Month: July 2015

Fuji X-E2 with Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8 vs Nikon D750 with Nikon 28-300mm

by Stanley LearyNikon D750
Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/14, 1/160–Three Alienbees with one on 30″ x 40″ Softbox

Today I was shooting food. Here is one of the shots of some cookies. With the Nikon D750 I shot this with large overhead 30″ x 40″ softbox and two other flashes just filling in a little. Shooting with the studio strobes I was not able to really shoot super shallow depth-of-field.

Fujifilm X-E2, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, Nikon AI Mount Lens to Fujifilm FX Mount Camera Adapter, ISO 3200, ƒ/1.8, 1/500

To shoot shallow depth-of-field I shot the Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8 on the Fujifilm X-E2 using the Nikon AI Mount Lens to Fujifilm FX Mount Camera Adapter. Since the Fuji is a smaller chip I was shooting more like a 127.5mm ƒ/1.8 lens.

To keep the color as accurate as possible in both photos I custom white balanced using the ExpoDisc. With the Nikon D750 I used strobes and the Fujifilm I use available light of the modeling lights of the strobes.

I like the shallow depth-of-field shot with the Fujifilm better.

The lesson is simple shoot a variety using all your gear when you need to get images to impress your client.

Fujifilm X-E2 and Fujinon XF 55-200mm for vacation pictures at the North Carolina Beach

by Stanley LearyPhotography
 
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 250, ƒ/9, 1/500

This morning on the news, they announced some of the schools are starting back next week in our area. My daughter will start her Junior year of high school in a couple of weeks. At the beginning of the summer, we were at the beach and now wishing I were still there for some more summer before it disappeared.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 200, ƒ/4.8, 1/2400

We were at Emerald Isle, North Carolina beach the week of the first shark attacks. We enjoyed our time there on the beach, but as you might have heard, they ban fishing along the coast during certain hours since this entices the shark to shore.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 640, ƒ/18, 1/500

While there, I used my Fujifilm X-E2 since it is small and easy to carry to and from the beach daily.

I loved shooting with the Fujinon XF 55-200mm.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 2500, ƒ/18, 1/500

Built with an optical design that offers a large maximum aperture and a linear motor that delivers high-speed AF performance while featuring the image stabilization function that allows shutter speeds to be 4.5 stops slower. Using high-performance glass lens elements throughout the construction. Containing two ED lens elements, including one Super ED lens element that boasts performance equivalent to that of a fluorite lens, to control chromatic aberration, typically in long focal lengths.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 200, ƒ/8, 1/800

The Fujinon 55-200mm has the 35mm format equivalent of 84-305mm. It is about a 1/2 stop brighter than my Nikon 28-300mm, which at 300mm is ƒ/5.6, versus the Fujinon 55-200mm is ƒ/4.8. It is also a lot smaller and lighter.

I think the Fujifilm X-E2 is a great travel camera for many reasons, but two stand out the most. First, the size is small, and people don’t think you are a professional, so I think to relax more. Second I believe that the image quality is excellent, and I don’t feel like I am compromising by using this camera when it comes to the final image.

Shooting portraits in the middle of a department store for a workshop

by Stanley LearyNikon D750
 
 
Nikon D750, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 10000, ƒ/1.8, 1/500

BEST BUY® DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Today I taught a workshop at the Best Buy 850 Cobb Place Boulevard Nw, Kennesaw, GA 30144. After a brief overview, we divided into two groups. We would rotate from Portraits and Low Light to Sports and Macro.

Andrew was the first model that each of the students shot.

We were in the TV section, which can get pretty dark the farther back you go, which we eventually would do.

This photo was a typical first shot for most of the students. Guess what the first lesson was teaching? Use your feet and get closer. I shot the top photo as an example and asked them to compose their shot this way first. Even after they shot their second photo, most still were too far back.

Nikon D750, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 10000, ƒ/1.8, 1/500

I then shot this photo and showed them the person doesn’t have to move, but you can clean up your background. I am shooting these at ƒ/1.8. They were to shoot wide open and then take a photo at ƒ8 or even ƒ/11 to compare their backgrounds.

Nikon D750, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 7200, ƒ/1.8, 1/500

I even went behind the subject slightly to show even more angles.

I also taught them how to set the white balance other than using AWB [Auto White Balance] by choosing a preset like Tungsten, Daylight, or Fluorescent. Then I showed them the best way was to do a custom white balance. Here are earlier blog posts that cover this for you.

For even more blog posts, just put your topic like “White Balance” in the search field at the top right of this page to search my blog for even more posts.
 
Nikon D750, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 6400, ƒ/1.8, 1/500
We then changed groups and models, and I repeated the same information. Here I moved the model to a different location to get a plane wall behind her and used the existing track lights in the ceiling for the lighting. Again, it looks like I did this in a studio.
 
We talked about keeping the eye closest to the camera in focus as a tip.
 
Nikon D750, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 6400, ƒ/1.8, 1/500
I also talked to the group about having one shoulder closer to the camera rather than perfectly squared up for a more flattering photo. But, as always, these are guidelines and not complex fast rules.
 
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/3.2, 1/160
I also showed them how to make an environmental photo by pretending this model was the leader of this department. This example was to help them know when they may want the more cluttered background. To help make the lady stand out, we had her closer to the camera and not just close to the environment.
 
Nikon D750, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 4500, ƒ/1.8, 1/500
After they made the “environmental portrait,” I asked them to leave her where she was and to move around and make a portrait. Here I walked to her side, cleaned up the background, and used a shallow depth-of-field.
 
Nikon D750, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 5600, ƒ/1.8, 1/500
Then I walked to the other side. I found that the students only started to grasp the idea of using their feet to recompose after I showed them. Slowly they began to explore and look for better images.
 
No strobes and shot all this in the busy Best Buy store showing how it is thinking about what you want to capture and not just a magical camera setting that will make them better photographers.
 

Change Capture Time in photos using Adobe Lightroom

by Stanley LearyAdobe Lightroom
 

Yesterday I shot an event with a friend. We were posting these to an online photo gallery for the client. Well, we discovered that the cameras were not all set to the correct time. Uh-oh!

You might need to change the capture times if you traveled to a different time zone and didn’t change your camera’s date/time setting before you started photographing. Or, if you import a scanned photo into Lightroom, the image would contain the creation date of when one scanned it rather than when someone took it.

Select all the photos you want to adjust first in Adobe Lightroom.

The photo above shows where you will start to fix the date and time. Go to the menu item and then click on

Here is a screenshot of what will show up. You will have three options here. The first choice is to Adjust to a specific date and time. The Original Time is what the setting captured. Then go to the Corrected time, put what you need it to be, and click on change to adjust it.

The second choice works well when you might have just had the camera set for a different time zone and need to adjust it by hour increments. Then the pop-up option on the far right is all you need to choose an hour adjustment of +/-.

The last choice will change the creation date and the correct time. These are two different fields embedded in the photo. Great for scanned images where the creation date wasn’t when anyone scanned it.

There you have the directions to change the date if you did not set your camera correctly. Time stamping is excellent when you have multiple cameras and need them all synced for the client to see the photos in the order you shot them.

 

Shooting theater with the Fujifilm X-E2 and Nikon D750

by Stanley LearyNikon D750
 
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/5, 1/300

When it comes to shooting from an audience, I prefer the Fujifilm X-E2 over my Nikon D750 because it is so quiet.

The quality of the images is excellent for shooting theater, which is a real bonus since my daughter loves theater. She is the witch in the Georgia Ensemble Theatre Conservatory play Shrek The Musical JR this summer.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/5, 1/320

Not having the optical low-pass filter, the images are super sharp right out of the camera.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 5000, ƒ/4.8, 1/500

Here you can see the enlargement of the photo above.

The other thing that helps the sharpness of the photos is LMO.

The advanced Lens Modulation Optimizer (LMO) technology in the FUJIFILM X-E2 was made possible by the integrated development of the lens, sensor, and processor. For each mounted lens, LMO high-precision processing of the lens focal length and aperture, as well as data from the screen center to the edges, corrects diffraction blur when shooting with a stopped down aperture compensates for the slight blurring in the lens periphery. The result is edge-to-edge image quality, incredible sharpness, and a sense of dimensional reality.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 5000, ƒ/4.8, 1/480

I enjoy sitting towards the back of the theater to shoot rather than down front. This way, I can see the character’s feet and adjust to wherever they are on the stage quickly.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.5, 1/480

Now just for comparison, here are two different photos below. One is with the Fuji and the other with the Nikon.

 
Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR,, ISO 4500, ƒ/5.6, 1/250

Just a minute later with the Fuji System

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4, 1/420

First, the slower AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR compared to the FUJINON XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS Lens made it possible to shoot at 1/420 vs. 1/250. Then the comparison of the bodies is the mirrorless didn’t have a mirror to add vibration.

However, the plus side of the Nikon is more lens choices than the Fujifilm system. I preferred the lens range of 28-300mm to 55-200mm.

Going back for the second performance and will see if I have any more thoughts for a post on Monday.

Des Moines Skyline

by Stanley LearyNikon D4 / Nikon D750
 
Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/16, 1/1.7

I used a new function on the Nikon D750 for the Des Moines Skyline. One can use the optional ML-L3 remote control to reduce camera shake.

Choose the “Remote mirror-up” setting, which will let you lock the mirror up and take a photo. You press it once, and the mirror locks up, and then a second time to take the picture.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 160, ƒ/16, 1/100 and 2 Neewer T850 flashes triggered by the Neewer radio remote.

Here is a photo of me taken by Mary Smith with my camera while in the Art area of Des Moines.

Shooting Atlanta Braves Game with Fuji X-E2

by Stanley LearySports
 
Fuji X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 4000, ƒ/4.8, 1/2000

As a spectator, I went this past Friday night to see the Cubs vs. Braves at Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia.

Atlanta Braves rules for cameras

All hand-held cameras that are no longer than 5″ in length are permitted in the ballpark provided they are for personal use only and do not result in obstruction of other fans’ view. Tripods and monopods are prohibited. The taping of game footage and the transmission of any description or reproduction of game activity are prohibited.

The Fujinon XF 55-200mm is less than five inches, so that I could take this into the park.

Fuji X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 400, ƒ/4.4, 1/500

There was more reach with the lens than I was using for this photo.

Fuji X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/5.6, 1/1000

I had the camera on continuous shooting mode for most action shots like this. Here are the instructions from the manual. Double click on the photo to see it larger.

I can tell you that it isn’t as responsive for sports as my Nikon D4 cameras. However, a firmware upgrade is on the horizon, so I can’t wait to see if this addresses the responsiveness.

Fuji X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/5.6, 1/3000

While I did manage some pleasant moments, I wouldn’t be able to use this camera on assignment. First, I missed many plays because the focus would hunt, and the shutter lag was slow.

Fuji X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.8, 1/3000

Now, if you want to take some photos to remember the game, then the Fuji X-E2 will do a great job. The quality of the images was excellent. Had the camera allowed me to capture the moments intentionally as I can with my Nikons, then I may drop using the Nikons because of the size and weight of the Fuji system.

Fuji X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.8, 1/3000

The Fuji X-E2 with the Fujinon XF 55-200mm is a killer package. Extremely sharp. Since this is a minor chip, the 55-200mm is like shooting with an 84-305mm full-frame camera. The aperture at 200mm is ƒ/4.8 makes this great for many situations.

One more Atlanta Braves rule

Small bags, backpacks or other articles must fit within a space of 16x16x8 inches.

So due to this limitation, I could bring my small ThinkTank bag with the Fuji X-E2, Fujinon XF 518-55mm, and the Fujinon XF 55-200mm. It also had two spare batteries.

The main reason I have the Fuji system is that it is small and lightweight. 

Combating Portfolio Depression

by Stanley LearyNikon D2X / Nikon D3s / Nikon D4 / Nikon D750
 
Nikon D2X, Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM Macro Lens, ISO 400, ƒ/2.8, 1/160

Most photographers grow despondent of their portfolios over time due to having little new work that can replace their best work. I call this Portfolio Depression.

There are times in life when we need some intervention. Sometimes this is medical, where we may even have to undergo surgery to get rid of something harmful to our body.

Photographers are like many other artists and find themselves under the knife trimming the fat to become more lean and effective in our craft.

My Workflow

After a shoot, I ingest my photos from the camera and do a rough edit in PhotoMechanic. All I am doing at this point is deciding if the images are OK. Out of focus, extremely harmful exposure, accidental frame shot, bad expressions, and other things that rule a photo from keeping it are what I am evaluating.

Usually, I am eliminating 50% to 75% of the images at this point.

Nikon D2X, Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 APO EX DG HSM, ISO 100, ƒ/2.8, 1/80

Consistency

A few weeks ago, one of my clients talked about my consistency. He said he could always count on solid professional work and people like working with me.

The hardest part of the edit is during the Lightroom phase, where I straighten horizons, maybe crop a little bit, and were correct for the lens profile and minor burning and dodging. I am often feeling left very flat emotionally.

It doesn’t take long, and I find myself sinking emotionally. But then, I look at my work and realize I do not see many grand slams.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 2.5 sec

Skyline

To compensate for my frustrations, I started planning skyline shots of some of the cities I was visiting. Here is the Seattle Skyline I did back in April.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/16, 20 sec

What has been happening on my photo shoots that is making things more and more complex is clients sending me to locations with very little information about the area. It wasn’t something they could fix either. It just is what it is.

Kyle Petty’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was the 1986 Miller High Life 400 Richmond, Va. Here is where Bill Elliott ended up on the wall. After the race, Earnhardt had to pay a $3,000 fine ($6,454.46 when adjusted for inflation) plus a $10,000 security bond for an incident involving himself and the back end of Darrell Waltrip’s vehicle ($21,514.88 when adjusted for inflation).  

In the days of breaking news, it was difficult for you to plan. So the best I could do was position myself as I did here, covering the 1986 Miller High Life 400 at the Richmond Speedway to catch where many of the wrecks happened on that track.

ƒ/8 and Be There

Photojournalists have a saying, “ƒ/8 and be there”, meaning that being on the scene is more important than worrying about technical details. Practically, ƒ/8 allows the adequate depth of field and sufficient lens speed for a decent base exposure in most daylight situations.

It doesn’t take long in this profession to realize that the “ƒ/8 and Be There” attitude is concise.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/22, 25 sec

Google Photo Search

A few weeks ago, while in Bucharest, Romania, I went online and found some signature shots of the city before getting to Romania. While it felt good to get this photo like all of my other skyline shots, the part frustrating with these photos is the many photos other photographers have taken. I was more proud of the Bucharest photos since these particular angles didn’t show up right away on the Google searches when I was researching.

Nikon D3S, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 6400, ƒ/2.8, 1/320

Perspective

I learned early on that if your photos are not very exciting, then change your perspective. So this is what my wife and I did one day by taking a balloon ride in the North Georgia mountains.

Nikon D3, Nikon 24-120mm ƒ/3.5-5.6, ISO 720, ƒ/5.3, 1/1000

By just getting up in the air, I saw things from a different perspective than 6’2″, my height standing.

Nikon D3, Nikon 24-120mm ƒ/3.5-5.6, ISO 400, ƒ/8, 1/30

While getting a different perspective by getting high or low and shooting late or early, I still need the essential content photos with most of my assignment work.

Conflict

OK, you are now reading my story of conflict. My photos are not exciting enough and lack the surprise factor that I want to get every time I go out. I remember watching my mentor Don Rutledge struggle with the same issue. Just one thing majorly different is my mentor was a lot better than I have been with photography.

I watched Don buy new camera systems to see if that would help give him some creative edge. Don bought new Singh-Ray filters for all his camera lenses, which helped give him a unique look.

Don shot Nikon, then shot Olympus, and then went on to Leica cameras before returning to the Nikon cameras. All these moves were to help him keep creative and get the very best out of a situation he was shooting.

The sad reality is that you can produce some very excellent professional photography, but you still need content that isn’t as visually interesting. Nevertheless, you have done just about all you can to make the very best photo you could have made.

Staying Truthful

The danger for the photojournalist is you don’t want to manufacture moments. A photojournalist is who I am most of the time. I want to stand flat-footed, find the angle, and then help tell the story as authentically as possible.

The number one thing that has helped the most with accomplishing a sense of satisfaction has been doing multimedia projects. I realize that the subject’s words often were missing in photos, and having them tell their own stories took my work to a different level. Are the images better? No. However, the stories are complete.

What often feels like depression after an assignment is me looking at the conflict in my story. Then usually, I will look at other photographers’ work on similar topics and see how they treated the story. In addition, I am finding other resources through photography magazines, online galleries, and, most important is through professional associations. Associations are where my colleagues publish, like NPPA’s News Photographer Magazine and ASMP’s Bulletin magazine, which help keep me updated on trends and gear.

The best advice to help combat this portfolio depression is to create your project. This way, you can plan and control more of the variables and allow you to show people what you can do.

Summary

  • If you love all your work, then you are not growing
  • If you are depressed after reviewing your latest work – that is normal
  • If you look to get better by studying other people’s work – you are smart
  • Do your special project
  • Take a Workshop

Tom Kilpatrick 72 years old and still learning

by Stanley LearyNikon D750
 
Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 1/200

This photo of Tom Kilpatrick caught how I see him. He is such a kid. He loves to explore and have fun.

He has taught photography for more than 30 years. He has been a photojournalist for years, yet he decided to join us in Romania for the Storytellers Abroad Missions Multimedia Workshop.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/5.6, 1/125

Here Tom shows his wisdom by not getting on the car’s roof like James Dockery.

Tom brought the skills of shooting great still images to the table but had not put together his pictures with video and controlled the entire project.

Tom interviewed a Romanian pastor with a vision for creating an evangelistic outreach for the Romanian Baptist church.

Here is the interview that Tom did and his package.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/133373960 password: ABWE

On the last day we were in Romania, Tom’s computer decided to crash. It took a few days for us to recover all Tom’s work. Finally, after James Dockery worked on the external hard drive, James recovered the package.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 1800, ƒ/4.5, 1/100

You can see Tom working hard here while one of his former students from teaching at Temple College, Jon Franz, is busy working on his project.

Tom worked hard and stretched his comfort zone a great deal.

When digital photography finally became economically feasible for most photojournalists to switch from the film, Tom was not the first to adopt the new technology. But unfortunately, the learning curve of moving from analog to digital just about had Tom giving up on photography.

Tom’s heart couldn’t let him give up on storytelling with pictures. So he bought a new camera system and pushed himself to learn the latest technology.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 12800, ƒ/3.5, 1/60

Tom loves helping missionaries tell their stories. The most likely place to find Tom is in some country other than the USA, shooting photos of missionaries and the people they work with daily. Tom loves to capture the love of God being shared through people’s lives the world over.

Now Tom will be helping the missionaries to tell their own stories in their voices through the power of multimedia.

If you have experience in the industry like Tom Kilpatrick but haven’t had the chance to do it all by yourself, then send me an email, and I will put you on the list to tell you about the upcoming workshops I am doing next year just like this workshop. Here is my email address [email protected].

How To Improve Your Camp Photos

by Stanley LearyNikon D750
 
Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 450, ƒ/4, 1/100

If the kid moves a few more inches forward, he will touch my camera. That is how close I am when shooting most of the time. People feel me right there, but the viewer, THE AUDIENCE, is also that close.

If you want better photos, you get closer with your feet and not zoom across the room.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 7200, ƒ/8, 1/100

When you get this close, I often shoot at a higher aperture like ƒ/8 to be sure the essential parts of the photo are all in focus.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 5600, ƒ/8, 1/100

Do you feel like you are in the room with the campers at this summer camp? I hope so.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR,  ISO 1600, ƒ/5, 1/100

I did shoot with longer lenses occasionally, but I usually use those super wide lenses to put you in the room with the people.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 3600, ƒ/8, 1/100

By the way, I am shooting at 1/100 since I am under fluorescent lights. Anything faster, and I will have banding with streaks in some of the frames.

The lesson is simple. Put the widest lens on your camera and get so close that the subject fills that frame.

Shooting St Louis Skyline

by Stanley LearyNikon D4 / Nikon D750
 
Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/16, 20 sec

To get this photo, we need to go back a week. So I researched online to find the pictures I liked of the skyline. After digging a little, I found that the best place for skyline shots is 185 W. Trendley Ave., East St. Louis, IL 62201.

I knew I wanted to shoot the photo about 20 minutes after sunset. So I shot this top photo at 8:56 pm. Sunset was at 8:26 pm tonight.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/13, 1/250

This photo I took earlier in the day at 3:58 pm, which for me, was pretty flat and uninteresting. I came to scout the location. I noticed the powerlines and how flat the light was at this time of day.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/13, 1/320

We came back and started to shoot at 8:11 pm. Here I noticed we were getting a very orange skyline shot.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/10, 1/2

Notice that even at 8:11 pm, the light is much better than at 3:58 pm.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 1100, ƒ/8, 1/100

The sky was gorgeous, but I felt like the atmosphere overpowered the skyline of St. Louis.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 125, ƒ/2.8, 1/100

I also liked this photo, where I captured more about the Mississippi River than just the St. Louis skyline.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/10, 2 sec

We are moving from the ramp to see over the levee. Walking across the rain tracks up to the levee gave us the best view.

I was using a tripod to keep the camera still. With the Nikon D750, I used the Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote Control Infrared to trigger the camera. The best thing is to use the 2-second delay to minimize all the motion.

Tips:

  • Go online and research where you are going. You will find a lot of photos that are signatures for a city.
  • Find the locations where many of the photographers are shooting these photos.
  • Go during the daylight to be sure you can see all the landscape and see if there are some things like the powerlines that you need to work around.
  • Find the time for sunrise or sunset
  • Arrive 20 to 30 minutes before sunrise or sunset
  • Stay at least 20 to 30 minutes after sunrise or sunset.

Creative directors used to large crews chose to go alone to Romania to cover Gypsies.

by Stanley LearyNikon D750

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 9000, ƒ/6.3, 1/100

Jon Franz, senior creative director for Kimberly-Clark, was a joy to get to know on our trip to Romania. For Jon, this is the first time I have had a role reversal while teaching a creative director. Typically creative directors hire people like me and give them direction.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/4.8, 1/160

As you can see from these first two photos, Jon likes to have fun. In the second photo is James Dockery, senior editor with ESPN, on the left; Tom Kilpatrick, adjunct professor of photography at Covenant College and Lee University; and Jon Franz is photobombing. Tom Kilpatrick was one of Jon’s teachers at Temple College.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/5.6, 1/160

Jon is trying to get some moving b-roll from the top of the car as we drive into a Romanian village.

As hard as Jon liked to play, he also put much effort into hard work.

Nikon D750, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 1800, ƒ/5, 1/100

Jon spent a lot of time reviewing his work and looking for ways to improve it, and then would go back out and shoot more b-roll to help refine his project. So here he is, working next to Hannah Strayer.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 7200, ƒ/4.8, 1/100

You can see how much Jon reviewed his work with workshop leader Jeff Raymond. Next, Jon went to all three instructors to see how we reacted to the package. Each of us had an opinion, and Jon would decide how to proceed. Sometimes taking our ideas, and other times just inspiring him to come up with another way to help fix a problem.

He had a difficult job of capturing a Romanian pastor who was doing work with the Gypsies. He wanted to capture their poverty but also treat them with honor, dignity, and respect in how he told their story.

Jon found stock photography that he had rights to use for the project to help tell the history. I think he did a great job of blending b-roll with his audio. Could you take a look at his project?

Maybe you are like Jon Franz. Jon had directed significant projects but had never done it all himself. He also realized that if he wanted to help out his church covering missions, they wouldn’t have the budget to send what was his regular working crew for him to direct. So Jon used this trip to learn to do it alone as a one-person communications force.

If you have experience in the industry but haven’t had the chance to do it all by yourself like Jon, then send me an email, and I will put you on the list to tell you about the upcoming workshops I am doing next year just like this workshop. Here is my email address [email protected].