Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
SOME VERY SUCCESFUL PHOTOS FROM MY STUDENTS
Marija Stokukja:
Elena Stamenkova, Portraits:
Toni Arsovski, Landscape, Kocani, Macedonia
Elena Stamenkova, Portraits:
Toni Arsovski, Landscape, Kocani, Macedonia
Thursday, April 30, 2009
SOME VERY INTERESTING PORTAIT TECHNIQUES
Hi all,
Please take as many portraits you can make this weekend. The key in understanding photography is by DOING IT!!
Here are few examples of portrait techniques
http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/12/10/16-inspirational-portrait-photography-techniques/
Have fun!
cheers
Please take as many portraits you can make this weekend. The key in understanding photography is by DOING IT!!
Here are few examples of portrait techniques
http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/12/10/16-inspirational-portrait-photography-techniques/
Have fun!
cheers
The Best Portraits from Yesterday's Class
Here are the best photos from yesterday's class:
Aleksandra (you have to give me your last name)
ISO 400, 1/640, f.2,8.
Great shot, although I would like the subject to be positioned a bit to the right, in the empty place on the wall. Overall, good use of composition, and well done posing.
ISO 400, 1/800, f.2.8
Nice moment, I like that the subject is smiling and good use of the surroundings and the reflection of the window. Remember, watch your corners and in a situation like this don't crop the hand
ISO 1000, 1/200, f.2,8.
Well done shot, I like that the background is out of focus, I like his pose and use of the environment. The subject is placed in the "thirds" as well as the buildings. Colors are also sticking and work well with this shot! Good job!
Elena Stamenkovska photos:
ISO 200, 1/80, f.3,2
Excelent use of the background and foreground, nice framing, but the focus is bit off. I used photoshop a little since the original photo was a bit overexposed.
ISO 200, 1/80, f.3,2
same explanation as before. Good and clean shot and the focus is much better in this one.
ISO 320, 1/30, f.3.2
Very good combination of candid, use of focus and f stops and great choice of the background.
The photo was overexposed a little but after photoshoping, it worked well contrasted and goes along with the color mode. Using 1/30 is too little to make a steady shot! Rule: the Aperture need to be in correlation with the zoom. Ex: If the lens zoom is set to 100mm - use at least 1/100 to prevent shakiness.
FILIP POPOVSKI
Iso 200, aperture 1/50 at f.6.3
Filip, Great use of the rule of thirds, I like her expression, and the out of focus background. I also dont mind the cool colors, although the original photo was washed out a bit. In a situation like this maybe is better to raise the ISO so you can have more freedome with aperture. Using a 200mm lend requires faster aperture (at least 1/125). Also changing the white balance to "cloudy" or "shade" would have given warmer tones to the photo.
ISO 200, 1/50 f. 5.0
The subject is nicely placed in the frame. Although the background is not perfect it works well and adds dynamic to the photo. Change the white balance to "cloudy" or "shade" next time to achieve normal colors.
ISO 200, 1/40, f.4.5
Although it's not a portrait photo, this is a nice moment. Again, white balance is the key and increasing the ISO in low light. good work!
HELENA:
ISO 800, 1/100, f.5.6
Excellent use of the graphic in the background (works best with her outfit) and well cropped action shot/portrait. Changing the white balance from auto to "cloudy" or "shade" would have probably added to the color saturation and the vibrancy of the shot.
ISO 800, 1/80, f.7,1
Great composition and framing and well captured moment. This photo might have been more striking if you used less f-stop, like 5,6. It would have blurred the background and the foreground more. I like that the subjects head is placed in the empty place between the trees in the back.
ISO 1250, 1/15, f.5.6 lens at 105mm
Great composition and use of repetition (the windows). Changing the white balance to "cloudy" would have given a warmer tone to the photo. Aperture of 1/15 is too little for zoom of 105mm. That's why the photo is a bit blurred. Rule: the Aperture need to be in correlation with the zoom. Ex: If the lens zoom is set to 100mm - use at least 1/100 to prevent shakiness.
TONI AROVSKI
ISO 250, 1/50, f.5.6
Great use of composition, I like the pale/cool colours works well with the moode of her expresion!
ISO 400, 1/8, f.6.5
Nice framing! I like the tilt, although aperture of 1/8 is simply too less to prevent the shakiness. Rule: the Aperture need to be in correlation with the zoom. Ex: If the lens zoom is set to 100mm - use at least 1/100 to prevent shakiness. Increasing the ISO and using faster aperture, and changing the white balance to "cloudy" or "shade" would have given warmer tones.
ISO 250, 1/320, f.5,6.
Posing against light is great techinque to make portraits! However you are facing great contrast in situation like this. An add on flash with reduced power might have given extra light to the face, or a using a reflector board (with assistant) could also work. I had to use Photoshop, to lighten the subject and darken the background.
All in all, great great work all!
See you next monday and I better have some photos to see from this weeked.
Best to all.
Aleksandra (you have to give me your last name)
ISO 400, 1/640, f.2,8.
Great shot, although I would like the subject to be positioned a bit to the right, in the empty place on the wall. Overall, good use of composition, and well done posing.
ISO 400, 1/800, f.2.8
Nice moment, I like that the subject is smiling and good use of the surroundings and the reflection of the window. Remember, watch your corners and in a situation like this don't crop the hand
ISO 1000, 1/200, f.2,8.
Well done shot, I like that the background is out of focus, I like his pose and use of the environment. The subject is placed in the "thirds" as well as the buildings. Colors are also sticking and work well with this shot! Good job!
Elena Stamenkovska photos:
ISO 200, 1/80, f.3,2
Excelent use of the background and foreground, nice framing, but the focus is bit off. I used photoshop a little since the original photo was a bit overexposed.
ISO 200, 1/80, f.3,2
same explanation as before. Good and clean shot and the focus is much better in this one.
ISO 320, 1/30, f.3.2
Very good combination of candid, use of focus and f stops and great choice of the background.
The photo was overexposed a little but after photoshoping, it worked well contrasted and goes along with the color mode. Using 1/30 is too little to make a steady shot! Rule: the Aperture need to be in correlation with the zoom. Ex: If the lens zoom is set to 100mm - use at least 1/100 to prevent shakiness.
FILIP POPOVSKI
Iso 200, aperture 1/50 at f.6.3
Filip, Great use of the rule of thirds, I like her expression, and the out of focus background. I also dont mind the cool colors, although the original photo was washed out a bit. In a situation like this maybe is better to raise the ISO so you can have more freedome with aperture. Using a 200mm lend requires faster aperture (at least 1/125). Also changing the white balance to "cloudy" or "shade" would have given warmer tones to the photo.
ISO 200, 1/50 f. 5.0
The subject is nicely placed in the frame. Although the background is not perfect it works well and adds dynamic to the photo. Change the white balance to "cloudy" or "shade" next time to achieve normal colors.
ISO 200, 1/40, f.4.5
Although it's not a portrait photo, this is a nice moment. Again, white balance is the key and increasing the ISO in low light. good work!
HELENA:
ISO 800, 1/100, f.5.6
Excellent use of the graphic in the background (works best with her outfit) and well cropped action shot/portrait. Changing the white balance from auto to "cloudy" or "shade" would have probably added to the color saturation and the vibrancy of the shot.
ISO 800, 1/80, f.7,1
Great composition and framing and well captured moment. This photo might have been more striking if you used less f-stop, like 5,6. It would have blurred the background and the foreground more. I like that the subjects head is placed in the empty place between the trees in the back.
ISO 1250, 1/15, f.5.6 lens at 105mm
Great composition and use of repetition (the windows). Changing the white balance to "cloudy" would have given a warmer tone to the photo. Aperture of 1/15 is too little for zoom of 105mm. That's why the photo is a bit blurred. Rule: the Aperture need to be in correlation with the zoom. Ex: If the lens zoom is set to 100mm - use at least 1/100 to prevent shakiness.
TONI AROVSKI
ISO 250, 1/50, f.5.6
Great use of composition, I like the pale/cool colours works well with the moode of her expresion!
ISO 400, 1/8, f.6.5
Nice framing! I like the tilt, although aperture of 1/8 is simply too less to prevent the shakiness. Rule: the Aperture need to be in correlation with the zoom. Ex: If the lens zoom is set to 100mm - use at least 1/100 to prevent shakiness. Increasing the ISO and using faster aperture, and changing the white balance to "cloudy" or "shade" would have given warmer tones.
ISO 250, 1/320, f.5,6.
Posing against light is great techinque to make portraits! However you are facing great contrast in situation like this. An add on flash with reduced power might have given extra light to the face, or a using a reflector board (with assistant) could also work. I had to use Photoshop, to lighten the subject and darken the background.
All in all, great great work all!
See you next monday and I better have some photos to see from this weeked.
Best to all.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
New Challenges
Hello all! It's been a long time since I last checked in, but as you know by now, I only update when I have a pretty good reason. Robert Caplin, is a young and a very talented NYC photographer and you can see his work right here
Friday, November 7, 2008
NYTimes Video with my photos
Photographer Ashley Gilbertson and reporter Campbell Robertson talk about their views of Iraq in a video produced by a great journalist and my friend Stephen Farrel at the Baghdad Bureau. The video contains many of my photos, as well as others from great photojournalists I had pleasure to work with in Iraq. Enjoy!
Friday, October 31, 2008
The New York Times Photo Journal
My blog entry Funeral of Sand and Fog is up online.
Several of us at the Baghdad Bureau, worked all summer to make a photo blog from Iraq. The result is the Photographers Journal as a part of the Baghdad Bureau Blog. Other great photographers like Max Becherer, Joao Silva, Ashley Gilbertson, Franko Pagetti and others will also have their work posted soon.
Enjoy!
Several of us at the Baghdad Bureau, worked all summer to make a photo blog from Iraq. The result is the Photographers Journal as a part of the Baghdad Bureau Blog. Other great photographers like Max Becherer, Joao Silva, Ashley Gilbertson, Franko Pagetti and others will also have their work posted soon.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
OPEN SAILS!!
So, after “regrouping” from my Iraq assignment, my Vertigo paragliding buddies sat me down and convinced me to stick around for few more weeks and participate in the annual PAMPUR yacht race in the Adriatic Sea in Croatia. A race organized sole from Macedonians. “We don’t even have a sea” my notion was. “- No worries, we did it last year and almost sunk the damn boat!” That was good enough for me!
Wonderful Tanja, our boat chef, thank you for all the snacks, food, and coctails!
sailing out from Sukosan marina.
After couple of meetings with my boat crew, named Vertigo Wave Team (think a bar and lotsa drinking,) where I didn’t understand absolutely anything, we filled the bus with ton of food, loads of booze, a guitar and after 18h of straight ride, we were in the Sukosan marina, near Zadar in Croatia. There was a huge storm approaching, the sky was dark and getting darker since it was 4.30 when we sailed out.
...and getting dark
It was a blast. Music was playing, drinks were flowing, jokes were told and sails were open! It was a deferent blast when we realized that the wind was picking up and our speed increasing. We had ‘Bavaria 44’ yacht, winds were 35 knots (some 60kmh, around 45mph) and we were sailing with 9 to 10 knots! For a 44ft boat with 9 people on board, 4 of us first timers - this was a pretty fast deal. I had no idea at the time! I had 9 layers of clothes on me, cigarette in one and a can in the other hand and having a blast! I thought this is the way it’s supposed to be! Since there was nothing for me to do except hold that beer for a dear life (there was no way I would go under the deck in a 45 degrees angle rocking boat for another can) it clicked to me that I should probably take some photos.
CD player died - abandon ship!!!
Only after reviewing my photos on the back display of my camera, I realized the seriousness of the faces of my mates. We were heading out on open seas, it was dark and getting darker and wind was picking up! Light was gone, there was no moon, my stomach was saying no to another beer and after 5 hours of rocking and bouncing on the slippery deck I resolved to paying attention to the GPS and helping the skipper Cigi to the little lagoon, where we could find shelter form rough seas and spend the night.
We are all experienced pilots and navigation was not an issue, so we squeezed between shallow banks of the lagoon, found a bowie between few other boats and resolved to heavy drinking. I slept like a baby that night!
checking out the island of 'Dugi Otok'
Calm sea, gentle breeze, bring the drinks out!
The next few days, the weather got better, sea got calmer, and the never ending party continued. We were 11 boats altogether, some time we would meet on a sea, some night we threw an anchor together and made our boats a huge swaying dancing floor, tripping of ropes, wires, and other yacht parts laying on deck that I have no idea what they are called. It was awesome!
boat party
three boats join together for a party
On the first race day, we had to stay behind in the marina and help a boat stuck in other boats ropes in the marina (apparently a great disgrace to the skipper of that boat.) A diver was called in for help. We had a late start and we got the 7th place that day. That was not a reason to despair, we partied hard that night and the next day we got serious! We pushed hard, tightened the sails, and payed attention to the charts, the GPS and what not. We got the 3rd place, right behind a boat with MUCH bigger sails and a crew with a professional Croatian skipper. The rest of the boats were 30 minutes and more behind! I’d say not bad at all for a bunch of rookies and first timers!
catching up with the other boats
getting down to business
my first sailing lesson (photo by Dima)
I was supposed to be back in the States, missed my Oct 15th tax deadline, probably late on a ton of bills, god knows how many missed assignments and jobs, but this my friends was an adventure worthy of my presence! Till the next one…
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