Σάββατο 10 Δεκεμβρίου 2016

Δευτέρα 31 Οκτωβρίου 2016

Motion Blur Photography


In this article you’ll find some quick tips on what to look for to ensure the perfect black and white landscape.

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PHOTO GIMME GALLERY 



source: https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/08/45-beautiful-motion-blur-photos/

4. Motion Blur Photography

45 Beautiful Motion Blur Photos
A showcase of motion blur photos. Motion blur is frequently used to show a sense of speed. You can artificially achieve this effect in a usual scene using cameras with a slow shutter speed. Also Adobe Photoshop can be used for this purpose, though sometimes images may look unnatural and unprofessional.
Motion Blur
How to Capture Motion Blur in Photography
Capturing movement in images is something that many photographers only need to do when photographing sports or other fast-moving events.
Photoshop Tutorials: Create Silky Smooth Waterfalls
In this Adobe Photoshop tutorial, we’re going to look at how to give waterfalls a silky smooth appearance, as if the photo were taken with a longer exposure, which would normally require the use of a neutral density filter.
Long Exposure Photos
Long exposure can be used to create very interesting photographs. It can be used, for example, to create a bright photo in low-light conditions or to create motion blur for moving elements in a photograph.

Παρασκευή 21 Οκτωβρίου 2016

What is Bokeh?

The following article explains analytically with sample images what is BOOKEH in Photography and how to achieve such an effect with your camera AND lens.
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Frank Gimme
Gimme Photography

 


SOURCE: https://photographylife.com/what-is-bokeh


What is Bokeh?

Bokeh, also known as “Boke” is one of the most popular subjects in photography. The reason why it is so popular, is because Bokeh makes photographs visually appealing, forcing us to focus our attention on a particular area of the image. The word comes from Japanese language, which literally translates as “blur”.


Bokeh

1) What is Bokeh?

Basically, bokeh is the quality of out-of-focus or “blurry” parts of the image rendered by a camera lens – it is NOT the blur itself or the amount of blur in the foreground or the background of a subject. The blur that you are so used to seeing in photography that separates a subject from the background is the result of shallow “depth of field” and is generally simply called “background blur”. The quality and feel of the background/foreground blur and reflected points of light, however, is what photographers call Bokeh. Confused yet? Take a look at the following image:
House Sparrow
NIKON D80 @ 102mm, ISO 100, 1/100, f/2.8


The house sparrow is in focus and sharp (which means that it is inside the depth of field), while the background is out of focus (which means that the background is outside the depth of field). The small or “shallow” depth of field is the result of standing relatively close to the subject, while using a large aperture. See those round circles of different color on the left side of the image? Those are light reflections and they are circular because that’s how the lens rendered them. In this case, the soft “feel” of those circular areas is what photographers would call “good bokeh”. While some photographers argue that bokeh is just about the quality of the circular light reflections, many others, including myself, believe that bokeh is about the quality of the entire out-of-focus area, not just reflections and highlights..

2) Good and Bad Bokeh

Remember, bokeh is rendered by the lens, not the camera. Different lenses render bokeh differently due to unique optical designs. Generally, portrait and telephoto lenses with large maximum apertures yield more pleasant-looking bokeh than cheaper consumer zoom lenses. For example, the Nikon 85mm f/1.4D lens produces exceptionally good-looking bokeh, while the Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G DX lens produces poor bokeh at the same focal length and aperture – all due to differences in optical designs of both lenses. Again, I am not just talking about the background blur; all lenses are capable of producing out of focus blur, but not all lenses are capable of rendering beautiful bokeh.
So, what is a good or beautiful bokeh? A good bokeh pleases our eyes and our perception of the image and therefore, the background blur should appear soft and “creamy”, with smooth round circles of light and no hard edges. Here is an example of beautiful bokeh rendered by the Nikon 85mm f/1.4D lens:
NIKON D700 @ 85mm, ISO 250, 1/200, f/2.8
Pay attention to the smooth background behind the child’s face. The out-of-focus areas look creamy and the circles are round and soft with beautiful transitions between the blurry areas. That’s exactly what you would call good bokeh!
How about bad or ugly bokeh? Although a lot of people argue that there is no such thing as a bad bokeh, I still call whatever distracts my eyes “bad”:
Bad Bokeh
NIKON D80 @ 26mm, ISO 100, 1/60, f/4.0
Open up the larger version of the above image and see for yourself – the quality of the blur is not pleasant to the eye, with sharp edges of the circles and double lines.

3) Bokeh shapes

The shape of the reflected light in out of focus areas depends on the lens diaphragm. Many older lenses such as Nikon 50mm f/1.4D have 7 straight blades in their diaphragms, which results in heptagon-shaped bokeh like this:
Bokeh - 50mm
Most new lenses, now come with 9 rounded blades, which render round bokeh (Nikon 105mm f/2.8G VR):
Bokeh - 105mm

4) How to get good Bokeh

So, how do you get a good bokeh in your images? As I have pointed out above, bokeh depends on the type of lens you are using. While lower-end consumer zoom lenses will yield unpleasant bokeh, fixed (prime) lenses and most professional zoom lenses with fast apertures yield good-looking bokeh. Do you know if your lens produces good bokeh? Try this: focus on an object from a very close distance (as close as the lens will allow, keeping the object in focus), making sure that there are no objects at least 5-6 feet behind it. Make sure to be on the same level as the object itself, so that you are not looking down on it. Do not use a plain wall as your background – try to find a colorful background, preferably with some lights on it. A Christmas tree is a perfect background for a bokeh test. Once you find a good test subject with a suitable background, set your camera to “Aperture Priority” mode and set your aperture to the lowest number. On most consumer zoom lenses, the lowest aperture is typically f/3.5, while on prime and professional zoom lenses, it can be between f/1.2 and f/2.8. Once the aperture is set to the lowest value, take a picture of your subject and take a look at the rear LCD of your camera. The subject should be in focus, while the background is blurred. If you have a good lens, the bokeh should be soft and fuzzy, looking pleasing to the eye as shown in the example above. The circular reflections should be round and soft, with no hard edges.

5) What lenses create great bokeh?

There are many lenses that create great-looking bokeh. Most fast prime lenses with round-blade apertures such as Nikon 85mm f/1.4D or Canon 85mm f/1.2II USM create exceptionally good-looking bokeh. The lower-cost version of the same lens – Nikon 85mm f/1.8D and Canon 85mm f/1.8 USM also produce beautiful bokeh. One of my favorite lenses for beautiful bokeh is the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G, but be careful about the older Nikon 50mm f/1.4D or the 50mm f/1.8D, since they both produce heptagon-shaped bokeh as shown above. There are too many lenses to list, so I recommend doing some more research on different lenses, based on your photography needs.

6) Other examples of bokeh

Here are some other examples of great-looking bokeh:
Harris's Hawk in Flight
NIKON D300 @ 300mm, ISO 200, 1/3200, f/4.0
Captured with Nikon 300mm f/4.0 AF-S + TC 14E II
Captured with Nikon 300mm f/4.0 AF-S + TC 14E II
Captured with Nikon 105mm f/2.8 Micro
Captured with Nikon 105mm f/2.8 Micro
Captured with Nikon 70-200mm VR
NIKON D300 @ 280mm, ISO 800, 1/250, f/6.3
Captured with Nikon 300mm f/4.0 AF-S
Captured with Nikon 300mm f/4.0 AF-S
Captured with Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
Captured with Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8






Photos by Gimme Photography
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8 Tips For Better Fall Portrait Photos

 SOURCE: http://www.popphoto.com/how-to/2014/10/8-tips-better-fall-portrait-photos

 

 8 Tips For Better Fall Portrait Photos

Nature is offering up some perfect backdrops, here's how to take advantage of them

Fall Portrait Photography Tips
To me, taking portraits during the fall feels like cheating. If you live in an area where the leaves provide amazing colors, it seems like it's tough to take a bad picture. But, that doesn't mean it's OK to get lazy and complacent. here are a few tips to make sure you're getting the most out of those awesome fall portrait photos.
Scout your location close to shoot day
You can look out your window and see amazing foliage today, but depending on the weather, it could literally almost all be gone by tomorrow. All it takes is one frost or some strong wind and your amazing autumn backdrop becomes a skeletal arrangement of bare branches that looks like something right out of True Detective.
Scouting your spot is basic portrait photography 101, but don't wait a whole week between your scouting trip and the shoot. Colors can change, leaves can fall, some places like parks even close off sections for the winter.
The Weather Channel actually keeps a pretty handy regional guide that lets you know what phase the leaves are in at any given time.
Keep close tabs on the sun
Unlike the transition of the leaves, the sun remains forever predictable. But, if you're not keeping track of it, you could miss out on precious golden hour minutes. As the days get shorter, the sunset moves ever earlier. Simply checking on the web what time the sun will set should give you the information you need to keep darkness from sneaking up on you.
Have Your Subjects Dress Appropriately
It seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how many clients I've had show up for an outdoor shoot in October wearing a dress that's meant more for mid-July. You may have a tough time convincing your subjects that a sweater is good wardrobe for a shoot, but be sure to explain how important body language is, and how difficult it is to nail it when they're trying not to shiver.
I find the best wardrobe for this kind of shoot is typically something neutral and basic, so it doesn't fight for attention with the awesome backdrop and, more importantly, the expressions of the people in the photos.
Start Simple
The possibilities are endless when it comes to environmental portraits, but sometimes the options can be a bit overwhelming. I like to start my sessions with a straight forward portrait, leveraging the beauty of the foliage in the background.
This serves a few purposes for me. First, it lets me get a solid shot on the card, so if all my other creative ideas don't turn out how I want, at least they still have a nice picture. It also gives me a nice, neutral setting in which I can get a feel for the subjects. Even if you're shooting a close friend, they may be much different in front of the camera than they are at the bar. Lastly, it may just be the shot your subject wants. An epic landscape portrait may be your favorite from the session, but the one they want hanging on their wall may be the most basic of the bunch.
Don't forget the details
I love shots in the fall. I figure, nature is putting on such an amazing show, I want to get as much of it as I can into my photos. Like any other portrait session, though, the details can make all the difference. If you're thinking about your portraits in terms of a cohesive group rather than a single photo, the details bring out things that might not otherwise be obvious. Have your subject pick up some leaves or shoot their shoes as they stand in a pile of leaves. It helps tell a story rather than giving you a random collection of nice, but disjointed portraits.
Avoid the cliches…or embrace them
People have been putting babies in pumpkins for as long as photography has existed. Some people love it, while others loathe it and every other candy-corn-colored cliche you can think of when it comes to fall photography. Ultimately, though, it's a personal decision.
I find that throwing one cliche images in with a set of more artistic images can act as a nice little break and give the subject a laugh when they're going through the photos. Plus, some people just really like them.
So, feel free to avoid the cliche fall photos ("look at us throwing leaves in the air!"), but think of the laugh they might give you when you're flipping through photos 20 years down the road.
Use backlight to your advantage
Backlighting portrait subjects is a very popular technique at the moment, but fall really is the best time to do it. You get the typical, dreamy flare effect that so many shooters (myself included) are fond of, but it also tends to give the leaves an amazing illuminated appearance.
I prefer to keep the sun out of the frame, blocking it with he subjects themselves or keeping it just out of frame, but you can do it either way based on your preference. Practicing with your lenses to find out how they react to backlit subjects is definitely a good idea. Lenses can flare in very different ways, and sometimes a small movement can mean the difference between an image that's dreamy and beautiful and one that's totally washed out.
Don't get stuck shooting wide open all the time
When we think of portraits, we tend to think of fast lenses and blurry backgrounds, but you can approach fall portraits more like a landscape photo. If you're thinking in that mindset, F/1.4 doesn't make much sense anymore.
By stopping down to F/8 or even beyond, you can get sharper backgrounds and leave some of the focus on the leaves, which are what brought you outside in the first place.


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 SOURCE: http://www.popphoto.com/how-to/2014/10/8-tips-better-fall-portrait-photos
 

Κυριακή 16 Οκτωβρίου 2016

Hello!
I will be sharing some throwback photos from previous photo shoots ... Enjoy and share the fun.
Leave comments and feedback if you like them or not!!!
Let's be creative

Frank.


All rights reserved by Frank Gimme Photography
Bookeh style - photo by Frank Gimme Photography
http://karavolas.wixsite.com/gimmephoto