Ghatahora Photography

Nightscapes

2012-02-29T13:41:00.000Z

I will briefly explain the techniques on how to photograph cities, towns, illuminated signs and traffic trails in low light. Night photography is simple, fun and creative, especially at this time of the year as you don’t have to wait long for nightfall.

It is always best to photograph cities, towns and traffic trailing lights when there are still some shades of dark blues, purples, pinks and orange in the sky. The final photograph becomes more interesting with lots of colours rather than a darkened sky in the background. When photographing illuminated signs, it is advisable to shoot them in close-up, therefore the background may not be an issue.

A few points to keep in mind:

Camera settings: Use Aperture Priority mode or Manual mode on cameras. Cameras which do not have the Aperture Priority or Manual mode will often allow selecting different scene settings, such as ‘dusk/dawn’, ‘nightlight’ or ‘sunset’ modes. Please choose which suits you and your camera best.

When using the Aperture Priority mode, set the aperture at f16 (the camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed).

For Manual mode, set the aperture at f11or f16 and the shutter speed at 15 seconds. Use this shutter speed as a guide only, as your exposure time may vary depending on the available light. You may either have to increase or decrease the shutter speed depending on the image produced.

If you are using a SLR, there is normally an exposure indicator visible through the viewfinder which looks like -2||||1||||0||||1||||2+. Adjust the shutter speed whilst looking through the viewfinder and ensure the indicator is on 0, as this will give you the correct exposure.

On compact cameras choose ‘Nightlight’, and the camera will adjust aperture and shutter speed accordingly.

Exposure: due to low light, exposures will be long ranging from 10 seconds to 90 seconds. Use a tripod to avoid camera shake, or alternatively change the ISO on your camera to 800 or higher to minimise camera shake.

Composition: It is advisable to frame your shot before you press the shutter release as it avoids ‘unwanted’ objects in your photograph.

Equipment: camera, tripod, watch or a stopwatch to time exposures.

Bracketing: as we will be using a small aperture (f11/f16), it is advisable to over and under expose your image by ½ a stop. When using bracketing, you will have a selection of images with varying degree of exposure. This will allow you to select the desired exposure by duplicating the settings of your preferred image.

Warm clothing: coat, gloves, hat and umbrella.

I have used my SLR and compact camera to take the following photographs. When I used the SLR, I set the camera on fully manual mode mounted on a tripod. As for my compact camera, I used the ‘night landscape’ mode without using a tripod or flash (the camera needed to be handheld very steadily).

Examples of photographs taken using a compact camera set on ‘night landscape’:

Examples of photographs taken using a SLR set on manual mode:

The face in this image was created by laser lights:

Outside a restaurant:

Illuminated huts near the waterfront:

2012-01-25T16:40:00.000Z

Winter Photography

This time of the year the weather conditions vary considerably – we have sunshine, mist, fog, lightening, rain, frost and snow. Winter often provides some of the best scenes for dramatic photography.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1) Longer exposures may be necessary due to low lighting conditions

2) Camera settings: Manual mode gives the most flexibility in achieving the required result, but can be challenging for inexperienced photographers. We will be using the Aperture Priority mode on cameras. Cameras which do not have the Aperture Priority mode will often allow selecting different scene settings, such as ‘dusk/dawn’, ‘nightlight’ or ‘sunset’ modes. Please keep in mind that all these modes will give long exposures if the lighting conditions are low. It may therefore be necessary to use a tripod to avoid camera shake.

3) ISO settings: For SLR cameras set ISO to 100 or 200 if using the tripod as this will reduce pixilation (noise) from the final picture. If you don’t have a tripod, you can change the ISO to 800 or 1600 for faster shutter speeds, but the final result will be grainier. Having a grainy picture is not necessarily a bad point, as these often look very dramatic once they have been converted into black/white.

4) Weather conditions can change rapidly in winter; therefore keep an umbrella or a plastic bag handy if it rains, as it can be used to cover the camera.

Photographing stormy clouds and light

The most dramatic weather conditions for Landscape photography are created with stormy clouds and shafts of sun light illuminating the small parts of the scene against the dark dramatic sky.

Some tips to remember:

1) Change your SLR’s integral metering to spot metering as this will allow you to take reading from a small part of the sunlit area.

2) Use a neutral density filter to enhance the sunlit areas and to darken the sky.

3) Convert some of your colour image into b/w in an image editing software. If you do not have editing software, change the setting in your camera from colour to b/w. Remember to change it after the photo secession.

4) Use warm up filter to improve the light of a dull, misty day. Again this can be done using basic editing software; just increase the ‘warmth’ and ‘saturation’.

5) Camera settings: Set the Aperture to f16 or to one of these modes - ‘dusk/dawn’, ‘Nightlight’ or ‘sunset’ (experiment which of these modes works best for your image).

I took this photograph in Scotland just after it had stopped raining. I waited at the location for the sun to break through the clouds.

Photographing mist and fog

Mist and fog reduce the landscape to 2-D shapes with pastel colours and the depth of field is lost, the final image looks like a painting. The best times to photograph mist in the winter is early morning just before sunrise or wait for a misty foggy day. You can also create a misty effect by puffing on your camera lens; this will give a ‘foggy’ effect.

I took this photograph in a field, near where I live just as the sun was setting.

Photographing rain

Interesting and creative photographs can also be taken on a rainy day. Examples are: dew drops on spider webs, rain drops on the window, rain droplets on leaves, people walking in the streets and so on. For a close-up of the dew drops use the flower icon on your compact and SLR cameras if you do not have a macro lens.

I took this photograph in my garden, with the rain drops on the leaves.

Low Light and Night Photography

2012-01-10T10:32:00.003Z

Taking photographs in low light conditions can be very exciting and creative. Here are 2 important things to keep in mind: -

1) The time of the day:

Before sunrise (pre-dawn)
Sunset
After sunset (twilight & total darkness)

2) Camera settings: we will be using Aperture mode on the camera.

Pre-dawn (before Sunrise)

Before sunrise the light reflected from the sky hitting the scene is very soft and diffused, which means the shadows are very weak. Therefore the colour of the sky will be blue on clear days and grey on cloudy days, such lighting conditions can create very atmospheric photographs.

Cameras which do not have the Aperture Priority mode will often allow selecting different scene settings, such as ‘dusk/dawn’, ‘nightlight’ or ‘sunset’ modes (experiment which of these modes works best for your image).

Here is a photograph of Loch Lomond which I took before sunrise. Set the camera on aperture priority mode at f11 or f16 and let the camera choose the shutter speed. The exposure will be long, so use a tripod as this will avoid camera shake.

The below photgraph was taken at the same location just as the sun was rising.

Sunsets

To capture the sunset, you need to act quickly as it would normally set in minutes. Use same settings as before, setting the camera on aperture priority mode at f11 or f16.

After Sunset (Twilight and total darkness)

After the sun has set, there is still some light in the sky, giving a warm glow, which slowly fades to pastel colours of pink, blue and purple. This is the twilight and it will give long exposures from 10 seconds onwards. Here are some examples of photographs I took in twilight. As before, set your cameras on aperture mode at f11 or f16 to achieve maximum depth of field.

I photographed these three trees in the mist in the field, this was just after sunset. I used a tripod to keep the camera steady and set it to a long exposure.

Total darkness

During total darkness, there is obviously no natural light available. These are perfect conditions to photograph trailing lights from cars, lit cityscapes, fireworks and light movement. As before, the exposure will be very long and can lead to minutes, it is therefore vital to use a tripod to avoid camera shake. Set the camera at f11 or f16 on aperture mode.

I took this photograph at Wellington Park during the firework fiesta.

To view more of my work please visit my website on www.ghatahora.co.uk

Photo Club News.

2011-11-29T12:24:00.002Z

I run a local Photography Club on the 1^st and 3^rd Tuesday of each month. We go over basic camera techniques and settings to learning how to photograph trailing lights, studio still life, using available light, landscapes and much more. Club members use SLRs and small compact cameras and we learn techniques to suit both cameras.

For next week's meeting we are going to be covering, "Depth of Field" and "Capturing fast moving objects". The main aim for this workshop is to learn apertures and shutter speeds, and when to best use them. We will go through various camera settings on compact cameras and choose the best one that will be suitable.

How to photograph flowers?

2011-11-16T09:53:00.002Z

It is possible to take good flower photographs with a compact camera also and not just with a SLR.

Compact cameras often do not have interchangeable lenses like SLRs, but the macro and zoom facilities on most compact cameras will allow photographing subjects in close-up as well as distant.

The first step is to know your camera; it is your greatest tool in creating your master piece. It is also advisable to read the camera manual to familiarise yourself with its basic and advanced functions.

I have often been told by novice/beginner photographers that the manuals tend to be complicated with terminology that tends to be alien to them. My advice to them is to start with the basic controls such as ‘Program Mode’, then move to the advanced features as ‘Aperture/Shutter Priority’, bracketing and others that may be unique to their camera.

Every compact camera should enable you to have some control over the aperture, shutter speed, the ISO, exposure compensation (+/-) and finally focusing. Some compact cameras will allow the user to take full control over the focusing using the ‘manual’ mode.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when photographing flowers.

The main control on a compact camera for close-up photography is the “Macro” button (often with the symbol of a flower). This enables you to focus closer to the subject and also blurs the background, keeping the flower sharp. The camera automatically sets the aperture and the shutter for you, so you don’t have to worry about the exposure, allowing you to just focus and press the shutter release.

Now I will briefly touch on the Aperture Priority (AV) mode. When in this mode, the camera will set the shutter speed to give you the right exposure. This mode is very useful as it allows the user to determine what part of the subject and background to keep in focus and what to blur by choosing the desired aperture. In close-up photography, it if often advisable to blur the background, as it draws the eye on the main subject when viewing the final photograph, therefore having an out of focus background is not considered bad.

When the camera is set to Aperture Priority, if the lowest ‘f’ number is selected, then the area nearest to the focus point will be in focus and the remaining picture will be out of focus. When the highest ‘f’ number is selected, the focus point and the area before and after the point is all in focus. If ‘f’ numbers between the lowest and highest is selected, then through practice and experience you can deternine what to keep in focus and what to blur.

As well as the aperture mode, the Shutter mode (TV) is also important. This mode can be used when you are unsure of what aperture to choose and its great for capturing movement in the flowers caused by any wind.

Selecting a slow shutter speed of 1/30 or 1/15 will capture the movement in the leaves on the trees and flowers creating a ‘ghostly’ effect, whilst shutter speed of 1/60 or above will freeze the movement without blur.

I hope this very brief insight into flower photography assists you in your photography.

Bhupinder Ghatahora

www.ghatahora.co.uk

The red-belly piranha (Pygocentrus Nattereri)

2011-11-01T23:50:00.000Z

I have been interested in piranhas for a long time. It is not the media or film hype that has influenced me, but it’s the sheer mystery that these species of fish portray.

I have kept many fish species from cold, tropical and brackish waters, but none other than the piranha has fascinated me more. It has often been asked of me why these fish interest me more compared to the hundreds other that have elegant shapes and colours, I have never fully been able to explain why, but it’s a certain attachment to these fish that I believe only piranha enthusiasts will be able to understand.

It is quite common for shoaling piranhas to inflict bites on each other. The ones that I have seen are the Pygocentrus Nattereri (red-belly piranha). I will start with brief details on the origin of the red-belly piranha, their behaviour and feeding method followed by the short study on their bite. The information I have provided is supported with that I have read from other sources and publications.

Origin of the Red Belly Piranha:

The Red Belly Piranha originates from the Amazon River Basin around Brazil and spreads across several other neighbouring basins.

They are one of the most popular breeds of piranhas kept in homes as aquatic ornamental fish. The red-belly piranha is generally a cheaper piranha to purchase from aquatic stores due to their wide spread availability through successful breeding progress.

Behaviour:

The red-belly piranha is found in shoals compared to some of the other solitary piranhas which are very territorial, such as the Serrasalmus Rhombeus (Black/Red Eye piranha). The red-belly piranha is a very timid piranha, but they are feared in their native countries due to their ferocious feeding method. They attack their prey in large numbers and it is know that they can strip a large farm animal to the bone within minutes.

The red-belly piranha can grow up to 13” in length and weigh 3.5kg in the wild and as an average 9” in captivity. Their growth in aquariums is often influenced by the tank size, water quality, size of shoal kept in one tank, feeding and several other factors all which could highly influence their growth in captivity.

Now coming to my reason for writing this blog, I would like to share some photographs I took during a short study showing bites inflicted on each other by red-belly piranhas. It is believed that a hungry shoal of piranhas will even hunt and feed on the weaker ones within the shoal. Hunger is often the main reason red-belly piranhas may turn on each other. The other reason could be they accidently bite each other during the frenzy when feeding on prey. My photographs in this blog show how quickly bites tend to heal on captive red-belly piranhas.

Piranhas are a robust species of fish and generally can tolerate injury more, compared to other fish species. The following photographs were taken over a three week period. They show how quickly and well the wound heals.

The photographs are just snap shots for reference and not taken with composition or quality in mind.

Day 1 – Bite first observed

Day 10 – Bite first observed

Day 13 – Bite healing

Day 23 – Bite heading

If you have any information that you would like to share, please contact me through my website www.ghatahora.co.uk

Creating the feeling of Motion in your photographs

2011-10-13T00:54:00.001+01:00

To add a little bit of creativity in your photographs, try zooming while the shutter is still open. It gives a sense of movement in your picture creating lines moving away from you or towards you.

There are many ways to achieve this effect, but the simplest method is to set the shutter speed at a longer exposure, then while taking the shot, zoom in or out from your subject. The zooming process takes between when the shutter opens and closes. This is often easier said than being put into practice, as very fast reflexes and timing is needed, requiring a lot of practice and experiment.

Below are a few tips to keep in mind when zooming while taking the shot:

Hold the camera steady - you will be using a slow shutter speed and any camera shake will cause the image to be too blurry and the motion lines will not be straight and sharp. Always use a tripod or hold the camera very steady.

The right aperture - as you are using longer shutter speeds, you let more light into your camera. To overcome this problem, choose an aperture with a larger ‘f’ number, as this will reduce the amount of light getting through the lens.

No zoom lens - if you don’t have a zoom lens, that’s not a problem as you can manually move the camera towards the subject or away from your subject. Keep in mind, you may get slight camera shake, but it’s still possible to have a good shot.

I took this photograph of the trees by pointing my camera up towards the leaves and I zoomed in while the shutter was still open. As you can see, the lines at the side of the image give an illusion of movement; drawing your attention towards the centre which is still relatively sharp.

I set the aperture to f11, increased the ISO to 640 (in order to get higher shutter speeds so that I can hold the camera steady), this gave me a shutter speed of 1/50. The colours of this image have been altered in photo shop, by simply decreasing the hue and increasing the saturation.

The following photograph has been taken in exactly the same way as the previous one using the same settings. Now that you have an idea how to create the feeling of motion in your photographs, why not try this technique with various subjects, such as traffic lights, flowers, group of people and even animals.

Bhupinder Ghatahora
www.ghatahora.co.uk

Tropical Green Frog

2011-10-08T20:35:00.004+01:00

I am not familiar with the Latin name of this frog, its upper part is green in colour and the underside is white pinkish. It comes from the tropical rain forests around the Amazon area.

The picture below was taken in the UK and the frog is in an enclosure which replicates the environment from where the frog originates. The other reason it is in the enclosure is because its skin is supposed to be poisonous to humans if touched.

I enjoy photographing reptiles and amphibians, you will several of my photographs in the future blogs, but for now I will explain how I took this photo.

I put my camera on a tripod and set it to f8 at 1/60, with flash bounced of a white card. To avoid reflection and the glare from the flash I had the lens flush with the glass enclosure. The glass enclosure was very warm and humid from inside leaving dew drops within it.

I waited for quite some time to take the photograph as the frog was very timid and hid in the foliage. To my surprise, the frog jumped onto the glass literally in front of the lens and I quickly took my shot before it leapt back into the foliage.

www.ghatahora.co.uk

Welcome

2011-10-07T21:52:00.000+01:00

Hi All,

Ghatahora Photography welcomes you to this blog.