Aiming For Your Killer Shot

Fishing By The Bay - May 12, 2013, Harbour Square, CCP Complex.  Men fishing set aside the hazards of Manila Bay's dirty water.  Photo taken during a 1 on 1 Digital Photography Tutorials about basic camera operations.

When I was teaching Jeff, a client who wanted to learn how to operate his dslr, he asked me tips about street photography.

"Paano ba kumuha ng street photography? magagamit ko ba yung 55-200 lens ko? kailangan ba candid? Yung hindi ka nakikita ng tao?"

Well, there are lot of styles when capturing images in the streets: camera on waist level, shooting with a long or short lens, sneak a pic or try to get invisible.  Invisible?  Okay, okay.  When someone ask me how to be invisible on the streets I say, stay long enough in the scene until you get comfortable and people around you will get use to you, the person with the camera.  Then start shooting.

On Location Study

Jeff check out his shots.

I've been to Harbour Square in CCP Complex many times.  It is one most photographed place in the Philippines  where you can see Manila de Bay, Manila Yacht Club and Manila skyline.

Study your location.  See where is your main light,  the sun in this case.  When we was hanging around Harbour Square, it a was cloudy 3PM.  Fortunately the sun make through the clouds at around 4PM until sunset.  It is the best time for the bay area, where there are possible sunset  and silhouette shots.

Sample test shot for preferred exposure and enough shutter speed set
to freeze the action.

Set you camera.  Get ready to take the shot.  Set your camera to different scenes or action.  It is important to keep in mind what camera settings to use; aperture, shutter speed, focus mode, composition etc.  Take sample shots of every scene you want to photograph.  Now it is more easy to anticipate the shot when you are all set, all you have to do is to press the shutter when the action comes.

Shot list.  Now you've planned ahead, create shot list in your mind.  What are possible shots you can create?  For this photo walk, here are some basic shots we had in mind:

Sunset, silhouettes, portraits, the Manila skyline, fishermen in action, candid shots, behind the scenes, long exposures.

You can also include small and big detail images in your shot list.

All You Need is a Little Patience

Every thing is now ready; the scene, camera settings, shot list, now we need is a little patience.  Most of the time a lot of patience.  Photography is time concept.  Everything should set at the perfect moment, light, action, and time of the day.

Take several shots of the scene and wait for actions of people, animals, or eventualities. Stay at least five to ten minutes in one scene and see what happens.

One out of 15 images taken for comparison of composition.

  

The Killer Shot!

How do you determine your killer shot for the day?  Your killer shot is one of the photo who stands up among your images is the photo with the complete story.  

  

One on One Digital Photography Tuts

BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY. May 2010, I start teaching individuals basic and advance digital photography lessons. Tutorials actually. Six hours of understanding how the DSLR work, how it thinks, how to use its features more efficient and how to create images you've been dreaming.  

   Experience, explore and appreciate! 

STOP using Your DSLR 
         like a Point and Shoot!
     START creating images 
               YOU'VE been Dreaming.

Get Ready, Get Set

Learn different camera techniques, tricks, and tweaks . 

Aperture  Is the opening of your lens. It controls the light coming in your camera and controls the depth of field.  Shot with an inverted 50mm prime lens.

    

Ant Attacks - Wide apertures creates shallow depth-of-field. 

Banaue Rice Terraces - Small apertures or lens openings create deep focus or deep depth-of-field.
Photography: Sherma Godoy

Shutter Speed Slow shutter speed creates motion while fast shutter speeds freezes action shots like sports.

Bikexercise - Slow shutter speed for a panning shot creates motion and emphasize speed.
Photography: Kingston Kihano

Cock Fight - Fast shutter speed stops action. Photography: Norman Flores

ISO Sensitivity  Film speed or image sensor sensitivity to light. Low ISO sensitivity is used for extreme light conditions like sun lit scenes.  High ISO sensitivity for low light conditions like sports photography.

Magical Hour - At ISO 100, preserve good quality in your images. Photography: Claire Tiples

Go Out, Get Exposed!

Photography is about light, from the word it self; photography, is based on the Greek φῶς (photos) "light" and γραφή (graphé) "representation by means of lines" or "drawing", together meaning "drawing with light"(Thanks Wikipedia!)   

   Go out, expose yourself to different light conditions and understand light. Feel the heat, rain, feel nature, loud streets, experience and appreciate.  Photography is not only about using special features of your camera and techniques, it is more on capturing emotions, memories, and expressing yourself.

"Images are not about dynamic range and megapixels. 

They're about stories and moments."

           -Chase Jarvis

PhotoWalk PhotoTalk

Enjoy taking pictures during a photo walk on your favorite spots in Metro Manila or locations out of town. 

   Historical Intramuros in Manila is one of the beautiful spot for photography. The walled city is known for its ancient structures ruined by war and famous churches like San Agustin Church and Manila Cathedral, the Calesa, streets made of bricks and golf course for scenic landscape photography. Intramuros is not only old school stuff, I love taking pictures of the graffiti of various tagging crews in the Metro.

Street Photography in Intramuros - Amazing textures, patterns, perspectives and people to photograph.

The Pier, The Beach, The Bay - Children

cools on hazardous waters of Manila Bay.

Bay Walk Photo Walk  

   Yes, from Luneta, take photos of children flying kites, family on a picnic, the Rizal monument and the soldiers standing for hours on guard. On the Bay walk, capture fishermen sorting the catch of the day, vendors on business, locals rendering a massage, lovers on a economy date, tourists, sky scape, sea scape, city scape and one of the world's beauty and best Manila Bay sunset. From CCP at night, experience Manila city lights and night life that can be seen on a spot from the Yacht Club.

Fantastic MOA Fireworks! SM Mall of Asia have different subjects for photography and you wont even mind guards prohibit you from taking pictures because of security reasons. (From my experience.)  Photo walk in MOA on a Saturday is a great experience not only they held lots of events, you have the chance to take great images of the 7pm fireworks display.

NOW, It's Your Turn

to Take the BIG PICTURE!

In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject.

The little human detail can became a leitmotif.

--Henri Cartier-Bresson

Check out images from previous 1 on 1 Digital Photography Tutorials

on PhotoWalk PhotoTalk in Facebook 

Also 1 on 1 Tuts 

Use Your Compact Camera Like a DSLR

Like DSLRs, compact cameras have same basic concepts and issues about exposure.  Get a wide learning about point and shoots, norrow the chances in taking blurry pictures.

Post Processing

Add more spice in your images using hot post processing apps like Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture in Mac.

Hot Shoe Issue

Have you purchased an external camera flash?

Learn how to use your speedlights more effective.

Understand how to use TTL, Manual, GN and learn how to compensate flash exposure when everything is inaccurate.

Off cam speedlight techniques.

Learn how to use speedlight accessories like flash diffussers, filters, umbrella etc.

Using speedlights indoors and outdoors

Learn basic lighting techniques