Brian Carey Photography Blog

Lightroom 4

2012-02-06T21:48:00.003-03:30

One of the most exciting changes introduced in Lightroom 4 is the ability to “selectively” apply white balance, noise reduction and a variety of other adjustments to a image. That is, the adjustment no longer has to be applied globally but can be localized using the adjustment brush.

Take for example:

BEAUTY

The ability to make selective adjustments is great when you are in an environment with multiple light sources of different color temperatures. If I wanted, I could use the adjustment brush to apply a daylight color temperature, shifting the warm light on her right side (from a street light) to a daylight color temperature. Balancing the light more to the flash used as the main light source.

Often the exposure on night and twilight landscape images can be very contrasty and beyond the capabilities of any cameras sensor. Using Lightroom 4 we will be able to apply noise reduction to the shadow areas only. We will no longer have to apply it to the whole image affecting the over all image quality.

MOONLIGHTS END

This is a great example where I could selectively adjust the color temperature of the light on the ship (it is lit by a street light) and apply noise reduction where I need it, in the shadows on the rocks.

Among other things you will find in Lightroom 4 are improved chromatic aberration correction, important to users of wide angle lenses, and a new processing engine.

If you would like to download the beta version of Lightroom 4 click here. And if you got any questions please don’t hesitate to ask.

Thank you for stopping by!

Film Strip Tutorial

2012-01-30T16:46:00.005-03:30

I had been meaning to post this for a while now, it’s always nice to acknowledge people who help you, a simple thank you can go a long way. Additionally a few people have asked me about the different film strip photos I use to lead the HTML5 slideshow on my home page. This post should help with both.

My Newfoundland theme film strip photo

The film strip tutorial is compliments of Gavin Hoey, you can visit his website by clicking here!
Gavin is an excellent instructor and has a lot of Photoshop and photography videos to share. You can learn a lot from him. Thanks Gavin!

Gavin's Tutorial

And thank you for dropping by! :-)

Night Photography Workshops

2012-01-20T11:49:00.001-03:30

Do you want to learn how to make stunning photographs? Do you want to do it in a small group where you can explore, create and learn at your own pace under the guidance of an experienced professional photographer? Join me and have lots of fun learning how to make better images through solid principles of photography.

Our Night Photography Workshops are held at Cape Spear Newfoundland, the most easterly point in Canada. Photographing at night is an awe-inspiring and wonderful experience. This is the second year for these workshops, last year as was photographed the stars we could hear the whales spouting in the waters alongside, it was an amazing experience. Please “click here” to check out the night photography gallery on my website for examples of this unique photographic experience.

Only two night photography workshops are scheduled at this time, July 21 and July 28 2012. If there is the interest I will look into scheduling more. Please feel free to "contact me" at for more information.

Cape Spear Night Photography Workshops

Saturday July 21 and July 28, 2012 - 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Don’t know if you are ready to learn night photography? Don’t worry I will help you set your exposure and operate your camera and answer any questions you might have. All you will need to get started is a camera with manual exposure and a tripod. These workshops are scheduled to last for 2 to 3 hours and cost $50 each plus tax per participant. This price does not include transportation.

To Register please fill out the form below. Please note payment must be made to complete the registration process. You can pay using major credit cards using the "Buy Now" button below. Once payment is received you will receive a confirmation email from us. Thank You!

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

A limited number of workshops are planned and a small number of openings are available, be sure to register soon so you won’t be disappointed.

Photo Skills: Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced

Photo Therapy

2012-01-07T20:18:00.004-03:30

I hadn’t though about photography as having any therapeutic value until a couple of years ago when I was in Vancouver and was befriended by a gentleman who like myself had a keen interest in photography. He was in his 40s and was well into a technology career at the time. He was involved in a type of work which led to a sedentary lifestyle of very limited physical activity. Recently he fell in love with photography and his new activity had him out hiking and exploring. We spent about 5 hours that evening and night roaming around Stanley Park, practicing night photography, having fun and learning.

Vancouver City

Even thought I had done a wide variety of work over the past 30 years I still identify myself as a landscape photographer for the most part. I practice landscape photography solely for enjoyment. Landscape photography means personal time and I’ve often thought of it as a kind of meditation. It’s my time. It’s a chance for me to focus on my photography and enjoy my environment. I’m in the moment without distraction. I just love sitting on a cliff edge over looking the ocean to enjoy the wind blowing in my face. It’s as if Mother Nature is reaching out caressing you! That’s freedom! That’s life!

Yours Truly Enjoying the View at Outer Cove, Newfoundland

Some people love photography for its social opportunities and join photography clubs or get together with friends for photo walks. There are so many ways to have fun!

One of the most recent projects I had been involved in was the first Help-Portrait in St John’s Newfoundland. Help-Portrait is all about giving but what I found was that the other volunteers and myself were still beaming, and had a bounce in our steps, days after the event. While I though we would find it rewarding I didn’t think we’d get so excited about it and after talking to others weeks after they are still excited and can’t wait for next year. Yeah, happiness is contagious!

Having said all this I haven’t even mentioned the creative outlet photography provides. Well as Henry David Thoreau put it: “The world is but a canvas to the imagination.”

So what do you like photography? Love to hear from you!

High ISO Portraiture

2011-12-29T08:14:00.001-03:30

I think my journey into “High ISO Portraiture” began, or at least the seed was planted, many years ago watching television. The memorable scene was a shot of people in the back seat of a car, I liked to look beyond the subjects out the window at the out of focus lights in the background. I was later to learn these out of focus lights are called bokeh. Now bokeh can mean different things to different people but for me, at least in this respect, it refers to the shape or character of the out of focus lights. I will write a blog post on bokeh in the near future but for now, well let’s digress.

In this case bokeh is characterized by what f/stop you use, the focal length of the lens and the distance between the camera and the light.

Shape

The shape of the bokeh are indicative of the aperture shape. When the lens is wide open the out of focus light will be round. However sometimes you have to stop down a little when you need a little dept of field.

@f/4.5

Notice the octagonal shape of the light.

Size

The size of the bokeh is dependent on two things. The distance the lights are from the camera position and the magnification of the lens. The closer the lights the larger the bokeh and the larger the telephoto the larger the bokeh.

Focal Length 140 mm (full frame)

Focal Length 70 mm (full frame)

Fun with Bokeh - Focal Length 200 mm (full frame)

Subject exposure for these images was achieved using TTL flash with either an 18 inch softbox or shoot thru umbrella. The high iso allowed me use the “ambient” street lights as fill.

There are many elements and factors to consider when shooting High ISO Portraiture, to many to post all here. You would need a book to cover them all, hope you liked this introduction. Thank you for stopping by!

Here’s Looking at You Kid

2011-12-11T07:42:00.003-03:30

One for my favourite techniques for getting the great shot is anticipation. This is a great technique to practice when photographing people, animals; I even use it these days when I am shooting landscapes waiting for the right moment for a bird to fly gracefully into the frame, where I want it. Many people with their 8 or 10 frames per second machine gun cameras might disagree. But machine gunning a shot can become a lazy habit, may mean you miss the shot and will prevent you from learning the skill of anticipation.

The Newfoundland Lynx

Not only would I argue that machine gunning a shot will keep you from improving as a photographer it will often mean you miss “the” shot. Anticipation is product of study and patience and will develop over time. Also it is something you will enjoy and improve at the more you practice.

Otto

The element of luck will creep into the situation from time to time. But to put that into perspective I love the quote from Stephen Leacock: "I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it".

Want to be a great photographer? The time honoured answered to that question would be to practice honing you skills.

Thank you for stopping by!

Help-Portrait St John’s video

2011-12-04T19:48:00.000-03:30

In case you missed it here is a short 2 minute and 14 second video from Help-Portrait St John’s which took place at the Salvation Army New Hope Community Centre in downtown St John's on December 3, 2011. It was a very rewarding experience and we're already planning for 2012.

To find out more and keep up to date please click here to visit our Facebook page.

Thank you for stopping by! :-)

Yuri Arcurs

2011-11-25T19:00:00.002-03:30

I thought I’d write a few blog post’s about photographers who have influenced me over the years. Of course it is their great photography which attracted me to them and fortunately they are often willing to share their techniques and ideas. One of these photographers is Yuri Arcurs who is at the top of his game as the number one stock photographer in the world. One thing that has helped Yuri achieve this success is his attention to detail. He studies, analyses and determines the best method to achieve the highest quality images.

For example, Yuri doesn’t mind saying for certain that you cannot take a sharp portrait handheld, you just can’t do it. He goes on to say that if you’re getting sharp images shooting free hand “your lucky” and that you will increase your percentage of sharp images using a monopod. Actually with some of the portrait work I’ve been doing recently, where I need slow shutter speeds to soak up as much ambient light as possible, I needed a tripod.

Another thing Yuri talks about is what might at first seem like a very simple idea, pressing the shutter button. I hadn’t given this much thought in the past but it was easy to see how you could refine this action to minimize camera movement.

The technique is simple; you move only your forefinger. People, me included, tend to squeeze their hand, creating a slight jerking motion. Anybody into target shooting will know what I’m talking about and probably have practiced this technique to reduce rifle movement to improve their marksmanship.

It’s so great to come across someone who talks about these refinements; there are a lot of great photographers out there and there is always something to learn.

Check out Yuri’s website where he shares many of his thoughts on photography.

Thank you for stopping by! :-)

A Mummer Ate My Camera

2011-11-24T16:52:00.000-03:30

I went to the St John’s Mummers Parade on Saturday (December 17, 2011) and to no ones surprise it was a colourful and fun time. It’s great to see this tradition alive and well in Newfoundland. We all deserve a break from the hustle and bustle of modern life. Taking some time to have some fun is a great way to relieve stress and spend time with family and friends.

A snap of the Victim taking a few snaps………..

Photo courtesy of Laurie Wallace

A few random pictures from the parade.

A Fire Breathing Horse

The Hobby Horse goes gulp gulp!

Photo courtesy of Laurie Wallace

For more on the tradition of Mummering in Newfoundland please click here to visit the Mummers Festival website.

Light Drag

2011-11-18T18:13:00.004-03:30

Light Drag, like Flash Drag (more on that in another post) is about moving the camera during exposure. There are a number of ways you can do this and the effects can be stunning, pretty cool or perhaps just worth the value of learning something new. You never know exactly what you might come up with and for that reason alone it can be a lot of fun.

The significant difference between Light Drag and Flash Drag is that with Light Drag you would be using ambient light, one light source. With Flash Drag you would be using two light sources flash and ambient light for exposure and effect

Light Drag is the more difficult of the two because camera movement must be segmented into (at least) two distinct steps otherwise all you will get is a streak of light and no defined subject. Light Drag would also be used with longer exposure speeds, for example 1 second or longer.

The Technique:
If you want to focus on a subject matter in your image there will have to be some delay in your exposure movement. So for example during a 4 second exposure you might want to delay your movement a second or two before you move your camera to distinctly capture the subject. This delay could be placed anywhere in the exposure, but I’ve found it would be best placed at the beginning or end.

Also movement can be achieved in a number of ways including horizontal, vertical or diagonal panning or zooming. A tripod is an essential tool for this type of work. Following is one of my zoom shots...........

Zoom at the Rooms

Like I said one fun things about this is that you never know exactly what your going to come up with and with a little practice and a unique location you could create some captivating images.

Please share your experiences, it would be great to learn and hear from you!

My City

2011-10-31T07:39:00.002-02:30

A very informative post on National Geographic about my hometown St John’s Newfoundland, I thought I’d share it with you. The title of the post ”I Heart My City: Karen’s St. John’s, Newfoundland”.

Harbour Twilight

There is a lot of insight and useful information for anyone visiting this beautiful, colourful and friendly city. If you have any questions, please ask away I will be happy to answer.

Greetings from Canada's Far East! :-)

Elements of Exposure

2011-10-17T15:10:00.004-02:30

It seems from my workshops this year that one of the concepts of photography people have some trouble with is exposure. So I thought I write a post on the subject.

Exposure can be controlled by:

Shutter Speed
Aperture
ISO

Please Note:
The terms stop and f-stop can sometimes be used interchangeably in reference to exposure whereas f-stop is also used to describe the lens aperture setting. In either case we are talking exposure.

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SHUTTER SPEED
The length of time the shutter is opened, exposing the sensor to light. The sensor, or image sensor, is the electronic chip which “records” the image; it is this sensor which replaced film. The longer the shutter is open the greater the amount of light reaching and exposing the sensor.

APERTURE OR F-STOP
The iris or opening of the lens which allows light through. The wider the iris opens the more light is allowed to reach the sensor. Think of it as the iris or more specifically the pupil in your eye. When you go into a dark room your iris expands to let in more light so you can see. Inversely when the light is bright your iris contracts to reduce the light. Aperture is referred to in terms of f-stops and in today’s nomenclature a larger number f-stop say f8 is smaller when compared to f1.4, which is a larger aperture.

ISO
The sensitivity of the image sensor. With film it was referred to as film speed. Simply put the lower the ISO the less sensitive the sensor is to light, the higher the ISO the more sensitive the sensor is to light.

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Putting it all together

A stop also sometimes referred to an f-stop is half or doubling the light reaching the sensor.

In terms of shutter speed, moving from one of these values to another is one stop adjustment. So doubling or halving the shutter speed is ONE stop.

1/125 1/250 1/500 1/1000 1/2000

In terms of aperture moving from one of these values is an adjustment of one stop.

1.4 2.0 2.8 4 5.6 8 11 16 22

In this case f8 lets in half the light of f5.6 and twice the light as f11. Numbers wise doubling or halving the f-stop number is TWO stops adjustment (for example f5.6 to f11 is two stops).

In terms of ISO, moving from one of these values to another is one stop adjustment. So doubling or halving the ISO is ONE stop, as is the case for shutter speed.

100 200 400 800 1600

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Here’s how I remember it. If you double or half your shutter speed or ISO you are making a one stop adjustment. If you double or half your f-stop number, then this is a two stop adjustment.

I tried to make this as simple as possible while providing a minimal technical data. It often takes people some time to understand this or think this way. So don’t sweat it and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Bonavista

2011-10-07T19:45:00.000-02:30

Bonavista is one of my favourite places to photograph. It is located on the tip of the Bonavista Peninsula about a three hour drive from St John’s, the capital of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador Canada.

As a landscape photographer I am most attracted to it’s amazing shores. It must have stricken terror in the eyes of mariners; it is a rugged coastline of stunning natural beauty.

These first four images are taken in and around Dungeon Provincial Park

Bonavista is one of the oldest settlements on the northeast coast and still retains much of its small town historic charm.

And then there are the animals. Bonavista has a large public pasture adjacent to Dungeon Provincial Park. In (and sometimes outside) and around the pasture you will find horses, sheep and goats graze. I’ve personally had a few interesting experiences with the animals.

Hope you enjoyed the images!

Graduated Neutral Density Filters

2011-09-24T14:00:00.005-02:30

Graduated neutral density filters, sometimes called split neutral density filters or grad nd’s, come in a variety of shapes, sizes and densities and are used mostly by landscape photographers to control the exposure range of an image. One half of the filter is of a neutral density which reduces the exposure of bright areas to reduce or eliminate clipping. Some would say it extends the dynamic range of your camera and I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with that but it might be more correct to say they reign in the exposure latitude by creating a manageable balance between the highlights and shadows.

The filters typically come in 4 stop (1.2), 3 stop (0.9), 2 stop (0.6) and 1 stop (0.3) densities and are hard-split or soft-split. Hard split have a more defined abrupt transition from nd to clear whereas soft split have a more gradual transition. These filters come in square, rectangular and screw-on. The rectangular filters are most popular as they allow you the freedom to move the transition in the frame whereas the transition on screw-on filters is fixed, it will remain in the middle of the frame.

There are considerable resources already on the web about these filters so rather than repeat all that I thought I’d continue on with some advanced techniques you can use when using these filters.

Techniques – Aperture

The use of aperture is more distinct when shooting with hard-split rather than soft-split filters. Simply put by opening wide you can soften the transition and closing down will show the transition to be more defined. This is an image I shot with a 1.2 hard split nd grad……

“A New Day Begins……”

Techniques - Stacking Filters

You can create a variety of combinations of grads by stacking filters. Stacking filters means sandwiching two or more filters together, using their combined densities to achieve the exposure control you desire. For example by stacking a 0.9 and a 0.6 here I came up with a 5 stop nd grad……

“Morning Has Broken”

Many variations of stacking can be accomplished for example if the filters are large enough you can stagger their transitions.

Techniques - Feathering

Other techniques would include “feathering” where by you move the filter as the image is exposed. This would be effective when a slower shutter speed is used and can be used to soften or create a larger edge.

This is an image I shot to show the comparison between single filters and stacked filters using a 0.9 and 0.6 soft split filters.

There are also other types of nd grads as variable, Center-spot and reverse nd grads but these are less common and perhaps a topic for another day.

If you have any questions, would like to provide some input or wish to discuss this further please leave a comment I will get back to you. Thank You for stopping by!

Help-Portrait St John’s

2011-09-04T16:30:00.000-02:30

We had a great day yesterday at the first Help-Portrait St John’s event. We photographed 53 people and gave away about 100 prints. I would like to thank Major Hedley Bungay and the Salvation Army New Hope Community Centre for providing the venue. And thank you to all the volunteers and sponsors. Sponsors included Henry’s Photo , Newfoundland and Labrador Credit Union , Print Monkey and Tim Hortons.

I would also like to extend a very grateful thank you to April Pink who not only was our makeup artist but used her own supplies for the event. Please checkout our Help-Portrait St John’s Facebook page for more information!

I’ve had some lovely correspondence since the event and it’s great to know we had a positive influence in someone’s life. Looks like we’ll be doing it again next year!

Fall Photography Workshop

2011-09-02T19:02:00.007-02:30

Bowring Park Fall Photography Workshop

Sunday October 16, 2011 - 9:00 am to 11:00 am

Do you want to learn how to make stunning photographs? Do you want to do it in a small, intimate photo workshop where you can explore, create and learn using the guidance of an experienced professional photographer?

Join Brian Carey and have lots of fun learning how to better make images through solid principles of photography. Learn composition, lighting, technique and colour. Brian will also share his experience with you and answer any questions you might have.

These workshops are scheduled to take advantage of the very best conditions for a photographic outing, when the lighting conditions are best. They are scheduled to last for 2 to 3 hours and cost $50, plus tax, per participant. This price does not include transportation.

A limited number of workshops are planned and a small number of openings are available, be sure to register soon so you won’t be disappointed. Join us at beautiful Bowring Park, St John’s Newfoundland, as we explore the flora, fauna, waterways and wildlife the Waterford Valley has to offer.

To Register please fill out the form below. Please note payment must be made to complete the registration process. You can pay using major credit cards using the "Buy Now" button below. Once payment is received you will receive a confirmation email from us. Thank You!

Join us at beautiful Bowring Park, St John’s Newfoundland, as we explore the wonderful fall colours the Waterford Valley has to offer.

To Register please fill out the form below. Please note payment must be made to complete the registration process. You can pay using major credit cards using the "Buy Now" button below. Once payment is received you will receive a confirmation email from us. Thank You!

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Photo Skills: Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced

Creative Exposure

2011-08-28T12:43:00.002-02:30

Sometimes it’s not a matter of where or when you take a shot but it’s simply a matter of exposure. As amazing as our eye’s are you can create images beyond your eye’s capacity to see it. The flexibility of variable iso’s on digital cameras has launched many new creative possibilities.

Take for example..........

"Moonlight Over Motion Bay"

Here a near full moon provides all the luminance needed. Being able to take photographs under these conditions is one thing I love about digital, it provides avenues of creativity film never could. But lets look farther into the heavens………….

"Heaven’s Gate"

I have had this image in my head for years but I had one problem trying to create it. The issue was, “how do I control the ambient light”? Of course you use shutter speed to control ambient light but if I left my shutter open for an hour or so the city lights would blow out most of the frame. I only became aware of the possibilities of image stacking when I started studying Time lapse photography this year. With this technique I could control the ambient light by breaking it down into multiple images. I had been aware of image stacking for years but never understood this aspect of it, until now!

Where is the best place to photograph? The question usually is “I’m going to “such and such a place,” where’s the best place to get a great shot”? My answer used to be more of a matter of “when will you be there”. I mean light is the answer of course, but lets stretch this a bit, exposure is what matters! I mean how you expose, exposure in itself s a creative license.

After all I am a “Chase the Light” kind of guy, but sometimes it’s a matter of exposure, creative exposure.

Win a Free Portrait Session

2011-08-05T18:18:00.005-02:30

Hi everyone I am offering a chance to win a free portrait session. This would be available to anyone, a single gal, a single guy, a couple, a family or any combination there-off. I would offer to hold the session anywhere in the St John’s metro area for this offer. If you live outside St John’s you can make the trip there and have the session at an outdoor location or at my studio.

All you got to do is press “Like” and comment here. Be sure to do both, I will need it to register you for the draw. Draw date is September 30 2011, don’t miss out on this $200 value. We could schedule shortly thereafter, perhaps a lovely fall portrait at a local park?

I would like the option of using the portraits as a part of my portfolio and will provide one free 8x10 print of the session, other prints can be purchased on my website.

Please remember you must press “Like” and comment here. I need this in order to be sure to register you name.

It costs you nothing to enter and you could end up with the portrait of a lifetime!

Sorry family members or employees not eligible.

One Life

2011-07-30T11:29:00.002-02:30

I usually don’t enter photography competitions for a few reasons. Whether you like something or not is a relative subjective thing, it's personal and basing the value of something on the opinions of others can take the enjoyment out of photography. But I can’t deny the benefits of the major competitions. There is a business side to “success” in the field and winning one of these can certainly help with that. Oh how I admire people who only do things solely for the love of it! Kudos to you!

Are far as competitions go the One Life International Photography Competition is one I couldn’t pass up. I decided to enter two images “Cabot Tower Drive” and “Heading out this Morning” (taken at Petty Harbour Newfoundland).

Cabot Tower Drive

Winning one of the major competitions can be a great boost to ones artistic career. Aside from the prize money it would open doors and perhaps allow one to move beyond their dreams.

Please click here to view my entries.

Heading out this Morning

If you could please take a minute and vote for me. All you got to do is click on "Vote for Me" at the top of the page, I'd appreciate it very much. Help me bring Newfoundland to the world.

Photography History and Appreciation Workshop

2011-07-23T13:39:00.002-02:30

Are you interested in Photography History or perhaps just want to learn more about this wonderful art? If so then you might want to consider the "Photography History and Appreciation Workshop" being held at Memorial Universities Lifelong Learning Division this October in St John’s Newfoundland. This workshop will be facilitated by Edith Cuerrier , MA (Photo Preservation and Collections Management).

The workshop will comprise of 4 classes and take place on Wednesdays, October 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2011. Time is from 7 to 9 p.m.

To register, contact MUN Lifelong Learning Division at 709 864 7979 or email

Chasing Rainbows

2011-07-05T13:39:00.015-02:30

Perhaps one of my favorite pleasures of practicing photography is that it helps connect me with my world, it teaches me to appreciate it more. Because of it I’ve learned so much about nature; much more than I would have otherwise. As the eminent physicist Richard Feynman called it the “Inconceivable nature of nature”. It is often inspiring to experience nature’s wonders.

I’ve been going through my old photography magazines from the ’80’s and ’90’s recently. Like so many of us these days my house is becoming more and more cluttered and I have to do something about it and I was wondering if these magazines had any more use, which leads me to this.

My enjoyment of photography and nature is not the only reason I enjoyed the work of the late Galen Rowell, I also appreciated his insights. The April 1991 edition of Outdoor Photographer is one example.

Galen writes about rainbows and points out that rainbows form as “Arcs with a radius of 42 degrees around the anti-solar point appear directly opposite the sun”. I know I read this article back in 1991 but I think this time the point made will stick with me.

So if your out during a light shower or sprinkle of rain on an otherwise sunny day look in the direction opposite the sun and if the conditions are right you’ll be able to enjoy the “Inconceivable nature of nature”.

Thank you for stopping by! :-)

Wedding Photography

2011-06-26T13:08:00.004-02:30

When I decided to get back into Wedding Photography last year I did so after considerable thought. I had been doing wedding photography before and had to give it up for a while because of other commitments so I had the experience to know it is very demanding.

In my opinion a GOOD wedding photographer has to be very knowledgeable in the craft, very knowledgeable. He/She has to be able to go from set to set, location to location and immediately set up the composition by positioning the people in the shot and light it creatively.

Unfortunately not all wedding photographer see it this way. Often wedding photography is approached casually and often time’s beginners think you need a camera, a flash and away you go. Using techniques like on-camera flash is a sure recipe for mediocre or poor photography. Another important issue is not only the quality of equipment but also the quantity. Recently I know of one wedding day where things went terribly wrong. The photographer only had one camera and it failed and they were not able to get another to finish up the day. It’s easy to feel bad for the wedding couple but it’s something people should be aware of. Caveat emptor!

My approach is to make artistic, elegant images. I’m not using this as a tagline. I truly want to make images that are artistic and elegant. So wedding photography might be hard work but it’s also an opportunity for me to create beautiful work. It’s a magnificent creative outlet.

Thank You for stopping by! :-)

Photography Gift Certificates

2011-06-16T19:22:00.000-02:30

I’ve had some inquires from people wanting to give gift certificates for photography training this holiday season and I thought it was a great idea. I decided to offer three and these gift certificates can be used for either private training sessions or workshops.

I will be scheduling at least two maybe three workshops in 2012. If I have the demand, I will schedule more. Private training can be scheduled to fit both of our calendars and will be designed to help you learn camera operation, composition and technique. I’ll be happy to accommodate you in any way I can.

Please note these gift certificates can be purchased and used at any time throughout the year.

Sunrise at Cape Bonavista

$50 +HST Gift Certificate

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$100 +HST Gift Certificate

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$200 +HST Gift Certificate

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How to redeem your gift certificate:

Once you have purchased your Gift Certificate you can register for a workshop or request private training by email at brian@briancareyphotography.com
Select PayPal as your payment option. Log in to your account. You must have or register for a PayPal account to redeem this gift certificate.
When prompted, enter your gift certificate redemption code and follow the last steps to redeem your gift certificate.

Thank you for stopping by!

Avalon Peninsula

2011-06-12T11:10:00.002-02:30

From the November-December 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler,
National Geographic voted the Avalon Peninsula the number one Coastal Destination. A panel of 340 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship rates this geographically and culturally representative sample of the world’s waterside locales. I know of lot of people who would agree.

Admiring Amherst

“Admiring Amherst” was taken on the Cabot Tower trail in St John’s, over looking the harbour entrance and Fort Amherst lighthouse.

The area’s beauty is not limited to the city. Take for example……

Beautiful Brigus

If I had to pick the storybook Newfoundland community I would pick Brigus. I just love its little canals and tiny narrow streets!

Yeah the Avalon Peninsula is a great place.

One Cool Photo Session

2011-05-29T10:53:00.002-02:30

Often times you have to make the best of what you are dealt when doing outdoor portraiture in Newfoundland. Even in late May it can be cold and after a long winter the joy of spring longs to bubble to the surface. Our climate is rather unpredictable and we could have a cool spring, being located in the middle of the North Atlantic we are at the mercy of the ocean currents. For the record St John’s is at the same latitude, 47 north, as Seattle and further south than Paris but the climate is much more extreme than in those cities. Anyway, chin-up, on with the show.

This is an engagement photo session I did with Michelle and Randy in Bowring Park just recently. It’s just 4 weeks before the big day and you can feel their excitement!

Michelle and Randy had moved away to work and were in town for a weekend visit, we only had one opportunity to get some engagement shots. Despite the 3 degree Celsius temperature the mood was warm and jovial.

Their chemistry was obvious, congratulations to you both!

See you on your big day in June!

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage”. Lao Tzu

Photography Workshops

2011-04-17T14:15:00.030-02:30

Do you want to learn how to make stunning photographs? Do you want to do it in a small, intimate photo workshop where you can explore, create and learn using the guidance of an experienced professional photographer?

Join Brian Carey and have lots of fun learning how to better make images through solid principles of photography. Learn composition, lighting, technique and colour. Brian will also share his experience with you and answer any questions you might have.

These workshops are scheduled to take advantage of the very best conditions for a photographic outing, when the lighting conditions are best. They are scheduled to last for 2 to 3 hours and cost $50, plus tax, per participant. This price does not include transportation.

A limited number of workshops are planned and a small number of openings are available, be sure to register soon so you won’t be disappointed.

Bowring Park Spring Workshop

Sunday June 19, 2011 - 9:00 am to 11:00 am

Join us at beautiful Bowring Park, St John’s Newfoundland, as we explore the flora, fauna, waterways and wildlife the Waterford Valley has to offer.

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Cape Spear Night Photography Workshop

Saturday July 23, 2011 - 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Join us at Cape Spear, the most easterly point in Canada as we photograph the landscape, the seascape and the night sky. Photographing at night is for most an awe inspiring and wonderful experience. To see more of my night photography portfolio follow this link

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Bowring Park Fall Workshop

Sunday October 16, 2011 - 9:00 am to 11:00 am

Join us at beautiful Bowring Park, St John’s Newfoundland, as we explore the wonderful fall colours the Waterford Valley has to offer.

To Register please fill out the form below. Please note payment must be made to complete the registration process. You can pay using major credit cards using the "Buy Now" button below. Once payment is received you will receive a confirmation email from us. Thank You!

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Photo Skills: Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced

With Me Rubber Boots On

2011-04-09T19:50:00.006-02:30

Some of the questions I get about my photographs are for the most part about the location of the photograph. Of course I am free with that and will often post it online with the image. I also like to keep the EXIF data attached so people can check out the exposure settings. In addition if anybody has any questions please ask away I’ll be happy to answer.

I managed to get these shots using what I think is one of my top photography accessories, my rubber boots. One example of using these boots is "Still Waters at Forest Pond". By wearing these boots I was able to get the perspective I wanted. These boots allowed me to enter the water, move up to the dory and get into the position I needed.

Perspective…………………

Still Waters at Forest Pond

In the case of the eagle, I needed my boots to enable me to get into position to get the good light. I was able to walk out into the water and photograph the bird, having the sun rising over my shoulder bathing the eagle with a warm beautiful light. Without these boots I would have shot the eagle from the shore where the it would be backlit. I was able to “put” the light where I wanted.

Light…………………

Sunrise in a Eagles Eye

When I’m out and about shooting on wet terrain my rubber boots may be my number one photography accessory. Without these boots I could not have gotten these images. They allowed me to position my camera where the light was best and help me achieve the composition and perspective I wanted.

Thanks for stopping by.

Help-Portrait

2011-04-02T11:49:00.007-02:30

It's a go the first Help-Portrait St John’s is scheduled for December 3, 2011 coinciding with the worldwide event. The 2009 event, the first, involved 3400 photographers, 5000 volunteers, in 42 countries at 543 locations giving away over 41,000 portraits. We are still waiting on 2010 numbers and as expected it was even a bigger event.

The Help-Portrait is about giving to those in need. The comment “Help-Portrait is a gift” is my favorite quote from the 2009 Help-Portrait video.

Help-Portrait can turn someone’s world upside down. Focusing on many who are usually ignored and forgotten in our society, it is they who become the center of attention and are made to feel special. It is a chance for those of us most fortunate to give a little something back to our community.

Imagine the power to make someone feel special. :-)

If you are not familiar with Help-Portrait or want more information this intro video is a great place to start.

Help-Portrait 2010 Intro Video

For more information on Help-Portrait St John’s please click here to visit our blog .

We need volunteers and sponsors. If you could pass this along through your social media that would be a great help. Click here to go to our members Help-Portrait page . The more volunteers we have the greater the success this will be.

Thank You. Looking forward to a most rewarding day!

The Lighthouse Keeper

2011-03-25T09:31:00.026-02:30

Two of my favorite photography books are Joe McNaly’s "The Moment It Clicks" and "The Hot Shoe Diaries".

For those of you who don’t know who Joe McNally is he is an internationally acclaimed photographer and photojournalist who from 1994 to 1998 worked as LIFE magazine's staff photographer. He has shot cover stories for Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, Geo, Fortune, New York, Business Week, LIFE and Men's Journal, among others. Joe is a wealth of experience and knowledge when it comes to photography.

Not only did I learn a lot from Joe I got the idea for these photos while reading "The Hot Shoe Diaries" I came across one image of a lighthouse keeper Joe did for a workshop and I knew of a former lighthouse keeper who was about to retire and I thought it would be a great idea as a retirement portrait. The title of the piece in the book is “Make the SUNRISE”. Only thing I didn’t use a gold reflector as Joe did I used a flash with a ¼ cto gel. I also had the additional problem of an overcast sky which meant I had to adjust the ambient light exposure to keep the sky from blowing out.

Adieu Mr Cantwell

These books changed me as a photographer, teaching me not to be so “traditional” as far as my exposures go. Years ago I would never consider adding artificial light to anything other than a portrait but a simple change in attitude has opened creative doors and possibilities.

Joe does tend to push product and brand names in his writings. Certainly it would be great to get the gear Joe advertises but in most cases much cheaper options are available. Heck, if you need a gel, a piece of colored plastic, i. e. an old plastic bag might do the job. Good thing if you’re a photographer for the love of it, you’re free to try anything and then maybe you can teach the rest of us something.

Both books are anecdotal and humorous. I really like the fact that Joe does not go into too many technical details, no need to. He continuously stresses having fun with your photography, his insights are expressed playfully and you end up coming away knowing how he created the shot.

This is Gerry Cantwell. Gerry is the sixth generation of Cantwell's to work at and look after Cape Spear Lighthouse's. The old Cape Spear lighthouse is seen here. Over the last number of years Gerry held the position of Supervisor Lightstation Operations for the Newfoundland and Labrador Region of the Canadian Coast Guard in St John's.

Gerry

My view on lighting these days is if you can get the shot with natural light then get it. If you think you might like some flash fill or flash as main, do it! Do what it takes to get the shot. Free yourself from your past ideas or those others may impose on you.

If you are interested in learning photography or advancing your skill level, I highly recommend these books!

I'm planning to post some of my photography insights each weekend here on my blog. Please drop by for a read and share your experiences.

The Power of Art Photography

2011-03-20T12:51:00.014-02:30

Writing this blog has become a bit of an eye opener. It has caused me to think about why I do what I do and to evaluate the value of it. I do enjoy so many aspects of photography the creative aspect, the ability to record our environment and capture history. The inspiration I get from other photographers whom I admire. But I still find myself asking; what am I trying to create? Who am I creating for? Have I become a connoisseur of pretty pictures?

Photography can be a medium of considerable significance. Photography can bite, it can be real, it can be personal, it can have great impact. The work of Robert Capa, Steve MeCurry and Frans Lanting comes to mind.

Speaking of impact I came across this video on TED Talk and I was just amazed at the power of photography!

Use art to turn the world inside out

Some people may call this the Power of Art. But I think when it comes to great photography, the photography at hand becomes a monument to our world. No other art can bring us the raw dramatic impact the way photography can. All the same I don’t care to call photography, art. The traditional art of painting in it’s evolution to “Modern Art” has become a medium of flatulence and opulence. Please take the time to watch the video and enjoy The Power of Photography!

Taking it to the Streets

2011-03-12T12:09:00.012-03:30

Two summers ago I was making one of my rounds around town admiring one of my
usual jaunts and I struck up a conversation with a gentleman. He was a retired firefighter
who enjoyed photography himself and we talked about photography in general, the local
scenery and street photography. I told him I was thinking about moving out of my
comfort zone and heading downtown to photograph people. He told me he had recently
been at a local credit union office and seen hanging on the walls portraits of people who
where often seen around town 30 or 40 years ago. People like “Buckey King”, a man I
remember seeing there when I was a boy. While I had feelings of nostalgia I also had a
more urgent feeling, after all these people are all gone now. This conversation ignited me
to hit the streets and give it a go. I went away thinking I wish I had taken a portrait of
“Hobo Bill” when he was alive! Now that’s character!

………. As you can see here I also decided to photograph the buskers.

Banjo Blues

I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. I would only take a persons portrait if they agreed
and thought most people would say no. But to my surprise, of the dozens of people I
photographed so far only two said no. And I’m certain they did so thinking they wouldn’t
like what they saw. One of these men was selling newspapers on Water Street when I was
a boy 40 years ago and he’s still there.

I’ve got to figure out a way to get this man to agree without pestering him to much. I’ve
explained to him I will only show his portrait if he looks “good”. Telling him that I’ve
taken a page from Stanley Kubrick’s book, how he used to use perspective (a low angle
of view) to “raise the status” of people. I’ve also begun to carry along a portfolio of a
dozen portraits, showing him I am only interested in capturing the human side of people.
I just want to demonstrate to people that we are all so much alike.

Joe

This is Joe. I saw him Friday March 11, 2011 and he didn’t look very good.

Not surprisingly there has been a learning curve for me. Street photography is different
from wedding photography and portraiture where I have experience. In those cases the
session is planned, thought-out by both parties. Street photography, or in this case street
portraiture, is spontaneous. When you are moving about looking for people the setting is
constantly changing. You usually only have a few seconds to get the shot, this is a
challenge and a challenge means an opportunity to learn, something I enjoy.

This is a portrait of Steve using flash @ 1/6000 second. Steve is a talented guitarist and
has cd’s published which he often has with him for sale.

Downtown Vibe

The challenge was mostly a preparation issue for me. I had to be ready to add a little flash
if needed. On camera flash, absolutely not. On camera flash is a recipe for mediocre,
poor work. And add to this I might have to use high speed sync flash so I would have to
upgrade my radio flash triggers or go with a cable. This year I will go with manual mode
as I almost always do which means pre-metering. I though about going to aperture
priority mode but I don’t want the camera “taking over the exposure”, I want compete
control. Challenges and an opportunity to learn, why I love photography.

The Accordionist

If I take their portrait I usually buy them a sandwich and an orange juice. It it’s a busker
I’ll give them a few bucks. If you are out and about please be supportive, a little act of
kindness can mean so much.

I’m looking forward to hitting the streets this summer now that I’ve learned so much and
am better prepared.

I am hoping to update my blog every weekend. If you like what you see here I hope to
have new post available every Sunday evening. Warmest regards and thanks for dropping
by!

Explore Newfoundland, Enter to Win!

2011-02-09T20:59:00.018-03:30

I'm giving away one copy of my book "Explore Newfoundland".
To be eligible "click the Like button and leave a comment"
Sorry family members are not eligible. Draw date July 1, 2011.

Thanks!

Chasing the Light, Fantastic

2011-01-19T19:15:00.006-03:30

Perhaps the key to a great landscape photo lies not in knowing where to take the image
but when. This is why I think the phrase “Chasing the Light” is perhaps one of the most
important concepts I’ve come to appreciate as a landscape photographer. Photography is
all about light, the direction, color, and the quality of the light, whether it is hard or soft. I
first heard it from photographer Galen Rowell some years ago. I’ve come to appreciate this so
much that I now call it “Chasing the Light, Fantastic”.

The ideal light for landscape photography is usually up to a couple of hours after sunrise
and a couple of hours before and up to and including sunset. I know of one great
landscape photographer who says he will not shoot between 10am and 2 pm, considering
it a waste of time. However you define it you would find it best to plan your photographic
outing when the sun is low in the sky, a warm brilliant bathing light!

Chasing the morning light!

“Catching the light at Cape Spear”

Chasing the Light can turn the most mundane of subjects into objects of interest. Just this
past summer I was driving down the coast in the evening chasing the light and as I turned
I noticed how nice two utility poles on the corner looked, all because of the beautiful
warm light of the late evening sun. In hindsight this might have made a very nice abstract
image but I’m not into abstract photography and continued on my way hoping to capture
an image of a subject matter more to my liking.

Chasing the evening light, a simple park trail,

“Waiting for Jupiter”

While I do believe every “rule” should be pushed or even disregarded as we try new
things and explore new ideas, “Chasing the Light, Fantastic” is an idea which if followed
will lead to some great images.

Please leave comments and share ideas, it’d be great to hear from you!

Pre-production Software

2010-10-29T20:22:00.017-02:30

As a landscape photographer I presently have two pieces of software I use as part of the
composition process. The main one is “The Photographer's Ephemeris”
(also know as “TPE”) the other, “Stellarium”. Both of these programs are
available for Linux, Mac and Windows OS’s and are free to download.

The Photographer’s Ephemeris is a free application developed by Stephen Trainor designed
for landscape photographers. Among other things TPE can be used to track the time and
direction of the rising and setting sun and moon. As well it also outlines the times of the civil,
nautical and astron. twilights on any given day. At least these as the features I use.
I use it all the time and often will cycle through it (adjusting the calendar) to see when
the sun or moon would line up with various landscape or cityscape features I want to photograph.

For example TPE helped me plan this shot. I expectantly waited, with nd grads in hand,
and enjoyed the show!

Morning Has Broken at Petty Harbour

After using TPE for about two years I now have a general idea of the suns movement in my
area, rising and setting, as we move from season to season. If I want to capture a sunrise
or sunset in a certain area I can easily plan in advance what would be the best time to
shoot it. I have found this has allowed me to be more proactive and prepared and has
increased my chances of a successful shoot. This gives us an even greater opportunity to
“chase the light”!

Another example of a photograph I was able to capture because I planned ahead was
“Heading out this Morning”. As well as knowing exactly where and when the sun would
rise I also knew the fishing boats were going to be going out to the fishing grounds. All I
needed now was a little luck for the right weather. As I stood there all prepared, the show
began right on time, cool!

Heading out this Morning

The other program, which I use to a much lesser extent is Stellarium.

Stellarium is a free open source planetarium for your computer. It shows a detailed
rendition of the sky, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope.
I might use it when I want to include a planet in a shot. With all the news about Jupiter
these days it was an obvious subject!

Journey to Jupiter

I have found that simply just browsing around these programs gives me ideas and options
for future photo shoots. Always great to have a plan and sometimes it even works out the
way I hoped!

Thanks for dropping by and having a read. If you got any software applications you’d
like to share, it sure would be great to hear form you!

Tripods, what will they think of next?

2010-09-17T18:28:00.018-02:30

I am a big advocate of tripods. I will use one unless it gets in the way. Tripods for me are not
an accessory but an essential tool for all types of photography!

Let me put my landscape photographer’s hat on.
Tripods are more than a form of image stabilization. It is a platform on which you can place
your camera to help you compose and arrange the elements in your photograph. I do find my
compositions evolve and as I work I can systematically position the camera to get the
composition I want. To me not using one would be like a painter trying to paint a landscape
without an easel! It’s easier with the right equipment!

I also have several other reasons to use a tripod. I think of a tripod as a third hand, a
place I can safely leave my camera for a minute when I have other things to tend to.
All of the long exposure photography I do is impossible without a tripod, impossible.

I also think of a tripod as a form of protection if needed. I have come across a few shady
characters during my wanderings over the years and there is also the possibly of being
confronted by an aggressive dog or wild animal. If I had to I could immediately snap the
quick release removing my camera and wield a mighty weapon. Hope to never have to do that.

The Great Outdoors
As a lover of the Great Outdoors I also have a fascination with great adventure stories.
The tales of Ernest Shackleton and Heinrich Harrer are two of my favourites. It is through
this fascination combined with my new found love for foreign films that I came across the
Akira Kurosawa film “Dersu Uzala”.

Dersu Uzala is based on the book “Dersu the Trapper” published in 1923 (it was out of print
for 50 years).The author V. K. Arseniev tells of his travels in the eastern reaches of
Siberia with Dersu, a native hunter who acted as a guide for Arsenyev's surveying crew
from 1902 to 1907, saving them from starvation and cold. Arseniev was amazed, as many
who watch the movie or read the book are, by this man’s resourcefulness and connection
with nature.

Dersu’s Den
Upon watching the movie I was stuck by “the Blizzard on the Lake” scene. Arseniev and Dersu
head out to explore a lake, expecting to be back to camp by evening they travelled lightly.
A snow storm arises and they become lost and their lives are in peril. Dersu in his ingenuity
constructs a shelter using a surveyor’s tripod saving both of their lives.

This is a shot I captured from the movie. Unfortunately the book provides very little
detail and no picture of the construction!

I had a chat will a local man a while back who was telling me he went for a hike with
some friends on a local trail recently. The trail was said to be a one day hike and they
were delayed and had to night over and weren’t prepared. Fortunately it was a mild time
of year and they made it out safely.

You never know when you’ll need a tripod!

Can you think of any other reasons to use a tripod? Love to hear them!

The “Photographers Disease”

2010-09-07T12:24:00.019-02:30

Do you have the “Photographers Disease”? You know where that great photograph is always
one equipment purchase away. Don’t fret actually it’s not an official disease you’ve
probably just been swooned by all the marketing hype we all experience these days!

Preamble

I was in the car with my daughter a while back and I told her about a new lens I’d like
to get. She told me that she was talking to a friend who is also a photographer and he
said that photographers always in want of equipment, ``its like a disease``. Got to
agree I sometimes wondered about this myself. I was thinking about the new
Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS II USM lens. Pinch, pinch, back to reality!

My Opinion

Case in point the 10 stop ND filter. There’s been a storm to buy these over the last
couple of years. I’ve even seen some comments on-line saying that because of the large
demand in these filters supply is low. Sounds like two reasons not to buy one!:-)
In light of this I am surprised to find that I have not seen one, in my opinion, “great”
colour photograph taken with these filters. Now, perhaps surprisingly(?), I have seen
many great black and white photographs taken using these filters. Take for example my
friend Joel Tjintjelaar's work. Excellent!

Besides on many occasions I use Mother Nature as my neutral density filter. Thanks Mom!

If someone knows of a “great” colour photograph taken with this filter can you post the
link here so we can all have a look? There has got to be some out there, I’d love to see one!

Ironically just yesterday I was thinking of a possible use for this filter. I want to make
an image based on a verse from a “Police” song, “Spirits in the material world”.
I visualize a shot of people meandering about in a shopping district. I want the commercial
district distinct and the moving people, ghost like. I think a shutter speed of perhaps
1/10 of a second would be a starting point. Then again depending on the ambient light I
might be able to stack a couple of polarizer’s to get what I need. I already got those!

Oh and if you think a Lens Baby or HDR is the path to great photography, good luck your
going to need it! Unfortunately these things often take a person away from focusing on what
makes a good photographer/photograph, technique, composition and lighting!

Post

Equipment should be put in perspective. If you just want to have some fun and make some great
images then many of the compact cameras will do. Some even have great macro and video
features included!

Personally the last print I sold to our provincial art gallery was taken with a Canon Powershot.
Not one of my fancy and expensive DSLR’s!

For a professional who does landscapes, portraits or weddings a good body with a 24-70 2.8
and a 70-200 2.8 would be great tools to get you just about everything you need and leave
lots of room for the creative process! In the real world it’s not going to make any difference
if you use a Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM lens or the new Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS II USM lens.

It’s not about the equipment, it’s about you! Enjoy your photography!

Bulb Based Exposure

2010-08-20T18:42:00.029-02:30

The techniques for taking long exposures can vary depending on what you’re
photographing or the effect you want to create. For example I tell people when they are
photographing stars, whether it is star-trails or astro-photography, “the exposure is in the
aperture”. This is what I would call an “aperture based exposure”. More on that later.

Another type of long exposure photography that is popular involves using light-trails as
an image element. In this case I will be discussing using the light trails from cars and
trucks on our roadways.

If you want the vehicles light to “write out” a certain trail or pattern it is often difficult to
select the necessary shutter speed to match exactly what is needed. The world is a
dynamic place and the pace of things change. Maybe you would like to have the light-
trail extend throughout the frame or last for a portion of the exposure. In these instances
you may not be able to use a set shutter speed, personally these days I use bulb. So the
exposure constants are aperture and iso. I call this “Bulb Based Exposure”. Bulb based
exposure has been for me an evolution in my practice of long exposure photography.

Deconstructing "History ..."

Take for example this image, “History Repeats Itself”.

I had two unknown time variables in regard to how long the shutter must be open. One, I
wanted to walk into the frame and using my flash manually fire it to illuminate each flag.
This meant 6 firings. Fortunately I was using a flash with a fresh set of nimh batteries and
was getting recharged in less than 4 seconds. The second variable, I wanted the lights from
the cars to travel throughout the frame, writing a serpentine reversed “s” in the frame.

Exposure 32 seconds, f22, iso50 with 6 manual flash firings at full power. In this case the
exposure would be to bottom out the iso, close down the aperture and open the shutter for
as long as you need to. It did take me 4 or 5 attempts to get this and bulb helped me get
what I wanted.

If you want to see “me” in the shot check out the image on my Flickr stream!

Please leave comments, be great to hear from you!

High Speed Sync

2010-07-29T12:40:00.009-02:30

High Speed Sync

Digital photography in itself offers many new possibilities for photographers that film
users never had. The simple ability to review an image immediately after taking it has
revolutionized photography. The learning process has become exponentially quicker.

Other new advances in technology offer the possibility to break new ground in imagery.
With new technologies like “High Speed Sync” flash users have another new creative
outlet. I would even suggest users have the chance to create images never before
conceived. It’s a very exciting time.

Not to long ago flash exposure was limited or constrained by a shutter speed of about
1/60 a second or so. On some systems you might be able to go to 1/250 of a second. The
flash fired when the shutter was full open, when the film or sensor was fully exposed.
This is commonly known as X-sync. We were very limited to a slow shutter speed but
not any more.

These days using High Speed Sync flash we can use our flash at speeds such as 1/6000 or
1/8000 of a second. Rather than firing once the flash strobes, synchronized with the
shutter opening. In this case only part of the sensor or film is exposed, a slit, the flash
strobes to ensure a consistent exposure throughout the frame. There is a trade off here,
the faster the shutter speed the more the flash has to strobe to ensure exposure throughout
the frame resulting in a reduced effective range. Following is one example of my use of
HSS flash.

Anatomy of a street portrait, flash at 1/6000 second.

“Steve” is a busker who plays classical guitar in the streets of downtown St John’s
Newfoundland Canada. When I decided to photograph Steve the first thing I had to
consider was that he looks down a lot which meant that if I wanted to capture his face I
had to get on the ground, yeah lay on the sidewalk downtown during a busy lunch hour. :-(

This meant I had to use the sky as a backdrop. So I (in camera) metered at the chosen
aperture (f5.6) and had to go all the way to a shutter speed of 1/6000 of a second in order
to keep the sky. My camera was set at iso200 and I was using of camera flash with a
homemade diffuser

I must say I am very happy with the exposure and love all the diverging lines. It was
worth taking the chance of being stepped on. :-)

Yeah it’s a very exciting time indeed.

Dept of Field – The Truth in Focus

2010-06-26T16:24:00.005-02:30

When I first got serious about photography many years ago I read every thing I could
find on the subject. Back around 1990 I bought a book called “The Ins and Outs of Focus”
which challenged many of the conceived ideas about dept of field and sharpness and inspired
me to dig deeply into many of the concepts of photography.

These days you don’t even have to buy this book, the author, Harold M. Merklinger,
has made it available on line free of charge. If you like the book, a payment of $5
is requested.

This book later ran as a subsequent series of articles in Shutterbug Magazine back in
the 1990's!

Harold’s book“The INs and OUTs of FOCUS” as well as his book “FOCUSING the VIEW CAMERA”
can be downloaded by clicking Here

All the Best
Brian Carey
Brian Carey Photography

“Taking a Dip with the Duckies” (or don’t try this with your Speedlight!)

2010-06-18T18:48:00.011-02:30

We went to a local park last evening to do a photoshoot for a local couple. It was at
Bowring Park, a lovely park, the largest in the city. I decided it would be nice to get
a few shots down by the river.

We were setting up and as I was telling the couple where I wanted them I heard something
fall behind me. I won’t go into the details but as I turned around I almost wet myself
as my new Canon 580EXII Speedlite bounced on the river bank and then, “PLUNK”! It was
in the Waterford River with the ducks, sinking out of sight!

I lay down my camera and crawled down the river bank on my knees, the flash rose to the
surface and I pulled it from the water. I figured it was bye bye Speedlite. I could see
water in the flash head and the LCD display was half filled with water. I immediately
removed the batteries. There was no water in the battery compartment!

Modus Operandi

I immediately wiped down the flash removing all the water from the outside. Upon arriving
home I took a small precision philips screwdriver removed the base and two screws on the
head as well as two screws on the body, under the head.

I did not take the flash apart. I tried to repair a broken Vivitar flash before and I
found those ratcheting heads can be almost impossible to reassemble. I opened up gaps in
the unit and attempted to shake what water I could out of it! I would insert the the
catchlight and wide angle panels, shake the flash and extend both panels and wipe the
water from the panels. I would then reinsert the panels and complete the process until
water no longer showed up on the panels. I also shook the flash with the panels extended
to remove water. Water was still evident in the display and in the flash head and I left
the unit upright all night hoping more water would drain from it! In the morning most of
the water was gone, a few small spots remained in the display and head.

Later on that morning at the suggestion of a friend, with the screws still removed I
placed the flash in an airtight bag with some desiccant hoping the desiccant would remove
the remaining moisture. An inspection four hours later showed three small spots of
condensation in the display. The flash looked much better than I ever though it would and
I decided to fire it up and I’m happy to say it is working perfectly!

I think one thing that might have helped was the homemade diffuser I use.
This helped seal the head a little more and also helped to absorb the shock of the fall.

Does a Canon 580EXII Speedlite bounce? Yep!
Does a Canon 580EXII Speedlite float? Thankfully!

Now while I got one damaged umbrella my flash seems to be working perfectly!

“What is the best ISO”?

2010-06-12T14:31:00.003-02:30

I came across a question on several forums on the internet and I thought I’d have my say! The question, “What is the best ISO”?

I think the question can be best put in context by using the phrase “The Exposure Triangle”. The first time I heard this phrase was on a podcast featuring Syl Arena from PixSylated.com . The relationship between shutter speed, aperture and iso has been an issue serious photographers have been dealing with as long as there have been cameras. Personally I never had a name for it until now.

Like so many aspects of photography I think it’s all relative. Relative to what effect or look you want to achieve. When I shot weddings with film years ago I carried two 35mm cameras, one loaded with iso100 and the other with 400. I also had with me a Mamiya with two backs one with iso100 and the other with 400. I’d shoot iso100 if I could but if I needed a faster shutter speed or a little more dept of field then I went to the 400.

I do agree that the best iso is the lowest but you have to go with the iso that gets you the shot! Take for example,

I had to increase the iso on my 5D2 until I got the shutter speed I needed to still the boats. Had to go to iso2000 and got it with a 0.5 sec ss. I did bracket and tried lower iso’s but this combination of iso and ss worked best. I’ve been down this road before and don’t want to be making the same mistakes of using the lowest iso available. I used to be like that but thankfully I’ve changed.

Here’s another example of setting the iso to give me the shutter speed I need!

This was at an indoor show where the lighting was constantly changing and using flash out of the question! I had to go to iso3200 and shoot wide in order to get the shot. I needed a shutter speed to ensure the image was sharp and not blurred. I went with 1/125 second.

In my opinion the best iso is the (lowest) one you can use and get the shot!

All the Best
Brian Carey
Brian Carey Photography

The Best Photo Op.

2010-02-19T17:37:00.001-03:30

While many people think you have to go to exotic places for great photographic opportunities you may find there may be lots of opportunities in your very own neighborhood.

With this in mind I thought I’d put together a video of 12 photographs I’ve taken over the last 2 years within a 15 minute drive from my home. I call the video “In My Neighborhood”! Hope you enjoy.

As Chase Jarvis says “the best camera is the one that’s with you” then perhaps the best photo opportunity may lie just around the corner! All you have to do is discover!

The Anal Photographer

2010-01-07T18:16:00.002-03:30

For most of my photographic life when taking pictures of people (or any other subject for that matter) I've said I never use direct on-camera flash, especially un-diffused on-camera flash. I mean why would I, it is to harsh and makes the subject look flat. And what about the unsightly shadows or the possibility of red-eye. But I've changed my point of view on this. I've been reading Joe McNally's "Hot Shoe Diaries" and I must admit now I can see myself using straight on camera flash. I still don't think I would use it for a formal portrait or when shooting a wedding but perhaps at -1 or -2 it can be used as a fill or to create edge or drama. So now I can't wait to try it and experiment!

Another rule I've lived by for years was to use the lowest iso possible. Perhaps this stems from shooting Ektar 25 print film in my Mamiya 2 1/4. I do/did consider myself a landscape photographer and I always believed your safer with the low speed film if you want enlargements. This low iso rule has it's place but I found I was kind of hung-up on it so much so that I would rely on it perhaps in lieu of common sense, I mean consider this photograph.

I'm taking pictures of slow moving grazing horses and I'm using a shutter speed of 1/8 second. I mean I'm using a good tripod and ball head I should (might) be able to get "the shot". Not this time, movement detected. Here I am at iso 100, if I had to go to iso 400 I'm up to 1/32 of a second and bingo I got it. Or maybe iso 800 and 1/60 second. I am happy to say at least I learned something and that should keep me from making the same mistake again.

I think it is important to remember that all of these "rules" have their place. But photography is such a broad subject and is changing so rapidly that our concepts and ideas have to change. Sometimes in the heat of the moment when a great photographic opportunity raises it's head they might get you that great shot but sometimes it might get in the way. Well in the least if we don't get THE shot hopefully we will learn something and be more open next time.

I am amazed at how many photographers are so ingrained in doing things one way and one way only. Even people who need a lot of help!

Do you have rules you used to go by and changed? If so can you share with us and lets us know why you did change?

All the best and don't forget to break your own rules!
Brian Carey

Using shutter speed as a compositional tool

2009-12-26T17:06:00.002-03:30

The more traditional methods of composition in photography and other visual mediums include using color, lines, patterns, dept of field, placement and others. See Darren Rowse's article 5 Elements of Composition in Photography! for more. These methods of composition are not necessarily exclusive and may be combined to produce an effective piece of work!

One less common method of producing a composition involves using slow shutter speeds as a a compositional tool. Effective use of slow shutter speeds can be used to create elements or objects and these elements can be used like any other to structure or compose the composition. Also slow shutter speeds can also be used to create lines, patterns or forms which can be very effective in drawing in and leading a viewers eye. Other uses of slow shutter speeds would be to create color or as a mask to hide or eliminate certain elements in a scene. This can all be done in camera! One of the fun things about this is that we can use this technique to create elements or other compositional features that we can't see with our eyes. We may not be able to see them but fortunately by using our imagination we can envisage them and use our cameras to compose a symphony of light!

Ladies Lookout
One example of this is this sunset image I took of my hometown. Here we have the streams of lights from two cars creating dynamic lines drawing the viewers throughout the frame. The lines created by the car lights create a very soothing and colorful pattern and help create a balanced composition.

Exif: Canon 50D/18mm, 30secs/f22/iso100 tripod, shutter release cable, mirror lockup.

Ocean Speak
Shutter speed can also be used to create mood and atmosphere. Rarely will you see the mighty north atlantic ocean look so serene.

Exif: Canon 50D/18mm, 71secs/f22/iso100 tripod, shutter release cable, mirror lockup.

The Stage
Shutter speed can also be used to create a surreal effect.

Exif: Canon 50D/20mm, 30secs/f22/iso100 tripod, shutter release cable, mirror lockup.

Ride the Light
Shutter speed can also be used to create a sense of drama as in the case of this passing bus in downtown Vancouver.

Exif: Canon 50D/18mm, 3.2secs/f8/iso100 tripod, shutter release cable, mirror lockup.

This is something I enjoy doing and throwing in the surprises that sometimes pop up it is a lot of fun!

Please share your comment and lets trade experiences and ideas!
Thanks for stopping by!
Brian Carey

An Epiphany of Sorts

2009-12-09T18:17:00.001-03:30

My move into digital photography has resulted in a whirlwind of creative ideas and pursuits. Given’ my skill set and photographic gumption I have come to realize that the possibilities for learning and creativity are endless and perhaps most importantly more accessible than ever. Additionally I recently had the good fortune of having some of my preconceived ideas and methods of practice turned completely upside down. Even though I remain happy with the images I created in the past I am really thankful for this! Looking at things differently can only help me be more creative as well as offer additional opportunities.

So what about the epiphany? Well until a few weeks ago I considered my camera to be a tool, a piece of equipment. But after being bitten by the shutterbug for the second time in my life I’ve come to realize that my camera is not just a tool but an instrument. This reflection may be due to my maturity or experience, no matter it is another insight and a welcome one. And I think this insight will help me connect more closely to my photography and my world!

With this instrument I can present this magical world around me in a resonance of my choice. I can capture light, the way I want it to be seen. I can freeze time or stretch it. I can accentuate color. I can enhance or manipulate light. I can capture joy, laughter or sorrow. I can capture life as well as record history. And this is just a beginning!

I can capture the visual rhythm of a seagull seemingly floating in the air, catching the updrafts. Floating in the sky without any noticeable effort, beautiful. But the tempo or atmosphere of the image changes when a bald eagle comes into the picture, catching a few updrafts of his own barely a few meters below.

So the connection between me and my photography has taken on new meaning and I am looking forward to it!