Perhaps you're tired of taking pictures with the DIY Greenscreen you just made, or you have had enough fun (for now) keying out backgrounds in Photoshop... but now you want something more. But you don't want to spend more than 2 minutes setting up for your next project. Well, how about a do-it-yourself mini macro studio that is made of materials you already have within arm's reach, and can set up in less than two minutes?
My iPod shuffle... |
Note: I wrote this article back when I was studying to be a priest in the Archdiocese of St. Louis; I am no longer a seminarian (or a priest), but I will continue to update the article over time so it can be of use to my fellow photographers.
As a seminarian, I often participate in very big liturgies at the Cathedral Basilica or other places at which many families are present. Invariably, there's always a few picture-takers who end up disrupting parts of the Mass or other liturgical functions in one way or another, and they usually don't even know they're doing it. Nor, more importantly, do they know how to not disrupt the liturgy!
This article will explain how I recently shot a youth concert at a small-to-mid-size theater, using principles learned from the Strobist website (if you are a photographer, and you haven't seen Strobist, check it out. Seriously.). Whenever you're shooting a concert, there are a plethora of problems that you'll have to overcome. I will show you what approaches I used to overcome diverse, and often poor, lighting, while maintaining the atmosphere at the concert.
This article will explain how to design and assemble bluescreens, greenscreens and backdrops for photos and video, as well as how to easily and inexpensively build a portable frame to support these backdrops (or other things like quilts, etc.) out of PVC pipe or metal conduit. (NOTE: Please be sure to read some of the extra notes at the bottom of this guide for optimal performance).
tl;dr: The Nikon D90 DSLR is one of the best 'prosumer' digital SLRs produced in 2009. It's low-light performance is exception for the price, and it can work well as a backup body to a camera three times as expensive. The HD video mode, a first for digital SLRs, is half-baked at best.
(Above: The D90 with my favorite walk-around lens, the AF-S 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5).
Ever wonder why your pictures of little items like statues, money, a speaker set, a glass of water, or pretty much anything else in the world that doesn't move often look so washed out and flat? I'm betting that the reason is that you are setting your camera to 'nuke' mode (i.e. blast everything with light from the flash).
Well, I have a quick, and most likely free (if you own a tripod) solution to this problem. And it's pretty darn easy to implement. Here's how you do it:
Tonight many of the Seminarians watched the moon turn red as it was eclipsed by the earth. Supposedly, the rays from the sun on the outer parts of the globe are bent by the atmosphere towards the moon, lighting it with red wavelengths. I took a few pictures of the event, and I thought I'd share some observations on photographing the moon, especially in these special circumstances...
First, a picture of the setup I was using:
It's a Nikon D40 with a 70-300mm VR lens attached, along with a hood to block out stray light from the area (I was taking pictures outside, with the seminary's bright exterior lights shining everywhere). It's all mounted on a Bogen tripod and ball head.
Here's the first shot I took of the moon:
I posted a new article today concerning photography during liturgies such as Mass, Confirmation, a Wedding, etc. In it, I describe five basic things anyone taking pictures at a liturgy should do:
But most of all, a person wishing to take pictures during a liturgy should remember this golden rule: Thou Shalt Respect, and Not Distract, when Taking Pictures During Liturgies!
Today I was able to take a few up-close pictures of Pope Benedict XVI, and I also was able to touch his hand, along with a few other St. Louis Seminarians. I have posted pictures on my Seminary Website, and I will write a little bit about this experience below.
After an early start on the day, I waited for about eight hours in different lines to enter St. Panteleon Church, to eat lunch, and to get a spot close to where Pope Benedict would be passing by. And it was all worth it—the rain, the sun and the boredom (hey, it's a pilgrimage!). As Pope Benedict passed the group of St. Louis seminarians in the courtyard, I snapped two quick shots (one's a little blurry), and reached out to touch his hand. As an added bonus, Pelé (you know, the soccer player...) walked by earlier that day and I also snapped a couple of pictures of him!