WHAT PHOTOGRAPHY MEANS TO YOU

PHOTO TIP - WHAT DOES PHOTOGRAPHY MEAN TO YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY? WHERE DO YOU WANT PHOTOGRAPHY TO TAKE YOU? These are questions you should be asking yourself. Perhaps your main interest is to document family events, to capture memories of friends and loved ones. Perhaps your desire is to produce a prize winning photo for the county fair. Or, perhaps, you want to pursue a career in professional photography. In any event, the first step is to decide just what it is that you want to achieve. Then go for it at full throttle. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

CROP TIGHT

QUICK PHOTO TIP -TRY CROPPING TIGHT AROUND YOUR SUBJECT. This will help to lend prominence to your subject and will reduce distracting backgrounds. LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

MACRO - ALMOST - ON A SHOESTRING PART 2

Close up photography is usually considered to be photography that produces an image of at least 1:4. True macro photography produces an image of 1:1. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN SIMPLENGLISH? The image magnification (on the film plane or camera sensor) termed close up is a minimum of one quarter the size of the subject. With true macro, that image is at least the same size as the subject. We'll mostly concentrate on how to shoot close up inexpensively. First of all, let's address the macro setting on your camera. Well, it ain't macro. Period. What these close up settings actually do varies from camera to camera. Consult your camera's manual for more info. A lot of zoom lenses have a macro setting. So does that mean they're macro lenses? NO! However these settings do enable you to achieve a higher magnification than you would attain without their use. Bear in mind though, it ain't true macro. One of the cheapest ways of attaining a higher magnification is through the use of close up lenses. Close up lenses screw on to the camera's lens just as a filter would. Now, what exactly is a screw on close up lens? It's a diopter. So, what exactly is a diopter? It's - Well, think reading glasses. The bottom line is that close up lenses are a cheap means of achieving true macro (or even greater) capability. So why would anyone buy an expensive macro lens? Well, because close up lenses are a trade off. The optical quality of the image is definitely less than with a decent macro lens. How much less? That all depends on how wisely you choose. Close up or secondary lenses are available from filter suppliers. Choose a major filter manufacturer and your chances of going wrong decrease dramatically. The least expensive option is to purchase one or more single element lenses. The best of these can work quite well. The worst can produce totally unacceptable aberrations. The next step up is to choose an achromatic doublet. A doublet consists of two glass lenses which when attached, provide a relatively high quality magnified image, although still of less quality than an expensive macro lens would deliver. If you want do try close up photography without breaking the bank, close up lenses may be the ticket. There are other options. One is the extension tube. An extension tube is just that, a tube. (No glass optics are provided.) The tube quite simply extends the distance between the lens and the film plane or camera system. Guess what? This magnifies the image. Advantage - No glass equals no loss in sharpness. Disadvantages - longer exposures, disabled autofocus or increased expense possible loss of aperture control. Oh, and there's one other advantage. Cheap cheap. An adjustable bellows works pretty much like an extension tube. A teleconverter is like an extension tube with glass. It's another method of achieving magnification which may aid in achieving macro or near macro. Again, there are trade offs. One other option is a reversing lens. Use of a reversing lens is a little more complex. I haven't used one. I'm not all that comfortable advising on the pros and cons. Fell free to do your own research. Of course, a top option is a dedicated Macro lens. The pros? Lots. The cons? Mucho moolah. For my money, start with a good single element close up lens. LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

HAPPY EARTH DAY

HAPPY EARTH DAY. MAKE EVERY DAY EARTH DAY. IT'S THE ONLY EARTH WE'VE GOT.

MACRO - ALMOST - ON A SHOESTRING PART 1

MACRO (ALMOST) ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET - Let' take a moment to eavesdrop on a conversation between two photographers, Pete Poorman and Randy Richguy."Yeah, I'd love to shoot macro. But I'm not exactly made out of money. I can't afford that kind of expensive equipment." "Whaddaya mean expensive. I just saw this great macro lens on sale for only $2500. With this baby, you can photograph a mosquito handheld. Now that's a deal you can't beat with a stick." "You call that cheap? That's almost four times what I paid for my whole camera. And that was with a kit lens, a 16 gig memory card, a UV filter and 2 extra battery packs thrown in for good measure. And you're seriously recommending that I spend $2500 for a lousy lens?" "Well, you know what they say? Ya gets what ya pays for." Now I do believe that a lot more of us can relate to Pete Poorman than relate to Richard Richguy. So, is it true that you can only shoot macro if your last name is Gates and your Given name is Bill? Maybe not. But it ain't exactly cheap either. There's a big difference though between true macro and close up photography. The truth is that you can shoot impressive close-ups without a bunch of expenive equipment. I've done it. I can show you how to do it - in MACRO - ALMOST - ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET PART 2 LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS

QUICK PHOTO TIP - The diffused light afforded by cloudy days and shaded areas are ideal for people pictures. LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

IT'S SPRINGTIME - AND SQUIRMY BUGS ARE EVERYWHERE

IT'S SPRINGTIME FOR SHUTTERBUGS AND SQUIRMY BUGS - Now is the time to head outside and shoot closeups of all those squirmy little creatures crawling and flying around. So remember my last photo tip and purchase CLOSE UP PHOTOGRAPHY FOR DUMMIES. WHAT? THERE IS NO SUCH BOOK YOU SAY? WELL, TRUE ENOUGH. BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER REFERENCE BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT OUT THERE IN CYBERSPACE TO SAY NOTHING ABOUT THE LIBRARY AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD BOOKSTORE In addition, I will be posting a three part article on the subject on this blog, the first entitled CLOSE UP PHOTOGRAPHY WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK. LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

SHOOT FIRST - ASK QUESTIONS LATER

SHOOT FIRST, ASK QUESTIONS LATER - I've pointed this out before. However, it's well worth repeating. If you have questions you need answered concerning aspects of photography (or almost any other subject for that matter) the FOR DUMMIES BOOKS are an excellent resource - even if you don't admit to being a dummy. LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS.COM

MAKING DEPTH OF FIELD WORK FOR YOU

PHOTO TIP - Depth of field is the area of a scene that the camera's lens renders in acceptable focus. Remember though, that depth of field goes from sharp to unsharp by degrees. Only the exact point of focus is critically sharp. As you get further away from the exact point of focus, the focus becomes less and less sharp. The term circle of confusion is used to refer to the distance from the point of focus where the eye begins to perceive the lack of sharpness. It is the areas in front of and behind the actual point of focus but which appear to the human eye to be in focus that constitute the area within the depth of field. So how can depth of field work for you? It is not always desirable for all areas of an image to to be in sharp focus. Shallow depth of field can, for instance. be used to isolate a subject from its background. One area of photography where this can prove useful is in nature and wildlife photography. Say you're shooting an African lion at a zoo. The background looks natural,except of course for the green garden hose. Use a narrow depth of field. Render the big cat in focus and the background out of focus. The hose disappears, the lion stands out from the background and the tree that would otherwise appear to be growing out of the lion's head is considerably less distracting. There are also times when you want maximum depth of field, Hyperfocal distance is one means of achieving this. Hyperfocal distance is simply the closest possible focusing distance where the depth of field extends to infinity.Consult your camera's instruction manual as most cameras feature a simple method of setting the lens at hyperfocal distance. This extended depth of field is what will allow you to render both the boulder five feet away from you as well as the mountains and clouds in the distance in relatively sharp focus. LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

REMEMBER OKLAHOMA CITY

REMEMBER THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING - LEST WE FORGET. LARRY ELKINS ELKNSPHOTOS

OOPS - I DID IT AGAIN

WELL, THIS IS RATHER EMBARRASSING. If you received my last post and it referred to Outdoor Photography Magazine, my apologies. It is of course, OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHER MAGAZINE. My goof. LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS

OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHERr-LANDSCAPE RUNDOWN

I JUST RECEIVED THE MAY 2010 ISSUE OF OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHER MAGAZINE - THE LANDSCAPE ISSUE. This, in my humble opinion, is always the best O. P. issue of the year. Special kudos this year though to O. P. chief editor Christopher Robinson for his wonderful article BUILD A LANDSCAPE KIT ON ANY BUDGET. This article is a must read for anyone, AND I DO MEAN ANYONE. wanting to photograph landscapes on a regular basis. The great thing about this article is that it has something for everyone. You're a pro with a substantial budget? This article is for you. You're an amateur on a more limited budget? This is the article for you. You're on a tight budget and in need of some advice on purchasing equipment that will allow you to successfully photograph landscapes without putting you in the poor house? Well, this is definitely the article for you. They say you can't be all things to all people. I must say that Mr. Robinson comes damn close. By largely dividing the article into three sections, Robinson manages to target just about everyone, no matter their operating budget. The rest of the magazine is informative and entertaining. This article is much more. It is essential reading. Great job O. P. MAG. (In the interest of transparency, I receive my issues of Outdoor Photographer magazine through a third party subscription which means I don't directly pay for them, but believe me when I say this issue is pure gold.) LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

Bisbee, Arizona | English Muse

Bisbee, Arizona | English Muse For photos of Kate Spade Bisbee Editorial Fashion Shoot and more, click onto link.

BISBEE HISTORIC DIST - BISBEE SHOPPING GUIDE

CONSULT THE BISBEE SHOPPING GUIDE. www.elkinsphotos.com/bisbee.shopping.html LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS

BIZZART GALLERY-BISBEE AZ

BIZZART GALLERY-BISBEE AZ - I just want to remind everyone who resides in S. E. Arizona or plans to visit in the near future, that Bisbee Arizona is a great place to visit. Visually, Bisbee is a photographer's dream. This mile high city boasts considerably cooler Summer temperatures than Tucson or Phoenix. It also provides wonderful shopping opportunities, especially for the art lovers among us. And while you'e in Bisbee, don't forget to visit BIZZART GALLERY located on Historic Brewery Gulch. This artists' cooperative is situated at 41 Brewery Ave. The gallery represents approximately thirty, mostly area, artists including yours truly. The gallery features a variety of painting, photography, jewelry, sculpture and fabric arts. BizzArt's mission is to provide exhibition space for an eclectic mix of established and not yet established artists. BizzArt's five rooms of gallery space plus the Brewery Ave. Designs embroidered clothing retail shop, offer a feast for the eyes. In addition, the prices at BizzArt tend to be significantly less than at those galleries located on Bisbee's Main Street. However, speaking of Main Street, don't forget to visit Panterra Gallery (22 Main St). This wonderful art gallery spotlights photography and designer clothing. LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

PANNING FOR GOLD-PHOTOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING

PHOTO TIP - CAMERA PANNING is instrumental in photographing moving subjects. As I noted in my last PHOTO TIP, the introduction of motion blur is essential whenever you desire a sense of dynamic movement in an image. If all elements of an image are rendered sharply, the image will be static. The usual method for imparting motion blur to a portion of an image while simultaneously rendering other parts of the image in relatively sharp focus is the technique of camera panning. Panning simply means following a moving subject through the lens of the camera along a horizontal path. The technique of panning works best when the subject is moving in a direction parallel to the camera's film plane or sensor surface. The act of panning can produce amazing results. However, there is a relatively steep learning curve. Getting the technique right is going to take plenty of practice. While it is not my purpose to provide a tutorial as there is ample material available online (Google CAMERA PANNING TECHNIQUE), I will give you a few pointers. First, begin with a relatively slow shutter speed (say 1/30 - 1/15 second). A good subject to practice on is moving cars. position yourself off the side of the street facing parallel to the path, the cars will be taking. Assuming your camera has automatic focus tracking, press the shutter halfway an smoothly follow the car as it approaches. When the car reaches the optimum position, release the shutter. As you do so, continue to follow the car with the camera. The secret here is a smooth follow through. Again, the the essential requirement is practice - practice - and more practice. LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY-ELKINSPHOTOS

HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY-ELKINSPHOTOS - For interesting and entertaining tidbits of information about the history of photography, don't forget to visit my blog HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY-ELKINSPHOTOS. LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

JOURNEY THROUGH ECUADOR

JOURNEY THROUGH ECUADOR - Earlier this year, I participated in a Tao of Photography Workshop held in Chiang Mai, Thailand. At some point, hopefully soon, I will be posting photos from this S.E. Asian excursion on my website http://www.elkinsphotos.com. In the meantime, you can view the JOURNEY THROUGH ECUADOR gallery WHICH FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY YOUR'S TRULY DURING THE 2009 TAO OF PHOTOGRAPHY ECUADOR WORKSHOP, as well as the seven other gallery pages at the same website (elkinsphotos,com). LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS.COM

BLURRING THE ACTION

PHOTO TIP - HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BLUR - Years ago, I took a series of college level photography classes from master photographer Richard Senti, one time editor of Camera & Darkroom Magazine. Rich was a renowned expert in the darkroom. When a student would show Rich a print that exhibited promise but had been rendered less than sharp in enlargement, Rich would praise the print's good points, then add the comment, "But don't you think it's just a bit soft?" I managed to turn the tables on him during class one evening when he brought a series of exquisite abstract photos he had taken of Bisbee's annual La Vuelta de Bisbee bicycle races. Rich was proudly showing off the prints in which both the bicyclists and the background exhibited motion blur. The sense of opposing movement was almost overwhelming. The students were oohing and ahhing when, suddenly I chimed in with a comment. "They're really nice," I said. "But don't you think they're just a little soft?" Rich laughed so hard he almost cried. The truth was that Rich's deft use of motion blur was sheer genius. On the other hand, sometimes dead sharp is just dead dead. As a case in point, Bisbee is renowned for its annual Fourth of July Coaster Races. I've seen lots of photos of these races in which both coaster and background are rendered dead sharp. And therein lies a problem. The photographer sees a coaster racing down Bisbee's steep Tombstone Canyon Road. However, what the viewer of the photograph sees is a coaster that appears to have come to a dead stop in the roadway and is going nowhere. There is zero sense of motion. Not all blur is good. Not all blur is bad. Out of focus is, of course, just out of focus. However, motion blur, blur caused by camera movement, subject movement or both, is often an effective means of imparting a sense of dynamic motion to a photograph. My next tip will deal with one means of achieving this effect, camera panning. LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS

LOVE OF PHOTOGRAPHY

I LOVE TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS - If you don't love taking photographs, why do it? Why do I do it? I do it for the money? That answer might make sense if I made money. But why do I engage in photography even though it's a giant money pit? Because I have deep pockets? No way. IT'S BECAUSE I LOVE TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS. When the act of making photographs no longer excites me, I'll do something else. Back when I spent hours and hours of time in a black & white darkroom, I loved watching the image magically appear on the sheet of photographic paper submerged in the developer. It.s one of the things I miss most about the era of film. But digital processing has its own joys. I love taking, framing and exhibiting my photographs. In short, just about every single aspect of the art of photography excites and delights me. So, what's my point? Well, it's like this. Do it for the pure joy of doing it. If you make money, that's icing on the cake. LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS

PHOTOSHOP TIPS

QUICK PHOTO TIP - HERE'S A TIP ON HOW TO ACCESS SOME NEAT TIPS. Google Photoshop tips or if you use elements, Photoshop Elements tips. You will encounter more great tips than you can shake a stick at. If you want to delve deeper, Google Photoshop tutorials or Photoshop Elements tutorials. LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS.COM

LOOKING DOWN AT THE SUBJECT FROM ABOVE

QUICK TIP - To gain a new perspective, photograph subjects from high overhead. For instance, shoot from a 2d or 3rd floor window. Photographs shot from this perspective will have a unique look and feel. Another option is to shoot from a very low viewpoint. For instance, lie on your back and shoot upward. The result will be that you'll obtain results that will surely delight and fascinate the viewer. LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

TAO OF PHOTOGRAPHY THAILAND SHOW

NEWS ALERT! SATURDAY - APRIL 10TH - FIVE P.M.-EIGHT P.M. - TAO OF PHOTOGRAPHY THAILAND WORKSHOP PHOTO EXHIBIT - PANTERRA GALLERY - 22 MAIN STREET - BISBEE AZ - to all of my readers in the vicinity of Bisbee AZ ------ Don't miss the Tao of Photography Chiang Mai Thailand Workshop show at Panterra Gallery this coming Saturday evening. Panterra Gallery announces that the exhibit consists of, "visual interpretations by the photographers of their journey... including the annual flower festival, elephant safari, Chiang Mai Night & Day Markets, Monks & Wats, Thai Cooking school and abstracts." Exhibiting photographers include Curt Stetter, Peggy Scanlon, Larry Elkins and workshop leader Chuck Feil. Come ooh & ah or throw rotten tomatoes depending upon your inclination. But don't miss this fabulous show. LARRY ELKINS ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY BISBEE AZ

INSPIRATION

QUICK PHOTO TIP - Gather up your gear. Head out the door. Walk out into your community. Find something that really, really inspires you. Photograph it five different ways. Then find something that inspires you even more. Repeat the previous exercise. Then repeat that same exercise several more times. Inspiration is the key word here. Larry Elkins Elkinsphotos Fine Art Photography

WHEN THE GREEN EYED MONSTER REARS ITS UGLY HEAD

WHY DIDN'T HE BUY MY PHOTOGRAPH? WHY DID HE HAVE TO GO AND BUY THE OTHER GUY'S PHOTOGRAPH? The other day, I was manning the floor at Bisbee's BizzArt Gallery when a group of visitors showed a great amount of interest in fellow photographer John Annnesley's photographs of abandoned, slowly deteriorating vehicles. As they were oohing and ahing over John's photographs, I commented, "Well, as a photographer, I can tell you this. I hate him." I then laughed. John and I are friends. I have a huge amount of respect for John's photography. My comment was made in jest. However, I have, unfortunately, encountered artists who quite seriously exhibit symptoms of jealousy when it comes to other artists' work. It's easy to fall into the WHY trap. Why did so-and-so buy John's photograph and not mine? Why did that person brag on Judy's photograph and not mine? Our fellow artists are in reality not our competitors. My photograph is not going to sell just because your photograph didn't. Art is a subjective commodity. An object of art will sell when that particular piece appeals to a particular potential buyer. Each shot you take is a chance to create something that will speak to that someone out there who is waiting to purchase an art object that speaks to that particular prospective buyer. So don't blame the other guy's artistic talent for your art not selling. Instead, work on developing your own talent and technique. Don't let the infamous green eyed monster rear its ugly head. Compete with yourself. Create a work of art that reflects talent and hard work. Do that often enough and a significant number of your artworks will connect with potential purchasers. If you fall short, the error is yours, not some other artist who is selling well. Larry Elkins Elkinsphotos Fine Art Photography