THE THINGS I DO…

I just gave a workshop about digital photography and there’s still some confusion out there about image file formats available in-camera. I hope this will help clear things up.

First, RAW format is simply the uncompressed (or very slightly compressed) 1s and 0s coming off your sensor chip. Nothing is modified and you have the greatest amount of post-shoot image control when you start with a RAW file.

The TIFF file can be uncompressed or compressed with a “lossless” (LZW) algorithm. A TIFF is smaller in file size than a RAW file of the same subject but still larger than a JPEG of the same subject.

A JPEG file can be saved lightly or heavily compressed. It is the format most commonly used on the Internet and is often the format used to deliver final images to clients. It can be opened by a wide variety of programs, including Internet browsers.

The one important thing to keep in mind about JPEG files is that, until they are opened and re-saved, their quality will NOT degrade. Image degradation in a JPEG only happens if you open a file and then save it during closing. No save, no image resampling. No image resampling, no quality degradation. A lot of people think that the simple process of opening the file causes a lowering of quality. That is not so — that happens during the process of saving/resampling.

Please share this info with your friends. The more you know about image file formats, the better. Incidentally, I didn’t know the info I just shared about JPEG files till about a year ago…and I had been working with JPEGs for years! Live and learn.

The answer is quite simple: it’s the camera you have with you when you need to capture that memorable moment!
That’s right, the answer isn’t necessarily Canon, Nikon, Olympus or even your cellphone camera. If you don’t have a camera with you when you see that shot of a lifetime, you’ll only be able to describe the photo you almost made.
No camera, no pictures, it’s that simple. It doesn’t matter what brand…as long as it has a lens and can record an image.

Think about that fact the next time  someone wants to engage in a little “my camera’s better than yours” banter with you.

At a recent photo walk, one of the participants pulled me aside and expressed his frustration at not shooting lots of “keeper” images during group photo outings. He was visibly irritated with his performance (or lack of) and it was pretty obvious that he was not enjoying himself. Since the whole point of a photo walk is to enjoy yourself, I gave him some words of advice that kept me from chucking my gear in a bin years ago… take things one step at a time and always remember how far you’ve come, not how far you have to go. You see, digital photography can be both as simple or as complex as you want to make it. Be careful not to try too many things at once, especially when you’re learning the basics.

Someone once told me “there’ll always be greater and lesser people than you out there, the trick is to accept that fact and do your best with the tools at hand.” Applied to digital photography, it means set small goals for yourself at every step in your photo evolution. Goals such as “I’m going to use the manual exposure settings for half the photos I shoot today” or “I’m going to experiment with at least one HDR image” are easy to set and, once achieved, will give you a real sense of accomplishment. Stack one accomplishment onto another, then add another and you’ll soon see how much your skills are improving.

I set small “fun” goals for myself all the time. Last weekend, I hosted a photo walk and, knowing I would be tied up helping folks with their photography and making sure everyone was having a great time,  set only one goal for myself. I wanted to make one good photograph…something I could frame and hang on my wall. No stress, just one photo. After walking through the park for a couple hours, I missed several shots, let other possibilities pass me by for one reason or another. No pressure, I only needed one shot, right? As I was leaning on the railing, taking a break after the walk down to the swamp bridge, the shot I was looking for happened right in front of me. That’s when I shot this photo:

Knowing I had this shot “in the bag,” I relaxed a bit and focused my attentions (pun intended) on helping other photo walkers for the rest of the morning. I didn’t stop looking, mind you (see my previous post on why you don’t want to do that), but my main photographic goal for the day was accomplished. As I look at the framed photo over my Mac, I’ll always be reminded of the fun I had hosting this photo walk, thanks to setting my goals to “minimum” for the day. Remember, if photography stresses you out, you’re doing something wrong!

I’ve found that having a written or  ”shot list” for events is counter-productive to my creativity. That’s right, instead of being a helpful reference, I find it becomes a subconscious shopping list that hinders my creativity. For example, during a recent wedding I photographed, I had already made the “usual” pre-wedding shot of the couple’s rings. It was the standard stuff, sharp, cake in background, nicely composed…but boring. Had I been satisfied with this photo and checked it off my mental shot list, I wouldn’t have been looking for something better that presented itself later, during the reception.

By not checking this shot off that list, I kept looking for a way to improve upon it when the situation above presented itself for a few scant moments. I quickly moved in and snapped the photo above.  I think it’s much more creative and “different” for my clients. I liked it so much that I never showed them the earlier photos. So, be careful when using a shot list. Don’t let it become a checklist that squelches your creative process.

I posted a very successful item last year about how I shoot fireworks photos. That link is here. Before you run off to read that, I’d like to add a few more tips to try this year in your pursuit of the perfect fireworks photo.

• Do your homework. Scout out the location and get into position while it’s still light outside. Parking is always a nightmare. Go early. Take a book and some refreshments.
• Bring a flashlight. It will come in handy to find your stuff when you drop it during the frenzy of shooting. Believe me, after searching the ground on your hand and knees for ten minutes looking for your @#$%^ car keys in the middle of a pitch-dark field, you’ll remember to bring a flashlight next time! Also, tape a red gel filter to the front of it so you won’t ruin your “night vision” whenever you turn the flashlight on.
• Set the focus to “manual” and crank it out to the “infinity” setting (that’s the one you use to shoot mountains and other far away stuff).

That should freshen up my earlier post with some new bits for you to read and heed. Remember, if the fireworks are aimed at you, you’re probably in the wrong location! Be safe.

(Fireworks photo courtesy Scott Robinson)