MomShots

I had a great comment on my last post from my talented and beautiful sister. 

I have some advice. For those who are in this to learn as well….what’s a DSLR? I have never heard that before and don’t know what it means. I get the general idea of what your saying in that blog but the terms are on your lvl of learning and I am not…
my 2 cents. 

She makes a really good point.  I have been obsessively focusing on learning about photography that I forget the rest of the world isn’t as obsessed with this stuff. I am throwing out terms that don’t mean a whole lot to the average camera user.  This is a term that I explained a WAY long time ago in an earlier post but I need to remember to keep explaining it every time I post about it.  I need to remember that.  Thanks so much for the reminder!  I really do appreciate it.

So here is my answer to your question (warning - Way more than you really wanted to know…  that’s what you get when you ask an obsessed person!):

SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. The D stands for Digital - DSLR. Single Lens Reflex mean that when you look through the view finder you are seeing exactly what your lens is seeing. You might wonder how this can be because the view finder is above the lens. There are a series of mirrors that bounce the lenses image up to the view finder.

On a point and shoot camera there are no mirrors to bounce the image up to your view finder. What you see through your view finder and on your LCD screen will be slightly different than what your lens actually sees.  The viewfinder sees an image that is slightly above and to the left of your lens.  This doesn’t really make that much of a difference when you are taking photos of things that are far away but when you are shooting something close up, you have to compensate for that slightly, if it matters to you.  

An other main difference is the absolute manual control you have over the settings you are using to take a photo.  You can choose to make you photo brighter, darker, capture the action by using a fast shutter speed or blur the action by using a slow shutter speed.  You have the ultimate control over your image and that can be kind of scary and intimidating (at least it was to me - hence the SLRaphpbia).  You can also change your lenses.  This is a huge plus because there are so many lens options to choose from between a macro (super up close) to a telephoto zoom (super far away but you can zoom in and get the image anyway).  

One last benefit of the DSLR that I would like to make, is that they are usually made with a faster processor than digital point and shoot cameras.  I don’t know why this is, perhaps it is just the demand from the professional industry.  But “usually” digital point and shoot cameras have a slower processor and that means when you push the button there is a little bit of a lag from when the photo is actually taken.  My D100 is pretty old and I know that Kristina’s new 30D is way faster than mine.  As technology advances so do the cameras - both digital point and shoot and DSLR.

A point and shoot has many good features.  The ease of use is a great benefit.  It is relatively easy to use; you just point and shoot.  There are so many great preset program modes that benefit the user as well.  There are modes that will help you take photos of people in groups, single people, fireworks, up close (macro), far away (zoom), landscapes, etc.  I know that the new Sony Cybershot has an interesting mode that focuses on people’s smiles.  

Another great point about the point and shoots are that they are usually compact.  Slip them in your pocket or purse and pull them out quickly to capture the action.  

Also, more recent digital point and shoots have a faster processor than their predecessors but they are not using the same processors that they use in the DSLRs.  My sister’s new Sony Cybershot probably has a faster processor than my D100 because mine is such an old camera.  But I would venture to say that it probably isn’t as fast as Kristina’s 30D or even a newer DSLR.  This makes it possible for a DSLR user to do that old click-click-click-click-click that we associate with film cameras.  You can’t really do that with a digital point and shoot.  

(Please, if you contest what I am saying, post a comment.  As I have previously said, my most recent point and shoot is a few years old.  I have not tried more recent cameras.  As budget allows, I would like to try and review some more current digital point and shoots.  Also, if you would like to post a review of a camera, email me.  I would love to hear your thoughts!!!  Momshots at yahoo dot com.)

Anyway… as neat as all these preset modes are, I am drawn to the manual control of the SLR camera.  I found that I rarely used any of the preset modes in my point and shoot.  I posted earlier about my favorite mode - the Sports mode.  That’s about all I consistently used.  Sure, I tried the other modes here and there but I ended up using the same mode over and over.  

I hope that clears up what the difference between DSLR and Point and Shoot is.  I am also not saying that the SLR is better than the point and shoot.  They are different cameras.  I am saying that I personally am really enjoying learning how to use my SLR.  I am enjoying it far more than I ever did my point and shoot cameras.

If you ever want to find some really cool photos by point and shoot users, do a search in Flickr for a specific camera model.  For instance, I just did two Flickr searches one for Sony Cybershot and the other for Nikon Coolpix.  Both searches yielded tons of really artistic and beautiful images.  You can do so many great things with a digital point and shoot.  I think the key is to develop your artistic eye and explore the capabilities of your camera.  That goes for both DSLR and point and shoot!

I found an explanation on the Kodak website about the difference between SLR and point and shoot.  If you want more info, check it out here.

So lately I have been thinking (don’t I seem to start all of my posts with this phrase???)…  I have been thinking about the benefits of a SLR versus the benefits of a point and shoot.  All my life I have been afraid of SLR cameras.  This is a true statement.  Is there a name for that kind of fear?  SLRaphobic?

When I was in my late teens/early 20’s I had a film SLR.  I used it while I traveled through Europe.  Once my backpack was “broken into” and they stole my favorite black sweater but they left the SLR.  Secretly, I was a little sad about that.

I came home from my trip and seriously had about 1 picture that looked halfway in focus.  It was a huge photographic bust.  I longed for my black sweater.

At that time in my life, a point and shoot was exactly the kind of camera I needed.  I needed something that I could just “point” and “shoot”.  I didn’t want to have to think about how my camera worked.  I didn’t even really care what the images looked like.  In reality, I don’t think I really ever developed more than two rolls of film because I just didn’t care.  I enjoyed the act of photographing much more than the finished result.

Part of me is sad about this because the first 4 or so years of my married life are pretty much unphotographically (not a word, I know.) documented.  Then I was introduced to the relatively new technology of a digital camera - still a point and shoot.  But awesome.  An HP Photosmart early edition.  It rocked in all its dinosaurish technological glory.  Finally, I was able to see my photos when I uploaded them to my computer.  I still wasn’t doing anything with them but at least I could see what the photos I took looked like!

After the HP Photosmart came a Nikon Coolpix, edition number unknown, however I think it was 3400 or something like that.  After that came my current Nikon Coolpix 5600.  The thing that I loved about these Nikons was that they had all these cool program modes.  My HP didn’t.  It was too early in history for that.

I never fully took advantage of my program modes but I sure had fun taking lots of pictures.  I loved that there were program mode possibilities.  It made me feel like I could be a good photographer if I just worked on it a little.  I guess I didn’t really ever work on it very much…

My step into the digital SLR (DSLR) world didn’t actually happen until early this year.  Like I said, I was SLRaphobic.  I mention in a previous post about my 2007 Halloween frustration because I didn’t have access to my point and shoot and the Nikon D100 was too scary.  I tried to use the D100 but my photos were too dark and I didn’t have any idea how to make them lighter.

My next experience with that DSLR was at Christmas time.  I dressed my three boys up as three little kings and tried to take a photo to use on a Christmas card.  I overcame my fear and produced an image that was OK for my complete lack of knowledge.  I slowly have been learning more and more about how to use that camera.

I still have my point and shoot - Nikon Coolpix 5600, but officially I call it Uly’s Camera.  The last time I tried to use it I realized it really is broken and isn’t worth the frustration.  It’s way more fun to watch my 4 year old take pictures with it.  I love seeing his results.  He’s an artistic little fellow!

So I guess the point that I want to make in this meandering post is that I am really enjoying using a DSLR.  I am officially unafraid!  Do I get a medal or anything?  I enjoy it way more than I ever did, my point and shoots.  I love the control that I have over the exposure and focus.  I guess truly am a control freak!  I just love being able to tell my camera what I want and have it create that.  I’m not beholden to a preset mode, if I don’t want to be.

Now before you died in the wool point and shoot users turn your back on me, I want to say that I have seen some amazing images that came from a point and shoot.  Also, the newer cameras have some pretty cool technology.  I am just really enjoying this DSLR adventure.  I am having so much more fun using this camera than I ever did with any of our previous cameras.  I am also getting many more results that I like. 

Officially it’s Summer! June 21st brought warm weather in my neighborhood. My oldest son walks outside and proclaims, “It’s just a beautiful day, Mom!” With that proclamation I am reminded of all the possibilities that Summer brings and those possibilities mean many opportunities for great Momshots.

Summer has barely begun and we have already been to two parades and two carnivals. Daily we have been playing in the sprinkler and little wading pool, we have been to the park numerous times and spent much time riding bikes and practicing riding the scooter. We have had a few picnics, campfires, s’mores and even an attempted camping trip. I feel like this Summer is a good one and it has just barely started! Bring on more fun!

These adventures have brought on many Momshot opportunities. They have given me many chances to think about composition, lighting, focal points, capturing action and trying to photograph these fun moments in a way that I find visually interesting.

My Momshot Tip is to take these fun Summer adventures and try to visualize photographs that capture the atmosphere and emotions of the subjects.  Try to think about the whole picture and not just your kids’ cute smiling faces.  Most importantly, take your camera with you everywhere.  Then be sure to take it out of the camera bag and use it.

My philosophy is that if I take enough shots, I’m bound to have one or two good ones!  

I have been thinking about a basic concept of photography. The concept is that we are taking photographs of light, not necessarily of objects. This makes sense when you think about basic biology of the eye and how we see; we are not actually seeing an object but the light reflected off of an object. I know, it sounds crazy, huh?

So when I use my camera to capture the light that is bouncing off of my kids, I need to think about HOW it is bouncing off of them. Where is the light source? Is it bright? Is it muted? Where does the light bounce off of their face? Are there any body parts that are hidden in shadows?

If you take a look at any clothing catalog or magazine, you will see a ton of photographs where the subject has no visible shadows. Now if you look at your stash of Momshots, if you’re anything like me, you’ll have a whole bunch that have shadows all over the place. Shadows in the eyes, around the nose, mottled leaf shadows, you name it.

I think that people who have had some artistic training may be more used to looking at the shadows and light areas of what they are photographing. I think learning to look at the light is a trait that most artists use. It is a trait that I must learn how to use if I want to progress.

You can see, on the Momshot above, that there are shadows all over the place. My son’s nose is in the sun, his eyes are in the dark and there are crazy shadows all over his jeans. It is really distracting. My eyes can’t focus on his cute face, they dart all over the photo. That’s part of the problem with harsh shadows.

This Momshot is a lot better. In fact, I really like the bits of sunlight that are on the edge of his arm and in his hair. I think having his face in the large shadow and not in little shadows, helps my eyes to look at his face better.

As I look at this photos, i realize this would have been a great opportunity to practice using my flash to fill in the shadows.

I take a lot of photos in the mid afternoon. Everyone I talk to and everywhere I read says that this is the worst time of day to take pictures. The sun is bright over head and this creates harsh shadows, as you can see on my Momshots here. The problem is that this seems to be the best time of the day to go outside and play. It is after naps and everyone is feeling happy and can usually tolerate mom chasing them around with a camera.

So what are you gonna do? I guess that’s where you have to learn how to really watch the light and shadows. Be ready to snap a Momshot when your child runs into the shade of the house. You can also try using your flash to fill in any shadows caused by harsh sun. I think I am going to try this tomorrow afternoon on my daily “Chase the Kids with the Camera Time.”

You can see in the Momshot below that I took it when my son was sitting in the shade. He does not have any harsh shadows on his face. You can kind of see that there is a light source to the right of the pictures, but it is muted. The light source is just the sun, but it is hidden behind part of the train engine that Mag is sitting on.

I just wanted to share some of my thoughts about using the light better. I have so much to learn in this area. I have just become aware of looking for the light. It is a skill that I really want to develop. It is a huge basic concept that, I believe, can transform anyone’s photography. This is a concept that needs to be understood no matter what kind of camera you use. It translates into all sorts of areas of photography.

I am trying to make it a habit to look for the light so I try to remind myself to look for light and shadows on every object I see. The toaster, the ottoman, my purse, the cat… You name it and there is light bouncing off and shadows playing around. I have to teach myself to see them.

I would like to issue a challenge to you, to start paying more attention to the light on objects and especially on the children as you take your Momshots.

So, after getting my Nikon stolen a few months ago while on a trip to Arizona I decided to get a new camera and opted for the Canon 30D. The reason I decided on the Canon was because a few of my photography buddies have the Canon and love it. They also have all kinds of lenses so if I wanted to try a diferent lense, I could probably borrow one.

I only had a my Nikon for about 3 months, but was used to it, because it was my first SLR (Single-Lense Reflex). I have read reviews and asked several photographers their preference and decided that it all comes down to personal prefrence. They basicaly do the same things.

Why did I go for the 30D?  Well….it was cheaper because it is an older model but still has the fuctions needed for some of the lenses I plan on getting in the future. I’m not sure I quite understand the functions in their entirety, but hope to as I learn how to take better momshots.

I know this is totally common knowledge to most of the world and I would totally have known this if I’d read it in my manual.  I keep saying I’m going to read my manual but what happens is I read a little bit and then get side tracked by experimenting with whatever it is I just read.  So I guess when I say that I’m reading my manual it is a process; not something I am going to just sit down and read in an afternoon.

What is it you ask?  

I discovered how to use the light meter in my camera!  I discovered where it is and what it means to me.  Part of that discovery is due to a post I read on Pioneer Woman’s site.  I read her article and realized that I needed to figure out my light meter so I just started experimenting.  I guess prior to this I hadn’t even really thought about a light meter.  I think I thought that using a light meter was too advanced for my current skill level so I really hadn’t given it any thought.  However, now it is my new best friend!

The thing about the light meter is that it totally helps me pick the correct shutter speed for whatever aperture I have the camera on.  I know, some of you are reading this and saying, “Well, duh!”  Others are reading this and thinking, “What the heck is a light meter?”

For those of you in the latter group, the light meter measures the light where you are focusing and tells you if it will be too bright or too dim for the current settings.  So then you can either make your aperture or f/stop smaller or larger or you can speed up or slow down your shutter speed.  

I really like to shoot with my camera in Manual mode.  That means I control all those settings, however I don’t always get the exposure correct on the first, second and sometimes third or fourth try.  I have really felt like it has been a bit of a guessing game.  So this discovery is actually pretty major for me.  If I read my light meter and make the corrections the exposure will be correct with little to no guessing from me.  That’s exciting!!!  

So this morning I took my two oldest sons to my little town’s annual hot air ballon festival.  It was so much fun!  We had a blast running from balloon to balloon and watching them fill up and take off.  After most of the balloons had left, they were giving rides on one that was tethered to the ground.  We stood in line and got our little turn.  It was a blast.  We all enjoyed it so much.

I took a ton of photos of the balloons and just a couple Momshots of my boys.  I’m kind of sad I didn’t take more Momshots.  Really I only took two and I bombed both shots.  They are really busy, bad shadows, etc.  Just not good shots but the whole time I was practicing with using my light meter.  It made such a difference.  I am actually really impressed.  None of my photos were badly over exposed or under exposed.  They all look great! 

Yay!  I feel like I have just taken a small step on the photography ladder of knowledge. 

So to sum it up; My Momshot Tip of the Day is to use your light meter.  If you don’t know where your light meter is look it up in your manual.  You’ll thank yourself.

So a while back I started a personal challenge. I was going to take a photograph a day for seven days.  I had this plan that I was going to post my photos from all seven days.  I posted three days worth. 

After I started this challenge, I realized that I didn’t want to stop at Day Seven.  So instead of stopping at Day Seven, I just kept going.  I have no idea what day it is.  

Maybe I should count.  

It looks like I issued this personal challenge on May 17th.  Today was June 10th so that has been 24 days.  I missed a day here and there, maybe three days all together.  I missed today, in fact.  I got out my camera but only downloaded the images off of it.  I haven’t been feeling that well so I’ll take refuge in that excuse…

I really love this idea of taking Momshots daily.  It has really helped me become more familiar with my camera.  I think that is really important.   

I was just remembering back to Halloween, just 8 months ago…  I carved a pumpkin and tried to take a picture of it.  I was super frustrated because each photo I took came out really, really dark.  They were all too dark to be usable at all.  My husband was out of town for business that day.  I kept trying to call him to get his help but he was in the air flying from Chicago to Las Vegas and didn’t get my calls.  For some reason, I couldn’t use my Coolpix to take the picture.  

Now, just 8 months later, I totally wouldn’t have that problem.  I am MUCH more familiar with my camera and could just decide if I needed to increase or decrease my shutter speed or open the aperture, etc.  I am very excited by that progress.

So… Lately I have been experimenting with using the Aperture Priority mode.  I’ve also been experimenting with the focus brackets.  Plus just normal (for me anyway) things like being aware of the light and shadows, framing and backgrounds; these are all things I have been focusing on while I take my daily Momshots.

I am still making mistakes left and right but often I can look at the results and decide what I could have done to make it a better photo.  I think that is how we learn.

Here is a Momshot that I took this past weekend on a little camping excursion into the Uinta National Forest.  There are elements of it that are good and there are elements that are not.  I like the green background and especially love the flames from the fire.  They kind of have a ghosting type effect over the boys.  

One element that I really don’t like are the harsh shadows around their cute squinty eyes and necks.  If I would have waited until later in the evening than I probably could have gotten a similar shot but with more even lighting.  The problem with that is that I didn’t pose them for this shot; it was spontaneous.  I don’t know if I would have been able to get them in a similar position later in the day.  I guess that is just part of the Momshot dilemma; Spontaneity vs. Posing.  Or maybe it’s just a Jessica dilemma…   

I am looking through my tons of Momshots and see that most of my photos have less than desirable backgrounds.  I mean garbage cans, car tyres, the list goes on…

Does anyone else have this problem?

Obviously the problem has to do with how I compose my photos.  However, 98% of my photos are of the snapshot variety.  The kind where you grab the camera and capture that silly smile or the goofy look.  This one is when my husband Ben was working on his car.  Gar wanted to help.  He grabbed his toy wrench and the longest screw driver in the tool box.

There are tons of things not technically correct about this photo.  Awful trash can background, strange framing, Ben’s leg in the shot, I should have crouched down a bit, etc…  I’m sure the list can go on.  I do like the lighting.  It was around the “Magic Hour” of the evening - that hour or so before the sun sets and the shadows are more muted, less harsh.  Plus the subject matter is just adorable.  Gar and tools are always a good mix.

So the question I pose is this:  How do you take snapshots or Momshots and capture the spontaneity of the situation but still have an appealing background?  

This is one of the BIG questions that Momshots aims to answer as we develop our photographic skills.  But since we are just learning, does anyone who reads this, have any tips?  Or alternatively; What is your favorite background to shoot in front of?  Are there backgrounds that you enjoy shooting in front of more than others?

I would love to hear any thoughts on this.  Please feel free to share.

For some reason, in my photographic history, I have avoided shooting close ups.   I mean extreme close ups.  The kind where you see the pox mark or the freckles that you’re not exactly proud of.  Those kind of thing that people at a normal arms length don’t really see.  The kind of thing that you’re glad they don’t really see.

Lately I have crossed an imaginary line of intimacy.  I have discovered the beauty of the extreme close up.  I have discovered that I really like the privacy that the extreme close up brings.  I love that the viewer is forcibly drawn into the world of the subject in the photograph.  You can’t sit idly by and be a passive viewer.  You are  thrown into the emotion of the subject.  

This Momshot above is of my son, Ulysses, laughing.  Now to me, I see this and feel a laugh start to well up inside of me.  I feel the emotion of this photo so much.  I believe part of that is because of how close we are.  We have passed through the imaginary bubble of “The Comfort Zone” and now we can actually see the feelings that the subject feels.  

This Momshot is of my son, Magnus.  I love the sparkle in his eyes and see his inquisitiveness.  OK, maybe that visible sparkle is actually the flash reflecting in his eyes but the inquisitiveness is real!  He is 10 months old and he is so curious about everything.

So my Momshot tip of the day is to shoot the extreme close up.  Experiment with different elements of the face being in the frame and see how much emotion you can capture.  You don’t have to worry about cutting of the top of the head, the chin, even the mouth.  Try it out and see how much fun you can have with it.  I love it!