From Wands to Space Suits - Camera Tips
Monday, 26 July 2010 23:31 | Written by Ricardo Sevilla | 
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I originally wanted to take my normal camera, the 5DMarkII with my 70-200mm 2.8L Lens, but I figured I'd be going on a lot of rides and I wouldn't want to carry my bulky camera around. We decide just to bring my wife's Canon G10.
Canon G10 (G11 is also out)
A little info on this camera:
It's one of the best travel size, point n shot cameras out in the market. It's easy to use for those unfamiliar with cameras in general, and it has manual functions that advance users can take advantage of. You can select ISO, Shutter Speed, f Stop, exposure compensation, control Flash Power, and it even even do bracketed shooting for example! Think of this as a compact DSLR. It also does VERY well in low light conditions, as I will demonstrate shortly. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Let's talk about using this camera on my weekend trip.
Waiting on a 2-Hour line at the Harry Potter theme park, in Universal Studios.
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Ricki Phone Home
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Having a conversation with someone while at the Kwik-E-Mart. (click on image for higher resolution)
Helen making a phone call. I wonder who she was speaking with?
So whats so special about the above photographs using this camera?
Well, nothing really. It just shows it can take regular photographs, like any other point n shoot camera (apart from the fact that these photographs are 14 megapixels and have less noise, less grain than typical point n shoot cameras (resulting in better prints)
Lets say we want to take more...sophisticated photographs.
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The sun was going down and this shot was taken with available light, no flash. Normal point n shoot cameras would force the flash, giving it a bad color tone to it or it would set the ISO very high, such as 1000+ making the image look very grainy OR the image would come out blurry. This camera has built in Image Stabilization that allows sharp images even in low light situations...hand held too! This shot was taken at just 1/8 of a second hand held!
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Here is another photograph Helen took under low light conditions with the G10. beautiful shot, hand held at 1/60 of a second, ISO 160. :) (remember, the lower the ISO, the better. The common range in point n shoots are between 400-1200).
Night time arrives and one thing that catches my eye is Harry Potter's....crib? (an attempt at being cool here).
Now, it's an extreme low light scenery. Even if you wanted to use flash...it will not reach, you will just get a black image (It's funny watching people in stadiums use flash when trying to take pics, as if the light will travel that far....but then again...most point n shoot cameras are dumb). There is no way a person can hold a camera still enough to capture night time shots like this. Normally you will need a tripod and give the camera enough time to absorb the little available light that there is. I set the camera to a higher ISO (Remember, higher ISO requires less light). I set it to ISO 400, my f stop to 3.5 (the lower it is, the less light it requires), and my shutter to be open for a full second (the longer the shutter is open the more light it will absorb but any small move the image will appear blurry). I place the camera on my cap, on top of a table. The reason why I put it on my cap was because I needed the camera to be tilted upwards a bit.
(Click on image for higher resolution. Once opened, you have a "maximize" button. Click on it to see the image better, for the photo will be resided smaller if you are using an old monitor that does not support high resolution modes.)
I did not like it. Too grainy, less detailed for my taste. It's a beautiful scene, and a beautiful scene only warrants the need to go the extra mile to get a beautiful photograph.
I decide to take the ISO all the way down to 100. If I drop the ISO from 400-100, the image will come out pitch black. What do I need to do to counter act this effect? Two options, lower the f-stop to or increase the amount of time the shutter is open to absorb the light. Changing the fstop in this scenario is not available to us, as I would need an fstop of about 0.5? lol My only option is to decrease the shutter speed. In this case, I choose a full 13 seconds. This is the result.
(Click on image for higher resolution. Once opened, you have a "maximize" button. Click on it to see the image better, for the photo will be resided smaller if you are using an old monitor that does not support high resolution modes.)
Notice how SHARP this image is? The colors are more vibrant, and you can even see the night time stars better! At 14 megapixel and 240 dpi, this image makes a very good poster sized print, without much quality loss.
TIP: When using LONG shutter speed exposure (consisting of more than 1 second for example), I highly recommend to use the self timer feature on the camera. The reason is that your finger will move the camera slightly as you press and release the the button to take the photo. So when taking night time photography on your tripod, remember to use the self timer.
On the following day we go off to Visit NASA! ABOUT TIME :)
Ahh NASA, One of the places I always wanted to visit. Think back and be in awe regarding just how far we humans have moved forwards in science. Imagine, leaving this Earth to walk on the soil of other worlds. I hope that I am alive to see man walk on Mars.
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Helen and I walking towards the moon. Regular photo, nothing special.
Look, I found a cute out of this world alien race! This is her reaction when she first spotted me! Fascinating creatures. I captured her and took her home with me :)
Now lets get into more complex shots shall we?
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Here is a photograph Helen took of one of capsules astronauts would use to land back on earth. Awesome shot right? not quite. She did not like how the flash killed the mood and washed out colors. Lets switch the camera to Manual and disable flash. Doing so will mean Helen would have to choose the aperture, f stop and shutter speed. Here is another shot of the same subject.
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Here is another photograph Helen took without Flash. Woah, big difference eh? By preserving the shadows that are falling on the capsule, one preserves the dramatic effect a visitor is expected to receive when they first see this thing. Lesson learned? Flash isn't favorable all the time. What we learned about the Harry Potter castle shot earlier in this post was applied to shoot this photograph.
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Here is a neat one that I see often. Taking photographs through glass objects. Most cameras will fire the flash when it feels the room is too dark. This is what happens when you aim the flash directly at the object. Cool photo...but the flash is preventing us from seeing the moon rock!
TIP: When shooting through glass using flash, try shooting the object from a top-down angle to avoid capturing the actual reflection of the flash. Here is an example.
Look at this? Flash without the flash itself appearing on the photograph. A beautiful shot of the object you are trying to capture. Different angles also make subjects look more interesting a swell. What happens if we don't use flash?
We get this, which is what I prefer. Again, just because the camera fires flash on auto does not mean it's the only way you can capture a great photograph. Take a look at the samples below.
TIP: Don't be afraid to literally lean the camera against the glass (if it's possible at your location). It will add extra stabilization that you will need if you do not use your flash.
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Helen and I stand before celestial maps that are back lit. I absolutely loved how you get a silhouette effect when someone stands in front of them. As a result, the photograph would look better if I take control of the settings (as opposed to auto) and adjust shutter speed, ISO, and aperture to my liking to get these results. Beautiful photographs!
You don't need high end, $2,500 Camera Bodies with $1,700 camera lenses to take great photographs during a vacation or trip. Just get a small point n shot (I'd recommend the Canon G10 or G11) that gives you manual options, and that's it! if you do manage to take the time to learn your camera's manual settings, your photographs will surely increase in terms of quality. I know there a few cosplayers that visit my site often. Take time to learn your camera's manual settings, the photos you take at a convention may very well yield interesting results should you shoot manually.
Feel free to ask any questions. Also keep in mind that I shoot just for fun, and all that I know is self taught. I may not be 100% accurate with my terminology, and there may be better ways of doing things. I'm just sharing what I know.
I'll end this article with the following image. I GOT A FLAT TIRE ON THE WAY BACK HOME >_<.
Doh'
Comments (2)
Training : Amy
Sunday, 18 July 2010 18:36 | Written by Ricardo Sevilla |
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The good news is that she will be receiving a Rebel T2i on my recommendation, but would need some training. Winston, my assistant, happens to own a Rebel T1i. I'm pretty sure the difference between T1i and the T2i will not be much in terms of operations. I asked him if I could borrow his camera. He said it was fine. We decide on going to Vizcaya (A place I dread and always tried to avoid lol). It has been 2 years since I have been to Vizcaya, but seeing it with a different set of eyes, I saw much potential for my work. It's just that so many photographers come here and I don't want to take shots that everyone else is taking. When we arrive we go to the refreshment stand to get some Gatorade bottles. When I give my credit card to the teller, he seems to be having difficulty with the machine. I notice his quick glances to Amy, and goes back to the machine. He smacked it once or twice, and tried taking out the battery (didn't know how to it seems). He looks at me, apologizes, and asks if I happen to have any cash on me. I look at my wallet, "nope". Amy jokingly says, "Well, I guess were getting it for free?" lol. With embarrassment, the kid looks at us and says, "Here, just take it, don't worry". "Really? OK!" says Amy lol. Free Gatorade? Awesome! First, we begin by setting our cameras to "M" for Manual. We review how f-stop, Shutter Speed, and ISO work with one another to reach a correct exposure. I talk about depth of field, grain, image burr, hot spots, burn outs etc. She reminded me of myself when I first started photography, wanting to shoot everything, and anything. Winston's camera had a 100mm 2.0 lens. She loved the depth of field she could do when taking shots of flowers. Macro photography is where her passion lies apparently. I'll share some shots I took during our training.  Amy correctly exposed, but background blown. If I have the background exposed properly Amy would be a silhouette. (Isn't this awesome? Dual Canon Shooter, lol). Eat this Nikoners!  Background exposed correctly, and flash is used to prevent the silhouette effect. Flash used was the EX580 pointing directly at her. Image has more depth.  I would have loved to take my lighting equipment in Vizcaya, but then they would accuse me of being a professional and would most likely want to charge me the $125 shooting fee.  Reducing hot spots on face. Move light further away or use a diffuser. Gary Fong diffuser works well.  Often she would ask me, "Why is this too dark?" or "This is too bright". I would either recommend her an f-stop or shutter speed to use. After a while of correct guesses, I was called a Smart Ass :( lol. 
Sometimes she asks if I can take a photo of her to share with her boyfriend and loved ones. I wonder if this training was a clever ploy to get a photo shoot from me...kidding. Click on Image for a high resolution version. Amy liked my shoot with Leebo and so I went ahead and decided to show her how I did it. I took her to the same location around the same time and I explained everything to her. I took shots of her to show how it was done, and then I served as model so she may practice (the photos will not be published lol), Here is a sample.  I don't document the settings or the editing I use for every shoot, but I believe it's a close match considering that it was cloudy and darker when I shot Leebo. I think this photograph is awesome. Love the pose, facial expression and the hair. I had a great time training Amy. She is a quick learner, good model and she is passionate about creating art. Amy also has exceptional composition skills. She will become a great photographer, I just know it. Car Accident
Saturday, 17 July 2010 00:48 | Written by Ricardo Sevilla |
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I call the police and the trooper arrives. The driver of the over sized load claimed I was turning but did not see lol (lol, who can't see that big thing). I explained to the trooper that I was not changing lanes, and the hit occurred as they drove past me. If I was changing lanes, I'd be dead. The trooper believed me and began issuing the other driver a ticket. As the trooper did his thing in his car, I began talking to the driver of the vehicle. Sincere apologies were said, and we talked about random things...including his fear of getting fired for receiving a ticket. Eventually the conversation led to me asking him where was he from, as he seemed Hispanic. Nicaragua he said. I looked over to the big truck. It was a Perterbilt truck, carrying some type of huge construction vehicle. Interesting I think to myself. I asked him what he did for a living. He told me that he travels across the country making deliveries in Pertebilt trucks. He was on his way to North Carolina. "Great. Just FREKIN great" I think to myself again. I was relaxed the entire time, until now. I walk to the trooper and stubbornly tell him that the driver and I have resolved our issues, no tickets would be required. He seemed confused at first, but he just shrugged and said OK. He'll just fill out an exchange of driver information form instead. I go back to the driver and tell him that I'm not pursuing a damage claim. I changed my mind. I lied to him by saying that I have a friend who owes me a favor and I can have it fixed for free. He said "really!? That's great! Thank you!". I just told him to be more careful next time. We continued talking about random things, this time his voice was a bit lighter and smiles were more frequent. After the trooper gave us our paperwork and the other driver leaves, I call my wife to give her an update. I tell her that I am not pursuing any damages. Why she asks. I tell her that the driver reminded me of my father some 10 years ago. A Nicaraguan man driving across the country in a Perterbilt truck to support his family. This $150-300 car damage is not worth the trouble he may go through.... there goes that N7 Jacket I wanted.  Death of a Mermaid
Friday, 16 July 2010 12:24 | Written by Ricardo Sevilla |
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Originally meant to be part of my skin gallery, I decided to make it part of my Artistic Renditions gallery.
Helen was watching the Little Mermaid while I was reviewing some of my non-published work, when an idea hit me. Ariel (from the little mermaid) was being chased by a huge awesome looking shark and barely makes it out alive. I wondered what would have happened if the shark did get her. I giggled at the thought of a rogue Disney Artist drawing out the results. When I turned back to my screen, the idea hit me. The Death of a Mermaid. Because life is not just about sunbathing on a rock with a rainbow above.
Click on Image for Full Version Quinceañera Dress
Thursday, 15 July 2010 08:47 | Written by Ricardo Sevilla |
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It was HOT. HUMID, and it began to rain. I felt a little bad for my little model because we were unable to get the shots we wanted. That's fine, we'll try again next time, at the right place :) Here is one of my favs of that day. I did not want a typical "Look at me, I'm pretty in a dress and Tiara in a garden!". I wanted something a little more along the lines of, "WTF are you looking at" while looking pretty in a dress and tiara :).  Helen did a really good job with the makeup with nice colors, but I killed it when I had this "attitude" image for this shot. I love her stare towards the camera, her pose, and the circular back light composed of many wine bottles. This shot was taking with available light. Then there is this one.  My little model being silly just spinning around. I thought it was cute so I shot. I would show the following pictures of her falling to the ground after making herself dizzy, but I like her too much lol. It's things like this that makes photography so much fun. |
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