When you participate in a photography workshop, as I am doing this week in Portugal, you can see where you are about others. In addition, workshops help you know if you have mastered a skill and subject.
Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/2.8, 1/110
I am on the subway in Lisbon with one of the other instructors James Dockery. We were taking the class to a location to have some time shooting at night on the street.
Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4, 1/240
Here Jeff Raymond, the leader of the workshop, talks to the students about some of the technical settings on cameras.
A suitable workshop will give you some instruction time on new concepts and then some time to execute them and practice using them.
Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4, 1/300
James Dockery talks to the students about his experience as an ESPN editor. Your instructors need to be people at the top of their field who can teach you something you don’t know and leaders in the industry.
Find a challenging workshop that will stretch you.
Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/2.8, 1/30
Find a workshop to give you access to something you want to photograph. Access to a subject you are interested in will help you get excited and stay engaged.
You are also more likely to take photos that you want to share with your friends. In addition, you will be excited to show people what you learned to do.
Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/2.8, 1/40
You should have fun seeing your instructors show you how to make the most of a situation, as James Dockery did with a lady at the train station in Lisbon. How do you talk to people and engage with them to get a good photograph?
Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/9, 1/30
What I like the most about this mission’s storytelling workshop is the support we get from one another. Some workshops can belittle you, so pick one where the instructors and others in the class will be encouragers.
We are working on workshops for the rest of the year to give you an opportunity like the one here in Lisbon. So stay tuned as I show you options to sign up to learn and grow this next year.
Nikon D4, 28-300mm, ISO 800, ƒ/22, 20sec [10:08 pm]
Plan your travel as best you can to make the most of a given location, especially if you want a great photograph that WOWs.
The first photo here is from dusk. Again, the city’s lights are on, giving the image a lot more pop than this photo taken late in the day.
Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 500, ƒ/13, 1/500 [7:51 pm]
This morning I woke up and took the exact location early.
Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 2000, ƒ/18, 1/500 [8:49 am]
As you can see, the exact location looks quite different at different times of the day.
As a storyteller, which photo best helps you tell the story when you first think of Lisbon, Portugal? By the end of this week of teaching storytelling in Lisbon, Portugal, I might pick a different photo than when I started, but now I have options.
Nikon D4, 28-300mm, ISO 800, ƒ/20, 5sec [10:11 pm]
Here is another perspective from where I was shooting the other photos. Here it is at dusk, and here it is just an hour earlier.
Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 2000, ƒ/13, 1/500 [8:59 pm]
I liked the location so much that I made a panoramic of the spot. Click on it to see it larger.
Nikon D4, 14-24mm, ISO 800, ƒ/22, 1.6sec [10:07 pm]
Fujifilm X E-2 Firmware 2.00, XF 55-200mm Firmware 1.11
No Flash
First, you will not be allowed to use a flash in most venues. This is because in theaters, for the most part, if it is a decent venue, then the lighting will look better than what we can do with a flash.
In this wide shot, I captured the performer’s name and the concert tour name on the wall with the singer on stage. In general, I find the super wide shots are seldom unless you are right up on the stage down the front.
Fuji X-E2, 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/5, 1/200, 57mm
You will most likely be in the audience and away from the stage. So I recommend a longer zoom lens like the Fujinon 55-200mm lens. Even in this photo, I am not as tight as I usually like to shoot. The wide shots, if they have an excellent light setup, can capture that, but the stage lights shift colors for the most part.
White Balance
The biggest mistake you can make shooting a concert is AWB when it comes to color. The stage lighting will be every color you can imagine, but on AWB, your paint when it comes to skin tones will be very rarely on target.
Fuji X-E2, 55-200mm, ISO 2500, ƒ/4.8, 1/200
You can do a few things that give you a good skin tone. For example, I would love to go onto the stage and get a white balance reading using the ExpoDisc, and when the promoters hire me to shoot the concert, this is what I do.
In this case, we had tickets like everyone else in the room. So no way were they going to let me on stage. So this is where some of the presets your camera has will give you a close white balance that will not shift all around due to them changing the color gels on the lights.
There are two places to start. I usually start with the Tungsten setting. In the Quick Menu, it is in the top far right corner and looks like a light bulb. Tungsten is the setting that I used for this concert.
Occasionally the setting is the daylight setting. There are a few occasions where you might find that setting the Kelvin to a color temperature might work. The color temperature for the LED lights tends to be 2,700 to 10,000 range. If you are doing this from your seat, I can tell you a great place to see if your light is close.
Here I am zooming in on the photo.
Zoom in until you see a microphone. Many of the microphones are close to 18% gray. So if the microphone looks good, then you are pretty close.
You must set the color temperature and then leave it through the show. As the lighting guys change the color temperature of the lights to create different moods, will your images be very close to the color they were trying to achieve?
I love the Fujinon XF 55-200mm lens for shooting a concert. I can keep mainly this lens on the camera for most of the shooting and occasionally get some overall shots with a wider lens like the Fujinon XF 18-55mm.
Here are my Quick Menu Settings that I use for the concert:
I am shooting RAW and Fine JPEG for a reason. First, I love to use the Wi-Fi on the Fuji X-E2 and send a few photos while I am shooting to my phone and up to social media like Facebook or Twitter, and you can only do this when you shoot JPEG. Second, I prefer working with a RAW file when I edit in Lightroom, and this is what I want to use later for anything beyond a quick Facebook post.
Here you can see a more detailed setup of my AUTO ISO for the concert. I have the range of ISO 200 to 6400 and the minimum shutter speed of 1/200 selected. The only time the camera will drop below 1/200 is if it is more significant than ISO of 6400 and there still is not enough light; it will go below 1/200. With the first picture on top, the camera dropped to 1/80 to capture the light in the whole theater.
Big Plus of Fuji X-E2
When shooting a concert like this with my Nikon D4, I must shoot a shot and then look at the photo to see if the results are what I am looking for in the final image. I may use the histogram, but the LCD will let me see a good ballpark idea of if the performer’s face is overexposed or not.
With the Fuji X-E2, I see, for the most part, precisely what the final image will look like with the viewfinder since it is an Electronic ViewFinder EVF.
As I look through the viewfinder, I am turning the Exposure Compensation Dial down to -1 EV, and sometimes I was down to -2 EV.
Here are more photos for you with the settings listed below for each image from the concert.
Sometimes you will feel like this UNC football player struggling against LSU. Your competition seems to have the upper hand; no matter what you do, nothing seems to be working.
No matter which plays you run, you feel that you have it in for you. But, unfortunately, your competition is taking you down day after day.
You then try to take them out in some way, and they seem to be just beyond your reach, and you cannot catch them at all.
Why the sports analogy?
How many teams this year will have a losing season? How many teams pack it up and get out of the game?
It would help if you acknowledged first that you would lose occasionally. For example, the Super Bowl Champions this year were the Seattle Seahawks. They lost three games last year and were the best team in the league. However, the Super Bowl Champions rarely have a perfect record if they do the year before or after losses.
It would help if you were realistic about how often you lose a client. It happens for a variety of reasons. Most of the reasons you fail a client are often out of your control. You played your best possible game, and the other team had some advantage that day.
Do you have cheerleaders?
One of the best things I have going for me is my family that cheers me on every day. I even have some clients that sell me to their friends, and that helps me get new clients.
Sometimes it is just one person that helps keep you going, but that is what you need. Be sure you have people around you that are your cheerleaders.
Do you have a coach?
Also, it would help if you had a coach. A coach is watching what you are doing and talking to you about your strategy. You can have people cheering you on that want you to succeed, and without the coach to give you a reality check, you will soon disappear from the industry.
Take the time to do like every football team and review the games’ tapes. Then, analyze your actions and see if there is something you can do to improve your game.
Another thing that all sports teams do before playing a team is to analyze their game footage. Remember, those who are beating you all the time know your game. They beat you because they can see your weakness and exploit that with the client.
Did you see the NFL draft?
Last night the NFL teams picked new talent and traded talent off their teams. They have analyzed their weaknesses and are making changes for next season.
This summer, they will have more workouts and refine their team than today.
What are you doing today that you need to stop? What are you not offering your clients that you need to add to your skills?
If you have been through a losing season, this is the time to rebuild. Maybe you need to go to a workshop like the NPPA Multimedia Immersion Workshop, where you learn how to tell stories using audio, video, and stills.
Call me and take a one-day personal workshop on lighting or business practices. A workshop is a capital investment. Like the teams that pay a lot to get the first-round pick, you need to invest in your business, or you may have another losing season.
Flying internationally puts stress on the most seasoned photographers. One of the main reasons is preparing for the travel to your location with Murphy’s Law driving your decisions.
Assistants Tip #1
Interior of ThinkTank Airport TakeOff™ Rolling Camera Bag fully packed.
If you are a photo assistant, your priority is keeping track of all the photographer’s gear and packing it precisely how the photographer packed it. Please take photos of the bag to reference it later to repack it.
You may ask why you put it exactly back where you started. A typical photographer will have a lot of little stuff they may use on any job. When the assistant cannot put their hands on it, the photographer will go first to where they last put it.
Photographers Tip #1
Everything you carry should have a home spot—[a home when not in use]. Having a home for gear will help you quickly find it when you need it, and also, when you are packing up to go, you can easily see what is not in place to know you are missing something.
Having a system will help you and every assistant that works for you.
International Travel with Credit Cards
Call your credit card companies before you travel. Let them know what countries you are going to and the travel dates. Connecting with the credit card company will keep your card from being frozen and you not being able to use it while traveling.
I often find that using a credit card gives me the best purchase exchange rate.
Telephone and Data Plans
Contact your provider and find the best plan for your travel. Verizon, for example, has a few different methods to keep you from getting stuck with a high bill.
The most important reason for contacting them is to know the situation rates while not in your home country. You generally want to review phone call rates, Text Rates, and Data rates.
For the most part, you are better off finding a local Wi-Fi, using it, and connecting with family and friends through emails and Skype over phone calls.
I recommend having an auto-email response that lets people know you may take a little longer to respond, and the same goes with a voicemail saying you are in meetings and will respond as soon as possible.
My International Kit
Packing for a road trip or domestic travel is much easier than international travel. However, domestic travel is a piece of cake if you can pack and travel internationally.
I usually travel alone with no assistance when I travel. The type of work clients typically hire me to do is a one-person band operation. I provide stills, video, and audio from my coverages. I am combining these mediums into a package. For example, this is a typical package I might produce on an overseas range.
So, I carry enough gear to do this in the smallest possible way to fly by myself.
I am constantly checking my TravelPro bag. Typically, what I carry in this bag:
Clothing that is all wick-away material that can be easily washed in a sink even and air-dried
Four shirts
Four pants
Four sets of underwear/socks
Safari hat
Windbreaker with a hoodie
Toiletries
Camera Gear
two tripods
two small light stands
two LED light sources
I am carrying on the plane my 1) ThinkTank Airport TakeOff™ Rolling Camera Bag and 2) ThinkTank Urban Disguise® 60. The rolling bag is my carry-on luggage that must meet international standards. The maximum safe size is 45”, in the form of a 22” x 14” x 9” bag. Some airlines allow up to as much as 55”, but most do not. The Airport TakeOff Exterior Dimensions: 14” W x 21” H x 8” D.
Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag
When I fly internationally and know an airline like Delta, I will fly with the Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag. I can get more gear into this bag. Both rolling bags convert into a backpack, which comes in handy when you are in places where you cannot roll your bag.
While on the plane, my ThinkTank Urban Disguise® 60 carries a lot of stuff, and when I arrive, I change things around to use this as my working bag.
Inside the ThinkTank Urban Disguise® 60
MacBook Pro 15”
Two exterior hard drives
Mirror backup of hard drive
Exterior for all images and video
Headphones for video, but also to use on the plane
Think Tank Power House is designed for the Apple line of products to organize those charges and power supplies.
ThinkTank Red Whips come with an organizing bag, but you can buy them individually to keep your cables wrapped.
We often talk about Digital Workflow and think mainly of digital capture to post-production, but just as important is thinking of your entire workflow. For example, researching the airlines and knowing everything about your travel can help you prepare for Murphy’s Law.
Last Tip
Since I have traveled overseas, I have always visited the U.S. Customs office and registered my gear using the CBP Form 4457. CBP Form 4457 records personal items before you travel abroad to clear customs quickly when you bring those personal effects back to the United States. CBP Form 4457 shows that you had the things before leaving the U.S., allowing a duty-free re-entry back to the U.S. Items may include watches, laptop computers, or firearms – those with serial numbers or other unique permanent markings and other descriptions.
I have never had to use or show this form, but I always fill one out for the sole reason that Murphy’s Law exists.
Remember Murphy’s Law states: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. So be prepared.
Here is a quick video showing how I pack for carry-on when traveling internationally.
The firmware update Ver. 2.00 from Ver. 1.20 has made a massive difference in my experience when it comes to focusing. While nowhere in the information about the changes is the focusing improvement mentioned, I noticed considerably better performance.
Fuji X-E2, 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.8, 1/150
Frankly, I was getting quite frustrated with the camera when it came to focusing, which was then screwing up my ability to capture “the moment.” Last night at my daughter’s Spring Orchestra concert, I could grab moments like the peak consistently when the conductor had their arms up and where I could capture what reads much more accessible than where you cannot see her arms.
Fuji X-E2, 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/5, 1/200
The upgraded information said:
The firmware will shorten the display lag** for X-E2’s Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) to less than 1/10 compared to that of the current firmware to the world’s fastest 0.005 seconds for ultimate performance which has been invented as Real Time Viewfinder, featured in X-T1. Also it enhances the frame rate of the viewfinder and the highest frame rate is maintained even in low light conditions or night-time photography, providing smooth live view images through the lens.
My experience before the firmware upgrade was a great deal of focus hunting to lock in on a focus point.
Fuji X-E2, 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.8, 1/550
The camera would take the photo, and then when I would press the shutter again, keeping the same composition and just wanting a second photo, the camera would hunt again to lock in on the focus point. Now the camera was no longer hunting, and the moments were much easier to obtain.
Fuji X-E2, 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.7, 1/180
The framerate was impacting my focus, and I didn’t know this was the problem. However, now I cannot see a good reason to buy the X-T1 since I purchased it to have a smaller profile, which meets that standard. Fuji is doing what other manufacturers are afraid to do because the other manufacturers fear a loss in sales. For the most part, the firmware upgrade makes the differences between the X-T1 and X-E2 minor and makes me want another X-E2.
My most challenging assignments are the most personal ones to cover for our family. So while I want to sit back and enjoy myself, I also want to record these milestones in our family life.
When I arrive to cover an event, I often set up strobes to ensure I get good light on the people’s faces. For this event, I set up two strobes off to the sides to be sure the speakers had a good morning.
I took this photo without the flashes going off, so I have circled where they are in the room. The flash on the left is the Nikon SB-800, and the one on the right is my Nikon SB-900.
They are both on the Pocketwizard TT5. I useManfrotto 5001B Nano Black Light Stand – 6.2′ (1.9m). I chose this light stand because of how small it folds up [19.3″ (49cm)] for easy travel through airports. To connect the Pocketwizard TT5 to the light stand, I am usingInterfit Metal Umbrella Bracket with an Adjustable Flash Shoe. To trigger the flashes, I am using the Pocketwizard TT1 with the AC3 to control the flash output on the TTL setting. This way, the camera sensor helps determine the flash output of the flashes. I guess this involves pulling out the camera and shooting some available light photos or even using an on-camera flash. I want the images to look great, not just usable. I am documenting the most critical events in our family history. My family will cherish these photos much more than if I had great pictures of the President of the United States.
What is the biggest mistake made by photographers? Photographers often put more effort into covering events for clients and not enough into their own families. What is the most important?
While your clients will pay the bills, your friends and family events are the ones that help in making them rememberable.
Do you know what happens when you do this consistently? Your clients also get your best coverage—you are treating them as family. Every business should do the same thing for their families, treating them with your best efforts.
If, after four or more years of high school or college, this is the photo you pull the camera out for and then put it away, you will be sorely disappointed.
We often put too much emphasis on the event and not enough on the story. For example, the level of college graduation starts long ago many times. There are many ways to tell the story, but the celebration story can be a series of images that at least capture more than one moment.
Most of the caps stay on the floor when all the hats are thrown in the air at a military school at the end of graduation. But caps are everywhere because those students are tired of wearing their covers.
My daughter wanted to have her brother’s hat from The Citadel. But, unfortunately, we couldn’t find the cap at all. We looked and looked. What we thought might be two or three minutes turned into a lot more time.
When my stepson asked his younger sister what she was doing, he just walked across the floor, found his hat, and gave it to his sister in less than a minute.
The search for the cap was one of the many stories we had throughout the weekend.
We took family photos to show we were all there for the big day. We were all excited that our son had graduated.
Here he is with one of his best friends in school. We remember him coming home and asking what it is with New Jersey. Well, his mother is from there, and I also went to junior and high school there.
As you can see, there is another story of another relationship I was capturing that weekend. So hopefully, you see that sometimes you need some words with the pictures to complete the level.
The Long Gray Line—Pat Conroy wrote about his experiences at The Citadel and being part of the Long Gray Line. The Long Gray Line refers to the men and women who have graduated from the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. Seniors march single file across Summerall Field in their final parade as cadets.
While not a story, I did put the photos together in a slide show for us to remember the weekend events.
http://www.stanleylearystoryteller.com/citadel2011grad/_files/iframe.html I believe a series of images will do better than one photo to capture the event more completely. Maybe you can interview your graduate on video and combine this with pictures of their time at college, and if you catch why they came to this college and what they learned from the experience, you will have a story.
You could also put this together in a book. We did this with our son when he graduated from high school.
You can take a photo or try to capture the story through a series of images. I hope you see that the picture of the back of the head of a graduate pales as compared to the complete package.
The two primary purposes of a lighthouse are to serve as a navigational aid and to warn boats of dangerous areas. It is like a traffic sign on the sea.
When you are at sea and trying to find your port, having a lighthouse to help guide you will improve the success of locating your destination.
Nikon D4, 28-300mm, ISO 3200, ƒ/5.6, 1/8000
What can a photographer use as a lighthouse to help them navigate their career?
First, you must know what you want to do with your photography. Who has the job that you want to do? That is the best question to start with on your journey.
You may be like millions of photographers who want to work for National Geographic Magazine. The good thing about picking somewhere like this is you can meet those photographers. Most of them teach classes and workshops where you can pay to pick their brain.
I know this because I did just that in the 1980s. Then, I studied with Steve McCurry at the Maine Photographic Workshops in Rockport, Maine. Steve looked at everyone’s work in our class and would answer any of our questions during our week with him.
The best part was he told us about his career path. I quickly learned that one couldn’t just duplicate those paths taken by previous photographers. For example, he crossed over illegally into Afghanistan to get the lady’s photo on the cover of National Geographic Magazine. He sent his Kodachrome film to his sister, a school teacher, to send on to the magazine. Before this, he worked at a small newspaper for a few years.
During my time with Steve McCurry and other photographers like Don Rutledge, I soon learned there were things I needed to master to move my career along a path to success.
List of things one must master
Master your Camera
Master digital workflow
Master Visual Composition
Master Lighting
Become an “EXPERT” in your subject
Know your audience
Create “UNIQUE” images
Master your Camera—This takes a while to be indeed able to pick up your camera and make it do what you want it to do for you. Mastering is the same as one who will be able to sit down at a concert piano and play whatever music there is to play. I found with most photographers; this will take around five years.
Master Digital Workflow—This is everything that comes after capturing the image for the client. We often refer to this as post-processing. During post-processing, you understand the color space you are working in and what color space you are delivering your images for usage. Post is where you can take the well-exposed pictures you captured and then maximize the dynamic range for the outlet.
Master Visual Composition—This is where you can capture moments that communicate the mood and message you intended to capture.
Master Lighting—First, you must recognize good light and be able to capture it. Mastering light is where you are putting yourself in the position to capture the best images of a subject. For example, you are planning your shoot to take advantage of the natural daylight that will show off the issue in the best possible way to capture the mood and message you wanted. Second, you know how to use artificial light to enhance the scene to create those moods and messaging the way you intended, not just how it looks.
Become an “EXPERT” on the Subject—This is the most crucial aspect on the list that can help set you apart from any other photographer. I went on to seminary to get an advanced degree in my subject matter to help me separate my knowledge of religion from that of many of my other photographer friends who enjoyed covering religion. In addition, after following and working at Georgia Tech for more than ten years, I knew the campus better than anyone. My experience helped me for covering sports, the classroom, and research.
Know Your Audience—In business, we talk about SUPPLY and DEMAND. While you may have a lot of great images, the thing that will determine you are putting food on the table and a roof over your head is DEMAND. What is your audience interested in about the subject? Just like a good writer knows their audience’s reading level, so their writing for that audience, a photographer must understand enough about the audience to know how to engage them. Going off to war and photographing the grotesque can be a significant mistake. You may need to filter how you cover the battle to prevent your audience from viewing the images.
Create “UNIQUE” images—If the people you are going to approach to buy your work could have shot the same idea, what good are you to them? You need to surprise them in some way with images that they would not have taken themselves. Maybe the only difference is how you light something, and sometimes it may be a pretty elaborate remote camera that lets you get a photo that is impossible without the special gear. Remember to supply images that not everyone could easily do if they were there.
The reality is that it takes quite a bit more than talent alone. Talent is only a tiny part of the equation. Tenacity, the ability to handle severe rejection, perseverance, and a good team get you to the next level.
It would help if you had others look at your work and help give you honest feedback.
When it comes to a successful career, other things for consideration: are your look, attitude, personality, style of photography, fan base, tear sheets, that specific intangible X factor, and most importantly, that undeniable outstanding portfolio.
People say that “practice makes perfect,” but in reality, that statement is incorrect — it should state that “perfect practice makes perfect.” Perfect practice is a form of rehearsal during which you remain cognizant and analyze what you are doing. For instance, are you delving into bad habits?
The more intentional you are in acquiring the skills necessary to capture the subject you are becoming an expert in will help set you up to have a lifelong career as a professional photographer possibly. Of course, it would help if you committed to pouring your life into this career.
Don’t make these common mistakes when traveling for vacation this year. They are in no particular order, but here to ensure you are ready for travel abroad.
1. Forget you need a Passport—When traveling abroad, you need a current and up-to-date passport. It takes 4 to 6 weeks to get a passport by standard processing, and you need to allow the six weeks, so you have plenty of time.
2. Travel without a Visa—According to the “Henley Visa Restrictions Index 2013,” holders of a United States passport can visit 172 countries and territories visa-free or with a visa on arrival, and the United States is currently ranked 2nd (tied with Germany, Denmark, and Luxembourg) in terms of travel freedom. However, there are 196 countries, so you need to check to see if you need a visa to travel.
3. Forget an AC Plug converter—There are many variations of plug and socket types around the world. If you fail to plan, you might have difficulty charging your devices. Check the voltage requirements for the desired country and bring a power converter, if necessary.
4. No Phone Plan—Your phone may work fine overseas, but you will be surprised at your bill when you get back. Check with your provider to get the best rate for phone and data while traveling abroad. Type frequently used the telephone, emergency contact, hotel, and transportation numbers on the phone and saved them in the phone’s address book. Make sure to enter the telephone numbers using the international dialing format. For example, when calling the US, use the prefix “+011” followed by the area code and telephone number because calls made abroad will initiate from the local phone carrier.
5. Delay buying airfare and other transportation—I often see this as a mistake by many travelers. Waiting is apparent at car rental counters. You can save by preplanning, booking, and sometimes paying for the rental car early. Let go of brand names when looking. For example, Sixt’s, a German rental, was renting a Mercedes C-class for $38.81 a day in late May at Sixt’s Orlando airport. Compare this to Hertz, for the exact dates were $50.57 daily for a Kia Rio or similar economy car. Often you can find deals way out on international travel. You can also set up alerts on some travel websites to tell when prices drop. Register those places you want to go far in advance and then get an email alert when a special comes along.
6. No Travel Insurance—You need to consider medical, Emergency Evacuation, Travel [flights, hotels, etc.], and baggage. If you get seriously hurt and need to evacuate due to a fall, car wreck, and so on, this could cost $25,000 or more. Check with your health insurance also about travel out of the country. One of my friends was in a hurricane in southern Mexico, and they feared not making it out.
7. Failure to do research on your destination—I see so often that the consequences can be all over the map from the lack of planning. If you are going to Hungary, for example, you will be arrested if you take photos of anyone in public without first getting their permission. This law just went into effect. Knowing this upfront may make you decide to travel to another location.
8. Failure to plan for the weather—While I had packed a coat when I went to Kona, Hawaii, I left it in my main hotel room in Kona when I drove around the Island to Volcano National Park. As a result, I had to go and buy some long sleeve shirts to wear in the cold, wet rain. Finding a coat in Hawaii isn’t easy on Sundays when all the shops are closed.
9. Inadequate clothing—When traveling, you don’t always have the luxury of time to wash clothes. You can also find yourself in torrential rain and soaked. Getting those items dry before your next day of travel can be a problem. I highly recommend clothing made of wicking, which will pull moisture away from the skin, keeping you more relaxed, but also some synthetic wicking clothing dries very fast. In addition, I recommend layering clothing when traveling. Two thin layers can be warmer yet lighter than one thick layer because the air trapped between layers serves as thermal insulation.
10. Poor footwear—I am surprised at how many times I see people in flip-flops in places where hiking gear is necessary. Looking fashionable is not as important as feeling comfortable when you are on your feet all day for many days on vacation. I recommend Clark’s Wave Walker Shoes. They make a variety of styles for men and women.
Photography Mistakes
11. Under shoot—I hear way too many people thinking that they took a lot of photos when they just took a picture of each place they saw. You spent all this money to get somewhere; there is no additional expense with digital to make a few thousand photos versus a couple hundred—except maybe a $30 to $50 memory card. Your trip may cost you more than a few thousand dollars, and when you return, your photos are the only thing you have to remember about the journey into your retirement. Most people will experience a memory that diminishes as we get older—so take pictures to help preserve those memories.
12. Don’t bring extra batteries or memory cards—You planned for years, and then you are where you dreamed of being, and your camera is dead because your battery died. Also, you will use your camera more than usual when you travel. So while you have never experienced your camera dying on you, it can and will die on a vacation of a lifetime. Also, buy a few extra memory cards. Rather than bringing a computer, it is much easier to carry a few memory cards rather than getting a laptop.
13. Carry too much or too little gear—I have done both in my travels. Gear problem is where your lack of research on your destination will impact your shooting. A great example is thinking you need to go and buy an 800mm ƒ/5.6 lens for your African Animal Safari trip. Once you get there, the tour guides take you out on open vehicles where for the most part, you are so close you could use your 50mm lens to get the shot. You can also go on a bird-watching tour, and your iPhone will not let you see the photo clearly and close enough in a tree. What about flash, or will you go somewhere where flash isn’t allowed? You may need a camera with a high ISO to get those photos.
14. Too big of the camera—Even if you are a teenager carrying your gear all day for a week or more, sightseeing can injure your back. Be sure that the equipment you bring will be something you don’t mind carrying around with you all the time.
15. Not ready for special situations—If you go to Charleston, SC, and get up early to cover The Citadel Summerall Guards performing on a Saturday morning in the late spring or early fall, you will be dealing with condensation on your lens. I carry a Fog Eliminator cloth for my camera lenses. Leaving a hotel or car with air conditioning and stepping out in Charleston’s high humidity will take 10 to 15 minutes for your camera to stop fogging up. Maybe you are going to a rainforest for a few days. Moisture can destroy your electronics. Make plans to keep your gear dry.
16. Cultural and location mistakes—Too many people do not take the time to read about where they are going. They may find that in their research, they want to be sure to go to a specific location and find out how to avoid security issues. Too many people have stolen things because they are identifiable as tourists and become a target. Those who do their research will be better prepared to avoid these mistakes. Also, even simple things like hand gestures in one culture can mean something different in another, so you must do your best to prepare.
It isn’t accessible to over-prepare, but it is straightforward to under-prepare for your travel. Is it going somewhere soon for a vacation? I hope this inspires you to take the necessary steps to make your trip a lifetime trip.
I wanted to walk you through a few photos and let you see what I think makes the images work.
In photo #1, I think a few things help make this photo work. Here is a quick bullet list of things that I think help make this work.
Rule-of-thirds—The man gesturing is on the right top thirds
Good use of Light—The light is coming onto their faces and brightest where the two men are in the photo
Gesture—The man’s gesture helps you know he is talking to the man next to him. Also, the little girl’s finger under her nose shows possible sniffles. The little girl’s eyes also redirect you back to the man gesturing
Shallow Depth-of-field [DOF]—The photo drops off in sharpness as you go back into the picture. Shallow Depth-of-field helps keep your attention towards the front of the man
I like this image of the ladies talking. Who can’t resist good “Window Light?” The rule-of-thirds is also working here. Shallow DOF keeps your attention on the lady listening. Catchlights in the eyes give life to her expressions. The hands communicate tension. I feel like she is dealing with some stress due to the position of her hands. With her head leaning on the wall, I also feel like she is relaxed and comfortable with this other lady. The other lady is slightly taller, and her body position and the lady listening to her communicate some authority.
Street photography is a lot of grab shots. Here the wall is helping communicate the neighborhood where this young boy lives. You can tell that education is essential due to the signage. The little boy is relaxed in his body posture.
The photographer has a lot of space behind the boy and very little in front. The area helps create the tension that the future isn’t as hopeful. The boy’s expression questions and wonders who this photographer is, thus communicating a little pressure on the audience. The color palette is simple, yet the colors convey the Caribbean.
Photo #4 is of NBC news reporter Robert Hager covering a tornado disaster. Here the DOF is increased to be sure the viewer looks toward the debris in the background. Hagar is waiting to go on air and talk about the situation.
Here is where the elements of the videographer and his gear helps tell the story and, in essence, help to frame Robert Hager and the destruction.
In this photo #5, the subject is dead center, please pardon how this sounds, but this is why I put the issue in the center. The dead center usually is what you want to avoid, but it helps create even more tension here. The edges of the photo are trying to contain everyone in the picture. The lack of color around the image and then with the American flag center helps to make it pop and draw the audience’s attention.
Here photo #6 uses color to help create interest and set the mood. Again, the light is off to the side and lets the viewer see the design of the lamp post.
Using Rule-of-Thirds helped with the composition in photo #7. Also, using a shallow DOF, the eye goes to the sharpest part of the photo, which is the guy’s face. Here the expression of the man and the man he is looking at keeps you going back to the apparent friendship between the two guys.
The light on the video camera in photo #8 helps start the eye looking and follow the morning to the subject. Also, all the cameras on the left are enabling to direct the eye to the right and the guys holding the trophy. Here the photographer has moved as close as possible and trying to contain everything in the frame.
Can you break down each of your photos? Today, study your pictures and those that catch your attention. Then, break them down so you can later use some of those techniques in your photos.
I prefer the off-camera flash any day to the pop-up flash on any camera. I have written many articles on it here on the blog. Just put the phrase “off-camera” in the search field I have on the blog, and you will see many posts talking about doing this with my Nikon system.
Now I have a Fuji X-E2 and wanted an off-camera flash solution. I stumbled on the Neewer TT850 flash [$104.95]. This flash is a manual flash. Using 2,000 mAh Eneloop batteries in an SB900 will give you a maximum of 200 cycles. The TT850 blows its competitors out of the water. Who needs one, even without a way to plug in an external pack? Just carry an extra battery or two. But who shoots more than 650 full-power strobe shots at a shoot? You can shoot up to 1300 full power shots with just one extra battery.
The flash has a guide number of 100.
You could trigger it in a few ways.
On the camera, hot shoe.
S1 – Mode [Normal Slave]
S2 – Mode [2nd Flash Slave]
Wireless Trigger
The flash works with the Neewer 433MHz Wireless 16 Channel Flash Remote Trigger [$27].
Set power ratios of up to 16 groups of remote flashes
Switch the on or off of the modeling light or AF-assist beam & buzzer
Manual triggering of flashes
Two modes of power ratio display
Quite a convenience to mount onto your camera’s hot shoe
Nikon has three groupings of A, B, or C. Neewer has 16 different groups. That is a lot of flashes you could control all from the camera.
Here you can see I can control the power easily from the remote. The controller is great for shooting on the go. Unfortunately, you cannot change the zoom from the remote.
Here you can see the setup. Fuji X-E2 with the 55-200mm lens. The Neewer TT850 is on a light stand off at 45º. The Neewer 433MHz Wireless 16 Channel Flash Remote Trigger fires the off-camera flash and controls the power from the camera. Also, on the flash, I added the MagMod flash modifier system.
MagMod is a magical flash modifier system that frees your Speedlite flashes from velcro, straps, and adhesives by ingeniously incorporating the invisible powers of magnetism.
The design of each modifier is a single molded piece of high-quality silicone rubber that is sleek, compact, easy to use, and dead simple.
I used the gel holder with a 1/4 CTO and two of the grids stacked. I was keeping the light mainly on the statue of the soldier.
Now I just took some photos. I used a tripod, which let me drag the shutter for some long exposures. This way, I could shoot at a low ISO and keep the background from going too dark.
Fuji X-E2, XF 55-200mm, ISO 1000, ƒ/7.1, 1/8, flash set at 1/128 power.
Fuji X-E2, XF 55-200mm, ISO 1000, ƒ/7.1, 1/30, flash set at 1/64 power.
The great thing is I am changing the power of the camera.
I recommend getting a second battery for the flash. All three were only $171.35 on Amazon. We have Amazon Prime, which gives us free shipping.
You could get four flashes using the FourSquare system by LightWare. For under $500, you could have four flashes and one remote. For around $530, you could have four flashes and four remotes.
The FourSquare is a great option for any camera system, especially for the money.