Category: Photography

Tips to get better tourist photos

by Stanley LearyPhotography
 
Nikon D5, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 4000, ƒ/5.6, 1/500

While shooting my photos of the Kilauea Volcano in the Hawaiian Volcano National park, you cannot help but notice everyone else taking pictures.

Nikon D5, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/5, 1/500

One family was doing this in the traditional way of having a stranger use their camera/smartphone to take photos.

Nikon D5, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/5. 1/1000

The other thing we saw a lot of was the selfie sticks.

Nikon D5, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 110, ƒ/11, 1/100

Now, if you had a real camera, you most likely have a lens that will get you and your friends into the photo without a selfie stick.

Nikon D5, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/5, 1/640

I was watching these three ladies in the shade, and just a second ago, they were taking photos of the volcano away from them. But they couldn’t see their screens in the sun, so they backed up to get the picture.

The downside is that the only way people get close-up shots is to zoom in.

When you zoom in on your smartphone, you are not zooming; you are cropping in on the image and now shooting a more pixelated version. As long as it looks good on the phone, you are OK as long as everyone sees it on the phone, but if people see it on their computer monitor or even large screen TV, it will not look so good.

Nikon D5, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 32000, ƒ/3.5, 1/500

While the guy has a camera with a zoom, the lady has an auxiliary lens she puts onto her photo to help her get closer without cropping. She is doing the same thing as a person with an interchangeable lens. She put another lens on her camera phone to get closer.

Nikon D5, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 65535, ƒ/3.5, 1/160

Many of these camera phones do a great job. This photo here of Akaka falls with my DROID TURBO by Motorola. It is a 16-megapixel camera that does well.

Now here is the same shot with my Nikon D5.

 
Nikon D5, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/5, 1/400

Basically, in good sunlight, smartphones do a great job.

Now the tip I would like to share with you is that if you can fill the frame of your smartphone without cropping, then most of the latest and greatest smartphones do an excellent job in sunlight. Once-in-a-lifetime events require a camera with a zoom. So you will get better photos that you can see on other devices and even make wall prints with excellent results.

Now one final tip. Even if you have the right gear, don’t walk backward to stand in the shade so you can see your monitor. Instead, take your second hand and create the shade to see your screen.

Photographers need to understand difference between Captions & Keywords

by Stanley LearyPhotography

Are you looking for a photo? How do you find what you need?

Well, most people look for photos. They need to type a few words into a search window and then look at their results.

Two main fields are embedded in photographs that are the principal places search engines look for matches: the Description/Caption and Keyword fields of the Metadata.

Image Metadata is information attached to image files that provide details about the picture. This is commonly used for title, description, keywords, and location information. Metadata can be added from the camera the photo was taken with or added by the photographer in their image editing software.

The image above is a screen grab of the metadata of this photograph using the software PhotoMechanic.

If it is just you looking for your images, then whatever you want to do to help you jog your memory will help, but that will not work for people who do not know what your image looks like.

Now there are two ways people are looking for a photograph. The most searched way would most likely be looking for a picture to be used that fits a theme. These are generic searches.

To find the photo above, they may search for phrases like: “basketball,” “men’s college basketball,” or “college basketball.”

Now, if those terms are spelled exactly in the Keywords Metadata field, then the odds are pretty good the photo will find its way to their computer screen.

“Keyword” field is limited to generic terms

Once the person sees your photo, they most likely will not open special photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, or PhotoMechanic to see what keywords were used for this photo.

They may have even used a different keyword like “competition” to find the image. Now, look at the very top image that shows the fields. A person must take some time to look at a picture, think about how the photograph might be used, and create a keyword for how someone might look up such a photo. Commas separate keywords. The words between the commas will determine if the photo matches someone’s search.

There is a second way a person will look for a photograph, and this is based on something specific like personal names. This is where a generic photo will not work.

To find the photo above, the person might search for “Eric Williams,” “Will Bynum,” or “Theodis Tarver” because they are writing something about them.

When this person downloads the photograph, the odds are very high that they will open photo editing software to read the CAPTION. This is because, most likely, they will use that information with the photograph when they publish it.

“Caption” field contains the specifics about a photo

New field

Now with the plugin LR/INSTAGRAM, you can publish your photos to your Instagram account. There is one more field that you can work in a while using Lightroom. You have to go to the Metadata and select in the pull-down menu LR/Instagram. Then you can see the fields that you want to use when posting to Instagram. You want to use the #hashtag field, and I recommend also using the caption field, which is the same as the IPTC caption field.

#hastags function just like your keywords. If they do, why don’t you use the keywords for publishing? They are missing the # symbol social media uses to signal a keyword from the caption information.

Now, if you are Social Media literate, you will know the difference between #hashtags and captions. Just remember that:

#hashtag = (keyword – #)

Why does all this work? $$$$$$$$$$ Yes, the main reason you would want to do this is so you can make your images findable on the web and then sell them. Two ways your photos are sold–Prints for personal use or Licensing an image for use [stock photography].

I use PhotoShelter to do both of these for me. Here are links to learn how you can make money with your images:

Stock Sales on PhotoShelter

Print Sales on PhotoShelter

The key to either of these is the ability of someone to find your images; they need you to fill in the caption information and the keyword information for them to find your pictures.

Lesson Planning & Games are Keys to Effective Communication

by Stanley LearyPhotography
 
Nikon D5, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 360, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000

Communications professionals need to know more than the 5 Ws.

  1. Who
  2. What
  3. Where
  4. When
  5. How
I believe understanding games and educational lesson plans can make you a better communicator. 
 

If you do not understand and know the rules of the game, you will most likely not be any good but most likely will lose the game.

A game is only as good as its rules, and how well we play the game is defined by how well we follow the rules. What is so fascinating about many of the games we play today is that there are often no instruction books included—yet we somehow know how to play them anyway. Instead, we learn from family, friends, teachers, and coaches.

We also know that it doesn’t matter if you follow the rules that the game came with or if you make up your own rules; it just matters that everyone agrees on the rules.

Fuji X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 200, ƒ/7.1, 1/750

The core of a good game is understanding the game’s objective, subject matter, materials, procedures, and score.

Creating a game is no different from creating an educational lesson plan.

Five Parts of a Lesson Plan

1. Objectives
2. Subject Matter
3. Materials
4. Procedure
5. Assignment

Objective – A statement of purpose for the whole lesson. It tells us what the students will be able to do by the end of the study. It will determine the activities the students will do.

Subject Matter – This will be the source of material to be studied.

• Topic for a lesson
• References

Materials – Necessary teaching aids to be used for instruction

Procedure – This is the body of your lesson plan where you outline the steps to be taken by the teacher & student.

Assignment – where you ensure good recitation, which tells us

• What needs to be done
• How it is to be done
• Why it is to be done

Humanitarian Work

As a professional communicator for humanitarian work, I am helping organizations tell their stories so the audience will get involved. These organizations need financial support and volunteers to help make the work happen.

Looking at a project as a teacher would for writing a lesson plan, you start with the objective. Many communicators may figure out this is the way in the 5 Ws, but it is much more because, with humanitarian work, you have a call to action with the audience. However, when telling a journalistic story, you are not telling the audience to take action; you are just informing most of the time.

Having an objective also helps you focus your questions while gathering the story to help you meet that objective. Too often, the people I am helping to tell the story don’t have a call to action. Instead, they were chasing human interest stories without an objective in mind.

When doing a story, you will go down many rabbit holes. If you know your objective, it is much easier to redirect the subjects back on track. You know that when they started, they were answering a question that they took in another direction. You turn them by clarifying and helping you find the supporting information which is helping you achieve your objective.

What many storytellers lack when it comes to using their skills for humanitarian work and business is a purpose to their story. That purpose is a call to action. Did your story engage the audience? You must be able to measure this.

Like at the end of the game, you will know the score; great communicators with organizations know if their communication engages the audience to action. Therefore, they have the last lesson plan step written into their communications plan–the assignment. That is the action plan the audience will take after hearing their story.

Why pros should help students and young professionals starting out

by Stanley LearyPhotography
 
Robin Nelson speaks to the photojournalism class at Kennesaw State University on Thursday, June 16, 2016. [Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 3200, ƒ/4, 1/100]

Clay Asbury, lecturer for photojournalism at Kennesaw State University, asked Robin Nelson and me to speak to his photojournalism class.

Clay has been a working professional, but now since his role is that of faculty, he knows that the students will not listen to him as much as professionals working at the moment in the industry. A working pro is why he asked Robin and me to share our work and tips with the students.

There needs to be a connection between what students learn in the classroom and the profession.

Clay Asbury is giving his students the assignment to write about the subject they are passionate about and tell him why they are passionate about it. [Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 14400, ƒ/8, 1/100]

When industry professionals connect with a classroom, they cannot only share with students the skills they need but serve as role models and inspire students to reach for the moon. Think about what you wouldn’t have given to get a glimpse of the natural world when you were a student.

Today’s Journalism schools are not the same as yesterday’s curriculum. Programs are changing to prepare the students to be cross-trained in writing, design, video, audio, and photography w, falling under the purpose of storytelling. Often these programs are now being renamed to media storytelling or some variance.

Stanley talks to the students about needing to have their images evoke emotions in the audience. [Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 2500, ƒ/4, 1/100 photo made by Robin Nelson]

I shared with the students the importance of visual literacy. Not so much the technology of making a photo but the understanding of body language and how composition can help convey emotions and pull the audience into the story through imagery–moving and stills.

I talked about how I review portfolios because I hire visual communicators for projects regularly. I wanted them to know I need to have images that communicate a message and not just cool pictures.

I talked to the students about dissecting photos. [link to the blog on topic] I told them that storytelling must involve conflict. [link to the blog on the topic] I also talked about the stages of composition photographers go through. [link on blog post]

Robin Nelson brought the class into a close circle and took questions from the students. [Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 2200, ƒ/4, 1/100]

I agreed to do this for no pay more than just paying it forward. Other pros helped me, but this is just creating competition.

If pros do not take the time to help students have a good foundation for entering the profession, those students will damage the industry.

I have watched so many college students and people who buy camera gear and are self taught help to destroy the industry before they must quit because they cannot make a living any more.

I want the new professionals to do things right so that the clients we all serve are excited to hire visual communicators over and over. But unfortunately, so many do such a lousy job that those who hired them want nothing to do with visual communicators again. They figure they can do the work themselves better than any pro.

Newbees have trouble pricing their work to pay their bills over time. The pricing problem is because they don’t know business practices.

Because they don’t charge realistic prices, those clients think that since they hire someone before for a specific rate, they can get professional work for that rate. Sadly there is another crop of newbies who also don’t know good business practices, and slowly, over time, the newbies leave the industry because they cannot pay their bills and erode the prices for those who were charging more of a livable wage.

I also know that I cannot always do jobs for my clients over time. There will be conflicts in scheduling. I would love to have colleagues who are true professionals in all aspects of the industry so that I can refer my clients.

If you are starting, the best place to meet other pros and get those tips like these students to have in the classroom is through organizations like ASMP and NPPA. Join them for some of the reasons I have outlined here. There are many other reasons as well.

If you are a pro, take the time to mentor young professionals and students. It will only help the industry as a whole.

Nikon D5 capturing the 2nd state park of NC–Fort Macon

by Stanley LearyPhotography
 
Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 125, ƒ/8, 1/800

I enjoyed taking a little time during my vacation on Emerald Isle Beach to visit Fort Macon State Park. I loved using the Nikon D5 for this adventure with the Sigma 24-105mm ƒ/4 DG OS Art Lens.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 102400, ƒ/8, 1/40

Why was the Nikon D5 so helpful versus my smartphone that everyone else was using? Try taking this photo with a phone or camera—the image’s ISO at ISO 102,400, which the smartphone cannot achieve. The room was off the big room.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 125, ƒ/8, 1/800

I enjoyed walking around and reading the plaques, helping me learn more about the fort’s history.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 8000, ƒ/8, 1/100

There are 26 casemates in the fort (including sally port). The room restored one of them to show the enlisted quarters during the civil war. The fort held off the union soldiers for one month as the union organized an attack. In less than 11 hours, the canons firing at the fort overpowered the regiment. Five hundred twenty-six canons hit the fort before they surrendered.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 125, ƒ/8, 1/400

The dynamic range of the Nikon D5 was great. The wall of the Citadel portion of the fort was in shadow, but it held together just fine to the highlights.

You can even see detail in the Sally Port, which is in the deep shadow during the middle of the day sunshine.

Many years ago, I had been to the fort and knew what to expect. I just carried one lens to capture everything that I needed.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 6400, ƒ/8, 1/100

While many people prefer a smartphone to capture their trips, I still enjoy the DSLR and mainly the Nikon D5 to capture those moments so that I can see them with my eye in person.

The Annual Family Photo at the beach

by Stanley LearyPhotography
 
Nikon D5, Sigma 35mm ƒ/1.4 DG Art, ISO 100, ƒ/16, 1/250–2 Alienbee B1600s

It is that time of year for my family’s annual photo at the beach. We based what we would wear on what most of us had in our closets–white shirts and blue jeans.

A couple of problems with the family facing the lighting would have been 90º to their right—. First, the background was busy with all the people on the beach, and second, the wind would be at their backs and blowing everyone’s hair to the front.

Nikon D5, Sigma 35mm ƒ/1.4 DG Art, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 1/640

Here is the setup and my daughter’s videotaping the event for her YouTube channel.

Nikon D5, Sigma 35mm ƒ/1.4 DG Art, ISO 100, ƒ/16, 1/200

Here without the strobes firing, you can see the strong shadows.

We are adding the strobes to clean up the photo with the light on our faces.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 100, ƒ/16, 1/200–2 Alienbee B1600s

Here I am with my two sisters and parents.

My recommendation is to be sure and use strobes when doing portraits on the beach. The strobes help clean up those harsh shadows.

What makes a successful humanitarian photo coverage

by Stanley LearyPhotography
 
Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 32000, ƒ/14, 1/100

All the trips I have done overseas have been for humanitarian work. Humanitarian work is concerned with or seeking to promote human welfare.

During this past trip to Nicaragua, there were a lot of opportunities to take care of primary healthcare needs. Now the tricky thing sometimes to do as a humanitarian photographer is to capture and compel the audience to act.

In the homes, they didn’t have a medicine cabinet with your essential bottles of Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, cough medicine, and bandaids. If they needed an aspirin, they would go to the city and buy not a bottle but just a few pills. That is all they could afford. I needed to capture the medically trained indigenous volunteers checking blood pressure or giving an IV because handing a person a small ziplock bag of ibuprofen doesn’t read quickly to the audience medical care.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 1250, ƒ/4, 1/100

The gravity of this moment with medical missionary nurse practitioner Traci Warner isn’t as apparent to the audience visually as I would have wished. Dominga is the lady in the middle with the IV above her head. Her sister is to the left and had just paused a moment from waving the fan to keep her sister comfortable.

Dominga is dying from cancer. After we visited, Dominga would die later that night.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 1600, ƒ/4.5, 1/100

Missionary nurse practitioner Warner has much more to offer than her medical skills. During this part of life that we all will go through, Warner took the time to read Psalms 23.

Verse 4 speaks to me:

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

This photo captures some of the reasons why I like working with missionaries. They care for the whole person and not just their physical needs, but they are also spiritual.

Nikon D5, Sigma 35mm ƒ/1.4 DG Art,  ISO 200, ƒ/1.4, 1/100

If you are taking photos of humanitarian work, you need to keep shooting. Sometimes when you are taking pictures and thinking something better will come along is a mistake. Instead, you shoot everything you can and then pick the moments that best capture the work and the story’s soul.

Here Warner is checking a skin condition on a lady with the Nicaraguan medical volunteer learning about the fungus condition.

Words are paramount to understanding each of these photos. So take notes and describe what is happening in an image and why they are doing something.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 100, ƒ/4, 1/160

I like this photo of the young girl here. Now without text, it is still a very compelling photograph. However, in the context of the images above, the picture can take on even more meaning but requires the words to help the audience feel even more impact than the visual can do alone.

The young lady leaning on the post is the granddaughter of the lady in the first photo. The lady having her blood pressure taken has high blood pressure that they monitor. However, the medical team did not just give her some medicine to help lower their blood pressure; they helped her by educating her on her diet. So today, she no longer needs the blood pressure medicine but needs to monitor it.

By saving the grandmother, we saved the caretaker of the granddaughter. Now she has someone to watch and take care of her as her parents are both out working to make ends meet for the family.

Many young girls like her are raped and abused due to a lack of adult supervision. Who would think that humanitarian aid through medical training and blood pressure pills would help save this young girl’s life?

Telling people’s stories is why I love traveling the world and helping make people’s lives better. How do I make things better when I am not a nurse practitioner? I help tell these stories and get people like you to give and go to make a difference.

Here are two opportunities this year for you to do the same thing and learn how to do it.

First, we have two openings left for our Storytellers Abroad workshop in Togo, West Africa.

The next opportunity is to travel with Gary S. Chapman and me to Honduras, Central America.

Honduras, October 29 – November 5, 2016 – $2,600 

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 450, ƒ/8, 1/100

The workshop is not a classroom class only. Instead, the workshop allows you to produce a complete project that will do what you would if you captured the story on your own. The difference is you have teachers/coaches to help you navigate all the hurdles of storytelling.

If you want coverage like I am overseas, here is your chance. The students we have finished the Storytellers Abroad Workshop have now shown the missions agency ABWE their skills and let the organization get to know them. As a result, many are asking to tell more stories of missionaries worldwide.

Sign up today, and I will see you in either Togo or Honduras very soon.

Enjoying photographing the children of Nicaragua who are changing their family’s lives

by Stanley LearyPhotography
 
Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 2200, ƒ/4.5, 1/100

Missionary Traci Warner reads to Dominga Psalms 23, who was in her last living hours. Dominga would die later during the night.

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Dominga’s story started not too long ago with her granddaughter, age 14. She was seeking comfort and went to the local church of the missionaries.

In this culture of Nicaragua, many people are hooked on alcohol and have significant problems. In addition, many young girls 13 and 14 are married to middle-aged men. As a result, many Nicaraguans lack a moral compass for their lives. In addition, so many adults are barely functioning due to the lifestyles that they are living.

The children are often the most responsible and come to the churches.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 18000, ƒ/14, 1/100

In this photo, the family has gathered around Dominga to provide as much comfort as possible. In the last couple of weeks, Dominga asked all her seven children to come and let her talk to them. When the children came together, she told them how horrible of a life she had lived and told them, ” Don’t be like me. Turn to God and live a better life.

She had discovered her savior Jesus in her last days here on earth and wanted them to have a better life than she had. She understood that having God gave her a compass and the ability to see her choices much clearer.

It was a privilege to be there and capture what the missionaries are fulfilling in their calling to lead the people of Nicaragua to know Jesus Christ and have some guidance for living their lives here on earth.

Due to not having a relationship with God, many choose to leave their troubles through alcohol and a promiscuous lifestyle.

Nikon D5, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 800, ƒ/1.8, 1/100

Before this trip, I would have never thought that it would be the children changing Nicaragua.

Matthew 18:2-4
Jesus called a little child to stand among them. “Truly I tell you, He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.…

Nikon D5, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 800, ƒ/1.8, 1/100

Great photos require building relationships.

by Stanley LearyPhotography

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 2800, ƒ/4, 1/100

We spent time in the small village of San Benito, Nicaragua, helping the students in our Storytelling workshop on how to get access to take those photos that help you show how the people in another culture live.

Nikon D5, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 1000, ƒ/1.8, 1/100

Now we did piggyback with a team that did a puppet show for the children in the village. They had already built relationships with the community. The puppet team gave us a considerable advantage because of all the good relationships that the puppet team had made; let us say while walking down the dirt streets, we were with the puppet team.

We also took photos of the meals Servants with a Heart had prepared back in Matthews, NC, with two little boys holding those meals. Again this helped us establish we are there to help them.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 110, ƒ/4, 1/100

After pulling up and walking down the street with cameras, it didn’t take long for many people to come out to see all the Gringos with cameras walking down their street.

I showed the students that I started with some small chit-chat with an interpreter, taking portraits of the people and showing them the results on the back of the screen.

I asked the lady how many people she cooks for and if she would show us her kitchen.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 7200, ƒ/4, 1/100

So to get good photos you must do it in stages. You are building a relationship. If you try and jump to the image you want right away rather than doing it in stages, you may shut down the connection. Take your time and get to know the subject.

Great people photos are about building relationships.

by Stanley LearyPhotography
 
Nikon D5, Sigma 35mm ƒ/1.4 DG Art, ISO 100, ƒ/1.4, 1/1600

Before introducing a subject using your camera to an audience, you must have introduced yourself.

Here in Managua, Nicaragua we are teaching photographers/videographers how to make your photos work. Yesterday I watched one student shooting with a Nikon 5300 and 28-300mm lens. She was zooming out, so her lens was 450mm. She was so far away from the people and often shot the sides or even the backs of people’s heads.

I pulled up the photos above and showed her what I was getting. I helped her to see the importance of being engaged with the subject.

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 100, ƒ/5, 1/200

I also realized I needed to show her what to try and thanked her for doing the same t

Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 110, ƒ/5, 1/200

I even took photos next to a pastor preaching to show the congregation and give a different perspective to help engage the audience.

I asked her to follow me and shoot the same photos. She was getting the difference very quickly.

Nikon D5, Sigma 35mm ƒ/1.4 DG Art, ISO 100, ƒ/1.4, 1/1600

Now I can tell you and even show you that there is that one subject that may get a little upset with you like here. It just shows I may have moved too quickly. As I am doing here in Nicaragua, you must smile at a subject if you don’t speak their language. If you want your audience to feel like they have been right were you are standing, you have to get close, and to do that, you have to build relationships with people.

Nikon D5 comparing ISO 800 to 66535

by Stanley LearyPhotography
 
Nikon D5, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 800, ƒ/11, 1/200–4 – Alienbees B1600 w/45º reflectors, PocketWizard Plus

I shot this group photo of 400 musicians, and to get the most even light, I ended up bouncing 4–Alienbees B1600 strobes with 45º reflectors bouncing off the ceiling. I also used the ExpoDisc to get a custom white balance.

Here is a pretty heavy crop of the above photo.

Nikon D5, Sigma 35mm ƒ/1.4 DG Art, ISO 7200, ƒ/5, 1/200

Now, this is a performance shot with available light. If you notice, the light on the orchestra at the bottom wasn’t very even, so I shot with strobes rather than using available light for the group photo.

Now to give you an idea of how good ISO 7200 looks, here is an enlargement of a similar size to the first photo.

Pretty awesome if I say so myself.

Nikon D5, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 66535, ƒ/5.6, 1/200

I was blown away by the ISO 66535 quality of the french horn player.

Nikon D5 Sports Photos @ 1:1

by Stanley LearyPhotography
 
Nikon D5, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 360, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000

While I talked about covering the Lacrosse game, I didn’t show you the files very well. So this is a full frame from the coverage.

Nikon D5, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 360, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000

The enlargement is close to a 1:1 crop of the above photograph.

Nikon D5, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 640, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000

Here is another photo from the game. It is also a full framed image.

Nikon D5, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 640, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000

Again this is a 1:1 crop as close as I could approximate.

Nikon D5, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 2000, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000 [Click to see full size]
You can click on this photo and see the full-size image. Now, this is ISO 2000. 
 
Nikon D5, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma TC-2001 2x, ISO 2800, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000 [click to see larger file]
Here is one more for you to analyze. I love now shooting at 1/4000 to help freeze the ball. 
 
Now, shooting with a camera for just a couple of weeks is still not enough for me. I have yet to shoot a video with it and can’t wait for those projects to test the 4K. Stay tuned.