Your Photography Questions Answered

Light Meter by Lisa K. Berton

Last week I invited you all to write Barrie, Scott, and me with your photography questions. We weren’t able to get to everyone but we thank you for reading our blogs and taking the time to write us. Without any further ado, here’s what you asked us.

Letters may be edited for content.

Renee asks,
What is the best time of day and place to get a picture of my family in front of Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom? We have taken our photos first thing in the morning on Main Street USA and get squinty eyes from looking into the Sun.

Scott says:
This is where seeing where and when Disney Photopass photographers set up will help. Early in the morning, it is best to stay in the shadow of the Main Street Railroad Station right at the beginning of Main Street USA with Cinderella Castle in the background. For those photos with the castle filling up the background, use the Magic Hour which is the last hour before the Sun sets. The light is low with a very nice golden color. People are able to keep their eyes open as the Sun is not blinding.

There is a Kodak picture stop just over the bridge as you enter Liberty Square from the Hub which is in shade by late afternoon and gives a No-Guest in Background side view of Cinderella Castle.

Kelley asks,
Which point and shoot is your favorite? Also, what is your advice on capturing pictures at night or in low light settings with a point and shoot?

Lisa responds:
My favorite would have to be my old Yogi Bear camera because it was my first actual non-toy camera. Of the cameras I’ve used in recent years I did enjoy the Canon PowerShot S5 IS the most. Any time you’re shooting at night and want to record bright lights, you’ll need to use a tripod or flat surface. Set the camera to the Landscape Night, Night Portrait or Fireworks accordingly. The camera needs to allow as much light through the lens as possible and holding the camera will cause blurred images. If you can use a remote control, even better! If you’re shooting someone or something within close range, you can hold the camera. Use your flash and set the camera to Program. Try ISO 800 at first then adjust to a lower ISO such as 640 or 400 if the image is blown out. You can also use the flash with Auto if you’d like.

Steve asks.
My question is how to best take stage show photos when it’s dark with only a spot light and a dark curtain for a background. This setting is darker than the American Idol Experience. All I have is the Nikon D5000 with the 200MM zoom lens with stabilization. My results end up with unintentional action blur our out of focus subjects as well as colors tending to be off (red turns bright pink and flesh tones are off). I have tried both auto and manual focus (no illuminator assist as you are not supposed to use a flash and I think the illuminator would also be a distraction). I set the camera to “P”, adjust the ISO to 1600 or 2400, open the aperture as wide as possible, and use my “stick” to stabilize the camera. Basically, I’m not sure what autofocus mode (AF-Continuous?), what AF-area mode (dynamic?), and what metering setting (spot?) is appropriate.

Barrie answers:
Well, I’m not sure my way is the best way but I can tell you what I do for dark stage shows. Actually, it’s pretty much what you described. I use spot metering and crank my ISO up. My camera handles a higher ISO pretty well so I would probably set it at 1600 – 2500. I almost always shoot in aperture priority and depending on the scene and where I am sitting, I will set the aperture somewhere between f5.6 and f8 – that is when I am using my telephoto lens. If I am close enough to the action and I think that the performers will not move around a lot (making the zoom necessary), I’ll use my 50mm and set it at f/1.4 – 2.8. This is where I start. Then I take a few pics and check them on the LCD to see if I need to make any adjustments to the ISO or the aperture. I shoot handheld because the action is always moving and I want the freedom to move with it, that’s why I prefer the higher ISO. And, even though the telephoto lens is slower, I prefer it to the 50mm because of the flexibility – I’m just very careful to hold it as steady as possible. As far as the color goes, try setting your white balance to Tungsten, or about 2700 and see if that helps. If there is a lot of movement on stage, I’ll use continuous focus. Probably the biggest thing that made a difference for me when shooting stage shows was when I discovered spot metering. That, combined with a fast lens and a high ISO makes it totally possible to take handheld shots that are pretty crisp.

Jennifer asks,
I use a Canon PowerShot SX20, that I LOVE! I remember at Christmas time, Scott did a blog about shooting the lights and gave specific settings to get the best pics. My husband thought I was crazy cause I wrote it down and brought it with us to Disney. Well I followed that and it worked wonderfully! I got the best pictures of Christmas lights ever. So my question is what do those settings (aperture, shutter speed) actually do? So maybe I’ll know what to adjust in other situations other than always leaving it on “Auto” Thanks!

I love all of these photo blogs, all 3 of you are amazing, and give great advice and I love the pics you post!

Scott says:
On behalf of myself, Barrie and Lisa, thank you! I guess you got the last laugh didn’t you? The aperture controls the depth of field and amount of light which strikes your camera’s sensor or film plane when you press the shutter button. Shutter speed controls the duration that the shutter blades or sensor is exposed. I wrote up detailed information about each when I first joined Picture This! I also recommend you pick up the book, Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It’s the best book on basic photography.

S is for Speed Control

A is for Aperture Control

Deanna asks,
My question is about lenses. I don’t quite understand how different lenses work. I assume that the difference between, say, a 24-70 mm lens and a 70-300 mm lens is the zoom that’s available on each. What’s the quality difference on photos taken with those two lenses, or other lenses? In short, I suppose I’m asking why you would shoot with one lens over the other. What’s the difference?

Also, how does the f/stop relate to the zoom on the lens? For example, does a zoom lens have a varying f/stop as an advanced point and shoot has, or do the f/stops stay the same on DSLRs no matter what zoom it has?

Lisa responds: Let’s say you have a 24-70mm lens and you’re photographing a large group of people. By turning the lens to 24mm, you’ll get far more people in the shot than if it were set to 70mm because the lower the number, the wider the angle. Also when using wide angle lenses (28mm, 24mm, 20mm, 18mm) an arc is formed on the sides and is more noticeable on a 20mm than a 28mm.

A 70-300mm lens is ideal for headshots, action from the stands/bleachers/sidelines, concerts, zoos, etc… Anything that’s in the distance that you want to bring in closer.

Many lenses do indeed have varying f-stops, in fact most of them. The only lenses that do not are called fixed lenses. A popular example would be a 50mm 2.8. That lens constantly stays open at f2.8. A zoom lens such as my Canon 75-300 mm 1:4-5.6 USM will open up to f4 at it’s widest angle of 75mm but when zoomed to 300mm, the f-stop will only open up to 5.6. It will over course go higher; f8, f11 and so forth.

Leigh asks,
Scott, what is the best book out there for digital cameras, in your opinion for newbies? I have a Canon Rebel D-SLR, and I need a little help with some of the technical stuff. What software program should newbies start with? Also, which are your favorite photo sharing sites?

Barrie, which is your favorite website for photo gifts? My mother loves coffee cups with the kids pics on them & I’m not very happy with the one I use. Do you use any digital scrapbook sites & if yes which one is your fave?

Lisa, I see you do private lessons, however, I don’t think you live close enough, so do you have any suggestions for online photo classes?

Scott says:
Leigh, see the book I recommended to Jennifer. Flickr is the biggest and easiest photo sharing website to start with. It is free for up to 200 photos. At $24.95 a year for unlimited uploads, it is very affordable. I’ll be going into detail about software programs in response to Alister’s question below.

Barrie answers:
I have used both CafePress and Zazzle and had good results with both. I like Zazzle best because, for me, the user interface is a little easier than CafePress. I find it quick and easy to upload a picture and make a product on Zazzle. I don’t actually use online scrapbook sites, mainly because I LOVE paper. I’ve had a paper fetish my entire life and once scrapbooking came into popularity I was in heaven! I have piles of paper that I can’t bring myself to use because it is too special. Instead, I scan it and use it digitally. I still have stationery that I have saved since I was a teenager.

Lisa responds:
No, I’m not familiar with online courses. I think it’s best to learn in a classroom setting vs online. Check wih your local high schools and community colleges for formal classes.

Ray asks,
What is the best way to submit photos with descriptions to www.AllEars.net? I know how to download my photos to Photobucket and Snapfish. I really don’t know how to submit photos with descriptions. I thought about e-mailing a single photo link and description one photo at a time but I’m not sure the photo will show up on the other end. I also wish that I could write on the photo, and draw arrows listing width of a door way and other facts for an accessible resort room. Can you describe to me a good way to do these tasks?

Lisa responds:
To e-mail a photograph, you’ll want to attach the photo file to your e-mail. You can do this by clicking on “Attach” which is usually in the bar just above where you’d type the e-mail address to whom you’re sending the letter. A box will open up allowing you to sift through the folders and drives (such as C and D) on your harddrive. You’ll need to know the file number or name of the photo so you can pick the one you want. You can also select the image from your memory card while it’s inserted into the computer.

If the images are only saved to an online storage site, you may need to download the image first before you can e-mail it. Some sites may be set up for you to send your image via a “Share” link.

In your e-mail please include: resort name, room number, when you stayed there, if the room was recently refurbished, and any special notes you’d like to tell us regarding the room such as pool view, loud/quiet location, etc… Send your pics to [email protected]. Menu photos can be sent to this address, too. It’s also a good idea to fill out the Contact Us form so we know to look for your photos in the Inbox.

To submit an image to Photo of the Week or Wandering the World, please follow the instructions at /pw/pw.htm

Alister asks,
For a beginner like me using a point and shoot camera, with no experience but who wants to start getting creative, what photo editing software would you recommend?

Scott says:
To start learning photo processing, I recommend Picasa which is a free software product from Google. If you own a Mac, iPhoto is an excellent photo editing and management program. Adobe’s Elements is their introductory photo editing software program you can grow into. Another alternative is the online photo editor, Picnik.com. For an online product, it is surprisingly robust and fun to use. Free to use but to get the full version there is a $24.95 annual subscription fee.

Aaron asks,
This is a question for anyone. As someone who is only just beginning to get their feet wet with photography, the thought of simultaneously learning the details of taking pictures along with learning the details of editing pictures can seem a bit much at times. When you’re taking pictures, how much are you thinking about your camera settings, and how much are you thinking about the post-shot edits you’re going to make? What goes through your head as you’re taking photos? Thanks for all your effort with this blog, sharing your awesome photos, and the great advice you give!

Scott says:
Aaron, when first learning digital photography, it can seem overwhelming. However, digital photography can be learned quickly with the instant feedback of the LCD screen on today’s cameras. Again, as a beginner, I would recommend reading the book, Understanding Exposure, to get your photos as best as they can be when you snap the shutter. This will help go a long way into learning how to edit your photos when you download them to your computer for processing. As Barrie and Lisa are the experts when it comes to software, I will allow them to answer that part.

As to what I think about when photographing, I pay attention to a lot. I ask several questions but the first is getting the right exposure for what I want to say. This is where the term “creative exposure” comes in. For a beginner, I would start there and then continue to read, practice, and learn from there.

Lisa responds: I personally shoot to get everything right the first time. That means composition and exposure but I’ve been shooting professionally for nearly 20 years now.

You should set your goal on learning photography first. If you land the shot, you won’t need to edit your photos much if at all. Search for adult ed classes in your area.

Barrie answers:
I don’t really think about the post-processing when I take photos. I really prefer to do as little post processing as possible so I do my best to get as a good of a shot as I can. Truly, I still consider myself a beginner though, so remembering everything to get just the shot I want rarely happens. I almost always start thinking about my next trip to Walt Disney World when I am looking at the photos I took on the last trip because I am thinking about what I forgot and how to do it better next time! That said, I post-process nearly all of my photos, some more than others. I shoot in RAW and post-processing is just part of the whole process, same as when developing film.

Mary asks,
I have a Canon XTi and am a novice. What are some for tips for shooting the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom? On our last trip, I took about eighty photos of Wishes and probably only three turned out like I imagined they would.

Lisa responds:
When shooting with a D-SLR you’ll want to try shooting on Manual. There are no specific settings for fireworks but I can give you a place to start. Set your ISO to 400, the f-stop to 8, and your shutterspeed to 1/15. You will of course be using a tripod to steady the shot. Take a few pics and review them on the LCD. Zoom in on the screen for a truer look at the quality of the shot. If they’re too dark but sharp, you can slow down the shutterspeed to something like 1/4. If they’re not sharp and too dark I’d increase the ISO to 640 or 800. It’s all about trying different settings and finding what works best in the particular situation.

Don asks,
I shoot with Canon gear. My struggle is to try to find the best combo for the “triangle” while running around the parks. What settings do most of you rely on when shooting outdoors during the day, at night, with flash,etc…? I’m usually in (on my T1i) “P” mode or in shutter priority and try to keep my shutter speed about 1/40, 1/50, or faster if the subject (mostly kids for me) are in motion. How about fireworks settings? My carry lens right now is the kit lens, but I do carry my 55-250mm f4-5.6 and sometimes my favorite 70-200 2.8 lens. I guess to wrap up, I’m looking for ideas on your favorite settings for different situations. I find at 3200 ISO or above it gets pretty grainy, but it sure is nice to have that option on dark rides.

Barrie answers:
It would be impossible to give you the exact settings I use for every situation, because they are always different. I’d say that 85% of the time I use aperture priority for all of my shots. I use it because I like to control the depth of field (how much of the picture is in focus). A wide aperture not only gives me a narrow depth of field (blurry background) but it also will give me a faster shutter speed to isolate moving subjects. Closing down the aperture (setting the f-stop to a higher number) will give me a greater depth of field as well as a slower shutter speed when I want to show movement. In both cases, I can usually adjust the ISO to give me the particular result I am looking for. For example, I can increase the ISO at night if I am not getting enough light. I also use my exposure compensation to make minor adjustments. If I want to stop action on very fast moving subjects, like a moving ride, I switch to shutter priority. Or if I want to do a long exposure, say to capture fireworks, I’ll use the “bulb” setting in manual mode. Most of the time though, aperture priority works perfect for me.

A note from Lisa:
As you can see we have similiar approaches to shooting but what works best for one may not for the other. For instance, Barrie and I shoot fireworks different ways, that is when I shoot them at all, but you get the idea. We both come out with the images we want, regardless of how we set up the shot.

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