Rings and Bouquets

I love detail shots at weddings, and here are a couple from the last shoot a week ago.

It's a must to get a lovely colourful shot of the bouquet. The best type of light for this setup happens to be even, bright, fairly flat lighting. You're aiming for consistent light across the entire bouquet and flat light really works here. A simple tight crop on the bride is all that's needed, drawing the viewers eye towards the bouquet which is exactly what you're aiming for.

Nikon D3s with Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8 - ISO 1600, 1/1250 sec @ F4.0, E.V. + 0.7 

I also try to take a shot of the rings which requires a little bit more thought and effort than the more traditional  and simple holding them in the hands type of shot. To do this I look for something that will have meaning to the couple, something that may have been made by them or that they have had some kind of input in. Table decorations or flowers are always a good choice as they can inject colour and interest in to the finished photograph. Placing the rings carefully in position and choosing a nice clean, uncluttered composition is all that is needed to produce a beautiful image.

Nikon D3s with Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8 - ISO 2500, 1/125 sec @ F4.0, E.V. + 0.7

  

Natural light portraits with a simple reflector.

One of the things I really enjoy when shooting at a wedding is the opportunity to take lovely natural light portraits. I will always try to capture one of the bride, but it's also a great opportunity to capture some lovely images of the kids who may be present on the day. Kids tend to pose quite naturally and they also love to be in front of the camera. I tend to focus on head and shoulder shots and use the trusty Nikon D200 and Sigma 50mm F1.4. I normally select an aperture of around F2.0 and with an equivalent 75mm focal length it produces lovely sharp images where the closest eye is in sharp focus and the background is a lovely blur of light and colour. The Sigma produces lovely Bokeh and stopped down just slightly, the lens is razor sharp. I use a reflector in most cases to punch some light back towards the subject and this also provides lovely catch lights in their eyes.

Nikon D200 with Sigma 50mm F1.4 ISO 200, F2.8 @ 1/350 sec

Simple reflector setup for the image above. The little girl was under
 a tree canopy and the reflector was positioned in such
 a way that it would help direct sunlight back towards her.  

For the image above, a gold reflector was used to add some warmth. It was a very bright day so I decided to move the subject/s into the shade for the shoot. This by itself would have resulted in a cool feel to the photographs so using the gold side of the reflector seemed the natural choice.

I also like to get the subject looking up towards me slightly so try where possible to get them sitting on a bench or chair. I find that by doing this it adds a bit more definition and stronger outline to the face. 

Nikon D200 with Sigma 50mm F1.4 ISO 250, F2.0 @ 1/160 sec

A silver reflector was used on the third photograph. The slightly cooler feel worked really well with the surrounds of the room. Natural light from a large window to the left of shot was used and the reflector was held to the right pointing back towards the window, kicking light onto the subjects left side and helping lift heavy shadow. 

Fuji X100 firmware version 2.00

A quick post tonight. I have just read that Fuji have released a firmware update for their now discontinued X100 camera. This is really exciting because it addresses a few of the weaknesses that this model had exhibited, and now with the updated firmware installed allows performance much closer to it's younger brother, the X100s

Some of the improvements will include
- Focus peaking
- 20% faster autofocus
- Quicker start up time

What's particularly welcome is that a company is still willing to support a discontinued camera instead of pushing people into upgrading to newer gear, which is pretty much unheard of in the photography industry. So nice one Fuji. I will install the new firmware to my X100 in the upcoming days and post my verdict on the enhancements. For now though, here is the link to the update.

http://www.fujifilm.com/support/digital_cameras/software/firmware/x/finepix_x100/

Storms a comin'

During my latest trip to Wells-Next-The-Sea on the North Norfolk Coast I was confronted by the first serious Autumnal storm of the year. The winds were averaging well over 30 mph with gusts much higher than that. The fact that they were Northerly meant that the Quay in Wells took a right battering during high tide. It is the first time that I had seen the sea breach the harbour wall and flood parts of the car park, albeit only slightly. I can see how easily coastal towns may flood, given the right conditions.

Angry storm clouds and crashing waves, captured with the Fuji X100

I decided to walk down to the harbour, leaving most of my camera gear back in the house. The reason being, the weather was pretty poor, dull, drizzling and very windy. I really didn't expect to capture much really, so packed a little Fujica STX-1 film camera and my trusty Fuji X100. The weather, as expected, was pretty wild when I reached the quay and any shots taken close to the harbour wall had to be done so with the utmost care. Every now and then a wave would push over the wall and crash several feet into the car park bringing with it a lot of debris. I tried to dodge the waves, timing my shots when I could and waiting for any breaks in the clouds. The clouds looked very angry and menacing and I was determined to capture this dramatic detail within the photographs I was taking.

One of my favourite trawlers, always photogenic. Fuji X100

The Fuji X100 is great in these situations as it is so small you feel as though you can move around so quickly without feeling encumbered. You don't compromise on image quality though, and that is the important part, the images here are testament to that. They are fantastically sharp with great contrast and fantastic punchy colours. All the information in the sky has been retained and with a little work in post on levels and saturation, amazing quality images have resulted.

Ten minutes later and the sun is out. Great contrast and punchy colours
courtesy of the Fuji X100

I purchased my Fuji X100 about six months ago and I have to say that I haven't regretted this decision in the slightest. I ordered mine from Wex Photographic and paid £549 which I believe is what it still retails at today. At the time I was purchasing mine a replacement was introduced, the Fuji X100s. I couldn't afford the new model so went for the X100. The common consensus amongst the many people online is that the newer model is a worthy successor to the original camera and if you have the money then the X100s is the one to go for. However, the X100 is still an amazing bit of kit, and for roughly half the price of the X100s, it's an absolute bargain.

Calm after the storm. All is quiet at the quay,
Wells-Next-The-Sea. Fuji X100

I will quickly list the quirks of the X100 that I have discovered over the course of the last six months. If online sources state that these quirks have been rectified with the newer model then I will state that too.

First up, the continuous auto focus, which many considered poor on the original X100. I have to confess that I don't often use mine in this way, single focus for me. On the one occasion that I did use it at a bike race in May it worked reasonably well, see http://brettgardnerphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/at-races.html for more details. I also find the focus lock on speed and accuracy to be pretty good, I have no problems in this regard. The one thing that is pretty pants with the X100 is it's manual focus ability. It's rubbish and better left ignored. As far as I'm aware, this has been rectified with the X100s, so if this could be an issue for you then the newer model may be the better bet.

Picture quality with the X100 is fantastic and I'm able to shoot at ISO 3200 without any real issue. The X100s is reportedly one stop better in this regard, ISO 6400 being usable. Again, this could be a deal breaker for some, but i'm a wedding photographer who shoots in pretty poor light on occasion and with the fantastic F2.0 lens I find I don't have much of an issue. Having that extra stop though is always nice. The X100s also uses a different sensor and this has four more megapixels than the X100, 16 M.P. vs 12 M.P. There is a slight different look to the files produced by each sensor and slightly different colour rendition. To be honest, if the images are as good on the X100s as they are on the X100 then you really can't go wrong.

The menu system on the X100 is annoying, I mean really annoying. It's so clunky. I can move round the menu systems on my Nikon cameras with ease but the little Fuji just isn't particularly intuitive. This has been addressed with the X100s and should allow quicker operation by the user in the field. If you have largish hands then you may find the controls on both the X100 and X100s fiddly although they have been modified on the newer model with slightly raised buttons. It's best to program the function buttons to your preferred shooting style and leave well alone. That's what i've done with my X100 and I'm pretty happy with it at present.  

Strangely enough, while there are certain aspects to the X100 which are simply maddening, that's all part of it's quirky and wonderful charm. You learn to live with it's little faults simply becomes in most other respects it really is truly amazing. It's such an easy camera to pop in a coat pocket as you leave the house and it constantly challenges you to take better images. Whichever camera you decide to invest in, you're going to become the proud owner of an absolute belter, one that is going to challenge as well as help improve your photography and maybe, in fact quite possibly, make you fall in love with photography all over again.


   

Preparing for a Wedding shoot

There's quite a lot to remember when preparing camera equipment for a full day's Wedding shoot. I have detailed below the procedures I go through in preparation for the big day.

The first thing I do is to charge the batteries in all the cameras that I will be using. I shoot with a Nikon D200, D3s, D4 and Fuji X100. I may also take a film SLR. I have two batteries for the D200, two for the D3s, one for the D4 and two for the X100. I make sure approximately two days before the shoot that they are all fully charged.

I check all my memory cards. I like to clear images from my cards pretty quickly after I've taken them, so I shouldn't have any surprises when I come to prepare my cameras for the wedding. I format each card as this helps keep them in tip top condition. The last thing I want is for a card to become corrupt during or after a shoot and the potential disaster of loosing some or all of the images.

I then inspect each camera, making sure it is spotless, ( I love my gear, so try to keep it in mint condition ). I get a cloth and make sure the LCD screens are clean from smudges. I also check that all my cameras are in their go to settings. I have particular configurations for each camera and I make sure these are set. I don't want the horror of finding out that I've been shooting for half a day on small jpeg when in fact I should have been shooting raw. Unlikely, but I have known it happen to some photographers. I inspect the lenses, using a blower brush and lens cloth to make sure no spots or dust are stuck to the glass.

A blower brush and lens cloth should be in every photographers bag.

Once I'm happy that the camera bodies and lenses are all clean and charged, formatted cards in place, they are packed away in the camera bag. This is done the day before the shoot. I don't like to be hurrying around the morning of the wedding, panicking and ending up forgetting something.

I then look at the accessories that I'll be taking. These are normally tripod, ( taken just in case, but not often used ) flash unit, (SB700) off camera flash triggers, ( Pixel Kings ) reflectors and softbox. I check that the batteries in both the flash and triggers are fresh and that the units are communicating with each other. I also pack some spare batteries as I tend to get through two sets on a twelve hour shoot.

One of the final things I dig out and take with me is a contact sheet or small posing guide book. Sometimes this can be invaluable if the subject just needs a bit of help understanding the pose I'm wanting them to adopt. It isn't often used but just occasionally it has been a real life saver. 'Wedding Photography - A Guide To Posing' by Oliver Cameron Publishing is well worth a look. It's small, light and packed full of inspirational images. ISBN 9780956546302. I also pack a portable hard drive which allows me to download all the images to it at the end of the night. It saves a lot of faffing the next morning.

The superb pocket book,
 ' Wedding Photography -
 A Guide To Posing.'

It's also a good idea to take a bottle of water and a snack with me as well. During a twelve hour shoot I find that I'm busy pretty much all the time, but I try to grab a bite to eat when the wedding party are having their meal. It's also a good time to review the images I've taken up to that point during the day and deleting any shots I don't want. I end up shooting around about 25GB of images during the course of the day, ( including the images of a second photographer ) so anything I can do to lessen the work load in the following weeks editing can only be a good thing.  

I think it's really important for people to realise how much work goes into the preparation, shooting and editing of a Wedding Day. The reasons why professional photographers charge the amount they do isn't because they are greedy. It's because they work hard, invest heavily in their time and equipment, and because they care greatly as to how the finished images will look. When I capture a couple's special day I want to do so to the best of my ability. I want the couple to treasure the images for the rest of their lives, show their children, show their friends, hang some of the photographs on the walls. So when someone mentions that they can shoot your wedding for a couple of hundred of pounds, quite possibly it's too good to be true. Invest in a good photographer and you can rest assured you are in safe hands.

Fuji X100 in the pocket

One of the things I really love about the Fuji X100 is the fact that it is so small in comparison to a DSLR, even a non battery gripped model like the Nikon D200. The D200 looks massive when set down next to the Fuji and it's for this reason that sometimes I leave my bigger, heavier gear behind and travel light with just the X100 and possibly an old film SLR. This allows me to use a small shoulder bag or pocket instead of my big Lo Pro bag that is used when I shoot at a wedding gig. The real beauty of travelling so light is that you feel less fatigued after a long morning or afternoons walk and you are less likely to bump into people with a much smaller bag. I quite often forget how wide I am with the Lo Pro rucksack on and my girlfriend has to continually remind me to be careful when in crowded places. The fact that the bag weighs well over 30lbs fully loaded means that it can do quite a bit of damage as it's swung round at pace.

The thing is, I don't feel that I'm compromising on image quality when shooting with the X100. The sensor is truly astonishing, producing beautifully detailed images that rival a DSLR. I shoot raw and the files that the Fuji produces are fantastic. Loads of information stored within each one and the dynamic range is superb, allowing me to capture both foreground and background/sky detail. I prefer to shoot using filters with my Nikon cameras when photographing landscapes which may have a high dynamic range, but as I travel light with the Fuji I don't have that option.  I expose for the foreground, making sure I have that spot on, and then recover any lost detail in the sky in the raw editor. I make sure that I don't overexpose the sky by much, just clipping slightly to the right of the histogram seems to work, ( a technique known as exposing to the right). The lens on the front of the X100 has an equivalent 35mm focal length, perfect for landscapes, and it's super sharp. It's even pretty good wide open at F2.0, and because it's ISO performance is good, you can shoot with this camera in pretty dark conditions. I tend to set a ceiling of ISO 3200, and at this value images are very clean, retaining a lot of detail and accurate colours. Any distracting noise can easily be cleaned up in post if necessary.

It truly is an amazing little machine. I was hesitant initially before purchasing it, thinking to myself, will I really use this alongside my Nikon D4, D3s and D200? Well the answer as you may have gathered is a resounding yes. Not only do I use it alongside the Nikon bodies, I sometimes use it on it's own, leaving the big boys behind. Sometimes it encourages me to go out for a walk snapping away at things I just wouldn't have even dreamt of before I purchased it. Wow, a camera that actively makes you want to get out there and take some images. Now that's something pretty special, a truly fantastic little camera.

Tranquil Harbour at Wells-Next-The-Sea, photographed with the Fuji X100

Colourful ropes. Fuji X100 with fill flash.

    Thank you very much for spending the time to look at my blog. I'm passionate about all things camera related and would greatly appreciate it if you took the time to look at some of the ads on my page. They're related to the stuff I blog about and you may find some great deals. I use a number of companies which advertise on my site when purchasing gear, and find them all to be fantastic, reliable with quick delivery.

Details

I love to photograph details at weddings, especially if the bride has spent time making her own decorations for the big day. The sort of details i'm referring to are the ones which adorn the tables at the reception, the ones that really make the wedding truly unique and personal. I find that getting in close and about the same height to the item I want to photograph is a great way of giving the bride and groom lovely memories of the beautiful details created, and all the hard work they will have put in before the big day.

Nikon D3s with Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8, ISO 1600, F5.6 @ 1/400 sec

When photographing these objects I use a wide aperture which helps create a shallow depth of field and ensures that the viewers gaze is directed to exactly where I want it, without any distracting background. Occasionally I may be required to move an object slightly. If this is the case I'm sure to use the utmost care to avoid any potential disaster. I certainly wouldn't want to accidentally knock over the wedding cake, what an absolute nightmare that would be. Once finished, I make sure everything is placed back to where it was originally. I've found through experience that if the tables and decorations are in place first thing in the morning, which sometimes happens, then this is a good time to take the shots. It will be quiet and I'll have free reign to shoot however I wish, before the ensuing madness that will come later in the day. This is where two shooters can really be of benefit. If time is tight, one of us can be photographing the bridal prep while the other is working in the reception room, capturing the lovely details and beautiful table decorations which are such an important part of the wedding album.

Nikon D3s with Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8, ISO 1600, F5.6 @ 1/640 sec

Nikon D700 with Sigma 24-70mm F2.8, ISO 400, F4.0 @ 1/500 sec

Ghost Pigeon

I was sitting at my computer the other day when there was an almighty bang at the window. I quickly turned to see a Wood Pigeon flying off in the opposite direction, a great big dust mark left where the pigeon had collided with the glass, a perfect outline of the bird's body and wing. When the sun catches the window at a certain angle, the pattern looks almost ghostly. So much for the black bird stickers which are meant to stop such encounters, but luckily in this instance the pigeon seemed no worse for wear.

Fuji X100

Subway

There is a subway in Lincoln that cuts underneath a busy road junction right in the heart of the city. It carries many people to and from their place of work and provides many thousands more a quick and simple route to a multitude of shops and some retail therapy. The underpass quite often floods and becomes inaccessible, but when dry it is a refuge for many homeless people who can often be seen huddled under a blanket, hoping that some passer-by will spare them a little change. It's quite amazing how much life this one subway gets to see, people from all social backgrounds, the poor and the rich, all come together if only for a fleeting second.

The Subway, Lincoln - Fuji X100

 

Train tracks

A quick post this evening and one from a few months ago when I first purchased the cracking little Fuji X100. I was out taking a few street images one chilly Spring morning and as I crossed the train tracks along Lincoln High Street I stopped to quickly capture this image. The sky wasn't great but I quite like the symmetry of the photograph nonetheless.

Train tracks along Lincoln High Street

Praktica BX20

So, my first camera in the 12 months of film project, ( see here for further details ) http://brettgardnerphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/12-months-of-film.html is the Praktica BX20. I received this camera from my dad who gave it to me when I took up photography seriously. I had used it on occasion, most notably when I went to Ethiopia in 1997 where I hadn't really got a clue what I was doing. When he finally gave it to me a year or so ago things had changed, I actually knew what the buttons and dials did so I was really looking forward to putting a film through it.

The angular Praktica BX20

The Praktica BX20 was produced in the German Democratic Republic between 1987 and 1990 and over 200,000 copies were produced. It's quite an angular looking little thing and you probably wouldn't describe it as sexy, not having the same graceful lines as a Nikon of the same era. But I kinda like it. It's boxy looks almost shout out at you, 'right, come on then, let's get on with it, i'm not gonna shoot all by myself now am I'. It's typical Eastern European, no frills, no glamour, just function. The body is a hard plastic, the sign of the times i'm afraid, where mass production and cheapness were more important than outright quality, something that has carried on until this day with the majority of manufacturers. If you have largish hands then the camera feels quite small, you have to almost contort your fingers to fit around the small grip and it's not the most comfortable to hold. You can either shoot it in semi auto aperture mode or manual, no full auto here I'm afraid. It is of course manual focus and this particular example came bundled with the Prakticar 35-70mm F3.5-F4.5 kit lens. Not the fastest, but it does the job. The shutter can be fired at a maximum of 1/1000 sec down to 1 sec as well as bulb mode. There is a dial to change exposure compensation and this can be set between +2 and -2 E.V. LED's light up to show the correct and selected exposure times through the viewfinder.

Shutter button, shutter speed dial and film advance lever.

Film rewind lever and asa/exposure dial.

Prakticar 35-70mm F3.5/F4.5 kit lens.

I tend to shoot in aperture priority mode most of the time and in this regard the camera suits me down to the ground. The thing I've found recently when shooting with film is that it slows me down and I study composition, light and camera settings in a bit more detail than I would normally with digital. I consider the overall look and feel of the image I'm trying to capture that much more carefully and I've found I now adopt this technique when shooting digital. This can only be a good thing, I shoot less but feel that the quality is of a higher standard.

Tide's out.

This is what happens if you don't tip. 

The Praktica performs well and takes nice images although I do notice that the shutter really does slap down when the shutter button is pressed fully, it sounds like a mini thunder clap and everyone around you takes note. So it's not really a stealthy street camera if you intend using it in relatively quiet places, and I think shutter speeds need to be kept reasonably high if you are to avoid soft images due to shutter slap.

Everyone gets into the spirit of things at the Wells Pirate Festival.

Overall I have enjoyed using this camera and I think it was a great choice to start with. This example is in mint condition and doing a search on eBay will reveal dozens for sale. A good clean body and kit lens shouldn't set you back any more than £50 at present. Bargain.

Pictures of the seaside wouldn't be the same without seagulls. They were eyeing up my fish and chips. Naughty.

I used a cheap Agfa Vista Plus ISO 200 film with the Praktica. It did the job and if you are on a budget like I am at present, then it's an affordable way to keep shooting film, priced at £1 for 24 exposures.

Creating abstract Beach Images.

The beauty of photographing at the sea's edge is that you can capture very minimalist landscapes, or seascapes if you prefer. You tend to be greeted with bands of colour formed by the beach, sea and whatever may lie beyond. Sometimes it can be nice to capture an object which can act as a focal point within the scene, something like a boat or possibly a buoy. On other occasions it's worthwhile trying your hand at very sparse, almost abstract photographs. By photographing left to right, or vice versa and dragging the shutter, you can create an image that is blurred sufficiently to create an impressionistic image. On very bright days, setting an aperture of F22 and an ISO of 50 is barely enough to slow the shutter speed down by the required amount to create the desired effect. Using those settings for the image below resulted in a shutter speed of 1/15 sec, just about slow enough to create the effect I was after. The one plus point with a speed of 1/15 sec is that it was easy to hand hold the camera and still maintain a straight line whilst panning. Much slower and a monopod or tripod would need to be used. If much slower speeds are required and the light is very bright then possibly the only option would be to use a Neutral Density filter which would darken the image through the front of the lens, and cause the camera to select a much slower shutter speed to record the correct exposure. The key is to experiment, get out there and give it a go, after all, it's a great excuse to go and have a stroll beside the sea.
 

Nikon D4 with Nikkor 70-200mm. ISO 400, F8 @ 1/640 sec +1 E.V. 

Nikon D4 with Nikkor 24-70mm. ISO 50, F22 @ 1/15 sec +1 E.V. 

Waiting for the light

To get that perfect landscape image requires several different elements being in place when the shutter is pressed. The quality of light is one such element, something that is pretty much out of your hands. As is the wind, which needs to be gentle at best if you're chasing reflections in water like the example below. Some subjects don't move so you only need to concentrate on the two elements mentioned above, while others like boats can of course move so this may need to be taken into consideration too. Shooting at the start or end of the day can give you a fighting chance, the sun, if out, will be low and cast beautiful warm light that can give great depth to your scene. Wind is normally light at these times too so it's a great time to shoot. This image below was really just a grab shot but it gives you some idea as to why this image is okay but not great as not all the elements were in place.

Fuji X100. ISO 200, 1/100 sec @ F5.6 +1.3 E.V.    

I wanted to capture a tranquil scene from the quay at Wells-Next-The-Sea and rather than just take a picture with static boats, I waited until a fisherman appeared in his small boat to liven the scene up a bit. I waited for him to move towards the right of the scene so the viewers eye would follow him on his travels up and out of frame to the right. Most teachers and books will tell you that objects should enter a picture with space for them to move into, but I've never followed tradition in this regard and tend to like things leaving frame, it just works for me. I pressed the shutter a bit too soon in this case, I would have preferred him slightly more to the right, but never mind. The lack of wind was perfect, it was a really tranquil evening, reflections from the boats were fantastic, just the ripples from the moving boat visible in the water.  What lets this image down for me is the flat lighting, it had become a steely grey, and the resulting image looks too cold, lacks emotion and for me is pretty much unsaleable. I had waited 8 days for the wind to drop sufficiently. It had been blowing a gale for a week even though the sun had been out, but as soon as the wind dropped the sun disappeared. Typical... Everything eventually came together on my last day at the coast, and I finally managed to get the shot I wanted and had envisaged for several days. And what was the final element that allowed me to capture the image? Patience.      

Folksy sales

I mentioned in my previous post about how the Folksy shop has provided a great deal of interest as well as sales both for me and my fellow artists, Emma and Diana. As a consequence of the publicity Folksy has generated for us all, it's also provided further sales from other sources, Pintrest and Google+ being two. It just goes to show the power of the internet and social media. My latest two sales aren't available on Folksy in the sizes that the customer required. A brief email with their specific requirements, and within a couple of days two gorgeous double mounted A3 fine art flower prints were on their way. I've just received some great feedback from them and a very happy customer makes for one very happy photographer.

Blue Dreams, Image size 16'' x 12'' - Mount size 20'' x 16''

Fields of Yellow, Image size 16'' x 12'' - Mount size 20'' x 16''

http://folksy.com/shops/saltmarshandsamphire

Please click the link above and take a peek. If there's something you like but would rather have it in another size or different colour mount, please get in touch either via the Folksy website or contacting me directly through this blog.