Alright well since I have a brand spanking new website (which I think still needs a bit of work in my eyes but anyways…), I’ve decided that since i have all this hosting space left over and I really want a little more control over mt blog from a technical stand point, I’ve decided to host the blog from my own site. I’ve decided after lots of deliberating to stay with the wordpress software as it is really user friendly and my hat off to the developers for their hard work but the site will now be http://www.photographyblog.achilleszsolti.com/.  So please visit if you you have thus far enjoyed the site, there will be far more interesting articles to come and completions as well. There is now an RSS feed as well as the usual email subscription to those that are interested and if anyone to anyone interested, there is also very limited advertising space available to those interested for a very reasonable  fee (it has to be clean as well, pornography and other non ethical requests advertising requests will be ignored).

Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy the new site and I hope that you all come and join in and post comments and idea etc.

Achilles

Hi all, I’ve finally got my website up and running even if it’s a few months later than I originally intended. for all of you that are interested the link is here. I’d be interested in feedback from anyone about it, any likes, dislikes etc… it’s all welcome and just to let everyone know it’s still a bit of a work in progress in a few little parts, but for the most part it’s complete for now.

Well, that being said, I’ll have more time to start updating my blog again, so expect more tutorials and photography related to articles to be posted in the next few days. Those interested in subscription to blog (to receive email notification of the latest articles) can click on the [link]

 

 

 

You will probably also notice that the splash page for my website has a link back to this blog as well as the two sites will go hand in hand.

 

Achilles

 

 

As I drive to work every morning, I usually listen to the witty banter of my favorite two radio commedian/commentators which is spliced between a mix of a really poor “music” or what apparently passes for it these days….. wow I’m starting to sound like an old geezer… haha Anyway, I came across this fantastic site the other day that has brightened up my daily commute and it’s educational as well.

Light Source is a podcast by Studiolight.net presented by Bill Crawford & Ed Hidden. They essentially interview a wide variety of studio photographers about techniques, preferences and all manner of photography related issues.

 

I have to say, it was a real eye opener listening to these amazing professional photographers that range from food, model to advertising and all manner in between. They spend a lot of time discussing lightning techniques in particular which I found to be a fascination subject and I can really recommend that you down load the podcast interviews as they are really filled with a wealth of information and perspective from professionals in the field.

 Follow this link to visit the site: Light Source

Never will sitting in traffic be dull again.

 Achilles

Are you sitting at home with nothing to do cause the weather is really bad outside? Worried about taking the camera out in the storm? Yeah me too…. Also did you ever want a ring flash for macro work but your simply can’t justify the price of one? Yep me too again…

 

Well after a little searching on the internet on DIY stuff, I came across a few images of this ring flash (can’t find the link at the moment but I’ll post it up as soon as I remember where in my favorites I saved it), anyway, I sat there and thought… I have everything to build this in my kitchen…. So off I went in search of cardboard, aluminium foil and some tape. Here is what I ended up with:

 

 

I didn’t stuff around too long with it but it did take a few hours of dedication (well it did include smoke breaks and watching TV as I was making it), but in the end I got it done and well…. It looks ghetto…. But it works.

 

 

Basic principal is that it takes the light from the poxy little flash on top of the 400D and reflects it down into a ring…. Surprising with great effect. I haven’t bothered with any build guide as most of you should be able to see how it came together by the simple design of the entire thing but if you have any questions or advice, I’d be more than happy to help out so just shoot me an email.

 

 

I have a far better design already in my head but it will require me to visit an electronics store for some small led lights and wires… probably all up about $10 worth of material. Once I get started, I’ll do a step by step on that one… so keep your eyes pealed for more DIY photo equipment tips…. Enjoy.

Achilles Zsolti

 

-UPDATE-

 Here is a comparison shot.

Selective colouring can be a very effective way of accentuating certain aspects of photographs. It is a photoshop technique that I have seen done a million times but a lot of the time people will choose the wrong thing to leave in colour or the technique they use isn’t a very effective one, giving the shot a washed out and not very appealing look.

I’ll walk you through the process that I go through when I decide to do selective colouring to a shot.

First off I pick an image that I feel will benefit from selective colouring. (This is important as most shots will look far better either black & white or in full colour.

I started with this;

 

 

This next part really is up to you and/or dependant on the image you will be using. I processed this single RAW image in Photomatrix Pro and played around with the tone mapping function to create a stronger contrasting and interesting shot.

 

 

Now I open it up in Photoshop and create a new layer using the solid colour function located in Layers>New Fill Layer>Solid Colour. Then in the option box that pops up, you select Saturation. Then you get a colour box pop up. Here you enter in the Red, Green & Blue option 129 in each to get a black & white layer on top of your image like so;

Now comes the pain in the ass bit. You have to erase or cut out the part you want to be coloured again. This is also the most important part as what ever you pick will stand out from the rest of the shot, so things like composition and how important the subject is, are really important. In this shot I picked the orange stripe on the rear rim (this is hand painted on the VRSCDX so it was only fitting that I used the erase tool and do it free hand on this occasion). I also cropped the image just a little to remove some of small distractive elements that where visible to the side of the image. The end result is like so:

 

 

 

Anyway, the important part is to experiment. Not all shots will benefit from this technique although it can be a very powerful tool. To date the shot above is the only one of two selective colouring shots that have worked well for me. But don’t be disheartened, give it a go, you never know what might you might end up with… and most of all have fun with it.

 

Achilles Zsolti
 

Digital photography has given photographers a plethora of new semi/automatic functions  to tinker with, some of which are extremely handy… others which can hamper our best efforts. Focusing is one of these hit and miss affairs. Auto is now pretty much a standard feature in most DSLRs on today’s market and a lot of the time they are great.

 

I guess this is why a majority of DSLR users make use of the auto focus function and never touch the manual focusing settings.  There is no right or wrong here anyway, but sometimes it can be easier to use the manual focus setting. Here are a few situations that I have found manual focus to be the easier alternative.

Through glass

Shooting through glass or even wire fences can be a difficult process with the auto focus setting. The focus meter can get a little confused and lead to a constant whirling noise as your camera tries and tries to find the right thing to focus on. Switching to manual focus can eliminate this problem as you can just focus on what you actually want to take the shot of. Also having a large aperture setting will allow for you to almost eliminate the wire fence or reflection in the glass. This is a very handy technique especially in zoo photography.

 

Action shots

Trying to take a shot of a race car zooming around a track but can’t get a good lock on it with the auto focus? Try framing where you think the car will enter the frame and set the focus manually to that point and simply sit back and wait (well maybe not in such a relaxed fashion or you might miss the subject). You might also find that if there are multiple moving objects in the shot that the auto focus might pick the wrong thing to focus on leaving your subject blurred so manual focusing is really helpful in this scenario.

 

Macro

Macro photography can be really tricky. I find that instead of trying to get a good lock on a macro subject that it can be far easier (especially if it’s a moving insect) that you set the manual focus to a set parameter and  you move the camera back or forth to get it sharp. With insects it’s really helpful as your camera won’t make any sound that might spook your subject causing it to fly away.

 

Landscape

Yes landscape shots. If you want that infinite view, sometimes it’s best to just switch on the old manual focus, adjust the focusing to infinite and click away (well naturally using a tripod). Also helps with those sunrise and sunset shots where the low light might make it hard for the auto focus to find something to meter. Shooting large bodies of water in low light conditions will also be hard due to the constant movement of the water so manual focus can be the easiest way to get the desired result.

 

So in closing when you’re out and about with your camera next time, don’t forget that sometimes it’s good to flick the switch to manual focus and of course, don’t expect all your shots to suddenly be awesome, as with all things, practice is required but the results can certainly be worth the effort.

 

Achilles Zsolti

 

 

Although I like to vary the topics I photograph, landscape photography is something that always gets me going so I thought I would share some thoughts and ideas and techniques to shooting great landscapes. In future articles we will also explore in a more in depth detail lot of the topics that I’m about to touch upon and this article is meant to be a basic overview of landscape photography for beginners.

Rules

Like with all photography, there is no hard and fast rule to Landscape photography some people work by set rules that are proven to work, while others see the rules as something that can be broken. Truth be told usually the ones that break the rules will find that their image will be the one that has the wow factor. Thus while all the things I will mention in this tutorial are very helpful in creating a great landscape shot, they don’t have to be followed to create a great shot.

 

Composition

We’ll start with the most important thing in any photograph…. composition. The rule of thirds is generally the best way to produce a great landscape shot. That is not to say though that centering a subject in shot won’t work, quite the contrary. Also take time to look around. You might find an interesting angle that didn’t cross your mind earlier. Some of the greatest shots are from a different angle from the norm.

 

Framing

Make sure that you line up your image and frame it properly. Although this can be done post production on the computer with digital photography, you’ll end up cropping your image a lot. Instead, take the time to frame it properly and you’ll find that a lot more will fit into your shot.

 

Subject

Making sure when framing, that there is plenty of interesting things to see… sounds simple enough, but a shot with boring blue sky taking up 75% of the shot might not work as well when right at your feet there maybe some cool boulders or vice versa, storm clouds above and a boring nothingness in front of you. Make sure the subject fills the frame nicely. Rule of thirds works well with horizons.

Man made objects are always a nice addition to landscapes as well. Dilapidated cottages in the mountains, forgotten boats at the waters edge, rotten wood piers stretching out into an unvisited lake al make topics of photography…. Like wise rusted out cars in deserts, etc, etc, the list goes on.

 

Lighting

For all photography the one essential thing is lighting. It’s pretty simple really…. No light, no photograph. There are a bunch of rules governing what most people will think is the way a photo should be light. Generally backlighting for landscapes works best and gives you the most detail. But don’t forget those dramatic sunrise and sunset shots… they have to be front light. Also you’ll find all sorts of interesting ways of lighting objects. If it’s getting a little dark, take a flashlight. You might find with long exposure shots that “painting” an object with light from the flashlight will make it stand out from the rest of the shot. Fill in flash can also be used in some circumstances (generally an off camera flash would be idea for that). Don’t be afraid to experiment with light and have some fun being creative…. And break the rules… you know you want to.

Also while on the subject of light, most photographers will talk of the golden light or the golden hour of photography. This is Dusk and Dawn. The light is usually really great for photography, not as strong as the harsh light of a clear mid day, It really depends on the effect you want to achieve as to what time of the day you’ll want to take the shot in.

Weather

Well this will depend on personal tastes, but some of the best landscape shots are taken on stormy days. Large ominous clouds always look great on sweeping landscapes and adds plenty to look at. If you are going to take shots in stormy weather, go prepared, take plenty in warm clothes, a thermal mug with hot coffee or coco (trust me you’ll tank me when your soaked to the bone), and probably a tarp or small tent even if you’ll be sitting out to wait for that perfect shot….. plus it will shield your camera from the weather too…. On the flip side, nice and sunny landscapes in tropical locations are your thing, then probably carrying as little as possible is a good idea…

 

Aperture

Smallest aperture(largest number) is usually the way to go with landscapes. It will give you the most detail. Some shots may benefit from larger aperture settings but majority of the time it’s better to have a small aperture for most depth of field (most area in focus).

The down side to a small aperture is that you’ll have to increase the exposure length which will in turn necessitate the use of a tripod. Another way to combat the this is by raising the ISO settings, but I wouldn’t recommend that at all. I almost never take my camera out of 100 ISO settings for maximum clarity and to reduce the likely hood of graining caused by high ISO settings.

 

RAW

With digital SLR cameras, if you have the option to shoot in RAW format, then use it. It is the digital equivalent of shooting with film. In laymen’s terms you will have less to worry about when taking the photo and you can adjust the options such as white balancing.

 

Equipment

There isn’t really any specific requirements for landscape photography, but some equipment can be really beneficial if the result if you wish to achieve certain results. For Digital SLR users the single most important component for landscape photography is a tripod. This will ensure that you can keep that aperture as small as possible and leave the shutter open as long as needed. The tripod is only half of it. You still need to keep the camera still when you hit the shutter button, as minute vibration can easily occur, ruining all that effort. This is where a remote release cable or remote control can come in handy. Oh and don’t forget that mirror lock up (well if your camera allows for it that is).

Another useful thing that doesn’t really get mentioned too much are filters. Polarizer’s are great for getting a strong colour out of the sky and surroundings but also protect your precious lenses. ND filters on the other hand are fantastic for waterscape shots like waterfalls etc, where you would like to keep the shutter open a little longer. The ND (or Neutral density) acts like sunglasses for your lens, allowing you to prolong the shutter speed in lighter conditions.

I could go on for hours about all the above topics but for a brief over view I think it should cover it sufficiently. The one thing I can’t stress enough is that although a lot of the things mentioned about are considered standard “rules” to landscape photography, all rules are meant to be broken and I encourage you to do so…. experiment and most of all, have fun.

Achilles Zsolti

Well I thought I’d kick of with the tutorials and what better one to start with than the rule of thirds. This is one of the most important rules that all budding photographers should now and practice. That being said…. Rules are meant to be broken. It’s a wise move to have this simple and effective composition trick packed down before you start breaking the rules however. With practice, you’ll be taking shots with this rule with out even realizing it and it does help a lot with composition.

Thee basic principle of the rule of thirds is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds, both horizontally and vertically as follows;

 

Essentially the theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines that your photo will become balanced. Apparently there have been studies carried out which prove that a persons eye will naturally deviate to intersection points and thus using this rule give the view a far more natural way of viewing the image. Plus it usually just looks plain cool.

And of course , once again don’t forget that breaking the rule can result in some shocking photos but once you’ve learnt it experiment with purposely breaking it to see what you discover. They don’t all turn out bad;

 

Welcome to my Photography blog. Just to kick things off, here is a little about me.

I’m 26 years of age and a resident of Neutral Bay, located on the North Shore of Sydney Harbour in Australia. I work for a prominent American motorcycle company as a distributor and in my spare time I’m a photographer.I first started photography at the age of 10 when my Grandfather purchased me a Minolta XG-M SLR (which I still use to this day). I have only recently ventured into the digital SLR realm and I have to say, I am really enjoying the freedom and instantaneity provided by digital equipment. I’m currently using a Canon 400D with both 18-55mm & 75-300mm lenses although I am looking to expand on this equipment with time. I also have a few other cameras including a Nikon E5900, Sony Cybershot & Pentacon Praktisix 120 SLR (1957). The important thing to remember though is that although the equipment plays a big part in photography (after all there would be no photography without it), it is about what you capture and how. Light, emotion, perspective… these are the important things in photography. So even if you only have a disposable, my advice is start shooting.

This blog is essentially about my photography journey. I hope to help and inspire other to also get out there and give it a shot. I will have plenty of tutorials as well as helpful links etc. This blog will also run hand in hand with my DeviantArt account as well as my Redbubble account. Always feel free to leave comments, messages or feedback for me on any of these sites as I really appreciate all of it. I look forward to hearing from you all.

Regards

Achilles Zsolti