Understanding Shutter Speed: Creative Action and Low-Light Photography Beyond 1/125 Second

17–55mmlens,tripod,ISO100,2secondsatf/8

AcknowledgmentsIcan’texpressmygratitudeenoughtoVictoriaCraven(editorialdirectoratAmphotoBooks)andtoAlisaPalazzoandBobFillie(myever-faithfulandtalentededitoranddesigner,respectively).Theyallgivesomuchoftheirtimeanddedicationtomybooks.Thankyou,thankyou,thankyouagain!

Firstpublishedin2008byAmphotoBooksanimprintoftheCrownPublishingGroup,adivisionofRandomHouse,Inc.,NewYork.www.watsonguptill.comwww.amphotobooks.com

EditorialDirector:VictoriaCravenSeniorDevelopmentEditor:AlisaPalazzoArtDirector:TimothyHsuDesigner:BobFillie,GraphitiDesign,Inc.ProductionManager:SalDestroCoverdesignbyGabrieleWilsonandTimothyHsu

CoverphotographbyBryanPeterson

Copyright©2008BryanPeterson

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataPeterson,BryanF.Understandingshutterspeed:creativeactionandlow-lightphotographybeyond1/125second/BryanPeterson.p.cm.Includesindex.eISBN:978-0-81740021-71.Photography—Exposure.I.Title.

TR591.P522008771—dc22

http://www.watsonguptill.com

http://www.amphotobooks.com

2007030955

Allrightsreserved.

v3.1

ToHarryandMo

70–200mmlensat200mm,tripod,ISO100,1/60sec.atf/8

Contents

CoverTitlePageCopyrightDedication

INTRODUCTION

SHUTTERSPEEDFACTS&MYTHSONEPHOTOOP,SIXCORRECTEXPOSURESGOINGTOEXTREMESTHEMYTHOFISOEXPOSED

FAST&MODERATESPEEDSFREEZINGACTIONTHEARTOFSLOWINGDOWNMAKINGRAIN:ONLYWITH1/60SEC.BACKLIGHTWITHOUTSILHOUETTES

SLOWSPEEDSPANNING:1/30,1/15,1/8,AND1/4SEC.IMPLYINGMOTION—WITHATRIPOD“PAINTING”WITHSHUTTERSPEEDSIMPLYZOOMING

ATTACHINGTHECAMERATO…DUSKANDLOWLIGHT:1SECONDANDBEYONDPHOTOGRAPHINGGHOSTSANDANGELS

EXPOSURECONCERNSWBISSUESLONGEXPOSURESANDREARCURTAINFLASHSYNCFILTERSRAWFORMAT:THE“ANTI”NDFILTER

COMPOSITIONTHEBASICSFILLINGTHEFRAMELEAVINGROOMFORTHEACTIONTHERULEOFTHIRDSWORKINGONADIAGONALEXPLORINGATHEME

INDEX

70–200mmlens,ISO100,1/30sec.atf/16

ISO400,1/800sec.atf/11

INTRODUCTION

Itwassomeyearsago,backin1977Ibelieve,whenI came across this quotation from an unknownsourceaboutthetopicoftime:“Today,beawareofhow you are spending your 1,440 beautifulmomentsandspendthemwisely.”It’samusingthatthis personwas obviously so immersed in, and soconsumed by, howhe (or she)was spending eachmoment that he forgot to tell whomever he wasspeakingtohisname.LookingbackathowIwasspendingmytimein

1977,it’sfairtosaythattimehadlessrelevancetomethanitdoestoday.Itcouldeasilybearguedthattime has simply become more important todaybecause I’m getting older, but I would have todisagree if only because I seem to have alwaysvaluedmytimeandtriedtomakethebestuseofit.And to be clear, I’m not really speaking about, oraddressing, the issue of “saving time” or “wastingtime” but rather about the joy of recording time!The irony,of course, is thatby recording timeviathesimpleactofpushingabuttononastillcamera,

onecanexperiencethepleasureoftimewellspent!I, for one, do believe that there are at least

“1,440 beautiful moments” (aka each and everyminute) in a day; yet I also believe that many ofthese 1,440 beautiful moments zip right past me,sight unseen, simply because I don’t have time tonotice or appreciate their fleeting beauty. It hasonly been in the last several years that I’ve foundmyselfmakinga concertedeffort to reallybecomeaware of these 1,440 beautiful moments, andalthoughmyjourneyisstillinitsearlystages,it’sajourneythatoffersupthesemomentseveryday.Have you done themath? Those 1,440minutes

translate into no less than 1,440 sixty-secondexposures! Do you have any idea how beautiful amomentcanbewhenphotographedoverthecourseofsixtyseconds?Acitysceneatdusk.Alighthouseatopacliffjustoutofrangeoftheassaultingsurf.Thentherearethe86,400secondsthatmakeup

those 1,440 beautiful moments. And here is oneamazingfactthat’sguaranteedtomakeyourealizejust how fleeting time can be: 1/1000 sec. is aperfect shutter speed to use when you wish tocapture in exacting sharpness many of life’s daily1,440 beautiful moments. So, how many one-thousandths does it take tomake a second?Well,

1,000, of course! That also means that it takesanother60,000one-thousandths tomakeaminuteand360,000one-thousandthstomakeanhour.Andthat can only mean that those 1,440 beautifulmoments are composed of exactly 8,640,000 one-thousandths. Yikes! Every day, we, asphotographers, are afforded the opportunity tofreeze, in exacting sharpness, 8,640,000 action-filled images. And to think that you have oftenlamented that you can’t find anything to shoot! Iconcur that someof life’s “beautifulmoments”areoften too quick, too fleeting, to be seen by thehuman eye, but certainly, we can find othermoments among the8,640,000dailyopportunitiestorecordanexcitingimage.Mosteverymoment—nomatterhowbigorsmall—offersupasubjectinaperpetualstateofmotion:jumping,slapping,hitting,running,walking,flying,diving, leaping, dancing, reaching, throwing,falling, sliding, pulling, pushing, slamming,blowing, splashing, beating, fluttering, bouncing,turning, exploding, spinning, breaking, smashing,splattering,orcrashing.Allofthismotiontranslatesinto energy, and a well-executed photograph thatconveys thatmotion is a photograph that is filledwithbothmotionandemotion!

Whether it be in a book or magazine, all of ushaveseenandfelttheenergyoftwosoccerplayers,caughtinmidair,headingasoccerball,renderedinan image in exacting sharpness! “Whoa, look atthat!”weremarkinatoneofutteramazement.Andallofushaveseen images thatconvey theangelicandcotton-candy-likeeffectofawaterfallshotataslowshutterspeed.“Ifinditsosoothingtolookat”is often the response. Unlike motionlessphotographs (the proverbial close-up of a flower,for example), well-executed motion-and-emotion-filled images are forever “on themove.”And it isthismovementandtheenergythatisconveyedthatappealtoourveryownpsychologicalneedtohavemovement under our feet.Withoutmovement,wedie, and perhaps that is also why photographersseemtoenjoyabetter-than-averagelevelofmentalhealth.Wearepushedtorecord, tocreate,andnoother images are as life-affirming as motion-filledimages.Thesearetheimagesthatcelebrate“lifeonthemove”withthegreatestofexclamations.Thereare,ofcourse,anumberofwaystocapture

movement,andthemethodsyouchoosetoconveythat movement will, in large measure, bedeterminedbytheshutterspeedyouchooseandthemovement of the subject before you. Themotion-

and-emotion-filledimagesthatresultcanbefeltassoothing,calming,seething,shocking,surprising,orfrightening. There are also ways to conveymovementwithsubjectsthatdon’tordinarilymove(forexample,alargeboulderstuckinahillside).Ineffect,withtherightshutterspeed,yougettoplayGod and breathe life into “dead” subjects by thesimpleactofzoomingyourlenswhileshootingataslowshutterspeed.Perhaps you’re not sure which shutter speed touse. Perhaps you’re not sure which lens to use.Perhapsyou’renotsurewhatyourexposureshouldbe. Perhaps you’re not sure about your overallcomposition.Perhapsyou’renotsurewheretotakeyour meter reading from. Perhaps you’re at thatplace where you aren’t even aware that motion-filledimagesexist.Alloftheknowntechniquesforcapturing, conveying, and creatingmovement in asinglestillphotographarecoveredinthisbookinasimple, clear, and concise format, with examplestaken dawn to dusk, into the dark of night, andwith available light, flash, strobes, and othersourcesoflight.Andashasbeenthecasewithmyotherphotographybooks,andwhereIfeelit’smostnecessary, I’ve chosen to present before-and-afterpairs of images that clearly show distinct

differencesinexposure,composition,lenschoice,orlighting.Ofcourseduetopagelimitations,I’mnotabletoshowyouallofmyexamplesof“lifeonthemove,” but I do listmanyother subjects towhichthesesameprinciplescouldeasilybeapplied.

70–200mmlensat116mm,ISO200,1/2sec.atf/22


ONEPHOTOOP,SIXCORRECTEXPOSURES

Did you know that most picture-taking situationshave at least six possible combinations of f-stopsand shutter speeds thatwill all result in a correctexposure? They may not all be creatively correctphotographicexposures,buttheywillallbecorrect.Moreoften,onlyoneortwoofthesef-stop/shutterspeedcombinationsisthecreativelycorrectmotion-filledexposure.Everycorrectexposure isnothingmore than the

quantitativevalueofanapertureandshutterspeedworking together within the confines of apredetermined ISO.For the sakeofargument, let’ssay that you and I are both out shooting a cityskylineatduskusinganISOof100andanapertureopeningoff/5.6.Let’salsosaythat,whetherwe’reshooting inmanualorAperturePrioritymode, thelightmeterindicatesacorrectexposureat1second.What other combinations of aperture openings (f-stops) and shutter speeds can we use and stillrecorda“correct”exposure?IfIsuggestweuseanapertureoff/8,whatwouldtheshutterspeednowbe?Sincewe’vecut the lensopening inhalf (from

f/5.6 to f/8), we now need to double the shutterspeed time to 2 seconds to record a correctexposure.Ontheotherhand,ifIsuggestweuseanapertureoff/4,whatwouldtheshutterspeednowbe? Since we’ve just doubled the size of the lensopening (f/5.6 to f/4), we now need to cut theshutter speed in half (to 1/2 sec.) to record thesamequantitativevalueexposure.Easy, yet hard, right? Here are the equations

(which all yield the samequantitative exposure inthissituation):

f/4 for1/2sec.isthesameas

f/5.6 for1second,whichisthesameas

f/8 for2seconds,whichisthesameas



f/22 for16seconds

Addthemupandwhathaveyougot?Sixpossiblecombinations of apertures and shutter speeds thatwillallresultinexactlythesameexposure.Andbysame,Imeanthesameintermsofquantitativevalueonly! Ican’tstressenoughthe importanceofbeingawareof thisquantitativevalueprinciple. Itdoesn’tmatter ifyou’reshootingwithafilm-basedcamera

or a digital camera; youmust learn to embrace asimplefact:Everypicture-takingopportunityoffersyounolessthansixpossibleaperture/shutterspeedcombinations.Andwhymustyouknowthis?Eventhough each combo has the “same” exposure, themotion captured by each may look radicallydifferent.Knowingthateachmotion-filledexposureopportunityoffersupsixpossiblecombinationsisastart,butknowingwhichoneortwoexposuresbestconveyorcapturethemotion—beforeyoutakethepicture—is the key.Onceyouare armedwith thisknowledge,youcanbegintofullyexplorethetrulyendless road of creatively correct motion-filledexposures.Sinceeverypicture-takingopportunityallowsfornolessthansixpossibleapertureandshutterspeedcombinations, how do you decide whichcombination is the best? Think about what youwant to do. Do you want to freeze action? Fastshutter speeds—1/250, 1/500, and 1/1000 sec.—are the creative force behind “frozen” images. Doyouwanttosuggestmotionviapanning?Thenyoushouldcalluponshutterspeedsof1/60,1/30,and1/15sec.And,thosesuperslowshutterspeeds(1/4sec. to 15 seconds) are the creative force behindimagesthatimplymotion,suchasawaterfallorthe

windblowingthroughafieldofsummerwheat.Andkeepinmindthatwhenitcomestomotion-

filled subjects, you must first think about whichcreative shutter speed will convey the motionbeforeyouinthewaythatyouwant.Thenandonlythen should you even begin to worry about thesecond-most-often-asked question: Where should Itake my meter reading from? I’ll address thisquestion throughout many parts of this book, butthegoodnewsisthatthebuilt-inlightmetersfoundintoday’scamerasdoafantasticjobofrenderingacorrect exposure, even when using thesemiautomaticmodes, suchasAperturePriorityorShutterPriority.

When shooting this simple composition of an S-curve on Interstate 5approachingdowntownSeattle, Iwaspresentedwithsixpossibleoptionsforrecordingacorrect exposure, threeofwhichyou seehere. In termsof theirquantitative value, all threeof these imagesare exactly the same exposure;however,youcanclearly see that theyarevastlydifferent in theircreativeinterpretation,withthecreativeemphasisontheuseofmotion.It isalwaysmygoal topresentmotion-filled subjects in themostmotion-filledway,andmoreoftenthannot,whenthereisamotion-filledscene,thelonger the exposure time, themore prominent themotion effects. I shot thefirstexample(bottomleft)at f/4for1/2sec., thesecond(bottomright)atf/8for2seconds,andthethirdatf/16for8seconds.Anexercisesuchasthis is trulyeye-opening.Thenexttimeyouheadoutthedoortoshootcitylightsatdusk,youshouldn’thaveanyhesitationaboutusing the slower shutter speeds, sinceasyoucan see, theexposurewith the

slowestshutterspeedyielded,inmyopinion,thebesteffect.(Notethatthisisnot bracketing, since they are all the same exposure in terms of theirquantitativevalue.)

Allphotos:NikonD2XwithNikkor200–400mmzoomlensat400mm,tripod,ISO100,CloudyWB

GOINGTOEXTREMES

Asyoubegintodigestmoreandmoreinformationin this book, you’ll soon see that motion-filledopportunities are everywhere—and that incapturing them you find yourself on either end oftheshutterspeedspectrum,usingeitherfastshutterspeedstofreezetheactionincrisp,sharpdetailorslowshutterspeedstoblurorimplythemotionthatwas there.There’s rarelyamiddlegroundwhen itcomestothemovingworld,andwiththatinmind,it won’t be long before you discover thatmost ofyour action (and also low-light) photography timeis spent at either anywhere between 1/500 and1/1000 sec. or anywhere between 1/4 sec. to 8seconds.

VALUABLELESSON:THELARGESTLENSOPENINGALLOWSTHEFASTESTSHUTTER

SPEED

Inkeepingwiththeideaofextremes,notethefollowing:(1)Youwillalwaysattainthefastestpossible shutter speed at any given ISOwhenyouuse the largestpossible lensopening,and(2) you will be able to attain the slowestpossible shutter speed at any given ISO byusingthesmallestpossiblelensopening.

This is one of the best lessons I know andonethatI’veofferedtocountlessstudentsovertheyearsinmyon-locationworkshopsandmyonline photo courses. It’s very revealing and,notsurprisingly,will leadyoufurther intotheworld of creatively correct motion-filledexposures.

To practice this concept do the following:

Chooseamovingsubject,suchasawaterfall,achild on a swing, or something as simple assomeonepoundinganailintoapieceofwood.SetyourcameratoAperturePrioritymodeandyour ISO to 100 (or 200 if that’s the lowestyour camera offers); then set your aperturewide open (f/2.8, f/3.5, or f/4) and take animageof theactionbeforeyou.Youhave justrecorded an exposure at the fastest possibleshutterspeedbasedontheISOinuse,thelightfallingonyoursubject,and,ofcourse,youruseofthelargestpossiblelensopening.

Now stop the lens down 1 full stop. So, ifyoustartedatanapertureoff/2.8,gotof/4;ifyour lens starts with f/4, go to f/5.6. Then,once again, make another exposure. Do thisover and over again, each time with theaperture set to f/8, then f/11, then f/16, andfinallyf/22.Eachtimeyouchangetheapertureby a full stop, your camera does a quickrecalculation and offers up the “new” shutterspeed to maintain a correct exposure. And

sinceyou’restoppingthelensdownwitheachfull-stop change in aperture (making the holein the lens half as big as itwas before), yourshutter speed has now doubled in time tocompensate—or, in other words, your shutterspeed is becoming progressively slower. Thesloweryourshutterspeed,themorelikelythatthe resulting imagewill exhibit someblurringeffects, since the shutter speed is too slow tofreezetheaction.

Andwhat aboutwaterfall shots? Thatwell-knowncottoncandyeffectyoucangetwiththewater doesn’t start until you use apertures off/16or f/22. Likewise, isn’t thatmotion-filledimage of your child on the swing reallysomething?Notehowthefastershutterspeedsfreeze your child in midair but the slowershutter speeds turn your child into a ghost.Take notes on your exposures and make thediscoveryastowhichcombinationofapertureand shutter speed resulted in the mostcreativelycorrectphotographicexposure.

Withmycameraandzoommountedonatripod,Ishotthefirstimage(left)at f/4 for 1/500 sec. and the second image at f/22 for 1/15 sec. Thedecisionofexposureandwhichshutterspeedtousewillalwaysbeyours,sowhynotmakeitapointtomakethemostdeliberatelyandvisuallycompellingcreativeexposurepossible?

Left:80–400mmNikkorzoomlensat300mm,tripod,1/500sec.atf/4;right:80–400mmNikkorzoomlensat300mm,tripod,1/15sec.atf/22

THEMYTHOFISOEXPOSED

SomeofyoumaybewonderingwhyIhaven’ttakeninto account the importance of ISO when talkingaboutmotion-filled images, particularly those thatfreezeaction.ToaddressthemyththatahighISOisneededandpreferredbyprofessionalphotographersworldwide,IwanttoofferupaCliffsNotesversionof ISO’s very important, but also sometimesmisunderstood, role in exposure. Simply put, theISO you choose will determine which of the sixcombinations of apertures and shutter speeds youcanuse increatingacorrectexposure. Iwantyouto think of ISO as a group of carpenters whorespond to light and, in turn, build a house withthatlight—orinotherwords,theyrecordanimage.Clearly, if you were part of a group of one

hundredcarpentersandyour friendwerepartofagroupoftwohundredcarpentersandIwereapartofagroupoffourhundredcarpenterswhosejobitwas to build sixteen houses, which group, in alllikelihood,would get the houses finished quicker?Obviously, my group—all four hundred strong ofus. For the sake of illustration, let’s say it would

take one hundred carpenters sixteen days to buildsixteenhouses.Howmanydayswould it take twohundred carpenters or four hundred carpenters tobuild these same sixteen houses? Eight days andfourdaysrespectively.And how does all this apply to action

photography? Well, if you expect to record—inexacting sharpness—the power of an ocean waveslamming hard against the rocky cliffs or amotocrossracerflyingovertherain-soakedhill,youwill need all the “carpenters” you can get yourhandson,right?Wrong!Justbecausefourhundredcarpenters (ISO400) canbuild sixteenhouses twotimesas fast as twohundred carpenters (ISO200)and four times as fast as one hundred carpenters(ISO100),itdoesn’tnecessarilymeanthequalityisbetter. In fact, when it’s all said and done, eachhouse, at least on the surface, looks exactly thesame! But—and here is the part that’s critical tounderstand—once that house is finished, all eighthundred, fourhundred,oronehundredcarpenterswill be moving in with you permanently. If youthink one hundred people in a house can makesome noise, imagine how much more noise eighthundredpeoplecanmake!Noise, or what in photographic terms is called

grain,beginstobearealproblemwheneveryouusea high ISO such as 640, 800, and beyond. Grainaffects overall sharpness and even color andcontrast. In addition, when you employ eighthundred carpenters (ISO 800), you often end upusing smaller lens openings, which, in turn, havethisuncannyabilitytomake“things”evenclearer.So, not only has the overall depth of field(sharpness) increased from front to back, butbecauseoftheaddedsharpness,youhavemadethenoisethatmuchmoreapparent.

FREEZINGACTIONATISO100,200&400

So,here’saquestion:Ifyoucouldendupwitha razor-sharp action-stopping image by usingISO100,wouldyou?Takealookatthistableto discover how you can freeze most actionsubjectswith as little as ISO100, resulting inan image that’s flawless. The followingexposure calculations are based on sunnylighting conditions with a frontlit or sidelitsubject, and to be clear, this same lightingconditionappliestoeachISO.

And one important point: I am fully awarethatsometimesdepthof field issuesarealsoaconcernwhenyou’refreezingaction.Whenyouwant to add a bit more depth of field plusmaintain a fast, action-stopping shutter speed,you may feel inclined to resort to the higherISOs.I’vecertainlyfoundmyselfdoingjustthat

overtheyears,especiallywhenIwasshootingfilm. However, in this truly wonderful age ofdigital, I’ve discovered a way to recordexposures with both a depth of field and ashutterspeednormallyreservedforISO200orISO 400—without having to actually resort tothosehigher ISOs.Seehere to learn thisgreattrick. The technique does require that youshootintherawformat,whichforsomeisnotwelcome news due to the time (althoughminimal inmymind) spent inpostprocessing.Ifyou’renotarawshooter,butratheraJPEGshooter,thenbyallmeans,usethehigherISOswhennecessary.

ISO100 ISO200 ISO400

f/4for1/1600sec. f/4for1/3200sec. f/4for1/6400sec.

f/5.6for1/800sec. f/5.6for1/1600sec. f/5.6for1/3200sec.




On closer inspection of those houses that werebuilt in four days with eight hundred carpenters(ISO800),youbegin to seeminor imperfections—cracksinthewoodwork,flakingintheplaster,andanoverallcolorthatmaynotbeasrich.Suchisthepower of grain/noise. In addition to seeing moreunwanted detail in your actual subject, you mayalsoseethatmoredetailhasbeenrevealedaroundyour subject, such as the unsightly house beyondthebackyard,forexample.Havingtousetoosmallan aperture when shooting with high ISOs allowsyoutousesmaller lensopenings(f/16or f/22, forinstance), and sometimes, this will result in acomposition that offers up far too much depth offield.Whenyoucomparethehousesthatwerebuiltinsixteendaystothosebuiltinfourdayswithonehundred carpenters (ISO 100), the woodwork,plaster,andpaintappeartobeflawless,andifthereare any unsightly houses nearby, you either don’tnotice them at all or find them to be barely adistraction.Mypointinallofthisistosimplysaythatmostof those fleeting moments you wish to record onfilmor digitally canbe captured at shutter speedsthat are well within your reach—even when youuseISO100.Theneedtogooutandbuyhigh-speed

film(forexample,ISO400,800,or1000)ortoallof a sudden switchyour ISO from200 to800 justbecauseyouwanttofreezetheactionbeforeyouinexacting sharpness is a myth! Cameramanufacturers are making some great strides innoisereduction.Inparticular,CanonandNikon,thetwo industry heavyweights, have several digitalcamera models that deliver some truly low tomoderatenoise levels at thehighendof their ISOspectrum, from 800 to 2400. The temptation isthere to become seduced by the low noise levelsfoundatthesehigherISOs,andsomeofyoumighteventhinkthatyoucannowsaygood-byetoyourtripod—yikes!TheuseofhigherISOsmeans,inmanycases,the

use of smaller lens openings, which, in turn,increasedepthoffield.Theshotyoumadeofyourson’s winning touchdown at Saturday’s footballgame, with ISO 1000 at f/16 for 1/1000 sec., isnow competing for the eye’s attention due to theincreaseddepthoffieldfoundatf/16.Sure,weseeyoursonmakingthecatchintheendzone,butwealsoseethehotdogvendoroverhisshoulder,upinrow15.HadyoushotinsteadwithISO200atf/5.6for 1/1000 sec., there would be no evidence of ahotdogvendorsince themuchshallowerdepthof

fieldoff/5.6wouldhavebeenlimitedtoyourson’stouchdown. Furthermore, the use of higher ISOsettings also decreases your opportunity for usinglongershutterspeeds,andI’msurethatbytheendofthisbook,youwillwanttotakefulladvantageofthe literally hundreds of creative opportunitiesofferedupwhenusingslowshutterspeeds.

Thesefiveimagesofmydaughter“flying”towardmeatthelocalparkprovemy point about themyth of ISO. In all five shots, I used the same action-stopping shutter speed of 1/250 sec. but used a different ISO and,subsequently,adifferentapertureinordertokeeptheexposureconstant.AsmyISOincreased,sodidthevisual“flaws”(increasednoiseand,inthiscaseatleast,someunwantedincreaseindepthoffield).Inthefirstimagenotetheout-of-focustonesthatsurroundher,particularlybehind her. The exposure was ISO 100 at an aperture opening of f/4 for1/250 sec., so there’s very little depth of field/sharpness beyond her.Notehowtheareaofsharpnessaroundher increasesastheISOgetshigher.Youcanseeitclearlyinthegrassbothinfrontandbehindherfootandalsointhebackground,whichbecomesmoredefined. Inaddition, theuseof ISO1600really brings on the noise. If noise is going to bemade about your picture-takingtalents,wouldn’tyoupreferittobe“joyandexcitement”ratherthanthe“noise”(i.e.,graininess)thatcomesfromusingahighISO?

WHAT’STHEREALPROBLEMWITHACTIONPHOTOGRAPHY?

I’llbethefirsttoadmitthatit’stoughtogetareally good action shot, especially of sports.The subjects rarely stop moving, and whenthey do, the interesting action stops, as well.Still, since you can find some fairly advancedautofocusprograms inmanycameras,keepingsubjectsinfocusisrarelytheproblem.

The real problem is keeping the subjectinsidethatviewfinder,fillingtheframewithitwithout cutting off heads, hands, or feet. So,it’snottheabsenceofacrystal-clearandsharpimage that is the problem; rather, it’s theabsence of your subject inside the frame.Overcomingtheproblemofnotfillingtheframeisn’t an issue of ISO or shutter speed. It’s acompletely different hurdle that’s easy to

overcome, and throughout this book I’ll offerup ideas about how to compose action-filledsceneswiththeemphasisonfillingtheframe.

Additionally, this book explores night andlow-light photography, and it does so on theassumptionyou’llbeshootingwithISO100or200. However, if you’re shooting at night, inlow light, or indoors and you can’t or don’twish touse a tripod, you can certainly opt touse ISO800or1600.Theprimarypurposeofthesehigh-speedISOsisnotsomuchtofreezeactionbuttoshootinlowlight.Still,asyou’llsee,Ishotmorethan90percentoftheimagesinthisbookwithISO100,includingtheaction-stopping images that are often shot at 1/500and1/1000sec.

12–24mmlensat12mm,ISO400,1/750sec.atf/6.3

FREEZINGACTION

IfIcametoyourhouseandchattedwithyouforawhopping1/100ofa second,youwouldnodoubtsay,“Well,hewashere,butintheblinkofaneye,he was gone!” And why not, since 1/100 of asecond is fairly darn quick? Now imagine if Idroppedbyyourhouseforonly1/800ofasecond.Yikes! I’d be gone before you even knew I wasthere.So,justhowfastis1/100ofasecond?Believeit

ornot,it’stentimesfasterthantheblinkofaneye,which, in case you were wondering, averagesaround 1/10 of a second. And since 1/100 of asecondistentimesfasterthantheblinkofaneye,youwouldthinkthatshouldbeplentyfastenoughto freeze theactionofmostanything that’son themove—but,ofcourse,you’dbewrong.Readon.There are many keys to recording great action

shots:lenschoice,distancetothesubject,directionofthesubject(i.e.,isitmovingtowardyou,orfromright to left or left to right past you, or up anddownin frontofyou), ISO,and,ofcourse, shutterspeed.NexttoISO,choosingtherightshutterspeed

is the most important element. For most outdooraction-filled shots, shutter speeds of 1/500 or1/1000 sec. are the norm, and for manyexperienced shooters, getting to these 1/500 and1/1000 sec. exposures is often the direct result ofusingtherightISO.Choosing the right ISOdoesn’t have to be hard.

Onhere,Ispokeabouthoweasyitistogetaction-stoppingspeedswithISOsbetween100and400. Ihope you will embrace this advice, because usinganythinghigherwill,inalllikelihood,notrenderabetter action-stopping image—but it will, in alllikelihood,renderagreatdealmoredepthoffield,if not more noise. As I mentioned before, I shotmorethan90percentoftheaction-stoppingimagesin this section with ISO 100, and the remainingphotoswereshotwithISO400.AsImentionedpreviously,anotherconsideration

with action is distance. Many shooters talk aboutthephotographer-to-subjectdistance,buthowcloseyouaretotheactionisreallyamootpoint.Icanbefifty feetawayfromthatmountainbiker inmidaircomingoverthathill,butifI’musinga400mmlensfromthatfifty-footdistance,thenImayaswellberightinfrontofhim.Inotherwords,ifmyframeismore than75percent filledwith the subject, then

as far as I’m concerned, we are sharing the samebed—andwhenyoushareabedwithanyone,youareclose!Assumingyouareindeed“sharingthesamebed”with your subject, you have to then consideranother important factor that I mentioned earlier,before you can determine which shutter speed isbest: Is theframe-fillingactioncomingtowardyouorisitmovingsidetoside—orevenupanddown?When action is coming toward you, you can getawaywithusingashutterspeedof1/250sec.,butwhen the action ismoving side to side or up anddown, shutter speeds between 1/500 and 1/1000sec.arethenorm,andinsomecases,youmayevenhavetoresortto1/2000sec.

EQUIPMENT

I’moftenaskedbymystudentswhichpiecesofequipment,besidesthemotordrive(seehere),I cannot live without, and my answer maysurpriseyou: I cannot livewithoutmy tripod,my LEE 4-stop graduated ND filter, mypolarizingfilter,my12–24mmsuperwide,my70–180mmmacro,my200–400mm,myNikonInfrared Remote, my Bogen Magic Arm, myBogen Super Clamps, and my Bogen suctioncup.

The Nikon Infrared Remote and the BogenMagic Arm and Super Clamps allow me toexecutethoseimageideasthatoftentimescometomeatallhoursofthenight,wakingmefrommy sleep. In otherwords, at 2:00A.M.when Iwake up asking myself, “What if … ?” or“Could I possibly use … ?” these pieces of

equipmentenablemetofulfillmyvision.

There are many other brands that competevery well with the Nikon Infrared Remote,PocketWizardbeingoneofthem,andtherearesome lesser-knownbrands for lessmoney thataccomplish the same thing. At the time IboughtmyNikonremote,thereweren’talotofotherchoicesoutthere,soifyou’relookingtoinvest in a remote triggering device, shoparound and you might discover that you canfindsomethingakintoPocketWizardataplacelikeAdoramainNewYorkforunder$100.

Mywife,Kathy,isoneofthosepeoplewhoseemstokeepdodgingthe“agingbullet.”Not that being forty years old is “old,” but she still gets carded onoccasionwhenwe go to nightclubs orwhen she tries to buy alcohol at thestore.Ishootalotofstockphotography,andfortunatelyforme,whenIhaveneedofabeautifulmodel,Ihaveonlytoturntomywife.Onthisparticularmorning,whilevacationing inHawaiiandafterbuyingher a brand-new swimsuit, she willingly played the part of “the beautiful,healthy,vivaciouswomanwhoenjoyslifetothefullest.”Nodoubttheearly-morning warm and golden glow of frontlight against the backdrop of atropical blue oceanalso speaks to the issue of a healthy lifestyle, butmorethanthatisthesimpleactofherrunning.Whenweseeanyonerunninginthe

park,forexample,weallthinkhealthandvitality.AndrunningalsomeanstheuseofafastshutterspeedifI’mgoingtohaveanysuccessinfreezingherin midstride. Since she was running toward me, I could easily capture anaction-stoppingimageat1/250sec.HandholdingmycamerawiththeISOsetto100andtheshutterspeedsetto1/250sec.,Isimplyadjustedtheapertureuntil f/11indicatedacorrectexposure.AndofcourseonmyNikonD2X,IhadsetthemotordrivetoCH(continuoushigh)mode,whichiscalledBurstmode on some cameras. The image here was one of seven taken in asequence.

NikonD2X,70–200mmlens,ISO100,1/250sec.atf/11

Youcan takeoneof themoreclassic shotsof theGoldenGateBridge fromthebeachbelowasyoulooknorthtowardtheMarinHeadlands.Ifiredmorethansevenshots(threeofwhichyouseehere)of this large incomingwave,and because I was in CH mode (Burst mode on other cameras) with myNikonD2X, Iwasassuredof recording theonemost important shot of thewaveexplodingatitspeak.Sincelightmeterscanbefooledbywhiteareas,Ichosetotakemymeter

readingfromthesomewhatblueskyoverhead.And,sinceIknewIwantedtoshootatanaction-stoppingspeedofatleast1/500sec.,Ifirstputmyshutterspeed to that settingand then,with thecameraand lenspointed to the skybetween the bridge’s two towers, I simply adjusted my aperture until f/8indicatedacorrectexposure.If you’re accustomed to using your camera in either Shutter Priority or

AperturePrioritymode,theeasiestroutetoacorrectexposurewouldbetogoto your autoexposure override, add+1,and then simplyaimand fire.Noneed to take a reading off of the bluish sky. Of course, when you’re doneshootingthiswhitewave,you’llwanttoremembertoresettheautoexposureoverrideto0.

Youmight be asking yourself why I bother going to the trouble of usingmanualexposure.Theansweristwofold:(1)It’sthewayIlearnedtouseacamerathirty-twoyearsago(oldhabitsdiehard),and(2)therecontinuetobemanylightingsituationsinwhichsettingamanualexposureistheshortestroute to success and consistent exposures. Although this book does discussexposure to some degree, it doesn’t tell you how to use your camera inmanualmode.Ifyoudon’tknowhowtosetanexposureinmanualmodeoryoudon’tquiteunderstandthemechanicsofexposurewhenusingShutterorAperture Priority mode, I would suggest taking a look at my bookUnderstandingExposure.

70–200mmlens,tripod,ISO100,1/500sec.atf/8

JusthowcouldIgetthoseanxiouspigeonstocomeinreallyclosetomewhileIwaslyinglowonmybellyattheedgeoftheSaôneinLyon—andtoflyup

into the foregroundofmycompositionat just the rightmoment? Icouldn’t,sincemypresenceatthebaseofmycamerawouldhavescaredawayeventhemost confident pigeon in France. But with the aid of my Nikon InfraredRemotetriggeringdevice,Icould.So,withtheNikonreceivermountedonthecamera’s hot shoe, I simply took a seat about fifteen feet away from thecameraand tripodandprepared to fire the shutterwith the sendingunit inmyhand.IsetoutafeastofFrenchbreadandcookiesjustbelowmyshot,waitedforthe pigeons to come, and then fired the sending unit. The sound of thecamera’sreleaseandmotordrivewasenoughtostartlethepigeonsandcausethem to take flight.Normally, in a situation like this, I amable to fire offabout6 to8 shots before the subjectmovesoutof camera range,and inamatterofminutesthepigeonshadreturnedtothefeast,sotheprocessstartedallover.OnthisparticularmorningItookatotalof88shots.Thiswasaneasyexposureinthatthescenewaslitbysimplefrontlight,allevenlyilluminated.Nodarkshadowsorbrighthighlightsthatmightotherwisefool themeter, sowithmyapertureset to f/8, I simplyadjustedmyshutterspeeduntil1/500sec.indicatedacorrectexposure.But,beforeshooting,andinanticipationof thebirdsflyingup into theforegroundof theframe, I feltthatashutterspeedof1/2000sec.wasinorderifIwasgoingtocomecloseto freezing the flapping of their wings without the slightest hint of a blur.Therefore,Isettheshutterspeedto1/2000sec.eventhoughmylightmeterwas now indicating a 2-stop underexposure, knowing that I could easilyrecoverthosestopsinpostprocessing(seehereformoreonthistechnique).Asthesecondimageshows,Ididcapturetheirwingswithexactingsharpness.NotethatIdidn’topenupthelenstof/4at1/2000sec.becauseIwouldnothaveattainedthefront-to-backdepth-of-fieldsharpnessIneededtomakethis shot work. Also note, so that there is no confusion about my correctexposure,thatthestarksilhouettingofthepigeonsisduetothefactthatmyexposurewassetforthemuchbrighterandstrongerearly-morningfrontlightfallingonthebuildingsacrosstheriver,notfortheopenshadefallingonthepigeons.ThisisalightingsituationthatIfavorandoftenlookfor.

ISO100,1/2000sec.atf/8

THEMOTORDRIVE

Nowhereelseintheactofimage-makingistheuse of a motor drive more important than inactionphotography.Mostcamerastodaycomefullyequippedwithabuilt-inwinderormotordrive, allowing photographers to reach ahigherdegreeofsuccesswhenshootingaction-filled scenes. (This is often known as Burstmodeondigitalcameras.)Withouttheaidofamotordriveorwinder,itisoftenahit-or-missproposition as you try to anticipate the exactrightmoment to fire theshutter.With theaidof a winder or motor drive, you can beginfiringtheshutterseveralsecondsaheadof thepeakactionandcontinue firinguntilasecondortwoaftertheactionhasstopped—andit’saverysafebetthatone,ifnotseveral,exposureswillbesuccessful.

Truthbetold,Ihaveneverbeenabigfanofflash,anditallgoesbacktomyearly years as a photographer. I not only found flash unflattering to mysubjects, but for years, I could never fully understandhow flash “worked.”That,ofcourse,hadtochange,anditdid,sinceitwasanabsolutenecessitytosucceedasacommercialphotographer.But,wheneverpossible,Iwillstillalwaysoptforavailablelight.Andoneofmyfavoritesetupsfindsmeinthegreat outdoors, taking full advantage of midday light. Yes, you read thatright. Bryan Peterson shoots during that god-awful time of day called highnoon, and you knowwhat? You can actually get some really cool, studio-flash-likeexposuresdoingso.Thefirstimageshowsmysetupforfoodphotography:asimplevasefilledwithbubblymineralwatersittingatopanopenreflector(silversideup),andseamless bluepaper forabackdrop (which canbe foundatanyart supplystore).Ialsomountedmycamerawithmacrolensonatripod.WithanISOof200,Iwasabletorecordacorrectexposureatf/10and1/500sec.,butduetothemagicofrawformat,Iactuallychosetoshootthesefruits2stopsunderexposedatf/10and1/2000sec.,knowingfullwellthatIcouldrecoverthose stops in postprocessing by adjusting the Exposure slider in PhotoshopuntilIgotacorrecthistogram(seehereformoreonthis).Depthoffieldwasaconcernhereduetomyclosefocusingdistance,sothisisoneofthosetimeswhenIhadtoemploya1-stop-higherISO(200),whichallowedme to recordboth the faster shutter speedand theneededdepthoffield.AtISO100,f/7.1wouldnothavebeenenough.OnceIwasallreadytogo,IsimplyaskedmydaughterSophietodropasinglestrawberry.Afterrepeatedtries,Itookamomenttoreviewtheresults,and sure enough, I had far toomany images in which the strawberry waseither not far enough into the composition or had dropped too far into thebottomof the frame.Butmixed inamongstallof thosemissedshots, Ialsofoundoneor two jewels.Then I thought,why stopatone strawberrywhenyou can try three at a time? (I love the power of three, in case you arewonderingwhyIchosethree.)Afterseveralattempts,Irecordedanimageofthreefallingstrawberriesastheybrokethroughthesurfaceofthewater.Note the lighting inbothof theseexposures.Thestrawberriesare lit fromabove and below: The sun overhead lights them from the top, and thereflectedsunbouncingupoffthesilverreflectorlightsthemfromunderneath.Who says you need strobes? Obviously, too, this setup is not limited to

strawberries. Let your imagination runwild and soon youwill be droppingalmostanythingthatwillfitintoyourvase.

ISO200,1/2000sec.atf/10

Ihaveonlybeen toonemotocross race,and it’s safe to say itwon’tbemylast!Idon’tknowifit’sthenormatallmotocrossevents,butatleastatthisone,Iwasabletogetridiculouslyclosetotheseguys.Ihadn’tbeenthatneartheactionofasportingeventsinceshootinganNFLgameinPittsburghbackin1997.Granted, Iwalkedawayquitedirty,but itwasworthall themudthatcameflyingmyway.Ononepartofthetrack,thebikerswouldcomearoundacornerandhitthis straightawaybeforemakinganother turn thatwouldsee themflyingupandoveroneofthemanyhills.Eachandeveryrideralmostalwaysseemedtofollowthesamedeeprutsinthedirttrack,sothismadeitextraeasyforme—all Ihad todowas focuson that spotand fireawayaseachridercamethrough.With my camera and lens mounted on a monopod, I chose an action-stoppingspeedof1/250sec.,sincetheriderswerecomingtowardme.Ithenadjustedmyaperture until f/11 indicated a correct exposure, and over thecourse of only five minutes, I had recorded more than fifteen mud-cakedmotocrossriders,oneofwhichyouseehere.

70–200mmlens,monopod,ISO100,1/250sec.atf/11

1/250SEC.

Nomatterwhatactionyou’rephotographing,ifthataction is coming at you, you can safely shoot at1/250 sec. This is especially true with regard tosports. The hundred-yard dash at a track-and-fieldevent,carsonthestraightawayataNASCARrace,the loneswimmernearingtheendof thepool, thetight end running toward the end zone, or thenumberfourgreyhoundcrossingthefinishlinearejustafewofthemanyexamplesthatawaittheuseof1/250sec.

America&Sports:It’sNotJustaboutHittingtheBall

Americaisaverysports-mindedcountry.Notaweekendgoesbythatdoesn’tshowcasetwoormoresportingevents.Nexttoababy’sfirstfewweeks of life and the family vacation, sports-relatedactivitiesareprobablythesubjectsmostregularly photographed by families. Sportsappeal to men and women, and both younggirls and young boys play various sports,includingsoccer,basketball,andbaseball.

Besides shooting the action of these andother sports, many amateur and prophotographerswanttocapturetheparticipants’emotions. For example, a photographer maywant to record the grimaces of two soccerplayersastheirheadscollideorthefrightenedexpression of a cowboy flying through the air

only seconds after being thrown from themeanestbullattherodeo.Keepthesedetailsinmindasyoutrainyourlensonsportingevents.

IhadheardnothingbutglowingreviewsabouttheislandofSantorini,offthecoastofGreece,frommanyofmystudents,soIfinallyputSantorinionmyworkshopscheduleonespring.Withinminutesofarriving,Ibegantoquestionwhatalltheravescouldhavepossiblybeenabout,sinceIdidn’t“see”allthatmuch. But once I arrived at my hotel, it became obvious why Santorini isthoughttobeoneofthemorebeautifulislands.And, of course, where would this island be without its cats? One ofmy

favoritebooks,CatsintheSun,showcasessomereallybeautifulphotographyfromtheislandsofGreece.Infact, itwasmyhopethatImightcomeawayfrom Santorini with several outstanding cat shots, much like those in thatbook.However, by the last day of theworkshop, it didn’t seem like itwasgoingtohappen—thatis,untilablackcatcrossedmypath.Irealizethatforsome,ablackcatcrossingyourpathissurelyabadomen;

butforme,itprovedtobeamostfortunatething.Ifollowedthiscatforsome

fiveminutes—stalkingit,sotospeak—untilitfinallyfoundarestingplaceatthetopofsomecolorfulstepsthatledtoseveralofthelocals’homes.Imovedtoashortwalltotheleftofthesesteps,gettingintoapositionthatallowedmetoshootdiagonallydownonthestairs.Allthatremainedwastowaittillthecattookoff,runningdownthesteps,butitseemedrathercontenttositatoptheflight—soresigned,infact,thatitwassoonlyingdownandaboutreadytotakeanapwhenalarge,barkingdogcameourway.Thatwasallittooktogetthingsmoving.


WhenImadethepictureabove,bothofmydaughterswereenjoyingtheirdayof snorkeling in the swimming pool while I was on assignment in Cancún,Mexico.Takingabreakfromwork,Iwasquicktojointhem,ofcoursewithmycamerainhand.Restassured,Iwasintheshallowendofthepool,withwaterup toonlymywaist.Nearbywasa smallwaterfall that sentdownagentle cascade into the pool, and it was there that Chloë got “a headmassage,”asshecalledit.I was intrigued by this falling water as it met her head and fell and

splashed around her. Handholding my camera, I set the shutter speed to1/250sec.andadjustedtheapertureuntilf/10indicatedacorrectexposure.


GOTOTHEWATER

So where does one begin to get those greataction shots? As the weeks and monthsunfolded in the production of this book, Ibegan to realize just howmuch activity takesplace inandaroundwater. Ibegantowonderif I was simply blind to other action-filledopportunities, or if there was somethingmagical about water in its ability to drawactivitytoitself.

Myoldestbrother,Bill, isan internationallyknownoceanographerwhoisoftenseenontheDiscoveryChannelofferinguphisinsightsintoglobal warming. While working on this bookand, once again, finding myself shootinganotheraction-filledsubjectinthewater,Iwasreminded of something we had talked aboutyears ago: Water accounts for more than 70

percent of the earth’s surface. That’s almostthree-quarters of the earth, so it should reallycome as no surprise that we are drawn towater.Weswimin,splash,ordiveintoit.Wesurf,water-ski,JetSki,sail,andkayakatopit,andmountainbikerscycle through it.And it’sthat same water whose moisture eventuallymakes clouds, which, in turn, dump recordsnowfalls during the winter months—to thedelightofskierseverywhere.

We wash with water, drink it, grow fruitsandvegetableswith it, and evenput out fireswith it!Water iseverywhere,and it isagreatsourceofaction-filledphotoops.

OfthemanyworkshopsIofferaroundtheworld,nonearemorepopularthantheVagabondworkshops.Theseoffernosetschedule,noitineraryperse.Wejustallmeetatonespot,andoverthecourseoffourdays,pointthevansinthedirectionof thebest light.Needless tosay, it’snotaworkshopforthosewhodon’tliketogetupearlyorwholiketoeatdinneronschedule.Of the two Vagabond workshops offered in 2006, the Maine/Vermont

workshop,whichtookplaceinearlyOctober,wasthemostsurprisingintermsofwhatandwherewefoundourselvesshootingoneafternoon:harnessracingat the Fryberg County Fair! Keep in mind, most of the students on thisworkshopwerelookingforwardtoshootingnatureinallitsvividfallcolors.So,when itwas suggested thatwegive theFrybergCountyFaira shot, thereactionwas, at first, somewhat tempered. A county fair would be a greatplacetotryyourhandatbothpanningandfreezingaction,Iinsisted.Severalhourslater,everyonewasfeelingquiteenthusiasticandforgoodreason:Theharness racing proved to be fertile ground for trying all sorts of different

shutterspeedsandtheirrelatedeffects(panning,zooming,spinning,twirling,and,ofcourse,freezingaction).Sharing this cornerof the track,weallwere inposition to fill our framewiththeoncomingharnessridersandtheirthunderinghorses.Itwasasimpleshot really, since we all knew that our subject would be making the turnexactly here and that, since it was shortly after the race began, everyonewouldstillbefairlybunchedtogether.Allwehadtodowassetanexposurethatallowedtheuseof1/250sec.(foractioncomingtowardus),prefocusonthisspot,andhavethecamerasettoBurstorcontinuousmode.


1/500SEC.

Itwasinthesummerof1970thatIboughtmyfirstcamera—aDeJurtwin-lensreflex—atagaragesalefortenbucks.Thishadmoretodowithmyoldestbrother,Bill,whohadbeenbemoaningthefactthatI had been borrowing his Nikon F Photomic a bittoo much over the course of the previous twomonths. I recall distinctly that the DeJur had amaximum shutter speed of 1/500 sec. and yetmybrother’sNikonFhad1/1000 sec.Of course I feltcheatedbythisbutsoondiscoveredthatthereisn’tawholelotofactionouttherethatyoucan’tbringtoascreechinghaltat1/500sec.Thebiggest challengewithmyDeJurwasn’t the

absence of 1/1000 sec., but rather trying tocompose my actions shots. Like many twin-lens-reflexcamerasbackthen(thefamousYashicaMat-124 G comes to mind), the camera’s viewfindershowedthingsasa“mirror image,”meaningif thesubjectweremovinglefttorightinmyviewfinder,I had to move right to left to follow the action.

Nonetheless,allittookwasone“winningimage”at1/500sec.ofsomefriendsplayingflagfootballandI was hooked on the power of action-stoppingcompositions.To the surprise of many amateur shooters out

there, 1/500 sec. is often all it takes to get thoseaction-stopping shots. You really don’t needanything faster than that to get that shot of thebase-runner slamming into the catcher at homeplateorthelongjumpersprayingsandonlanding.Sure, there’ll be timeswhen your point of view

may allow you to be within several feet of theaction,andwithyourwide-anglelensattheready,by all means, employ the faster shutter speeds of1/1000 or 1/2000 sec. But remember that whenyouwishtofreezeactioncominginfromtheleftorright—or action that ismoving up and down—forthe most part, 1/500 sec. is more than sufficient.Therealkey,whenpossible, is toprefocusonthatspot, that area, where you know the action isheaded—for example, that last hurdle near thefinish line or the finish line itself—and, as thesayinggoes,letherrip!

MydaughterSophiehasrecentlydiscoveredthefunofjumpingrope,andnoweverydayhasbecome“jumpropeday.”Thisisanotheractionsituation,forsure.Handholdingmycamera,setonAperturePrioritymode, Icanget f/8for 1/500 sec. It only took a few shots to get the full image, but beforemovingon,IwantedtoalsorecordtheintensityofemotioninSophie’sface.Usingthesameexposureforthislate-afternoon,frontlitscene,IsimplymovedincloseruntilIhadfilledtheframewithjustmydaughter’s“jumpingface,”andaftermorethanafewtries,Iwassuccessfulinrecordingherexuberantexpression.


WhileIshotdownwardfromatopaladderattheedgeofaswimmingpool,myfriendChristopherwasmorethanhappytomakeseveral jumpsintothewateronthisveryhotsummerday.Myinterestwas,ofcourse,inrecordingacompositionofhim inexactingsharpnessandclarity, stopping theactionofthe splash that he would make upon entering the pool. Handholding mycamera, I first set the shutter speed to 1/500 sec. and then adjusted myaperture until f/8 indicated a correct exposure from the blue water of theswimmingpooldirectlybelowme.


AlthoughmydaughterSophiehasneverplayedtheviolin,shehashadplentyofexperienceinpretendingto.SomeyearsagoatagaragesaleIpurchasedthisviolinsolelytouseasapropwhenIfeltthescenelentitselftoit.Inthiscase,followingthediscoveryofthiswonderfulfieldofwildflowers,Ireturnedhome and excitedly shared the news with Sophie. She is also a buddingphotographer,and the followingdaywereturned—withSophie, ina freshlywashed white dress, and the violin. The skies overhead were bright andovercast,andafterSophiewalkedoutashortdistanceintothefield,Iclimbedtothethirdstepofafour-footstepladderandshotdownintothefieldasshemadeanumberof“joy-filledjumps.”Handholdingmycamera,Iwasabletorecordanumberofaction-stoppingexposures. With the camera set on Aperture Priority mode and the lightevenlydiffusedbeforeme,Iwasconfidentthatashutterspeedof1/500sec.wouldnotonlybecorrectbutwouldrecord theup-and-downmotionofherjumpinginexactingsharpness.Asevidencedbyherhair,sheis,indeed,seenclearlyinanactivestate.

70–200mmlens,ISO100,1/500sec.atf/5.6

Ifnot for theneed touse theporta-potty, Iwouldn’thave comeacross thispart of themotocross trackwhere the bikerswere coming off a large jumphidden behind the pine trees. I thought the porta-potties would be quite awaysfromtheactionofthetrack,butobviously,Iwaswrong,asImadethisimage just ten feet from them.Therewasplentyof time to set this shotup,too,sinceeachracehadasmanyastwelvetofifteenriders,andeachoftheseridershadtotakeonthishill—soifImissedthefirstfew,noworries,sincethereweremoretocome.As the first fewdidcomeby, Iwasable tomanually setmyfocusonan

area they all seemed to be flying through.With the cameramounted on atripodandwithmyISOsetto400,Iwasabletouseanapertureoff/13andstill maintain the action-stopping speed of 1/500 sec. I wanted the extradepthoffieldjustincasemyfocuswasoffabit,andwhenitwasallsaidanddone,Iendedupwithanumberofshotsliketheoneyouseehere.Manisnotsupposed to fly, but perhaps these motocross riders will make you changeyourmind.

70–200mmlensat75mm,tripod,ISO400,1/500sec.atf/13

AERIALPHOTOGRAPHY

Aerial photography is something you dobecauseyouareflyingfrompointAtopointBonacommercialairlineroryouhavea friendwhohashis/herownplaneoryou’reatouristtakingahelicopter tour and soon. I, for one,absolutelylovetoshootaerials.EvenwhenI’monacommercialairliner,IdomybesttogetawindowseatifIthinkwe’llbepassingoveranyareasofinteresttome.

Of course, I never check my cameraequipment.Wherever I go,mygeargoeswithme, all packed neatly inside my LoweproTrekker.Oncewe’reairborneandtheseatbeltsign has been turned off, I retrieve my bagfrom the overhead and temporarily place itunder the seat in front of me. Depending onwhat’s in store for the upcoming journey, I’ll

determineifIshouldusemy17–55mmor70–200mmlens.And,sincetheactionbelowmeismoving either left to right or right to left,depending on what side of the plane I’m on(Godforbidtheactioniscomingtowardme!),usingashutterspeedof1/500sec.isthenormformostaerialphotography.

17-55mmlens,ISO100,1/500sec.atf/8.

ISO100,1/800sec.atf/5.6

I frequentlyflyfromLyontoFrankfurt.Onsunnydays, there’s justnothing

quite like looking out your window, seemingly within arm’s reach of the

French,German,andSwissAlps(firstimageabove).Shootingfromaplane,

helicopter,parasail,oranultralightcraftdoesrequiretherightshutterspeed,

sinceyouareobviously shooting fromamovingobjectandyoudowant to

record exacting sharpness in the landscape below. Shooting at 1/500 sec.

will,inmostsituations,accomplishthis.(Thequalityofyourresultswillalso

dependonwhetherornotthewindowyou’reshootingthroughisscratched.)

For this shot at 1/500 sec., I adjusted the aperture until a 1-stop

overexposurewasindicated.Ichosetoshootata1-stopoverexposuredueto

theexcessivebrightnessandtheabundanceofwhitesnowonthemountains.

If you were shooting this scene in semi-auto mode, Shutter Priority or

Aperture Priority, you would, once again, want to set your autoexposure

overrideto+1,makingcertaintoresetitto0whenyouweredone.

ItwasonanothercommercialairlineronapproachtotheairportinVenice

that I was able to record the aerial in the second image above about five

minutes before landing. It was a beautiful day, and the late-afternoon

sidelight was casting its warm glow across much of the island, in marked

contrast to the deep blue sea. Since this scene was evenly lit, without any

bright highlights or dark shadows, I felt very comfortable shooting in my

second-preferred method of exposure, Aperture Priority. (Although manual

exposuremode is stillmypreferredmethodofmetering, Imustconfess that

AperturePrioritymodehasbeenmakingupalotofgroundlately,andinall

likelihood,itwillsoonbecomemyfirstchoicewhenmeteringmostscenes.)I

simply adjusted my shutter speed until 1/500 sec. indicated a correct

exposure.

Airplanes aren’t the only way to get in the air. There are always

helicopters.AndIloveanyexcusetoshootdownonsubjects,oftentimesfrom

much, much higher vantage points. Although I spend a great deal of time

walkinguponthisgoodol’earth,mymindisoftenasking,Howwouldwhat

surrounds me look from overhead? After walking along the very popular

Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, I felt that the answer to that question

would be “Simply amazing!” but then came the even more important

questions: Could I get a helicopter rental on a Sunday? And, would a

helicopterbeallowedtoflyabovethisbeachorwasitarestrictedzone?Two

hours later, I was airborne and having the time ofmy life.With the back

passengerdoorofthehelicopterslidwideopenandthesafetyharnesssecured

aroundmy shoulders andwaist, I leaned out the open doorway,making a

numberofexposureswhilehandholdingmycamera.

Nikkor80–200mmzoomlensat200mm,1/500sec.atf/8

1/1000SEC.

Asnotedonthispage,theabsenceofa1/1000sec.shutterspeedonmyDeJurtwin-lensreflexleftmefeeling a bit cheated. I seldom missed this extrastop, this extra fast shutter speed, yet I can stillvividlyrecallthatbeautifulautumnSaturdaywhenI had secured a field pass at the local college forthatday’sfootballgame.Granted,Iwasn’tgoingtosettheworldonfirewithshotstakenwithmytwin-lensreflex,butIwasdeterminedtogetatleastonemidair-diving-for-the-end-zone shot. Imagine myfrustration on processing my three rolls of black-and-white ISO 400 that evening and discoveringthatmy twobest jam-packedaction shotshad justenough subtle blur to be adistraction; itwasblurcaused by a shutter speed thatwas just awee bittoo slow—blur that only the use of 1/1000 sec.couldhaveeliminated.I’vesincelearnedthatitboilsdowntoonething:

Iffastactionismovingsidetosideorupanddown—and assuming you are truly filling the frame—

then1/1000sec.isyourbestchoice.

Nikkor200-400mmzoomlens,monopod,ISO100,1/1000secatf/5.6

Whilebuyingoneofthoseplasticfish-identifiercardsatthediveshopacrossfromourhotelonMaui, I overhearda coupleof “dudes” talkingabout thepromiseof“somebigswellscominginontheNorthShoretomorrow.”Iwasquick to ask if this meant that the surfers would be out, and they bothenthusiasticallyresponded,“Hell,yeah!”Risingearlythenextmorning,Ifoundthespotwherebothbigwavesand

surferswouldsoonbearriving.Aftertravelingdownasomewhatnarrowpathalonga rather steep cliff, I found the perfect shooting spot.Beyond that, itwasuptoMotherNatureand,ofcourse,somehoped-forsurfers.Luckily,mywaitwasn’tlong.Withinthirtyminutes,severalsurfershadarrivedalongwithsome really large twenty-to thirty-footwaves. It became clear quite quicklythat most of the talent pool out there in the beautiful, blue Pacific thatmorning had beenat this surfing thing for some time.Therewas a kind offluid poetry to their every move, a rhythm that seldom struck the wrongchord.Withmycameraandzoommountedonamonopod,Isetmyshutterspeed

to 1/1000 sec. and adjusted the aperture until f/5.6 indicated a correctexposure from my good friend overhead, Brother Blue Sky. If you’re not

familiarwith the “SkyBrothers,” you can readall about them inmybookUnderstanding Exposure, but suffice it to say, I find the clear blue sky(opposite)agreatplacetotakeameterreadingwhenshootingearly-morningor late-afternoon frontlit scenes when those scenes have as much white inthem as the waves above sure did. White is a killer when it comes toexposure, as it “reads” far too bright, and often, when one shootscompositionswithalotofwhite,theendresultisanexposurethatlooksfarmoregraythanwhite.Toavoidthis,Ialmostalwayswilltakeareadingfromthe blue sky about thirty degrees above the horizon, since it’s “neutral”insofarasit’snottoodarkortoolight.Although Iwas only there for less than an hour, Imanaged to record anumberofreallyexcitingimages,withmostofthecreditgoingtotheseguys,who, it seemed, could turn on a dime.One guywas doing a great deal of“cutting,” and this image is one ofmy favorites.With the action belowmemovingat sucha franticpace, Ichose toswitchmyautofocusmode toAF-Servo,whichmeantthatmyNikoncontinuouslykeptmysubjectinfocusasItrackeditinsidemyviewfinder.

Nikkor200–400mmzoomlens,monopod,ISO100,1/1000sec.atf/5.6

Another one ofmy favorites from themorning Imade the photograph, thiswas one of the few wipeouts that took place that day. This guy took thewipeout in stride. Heck, he even waved good-bye before disappearingmomentarilyundertheweightofthistwenty-footer.

Whenwe lived insonoma, Ibecamegoodfriendswith theguywhodidourlawn and poolmaintenance.His namewasArnold.He had come up fromMexicoalongwithhistwobrothersabouttenyearsbefore,andtogether,theyhad built a thriving lawn and poolmaintenance business. Each Sunday heandhishugeextendedfamilywouldgatheratthelocalparkandplayaprettyseriousgameofsoccer. I taggedalongononeof thoseSundays,andduringwarm-ups, Iwas able to fire off a number of exposures, including this oneoppositeofArnold’sbrotherandcousingoinghead-to-head,literally,forthesoccerball.One thing stayed with me after this outing: Photographing soccer—orfootball,basketball,andmostsports, for thatmatter—reliesonagreatdealof luck and skill. Plus, if you expect to get anything decent, you best keepyoureyeontheball.“Followtheballandshoot!”wasagreatpieceofadviceI was given a long time ago by a professional sports photographer. At thetime,Ihadhighhopesofbecomingasportsphotographer.Itwas1975,tobeexact.Althoughmydreamofshootingsportsforalivingnevermaterialized(Iwould always get caught up in the game, and rather than shooting thewinningtouchdown,Iwouldbeonthesidelines, jumpingupanddownwithglee becausemy team just scored), I still enjoy the occasional challenge ofshootingsports,aslongasIcanwalkawayfromitandjustenjoywatchingitwheneverIwant.

300mmlens,monopod,ISO100,1/1000sec.atf/5.6

Pumpkins,briskwinds,fallingleaves,azureblueskies.Soundslikeautumnisin the air, and that means football—American-style football, of course.Footballisaroughsport,evenwhenkidsplayit,butIlovethegame.Heck,Iplayeditasakidandhavethememoriesofabrokencollarboneandwristtoproveit;yet,eventoday,I’mthefirstonetoshowupattheparkifapickupgamehasbeenannounced.My talents at shooting football, however, are one notch above shooting

weddingphotography,whichIlearnedyearsagowasnotgoingtobepartofmy career as a professional photographer. Iwouldmuch rather endure theintenseanxietyandpainfulwithdrawaloftryingtosurviveadaywithoutmyDietCokesandcigarettesthansuffertheexcruciatingandsometimespainful

challenges that wedding photographers often face. For that reason, I wasreluctanttoagreetoshootpicturesoftheall-importantgamethatmyniece’shusbandwascoaching.Everygameisthe“all-important”gamewhenitcomestofamily,right?I showedupat thegame,andwithin fiveminutes, Iknew Iwas in foralongday.Nonetheless,Ishotthewholegame,287picturestobeexact.Andthe selectionabove showswhat you can freezewith1/1000 sec.—and justhow limber the human body is! I used 1/1000 sec. for all three of theseimagesandgladlyleftthecamerainAperturePrioritymode,keepingmyeyeon the aperture and adjusting it when necessary to make sure my shutterspeedwasalwaysaround1/1000sec.Ialsohadmycameramountedonamonopod.

Allphotos:80–400mmlens,monopod,ISO100,1/1000sec.

THEARTOFSLOWINGDOWN

Whenitcomestothecreativeuseofshutterspeed,I’venoticedduringmymanyyearsofteachingthatmost photographers, professionals and amateursalike, seem to migrate more toward recordingrazor-sharp images of action-filled subjects thantoward exploring the “art of possibilities” withmuchslowershutterspeeds.Aswejustdiscussedintheprevioussection,action-stoppingimagesrelyonprimarily three shutter speeds: 1/250 sec., 1/500sec.,and1/1000sec.Butlet’sturnourattentiontotheoppositeendoftheshutterspeeddial:1/60sec.to1 second. Ifmyhunch is correct, youwill soonbe finding a lot more reasons to “hang out” withtheseslowershutterspeeds.Inmymind at least, slower shutter speeds offer

farmoreoutlets forcreativity thanfasterones;yetat the same time, slower shutter speeds areincredibly unpredictable. And it is in thisunpredictabilitythat,ifyoucanbepatient,youwilloften find the diamond in the rough. Action-filledsubjects take on a whole new meaning whendeliberatelyphotographedatunusuallyslowshutter

speeds. If you’re a purist who still believes in theage-oldstandardofrazor-sharp,everything-in-focuspictures, I don’t expect to change your way ofthinking, but if you’re a photographer who’slookingforsomefreshapproachestophotographingaction,subtleorblatant,Istronglyrecommendthatyou consider stretching the limits of your slowshutter speeds to the fullest.Tryshooting,withoutbenefit of a tripod, for just one hour in yourbackyard or in the city at speeds of 1/4 sec. or 1second.Much of what you’ll do when shooting in the

slowshutterspeedarenawillbeexperimental,butas is often the case, some new and excitingdiscoveries can be made only in the laboratory.Every shooter who’s truly passionate about takingpictures is on a never-ending journey of creativeexpression and strives to be inventive. Using slowshutter speeds when common sense suggestsotherwisehasproventobeasuccessfulventureformany shooters.Thesecompositionsareoften filledwith tremendous movement and tension. Theyconvey strong moods and emotions and areanything but boring. You might not be able toidentifythesportoractivity,butinthemidstofallofthisblurredactivityisanimageofgreatenergy.

Fast-actionshotsnormallymadewithfastshutterspeedstakeonadifferentyetveryinvigoratinglifewhen shot at slow speeds. They can resurrectmemories perhaps of an earlier exciting time inyour lifeor simply confirm the current excitementyou feel. It is our nature to feel invigoratedwhenthere’smovementunderourfeet—thatfeelingthatlife is exciting, thatwe are on a journey, thatwearewithinreachofthatlong-sought-aftergoal.Andof course, everyone at one time or another hasexperienced boredom or depression, which issimplylifewithoutmovement.Slowshutterspeedswill,withoutquestion,revealalifethatisanythingbutstagnantorboring.

Lying flat atop the roof of amoving car downa tree-lined country road, I

foundmyselfdeliberatelyshootingataslowshutterspeed,inthiscase1/15sec.Iwantedtoconveythefeelingofflyingdowntheroad,asIhadseenacrowafewminutesearlierdoingjustthat.Shootingfromthesafeconfinesofthepassengerseatwasout,sincetheanglewastoolowtotheground.Itwasaroughride,tosaytheleast!Ihadsomeapprehension,astheroadhaditsshareofpotholes,andthecardidn’thavearoofrack,sohangingonwhileshootingcausedananxiousmomentortwo.However,myfriendKilliandrove“slowly,”andaftermakingseveralpasses,Ihadmorethanenoughimagestoofferupaflyingcrow’sviewofthiscountryroadintheCzechRepublic.

Nikkor17–55mmlens,4-stopNDfilter,ISO100,1/15sec.atf/11

MAKINGRAIN:ONLYWITH1/60SEC.

The rain effect is easy to achieve. Whether youchoosetosetupyour“rain”intheearlymorningorlate afternoon, it’s important that you (1) use anoscillating sprinkler, since it is best at makingrealisticfallingrain,and(2)placeitinanareathathas lots of unobstructed low-angled sunshine.Additionally,youmustfacethesunwhenyoushoot,makingsureyoursubjectsarebacklit(meaningthesun is behind the subject). If your subjects arefrontlitorsidelit,youwillnotrecordmuchrainatall,sinceit’sthebacklightthatcreatesthecontrast,allowingtheraintostandout.Onceyouhaveyourprops,includingyoursubject(somecutflowersorabowl of cherries, strawberries, or lemons, forexample),youarealmostreadytoproducethelookof falling rain,butyoumust adhere toone simplerule:Use 1/60 sec. You can onlymake rain using1/60sec.So,thefirstthingtodoissetyourshutterspeed

to1/60sec.andmakesuretouseanISOof100or200. Now all that remains is to get the correctmeter reading, and the best way to do this is to

move inclose so thatyourbacklit subject (flowersor fruits) fillsmost of the frame before turning onthe water. Then, you simply adjust your apertureuntil the light meter indicates a correct exposure.Next, move back a bit and frame up your overallcomposition, and with the camera on tripod andyourexposureset,fireupthesprinkler.Noteifthefalling “rain” is cascading down across the entirefloweror fruit area, and if it’snot, thenmove theflowers or pieces of fruit so that they are beingcompletely covered by the falling rain. Onceeverythingisperfect,simplystartfiringawaywhenthesweepingarcoftheoscillatingsprinklerbeginstofalljustbehindandthenontotheflowers.

Here’smy setup in the first photo, and the result is the third photo.Whathappens ifyou tryandshoot thiseffectata fasterorslowershutter speed?The resultswon’t look like rain.Anything sloweror faster justdoesn’t lookbelievableasrain.Asyoucansee in thesecondimage,at thefastershutterspeed of 1/125 sec., the raindrops are much too short—plus, the shorterstreaks of rain don’t feel quite as refreshing.At slower shutter speeds than1/60 sec., the rain streaks becomemuch too long and lose their luster. Inaddition, when it comes to lenses, I almost always choose the 200mm or300mmfocal length forrainshots,not somuchbecause these focal lengthshaveaninherentshallowdepthoffield,butbecausetheyenablemetorecordpleasingcompositionswithoutgettingwet.

BACKLIGHTWITHOUTSILHOUETTES

One of the more common questions I get fromstudentsdealswith thesubjectofbacklitportraits:“SincethesunisbehindthepersonwhoseportraitIwanttotake,howdoIavoidrecordingasilhouetteand render detail of that person’s face andcharacter?” Experienced photographers use areflector most of the time in these situations. Areflector is nothing more than a white, gold, orsilver piece of fabric that has been attached to apliableringthatallowsforaquickandeasysetup.A reflector that’s ten inches in diameter whilestored in its zippered pouch opens up to a thirty-inch reflector (thatweighs almost nothing, by theway).Whenyouaima reflector into the sun’s light, it

actsinmanywayslikeamirror,bouncingthislightrightbacktowardthesun.However,it’snotthesunyouwant to reflect lightback intobut the subjectthat’s facingyou. So, in effect, it’s likehaving twosuns:onethatbacklightsyoursubjectandonethat“frontlights” your subject. Studio photographershavebeenusingthis“twosun”approachforyears,

sowhynotyou?Thereis,ofcourse,oneotherconcernwhenusing

reflectors:Whoisinchargeofholdingthereflector?If you don’t have four hands, then this is a goodtime tobring someonealongandhavehimorherbeyourgrip(thepersonwhosejobitistoholdthereflector). Once you and your assistant havereflected the sunlight back onto the subject, it isequallyimportantthatyoumoveinclosewithyourcamera to set an exposure for this light that is nowhittingthesubject.Evenifyouaresoclosethatyoucannot get your subject in focus, don’tworry; youareonlyinterestedinrecordinganexposure.

When combined with the right rain-making shutter speed of 1/60 sec., areally funbacklit portrait awaits you—if you can findawillingmodel andyouhaveaccesstoagardenhose.Youcanmaketheideaofcoolingoffonahotsummer’sdayevenmoreappealingwhenyoucombineitwiththeeffectofcoolingdropsof“summerrain.”Forthepurposesofcomparison,thesecondimageofmyniece’shusband,Jason,showshimcoolingoffwhilefrontlitbythewarmglowoflate-afternoonsun.ThemuchstrongerexampleinmymindshowsJasonbacklitbythesamesuninthethirdimage.In this case, because Jason is obviously not transparent (unlike water,

which is), I felt itnecessary to fillhis facewithreflectedsunlight.With theaidofmyson,Justin,anddaughterChloë,Iwasabletodojustthat:Justinheld the reflectorandChloëprovided the“rain”as seen in the third image.AllthatremainedwastofilltheframewithjustJason’sface,setmyshutterspeed to1/60sec.,andadjustmyapertureuntil f/11 indicated thecorrectexposure.

NikonD2X,70–200mmlensat200mm,1/60sec.atf/11

NikonD2X,12–24mmlens,4-stopNDfilter,ISO100,2secondsatf/16

PANNING:1/30,1/15,1/8,AND1/4SEC.

Our journey through the land of creative shutterspeedsmust includeavisitwith,toquotemanyofmy students, “a most frustrating, yet reallyrewardingtechnique”calledpanning.Whenyoupanany moving subject, you will almost always beshooting from a point of view that is directlyparalleltoyoursubject.Whenyourmovingsubjectenters the frame fromthe leftor right,yousimplyfollow it with the camera, moving in that samedirection while depressing the shutter releasebutton. This ensures that your moving subjectremainsrelatively“stationary”(inthatsamespotinyourviewfinder)andinfairlysharpfocus,whileallof the stationary objects surrounding it record aseither horizontal or vertical streaks. (Normally,whenonepans,thesubjectsaremovingrighttoleftor left to right, but you should expand yourhorizonsandconsiderpanningverticalmotion,too—forexample,kidsonpogo sticksor seesaws, theup-and-down“free-fall”ridesatamusementparks).To pan effectively, you’ll want to use a shutter

speedofat least1/30sec.Butagain,I’mallabout

experimentation, and if you’re shooting digitally(i.e.,withno filmcosts),considerpanningatevenslower shutter speeds, such as 1/15, 1/8, or even1/4 sec.Whenyoupan any subject, keep inmindthat you must have an appropriate background inorder to be successful. And what, exactly, is anappropriatebackground?Somethingcolorful.Sincebackgrounds are rendered as blurred streaks ofcolor and tonewhen you pan, you’ll find that themorebusyandcolorful thebackground, thebetterthe panned subject will look in front of it. If youwere to paint colored horizontal streaks onto acanvas, streaks of the same color would look likenothingmore thanasolidcolor (withnoevidenceof the streaking). But if you were to use severalcolors,youwouldbeabletodistinguishthestreaks.In much the same way, panning when your

subject is a jogger against a solid blue wall willshow little, if any, evidence of the panningtechnique because of the lack of tonal shift orcontrast in thebackground.However, if that samewall is covered with posters or graffiti, it willprovide an electrifying background when panned.Simplyput,thegreaterthecolorandcontrastofthebackground, the more exciting the panned imagewill be. So, in addition to concentrating on the

manymotion-filled panning opportunities,make itapointtoshootthoseopportunitiesagainstcolorfulbackgrounds.

THEADDEDADVANTAGEOFDIGITAL

For those of you shooting with a digitalcamera,you’llsoonbecountingyourblessingsas you try your hand at panning. It is achallenging exercise in getting it right, andneedlesstosay,a lotofshotsarewasteduntilyou get that one. So, this technique can be anightmare for many photographers who stillshoot film, and I knowof at least one formerfilmshooterwhofoundthispanningtechniquetobeablessingindisguise:Astudentinoneofmyonlinecoursesinformedmethat“thankstothe lessononpanning,”herhusbandwentoutand bought her a digital SLR after he noticedhowmuchfilmfromthatonelessonwentintothe trash. Since she had six more weeks oflessons to go, he reasoned that she wouldprobablybethrowingawayevenmorefilmand

“surely, the cost of all that film would morethanpayforanewdigitalSLR.”

And,wouldn’tyouknow it,when this storygotout to theother classmembers, severalofwhomwerealsostillshootingfilm,theymadea point to place their garbage cans right infront of their respective spouses and then dothe“moanandgroan”:“IfonlyIhadadigitalcamera.…”By the time the class ended, therewasnotonefilmshooterleftinthebunch!

Times Square in New York City is one of the richer locations for creatingsuccessfulpanningshots,owingtothenonstophustleandbustleoftrafficinthe street and the pedestrians on the sidewalks. Additionally, there is noshortageof backgrounds, thanks to thenumerousneon signsandbillboardssuspendedabovetheshopsandrestaurants.Handholdingmycamera,Isimplymoved left to right and at a diagonal as one of many stretch limos camedriving down Broadway over the course of an hour. Since I was focusingsolely on this limo and following it as it moved (plus shooting at a slowshutterspeed)Irecordedarelativelysharpvehicleagainstsomeverycolorful,blurry, streaky background signage.A truly high-energy image that conveysthesightsandsoundsofTimesSquarewastheresult.My reasoning for shooting on the diagonal was really quite simple: A

diagonallineimpartsasenseofmovementandspeed,evenwhenitisastilldiagonal—for example, a ladder leaning against a house. And since I waspanninginthiscase,Ifelttheresultwouldbeanevenbigger“rush,”agreatersenseofmovementandspeed,whenshotasadiagonalcomposition.


Opportunitiestopanreallyareeverywhere,butwhenitcomestofindinganabundanceofthesephotoops,thecityreallyisking.FromNewYorktoSanFrancisco,London toRome,Tokyo toSingapore,citiesareon themove,bydayorbynight.Andwhenyouthrowinsomerain,theoncemonochromaticsidewalk of pedestrians is transformed into a flowing river of colorfulumbrellas.Here,Ihandheldmycamera,setitto1/30sec.,andadjustedmyapertureuntilacorrectexposurewasindicatedatf/11.I thenaimedatthesidewalkdirectlyacrossfromme,repletewithcolorfulnewspaperstands,andfollowed thishurriedgroupofpedestrians.Theoverallcombinationofcolorandmovement creates an energized image whose volume is extra loud, animagethatisanythingbutquiet.


I am not a professional wildlife photographer. I also learned early in mycareerthatIjustdon’thavethepatiencetowaitforthebaldeagleperchedinthe nearby cottonwood tree along the Skagit River inWashington State tocome swooping down and grab a clawful of salmon. Perhaps I suffer fromADD, but something elsewill forever grabmyattentionwhilewaiting for ashotlikethat—andwhenitcomestowildlifephotography,youcan’taffordtomisssuchashot(whichIdidbecauseanearbyspiderwebdistractedme).However,whenIcameuponaflockofrestlessflamingosattheSingapore

Zoo, I had no trouble becoming awildlife photographer. From the relaxingconfinesofasundeckoverlookingtheflamingosbelow,Iwasabletoshootanumberofcompositionsthatshowcasedthemastheyflewover.Todothis,Iusedashutterspeednormallyreservedforshootingwaterfalls.Handholdingmycameraandusingmypolarizingfilter,Iwasabletorecordanexposureof1/4sec.atf/22.AsIfiredtheshutterrelease,Ialsomovedinthesameright-to-leftdirectionas the flying flamingo.Thiscreativerenditionof thebird inflightisadirectresultoftheuseof1/4sec.WoulditreallybethatinterestingifIhadshotatablazinglyfast1/1000sec.?ChancesareIwouldhavehadanotherrun-of-the-mill,flamingo-in-flightshot.


InamannertypicalofthePetersonfamily,wedecidedatthelastminutetoheaduptotheFrenchAlps,Chamonixtobeexact,forseveraldaysofskiing.WehadyettoskithiswinterandalthoughthecalendarsaidoneweekuntilEaster,thecloudsabovetheFrenchAlpswerestillpouringdownsnowasifitwereChristmas.Althoughourfirstmorningontheslopeswasmetwithsunshine,anazure

bluesky,andmildtemperatures,itgotprogressivelycloudyasthedayworeon, until finally, the snow began to fall. I had already removed my skis,thinkingitwastimetoassumetheroleasthefamilyphotographeronceagainandgetsomeshotsofthegirlsandmywife,Kathy,makingwhatprovedtobetheirfinalrundownthemountain.Theywerehopefulofgettingsomesimple

snapshots;however,andmuchtothechagrinofmyfamily,Ichosetoshootsome“fineart”shots.(Inretrospect,Ishouldhavetakenthesnapshotsearlierthatmorning,buthey,Iwantedtoski,too.)Myreasoningingoingthefineartroutewassimple:Thelightwasallbutgone,andwewereapproachingawhiteoutduetothefallingsnow.Withnotmuch light and impendingwhiteout conditions, whatmore could I do? So,withmy camera inmy cold but steady hands, I zeroed in onmydaughterChloë,whowasheadingrightforme,andjustassheveeredtomyleft,Ifiredoffseveralframesatthecorrectexposureof1/4sec.,whilealsomovingthecamerainthesameright-to-leftdirectionshewastraveling.

70–200mmlens,ISO100,1/4sec.

SNOWTIP

Here’sanexposure tip forallyousnowloversoutthere:Ifyou’reshootinginthesnowinanyof the automatic modes (Aperture Priority,ShutterPriority,Program,andsoon),setyourautoexposure overrides to+1 if it’s a cloudyday and +2 if it’s a sunny day. This willprevent the often-seen underexposed, grayimagesofsnow.

Yourcamera’slightmeterthinkstheworldisaneutralgraycolor,andit“reads”everythingbasedonthat.But, the lastplace in theworldwhereyouwillfindanyneutralgrayisontheskislopes.Whenthemeter is“hit”withallofthat white, whether it’s a cloudy day or asunnyone, itreacts ina“hostile”mannerandservesupexposuresthatareeither1or2stopsunderexposed.Inotherwords,itcan’tstandto

seeanythingthatbright,anditwilldoitsbesttoturnthesnowintotheneutralgraytoneit’sfamiliarwith.

So again, the solution for you autoexposurejunkies is to simply set the autoexposureoverrideasdescribedabove,andifyou’reoneofmymanualexposureheroes,youdon’tneedanyadvice.

As you may have gathered by now, I’m a big fan of shooting down onsubjects,andwhenyoulivethreestoriesabovethestreet,everydayseemstopresent something new to photograph. This past winter, we had one fairlygood snowfall with blizzardlike conditions, and it wasn’t long before I sawsomeonecaughtoutinit.Iwasquicktoraisethecameratomyeye,andwithmyexposurealreadysetto1/8sec.,Idecidedtotrymyhandatpanningonadiagonal in the samedownwarddirectionas the falling snow. I got luckywithoneoftheshotsImadethatday.Nodoubt,it’sanimagethatconveystheharshnessofawinterstorm,andwhatreallymakesthismessageloudandclear are themany diagonal lines of falling snow.Unlike the horizontal orvertical line, the diagonal line is filled with movement and speed. It neverrests,itnevertires,itisconstantlyonthemove,andconsideringthatwearelookingatsnowfall,itfeelsquitebrutalandcold.

Nikkor17–55mmlens,ISO100,1/8sec.atf/16

Have you ever been chased by a ferocious dog while riding your bike orscooter?Areyouoneofthosedogownerswhosedogchasesafterbikesandscooters? While shooting one morning on the island of Santorini, I wasquickly adopted by severalwild dogs—an easy thing to have happenwhenyouofferthemfood.Shortlyaftershootingasunriseoverseveralofthewhite-and blue-domed painted churches, I found myself sitting at a small cafésituatedonthesquare—alongwith“mydogs.”Itwasaquiettimeofday,butwithin thirty minutes, the square came alive with numerous scooter riders.Withoutfail,atthesoundofeachoncomingscooter,thedogswouldtakeoffrunning,apparentlythrilledattheprospectofnippingtherider’sheels.TryasImighttogetmydogstostopthisbehavior,theymadeitclear,completewiththeirsnarls,thattheywerecommittedtothisgameandwehadnochanceofstoppingit.Inthetraditionof“ifyoucan’tbeat’em,join’em,”Idecidedtotrysome

panning shots as the dogs chased every scooter.After about thirtyminutes,the squarewasquiet onceagain,and I learned from theownerof the caféthatmostofthescooterridersweresimplyfishermenheadingofftoworkwhowere quite accustomed to being chased by these dogs. Seems the dogs are

foreveradoptingnewownerswith thearrivalof everyplaneorboatloadoftourists, and this day just happened to be theday I got chosen.Although IremainedonSantoriniforanotherthreedays,Ineversawmydogsagain.


While on assignment in the shipyards of Charlotte, North Carolina, I hadnumerous opportunities to trymyhandat panning. It proved to be quite a

placeofnonstopactionasthreecontainershipsarrived,allwithinfourhours.Those mighty cranes were hard at work, loading and unloading containerafter container. Of particular note with the first shot is that the panningmotionwasnothorizontal.Thecontainerwasbeingloweredfromtheship,soIpannedmovingdownward,followingitsslowpathtothegroundbelow.

Nowhere isanexercise that Iknowcanbefun,andyoucando itwithoutever leaving your home. Spendanhourwith yourhand!While holding thecamerawithonehand,photographyourotherhandatvarious slowshutterspeeds such as 1/15 or 1/8 sec., and voilà! You will be surprised at theresults.Howabout your hand opening up the fridge?Your hand getting a beer?

Your hand serving some cake or pie?Your hand playing air hockey?Yourhandpoundinganail?Yourhandwashingwindows?Yourhandpaintingthehouse? The possibilities are endless.When you’re done thinking about thisexercise, if nothing else, youwill at least bewell versed in just howmuchactivityyourhandsgo through. In thisexample,afterchoosingsomecherrytomatoesattheoutdoormarket,Ifollowedmyhand(panningonceagain)asitflewacrossthedisplayofothervegetablescompletewithmoneytopaythevendor.


IMPLYINGMOTION—WITHATRIPOD

Whenthecameraremainsstationary—usuallyonafirm support such as a tripod—and there aremoving subjects within the composition, thephotographer is presentedwith the opportunity toimply motion. The resulting image will show themovingsubjectasablur,whilestationaryobjectsinthe composition are recorded in sharp detail. Thelistofpotentialmovingsubjectsislong:Waterfalls,streams, crashing surf, planes, trains, automobiles,pedestrians,and joggersarebuta fewof themoreobviousones.Someofthenotsoobviousincludeahammer striking a nail, toast popping out of thetoaster, hands knitting a sweater, coffee beingpoured from the pot, a ceiling fan, a merry-go-round,aseesaw,adogshakingitselfdryafteradipin the lake, windblown hair, and even the windblowingthroughafieldofwildflowers.Choosing the right shutter speed for many of

these motion-filled opportunities is, oftentimes, aprocessoftrialanderror.Itisherethat,onceagain,thedigitalshootershavetheadvantage,sincetheycanviewinstantlytheresultsoftherightorwrong

choice in shutter speed on their LCD panel.Additionally, there are no film costs involved, sothisphotographictrialanderrorcostsnothing.There are certainly some general guidelines to

follow, and if nothing else, they can prove to begood starting points formany of themotion-filledopportunities that abound. For example, a shutterspeedof1/2sec.willdefinitelyproducethecottoncandy effect in waterfalls and streams. A shutterspeed of 1/4 sec.willmake the hands that knit asweaterappearas if they’removingataveryhighrate of speed. A 30 mph wind moving through astandoffall-coloredmapletrees,coupledwitha1-second shutter speed can render a composition ofstark and sharply focused trunks and branchescontrasted with wispy, wind-driven overlappingleaves.

The Valensole Plain in France continues to be one ofmy favorite shootinglocationsinallofEurope.InlateJuneandearlyJuly,theairisfilledwiththescentofhundredsofacresof lavenderand the soundof buzzingbees, beesthat are far more interested in the flower’s scent than they ever might beinterestedinyou,whichisareliefforanyonewhoisallergictobees.Onmostanyafternoon,thehotwindsoftheValensolePlainincrease,andthusbeginsthe dance with each and every row of lavender, a dance of long stemsswinginglefttoright,righttoleftinthehotblowingwindlikeagospelrevivalwitharmsandclappinghandsextendedhigh.Withmycameraonatripodandatflowerlevel,Iwaitedmomentarilyforthewind tomoderate a bit and fired off the first image (top) at f/11 and1/250 sec. Next, I reached into my filter wallet and first placed a 4-stopneutral-density(ND)filteronmylens,therebycuttingthelightvaluedownby4stops;then,IaddedmyNikkorpolarizingfilter,cuttingdownthelightvaluebyanother2stops.Ireadjustedmyexposureforthis6-stopreductioninlight,whichmeantIhadanexposureoff/11at1/4sec.,butIstillwantedtosetalongerexposure, so I stopped the lensdownfurther to f/22(2morestops).Myfinalexposurewasf/22for1second,seeninthesecondimage.

Top:12–24mmlens,tripod,1/250sec.atf/11;,bottom:12–24mmlens,tripod,1secondatf/22

Born in Iowa, CarlMagee, a lawyer and publisher, was, according to SanMiguelCountyJudgeDavidLeahy in1920,a“lying,un-Americanpoliticalharlot,fatheadedimbecileremittanceman,dirtycowardlyreprobate,wicked,wanton,false,maliciousdishonest,corrupt,unscrupulous,andworsethantheassassin of President McKinley.” The judge was responding to an articleMageehadwrittenintheAlbuquerqueJournal,whichMageealsoowned,inwhich he called San Miguel County’s government the worst in the UnitedStates. Five years later, these two guys ran into each other in a hotel, andaccordingtotheElPasoTimes,awildfistfightensued.Mageepulledoutapistol, trying to shoot Judge Leahy but killing innocent bystander John B.Lassaterinstead.Mageewasacquittedofmanslaughter,butifhehadbeenfoundguiltyand

beenincarcerated,allofusjustmighthavemissedthejoyoffeedingmoneyintoaparkingmeter,sinceitwasCarlMageewhoiscreditedwithinventingandpatentingthefirstparkingmeter,whichwaslaterinstalledonthestreets

ofOklahomaCityonJuly16,1935.To get this shot, I used a tripod-mounted camera and 70–200mm lens.Withmyapertureset to f/16,alongwith thepolarizing filter, Iwasable torecordacorrectexposureat1/30sec.,whichprovedtobejustslowenoughto record the blurredmotion and graphic color of themany large trucks IphotographedthatafternooninTampaBay,Florida.


Venice, Italy,continues tobeoneof themostvisitedcities inallofEurope,and the gondolas are, of course, one of the bigger attractions. Seldom,however, do I run into other photographers who, like me, are out beforesunrise shooting the many docked gondolas near Piazza San Marco. As

difficultasit isforsome,gettingupwiththeroostersdoeshaveitsrewards,nottheleastofwhichishavingmuchoftheworldalltoyourself.Ofcourse,at this hour you will need a tripod, since in all likelihood, whatever youchoosetoshootwillrequirereallyslowshutterspeeds.Asyoucansee, theexposure in the second imagedoesn’t recorda lotofmovement,andthishasmuchtodowiththeexposuretimeof1/8sec.atf/8.However,therewasalargeferrycomingintothescenefromtheleft,whichIknewwould kick up quite a wake, and shortly after it passed, these samegondolas were dancing atop the water’s surface. So, I changed to a muchlongerexposuretime,againwiththeadditionofmypolarizingfilter(a2-stopreductionoflight)andbystoppingthelensdownfurtherinthefirstimage.Inbothexposures,Iinitiallytookmyreadingoffoftheduskybluemorningskybysimplyaimingthecameraupabovethegondolas.Inthefirstexample,thatmeantthatwithmyaperturesettof/8,Iadjustedmyshutterspeeduntil1/8 sec. indicated a correct exposure; in the second exposure with thepolarizing filter in place, I pointedmy camera to the sky, stopped the lensdown to f/22, and then adjusted the shutter speed dial until 4 secondsindicated a correct exposure. The result: We see and hear the “ghosts” ofgondolaoperatorsandridersofyearsgoneby.

Firstimage:4secondsatf/22;secondimage:1/8sec.atf/8

Returninghomefromaworkshop,Iwasgreetedatthefrontdoorbymytwodaughtersandwife,all ofwhomhad large, precocious grinson their faces.Thegrinsweresoonexplainedwhen,afewminuteslater,Iwasgreetedbythenewmemberofthefamily,Cosmo.AlthoughIthoughtwehadalldecidedafewweeksearlierthatgettingadogatthistimewasnotagoodideaandthatwhenand ifwedid,wewouldgetadogandnota“toy,”Cosmohadsoonstolenallourhearts.Cosmoenjoysbeingouton the terrace,andone suchmorning, thewinds

werereallystrong,soeverysooftenhisearsappearedtobestandingstraightup, due to thewind coming up from the streets below. Iwas able to shootseveralslowexposureswithmyLeicaD-LUX3,quitepossiblythebestdigitalpoint-and-shoot currently on themarket.With the ISO set at 100 and thecamerasetinAperturePrioritymode,Iwasabletofireoffseveralframesatf/5.6 and 1/30 sec., which was perfect, as this exposure registered somesubtleblurringofwind-whippedears,renderingaportraitofCosmotheflyingPekingese!

LeicaD-LUX3,ISO100,1/30sec.atf/5.6

For years, studio photographers have used ordinary fans to bring some“movement” to their fashion work. It’s a really simply idea, too, anddefinitelyaneffectiveoneifyouwishtorecordanimageofsensualityand/orplayfulness.Thekeytomakingashotlikethisworkisto,onceagain,usetheright shutter speed. It’salso important toask thequestion“Doyouwant tofreeze the action of the blowingwind in crisp sharp detail or showcase thewindy conditions as a subtle soft blur?” In this simple yet effectivecompositionofmywife,Ichosetoshootatanaction-stoppingshutterspeedof1/250 sec.Usingonemonolight placed insidea softboxoff toher left (myright),IwasabletodeterminewithmySekonicFlashMeterthatanapertureoff/11wasthecorrectexposurebasedonthefive-footdistanceoftheflashtoherfaceandbasedonmychoiceinusingISO100.Withthefanonlythreefeetawaytoherright(myleft),herlongblondehairwasquicklyblowingasifcaughtina15mphwindgust.Handholdingmycamera,Itookanumberofshotsasthe“wind”blew,andasyoucanseehere,theblowinghairhasbeencapturedinexactingsharpnessacrossherface.


“PAINTING”WITHSHUTTERSPEED

Until recently, the “rule” of photography was tokeep the horizon line straight and, above all else,makesureit’sinfocus.Itwasalsounthinkableforaphotographer to deliberately handhold the camerawhile using a very slow shutter speed. Thosewhodidventureoutofthis“norm”wereoftenscoffedatbecausetheresultingimageswere,ofcourse,blurryand out of focus, and onmore than one occasion,the photographer was asked, “Were you drunkwhenyoutookthatshot?”Fortunately,timeshavechanged,andtheideaof

“painting with a slow shutter speed” has beenembraced. But, unlike panning, which is alreadychallenging enough, painting with a slow shutterspeed is a real hit-or-miss affair.When everythingdoescometogether,however,itistrulyrewarding.(Have you priced abstract art lately? Doing ityourself is not only cheaper, but since you“painted” it yourself, it’s also that much morerewarding.)Paintingwithshutterspeedisasimpletechnique,

really. You simply set a correct exposure thatwill

allowyoutouseashutterspeedof1/4or1/2sec.,and at the moment you press the shutter release,youtwirl,arch,jiggle,orjerkthecamerainanup-and-down or side-to-side or round-and-roundmotion.Thechallengeisinfindingtherightsubjectto paint. Just asMonet discoveredwith his brushand canvas, flower gardens continue to be thenumber one choice of photographers for paintingwith shutter speed, but don’t overlook othercompositional patterns as well, such as harbors,fruitandvegetablemarkets,andeventhecrowdinthe standsatanNFL footballgame.Also, considerpainting with shutter speed in low light, whereshutter speedscan range from2 to8 seconds.Thedifferencehere is that yourmovements are slowerthan the quick and hurried movements justmentioned, and the resulting effect canmirror thework of an artist who uses a palette knife, as theexposure time builds up one layer upon another.Presto!Aninstantabstractpainting.

Notmuchisrequiredtocreatesometrulyexciting“abstractpaintings”withyourcameraother thanaslowshutterspeedandthewillingness toperhapslookfoolishinthepresenceofothers.Whenyouaredefyingallthe“laws”ofphotography, strangers stop momentarily, as they find it odd to see youjiggling, spinning, jerking,or turningyour camerawhilepressing the shutterrelease.Theycan’t for the lifeof themselvesunderstandwhatonearthyoucould possibly be so happy about. You might even, perhaps, give theimpression that you suffer from a nerve disorder, which would no doubtaccountforwhyyoucan’tholdthecamerasteady.Butdoyoureallycare?In a largewooden planter right in front of Ivar’s SeafoodRestaurant onSeattle’sPier54,a lonesumac treewasshowingevidence thatautumnhadarrived.Thefirstexposureoff/8for1/60sec.resultedinjustanotherrathermundane shot of fall color, but when I set the exposure to amuch slowershutterspeed—f/22for1/8sec.—andthenfiredtheshutterreleaseanumberof times while making circular motions with the camera, the results wereanything but. The swaths of color are reminiscent of thework of an artistapplyingpaintwithapaletteknife.

top:Nikkor12–24mmlens,ISO100,1/60sec.atf/8;bottom:Nikkor12–24mmlens,ISO100,1/8sec.atf/22

Followingaharshandcoldwinter, this roadside flowerbed in theheartofLyon,France,providedawelcomereminderthatspringhadarrived.Standingoveraportionoftheflowerbedandshootingdownwithmycameraand12–24mmlensrevealedamostinterestingandenergy-filledcompositionthatwasreminiscent of those times I went to the county fair in my youth, where Iwould gladly pay theman 25 cents for awhite piece of paper onwhich Iwouldsquirtvariouscoloredpaintsandthenhaveitspunaroundforseveralsecondstorevealakaleidoscopeofcolors.SohowdidIdoit?It’sarathersimpletechnique,butyou’llwanttocallon

yourwide-anglezoomsfirstandforemost—andyourpolarizingfilterand/ora 3-or 4-stop neutral-density filter. You are calling up these two filtersprimarily to decrease the intensity of the light, thus allowing you to useslower-than-normalshutterspeedswhilestillmaintainingacorrectexposure.Andso,withmy12–24mmlenssettoafocallengthof12mmandfittedwitha4-stopNDfilter,Iwasabletosetacorrectexposureoff/11for1/4sec.,andasIpressedtheshutterrelease,Ididthefollowing:Irotatedthecamerainaright-to-leftcircularmotion,asifdrawingacircle,andatthesametime,withmy left hand, I zoomed the lens from 12mm to 24mm in the secondimage.Andkeep inmind thatallof this tookplace in1/4sec., soyouareright to assume that you must be quite fast in turning the camera in thatcircularmotionandzoomingatthesametime.In comparison, with the third shot I was able to slow down a bit as I

repeatedthesamemoves,becauseIhadchangedmyexposurefromf/11for1/4sec.tof/22for1second.Ofcourse,thechoiceisyours,butclearly,thespiraleffectthatresultsleavesabitmoredefinitionintheflowersat1/4sec.thanat1second.

Secondimage:12–24mmlensat12mm,ISO100,1/4sec.atf/11;thirdimage:12–24mmlens,ISO100,1secondatf/22

For some people,walls and doorways coveredwith graffiti and posters areunsightly,butpersonally,Ihavefoundthemtobegreatfieldsofphotographicpotential that I harvest often with my macro lens. It was only recently,however, that I discovered they are also a great “painting” resource.Againwithmycameraand12–24mmlensequippedwitha4-stopNDfilter,Iwassoonturningandzoomingatthesametime,movingfromonewallordoortothenext,shootingwithsuchcarelessabandonandexperiencing,onceagain,thatfeelingofnewnessthatoftenaccompanieseveryphotographer’sfirstfewdaysorweeksbehindthecameraresultinginthethirdimage.Afterjustturningthecamera,Iwenttoworkonanotherwallof“art,”andthistime,ratherthanspinning,Isimplymovedthecamerainaslowupwarddirectionwhilezoomingthe lensquickly inandout, inandoutat thesametime.Note in the fourth image the somewhat stair-stepped effect, a layeredpalette-knife-paintingeffect.Thiswastheresultofmovingupandzoominginandoutatthesametimerapidlyoverthecourseofmy2-secondexposure.This same slow upward motion, along with repeatedly zooming the lensrapidly,wasalsobehindtheverypainterlyeffectoftheflowersintheopeningimage of this chapter see here, which were part of a large display in themiddleofarotaryintersection.Again,notethelayering,palette-knifeeffect.

Thirdimage:12–24mmlens,ISO100,1secondatf/16;fourthimage:NikonD2X,12–24mmlens,4-stopNDfilter,ISO100,2secondsatf/16


Forme,thefallof2006provedtobeoneofthemostcolorfulthatI’veeverwitnessedandphotographed in the southwest cornerofMaine.My studentsand Ihad just returned to theparking lot fromashortmorninghike in themountains, feeling quite satisfied with what we had already photographed.Thatfeelingofaccomplishmentcanbequitedangerousforusphotographers,asa senseof complacency isusuallynot farbehind.Evenwhenoneof thestudents called everyone’s attention to “the most colorful tree I have everseen,”most of us looked and simply shrugged our shoulders, indifferent towhatI,too,agreedwasinfactthemostcolorfultreeIhadeverseen.“Ihave enough leaf shots,” saidone student. “Ihave enough tree shots,”

saidanother.Clearlyallbutoneofthestudentswerefeelingfulfilledatthatmoment.As Iwatched this student point her camera up toward the backlitbranches,isolatingseveralleavesandshootingthemagainstthedeepbluesky,InoticedthatIwasbeginningtofeel,onceagain,aneedtoshoot.Iwalkedover to that samemost colorful tree and suggested thatwe both trya slow

shutterspeedwhilelookingstraightupandpurposelyspinningonourheelsaswefiredtheshutterrelease.Itdidn’ttakelongforthesoundsofexcitementtofill the air, and soon all of us were under that one big tree, pointing ourcamerasupwardwhilespinningonourheels.Althoughafewminorcollisionstookplace,weallfeltthatthiswas,infact,oneofthemoreremarkableandfulfillingmorningsofimage-making.The first image you see is what I would call the classic fall shot, taken

whilelookingupwithawide-anglelens.Thesecondwastakenwhilespinningonmyheels.

NikonD2X,12–24mmlens,4-stopNDfilter,1/2sec.atf/16

ManyofEurope’s back roadsandmeadows turn into carpetsof redduringthe early part ofMay thanks to the perennial blooms of the red poppy. Infact,upinthenorthofFrance,nearLilleandasfareastasStrasbourg,youcan see acres upon acres of red fields. I broughtmy car to a sudden stopwhenIroundedacorneronasmallcountryroadafterhavingjustpassedalone farmhousewhose entireyard—front, back,and sides—was rich in tallgreengrassandredpoppies.Afteraquickknockonthedoorandreceivingpermissiontotakepictures

ontheproperty,Iwassoonimmersedbehindcameraandlens.OfthemanyexposuresIhopedtoshootthatmorning,motion-filledshotswerehighonmylist.Fromthefrontlitsideofthehouse,Imadethisfirstexposureofaratherho-hum, somewhat static composition, but it possessed all the ingredientsneededtomakeawonderfulabstractrenderingofline,color,andtexture.AllIhadtodowasshootitatamuchslowerexposurewhilesimplymovingthecamerainasteadyupwardflow.ImadethefirstexposureatISO100andf/11for1/250sec.Imadethe

secondusingbothaNikkorpolarizing filterandmy4-stopNDfilter,whichresultedinalightlossof6stops.Torecoverthese6stops,Isimplyreadjustedmyshutterspeedfrom1/250to1/125to1/60to1/30to1/15to1/8to1/4sec.,whereonceagainmymeterindicatedacorrectexposure.However,Istopped the lens down further by 1 full stop to f/16, which meant I nowneededagaintodoublemyexposuretimefrom1/4sec.to1/2sec.inordertoreturntoacorrectexposure.Ithenpressedtheshutterreleaseandsimplymovedthecameraupwardinaverysmoothflow,resultinginthestreaksofcolorandtexturethatyouseeinthesecondphoto.

Topimage:12–24mmlens,ISO100,1/250sec.atf/11;bottomimage:12–24mmlens,polarizingfilter,4-stopNDfilter,ISO100,1/2sec.atf/16

SIMPLYZOOMING

As we’ve just discovered, there are a number ofways to bring life and movement to otherwisestationary subjects, yet I haven’t touched on thesimple and well-proven method of what I call“waking up the dead” via a simple twist orpush/pullofthezoomlens.Tripodornotripod,thechoiceisyours.Personally,Iprefertousethetripodfor simple zooms, as it results in a cleaner image.And, just aswith those spinningor jerking imagesforwhichyouwillfindnolackofsubjects,findingphotographicsubjectstozoomisjustaseasy.

WhileteachingarainyandwindySanFranciscoworkshopafewyearsback,one of several umbrellas died, but before retiring it to the garbage can, Idecidedtoplaywithit,tobringitbackfromthedead,sotospeak.Ithrewitdownon the parking lot asphalt near a largewhite directionalmarker andsoonwasshootingseveralslowexposureswhilezoomingwiththecameraontripod.Isetmyaperturetof/11andadjustedmyshutterspeeduntil1/4sec.indicatedacorrectexposure.AssoonasIpressedtheshutterrelease,Iturnedthezoomringfrom35mmto70mm,andaftermakingabouttwentyattempts,IfeltconfidentthatIhadtwoorthreethatdid,infact,breathenewlifeintothisonce-deadumbrella.

35–70mmlens,polarizingfilter,tripod,ISO100,1/4sec.atf/11

Based onmy limited experience with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in NewYorkCity,itseemslikeagreatexcusetohearsomereallyfineIrishmusic,tofeelasenseofprideassomeofNewYork’sfinestmarchdownFifthAvenue,and,of course, to consumeenoughbeer that if beerwereanocean,all theshipsatseawouldfindthemselvesontheoceanfloorbytheendoftheday.ThemostrecentSt.Patrick’sDayParadeIattendedwasaverycoldone.Sixinchesofsnowhadfallenthenightbefore,andthedaytimetemperaturenever got above freezing—all themore reason to keep the beer flowing, asmanyofthespectatorsfoundthemselvesoutsideonthesidewalksinfrontofbars big and small.At around64thStreet andFifthAvenue, Imanaged tofindanall-but-emptyprivategrandstandandmountedtheslipperyaluminumsteps,endingupatthetoprow,whichprovidedmewithaslight“aerial”viewoftheparadegoingbyonthestreetbelow.Aseachgroupofpoliceofficers,firefighters,marines,andmarchingbandswalkedonby,Imadeitapointtopaninaright-to-leftdirectionataslowshutterspeed(1/2sec.)whileatthesame time zooming my 70–200mm lens. Of note in these images are thepatterns formed by the colors and shapes. Pattern, one of the elements ofdesign,isnothingmorethanarepeatofasinglepartofasubjectacrosstheframe,butmuchinthesamewaysomeoneturnsuptheradiofullblast,thisrepetitivedesign,ineffect,turnsupthevolumeconsiderably.When shooting zoomed exposures, it’s best to begin any composition youwishtozoombyframingitfirstwiththewidestangleofanygivenzoomandthenzoomtowardthelongerend.So,forexample,youbeginwith17mmandzoomto35mmorbeginwith18mmandzoomto55mmorbeginwith70mmand zoom to 300mm. This effect will produce the desired results but notwithout practice. Don’t be disappointed if your first few attempts don’tmeasure up. You are either zooming too fast or too slow, but aswith anyothernewtechnique,youwillsoonlearntherhythmrequiredtomakeeveryzoomshotasuccess.

Bothphotos:Nikkor70–200mlens,4-stopNDfilter,ISO100,1/2sec.atf/22

Ihaveaconfessiontomake.Severalyearsago,afterspendingnomorethantwohoursattheLouvreinParis,Ibegantogettrulybored.(Icanhearthegasps fromsomeofyou.)Tobe fair, Ido love lookingatart,but Iamfarmore consumedwith a passion for image-making, and after looking at themany, many beautiful works of many well-and lesser-known artists, I hadsimplyhadenough.Ifelttheneedtoshootsomething,tocreatesomething,tomakean image of just about anything. I just had to hear the soundofmyshutter opening and closing, yet there I was with my wife and kids, whohonestlyseemedtobereallyenjoyingthemselves.Ohmy,what’safatherandhusbandtodoatatimelikethis?Ofcourse!Usetheold“restroom”excuse.Withanagreementtomeetupinabouttwentyminutes,Itookoffwithmy

camera.Withinminutes,Ifoundmyselfbacknearthemainentrance,where,itseemedtome,alotofotherboredpeoplewerestandingaround.Withbothelbowsproppeduponthecircularrailingandwithmyaperturesettof/11,Iwas able to record an exposure time of 1/2 sec. This proved plenty longenoughtosimplyzoommy17–55mmfrom17mmto55mm,andvoilà—that

once-bored-lookingcrowdofpeoplewasnowfullofenergy,myselfincluded!Myphotographicspirithad,onceagain,beenrenewed.


Thezoomingtechniqueisoftendonebyzoomingfromthewidestangletothenarrowestangleinafluid,smooth,nonstopmotion.However,thereisanotherzoom technique you may want to consider when shooting long exposures,suchasthoseof4,8,or16seconds.TakealookatthesetwoimagesoftheSpaceNeedletakenfromQueenAnneHilloverlookingdowntownSeattle.Thefirst example is a “simple” zoom: With my camera and 70–200mm lensmounted on tripod andmy exposure set at f/16 for 8 seconds, I fired theshutter release and slowly began to turn to the zoom from its initial focallengthof120mmtoward200mmoverthecourseofthat8-secondexposure.TheresultisthattheSpaceNeedleandsurroundingbuildingsappeartohave“exploded.”In thesecondexample, Ichose todosomethingabitdifferent, somethingyoucaneasilydowhenshootingany longexposurewhenthemainsubjectsarestationary.IthoughtitwouldbeinterestingtoseewhatwouldhappenifImade three separate exposures at three different focal lengths of this samesceneinjustoneimage.Withmyexposureoff/16for8seconds,Ifiredtheshutter release andwaited 2 secondswhile the exposurewas recording thesceneat120mm;thenIcarefullyandquicklyzoomedto160mmandcounted2seconds;andfinally,Iagaincarefullyandquicklyzoomedto200mmandwaitedfortheexposuretimetoclose.Asyoucanseeinthisexample,itisstilla“zoomshot,”butit’smuch“cleaner.”

Bothphotos:70–200mmlens,tripod,8secondsatf/16

ATTACHINGTHECAMERATO…

The great folks at Bogenmake a host of fantastictripods,but theyalsomakeabunchofaccessoriesthatallowyoutoputacamerajustaboutanywhereyou can imagine. One of my favorite gadgets oftheirs is called theBogenMagicArm,whichat itsfullestextensionisabouttwenty-fourinches.Another is Bogen’s suction-cup clamp that in

many ways is akin to a plunger. It sticks so wellthat it could give SuperGlue a run for itsmoney.With the “plunger” you canplace your camera onany smooth surface, including walls, ceilings, andhoods of cars as they speed through tunnels (seehere).Then there is the Bogen Super Clamp, a really

cool device that will allow you to attach yourcamera tomost anything—skateboards, bicycles, atennis racket, a putter—and record images fromnew points of view that will have your audienceaskingformore.

Sinceit’sstrongenoughtoholdmyNikonD2Xandfish-eyelens,ImountedtheBogenMagicArmonthehandleofashoppingcartandattachedmytwo-foot cable release. As my wife’s friend Catherine pushed her daughter,Victoria, through the aisles of the grocery store, I nonchalantly tripped theshutterwithmycablerelease.WithmycamerasettoISO100andAperturePriority mode, I found that when setting the aperture to f/16, the shutterspeed registered a 1/2 sec. exposure. Also, since I was shooting underfluorescent lighting, I set my white balance (WB) to Fluorescent. Then Ifocused on Victoria and, again, merely tripped the shutter with my cablereleaseasCatherinepushedthecart.

Nikkorfull-frame14mmfish-eyelens,ISO100,1/2sec.atf/16

Iusedadollywithahandle,somethinglikeahandtruck,totakethisshotofa careless Rollerblader speeding through the streets of Lyon, knocking overpedestriansalongtheway.Iwasnowherenearthisguybut,rather,wasabouttenfeet tohis left,runningparallel tohimashepushedthedollyalongthestreets.So, where was the camera, and how did I fire the shutter release? Thecamerawasmountedtotheflatsurfaceofthedollywithanotherfavoritetoolofmine,theBogenSuperClamp.ItwaslockedinplaceandfacingthefeetoftheRollerblader.SinceIwasusingafocallengthof17mm,Iwasassuredofrecordingaverywideangleofview.Inaddition,IhadaNikonradioreceivermountedonthecamera’shotshoe,andasIran,ItriggereditwiththeNikonradiosendingunitIwasholding,whichfiredtheshuttereachtimeIpressedthesendingunit’sbutton.SinceIcouldn’tcontroltheexposure,IleftthecamerainAperturePrioritymodeandsettheaperturetof/22,knowingthatthesmallestaperturewouldforcetheslowestpossibleshutterspeed.OfthemorethansixtyimagesImadeduringthisshoot, thisonebestconveyedthesenseofmotionanddisruptionthat a Rollerblader might cause if he or she remains oblivious to the

surroundings.

17–35mmlensat17mm,ISO100,1secondatf/22

TheBogenMagicArm,incombinationwiththeSuperClamp,opensthedoorto hundreds of possibilities for new and never-before-seen photographs. Ifyoursubjectmoves,youcannowshowtheworldhowitmoves.Doyouwanttotakeaphotothat’sguaranteedtosweepyouraudienceoffitsfeet?Attachyourcameratoabroomandvoilà:abroom’s-eyeviewofthestreetsofLyon.Asyoucanseeinthesetupinthefirstphoto,IattachedtheMagicArmtothehandleofthebroom,alongwiththecameraandmyfish-eyelens.Ihadalreadyprefocusedthelens;attimeslikethese,youdonotuseautofocusbut insteadprefocusthecameraonthepartofthescenethatyouwish to record in sharp focus. In this case, and since this is a view of theworldasseenthroughtheeyesofthebroom,Ichosetofocusonthebroomitself.OncemyfocuswassetandwiththecamerainAperturePrioritymode,Isimplyadjustedtheaperture,stoppingdownuntil1/4sec.wasindicatedasa correct exposure. I had determined from prior experience that 1/4 sec.easily provides the blurred-motion effect I was seeking. With the broomhandle inmylefthand, I firedtheshutterreleasewithmyrighthandwhilemakinggentlesweepsacrossthenarrowstreet.

Fish-eyelens,ISO100,1/4sec.atf/11

IthasbeenyearssinceIsawthemovieJacob’sLadder,aboutaVietnamvetcaughtbetweenlifeanddeath.Ireallyenjoyedit,anditwasalsoduringthatmoviethatanideacametomethat,morethantenyearslater,Ifinallyfoundthetimeandtoolstocreate.Ifyou’veseenthemovie,you’llnodoubtrecallthe somewhat ghoulish-looking characters that would show their faces on

subways and in cars. I wanted to re-create this idea while driving a carthroughatunnelinFrance.WithaBogenSuperSuctionCup(andboy,dotheymeansupersuction),Iwas able tomountmy camera and fish-eye lens on the hood ofmy friendPhillipe’scar(first imageabove), intentonfiringoffanumberofexposuresaswe drove through several long tunnels. I was the passenger and Phillipewasdriving.OfcourseIwantedtorecordasenseofmotion,whichmeantIwouldneeda slow shutter speed of at least 1/2 sec., if not 1 second.And in order todeterminewhatapertureIwouldneedtouseatthesespeeds,Ineededtotakeameterreadingunderalightingconditionthatwouldbesimilartothelightinthe tunnel.Getting thatmeter readingactually proved rather easy:We firstdrove through the tunnelwithout the cameramountedon the car; Iopenedthesunroof,stoodupthroughit,andshotdownontothehoodofthecartotakeameterreading.WithISO100andAperturePrioritymode,Ifoundthatf/8 got me a correct exposure with 1/2 sec., and at f/11, the correctexposurewas1second.Afterthisfirsttripthroughthetunnel,weexitedandpulledofftothesideoftheroad.Withthebrightinteriordomelightoninsidethecar,ItookanotherreadingofPhillipe’sfaceanddiscoveredthatatf/11Icouldalsogetacorrectexposureat1second.Ihadthe“numbers,”andnowwewereallset.I chose to leave the camera in Aperture Priority mode, rather than inmanual,knowingthatifIsettheaperturetof/11thecamerawouldrecordacorrect exposure somewhere in theneighborhoodof1 second,dependingonthevaryingdegreesofbrightnessaswedrovethroughthetunnel.So,withthecamerainAperturePrioritymode,thelenssettof/11andpointedatus,andwith the Nikon remote receiver mounted to the camera, we were ready tobeginour journey through several long tunnels—butnotbeforedonningourghoulishmasks.Iwantedthistobea“ghoulishdream”kindofphoto.Aswedrovethroughthetunnels,IsimplyfiredthecamerafrominsidethecarwiththeNikonremotesendingunit.Aftermakingseveraltripsthroughthetunnels,wepulledover,andIbegana quick review of the images made so far. Two things were immediatelyapparent:Mostof theexposureswere spoton,butPhillipeand Iwereabittooblurry inmostof the shots. Itwasclear thatweneeded to settledown,temperourexcitement,andsitasstillaspossible.So,offwedroveoncemore,donningourmasks.

Iampleasedtosaythat this lastrunthroughthetunnelprovedtobethebestofall.Andjustanote:Phillipe’scarisactuallylightblue.Onceinsidethetunnel, it recorded an odd bronze cast that no amount of Photoshop couldrepair.While trying to recover the light blue color in the computer, I cameacrossthiswildpurplecolor,andthemoreIviewedit,themoreIlikedit,soa purple car it is! This colorwas the result of playingwith both theColorBalanceandHue/SaturationcontrolsinPhotoshop.

17–55mmlens,ISO100,1secondatf/11

DUSKANDLOWLIGHT:1SECONDANDBEYOND

There seems to be this unwritten rule that beforethe sun comes up or after the sun goes down it’sreally not possible for most shooters to get anygoodpictures.ThethreereasonsforthisthatIheartodayarethesamethreereasonsIheardyearsago:(1)“Thereisnotenoughlight,”(2)“Youneedoneof themoreexpensivecameras,don’tyou?”or (3)“Idon’tknowhowtogetameterreading.”Butastheimagesinthissectionwillshow,thereisalwaysenough light,andgettingameter readingcouldn’tbeeasier,asIwillexplaintoyou.Truthbetold,I’mconvinced that thereal reasonmostphotographersdon’t venture out at night to shoot is becauseshootingatthesehoursofthedaycaninterferewithone’slifestyle(justaskmywifeandkids!).Low-lightandnightphotographydoposespecial

challenges,notthe leastofwhichisusingatripod(assuming, of course, that you want to recordexacting sharpness) and some degree ofmathematicalskills(simpleadditionorsubtraction)insomecases tocomeupwithacorrectexposure.

But again, it is my feeling that the greatesthindrance to shooting in the low lightofpredawnoratnightisintheareaofself-discipline.“It’stimefordinner.”Packa sandwich. “It’s time togo toamovie.”Saveyourmoneyandrentthemoviewhenit comesout onDVD. “It’s time to go to a party.”Showupanhourortwolater,fashionablylate.“I’mnot a morning person.” Then don’t go to bed thenight before. “It’s time to watch my favoritetelevisionshow.”Tapeit,TiVoit,seeitafteryou’redoneshooting.“Myfriendsarewaitingformebackat the car.” Make photographer friends who willgladly join you on the shoot. “I’m all alone anddon’t feel safe.” Again, make photographers yourfriends, or join a camera club. “I don’t have atripod.”Buyone!In both my on-location workshops and online

courses, students quickly learn just how muchphotographic opportunity exists before the suncomes up and after the sun goes down. And therewardsfaroutweighthesacrifices.Ifit’syourgoalto record compelling imagery—and it should be—thenlow-lightandnightphotographyaretwoareasinwhichcompellingimageryabounds.Withalittleplanningandalittleforethought,youcansoonfindyourself in countless locations to shoot some

showstopping exposures. Once you’ve arrived at agiven locationandconclude that this iswhereyouwillsetup,theonlyquestionthatremainsishowtosettheexposurefortheupcoming“lightshow.”With the sophistication of today’s cameras andtheirhighlysensitivelightmeters,gettingacorrectexposure is commonplace, even in the dimmest oflight. Yet this is an area in which manyphotographersoftenfindthemselvesunderacloudof confusion: “Where should I take my meterreading from? How long should my exposure be?ShouldIuseanyfilters?”Inmyyearsofexperienceintakingmeterreadings,thereisnothingbetternormoreconsistent than takingameter readingoffofthesky—whetherI’mshootingbacklight,frontlight,orsidelight,orwhether I’mshootingthe first lightofdawnorthelastremnantsoflightatdusk.What should my exposure be when shooting inlow light or at night? Now, that’s a really goodquestion,butbynow,youshouldknowtheanswerorfeelalotclosertobeingabletoanswerit.Yourexposurewillbebasedontheverysameprinciplesof creative exposure as we’ve been discussingthroughout this book. Does the scene present anymotion-filled opportunities, or are you simplyshooting a classic skyline of some city, large or

small? Either way, the principles of metering andwhere to take ameter reading fromare the same,but if there’smotion involved (suchas the flowoftraffic), thenyoudohave theoptionof setting anexposurethatwillrenderthatflowoftrafficasfluidstreaksofcolor.

Whatbetterplace to tryyourhandatnighttimeexposures thanthegreatestcityonEarth:NewYork!Andit’sasimpleexposure,too!Withmycameraona tripod, I raised the camera to the dusky, partially cloudy sky above andadjustedmyshutterspeeduntil2secondsindicatedacorrectexposure.Ithenrecomposed the scene, fired the shutter release, and, just like that, hadmyduskynighttimeexposureoftheBigApple.Since this scene didn’t present any real motion-filled subjects, it wasn’t

necessary to increase my exposure time longer than 2 seconds. I’ve often

caughtmystudentsshootinganexposurelikethiswithaperturesoff/22andshutterspeedsof15seconds;whenquestionedaboutthelogicbehindsuchalong exposure, they are hard-pressed to give an answer, since the “same”exposurecanbeachievedatlargerapertures(f/8)andshortershutterspeeds(2 seconds) in the absence of any motion-filled opportunities. This issomethingtokeepinmind,especiallyifyoufindyourselfoutshootingduskyscenessuchasthisintemperaturesbelowfreezing.


Forsomeyearsnow,thecityofLyonhasbeenholdingtheFêtedesLumièresfestival every December, partly in honor of the Lumière brothers (who areresponsibleforthebirthoffilm,asin“goingtothemovies”),andonemainattractionisthelargestFerriswheelontheEuropeancontinent,whicharriveseveryyearfromGermany.Withmycameraonatripodandmyaperturesettof/11,Isimplyadjustedmyshutterspeeduntil4secondsindicatedacorrectexposure off of the dusky blue to the left of the Ferris wheel. Basically, Imeteredthissceneoffoftheduskybluesky, justasIdidfortheNewYorkCity skyline on this page. Since it wouldn’t make any sense to shoot a 4-secondexposureiftheridewasnotmoving,Iwaitedafewminutesforittofillupwithpeople,andsoonitwasmakingrevolutionafterrevolution.


So, for example, if you wish to shoot a simple

exposure (and I really do mean simple) of a cityskylineinmanualexposuremode,setyouraperturetof/8,raisethecameratotheduskyskyabovethecityscape or landscape, adjust your shutter speeduntil a correct exposure is indicated, and thenreturn to your composition and press the shutterrelease. It’s important to note that it’s entirelypossible thatonceyoureturn toyourcomposition,after you’ve set the manual exposure, your metermay indicate an underexposure, but just ignore itand shoot. The underexposure indicated is inresponse towhat themeter seesasdarkbuildings,but in this case, themeterhasbeen fooled, as thebuildingsreallyarenotallthatdark.If you prefer to shoot scenes like this in some

kindofauto(AperturePrioritymode,forexample),again set the aperture to f/8, and while pointingyourcameratotheduskysky,holdyourexposure-lock button and then recompose and shoot. Theexposure lock will “save” the exposure for thedusky sky, so when you shoot, it will be at thedusky exposure. Chances are, in either case, andwith ISO100, f/8will renderanexposure timeofabout2or4seconds.Ifyouare,infact,shootinga

motion-filled scene, set your aperture to at leastf/11, if not f/16,which in turnwill increase yourexposure time to 8 to 16 seconds. The longer theexposure time, the greater the amount of motionrecordedintheimage.

The dense fog that greetedme at PigeonPoint inCalifornia allowedme torecord,overalongexposuretime,aterrificlighthousebeam.WithmycameramountedonatripodandsettoAperturePrioritymode,Ifirstsettheapertureto f/8 and noticed that the appropriate shutter speedwas 2 seconds. Sincethis scene was dominated by a pea-soup kind of fog, the exposure levelsthroughoutwere quite even, except, of course, for the lighthouse beamandsmalllightsonthesurroundingbuildings.TherelativelyevenlightlevelswerethereasonIchose toshoot inAperturePriority.As thedayturned todusk,theoverallcolortemperatureofthelightbegantofall,andtheonce-graylightturnedblue.Inaddition,myexposuretimeincreasedfromf/8for2secondsto f/8 for15seconds.This longerexposureallowedme to record thebeamandalsomadethenormallywildandcrashingsurfcalmandethereal.It’s important tonote,whenshootingascenesuchas this, thatyoubegin

yourexposureasthelightmakesitsfirstbeamoutinthefog.Overthecourseofa15-secondexposure,youshouldbeabletorecordatleasttwoifnotthreepasses of the beam, depending, of course, on how long the beam takes tomakeafull360-degreesweep.Also,ithasbeenmyexperiencethatyouwon’trecordmuchofabeamunlessthere’sagoodlayeroffog.Andfinally,inresponsetothecommonquestionof“HeyBryan,whenisa

good time to shootavertical composition?”myanswer isalways the same:Thebesttimetoshootaverticalisrightafteryoushootthehorizontal!

Secondimage:70–200mmlens,tripod,ISO100,2secondsatf/8;Thirdimage:70–200mmlens,tripod,ISO100,15secondsatf/8

SanFranciscoisacitythatmanywouldswearistheonlycityworthbraggingabout,butforme,itwillalwaysbeacitythatIcouldneverquitegetmyheadaround. Don’t get me wrong. I find San Francisco to be a photographer’sparadise;buttryasImight,includinglivingthere,IcouldneverembraceitasacitythatIcouldcallhome.I’msureitwillbeoneofthosecitiesthatevenifIweretolivethereagain,IwouldstillfeelthatIwasonlyavisitor.Still, from atop the steep incline on Treasure Island, a trulymagnificentviewofthecityawaits.Formyfirstattemptwithmytripod-mountedcameraand 70–200mm lens, I chose an aperture of f/11, and with my camerapointed into the dusky blue sky to the right of the bridge, I adjusted myshutterspeeduntil4secondsindicatedacorrectexposure.Atthisslowshutter

speed,IwasabletorecordtheslowbutsteadyflowoftrafficheadingintotheCitybytheBay.Iwasnotdone,however.Oneofthemanyrealizationsmystudentscometoinmyon-locationworkshopsisthatmanyoftheirwonderfulcompositionsdoinfacthave additionalphotographicopportunities inside the frame.So,asidyllicasthissceneofSanFranciscois,Iknewtherewasstillatleastoneotherdynamicimagetobemade:animagethatwasprimarilydevotedtothestronggraphicelementsoflineandcolor.Iswitchedtomy200–400mmlens,again set the aperture to f/11 and the shutter speed to 4 seconds, andcomposedthesecondverticalcompositionofjustthebridge.Onyournextouting,takeacloserlookinsideyourviewfinder,andseeif,in fact, you have another photographic opportunity to shoot. You mightdiscoverthatyouhavebeenmovingontothenextgreatshottooprematurely.

Firstimage:70–200mmlens,tripod,ISO100,4secondsatf/11;secondimage:200–400mmlens,tripod,ISO100,4secondsatf/11

PHOTOGRAPHINGGHOSTSANDANGELS

How do you photograph ghosts and angels? First,it’s critically important that you believe in both.Second, photographing either can be quite trickybuttherewardsthatawaityouwillbemany.Oncewordgetsoutthatyou’vephotographedoneortheother, you’ll soon be featured on the DiscoveryChannel, perhaps A&E, and for sure, you stand agreatchanceofhavingyourphotographspublishedonthecoveroftheNationalEnquirer.Areyoureadytogoghostandangelhunting?Let’sgo!Thefirstplacetogolookingforghosts,ofcourse,

is old Victorian-style homes, particularly those inthe New England area. Since you can only seeghosts at night, that means long exposures andbringingyourtripod.Whenitcomestoseekingoutangels,youmustbringalonganordinaryhousefan(which also means you need a small gas-poweredgeneratororalongextensioncordifyouchoosetoshootyourangeloutside);thisisbecauseangelsareonly made visible by the subtle wind that blowsacross their heavenly bodies. And, to capture thesubtletyofthiswind,shutterspeedsof1/4sec.are

thenorm.

To capture this “ghost,” I found myself going into the “cave” of my ownapartmentbuilding.Withmytripod-mountedcamerasettoISO100andmy12–24mmlens, Isetupthecompositonyouseehere,andwiththeapertureset to f/8, I adjustedmy shutter speed until 8 seconds indicated a correctexposure. Ghosts are shy by nature, and I’ve found that it takes about 8seconds for them to reveal themselves to you. It’s important that you standverystill, too,sinceanydisturbancetotheaircouldcausetheghosttoflee.Ofcourse,whetheryoubelieveinghostsornotisnotimportant;butifyoudobelieve that this kind of time exposure is fun, then you’ll be interested inlearningjusthoweasyitis.TheideaforthisshotwasoriginallybornafterbothofmydaughtershadwatchedthemovieTheRing.WhenItoldChloëandSophiehoweasyitwastomakeyourownghosts, they,of course,wereall ears,and itwasSophiewhowon the coin toss to play the role of the ghost.Outfittedwithawhitedress and no shoes, Sophie simply stood in the dirt floor hallway of the“cave.” She stood in that same spot, holding perfectly still, for the first 4secondsofmy8-secondexposure.Then,attheendof4seconds,sheboltedoutofthepicture,toherleft,infact,wheretherewasanothershorthallway.

Sinceshewasonlyintheshotforhalfoftheexposuretime,sherecordedonlyasatransparent,ghostlikesubject.Prettyneat,eh?


Thereare but two images in this book forwhich theuse ofPhotoshopwaspivotaltothesuccessoftheimage.ThefirstisthisimageinwhichInotonlyplaced a different sky in the shot but also altered the overall color of theimage,makingitpredominatelyblue.Theumbrellaappearedexactlyasyousee it.Oncommand,oneofmystudents threw it in theair,and the strongwindcarrieditforwardintothecomposition,startlingsomeofthepigeonsofPiazzaSanMarcointoflight.(Tostopaction,Ishotat1/500sec.)ThesecondimagemakingobvioususeofPhotoshopisthisoneofmyangel,

Kathy,whichisactuallythreeimagesassembledandmaskedtogether.What’smost important,however, is that the successofall threeof the imagesusedreliedonmygettingtheexposurerightincameraandonmycallinguponthecorrect and most creative shutter speed. First and foremost, I needed theperfectcloudshot,which I tookfrommyairplanewindowseat,holdingmycamerarightuptothewindow;usingAperturePrioritymode,Iadjustedtheapertureuntil1/500sec.indicatedacorrectexposure.Forthesecondimage,I rented a small gas-powered generator that letme use two portable housefanstoprovidethewindeffect.IhadKathystanduponawhitechairinthemiddle of a plowed fieldwith both fans on the ground pointing up at her.SinceIwantedtorecordsomesubtleblurringinherhairandgown,Iusedaslower shutter speed of 1/4 sec. And finally, it was on a trip in Tampa,Florida,thatIshotanumberofshorebirdsflyinglowoverheadattheaction-stoppingshutterspeedof1/500sec.Combiningallthreephotoswiththehelpof Layer Masks in Photoshop allowed me to produce this one-of-a-kindfantasyimageyouseehere.

16minutesatf/32,Kodachrome64

WBISSUES

I am often asked aboutwhite balance (WB)whenshootingdigitally,andIhavefinallyconcludedthatleavingmyWBsettoCloudyfor99percentofmyshooting suits me just fine. The Cloudy settingsimplywarmsupeveryimagebyaddingredtotheoverall scene. Red translates into a warmer, moreinviting image. If your camera doesn’t offer aCloudy setting, but rather settings for Kelvintemperature,settheWBto5,900K.Of course, you may not like using Cloudy, but

moreimportant,WBandWBsettingsareanoften-overratedtopic.Ifyouarelikemostdigitalshootersout there and shooting in raw format, you canalways change yourWB to any color temperatureyouwish.ButifyouinsistonshootingJPEGs,thenI would still strongly suggest that you considersetting your WB to Cloudy, especially since mostphotographerswhoshootprimarilyinJPEGformatare also photographerswho don’t ordinarily shootin the early morning or late afternoon; addingwarmth tomuchofyourmiddayphotographywillonlyhelptheoveralllookandfeel.

EventhoughIdohavemyWBsettoCloudy,becauseIshootinrawformat,IalsohavethelibertytochangemyWB,andabouttheonlytimeIhavefoundthis useful is when shooting time exposures, particularly city scenes.Sometimes, I find that a city skyline ismore appealing when it’s seen andprintedinits“originalstate.”TheKelvintemperatureofcityscenesandduskyblueskyareactuallyaround3,200K,andwhenthecameraissettoCloudy(5,900K), the resulting image ismuchwarmer than the truer, cooler, andbluer3,200K.InthesetwoexamplesoftheSeattleskyline,theoriginalimageiswarmer(5,900K),while theother ismuchcooler (3,200K).That’s theonlydifferencebetweenthetwo.Again, if you’re shooting rawand ifyounormally shootyour city scenesaround 5,200 K to 6,000 K, consider going down to the much coolertemperatureof3,200K.Theresultsmightbe justexcitingenoughto turnaho-humcityscapeintoarealshowstopper.

Topimage:17–55mmlens,tripod,ISO100,4secondsatf/11,5,900K;bottomimage:17–55mmlens,tripod,ISO100,4secondsatf/11,3,200K

I shot the first image (in theValensolePlainofProvence, France)with theCloudywhitebalancesetting.Thesecond imageshows thesame imagewiththewhitebalancesettingchangedtoAutoinPhotoshop.TheCloudyversionisclearlythewarmerofthetwophotographs.

Bothphotos:NikonD2X,Nikkor12–24mmlens,polarizingfilter,1/30sec.atf/16

LONGEXPOSURESANDREARCURTAINFLASHSYNC

Imagine setting up your camera and lens on atripod in a darkened room, almost black. You setthecamera’sshutterspeeddialto15seconds,youraperture to f/11, and you finish everything off bypoweringupyourflash,makingcertaintosetittothe often-overlooked setting of rear curtain sync orsecondcurtainsync,dependingonyourcamera.Rearcurtain sync is a really simple idea to understand,anditgoeslikethis:Whenyouuseyourflashsettoitsdefaultsetting,theflashfiresatthebeginningoftheexposure.Itis,forallintentsandpurposes,themain light source in your photo, and any otherlights thatmightbeon(oranyotherdaylight thatmightbeintheoverallscene)willtakeabackseat,in terms of their exposure, to the flash exposure.Whenthecamera’sflashissettofireinrearcurtainsyncmode,theflashdoesn’tfireuntiltheendoftheexposure.NotethatI’mtalkingofanexposuretimelasting anywhere from 1/250 sec. to severalminutes or even hours, depending onwhat you’reshooting.

Just think of what kind of fun and creativeexposuresyoucanachievewiththiskindofsetup!IfthemanyphotocontestentriesandstudentworksIhave reviewedover theyearsareany indication,theprospectsarecountless.It’sabouttimeyougetenlightened,punintended!

I remember that unmistakable jolt I experienced as a kid when I tried torescue my piece of burning toast from the toaster with an ordinary butterknife—whilethetoasterwas,ofcourse,stillpluggedintothewall.Yeeowww!At the time I had no idea that I would one day resurrect that experiencephotographically.Thanks tomydaughterSophie’swillingness, Iwasable tore-createthatfatefulday.After choosing this particular corner of the kitchen, making certain thetoaster and counters were spick-and-span, and making sure, too, that thecircuit breaker had been cut to that particular outlet, I focused on thecompositionyouseeherebeforeturningouttheoverheadlight.Ialsohadsetup behind myself and to the right a White Lightning Alien Bee monolight

insideasoftbox,pointeduptowardthekitchenceiling.Plus,Ihadchangedmyflashsettingonthecamerabodytorearcurtainsync.Withmymonolightatfullpowerandwiththeaidofmyflashmeter,Ifirstfired the strobemanuallyandrecordedanexposureof f/16.That is to saythatifIsetmylenstof/16atanyshutterspeedfrom1/250sec.toaslongas 4 to 8 and 15 to 30 seconds or even longer, I would record a correctexposureof theareabeforeme that the flashcould reach. In this case, theflashdidn’thavetoreachfar,sincethescenebeforemewasallbutthreetofourfeetawayfromthecamera.Asfarastheshutterspeed,IestimatedthatIwouldneedabout15secondstopstoaddmy“dose”ofcreativity,whichinthiscasewasasimplesparkler.Okay,sotheshutterspeedwassetto15seconds,theaperturewasatf/16,andtherearcurtainsyncwasengaged,soattheendof15secondsthatflashwould fire, and whatever happened during those 15 seconds was on myshoulders.Afterpressingtheshutterrelease,Iimmediatelylitthesparkler,atfirstwithmybacktothelenssothatthelightingofthesparklerwouldn’tbepartoftheexposure.IthenquicklywenttoworkinoutliningSophie,thetoaster,andtheelectrical cord with the sparkler, making certain that my body was notblockingalloftheoutliningIwasdoing.Thismeant,forthemostpart,thatIwasdoingmyoutliningfromthefarrightorfarleftoftheframe.Sophiehadalready been coached to exhibit a shocked expression. As the time wounddowntoward13seconds,sheputherfaceon,andtwosecondslater,Iwasout of the picture off to the leftwhen the flash fired at the end of the15-secondexposure.

NikonD2X,17–55mmlens,tripod,15secondsatf/16

YOUDON’THAVETOGETFANCY

Don’tstartthinkingthattheideashownonthepreviouspagehastobedonewithsomefancymonolightorstudiostrobes.Itdoesn’t!Youcanuse your own portable flash—you know, theonethatyoumountontopofthecamera’shotshoe.Youwillalsowanttopointtheflashup,at about a60-degree angle toward the ceilingso that the flash filling the room is “softer”;leaving it pointed straight out into a roomoftenleadstohardshadows.

Choose any well-lit room and set yourcameratoAperturePrioritymode,choosinganf-stopoff/11.Thensimplyfiretheshutterandsee foryourself if the flash recordedacorrectexposureof thescenebeforeyou.Chancesarereallygoodthatitdid,asmostflashtodayusesthrough-the-lensmetering,whichsimplymeans

that the flash is able to determine,automatically,howmuchflashisneededbasedon your aperture choice. If you check yourdigitalmonitoranddiscovertheflashoutputisabittoodarkortoolight(highlyunlikely,bythe way), you can make adjustments on thebackofyour flashby increasingordecreasingthe flash output. If the flash exposure wasgood,youcannowmountthecameraandlensona tripodandsetyourshutter speed for thelength of time you feel you need to lightwhatever it is you wish to light with yoursparklers,flashlight,laserpointer,or,heck,allthree!

Whenyou’reready,turnofftheroomlights,fire the shutter, and start your light show. If,bychance,yourflashshouldfireassoonasyoupresstheshutterrelease,youeither(1)didnotsetitupforrearcurtainsyncorsecondcurtainsync,or (2) the flashhas simply fireda smalldosage preflash. The latter is the more likelyculprit with all TTL flashes; it’s a way of

calculating the actual correct amount of flashneeded at the end of the exposure. And don’tworry about this preflash being influenced bywhatyoudowithyoursparklers,flashlight,orlaserpointer.Itwon’tseeathing.

When my daughter Chloë got this very nice guitar for her birthday a fewyears ago, she couldn’t yet play. For two years, it sat there in her room,untouchedforthemostpart,onthatveryniceguitarstandmywifeandIalsoboughther.SoIdecideditwastimetotryto“cashin,”sotospeak,andgetsome shots of her “playing” her guitar out on the small terrace of ourapartment.Ipurposelychosetodothisatdusk,againstthebackdropofOldLyon,andthisproved,onceagain,tobeareallyeasyexposure—anditwouldhavebeenforyou,too,I’msure.Withmy tripod-mountedcamera set for ISO100andmy17–55mm lenssettof/11,Itookameterreadingfromtheduskyblueskyandadjustedmyshutterspeeduntil4secondsindicatedacorrectexposure.IestimatedthatthetimeIneededto“paint”theareaaroundChloëwithsparklerswouldbeabout8seconds,soIstoppedthelensdowntof/16,which,inturn,increasedmyexposuretimefrom4to8seconds.Again,withmysingleAlienBeemonolightinasoftbox,mountedonastandtomyright,andpointedstraightatChloë,Ifiredoffseveraltestflasheswhileholdingtheflashmeterinfrontofherandadjusted the flashheaduntilanapertureof f/16was indicated. Inowhadmy flash output requiring the same exposure of the ambient (availablenatural)light.Allthatremainedwastosetmycameratorearcurtainsync,which Idid. I thenhadChloëgrabherguitar, standon thedeck,andholdstill while making a screaming rocker expression. At the same time, I“painted” the area around her with a sparkler for about 7 seconds andquickly got out of the way as the flash fired at the end of the 8-secondexposure.P.S.Chloëdoesnow,indeed,playherguitarforreal.


NOISE

Perhaps you have read about “noise” being aconcernwhenshootinglongexposuretimes.AsIexplainedearlierinthesectiononISO,noise,orgrain, isnormallyassociatedwith ISO:Thehigher the ISO, the more noise or grainappearing in the image. However, longexposures also create noise. There is abreakdown in the image sensor’s ability toexposeforlongperiodsoftime,andforlackofabetterdescription,it’sasifsomeofthepixelsareunabletodothejobassignedtothem;asasubstitute for not recording the correctcolor/contrast, they will resort to recordingwhite or silver-looking specks. Thesewhite orsilver-looking specks become even morepronouncedwhenyousharpenadigitalimage.In fact, many shooters don’t even notice the

noise until they sharpen their image in aprogramlikePhotoshop.Thereasonthespecksbecomemorenoticeable is that sharpeninganimage boosts the pixels’ luminance, and sincethe “bad” pixels are either white or silver tobeginwith,thewhiteorsilverspecksaremadeevenbrighterbysharpening.

So,what ismeantby longexposures?Asofthis writing, I’ve found that noise becomesquite apparent on exposure times longer than15seconds.Forthemostpart,thatshouldhaveminimaleffectonmostshooters,sincemostofus are not inclined to shoot exposures muchlonger than 15 seconds and, more than that,since the industry has made great strides indeveloping new sensor technology. I expectthatonedaywe’llseethetopicofnoisefallofftheradar.

Ofcourse,mostofusdowanttosharpenourimages when making prints, so until theproblem of noise has all but been eliminatedwithnewtechnologies,what’sthesolution?For

startersandasalreadydiscussed,uselowISOsso that noise will be kept to a minimum.Secondly, if you still have obvious noiseproblems,youcancalluponanumberofplug-insonthemarketthatreduce,ifnoteliminate,noise in postprocessing. Noise Ninja andKodak’s Digital Gem are two of the mostpopular, and both are available for downloadandpurchaseonline.

Mosteveryonehasheardof, ifnotreadorseen,TheDaVinciCode.Thuswas the inspiration for this photo born. I found Silas, one of the truly badguysinthebook,afascinatingcharacterformanyreasons,includingthefactthathewasamancommitedtothecauseatanycostand,ofcourse,thathehad an amazing tolerance for pain. Silas was often in the shadows, bothliterallyandfiguratively,scurryingtowardsomethingorsomeoneorscurryingawayfromsomethingorsomeone—andthiswashowIwanted“mySilas”toappear,aswell. Itmadesense touseachurch, litatdusk, forabackdrop,anditmadeevenmoresensetocloakSilasinblackwithjustatouchoflightonhisface.Thesolutiontoachievethis:rearcurtainsync.MydaughterChloëdonnedamaskandblackhoodedcape,andIwassoongetting my desired results. And, to really emphasize the simplicity of this“trick,”Ididn’tuseanyofmyso-called“professionalequipment,”butrathermyLeicaD-LUX3digitalpointandshoot.BeforeIcalleduponChloë,Igotdownlow,lookedupatthechurchandduskybluesky,andtookanexposureinAperturePrioritymodewith the lens set to f/4andmy ISOat200.Theactual exposure timewas 1/4 sec. Perfect, since I felt that if Chloëwouldsimply stand in what was a dark foreground, I could just take this sameexposureasIframedherwiththechurchbehindher,whileatthesametimeusingthecamera’sbuilt-inflashsettorearcurtainsync,ofcourse.AndasIshot her, I would simply move the camera upward during the 1/4 sec.exposure.Asyoucansee,thisupwardmovementrecordedanexposureofa“moving”church,whileatthesametime,theflashexposureonChloëdidn’tfireuntiltheendoftheexposure,thuscapturingthemaskinallitsdetail.Duringthefirstpartofthis1/4sec.exposure,theambientlightthatwasfallingonthemaskwassominimalthatnoneofitwasabletorecordanexposureuntilthemaskwaslitbyflash.

LeicaD-LUX3,ISO200,1/4sec.atf/4

Ifyou’veeverbeenaUnitedAirlinespassengergoingthroughChicagoO’HareInternational, you have, in all likelihood, seen the moving walkways,completewiththeneondisplayhangingfromtheceilingthatconnectsUnitedAirlinesterminalsBandC.It’safun—albeitmoredifficult,post-9/11—placeto shoot, definitelyworth being hassled by the TSA.While passing throughwith my family, I, once again, called upon my Leica D-LUX 3 and mydaughterSophie.WiththecamerasettoAperturePrioritymode,f/5.6,andISO100,andwiththerearcurtainsyncactivated,Isimplyplacedthecameraon the handrail, which meant it would be moving during this 1/2 sec.exposure.Astheexposurebegan,theneonlightsoverheadwererecordedasblurs,andwith the flash firingat theendof theexposure,Sophiewasnowilluminated.

LeicaD-LUX3,ISO100,1/2sec.atf/5.6

FILTERS

When it comes to moving subjects, you will soondiscover theneedordesire to “slow thingsdown”toashutterspeedthatisoftenjustoutofreachofrecordingacorrectexposure.Evenifyouareusingthe lowest ISO possible in combination with thesmallest lens opening, the slowest possible shutterspeedstillmaynotbeslowenoughforyou!I’m not a filter junkie, preferring, for the most

part,thelightthatisavailableinallof itscolorfulsplendor. However, there are three filters I takewithmenomatterwhere Igo,andall threecomeinveryhandywhenshootingmotion-filledscenes.

POLARIZINGFILTER

Thefirstmust-havefilter isthepolarizingfilter,orpolarizer. You can rotate it on the lens to removetheglareoftenseeninsidelitlandscapes,andwhenusedata90-degreeangletothesun,itwillimpartamuch richer color to the landscape, including a

deeperbluesky.So, how does this help when shooting motion-

filled scenes? Unless the landscape before youexhibits some movement (for example, a windymeadowofwhitedaisies),itreallyoffersnohelpatall.But,back to thatwindymeadowof flowersorthatcascadingwaterfalloreventhat“simple”shotof pedestrians out on the rainy streets with theircolorfulumbrellas:Whenthepolarizerisplacedonthe lens, it actually cuts the light levels down byabout 2 stops—and that loss of 2 stops cansometimes make or break your motion-filledcomposition.If you find yourself shooting a cascading

waterfall, and you’ve already set the smallestpossible aperture (f/22) and the lowest ISO (100),andyoustill find thecorrectexposure isaweebitshyof yourdesired1/2 sec. (yourmeter indicates1/8 sec.), then you would immediately reach forthe polarizer, since it will further reduce theexposure timeby2 stops and thus leave youwithyourdesiredexposuretimeoff/22for1/2sec.Thepolarizer takesaway2stops,soyouhavetoget itback, and the only way to do that is to increaseyourexposuretimeby2stops.

“PeopleinOregondon’ttaninthesummer,theyrust!”Thatwasjustoneofthe many highly successful advertising slogans used years ago to promoteOregontourism.Thepointbeing,ofcourse,thatitdoesrainalotinOregon,butatleastOregonianshaveasenseofhumoraboutitall.I,forone,amnotafanoftherain,unlessI’mplanningtogotothewoods

foradayofshooting.OneofmyfavoritehauntsinallofOregoncontinuestobeSilverFalls StatePark,wheremore than eightmiles ofhiking trails andelevenwaterfallsprovidecountlessshootingopportunitiesforthenatureloverinmostofus.Rainydaysaremypreferenceforthebesttworeasonsofall:(1)Icanbeassuredofrecordingsomeslowshutterspeedsthatwillguaranteemethatwelcomedcottoncandyeffectinthefallingwater,and(2)Iwillgettousemypolarizingfilter(whichnotonlyreducesoreliminatesthatdullgrayglare seen on all of the wet surfaces, but also reveals a far more colorfulscene).WhileshootingtheUpperNorthFallsoneautumnday,Iwasalmostallset

tophotographbuthadone final step todo: reach intomycamerabagandplacemy polarizing filter on the lens.As you can see in the first example,therewasagreatdealofgrayglareontherocksandleavesthathadfallenonthe rocks, andwhynot?Theywerewet, thushighly reflective, and the skyoverheadwasindeedgray.Oncethepolarizerwasinplace,Isimplyrotatedtheouterringwhilelookingintheviewfindertoseethegradualreductionofall thegrayglare in thescene.Thedifference isquitedramatic.Such is thepowerofthepolarizingfilterwhenshootinginthewoodsonanygivenrainyday.And, if the reduction in glare is not reason enough to own and use a

polarizer,thenconsiderthisaddedplus:Apolarizingfilterreducesthelevelofthe lightcomingthroughthe lensby2stops. If I’mat f/16andIrecordanexposureof1/4sec.,withapolarizer,Icanshootatf/16for1second(1/4sec.to1/2sec.is1stop,and1/2sec.to1secondis2stops).Awaterfallat1 second is even more fluid, more angelic, more cotton-candy-like at thisslowershutterspeed,somakeitapointtoshootyourwaterfallshotsonrainydaysand,ofcourse,touseyourpolarizer.

Topimage:17–35mmlens,tripod;bottomimage:17–35mmlens,polarizingfilter,tripod

4-STOPNEUTRAL-DENSITYFILTER

ThesecondfilterIcan’tgoanywherewithoutismy4-stop neutral-density (ND) filter. Unlike thepolarizer, this filter does nothing in terms ofenrichingmylandscapeormakingtheskyadeeperblue. It is, as its name implies, neutral in that itdoesn’tchangethecolorsofmyimagesatall.Whatit does do, however, is cut the light down by 4stops, and 4 stops is actually quite a lot whenyou’re talking about motion. It’s a filter you mayfindyourselfusingwhenshootingoceanwavesthatyouwishtomakecalm,flowerlandscapesthatyouwant touse to indicate justhowwindy itwasoutthereontheprairie,orcityscenesthatshowtrafficflowbutyoudon’twanttowaituntildusk.Again, if you find yourself at the smallestaperture number and the lowest ISO (100), butyou’re still finding that your shutter speed is notslowenough,youcanplacethis4-stopNDfilteronyourlens—and,justlikethat,gofromanexposureoff/22for1/4sec.allthewaydowntof/22for4seconds.

Along the California coast, just north of San Francisco, you can find anumberofrockyshorelinesstretchingformiles.AfewmilesnorthofBodgeaBay,Icameupononesuchspotandspentthebetterpartofanafternoonandevening there with a small group of workshop students. As the sunapproachedthehorizon,thelightbecamemuchwarmer,andasyoucanseein the first image, Ichose toshootata“fast”shutterspeedof1/30sec.atf/16.Thewavesarecertainlynot tack sharp.A fewminutes later, Iaddedthe 4-stopND filter, which allowedme to record amuch longer exposure.Andbyalsostoppingdowntof/22,Iwasabletoreducethelightenteringthecameraby5stopsforanexposureof1secondatf/22resultinginthesecondimage.

Topimage:Nikkor70–200mmlens,tripod,ISO100,1/30sec.atf/16;bottomimage:Nikkor70–200mmlens,4-stopNDfilter,tripod,ISO100,1

secondatf/22

GRADUATEDNEUTRAL-DENSITYFILTER

ThethirdfilterIalwayscarrywithmeismuchlikethe neutral-density filter, except it is called thegraduatedneutral-density(ND)filter.Abouttwentyyearsago,someonehadthebrilliantideatomakeafilter that,whenplaced in frontof the lens,would“reduce” the exposure of just the sky by severalstops, thusmakingthebrighterskymuchclosertothe same exposure required for the landscapebelow.Andsometimes—notalways,butsometimes—you may, indeed, find it necessary to use a

graduated ND filter to facilitate a correct motionexposure of the overall landscape, sky included.Sometimes,whenIsetupamotion-filledexposure,Ifindthattheskyendsupbeingabitoverexposedsincemost ofmymotion-filled subjects are in thelandscape below. But by placing my 3-stopgraduatedND filter on the front ofmy lens (I usetheLEEsystemofdrop-infilters,bytheway),Iamable to “hold” the sky exposure back without itbeingoverexposed,whileatthesametimemaintainmy correct exposure for themotion-filled subjectsinthelandscapebelow.Graduatedneutral-densityfiltersareclear,exceptforaboutthetopthirdofthefilter,whereonefindsthe graduated effect applied. They’re also a time-saver!DespitePhotoshop’spromiseofbeingabletocorrect this kind of exposure problem, I stillsubscribetothebeliefthatifIcandoitincamera,Iwill,sinceitwillsavemetime!

Withmycameraonatripod,IchosealowviewpointtocapturethemotionoftheincomingwavesandthetextureontherockswhileshootingshortlyaftersunriseatPortlandHeadLightinMaineafewyearsago.SinceIwantedtoemphasizethemotionofthewaves,Ichosetosettheaperturetof/22(again,thesmallestapertureforcestheslowestshutterspeed),andsinceImadethisimageback inmyfilmdays, Iwasusingaslow-speed film,FujiVelvia ISO50.Ifirstpointedthecameratotheearly-morningsidelitrocksandadjustedmy shutter speed until 1/4 sec. indicated a correct exposure. (Remember:“White” can create problems for the meter, which is why I didn’t take areading from the white foaming surf.) I then took a meter reading off thebluishskyabovethelighthouse,andmymeterindicatedanexposureoff/22

for1/30sec.ThatmeantthatifIweretophotographthissceneat1/4sec.,theskywouldberenderedasa3-stopoverexposure,whichIdidn’twant.Furthermore, Iwanted torecordamotion-filledexposureof the incoming

wavesatthisslowershutterspeedof1/4sec.,whichisthesameshutterspeedused to get that cotton candy effect in waterfalls. Due to the speed of theincoming surfandmycloseness to it, Iwasassuredofgettingcottoncandysurfat1/4 sec.,but I stillhad theproblemofa sky thatwouldbe3 stopsoverexposed—unless I added a 3-stop graduatedND filter to the lens. Thefirstimagewasmadeatf/22withoutthegraduated3-stopfilterinplace;it’saniceexposureoftherocksandsurf,buttheskyismuchtoooverexposed.AfterIplacedthe3-stopgraduatedNDfilterinfrontofthelens,positioningitso that the graduated effect was covering only the blue sky, the secondexposureshowedmuchbetterbalancefromtheskytotheoceanbelow.

Firstimage:17–35mmlens,tripod,ISO50,1/4sec.atf/22;secondimage:17–35mmlens,3-stopgraduatedNDfilter,tripod,ISO50,1/4sec.atf/22

Unlike photographing predictable moving subjects, shooting an actuallightningstormisanythingbutpredictable!AsfarasI’mconcerned,anyshotoflightningiscommendable,asittakesnotonlypatiencebutatrulyhealthydose of Lady Luck. Every spring, without fail, some of the best lightningstormsseemtositrightoverthetopofLyon,andinourcurrentapartment,Ihaveafront-rowseatfromoursmallterracethatfacesOldLyon.Lastyear,tryasImight,Ifailedmiserablyinmythreeattemptsatshooting

someofthesestorms.Iwaseithertoolateonthetriggerorwaschangingmyflashcard.However,thisyearIwasmoredeterminedthanever,andIwasnotatall

disappointed.Ononeparticularevening,overthecourseofthirtyminutesthehilltopofOldLyontookmorethanfortylightningstrikes,andduringseveralofmy4-secondexposures,Iwasabletorecordmultiplestrikes,oneofwhichyouseehere.Whenshootinglightning,experiencehastaughtmethatf/8istheaperture

sizeneededformoststrikes.Forthisshot,Iwasabletorecordanexposuretime of 4 seconds at f/8 when I metered off the dusky blue sky. Theadvantageofshootinglightningstormsatorshortlyafterduskisthatyoudogettouselongerexposuretimes,givingyourselfabetterchanceofrecordingthe strike than, forexample, ifyouwere shootingatabrighter timeofdaywhenyourshutterspeedmightbeonlyasslowas1/2sec.Notethatitisn’tthatthelightningneedsthe4secondsinthisexposure,by

theway.(Lightningboltstravelfromcloudtogroundatspeedsupto93,000miles per second, and the actual flash of lightning lasts for about 1/1000sec.)Myreasoningforsettlingonmy4-secondexposureisthis:(1)Thisgetsme thecorrectexposure for thecitybeforeme,and(2)while theshutter isopen for4 seconds, it ismyhope thatoneor two lightningboltswill strikesomewhereelse in theoverall composition.Youmightbe thinking,Whynotstopdowntof/16,whichwouldincreasetheexposuretimeto15secondsandincrease theoddsof recordingmultiple strikeswhile the shutter is open? Indoingso,youwouldbeatf/16,which,oftentimes,isnotalargeenoughlensopening formany lightning strikes to record a proper exposure. You couldarguably use a 2-stopND filter,whichwould let you record at f/8 for 15seconds, thus increasing your odds ofmultiple stikes, and I amall for thatandwould have done that here—but darned if I could findmy 2-stopNDfilteronthisparticularevening.Otherwise,Iwouldhavecertainlybeenatf/8for15seconds.


LIGHTNINGSAFETYTIPS

Herearesomesafetytipsforwhenyou’reworkingwithlightning,complimentsofthegoodfolksatK-State Research and Extension (in Manhattan,Kansas).

Listentotheweatherandheedweatherwarnings.TheNationalWeatherServiceoffersthisrule:Whenlightningisseen,countthesecondsuntilthunderisheard.Ifitisthirtysecondsorless,seekshelterandstaythereuntilthirtyminutesafterthelastrumbleofthunderisheard.

Seekshelter ina substantialbuildingorenclosedmetal vehicle. Avoid metal buildings or canopies,suchasapicnicshelter,thatmayattractlightning.

If outdoors, avoid water, open fields, and highground, as well as metal objects, such as powertoolsorfarmmachinery.

Iflightningisstrikingnearby,crouchdown.Placefeettogetherandplacehandsoverearstominimizethesoundfromthunder.

If inside,unplugappliances.Minimizeuseof thetelephone (which also can transmit an electricalcharge),andwaittotakeashowerorbathuntilthestormhaspassed.

Ifyouaretryingtoassistsomeonewhohasbeenstruck by lightning, check to see if he or she isbreathing,administerCPR,andasksomeonetocall911. People who are struck by lightning do notcarry an electrical charge. The charge that hitsthem can, however, damage or destroy theirinternalorgansandcausedeath.

Onceyoudiscoveragoodlightningspot,keepworkingit.Ifrequentlyreturnto this spot in Old Lyon, and if you compare this shot to the one on thepreviousimage,youcanseethedifferentresultsit’spossibletoget.

12–24mmlens,tripod,4-stopNDfilter,polarizingfilter,ISO100,8secondsatf/8

RAWFORMAT:THE“ANTI”NDFILTER

Sinceaneutral-densityfilterreducestheamountoflightcoming through the lens,orextends the timethe light is allowed to recordan imageon filmorthe sensor, is there such a thing as an “anti”neutral-density filter thatwill increase the amountof lightcomingthroughthelens,thusallowingforthe use of faster shutter speeds and smaller lensopenings? Yes, there is! But it’s not called a filter;rather,it’scalledunderexposure!Inallseriousness,thisisareallycool“trick”that

those of you shooting digitally can take fulladvantage of. Imagine that you find yourselfshooting ISO 100 at your son’s next soccer gameandthe light isanythingbutbright. In fact, it’s sodark and dreary that the best you can get foranything resembling an action-stopping shutterspeed is1/125sec.at f/4. Ifyouwere to shootatthis exposure, you’d run the risk of recordingaction-stopping images that are unsharp. Granted,you could have easily set the ISO to 400, 640, or800,but that,ofcourse,meansnoise,andyouareallaboutrazor-sharpimageswiththebestcolorand

contrastandwiththeleastamountofnoise.So, what can you do? Choose the raw format.

With raw,you candeliberately record images thatare2 stopsunderexposedand then “correct” thesenormally “bad exposures” in postprocessing. Youcan correct them sowell, in fact, thatnoonewillnotice that theywereever toodark tobeginwith.And when would you deliberately shoot badexposuresthatwillbemadegood?Theexampleofyourson’ssoccergameisagoodplacetobegin.Ifthe fastest correctexposureyoucancomeupwithisf/4for1/125sec.,goaheadandshootat2stopsunderexposed, whichwould be f/4 for 1/500 sec.Youwillrecordrazor-sharpaction-stoppingimages,albeit perhaps too darkly to really see on themonitor on the back of your camera. Then whenyoureturnhome,loadtheimageintothecomputer,and through themagic of postprocessing, you canbringtheseoncetoodark images intothe light,soto speak. But again, youmust be shooting in rawformat, and you will need the likes of PhotoshopElements, Adobe Lightroom, Aperture, or a fullversion of Photoshop to process the underexposedfiles.

WhileIwasshootingakayakcompetitioninPraguewithISO100,Iwanted

greaterdepthoffieldthanthecorrectexposureoff/5.6for1/800sec.wouldgiveme.For sure, I couldhave resorted tousing ISO400or800,but thatwouldhavemeant recordingmorenoise,and Ididn’twant that.So,what’sthesolution?Areallysimpleone,infact:WithmyaperturesettothedepthoffieldIwanted—f/11—andwiththesameISO(100),Isimplykeptshootingat1/800sec.Theresultwasthateveryshotwas2stopsunderexposed,butIknew full well that I could recover these stops when processing the rawimages.The middle image shows the underexposed picture in Photoshop. After

adjustingtheExposureslider,Irecoveredthe2stopsIhadlostandrenderedacorrectexposure—acorrectexposure thatwouldnormallyrequire theuseofISO400butthatIwasabletogetwithoutthegrain/noisethatISOwouldhaverenderedhere.Prettycool,eh?

1/8sec.atf/11

THEBASICS

There may come a day when setting a creativelycorrect exposure is all done by the camera, but Ican’teverimagineacamerathattellsyouwheretopoint itandwhat thebestpointofviewshouldbeandunderwhatlightconditionsyoushouldtaketheimage.Therearetwoconstantsintheartofimage-makingthatnoamountoftechnologywillreplace,and the good news is that both of these constantscanbelearned:learninghowto“see”andlearningthe“art”ofcomposition.Photographic composition is based, in part, on

orderandstructure.Everygreat imageowesmuchofitssuccesstothewayitiscomposed,whichis,inessence,thewaytheelementsarearranged.Justaswithanygoodstory,song,orevenpotatosalad,inphotographic composition, several ingredientscombine to create a compelling final result. And,therearemanychoices.Youcanmakeyourprimarysubjectappearsmallanddistantagainstthedramaofthelightandweatherunfoldinginthelandscape.Or,youcanopttofilltheframe,edgetoedge,topto bottom with only the faces in the crowd at a

footballgameorthatboxofcherriesforsaleattheproduce stand. You can compose to include abackground that calls attention to the subject orthat,alternatively, servesasashockingcontrast tothesubjectinfrontofit.Youcanchangeyourpointof view, shooting on your hands and knees orshooting down from a stairway above. You cancompose the subject as a horizontal or a verticalandevenatadiagonal.Inaddition to thesechoices,youcanutilize two

specific characteristics that dominate everysuccessful composition: tension and balance.Tension, which is the interaction among thepicture’s elements, affects viewers’ emotions.Balance organizes these visual elements and keepsthe viewer from tripping over the photograph’sintentormeaning.

Mostofusare familiarwithwhitenoise:The soundof thevacuumcleanerand the static fromanuntuned radio stationare,perhaps, twoof themorecommonexamples.Mostpeople,otherthannewbornbabies,findwhitenoisetobeanirritant.White noise also exists in photographic composition, but it is felt rather

than heard. By that, I mean that the eye is constantly processing imagesthroughouttheday.Itcannotfocusoneverydetail toanequalextent,soit“editsout”thelessimportantvisualinformation.Ifyouedityourimageryasa photography student, and you see a photo that’s not sharp, that’s whitenoise,too.Whentheeyeseessomethinglikethis,afeelingofanxietyresults.Itistheeye’sjob,afterall,tomakesenseoftheimagesitisbombardedwith,andwhenanentireimageisnotsharp,theeyesearchesfor“saferground”—or,somethingtheeyecanbringintofocus.WhenIshotthisimageoftaxismovingthroughTimesSquareinNewYork

City,Iknew,sinceIwaspanning,thatIwouldbedeliberatelycreatingagreatdealofvisualwhitenoise,butmyintentwastoleaveatleastonetaxisharpenough. The reason this image works is because the exaggerated level ofvisual white noise (the streaking) is coupled with a large enough area ofrelativesharpness(the taxivan) that theeyefeelssafeand isable tomake

senseof it all, despite the fact that the subject is reallya chaotic, stressful,fast-pacedenvironment.


FILLINGTHEFRAME

There is a lot of compositional theory out therebeingdiscussedinbothphotographyandartclassesand in Internet chat roomsallover theworld,butunlessyou first learn toovercomethenumberonecompositionalproblem,all thetheory intheworldisn’tgoingtohelpyou.Andwhatisthenumberoneproblem?Thefailuretofilltheframe.Andman,ifever there was a subject that screams to fill theframe, it would be a motion-filled subject, forwhich freezing the action is the primary goal.Motion-filled images are, by their very nature,emotionallycharged images.Theyare imageswitha “loud voice,” and clearly, the more you fill upthat frame with this loud voice, the louder and,thus, more attention-getting that image becomes.You do hope to create a buzz from your work,right?Thenwhynotstrivetoturnthatbuzzintoaroaring buzz saw! Fill the frame, especially whenchoosingtofreezetheactionofyoursubjects.Perhaps you’re not a fan of landscapes, but

rather,youpreferthefinerandoften-hiddendetailsof life.Orperhapsyousimply love takingpictures

ofpeople. In eitherof these cases, aswell, fill theframe.It’shardenoughtoconcentrateontheactionbeforeyou,letaloneworryaboutyourcomposition,sostoprightthere!I’veusedthefollowinganalogyin my other books, but it bears repeating here:Unless you requested otherwise, when you’re in arestaurant,youexpectthewaitertobringyouthatfull cup of coffee you ordered. And should thewaiter bring you a cup that’s onlyhalf full, alarmbellswillgooffimmediately.Forgoodreason,youfeelcheatedandaskforthatfullcupyouordered.Your reaction to the half-filled cup of coffee is

understandable,andpeoplemayfeelthesamewaywhen looking at your photographs. Unless youmake itapoint to fill the frame, likeyouwouldacoffeecup,yourviewerswillfeel“cheated.”Allthatempty space around your subject is no differentthan the empty part of the cup—something ismissing. And, in the case of freezing action, thatmissing something is called impact! If you don’twantyourimagestogetpeople’sattention,thendothefollowing:Standfartherbackfromyoursubject,and don’t use the longest focal length possible. If,on the other hand, you do want to create imagesthat freeze action with impact, then do just theopposite.

Isitreallyhardtojudgewhichofthesetwophotosbestconveyswhatmightbeamanjumpingforjoyoverthenewsthathegotthepromotionorquithisjoborjustgotdivorcedorjustfoundoutheisgoingtobeafatherorjustwonthe lottery?Of course not!Clearly, the second image has farmore impact.Thesubjectfillstheframe,andasaresult,itismuch“louder.”Withmycameraonatripod,Iknewthatsincetheactioninthisscenewascoming toward me, I could shoot it at 1/250 sec. Choosing to shoot inAperture Priority mode, I simply adjusted my aperture until 1/250 sec.indicatedacorrectexposureandtoldmymodeltostartjumpingonthecountofthree.

200–400mmlens,tripod,ISO100,1/250sec.

LEAVINGROOMFORTHEACTION

There’sagood“rule”toadheretowhencomposingmotion-filledsubjectsinsideahorizontalframe,anditappliesbothtoimagesyoumakeatblazinglyfastshutter speeds and to those you shoot at muchslower speeds.Whenaction ison themovewithinyour composition, it’s a good idea to give thataction“roomtomove”acrosstheframe.Normally,this means composing the action within the firsttwo-thirds of the frame. The direction fromwhichtheactionenterstheframewilldetermineifthisistheleftorrightthird.

One of themore fun and challenging assignments I’ve done for one ofmyclients,Kodak, involvedahalf-dayshootatanequestrianevent innorthernCalifornia.Ihadnevershotjumpinghorsesbefore,soIwaseagertogiveitatry.Withinminutes,Ihadstakedoutoneofthejumps,afive-foot,deep-redwooden fence. I felt that, from a low viewpoint, the lines would become apowerfulstatementofmovementandspeed,andknowingthathorseswouldbesoonjumpingoverthemmadetheprospectofshootingfromthis locationveryexciting.Itwasn’tlongbeforemyexcitementhadturnedtoelationasthefirsthorsemadeabeautifuljump,ajumpthatIwasallsettorecord.

Handholdingmycamera,IchosetoshootinAperturePriorityatashutterspeed of 1/1000 sec. I simply adjusted my aperture until f/8 indicated acorrectexposureatthatspeed.Withmyeyetotheviewfinder,myfingeronthetrigger,andthecamerasettoBurstmode,IpressedtheshutterreleaseassoonasIsawthehorseentertheframefromtheleft.Nineframeslater,thehorsewasoutofframe,andofthenineshotsrecorded,myfavoritewasthesecond one. In contrast, it’s easy to understand why you might feel a bitcheated,abitshortchangedbyoneofthelaterimages,sincetheactionisonitswayoutoftheframeinthefirstphoto.It’sasifitcan’twaitforyou,asifyou’retryingtogetonboardamovingtrainthathasalreadycloseditsdoorsandhasbeguntopulloutofthestation.


THERULEOFTHIRDS

Inmost sports, games arenot allowed to end in atie. Football, basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer,andgolfmustdeclareawinner, soovertime,extrainnings, extra periods, and so on are played untiloneteamoroneplayercanfinallybedeclaredthewinner.Why is this? It has everything to dowithindecision and the tension indecision creates.Bottom line: Someone needs to be declared thewinnerbeforethebraincanrelax.In photographic composition, the eye (and the

brain)respondstoimagesthataredividedevenlyinhalf in much the same way as it does to a tiedgame. The eye/brain can clearly see and feel the“indecision” in an image that is one half sky andonehalflandscape,forexample,orwhatiscalleda50/50 composition. The eye/brain feels thisnegative tension and is quick to respond with anunfavorablereaction.Itdemandsthata“winner”(a“visual”winner)bedeclared.The ancient Greeks were the first to become

awareof this psychological phenomenonand soondevelopedaprovenmethodofartisticcomposition

toaddressitthatisknownastheGreekMean.Initssimplestform,theGreekMean—alsoknownastheRule of Thirds—suggests that the compositionalframebedividedintothirds,bothhorizontallyandvertically,toaidinsubjectplacement.Inlandscapecompositions, this often means that there’s adeliberate placement of the horizon line near thetoporbottomthird.Asageneralrule,ifinterestisgreatest above the horizon line, then thecomposition should find the horizon line near thebottomthirdoftheimage,andifinterestisgreatestbelowthehorizonline,thecompositionshouldfindthe horizon line near the top third. In effect, thevisual weight of either composition makes itobvious that there is a “winner” between the skyaboveandthelandscapebelow.

While in San Francisco, I stumbled upon CHEER, a San Francisco–based

organizationofpresentandformercheerleaders,dancers,andgymnastswhocome together and perform at various events around the world in front ofstunnedaudiences.TheywerepracticingmanyoftheirroutinesandstuntsinpreparationforperformingintheSanFranciscoGayParadelaterthatday.Lying down low to the ground allowedme to showcase these high-flyingcheerleadersagainsttheearly-morningbluesky.HadIshottheperformersateyelevel,Iwouldhaveruntheriskof“losing”themastheymergedintooneanother.ThecompositionhereisalsoaclassicuseoftheRuleofThirds.Thedecisionofwhere to place thehorizonwasan easyone: Since interestwasgreatestabovethehorizon,Iplacedthehorizonnearthebottomthirdoftheframe.Handholdingmycamera,Ichoseanapertureoff/8andadjustedmyshutter speed until 1/500 sec. indicated a correct exposure. I was alsoshootinginBurstmode,whichallbutguaranteedanumberof“peakaction”compositions.Thesecondimageshowsa“RuleofThirdsgrid”placedatopthephotosothatyoucanbetterseejusthowimportanthorizonplacementisandalsohowimportant it is to takeadvantageof the“sweet spots”(theplaceswhere thegrid lines intersect). Placing points of interest at or near these intersectionpointsiskey.


WORKINGONADIAGONAL

TheletterKhadalwaysbeenafavoritewithGeorgeEastman.Hesaid,“TheletterKseemstobesuchastrongandincisivesortofletter.”ThewordKodak,a namewe all know,was derived by trying out anumberofcombinationsoflettersthatmadeawordthatstartedandendedwiththeletterK.ThereasonImentionthisisthattheletterKalso

relies on the use of two diagonal lines: one thatmoves up and one that moves down. WhencomparedtothelettersB,C,orD,itshouldcomeasnosurprisethat,justlikeEastmansaid,theletterKisastrongandincisiveletter.Bytheirveryshape—curvilinear rather than angular—the letters B, C,and D offer up a different emotional reaction,somethingakintoalackadaisical,laid-backkindoffeeling.The letterK is farmoreactive. It’sa letterthat’s constantly on the move thanks to the twodiagonallines.It’sfairtosaythatanydiagonallineisfarmoreactivethananycurvilinearlineatleastin one respect: A diagonal line is taking yousomewhere,likeitornot.Thiswholeideaofdeliberatelytiltingthecamera

at adiagonalwhile shooting first appearedon thepagesof fashionmagazines. Slowly, itmigrated tolandscapephotography,whereithasalsoproventobeeffective insomecompositions.But,nowhere isdeliberately tilting thecameraonadiagonalmoreeffective than when shooting action scenes. Anyactionsceneisalreadyactiveandmadeevenmoresowhen shot on the diagonal. As you look at thekayak images shown here, it’s very clear that theimage shot deliberately on a diagonal finds thekayakers moving at a much faster, and perhapseventoodangerous,speed.Ofcourse,it’sanillusioncreatedbysimplytilting

thecamera,butthenexttimeyou’reoutandaboutshooting a sporting event, try a few shots on thediagonal, and don’t be surprised if it becomesanother useful tool at your disposal in your ever-increasing arsenal of ways to create some trulymovingactionscenes.

OneofthesuggestionsIoftenmaketomystudentsisto“workyoursubject,”and the day I photographed CHEER was no exception. Finding another

“pictureinthepicture”isagreathabittogetinto.Byswitchingfrommy12–24mmlenstomy70–200mm,Iwasabletoisolateasinglecheerleaderfromthelargegroup.Again,IusedtheRuleofThirds,placingthecheerleaderclosetotheupperright grid intersection point (or sweet spot) and the dome primarily on thelowerleftone.Thisimagealsoillustratessomethingelse:theuseofdiagonals.Notehowboththejumperandthedomeareplaceddiagonallytoeachother.Handholdingmy camera, I set theaperture to f/8andadjusted the shutterspeeduntil1/500sec. indicatedacorrectexposure(nosurprisethere,sincethiswasthesameexposureIhadusedthemomentbeforewhenshootingtheimageonthispagewiththe12–24mm).Asthecheerleadercameintoview,Isimplyfiredtheshutterrelease—inBurstmode,ofcourse.


Positioning yourself (or turning your camera slightly) so that you create oremphasizediagonalmotioncanaddenergytoyourimages.

Firstimage:17–55mmlensat35mm,ISO100,1/15sec.atf/13;secondimage:17–55mmlensat40mm,ISO100,1/15sec.atf/13

EXPLORINGATHEME

Photographingmotion-filled scenes can, no doubt,bealifelongpursuit.Perhapsyouwillachieveyourgoalofbecomingawell-knownsportsphotographeror you will simply become more creative in yourpassionate pursuit of recording what you see.Whateveryoudowithyourphotography,exploringa subject theme over an extended period of timecan be a good learning tool. It can help youdetermine both your compositional strengths andyourweaknesses.Knowing this, it was several years ago when I

cameupon “the red ball” at anOldNavy store inGreenwichVillage inNewYorkCity. Ibought twoofthem,infact,intentonshootingtheredballinavariety of locations around the world doing whatany ball would do: bouncing along on its merryway. Every one ofmy redball images (more thantwohundredstrongtodate)showstheballinsomekindofmotion,andreinterpretingthissubjectwill,Iamsure,remainalifelongpursuitforme.

NikonD2X,12–24mmlens,ISO100,FluorescentWB,1secondatf/11

INDEX

actionfreezingof,Chapter1.1,2.1leavingroomfor

aerialphotographyAmerica,andsportsangels“anti”NDfilter,rawformatasattachingcamera

background,forpanning,Chapter3.1,3.2backlight,withoutsilhouettesbalance,incompositionBogenMagicArm,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.3BogenSuperClampBogenSuperSuctionCup,Chapter3.1,3.2

camera,attachingofcomposition

correctexposures

diagonal,workingondigital,andpanningdusk8seconds,Chapter3.1,3.2

equipment,Chapter2.1,2.2exploringthemeexposure(s)correct

extremes,ofshutterspeed

fans,formovementfastestshutterspeedfastshutterspeeds,andmoderate15seconds,Chapter3.1,3.2fillingframe,Chapter1.1,5.1filters,Chapter4.1,4.2flashsync4seconds,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,3.54-stopneutral-densityfilter

frame,fillingof,Chapter1.1,5.1freezingaction,Chapter1.1,2.1

ghostsgraduatedneutral-densityfiltergrain,Chapter1.1,1.2GreekMean

implyingmotion,withtripodISO,mythof

leavingroomforactionlensopening,largestlifestyle,nightphotographyandlight,lowlightninglongexposureslowlight

MagicArm,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.3moderateshutterspeeds,fastandmotion,implyingof,withtripod

motordrive

neutral-densityfilters,Chapter4.1,4.2,4.3noisewhite

1/1000sec.1/500sec.1/250sec.1/60sec.1/30sec.,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.31/15sec.,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.31/8sec.,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.31/4sec.,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,3.51/2sec.,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,3.51second,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,3.5,3.6,3.7opening,lens,largest

“painting”withshutterspeedpanningphotoop,one,andsixcorrectexposurespolarizingfilter

quantitativevalue,Chapter1.1,1.2

rainrawformatrearcurtainflashsyncroom,foractionRuleofThirds

safety,lightningsecond(s)1/1000sec.1/500sec.1/250sec.1/60sec.1/30sec.,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.31/15sec.,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.31/8sec.,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.31/4sec.,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,3.51/2sec.,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,3.51second,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,3.5,3.6,3.7

2seconds,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,3.54seconds,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,3.58seconds,Chapter3.1,3.215seconds,Chapter3.1,3.2

secondcurtainflashsyncsixcorrectexposures,perphotoopshutterspeed(s)factsandmythsregardingfastandmoderateslow

silhouettes,backlightwithoutsimplyzoomingslowspeeds,Chapter2.1,3.1snowspeed(s).Seeshutterspeed(s)sports,AmericaandSuperClampSuperSuctionCup,Chapter3.1,3.2

tension,incompositiontheme,exploringof

tripod,implyingmotionwith2seconds,Chapter3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,3.5

underexposure

value,quantitative,Chapter1.1,1.2

water,Chapter2.1,2.2whitebalance(WB)whitenoisewindworkingondiagonal

zooming

Understanding Shutter Speed: Creative Action and Low-Light Photography Beyond 1/125 Second

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