Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II – Nifty Fifty
July 15, 2008
As I mentioned earlier in my Lowepro Slingshot 200 review, I’m really getting into the photography scene. My wife and I are expecting our first child, so I want to be able to take really nice photos of all the special moments we have ahead. Well, I recently picked up a new lens: the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, otherwise known as the “nifty fifty”.
Since I’m still quite the amateur photographer, I didn’t want to drop a lot of money on a new lens, but, of course, I wanted the results that a nicer lens can provide. My good friend Bo, who has written most of the wonderful photography and Photoshop posts for this site, recommended this Canon 50mm lens. I’ve had some time to learn some of its strong points and quirks; the following is a few of my thoughts.
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Exposure Techniques for Backlit Subjects
July 9, 2008
If you’ve ever taken a picture of someone standing in the shade with the bright sunlight highlighting the scene behind them, you’ve probably been disappointed with the resulting photo. The background will be correctly exposed, but your subject will be too dark.
This happens because, when your camera is taking its automatic meter reading, it’s programmed to make the midtones of the photo 18% gray to avoid clipping the highlights in the scene.
Fireworks Photography Done Differently
July 4, 2008
Last year around this time, I was stoked about the 4th of July. I’d gotten a new lens for my camera and was ready to shoot some awesome fireworks. I had my tripod and cable release, I had my focus set on infinity and was prepared for long shutter speeds.
The next day I realized that I’d taken over 200 photos of fireworks and only a handful of shots that included my family and friends. A friend of mine had taken his camera along and had only snapped a few photos. One shot he’d taken was of his son holding up a miniature American flag with the fireworks going off in the background.
Off-Camera Flash Photography Tips – How to Trigger Your Flash
June 25, 2008
Previously, we discussed which flash to buy. It should go without saying that, once you have a flash, you must have a way to trigger it off-camera.
There are various ways to do this, both wired and wireless. We’ll be covering both methods here, but be forewarned that it’s easy to sink a lot of cash into triggers, as you’ll soon see.
Off-Camera Flash Photography Tips – Choosing a Flash
June 20, 2008
Last week we discussed off-camera lighting with small flashes. In order to get started in the world of off-camera flash photography, there are a few things that your flash will need in order to work correctly.
1. Your flash must have a way to be triggered off-camera. This could be your typical hot-shoe adapter or PC connection.
2. Your flash must have the ability to be controlled manually. That is to say, you must be able to change the amount of light that’s being emitted from the flash.
Lowepro Slingshot 200 AW
June 18, 2008
I’m not the guy who usually writes about photography gear, but thanks to the fact that my first child is on the way, I’m slowly getting into it the photography scene. I picked up my first digital SLR (a Canon Rebel XTi) around a month ago. Since then I’ve learned a fair amount about my camera and how to take some decent shots. Beyond that, I’ve come to appreciate all the sweet gear that’s out there.
I soon realized that I needed a way to carry my camera around. I also knew that I would purchase a new lens and flash soon. So I started looking around online and reading reviews.
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Midweek Geek Links for 06-12-2008
June 12, 2008
It’s time for this week’s geek links!
- If you’re interested in lighting for photography, head over to ProPhotoLife.com and check out their video on beautiful portraits with just one light. Then you can take things a step further and dive into the classic three light portrait.
- Fans of Canon will be happy to hear about the announcement of the Speedlite 430ex II. No release date yet that I’m aware of.
- Speaking of flashes, if you’re interested in ring flashes, you may want way to head over to Dave Cross’s blog and see his Ray Flash ring flash review.
- If you’ve got your hands on a copy of The Moment it Clicks, by Joe McNally, you should totally pimp it. Though I must admit I didn’t put in the sweat and labor that Syl at Pixsylated.com did…I just took the advice in the comments; I went to Staples and paid them $7 to do it for me!
- Lastly, Zack over at Zarias.com is doing a series on white seemless. Some good tips there on getting a nice clean white background.
Introduction to Off-Camera Lighting with Small Flashes
June 11, 2008
Many beginning photographers have a hard time justifying using/buying off-camera lighting, such as a small flash unit. After all, sunlight is free. And when the sun goes down, who doesn’t have a lamp that they can turn on? Plus, they just dropped their nice coin stash on a camera that has a perfectly good flash attached to it.
I’m not here to tell you that the flash on your camera is worthless; on the contrary, it does a great job of providing the scene with light. The unfortunate truth is that your camera’s built-in flash is placed in an awkward position relative to your lens. Thus, most any picture you take with your camera’s built-in flash will come off flat, unpleasant, and lacking depth and dimension–not to mention the likelihood that your subjects have a good chance of suffering the red eye disease.
10 Tips to Get Started in Photography
June 6, 2008
If you’re just starting out in photography, you may feel a bit overwhelmed with the amount of information and advice that is available. The important thing to keep in mind is that photography is an art, so everyone you talk to will have a different method or approach.
Here, I’ve outlined the 10 best tips I’ve received that are some basic guidelines. Without getting into the technical operations of your specific camera, these are some tips that you can apply to your photography regardless of what level you’re at.
Midweek Geek Links for 05-29-2008
May 29, 2008
Here’s some interesting links that I’ve come across in the past week.
- Vincent Versace was recently a guest blogger on Scott Kelby’s blog, Photoshop Insider. Check out his article on Being Taken by Your Pictures.
- Learn lighting with the Strobist Lighting DVD set. David Hobby, the man behind one of the greatest lighting blogs on the web, Strobist.com, recently released a set of DVDs that discuss his favorite topic; off-camera lighting. You get eight DVDs with around ten hours worth of quality content for $139. I suggest skipping lunch for the next 3 weeks and grabbing a copy of the DVDs.
- There are some interesting ideas being posted in the comments section of The Best Photo Tip I Ever Received… over at Digital-Photography-School.com. Check it out and post your favorite photography advice. Personally, mine is “Get closer.”
- Interesting in taking your photography to the next level? If you’re interested in evolving your hobby into a business, Dean over at Photopreneur.com suggesting finding a specialty. This is a bit of advice that is echoed in Seth Godin’s book, Purple Cow. A good way to set yourself apart from the competition is finding a niche and focusing on it. Find out What it Takes to Build a Photography Business.
