional loading due to forces imposed when carrying it, wind etc. The total weight rated for this tripod is 12kg well above the 5-7kg camera gear I have.

3. It must be compact and portable but still able to extend to a comfortable operating height. I’m 6ft2″ so at a height of 137cm and 164cm with the centre column extended it was perfect.

4. Long term it should replace my existing tripod and not be a ‘travel only’ tripod.

5. The price must be reasonable, who can justify the cost of a Gitzo? Not me.

The type of tripod head wasn’t so much of a concern to me. I had quite happily been using a clunky three handle Manfrotto head for years. The great thing about the Manfrotto head was that it could be perfectly horizontally panned. This is great for taking panoramic photos where horizons need to stay flat when panning. After buying a Really Right Stuff panning base I could pan to my hearts content on any head so I decided to conform and go with the ball head and must say haven’t looked back since.

In addition to the above requirements the Benro also had some great extras which swayed me:

1. It can be used as a monopod. This was something I had not even considered but it has already been a great addition. One of the legs can be unscrewed, the ball head attached and the rig used as a monopod. I used this to great effect at the 2010 Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland, where space was limited, I was using telephoto length’s and exposure times were up due to limited light. The monopod helped keep my images sharp.

2. Interchangeable feet. The tripod comes with both spiked and rubber feet. This isn’t something my previous tripod had but would have come in handy as the rubber feet needed replacing.

3. Tripod bag, great for transportation.

4. Three extension sections. Not that I really know but four section tripods seem flimsy. The bottom section gets pretty skinny and you don’t really save much space when compacted. This one is chunky so at least gives the perception of reliability and stability.

5. Hook on centre column for additional weight giving extra stability. The instructions advise not to attach too much weight or it will have the adverse effect, strange!

6. Water and sand proof extension grips. I guess at least it will delay the inevitable death of this tripod.

Overall this tripod is easy to use, quick to erect, great build quality and suits me down to the ground. Depending on how you plan to use your tripod your requirements may differ. This tripod was an ideal choice for my landscape work and I´m sure it will be great at everything else I throw at it.

Ask Lee a question: