Tamron Blog: Angle of View

Stay Positive – Winter’s Almost Over

By Jillian Bell

We talk about the weather often here in MinneSNOWda. Here in Minneapolis, 2013-2014 proved to be the 5^th coldest winter in state history. With record breaking snowfalls in all parts of the country, I'm glad to say "it's almost over". All over my city, people are active outside all year round. To help curb our cabin fever, St Paul hosts the Annual Winter Carnival to celebrate the changing of seasons. You'll find common activities like pond hockey tournaments, Loppet and cross country ski racing as well as some oddities like a fat-tire bicycle obstacle race, and the winter classic AAA baseball game. This blog is about Shutter Speeds with a wintery theme. For most sports, a fast shutter speed is needed to capture action as seen in the first two photos.

Taken with the Tamron SP 70-200mm F2.8 - 1/500sec - ISO100 - F9, you can easily capture these images with an 18-270mm or 70-300mm. There is plenty of light, so I open up my aperture for greater depth of field flexibility. Consider the next shot:

1/500sec is fast enough to stop this bike; however he seems to be motionless because of the fast shutter speed. To create the motion we expect use a technique called "Pan Focus".

By following this bicyclist left to right and slowing my shutter speed to 1/30sec, he stays relatively sharp, and my background blurs creating the concept of movement.

Looking back, staying active helps us all be motivated, confident, and inspired. As the snow melts and the temperature gets back to bearable, I am looking forward to getting back outside.

Thanks for reading – follow me @BellTamronUSA on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more adventures.

Don’t put your camera away when it’s cold outside…

By Rob Moody

With some proper care and handling you can bring your camera outside to shoot even in the harshest conditions. From frozen landscapes to frozen waterfalls, there are numerous winter scenes that are just waiting to be photographed with your creative eye. Winter also provides an uncluttered canvas of unique possibilities due to its inherent harshness and lack of crowds. Far less people go outside in the winter making it easier to position for that ultimate landscape image of fresh snow.

Whether it’s the combination of frozen ice alongside the motion of moving water, glowing reflections of light on blowing and hard crystallized snow during the golden hour or unblemished grand landscapes after a fresh snowfall, for me there is a magic that happens in the winter and I feel compelled to photograph it!

I am fortunate to live at the edge of a wilderness area in Colorado at an elevation of 10,600ft. I greatly enjoy getting outside in the wintertime pursuing both mountaineering and photographic interest. Winters here are bitter and hard on not only human beings, but also on electronics or equipment of any type. Unfortunately, I have learned the hard way destroying several cameras during my early adventures, to take precautions to protect my equipment. Needless to say, due to experience and learned handling techniques, my camera equipment lasts a lot longer these days.

It isn't really the cold that negatively impacts your camera equipment, it is the abrupt change in conditions your equipment experiences when you leave the warmth that impacts it the most. For this reason I have camera bags that both clasp and zip. The zip closes the camera equipment in the case buffering it from the abrupt changes in conditions. This way, I can transport the equipment to the car or trunk and to the location, giving it plenty of time for the temperature to gradually adjust to the shooting temperature. Upon arriving on location I many times allow additional time for the temperature to equalize in the bag. When I pull the camera out for use, no fogging.

I have found that putting your equipment bag on the ground for equipment changes in the winter can be problematic. Snow tends to blow or fall in to open areas and a nice layer adheres to your bag upon liftoff. Because of this, I have evolved into using packs, bags and lens cases that remain attached to me as I work from them. This also minimizes exposure to the extreme conditions eliminating bending over and removing of gloves. Additionally, I connect gloves and hats to my body with leashes to avoid losing them in high wind.

Speaking of high wind, I use tripods a lot for maximum sharpness and depth of field, it’s important to manage your equipment on a tripod in high wind vigilantly! There is nothing like the experience of watching a tripod and equipment head for the ground after the wind blows it over a cliff in front of you and there is nothing you can do but watch. It’s an excruciating feeling… guess how I learned that one? It taught me to always bring a stuffed sack to hang weight from the center column of the tripod high wind or not. Even with this addition, I’ll add a leash to the camera or manage it closely if I experience or anticipate extreme conditions.

Getting great images in the wintertime is easier if you are comfortable. For this reason, I have acquired mountaineering clothing that keeps me comfortable even in the harshest conditions. I highly recommend buying a fleece glove, outer mitt combination for winter photography uses. You can pull your hand out of the mitt while still in the fleece liners to make adjustments and change lenses. Then reinsert hand in mitt as needed. Also, a boot and sock combination that will keep your feet dry and warm during long periods of standing around. Finally, a thermos full of warm liquid and a snack accompany me everywhere. In extreme cold, it can be an attitude changer!

Many camera stores sell camera coats to protect your equipment in wet weather. Get one of these if you live in or will be traveling to an area that is known for wetness and humidity. In Colorado, it is dry even when it’s cold and snowing, so I bring a simple cloth with me to wipe moisture off equipment if it accumulates. I always use a hood on my lenses to prevent snow or rain from landing on the front element and resulting in a blur or dark blur spot on the image. I check my front element regularly and keep it clear and clean.

Is it snowing outside? it is here. Anybody can pick up a camera and go shoot a pretty flower in the summer time. It takes inspiration, preparation and tenacity to photograph in the winter! So next snow day, get your camera equipment along with these tips, dress up warm and go make some incredible winter images outside! You’ll be thrilled the first time you see incredible winter images on your monitor, while at the same time, warm and toasty inside. It’s a very rewarding experience that keeps me going back for more! Enjoy your photographic passion!

Darken your foreground objects so they’re silhouetted against the background for impact!

By Rob Moody

I’m able to do this using the Overexposure/Underexposure Compensation mode, represented by a +/– symbol on a button near the shutter release button on most cameras (on some entry-level DSLRs and most point-and-shoot cameras, this mode may only be found through the menu).

This mode can be used to brighten or darken the entire image by rolling a command dial, you can either take away or add to the exposure until the desired look is achieved. Rolling the command dial to the minus side makes the image darker and silhouettes the already-dark objects in the foreground against the sky.

Practice by incrementally moving the indicator to the minus side one step (1 EV, or Exposure Value) at a time. Keep taking pictures to see what happens to the overall brightness and darkness of the scene. I like to incrementally make the image darker until the objects (like the trees in this image) become black. Doing this also makes the colors richer, making the sunset even more stunning.

Be sure to set the over/ under exposure mode back to 0.0 before your next shoot so you don’t end up with unexpected surprise.

Playing With Fire

By Jeff Allen

Try experimenting with flash and without, as demonstrated in these images. When using the flash, “bracket” your exposures – underexposing at a full stop (-1), 2/3rd stop (-.7), 1/3rd stop (-.3) – to see the variations in detail and lighting. By underexposing the flash you can avoid washing out details in the foreground which would cause the flames to look washed out as well. Most DSLR cameras allow independent flash exposure adjustments. Some brands allow settings to be made using controls on the camera body, while others allow the adjustments on the flash (speedlight) instead of the camera. Check your owner’s manual for complete details or ask an expert at your local photo special retailer.

You Make the Rules

By Jillian Bell

An image orientation is subject to its photographer.  One thing I thoroughly enjoy about abstract macro is there are no rules for orientation like in landscape or portrait photography.  If there are strong vertical lines, present it vertically.  If the shadows work better presented upside down - do it.  It is up to you the photographer to decide.  There are times I am unsure of a photo I have taken and will rotate it in all orientations to find the most dramatic composition.  In abstract macro, your final image is more about the creative concept and less about what object was photographed.  

 

Freezing Action

By André Costantini

The key to freezing action is to use a fast shutter speed.  This often means that you must use a wider open aperture (such as F/2.8 or F/4) to be able to get the correct exposure.  There is a relationship between the shutter speed and aperture, where when one changes the other must change to keep the amount of light reaching your sensor consistent for a proper exposure.  For most human motion, the slowest shutter speed to choose is 1/500 of a second with 1/2000 or even up to 1/8000 being ideal.

Using ND Filters

By Ken Hubbard

For me the most important filter I have in my camera bag is the circular polarizing filter, this is because of the many uses this for this filter that can help enhance your images.  First, and what most people use this filter for is to help create a more dramatic look to the sky by deepening the blue and brightening the clouds. Second, is to take out the reflections in surfaces such as glass or glare on shiny surfaces like a wet green leaf. Lastly, you can use it to slow down your shutter speed by up to 2 stops. If you are shooting a stream or moving water and your scene is a little to bright and you cannot get a slow enough shutter speed, try putting on your CP filter and using it like a ND filter.  The way a CP filter works is by attaching it to the front of your lenses and turning the filter till you see the desired effect thru your viewfinder.  For maximum effect it is best to have the sun directly behind you or over your left or right shoulder, not directly in front of you.

 

Lens Used: SP24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD

Focal Length: 24mm

ISO 200

Shutter Speed: 1/80th

Aperture: F/16

Tamron SP 70-200 VC USD Portrait Test

By Rob Moody

Most of the time, I like to make images in nature. Occasionally, I’ll make some portraits to test lenses right when I get them. In this case, I just opened my Tamron SP 70-200 VC USD lens and attached it to my D800 body. My first impressions were beyond expectations as I marveled at the performance level of the lens! 

I needed to make some images so I met Lawra just as the fall color was wrapping up in my area. I had taken her high school senior photos a year before and they turned out excellent, so I knew she would be a good model for this testing. 

I used my SB910 flash in all images and turned down the power and used a small soft box to minimize shadows. Also, I wanted the natural light to show in the image. I wanted just enough flash to pick up the shadows without overpowering the image with flash.

I used the Tamron SP 70-200 VC USD lens handheld. My intent was to use f/stops 2.8 - 8.0 to get a look at how the lens would perform with 9 rounded blades in the aperture. The out of focus background (Bokeh) looks very smooth in all images.

I am very pleased with the results and see the Tamron SP 70-200 VC USD as the top performing lens in my bag! The Vibration Compensation worked great at low ISO and shutter speed. Needless to say, I will be using this lens a lot!

70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 90 mm; 1/60 sec;   f/8;   ISO 100

70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm; 1/80 sec;   f/2.8;   ISO 100

70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm; 1/80 sec;   f/8;   ISO 100

70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 80 mm; 1/160 sec;   f/2.8;   ISO 200

Use a circular polarizer to even out water reflections.

By Rob Moody

Sunrise and sunset images are usually compelling on their own, but adding a perfect copy of that scene reflected in a body of water takes it to the next level. When using a polarizer to enhance the sky, the best angle is 90 degrees to the sun’s path; however, when used to enhance and even out reflections in the water against the brightness of the sky, a polarizer works well in all directions.

For best results, level your camera for even reflections. Some newer cameras have built-in levels (like in an airplane), but although these are cool features, they can be difficult to operate in low light and eat up valuable time while the light’s vanishing. A hot shoe bubble level can be helpful for this reason because it’s always on.

Atmosphere and Backlight

By André Costantini

Dusty or foggy air, combined with backlight, is a great lighting condition for silhouettes of people and other easy to recognize subjects.  This technique creates a mystical, dreamy feeling.  In this case, I waited for the moment that the truck's headlights outlined the child on the bike. There is usually a very short timeframe to get this photo right, and since autofocus works off of contrast, I often switch to manual focus in situations like this where the contrast on the subject is very low to non-existent. I was handholding the camera for this shot, so I turned the VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilizer on, which helps when you are in compromising lighting conditions that require slower shutter speeds.