Contre-jour produces backlighting of the subject. This effect usually hides details, causes a stronger contrast between light and dark, creates silhouettes and emphasizes lines and shapes. The sun, or other light source, is often seen as either a bright spot or as a strong glare behind the subject. Fill light may be used to illuminate the side of the subject facing toward the camera. (Thanks wiki)
Photographing smoke trails: - thanks to Uhuqle:
black background - - smoke - - camera
- - - - - - - - - - - - - ^ light ^
Just make sure the light is bright enough and not shining on the background or back at the camera. Ideally an external flash is best because you want good contrast but I just used some desk lights. When you process the picture invert it to get the white background and then play around with the colours.I didn't have an incense stick so I rolled up and twisted tight some paper towel, light it and then put it out and let it smoulder. Produced really good smoke trails. Hope that helps.
Candid Photography:
There's a number of ways you could approach it.
1) A 300mm lens, hide across the road, photograph people doing what they do, crop.
2) 50mm, right in their face, laugh about it with them afterwards
3) Find a tramp, give him a quid to take his photo, B&W the hell out of it, win.
4) Go to a party, introduce yourself as a photographer, explain you'll be taking photos. After 5 minutes they'll have forgotten about you. Take candid photos.
5) Shoot from the hip (in other words, aim the camera when it's by your side - don't raise it to your face)
There's a few ways you could do it without getting decked.Or, you could do the permission based version - 'Portraits'
Candid Photography Tip 6
ReplyDeleteDon't walk around with your camera to your eye. Scope the scene, pick your subject and then pull your camera up to take the shot. You'll draw a lot less attention\punches this way.
Smoking bullet shell - Rodders
ReplyDeletePhoto found here. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2161/4510857131_c0ec1dcc6b_o.jpg
Get one spent bullet casing, a camera (5D Mark II in this instance), a macro lens (Sigma 105 in this instance), some sort of studio lighting / strobe and some triggers to fire off the lights.
Set up shot, focus, compose - all good.
Set up the lighting. For this one I was reflecting a studio head off a reflective umbrella slightly behind, above and to the left of the camera. Studio head on full blast so I could use a largish aperture. You could probably get away with a flash gun or even constant lighting if you prefer.
Take a few shots, check the LCD to make sure you're getting what you want.
Realise the shot looks a bit sh*t, and that something's missing.
Go and get a joss stick, light it and start choking on the smoke. Wave joss stick in and around the bullet casing and keep on taking photos until you get one where the smoke looks good.
Photoshop as necessary (I had the joss stick in the end of the bullet casing so had to clone it out afterwards).