Learn My Shot - Latest Lessons

How to Create Repetition in Photography

Jan 31 2012 5:07 pm
Video by Robert Grant Article by SASHA GiTiN
Photography tutorial will show you how to create repetitive composition.

Photography is a marriage of science and art. In this tutorial we would like to focus on the art aspect of photography.
Previously we discussed how to create photographic composition, today we would like to go deeper into fundamentals that can guide you to create a great image.

Principals of Photography.

Just as any other form of visual arts, photography is based on certain fundamental guidelines. There are 9 Principals of Art that relate to photographic creation:

Repetition a.k.a (Pattern & Rhythm)
Balance
Contrast
Movement
Proportion
Emphasis
Variety
Harmony
Unity

Today we would like to start with the principal of art called: Repetition.

Repetition: Is the movement or variation characterized by the regular recurrence or alternation of different quantities or conditions of an object, shape line or form.

Artistic creation is not a mechanical process and one should approach creating art based of rules. However it is important to identify principals and elements of art when evaluating your own work or the work of other artist that you admire. Identifying principals and elements will help see what made that particular image so attractive to you.

In your own creative process you will notice that while using a single Principal of Art you may consciously or subconsciously create a piece witch is in tune with other principals of art as well.

As an example lets evaluate Robert's Image (which was created in Video tutorial above) and see what principals are present:

photo by Robert Grant

Visual Evaluation based on Principals of Art

Repetition: (yes!) multiple objects of the same shape (6 while bowls) were positioned in a manner where they formed a pattern

Balance: (yes!) Composition was arranged in a way that no one part of a work overpowers, or seems heavier than any other part and asymmetrically balanced.

Contrast:(yes!) Dark shadows and bright highlight brought a lot of life into this image and added a lot of graphic interest.

Movement: (yes!) Directional Lighting and perspective helps the viewer's eye to move from darker to lighter tones until the eye temporally fixates on the blue bowl and softly exits the image following the highlights on the edges of bowls.

Proportion: (yes!) Using lower camera angle perspective was achieved to help create movement. The use of tele-photo lens helped to create an illusion of compressed perspective and thus to control proportions of the size of the bowls. This also helped to conceptually emphasize that one bowl is not more important then the other. (size doesn't matter but content does)

Emphasis: (yes!) the fact that there is water in one of the bowls has created a center of interest

Variety: (yes!) the blue color of water and the fact that one of the bowls was full not only created Emphasis (focal point) but also created a sense of alternation. Variety is always more interesting than repetition of the same.

Harmony: (yes!) It was achieved here because of the use similar objects throughout the work. The image created non-complicated pleasant look and feel.

Unity: (yes!) Effective use of the elements and principles of art led to a wholeness of the image (well done Dr. Bob!)

Conclusion:

Repetition was the main drive behind creating this image. But in the process of making this piece all of the principals of art were incorporated. In near future we will create tutorials emphasizing other principals and elements of art that can guide to creating beautiful images. Stay Tuned.

photo by Robert Grant

This tutorial was produced by Sasha Gitin and Robert Grant: co-founders of LearnMyShot.com. Sasha is a fabulous Food Photographer shooting for advertising and editorial industries. Robert Grant is a very creative Commercial Photographer shooting advertising and editorial, based in Connecticut. Two humble guys trying to keep you educated and entertained. Connect with us via Facebook & Twitter

Tools used in video:

Vellum Diffusion Tissue Paper Roll
70-200 f4 L canon lens

Challenge for you: Create an image using repetition and pattern. You may set your own still life or capture repetitive composition present in nature or architecture. Post it here using Share your Shot Feature in Comments.

Traveling China Photo Essay by Jimmy Phua

Jan 24 2012 5:44 pm
Notes from LMS team: Finding a place to exhibit your work is one of the most challenging aspects of fine art photography. Here at LMS we would like to start exhibiting the work of our members in a form of a Photo Essays. Today we start with Jimmy Phua's " Traveling China". If you have a complete body of work that you would like to showcase on LMS, put it together in pdf file and send it to us for consideration. Once every month we will select and publish the most interesting one. Submit your photo assay to info@learnmyshot.com

Traveling China By Jimmy Phua:

In the year 2011, I took a trip to China. It was my first trip to that fascinating country. Before I embarked on my journey I did a little research about the history of places I was going to visit and made a good plan. Having a plan and knowing some background about a place will greatly enhance your photography experience.

Being able to tell a story through my photographs has always been the aim of my travel. It is important to observe and learn about your subject and it's environment before taking a photograph.

Temple of Heaven kept clean.

One of my favorite architectural structures in Beijing is The Temple of Heaven. It’s a place wherethe Emperor offered his sacrifice to the heaven for good harvest. The most fascinating thing about this temple is that it was made entirely of wood.

Lama Temple

Frame within a frame is simple technique used to isolate your subject. In the above photo Itried to frame it with the surrounding trees.

Confucius temple.

Elderly playing cards during their pastime along the walkway to the Temple of heaven

Forbidden city walkway, 2011 Jimmy Phua

The Forbidden City has been a subject for many photographers. In my photo I wanted do something different and highlight the line of perspective along the Forbidden walkway. I felt the crack on the floor made an interesting foreground .

Outside the Forbidden City, street vendors selling Chinese sausage

Tianjin is a small city about a 30 minute train ride southeast from Beijing. I love this city, it has a mix of European and Asian architecture. A great place to visit if you are visiting Beijing. If time is a factor for you, a day trip to Tianjin will be a bit easier to do.

Tianjin 2011

The Summer Palace was the biggest highlight of the entire trip. It was so peaceful and calm. I could understand why the Empress Dowager Cixi wanted to stay there.The palace offered numerous opportunities for photography. In truth, it’s a photographer’s haven.

Garden in the Summer Palace

I often like to include people in the photo to give a sense of the scale of the building.

This is one of the many Bridges in the Summer Palace.
A visit to China can never be completed without visiting one of the wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China. There are many sections of the Great Wall. The most visited section is the Badaling Great Wall. There is even a cable car ride to get you to the top. I wasn’t entirely impressed with such novelty. However, when the cart brought me up and I was able to face the Great Wall, I had forgotten all about the cheesy ride and was overwhelmed by the magnificence of the place.

Badaling Great Wall of China,

Tip for a pleasant photography trip:

Travel light and bring the gear that suits your shooting style. if you are a landscape photographer you might want to bring your wide-angle lens. However there are times where you want to photograph local people, then a portrait lens might come in handy.

Always bring extra memory cards and batteries. You will run out of juice faster than you can imagine. Travel is highly rewarding and enlightening. It helped me learn about places, get to know other cultures and improve my photography. Sharing images of my travels is the biggest reward. I want to thank Sasha and the rest of LMS team for allowing me to share my travel experience and images with LMS community.

Have you traveled recently? Please post your travel shot and share one of your tips.

This photo essay was shot by Jimmy Phua. Jimmy is an elementary school teacher from Singapore. Connect with Jimmy via Facebook

Learn My Shot is welcoming Photo Essays from members. To submit yours reach out via Contact Form

Backlighting Wedding Photography with Available Light

Jan 09 2012 10:52 pm

Video by Nick Carter. (an award winning wedding photographer in NYC area)

Backlighting is a great technique that can be used to create artistic images. A while back we demonstrated a backlighting technique with still life when the light was being projected onto background using continuous light source (clamp lamp). Today Nick Carter demonstrates (in video above) how to take advantage of available window light and use it as the main light-source.

Backlighting Technique

Light source should be behind the subject.

Tips:

To avoid flair the subject should block the light source completely.
If using back light that is projected from 135 to 180 degree angle the lens should have a lens hood attached to avoid flair.
Sometimes flair can ad a unique creative feel (disregard tip 1 and 2)

photo by Nick Carter

Backlighting technique can be used very effectively for any type of photography: Portraiture, still life, architectural, food, weddings... you name it.

Assignment: Create an image using back-light as your main light source. Post your Shot here using share your shot link in comments.

Learn My Shot is welcoming guest tutorials. To submit yours reach out via Contact Form

How to Photograph a Glass of Champagne with Sparklers

Dec 27 2011 4:21 pm
Video by Robert Grant Article by SASHA GiTiN
Photography tutorial will show you how to photograph beverage with sparklers.

Learn My Shot launched exactly 2 years ago. On January 1st, 2010. It was born out of one conversation Robert and Sasha had in the studio. We were discussing some basic lighting techniques and the fact that none of those essential techniques were taught to us when we were in college studying photography (Robert 30 years ago and me 10 years ago). Robert then said lets make a website where we can demonstrate all these techniques, and Sasha said lets do it. Bang!!!

Usually when we work together we come up with a dozen ideas a day, but very few make it into reality. This one did! With some hard work and a lot of fun we published over 80 lessons and the site received more than a million visitors. And the more we post the more ideas we get. Stick around with us there is much more to come.

Remember, Learn My Shot is your home too! You are a big part of what it has become and you are the ones who direct where its going. Communicating, sharing images, commenting on each others' work and spreading the word is what's keeping LMS going.

Just to let you all know, in the next 3 months we will be working on improving some functionality and adding some new exciting features to the site.We are looking forward to have you aboard in 2012!

Happy New Year !!!
Sasha, Robert, Carl and the LMS Team

photo by Robert Grant 2 seconds, f32, 113mm, iso 100

Assignment: Shoot a glass of Champagne. Post your image below using "Share Your Shot feature in Comments"

Tools used in video:

Vellum Diffusion Tissue Paper Roll
70-200 f4 L canon lens

Creating Photographic Composition

Dec 21 2011 12:11 pm
Video by Robert Grant Article by SASHA GiTiN
Photography tutorial will show you how to create a well balanced photographic composition.

Composition Challenge: Deadline: December 31st, 2011 (CLOSED)

Winning Image is:

Congrats to Franco Scozzarella from Italy!!!

notes: Judges felt the image was really gracefully composed. Subject matter: Pomegranate is one of the most symbolic fruits. Ranging from being the "Fruit of the Dead in Ancient Greece" to "Sweetness of the Haven" in Christianity. In Islam it is parsed as an example of "Good things God creates". In Judaism and Hinduism pomegranate symbolizes "Fertility"
The choice of black background, natural surface and bright light on the fruit created a perfect balance of concept and composition.

Thank you all for participating !!! Choosing the wining image was not easy at all. Great work everyone!!!

Composition is one of the most important aspects of photography. No matter how gorgeous your lighting might be, or how unique your subject matter is, or how perfect your exposure might be, or even how great your camera and lens are, your shot will still suffer greatly if the image is lacking a good composition.

Do not worry. Composing your image is something that can be learned and significantly improved with time and experience. And by watching more LMS tutorials, they will definitely help you in this journey.

Two Ways to Photographic Composition

There are two ways to compose the shot. One way is to frame the composition that already exists. A second way is by creating your own composition from scratch. Bang!

Framing Existing Composition:

Great photographic composition already sits and waits there for you to capture it. In most cases you have no control over the subject or the environment. The photographer must be able to observe and figure out how to frame all the elements to create a perfect balance. Such compositional technique is generally used in documentary photography, landscapes, architectural, nature, macro, etc.. We will cover those techniques in upcoming tutorials.

Creating Your Own Composition:

Have your camera set up on tripod and build your composition from scratch. This technique will teach you to not only to observe carefully and closely, but will help you see and feel how shapes, lines, value, and negative space balance each other. When you are building your composition you are no longer an observer but also a creator. Creating your own composition is a truly sublime experience. In the video above Robert goes step by step and demonstrated the process.

Photo by Robert Grant

Million Dollar Advice:

Some of the best advice I received on the subject of creating a still life set was from a highly experienced food stylist, Karen Temple. She once told me a story about how on one of her very first jobs she was asked to make a large still life set. She was terrified and didn't know where to start. A veteran creative director sensed her anxiety and told her to just start doing it and “it will come to you as you go”. Now whenever I work with Karen she will push me back with her elbow eager to get to building a still life. There you have it, the secret to creating great still life is, “Just Start Working on It!”

Related Tutorials:

Challenge: “Dear Things.” The holiday season is the time of year when we reflect back on the past. Throughout our existence we tend to collect objects that keep memories. Here's the challenge. Compose multiple objects that are dear to you and create a balanced image.

Judges:

Robert Grant: Commercial and Fine art Photographer (co-founder of LMS)
Sasha Gitin: Commercial and Editorial Photographer (co-founder of LMS)
Mayra Moreno: Art Educator (BFA in Photography and Masters in Art Education)
Carl Hebert. Fine Art Photographer and Photoshop Guru.

Judging will be done using a secret ballot. Each image will be given points, Image with the most points wins.

Deadline: December 31th, 2011. Winner will be announced on this page, twitter, facebook and a special newsletter on January 2nd, 2012

How to Submit your Image:

log in to your account or sign up for a free LMS account. Then use "share your shot" link in comments. When the box opens, please click on the orange question mark for posting instructions (read instruction especially if posting from flickr).

Good Luck, and Have fun!

Winner will receive a copy of “Light Science and Magic” Book

Giveaway is generously provided by the Focal Press

Light Science and Magic Photography Book Review

Dec 13 2011 11:17 am
Video by Robert Grant Article by SASHA GiTiN
Photography book review.

There are numerous photography books available and often it is difficult to make the right choice.
“Light Science and Magic" definitely stands out from the bunch.

Robert, in the video above, took a close look what the book is about.I have just a few things to add:

This book can get very technical covering scientific end of how light works in all sorts of situations. Do not expect to read this resource like a novel, unless you are like me and thrive on technical end of photography.

However the book is not created for photography rocket scientists only. It's designed the way that even complex concepts are illustrated in diagrams that any visual folks can understand easily.

“Light Science and Magic” fourth edition was just released at the end of 2011. All the info is up to date!

The bottom line: This book is a must have for every photographer and makes a great gift.Enjoy your read.

Book info:

Paperback: 326 pages
Publisher: Focal Press
4 edition (2011)
Language: English (available in many other languages)
Co Authored by: Fil Hunter, Paul Fuqua, Steven Biver

For more info or to purchase click here (Amazon)

Holiday Season Photography Ideas and Tips

Dec 10 2011 2:47 pm
Images by Robert Grant and Evan Sharboneau, Article by SASHA GiTiN
Photography ideas and tips to create beautiful photographs during the holidays.

Contest: "Christmas Photo" WIN $500 details below the article

The upcoming Holidays can offer a lot of photographic opportunities. Today we would like to suggest a few Ideas and tips to keep your creativity flowing.

Winter Landscape.

photo by Robert Grant. ISO 100, 1/100 sec, f8.0, 85mm lens

Snowy landscapes are always magical and unique. These photographs make great prints to hang on the wall or printed as a Holiday card. Winter landscapes always make a fine addition to any landscape portfolio.

Tips for winter landscape photography:

Keep it warm. Wear gloves, so your frost-bitten fingers will not give up before your artistic energy wears out.

Exposure Compensation: Your camera would suggest exposure based on neutral gray. But the snow is about full stop brighter then neutral grey and pictures often end up darker. If shooting in any of automatic modes go to your camera menu and set Exposure Compensation to +1. (refer to you camera manual how to set exposure compensation)

Condensation: When bringing your camera back indoors it"s best to let it de-condense naturally by taking it out of the bag and removing lens cover for about 10 minutes. (Condensation is happening when you bring optical gear from cold to warm temperature)

Print and Frame your masterpiece and then hang it above the mantle. Looking at a snowy landscape will make you feel even warmer and cozier.

This brings us to the next idea: The Fireplace.

Fireplace.

photo by Robert Grant.

Tips for photographing the Fireplace:

First Set the exposure that will show fire at it's best. See our previous tutorial: How to photograph fire.

Once your exposure for fire is set add a second light source to light your subject: it could be a pop up flash or strobe or clamp lamp (whatever your preferred light source is)

Ornaments.

photo by Robert Grant

Tips to photograph Christmas Ornaments:

Use very shallow depth of field to separate your subject from the background.

Experiment with soft focus filters video below:

Unconventional Techniques:

photo by Evan Sharboneau

Take your pictures over the edge using unconventional techniques:Video: 4 Unconventional Christmas Lights Photo Techniques.

Contest: Christmas Photo

Submit your photo to a Contest and win $500.

Our Friends at Storwell Self Storage are holding a contest. The contest is free to enter and the winner gets $500
Note: this contest is NOT an LMS contest so to submit your photos please go here.

Contest description:
The holiday season is once again around the corner and while we all spend our time focusing on organizing our Christmas feasts and celebrations there are many people out in the cold living on the streets with hardly enough food to survive. In an attempt to help the homeless and families who cannot afford food this holiday season, we will be donating $1 to the Daily Bread food bank for every entry that is made. We are also offing a grand prize of $500 to the person who's photo gets the most votes.

Requirements:
It could be a cute photo of your pet dressed up as a rain deer, a photo of your elaborate Christmas light decorations, or perhaps a photo of your exceptionally decorated Christmas tree.As long as it is justifiably related to the holiday season, simply take a photo of it and upload it here.
For rules visit http://www.storwell.com/christmas-photo-contest-rules

Dead line: Jan 6th, 2012 at exactly 12:01PM the photo with the most votes wins! Simple as that.

Enter contest here

Happy Holidays an Merry Christmas !!!

This tutorial was produced by Sasha Gitin and Robert Grant: co-founders of LearnMyShot.com. Featuring photo "Unconventional Christmas" by PhotoExtremist. Author of "Trick and Special Effects Photography Techniques". The photography contest by Storwell Self Storage - storage facility in Toronto, with locations in Mississauga and Scarborough.

50mm f1 8 Prime Lens Review

Dec 06 2011 2:08 pm

_{^{Review by Carl Hebert}}

^{_{Read this 50mm 1.8 lens review to learn the reasons why they are so good.}}Welcome to our second installment on Holiday Ideas. This review will be on 50mm f1.8 prime lenses:

Canon 50mm f1.8 , Nikon AF 50mm f1.8d, Nikon AF-S 50mm f1.8g , Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f1.8 DT

Why a 50mm f1.8?

Why would you want a 50mm f1.8 lens in the first place? There are many reasons: One: they deliver high quality images and Two: They are really inexpensive. These lenses range from around $120 for the Canon, $150 for the Sony and Nikon has two, one for $125 and the other for $220. The color contrast and sharpness of the lens are actually very good for the price you are paying. Consider that the Canon f1.2 L version is $1500 and you start to see what a great value these lenses represent.

The third reason you would want one, especially on one of the newer all plastic camera bodies, is the weight. These are super light lenses.

The Canon 50mm f1.8 MKII weighs in at only 4.6oz (130g) the lightest of all of Canon’s current lens lineup. When I had this on my Canon 60D it felt like a feather compared to my Canon 5d without a lens on it.

Nikon has two and the 50mm f1.8g is the newest one and it comes in at only 6.6oz (187g) and the older f1.8d is 5.5oz (156g)

Sony’s 50mm f1.8 DT is in between the newer Canon and Nikon lenses at 6oz (170g)

The fourth reason is the speed of the lens. A 50mm at f1.8 will give you 2 stops more to open up versus a typical kit lens. This could really make a difference in a low light situation such as a party or other event where a flash isn’t allowed. This speed also makes this a great video lens to use on all the new DSLRs that also have video capabilities.

Some technical tidbits

We will now go over a few of the numbers and technical aspects of each lens just to give you some basic info.

Weight:

Canon – 4.6oz (130g)
Nikon g – 6.6oz (187g)
Nikon d – 5.5oz (156g)
Sony – 6.0oz (170g)

Diaphragm Blades (more is generally better for bokeh):

Canon – 5
Nikon g – 7
Nikon d - 7
Sony – 7

Filter Size:

Canon – 52mm
Nikon g – 58mm Nikon d - 52mm
Sony – 49mm

Aperture Range:

Canon – f1.8 to f22
Nikon g – f1.8 to f16Nikon d - f1.8 to f22
Sony – f1.8 to f22

Ergonomics

All four lenses felt about what you paid for them.

The Canon 50mm f1.8 MKII was extremely light and felt cheap. The focusing ring was not easy to use as I kept grabbing the barrel and the ring at the same time. Hopefully on the MKIII they will make that ring a bit easier to grab. The autofocus switch was on the left hand side and easy to use with your thumb while shooting.

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f1.8g was by far my favorite as far as focusing goes. It was quiet and the focusing ring is a nice wide ribbed band that made it easy to find and use. It also had the most solid feel to it, which was probably due to it also being the heaviest. The autofocus was also easy to use with just your thumb while shooting.

The older sibling Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f1.8d felt a lot like the Canon 50mm f1.8 MKII although the focusing ring on the front was raised and easier to use then the Canon one. You will want to double check and make sure this will work on your Nikon camera as the auto-focus will not work with all of their cameras.

The Sony SAL-50f18 50mm f1.8 DT lens felt cheap, but handled great. The focusing ring, although smooth, was easy to use. The auto-focus was a bit slow at times and noisy. The Autofocus switch was easy to use with your thumb while shooting.This one is only works on the non-full-frame Sony cameras.

The Wow Factor

All the lenses get a WOW! due to the low cost of each of them.
Canon 50mm f1.8 MKII:

WOW! on this lens is the super lightweight. It was the lightest and cheapest of all the lenses.

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f1.8g:
WOW! was the wonderful feeling I had holding this lens. It was the most expensive, but it also had the best feel to it.

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f1.8d:Wow! Another lightweight lens. If you are looking to buy a 50mm for your Nikon this one gives the most bangs for the buck. Although I would recommend you go for the newer version if money is not an issue as it has the newer glass and better build.

Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f1.8 DT:
Wow! Again a really lightweight lens and the bokeh was extremely nice.

Summary

When I used my Canon 50mm f1.8 MKII for the first time I was pleasantly surprised at how well the images were with such an inexpensive and cheap feeling lens. It is not called the plastic fantastic for nothing. After using the other lenses I have gained even more respect for the nifty-fifties and recommend them to everyone. They are unobtrusive and not as in your face as a typical zoom. People will not feel as intimidated if you have one of these on your camera. They are light and inexpensive, so they won’t break your budget. They make for a great video lens because of the ability to open up to 1.8 for low light conditions.

Click on the corresponding links below to view technical details or make a purchase:
(sometimes price is better on Amazon sometimes at Adorama)

Prices and Tech Info:

Canon 50mm f1.8 at Amazon click here
Canon 50mm f1.8 at Adorama click here

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f1.8d at Amazon click here
Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f1.8d at Adorama click here

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f1.8g at Amazon click here
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f1.8g at Adorama click here

Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f1.8 DT: at Amazon click here
Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f1.8 DT: at Adorama click here

Obviously if you have a canon camera you get a canon lens, nikon lens for a nikon and sony for sony. However is you haven't gotten a new camera yet read our previews review: DSLR Camera Kits Under $500

If you have one of these lenses or have used one in the past please post a comment! If you have any suggestions on what you would like to see in the upcoming reviews please email us here. Have great Holidays!

This article was written by Carl Hebert. Carl is an associate of LearnMyShot.com, Professional Photographer and Photoshop Guru.

Food Photography Tutorial using Natural Window Light

Nov 29 2011 2:56 pm

Video and Article by SASHA GiTiN: Food Photographer based in New York.
In this food photography tutorial we introduce how to use diffusion when using window light. Includes tips on how to create steam on soup.

Last week we introduced the basic concept of how to photograph food. Today we would like to explore a more advanced yet simple technique of photographing food using natural window light.

'Gumbo" photo by Sasha Gitin, Food Styling by Maria L. Rodriguez.

Food Loves Natural Light.

If I can use natural light I will as it is always my first choice. Using natural light is not as easy as it seems. It took me years before I could master this technique. The main benefit of using natural light there is no need for lighting equipment. Here are some tips that will help you to overcome some of the problems.

Tips On Using Natural Light:

Problems you might experience using natural light and the solutions.

Problem 1: Inconsistent color.

On cloudy days color temperature can jump sporadically every minute, shifting white balance from 4800 to 6500 degrees.

Solution: White diffusion should be used.

On overcast days I use: Tough Silk Diffusion. (a really fine thin diffusion that keeps light in a beam and fine tunes white balance)

On sunny days (Indirect light / north exposure) I use Opal Tough Frost (light diffusion, it keeps the beam focused and white balance leveled)

On sunny days (direct sunlight) I use Tough White Diffusion (thick diffusion keeps light evenly diffused) or Tough Frost (also thick diffusion but keeps beam more focused at the center and makes the image a bit less flat compared to Tough White)

Note: White balance should still be checked and fine-tuned before taking your final shot.

Problem 2: Only one light source (Sun) is used.

When we are in need of extra light you generally add another light, right? Having the sun as your light source limits you to a single source.

Solution: Light can be bounced back onto dark areas (when needed) using a white card or white bouncer. Mirrors can also be utilized to bounce sharper directional light. See basic use of reflector: Still Life Photography with Natural Light

Problem 3: The shoot can run out of light.

The sun is not going to work overtime.

Solution:

Plan accordingly and keep track of time. It’s always a good idea to have a backup light (tungsten or strobe) just in case. With the camera on a tripod shooting is still possible as the sun is setting by controlling the exposure using very slow shutter speed.

Problem 4: Motion Blur.

When shooting with diffused natural light. Your exposure might require slow shutter speeds.

Solution: Use a tripod. Consider using the mirror lock up function in your camera to minimize camera shake, also consider using a remote trigger.

Notes on soup steam: Steam can be captured naturally without using cigar smoke. But be prepared to shoot within 15 seconds of the soup hitting the set. Also, a lower angle is preferable when emphasizing steam. Dark backgrounds will help steam show up better. (I had very specific angle instructions for the shot in the video above)

Sometimes steam can play against you as it will diminish the color and appeal of fresh beautiful ingredients. If you are shooting a job for a client it always good to shoot both versions with and without.

Conclusion:

Take control of the natural light and treat the sun as you would any other type of photographic light source. Do not forget to have fun and enjoy your meal.

Photography Equipment Used in The Video:

Camera: Canon 7d , Lens: Canon 24-70mm f2.8 L, Diffusion: Rosco Opal Tough Frost

Assignment: Shoot your food using window light. Post results here using “Share Your Shot” feature in comments

Related Tutorials:

How to photograph food

Liquid and Splash Photography

Tips on Shooting Overhead

How to Create Artificial Sunlight In Studio

How to photograph With Diffusion in Direct Sunlight

This article was written by Sasha Gitin co-founder of LearnMyShot.com. Sasha is a NYC Food Photographer shooting for advertising and editorial industries. Connect via Facebook, & Twitter

Soup Styling by Maria L Rodriguez a Food Stylist in New York

DSLR Camera Kits Under 500 Review

Nov 28 2011 12:44 am

_{^{Review by Carl Hebert}}

^{_{Read this camera review to learn which DSLR camera under $500 is for you.}}

Here at Learnmyshot we decided to put together some reviews of products that I hope will give you ideas for the upcoming holidays. These reviews will not be super technical in origin. I want us to focus more on usability and cool features. How does the product feel in our hands? Do the controls seem easy to use and in logical places? What made us go “Wow!”

As these reviews progress we will of course be taking your feedback into improving future articles. If you have experience with one of the items we are reviewing please leave your own mini review in the comments section at the end of the article.

Our first article is on DSLR kits for under $500. These kits include a camera body and some version of a zoom lens. The three kits we are going to review are Canon’s Rebel T3, Nikon’s D3000 and Sony’s A390.

What’s in the Box?

All three kits are very similar when the contents of the box are revealed. Each comes with a camera body, 18-55mm zoom lens, lithium-ion battery, battery charger, camera strap, interface cable, software CD and lens & body caps. One of the differences was in the Nikon D3000 box, which also included a dust cover for the hot-shoe and for the viewfinder. Nice additional accessories that will help keep those areas a bit cleaner in the long run. Also, what was noticeable and slightly annoying in an entry level DSLR kit is the lack of an SD card so you can shoot with your new camera! With the relative low cost of these cards now-a-days it would just be nice if one was included.

They all have the basics covered in the box and you only need to pick up an SD card to begin shooting.

Some technical tidbits

We will now go over a few of the numbers and technical aspects of each camera just to give you some basic info on the cameras.

Sensor/Megapixels:

Canon – 12.2mp cmos sensor
Nikon – 10.2mp ccd sensor
Sony – 14.2mp ccd sensor

ISO Range:

Canon – 100-6400
Nikon – 100-3200
Sony – 100 -3200

Shutter Speed:

Canon, Nikon & Sony – Bulb & 1/4000 to 30sec

Weight (body & kit lens):

Canon – 696g/1.5lbs
Nikon – 750g/1.7lbs
Sony – 699g/1.5lbs

LCD Size:

Canon – 2.7” 230k pixels has live view
Nikon – 3.0” 230k pixels does not have live view
Sony – 2.7” 230k pixels has live view & tilts Image

Stabilization:

Canon & Nikon – Lens has stabilization
Sony – Camera has image stabilization

Ergonomics

All three cameras felt comfortable while holding them. The Nikon kit lens had a noticeable heft to it compared to the other two and that of course translated into the Nikon D3000 feeling a little more substantial. This is of course a personal observation as I am used to hauling around heavier cameras and glass. I feel that the light weight of these cameras will be much appreciated on the go.

The larger screen on the Nikon was great for seeing what you shot, but it did not have a live view mode. The lack of live view is not much of a hindrance, because I find I use it mostly for video and the Nikon and Sony do not shoot video, whereas the Canon T3 shoots 720p HD video.

The control layout was pretty similar among the three. All had the on/off switch on the right hand side for easy access when held up for a shot. The Sony A390 has the mode dial on the left which I like, but I think only because I am used to that dial being over there on my other cameras. The control wheel of the Nikon D3000 is on the back, so you can use your right thumb to use it. The Canon T3 has it on the right front top where you use your index finger to change settings with the shutter button in front of it. The Sony is on the front also, but in front of the shutter button.

Overall they all felt great to use and I was impressed with how far the Sony and Canon grips have come from their earlier models. I recall my first experience with a Canon Rebel and feeling like I was pinching it rather than holding it. If I was to choose a favorite from them for comfort and ease of use I would lean towards the Canon T3, but again I clarify that statement with saying I am a long-time user of Canon and the controls are in familiar places. If I used either of the other two for an extended length of time I am sure they would both be as comfortable and easy to use.

The Wow Factor

Now it is time for the part that I enjoy the most! That is finding the features that make me go – “WOW!”

Canon Rebel T3

Number one is that this camera shoots HD video! If you want a DSLR that shoots stills and video for under $500 this is the camera for you! Only thing that could make this better is if it could shoot in 1080i/p.

Number two WOW! on this camera is the 6400 ISO! Granted it will add noise to your shot, but that is better than no shot!

Nikon D3000:

Number one WOW! was the in camera image editing feature. I couldn’t stop playing with it! I was simply amazed at how many options it had for editing.
The second thing that made the WOW! list was the larger LCD screen on the back. Anyone who has upgraded to a larger TV or computer monitor knows what I am talking about. A larger screen just makes it easier to see the details in your image. It also makes it easier for your friends to compliment your wonderful photos later!

Sony A390:

Number one for the Sony is the 14.2 sensor! That’s a 15% improvement over the Canon T3 and 30% over the Nikon D3000! This basically will allow you to enlarge your photos more before you see degradation in the image.
Number two WOW! is the tilting LCD screen on the back! It tips up or down for both high and low shots. I have to say that after using this camera with the tilt back you will wonder how you lived without it.
Say What!? A third WOW! for the Sony A390! This is for all the people who are frustrated with auto-focus in live view or should I say the lack of. This camera has a surprisingly fast auto focus mode while in live view. It virtually eliminates that little delay you get from most cameras while trying to shoot in live view.

Summary

When I started doing this review I thought a clear winner would pop out. I was leaning towards the Canon Rebel T3, because I use Canon myself. Then again Nikon has been such a successful brand I figured it would also have a great chance of being tops, but the Sony was surprisingly well made and had some great features that the others did not have.

It comes down to what you are looking for, I would recommended any of these based on the results I got from using them, but if you want video in your DSLR then you have to go with the Canon Rebel T3. If you want live view you can go with the Canon Rebel T3 or the Sony A390(with tilt!). Want to be able to do some in camera editing? You should go with the Nikon D3000.

If you want to brag about the number of megapixels you have then you need the Sony A390 with its 14.2mp sensor. Want to have the largest selection of lenses to choose from? Go with either the Canon Rebel T3 or the Nikon D3000 each has over 160 available.

Granted there are better cameras out there in many aspects, but the purpose of this review was to show you some DSLR cameras for the holidays for under $500. Again if you have one of these kits or have used one in the past please post a comment! If you have any suggestions on what you would like to see in the upcoming reviews please email me.

For pricing and technical specs check Amazon: Canon Rebel T3, Nikon D3000, Sony A390

Have great Holidays!

This article was written by Carl Hebert. Carl is an associate of LearnMyShot.com, Professional Photographer and Photoshop Guru.

How to Photograph Food

Nov 21 2011 5:50 pm

Article by SASHA GiTiN: Food Photographer based in New York.
In this hands-on article we introduce the art of food photography. Includes tips and instructional tutorial videos.

Earlier this month we discussed how to boost your creativity and to find your photography niche. Today I will introduce my favorite genre: The art of photographing food.

Introduction to Food photography:

What makes food photography exceptionally unique is the fact that the goal behind every photo is to reflect the appetizing factors of your subject and to engage your viewer's taste buds.

Photo by Sasha Gitin, Styling by Janine Kalesis. Published in "The Gourmet Bachelor" Cookbook.

How to create an appetizing image:

First let’s look at all the possible variables that we associate with food. For many of us food has to pass three tests before we determine its deliciousness.

Look, Smell and Taste.

Photo by Sasha Gitin, Styling by Janine Kalesis. Published in "Cooking With Love" Cookbook.

The Look of food: Visual Appearance of the subject is the variable that can be controlled by the photographer. But let’s break it down into categories.

Preparation / Styling: Food is just like a model. If you start with a highly appealing dish or a beautiful fruit it is equivalent to working with a professional model.Take your time preparing the food. Choose good looking ingredients.If you are not a cook collaborate with a chef or a food stylist or your spouse (as a last reserve).

Photo by Sasha Gitin, Styling by Janine Kalesis.

Color: Color reproduction is one of the most important factors. When we look at food the color tells us if the food is fresh. For example If the food is expected to be white like sword fish, but has a blue, magenta or other unhealthy looking color tone, the viewer will automatically become repulsed by the image as she would to the actual dish.True white balance is the key. Set your camera to custom white balance. If you are shooting raw make sure to shoot a white or grey card and pick a white balance point using Adobe Camera Raw or whichever raw processing software you might be using. Grey card: After trying dozens of white balancing cards cards, I found the following two to deliver the most accurate white balance: WhiBal and Qp101 Cards. White point can be picked using raw processing software Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom, or Raw capture software that came with your camera. In Video below Robert will demonstrate how to set Custom White Balance:
How to Set Custom White Balance (VIDEO by Robert Grant):

Taste: Taste is the most important factor in our food experience. Image alone however cannot translate taste directly. Try licking your computer screen right now. Yummy? I didn't think so. Since taste cannot be translated onto the image we need to look for other variables we can associate with our food indulging experience. Texture would be one of them. Texture: Evaluate your model (food), if you were to eat it what texture would you expect? With lighting we can emphasize the texture.

Photo by Sasha Gitin, Styling by Janine Kalesis.

Texture: Meat, Fish, Bread, and Cheese all have grain or flakes that can suggest how it will feel against the tongue. Light your subject to bring out the texture. See our previous tutorial: How to Light for Texture

Smell: Obviously we cannot reproduce the smell with the camera. On the bright side we do not have to! The human brain has the unique ability to fill in the gaps. If the food already passed the color and texture tests our brain will assume how it will taste and smell based on our previous food experience. Steam from hot food can also accentuate this and the viewer will subconsciously sense the smell filling up the air. Next week we will look into creating steam to emphasize hotness.

Photo by Sasha Gitin

Choice of Lens: My favorite range to work in is 50 to 135 mm. With 75% of the work shot at around 100mm. The lens should have macro capability. However instead of investing in an expensive macro lens you might like to start with a simple 11, 12 or 13mm extension tube. (See our previous tutorial - How to Photograph using Extension Tubes.)

Photo by Sasha Gitin, Styling by Maria Rodriguez.

Composition and Angle: Framing your Shot is crucially important. Carefully observe your subject. Be aware to lines and shapes and frame according to your gut feeling. To give you an idea take a look at my article published by dPS - 11 Great Angles for Food Photography.

Next week I will invite you into the studio during an editorial food shoot and show you how to photograph food using natural light and special diffusion. Also I will demonstrate a technique of adding steam to maximize deliciousness of hot food. Stay tuned.

To see more Samples of Food Photography please visit Sasha's freshly updated Food Photography Portfolio

Assignment: “Shoot Your Dinner” Photograph your meal and post your shot here using “Share Your Shot” feature in Comments. (if you are new to the site click on the orange question mark in upload box for posting instructions)

This article was written by Sasha Gitin co-founder of LearnMyShot.com. Sasha is a New York Food Photographer shooting for advertising and editorial industries. Connect via Facebook, & Twitter

How to Photograph Shoes

Nov 07 2011 2:16 pm
Video by Robert Grant, Article by SASHA GiTiN
Photography tutorial video demonstrates how to photograph shoes.

Last week we explored the options a photographer can take to boost up her creativity and overcome a Photographer's Block. One of the options we talked about was to find an interesting object in your everyday environment and take it out of it''s context.
This week Robert Grant himself took on the challenge and came up with a great subject to shoot: His old work boots (See video above) This gave us a great idea for a challenge:

Challenge: SHOOT YOUR SHOE Deadline: November 20th, 2011 (CLOSED)

Winning Image is: "My Base"

Congrats to Arun Padala from New Zealand!!!

Contest:

Create an image featuring your shoes. Be creative, Authentic and Fun. Shoot your own shoes to tell your story. Images must be recent.

Judges:

Robert Grant: Commercial and Fine art Photographer (co-founder of LMS)
Sasha Gitin: Commercial and Editorial Photographer (co-founder of LMS)
Mayra Moreno: Art Educator (BFA in Photography and Masters in Art Education)
Carl Hebert. Fine Art Photographer and Photoshop Guru.

Judging will be done using a secret ballot. Each image will given points, Image with the most points wins.

Deadline: November 20th, 2011. Winner will be announced on this page, twitter, facebook and a special newsletter on November 21st

How to Submit your Image:

log in to your account or sign up for a free learnmyshot account. Then use "share your shot" link in comments. When the box opens, please click on the orange question mark for instructions.
Good Luck, and Have fun!

How to Resurrect Your Photographic Creativity

Nov 02 2011 5:35 pm

Article by SASHA GiTiN
in this story we give tips on how to overcome photographer's block.

Photographers just like any other type of artists are not immune from having a creative block. There are often posts across photography forums where people express their frustration about loosing interest for photography or not being able to find that spark that made them pick up the camera in the first place.

Photographer's block

The photographer's block happens to most of us and it occasionally comes back without a warning. Here are some common issues:

Can not find an interesting subject to photograph?

Try to find something unique in the most common object. Look around, try to see ordinary objects in a different way. Take the subject out of it's context / environment and give it a whole new meaning.

Travel to a place that has interesting architectural structures or appealing landscapes (might be just on the other side of town).

Just stroll around your neighborhood and find something new in environment which you see everyday.

Play with different focal length. If you are used to shooting with a medium range (50-70mm), then try shooting with a long telephoto or wide angle instead and vise versa. Or attach some extension tubes and go macro (with Macro you can shoot entire new portfolio within 5 yards radius).

What to do with all these photos?

That's another common obstacle photographers face: what to do with images? Do I need another landscape shot? Do I need another macro flower shot? Or another water drop? The solution to this situation is to find an outlet for your images.

Have you considered actually printing them? With digital photography, most images do not make it outside the computer. (One megapixel cameras would be sufficient for that, by the way.) How about decorating your house or office? Or how about getting holiday presents to friends and family in the form of a framed fine art photograph? Having developed an outlet will help you to find your own creative direction and get on the path.

Self assigned photography projects: Projects require a theme. “ Color Red”, “Windows”, “People with Tattoos” “Clouds” (I bet, if you spend a few months shooting clouds, you will have the most amazing body of work. “Dogs and their Owners” Anything that might fascinate you.

photo by Sasha Gitin, Mary and Jesus, Bolivia

I remember (some 10 years ago) after a few months of traveling, I started loosing interest in travel photography as it became a mantra: landscape number 126, donkey number 19, colonial building number 58...you get the point.) One day, I naturally came up with a project. I became fascinated with sculptures of Saints and Jesus found in Catholic churches in Mexico and South and Central Americas.What intrigued me the most was the way sculptures were portrayed, expressing pain so vividly that it seemed that Jesus just walked out of Mel Gibson's movie Passion of Christ. I worked and focused on that theme for about four years. Every time I arrived to a new town, I anticipating entering a church and conducting my visual study. I still shot plenty of donkeys and sunsets but my photography, with a focused theme had a purpose and made my travel experience more interesting.

photo by Sasha Gitin, Atlixco, Mexico

See and Create.

Photography is as much about seeing as it is about creating. Some photographers are great at observing and capturing images that are already there waiting for them to be claimed. Others create images by setting up scenes using objects and/or collaborating with people to create their own story. If you are into creating images it might be a good idea to switch for a day and go out there and shoot some street portraits or architecture. Or vise versa: if you are a documentary or a people photographer try shooting some still life for a day. You will be amazed what you will learn about your own creativity and new ideas will sure start hatching.
You may browse our library of over 70 tutorials to get some good ideas, that's what we are here for.

We asked the question “How to overcome photographer's block" to our fans on facebook page. And here are few suggestions folks shared:

@Ugogurl just do more random shooting... something usually clicks

@Cindee Music and nature always inspire me, but whenever I feel like I'm in a funk I sometimes look to the work of others. I find that I can quite often be inspired and come up with something original without having to copy them. :)

@Momen I joined a local photography club and we meet regularly, that inspires us all with new ideas. I also participate in photography competitions. The best work I have is that I photograph to enter a contest, although I never won anything so far, but trying alone indeed improves me already!

@Spike Sometimes I look through Flickr or other photo sites for inspiring shots. I like the idea of a photo club though. If not for my wonky work schedule, I'd love to join or even create one locally.

Let's continue this conversation. Please share your solution to Photographer's block. And if you are having one right now try to overcome it and post your new images here Using “Share your Shot” feature in comments.

Next week Robert Grant will post a video showing how he deals with his artist's block. Update: Photographer's Block video by Robert is here.

This article was written by Sasha Gitin co-founder of LearnMyShot.com. Sasha is a New York Photographer shooting for advertising and editorial industries. Connect via Facebook, & Twitter

Occupy Wall Street Photography Experience

Oct 18 2011 6:37 pm

Article by SASHA GiTiN
in this story Sasha shares his experience stepping into Occupy Wall Street Protest.

When history unfolds photographers are there to document the events. I am not just talking about photographers who are employed by media organizations. I am talking about about shooters like you. When visual testimony of historic events is being recorded by a photographer who is there on assignment his first responsibility is to please the client which is in most cases is a large news corporation which at it's core leans towards some kind of agenda.

News Distributors. photo by Sasha Gitin, Zuccotti Park October 17th 2011

Who is in charge of the news?

Nowadays news is no longer owned by powerful corporations but is produced by individuals and can be distributed through twitter and other social media platforms. Bits and pieces of self published information create the big picture. Self published news is often more accurate, more recent and more honest than those produced by mainstream media and ironically big news organizations are tuning to twitter or facebook to get their content. Never before in history photographers had a chance to distribute their images to the masses without being affiliated to any kind of organization. Now you can if your image tells a story and is relevant, it will be shared with the world instantly.

Human Microphone. photo by Sasha Gitin, Zuccotti Park October 17th 2011

Occupy Wall Street Protest:

Yesterday, on my way home after a studio shoot I decided to stop by wall street and see what Occupy Wall Street was all about. My intention was not to go there to photograph the event but simply to satisfy my own curiosity.

Photography Gear:

Just in case I grabbed a Canon 7d body with 50mm 1.8 lens (great lens by the way, inexpensive and to the point). Before making a first step I set the exposure to be ready.

TIP : Always set the exposure before before even seeing your shot. If you are not sure what lighting conditions are going to be at location set your camera to automatic mode based on your needs. This way you will not miss your first shot.

Kids Talk, Wise Men Listen. photo by Sasha Gitin, Zuccotti Park October 17th 2011

Exposure:

It was past 7pm and the sun was long gone. I figured that at the park the lighting is going to be similar to what it is anywhere else on the streets. The exposure I set to: Shutter speed of 1/80 sec (just enough for me to avoid motion blur) f-stop set to f-1.8. I new I would have to be very careful with focus. At f-1.8 there is no room for error. ISO was set to 3200. It's higher then I would like it to be but I am not against grain and at night that is the only way you can get away without using flash.

Zuccotti Park

That day, on October 17th 2011, Occupy Wall Street protest had its one month anniversary. As most of us, I have heard about this protest on the radio and read about in newspapers and online and have seen bits of photos and video clips here and there (I threw away my TV about 10 years ago so television is not my source of information). Based on all that information I had a picture in my mind what the protest is about. However that picture turned out to be very different from reality. I thought that the whole downtown was blocked and everyday day life was completely disturbed. To my surprise there were no signs of distress anywhere in wall street area. Only when I approached the Zuccotti Park some out of ordinary activity was happening even though it seemed quite mild. The park, which is really tiny by the way, at first glance looked like a community of homeless people.

I have seen many camp-in protests in Mexico City and Oaxaca and those protests in Mexico had a very sophisticated shelters and everything was very well organized and coordinated. Americans are definitely amateurs when it comes to organizing protests especially when compared to the third world countries, but it seems that we are catching up pretty fast. When I came close to the corner of the park where speaking was taking place the energy began to feel very vibrant and surprisingly pleasant.I felt that I was back in 1917 in Tzar Russia on the verge of Socialist Revolution. However the rhetoric was not communist at all, just the energy and details had a strong suggestion that we are set 100 years ago. No amplified sound, pamphlets are being distributed , hand made signs and the presence of a tribe that gathered together to stand up against what they believe is wrong. There is no surprise why media correspondents returned from their assignment not being sure what the message of this protest is. The one message was not there. It was very personal everyone protested whatever they felt needed to be protested. Everyone had his own message.

Meditation. photo by Sasha Gitin, Zuccotti Park October 17th 2011

The phenomenal thing is that everyone who had a message was given a voice. If you wanted to speak you had a chance to express yourself and your message was amplified by others around you and repeated farther to the middle of the park and picked up and send all the way to the back. But it didn't stop there it was instantly send to twitter, facebook, blogs... One little person speaking out his feeling was instantly heard my millions.

Protester. photo by Sasha Gitin, Zuccotti Park October 17th 2011

New Age Photographer:

Numerous photographers covered the event, but none of them had a press pass hanging on their necks. They were there because they wanted to be there. They wanted to document this unique happening and share it with others. One photographer drew my attention. The photographer was a girl in her twenties. She wore military pants and a ragged vest, untamed curly hair and bright spark of energy in her eyes. She had 3 camera bodies, with long , medium and wide lenses, she had two speed lights and bunch of other gear. She worked very confidently handing her equipment as she was born with it. It seemed that if she was taken off from Zuccotti Park and placed to Afghanistan she would not feel the difference or any discomfort, she seemed to be ready for any action on any terrain. She was not in rush to capture what stood out, it seemed that she was planing to cover the protest for entire night and possibly all other days to come, she moved around slowly and shooting when the time was right.

TIP: If you are planing to capture great photographs give yourself a fair amount of time. And be patient.

Keep it Low-Key

Careful Now. photo by Sasha Gitin, Zuccotti Park October 17th 2011

I had my low-key camera hanging on my shoulder. 50mm lens makes the camera to appear non-intimidating. I moved towards the front and became one with the crowd it felt incredibly good to take a part of being a human microphone. It felt awkward at first. The words I was repeating were not slogans just communication of thoughts and feelings passing through people and making connections. I have never experienced anything close to that, it was very unique and inspiring. I occasionally drew camera to my eye capturing moments and trying to comprehend this experience.

In your opinion should photographer try to express his own point of view when taking images or stay purely neutral and simply document the events?

Please share your thought and comments and images below:

This article was written by Sasha Gitin co-founder of LearnMyShot.com. Sasha is a New York Photographer shooting for advertising and editorial industries. Connect via Facebook, & Twitter

How to Take Gorgeous Photos of Your Kids eBook Review

Oct 11 2011 11:41 am
Video by Robert Grant, Article by SASHA GiTiN

Today we are excited to tell you about new photography learning resource written by Rachel Divine and recently published by the Digital Photography School.

Click! How to Take Gorgeous Photos of Your Kids.

When I first started taking photographs of children I was in desperate need of advice and was looking for a resource to steer me in the right direction.

Generally every type of photography requires you to have a knowledge of your camera and lighting. When shooting kids the technical aspect is highly important but is often is secondary. You can have your most perfect setting, the most beautiful lighting, stunning wardrobe and wonderful props but at the moment when you are ready to take that capture the child can burst into tears and run to her Mommy.

Click! eBook goes into every aspect of child photography covering not only the technical part but also psychology of working with kids. Rachel who is not only a great commercial portrait photographer but also a mother of three gives great advice on working with every age group, from babies to teens. This eBook is full of solid tips on working with every type of a child (shy kids, goofball kids, you will not have it your way kids...)

Click! provides recommendations on camera settings, shows lighting diagrams, offers plenty of suggestions on style and props and goes over numerous aspects of composition and camera angles.Also the book includes a great section on retouching and post-production.

The only thing I wish happened, is that this eBook was available years ago when I was just learning.

To learn more about Click! eBook click here.

Please share your reviews, comments, and images taken based on the techniques learned from this resource.

Disclosure: dPS is an affiliate partner of LearnMyShot.com. Affiliate programs earn LMS a small commission that helps us maintain the site. However Learn My Shot does not provide paid biased reviews. We only publish reviews on products chosen and used by LMS team. We thank you kindly for your support!

This review was brought to you by Robert Grant (video) and Sasha Gitin (article) - Co-founders of Learn My Shot .com

Challenge Results for September 2011

Oct 03 2011 4:31 pm

We would like to share some great images recently posted by LearnMyShot members. Thank you everyone for participating in these assignments and challenges!

Challenge: Sunset Photography

Sunset Reflections by Astrid Pardew

Maiden, by Alice Villa-Real

Burj Al Arab - Duba, by Hessam

At the End of East, by Kerry Cameron

Sailors Delight, by KenJackson

Challenge: Water droplet

Transparent Splash, by Paritosh Narayan

Empty Space Drop, by Joseph Kulha

Water drop #4, by Hessam

Water droplet, by Debbie O'Brien

Challenge: Travel Photography

Untitled, by Franco Scozzarella

Hanoi Vietname, by Jimmy Phua

Challenge: Classic Still Life

Pineapple Cookies, by Arthie Beighl

Challenge: White Balance

Mozzarella Cheese Salad soaked in Yogurt, by Franco Scozzarella

Challenge: Liquid Pour and Splash

Love splash, by Franco Scozzarella

Plash plash, by Aneef Izhar

Challenge: Disaster Coverage

West Pittston PA, by Eric Sandroski

Red barn floating, by Eugene Lagana

Challenge: River Landscape

Stranded, by Paul Howell

Thank you everyone! We picked these images based on aesthetics, concept and technical qualities.

Don't miss our next challenge: "Colors in Water" Deadline October 25^th. For that challenge we are giving away Rosco Strobist Collection Gels Kit. (one winner will be selected)

Color Pouring Photography Technique

Sep 26 2011 3:34 pm
Video by Robert Grant, Article by SASHA GiTiN
Photography tutorial video demonstrates how to create beautiful designs of color in water.

Challenge: "Colors in Water" Create an image using Color pouring technique. The WINNER will receive Rosco Strobist Collection Gels Kit (ship worldwide). Judging is done by a secret ballot by all LMS associates and visiting artists. Image with the most points wins.

Deadline: October 25th, 2011. (CLOSED)

The Winning Image Is:

Title "Robot" by Phil Hallam

Congrats!! Thank you everyone in participating in this difficult challenge!

Tutorial:

Observing the color to gracefully metamorphose in water is a fascinating experience. Capturing this effect on camera requires freezing the action. In our previous tutorials we explored How to Photograph a Water Droplet without Flash and Liquid Pour and Splash Photography Technique Using Continuous Light. While in the past we used continuous lighting as our light source, today we have utilized studio flash.

Photo by Robert Grant

Steps for creative Color Pouring Photography:

Fill up the tank with water. You may add a bit food coloring to create volume in otherwise translucent space.

Mix food coloring with Glycerin. Use Pitcher or any other devise designed for pouring.

F-stop set it anywhere from f8 to f32, You will need all the DOP you can get.

Shutter Speed: Set to 1/250 sec or whatever maximum shutter speed requirement for you strobes (1/250 usually is a default for most strobes).

ISO: keep ISO at 100 for smoothest color reproduction and minimum noise.

Position Studio Strobes on each side of the fish tank to avoid glare in the glass.

Set power output on your flash unit to achieve desired exposure.If using hot shoe flashes, set them to manual and control the exposure manually

Pour color and be ready shoot within the first second.

Post your shot here in comments using “Share your Shot feature”

Photo by Robert Grant

Tools for Color Pouring:

If you are looking to master Liquid Splash Photography we highly recommend: Mastering Splash Masterclass video eBook by Alex Koloskov. Highly detailed info and 4-hour video. Click here for more info.

Photo by Robert Grant

How to Submit your Image:

log in to your account or sign up for a free learnmyshot account. Then use share your shot link in comments. When the box opens, please click on the orange question mark for instructions. Submission must be made before midnight on October 25th, 2011. Images submitted after deadline will only be considered for critique.

The winner will be announced on this page, as well as in our newsletter, facebook and twitter.

How to Evaluate Exposure Using Metering Modes

Sep 20 2011 3:48 am
Video by Robert Grant, Article by SASHA GiTiN
Watch this photography tutorial video to learn how to achieve desired exposure, easy.

NYC 911 Memory Segments in Pictures

Sep 09 2011 9:43 pm
Video and article by SASHA GiTiN

Today, 10 years later. I wanted to write something meaningful in memory of September 11th, but couldn't find the words that can express what happened and how I felt. Instead I am sharing an image that I took that day.

Click to enlarge Photo by Sasha Gitin. "Brooklyn in Smoke" September 11, 2001 11am

When tragic events like that happen our world turns upside down. We are often lost and not sure what is the right thing to do next. Going out there with a camera gives us a purpose: You as a photographer can document history and communicate it to the world from your point of view, using the visual language you possess.

How this image was made:

It was taken with Nikon FM2 Camera, Using T-max 100 film. 50mm lens with circular polarizing filter to darken the sky.

Location: Pier on 69th street in Brooklyn. Overlooking tip of Manhattan and entire Brooklyn.

Eleven separate frames were taken. Starting at The Statue of liberty and ending just past Verrazano bridge covering about 280 degree panorama. Each Image is a full frame.

Collaging:

Nowadays panoramic images are created using all kinds of image stitching software. But back in a day it was not as easy. Collaging was (and still is) a very unique and creative process.

Camera should always be located in the same place. (preferably on tripod)
The next frame should start at the point where the previous left off
You can shoot not only left to right but also up and down. Creating final image of any ratio.
Print photos out and align the consecutively.

Article by Sasha Gitin, sound in the video by Ron Gozzo

Please share your memories, images and thoughts...

Disaster Coverage Photography Storm Irene in Vermont 2011

Sep 05 2011 1:44 pm
Video and article by SASHA GiTiN
Watch this photography tutorial video to learn how to photograph during a natural disaster.

Edited by Robert Grant

What can you do to help people of Vermont?

People and small businesses there do need your help:
Red Cross Donations:
At this time, financial contributions provide the greatest flexibility for a Red Cross response. Donations can be made at www.vermontredcross.org

The Vermont Irene Flood Relief Fund:
Administered by Central Vermont Community Action, will raise funds to help affected business owners get their doors open quickly. Donations can be made online www.vtirenefund.org

Vermont Farm Disaster Relief Fund: www.vermontcf.org/give-now/

Donate $10 to the Vermont Foodbank to pay for food that will go to food banks in communities most impacted by Irene. Text the word FOODNOW to 52000 to make a $10 donation that will show up on your next cellphone bill.

Photographer's Role During Emergency Events

We are now living in a world where unfortunate events are beginning to happen more often. Just think about it: earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, forest fires, terrorist attacks, wars, famine, riots, occasional crazy people just blow up stuff or shoot others for no good reason. All these things of horrific proportions have happened just in the past 6 month. What is the role of photographer during these moments in time? You tell me.

In my opinion the camera gives us power to tell our own story.

Photo by Sasha Gitin. The end of the road. Rt100 near Wardsboro, Vermont. USA

Be ready for a disaster:

Keep you camera bag in check all the time

Batteries fully charged

Cards formatted

Carry the camera with you all the time (if you don’t want to drag dSLR around at least have a good point and shoot with you)

Photo by Sasha Gitin. "Lost Roof" Rt100 near Wilmington, Vermont. ISO 1600 time 0.6/sec f5.6

What to do with the photos?

Once you have captured your unique images, there are a number of ways to put them in good use:

Publish them in newspapers: Simply contact your local newspaper and tell them you have footage of the resent events. Send images over asap. If you feel your images are of national or international significance then contact national or international publications. Its a good idea to start building your contact list ahead of time. So when the time comes, you will not need to spend time researching.

News is no longer solely supplied by news corporations. Individuals have the power to share news and images instantly via. Twitter, facebook, flickr etc... And more and more people are turning to social media for news as appose to TV.

Tell your own story and have your photos exhibited. 20- 30 photographs will make a good exhibition. Contact your local art galleries and put a show together.

Contact other artists in your local community (look via camera clubs, creig's list etc, see if other artists are working on the same theme and team up.

You can use your photos to start a fundraiser or donate images to organizations that already have one going.

Photo by Sasha Gitin. "Drying up". Rt100 near Wilmington, Vermont. USA

Share your images: If you photographed images during Tropical Storm Irene please post your shot here below using “Share Your Shot” link in comments. Please include the location and date.

This tutorial was produced by Sasha Gitin and Robert Grant: co-founders of LearnMyShot.com. Sasha is a New York Photographer shooting for advertising and editorial industries. Robert Grant is a very creative Commercial Photographer shooting advertising and editorial, based in Connecticut. Two humble guys trying to keep you educated and entertained. Connect with us via Facebook, Flickr, & Twitter.

Special thanks to Vlad Bitel who came out to shoot the video. Thanks all for watching and reading.

Sunset Photography Settings and Tips

Aug 09 2011 4:13 pm

Video and Images: by Nick Carter. (an award winning wedding and portrait photographer in NYC area)
Article by Sasha Gitin

Watch this photography tutorial video to learn how to photograph a sunset.

Sunset is a spectacular celebration of the end. The finality of the day. A wrap party. It's the time when the sun actually allows us to witness it's powers without burning our eyes.

Sunset photography

Camera allows us to intensify the visual experience. Photographically speaking shooting the sun is the same as photographing the light source itself.

Analyzing the source of light:

Sun is a continuous light source. Continuous light source is the easiest source to control. All of the camera settings that influence the exposure will influence the intensity of the sunlight and it's reflection. The beauty about being able to control the exposure of the continuous light-source with all the controls which are: f-stop, shutter speed and ISO. Is that each one of these controls will influence the exposure individually.

Exposure tips for sunset photography:

Set your Camera to the manual mode. (M)
Start with setting desired ISO. The lower the ISO the lower the noise/ grain in your image. If you desire smooth look set your camera to ISO 100. And if you are going for grainy look set to 800 or 1600
Set your f-stop. When photographing a sunset use your aperture to control the depth of field. For Example: F11-22 will ensure the focus edge to edge. While f5.6 to f2.8 will allow you to have selective focus. When using the sunset as a backdrop for your subject you might like to have the subject (person, silhouette, rock, boat etc..) in focus and let the sky go blurry. Once you have made a conscious decision about ISO and the f-stop it's time to control the intensity of the sun.
Shutter speed. As nick pointed out in the video above, increasing Shutter speed with decrease the intensity of the light and will increase vividness of the sunset. Try overriding your light meter by a full stop or two and experiment until you get desired exposure. As the only control you use is the shutter speed this with be quick task.

Note: if your shutter speed is below 1/30 sec you will need a tripod. If photographing people during sunset you want to be at 1/60 sec and above to avoid motion blur, also if photographing people during the sunset you might want consider using off-camera flash as well.

Advanced: When photographing on the beach try using a neutral density filter (or polarizing filter as it will knock off a stop) and lower your shutter speed to 1/15 sec. So the waves will produce a dreamy water effect

This video and images were created by Nick Carter. Nick is an award winning wedding and portrait photographer. His comprehensive portfolio can be viewed @ nickcarterweddings.com Connect with Nick on his blog or on Facebook

Article was written by Sasha Gitin

Learn My Shot is welcoming guest tutorials. To submit yours reach out via Contact Form

Challenge: “Glorious Sunset”
Photograph a setting sun. Intensify sunset by controlling exposure. Post your shot below. Using “Share your shot” feature in comments. Please click on orange question mark in "share your shot" box for posting instructions. This challenge in on-going the new results will be announced the first week of the each month.

Challenge Results for July 2011

Jul 20 2011 6:22 am

We would like to share some great images recently posted by LearnMyShot members. Thank you everyone for participating in these assignments and challenges!

All of our assignments are on-going and once a month we round up images that stand out based on aesthetics, concept and technical qualities. To participate simply post your image to the corresponding tutorial page using "Share Your Shot" link in comments.

Challenge: Water Droplet

Colours. by Deano

Challenge: Fashion Photography Outdoors

Bride. by Craig Hamill

Dodge City. by Eric Sandroski

Challenge: Fire

Face. by Brian Smith

Challenge: Travel Photography

Sweet Time. by Franco Scozzarella

Challenge: Still Life with Natural Light

Flowers In Natural Lighting. by Leona Headley

Challenge: Hangover

Got a Headache? by Steve Garside

Challenge: Anything

Old Rusty but faithful. by Dipayan Pal

Challenge: Liquid Pour and Splash

Clear Blue. by Kathy Thompson

Challenge: Steel Wool Sparks

Ring of Fire, by Eugene Lagana

Challenge: Historic Photograph

This is the most recent challenge and since every photograph is so unique to place and time we include all of the recent submissions.

1954 Cadillac Convertible by Eugene Lagana

Clifton Forge Station, 1950. by Sara Coffey

Back in 2011. by Franco Scozzarella

My city (Malaga / Spain). by Juan Martos

Old Covered Bridge. by Cathy Smith

Thank you all for sharing your work!

All assignments are on-going. Every month we pick new outstanding images. This time we skipped a month, sorry, but images above were selected from the past 2 months to compensate. When you try a tutorial, post your image via “Share Your Shot” feature on corresponding tutorial page. We have a bunch of new tutorials coming up this month. Stay tuned!