The new Nikon 8-15Fish is really a fun, gorgeous lens that as many have commented, can be over used. There’s no doubt that when you first get it you want to get up really close to your dog, make their nose look ~really~ big and never stop shooting. There is definitely a time and a place for the 8mm end of the 8-15Fish and getting past the “fad” of the new look too serious shooting takes some conscious thought. Let me give you just one thought to get you started.
Here are two examples of the one thought I want to leave with you. You need a defined subject that everything else in the frame is based upon. In the top photo is the open door and prop that comes really darn close to that open door. In the bottom photo, it’s the rag showing what a workhorse this aircraft truly is. The different between the two is the top is shot with the lens at f/8 and the bottom image the lens wide open. Light and depth of field are your main tools for smacking the viewer right between the eyes with the subject when shooting with a Fisheye. Another real helpful element is clouds. You can see how I used them above. Daniel has another great example of what I’m talking about in his 8-15Fish shot. The 8-15Fish brings out the kid in us and that’s a great thing in anything photographic. But once you settle down to serious storytelling, thinking about what is the subject and making sure you smack the viewer between the eyes with it will make this a great lens in your bag!
I’m sure you’re aware that I’m kicking myself for not doing this exercise years ago (Teddy Bear Exercise)! How mortified was I to discover that the last two pages of Captured explains the exercise. I guess I didn’t look at the Appendix when I saw it had D3 references. ? I am embarrassed.
I’ve been working on the exercise for the past three days. I haven’t finished yet. This morning was full sun subject/background and full sun subject/50-50 background. I’ve been doing each bear separately and then both bears together. And, then I realized that I needed to focus on each bear separately when they were in the same shot. I also plan to do some dappled shade instead of harsh lines of shade like I did this morning. What an eye-opener! Thank you so much for urging me to get my act together. I hope to add flash to the mix soon. I’m just amazed at what I’m seeing in these images.
Say hello to my new ‘best friends” in full shade, 0 Exposure comp, focused on the black bear and highlights down in post and shadows up a little. I’m using my D5 and my 70-200. This is a fun challenge. As I’m doing it, I think about the different places I’ve taken photographs and what those light situations were. I know I will be better equipped on future outings and I will make better choices more quickly in my settings because of this.
I’m sure when I get to the flash part, I’ll be in touch about this again!
11-13 August 2017 at the historic Duxford Aerodrome, UK is going to be the most exciting photographic workshop we’ve ever presented, ever! Hosted by Historic Aircraft Collection, we will explore, imagine and immerse ourselves in the photography of WWII history!
It all starts Friday evening the 11th with a presentation on basics to advanced techniques in photography and photographing aircraft. We have a block of rooms right off the Duxford Aerodrome so it’s convenient and close. We then start bright and early Saturday morning the 12th (before sunrise) on the field photographing some amazing aircraft: Spitfire, Hawker & Hurricane! We’ll then move into the digital darkroom to explore ways we can finish our static images.
Hurricane actual aircraft we’ll be photographing
After all that, you’ll be served a great traditional English lunch and eat where the pilots ate during WWII Battle of Britain. Then we’ll really get busy with more classroom instruction, reenactor portraits and then planes turning props with ground-to-air and backfire at dusk photography. Saturday night we will gather again to continue on with the education, enlightenment, and comradery that photography creates.
Sunday the 13th we’re up with the sun and on the Duxford Aerodrome for more photography of aircraft and reenactors. And this is not just for still photographers! Brent will be there teaching the art and craft of video, shooting and post so the visual storytelling is open to all! We’ll conclude all of this fun around noon on Sunday, but you are more than welcome to spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying and photographing all the activities. Phew if that wasn’t enough there is more, but we’ve gotta keep a couple surprises … surprises. Twenty folks will receive all this instruction and photographic opportunities, the special Challenge Coin, lunch and much more during the weekend.
We have just five spots left open of the 20 slots! The price for all that’s listed above is $1495 (lodging and an air-to-air is not included in this price). There is no online registration, you need to either email Sharon (to register and pay) or give her a call at 661.204.1506. Once you have paid your registration you will receive lodging and other details (this info will not be provided without registration). Also upon registration, you will be sent PDFs of information about gear, aviation photography concepts, and techniques. We have never offered a workshop quite like this, we are incredibly excited and look forward to sharing it all with you!!!
I’m always talking about how if I can’t finish an image in 2 minutes, I will abandon it. Many ask how I’m finishing an image so quickly. Here’s how I do it. Keep in mind that this is just how I do it, doesn’t mean you have to do it this way nor take up this standard. But in order to keep my photography and business moving forward, this is just the practice I have set up for myself. In the video I mention these:
If you’re a Lightroom user, you will find most of the same sliders and can adopt the same basic finishing as I use in ACR. And you can find much more of my finishing techniques, tricks and tools on Kelby One Landscape Finishing and Aviation Finishing. Hope this gives you some food for thought.
