DIY Pop Up Flash Diffuser

Say goodbye to harsh shadows when using your pop-up flash!  

Install in seconds and it'll cost you a piece of paper and tape!

This DIY photo equipment is inspired by Gary Fong's Puffer.  I simply cut two pieces of white bond paper exactly the size of an ATM card and attached it on my pop-up flash.  Quick and easy!

Here are some camera settings to get you started!  These cam settings are ideal for film and digital cameras that have automatic and manual features.  Although, you can try the DIY pop-up diffuser or other flash diffusing tricks in this tutorial regardless of the limitations of your gear.  Sizes of the DIY diffuser may vary on the size of your pop-up flash.  The DIY flash diffuser you see in the picture above fits for DSLR pop-up flash or alike.

Point and Shoot
For people who don't know about the ins and out of the camera.  Just simply attach the DIY pop-up flash diffuser weather you have a DSLR or a Point and shoot camera, you are ready to go!

GEEK TWEAKS
Fine tune your DIY pop-up flash diffuser by learning some camera tweaks!  Let us make experiments to define what camera settings to use in different scenes.

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.  

  

It's Like Deja Vu

September 14, 2012.  An old woman was getting ready to get off a passenger jeep.

When I'm on my way to work, I always get my mobile phone ready to capture interesting scenes of the streets.

Last September 14, 2012, I took a photo of an old lady getting ready to get off a passenger jeep.  Five months later,  February 1, 2013, I once again saw the same elder sitting on the same spot, wearing the same jacket and holding the same bag.

It is like deja vu.

Sunsets 2011

Simply Subic - SBMA's seaside on a magical hour. Photography: Ronaldo Santiago

SUNSETS are magical specially during summer.  I thought of organizing a photo challenge for my friends and people who like PhotoWalk PhotoTalk in Facebook. This photo challenge your a chance to practice your photography skills like taking sunset shots.  Since most people gone to summer getaways, at least they could take a sunset image during their vacation. 
  If you are a beginner in photography, we have FREE tutorials on how to take a sunset shot.
  Check out some sunset photography from some friends, who took sunsets from different spots in the Philippines. Join our online exhibit.

Furuya Boracay | Photography: Paolo Tragura

Puerto Galera Sunset | Photography: Melai Dagohoy

Day Dream Ends Puerto Galera | Photography: Nil Ki

Magnificent End of My Wonderful Day Manila Bay | Photography: Claire Tiples

Batangas Sunset Lemery, Batangas | Photography: Mel Gatchalian

Sunset Sailing in Boracay | Photography: Clare Nogoy

 

Sunsets and Silhouettes

Flaming Ride - San Narciso, Zambales, Philippines

Who is not planning a summer getaway? Get outta here!

Sun sets at around 6pm this summer 2011. But before the sun hits the horizon, take advantage! Practice tweaking camera settings at around 4 to 6pm while the color temperature is warm.

Take amazing images of nature scape while the sun is setting.
If you need help with camera tweaks we will give quick tutorials on this event page.

Submit your images to photowalkphototalk@yahoo.com before April 29, 2011 to join our online photo exhibit!

Err.. Shutter Problem!

THE last time I clicked on my Nikon D300, it created two exposures. Image left, shows a shutter malfunction and at the LCD shows ERR for error  every time I press the shutter release button. Most of the time it wont click or lucky, if you have three successful frames before error occur. A have a friend encountered the same error but on a different Nikon body, Nikon D60. It happens with the D3 and Canon DLSRs. It is a shutter actuation game over even my cam just shot 25k.  I've browsed the internet to find solution to this dilemma. And I'm searching for the cheapest. 

   Let's face it! Nikon service center will charge you Php9k up to get the shutter run good. Man, that's tight. The last time I brought my Nikon F SLR (a film camera) and make Nikon replace its shutter, it cost me Php4,500 for each shutter, and that was in 2003. Some friends from photography forums suggested Mang Ady Balce.  In my search, Mang Ady never advertise himself, people recommend him through word of mouth or blogs. Google his name and you'll see everything about him.

Shutter and mirror didn't synchronized. 

22 years in service

Mang Ady is a camera and lens technician, repairman, handyman... name it! He's the MacGyver of cameras. He is fixing cameras for 22 years and counting. Mang Ady woked with Fuji Film Quiapo and now working solo.  I had my fingers crossed and let him fix my precious D300.  I told him "do whatever you can to save my cam or else it will I'll make it paper weight". To make it short, I brought it Wednesday got it Saturday and payed Php2,500. You can even have a chance to chit chat with him and other photographers who come and see Mang Ady to have their gears fixed.

Get in Touch

He usually do business in in Trinoma every Wednesday and Saturday, 5pm to 6pm or call him; 09179394487.