Bursting the Burst Mode Myth: [What I Learned from Shooting with Film]

Over the next week we’ll be featuring a mini-series of posts from Rachel Devine (author of our kids photography eBook) in which she’ll be talking about five reasons learning photography on film cameras made her the digital photographer that she is today.

Here’s today’s on Busting the Burst Mode Myth.

no burst mode here

There are a few things I hear as top advice for budding children’s photographers and parents who want to take better photos of their children. I think that setting the camera to burst mode and holding the shutter down while taking photos is the one I hear most often and makes me cringe hardest. Called the “spray and pray” method, lots of digital photographers rely on taking hundreds of images (I have actually heard of thousands of frames shot for one portrait session) at a sitting to get a handful of good shots.

When keen new photographers ask for advice on how to get better photos of kids (their own or for a client) and are told, “It is digital, it will not cost you anything, just put the camera in burst mode and take as many as you can and you are bound to get a good one in there” they are being fed bad advice…or rather non-advice.

I started my photography career on film 16 years ago and when I did, those who swear by the spray and pray method may be shocked to learn that there were lots of other kid and family photographers who had to get the entire session worth of images for their clients on just a few rolls of film. And they did…every time.

Here is why shooting in burst mode not best for everyone and what I think is better advice for those really wanting to get better at taking photos of kids.

Time:: It takes time on your end to weed through those hundreds of resulting shots. Culling images is a time sucking and soul zapping process where you will be tied to your computer for hours sorting, comparing and slitting hairs. It may be fun the first few times you go through your images, but it will wear on you over time and if you get into the habit of having to shoot this way, you will also have to allow time for sorting and editing all of those images.

Not learning to see:: If you do have to resort to shooting in burst mode, then things really are on auto. Burst mode does not allow for the photographer to make changes to the image and exposure settings while they are taking the shots. With single images taken thoughtfully, the photographer can fine tune the exposure settings and compose carefully. Learn to recognize what makes a great image and then set out to purposefully shoot that.

no burst mode here

Missing Details:: When the camera is set to burst mode, the focus is on quantity and quality tends to take a back seat. People tend to forget to scan the shot for details and end up with an entire series of cute expressions on a child who seemingly has a tree growing out of the top of their head. That photographer can now tack extra time onto their post processing routine to edit that sucker out. I have seen tags left on clothes, dirty faces, cars parked prominently in the background. Things get missed easily in the rapid fire fury.

Connection with the subject:: Finally, I have heard an argument in favor of burst mode that it helps avoid missing any special moments. Really, the wham-bam-thank you ma’am approach to photography may seem like a good idea for kids because they are fast and have short attention spans, but getting them involved in the whole experience is so much more enriching for both photographer and subject. These are not wild animals on safari, but tiny human beings who can and should bring personality to the table when they are active participants in your sessions, not just being shot at. This is especially true for people who enjoy documenting their own children over and over again. Slow down, take a moment to breathe, observe and photograph and then breathe again…it is then when you will not only be photographing the special moments, but also participating in them.

If that all does not speak to you, let’s talk cash…

Shutter actuations:: Your camera does have a shelf life and it really is not determined by when the latest and greatest new model is released, but more by how many times the shutter has actually clicked. While the total end number can vary by camera model and may seem really quite high, it will be reached faster if you are taking hundreds of images each time you go to use your camera.

no burst mode here

Shooting big group portraits :: Great for getting extra shots of the same scene (especially when mounted on a tripod) where you may need to do a head swap because someone closed their eyes.

Sports :: That is pretty much why it is called Sports Mode

Portraits with a point and shoot camera :: The shutter lag present in point and shoot cameras (the time it takes the camera to actually capture the shot from when you press the shutter button is called shutter lag and is very apparent in point and shoot cameras) can cause you to miss the moment even when you are shooting carefully and are ready for it. Setting the little compact cameras to sports mode can help overcome this technical hurdle.

Back in the days of film, we were limited by budget as we had to pay cash money for the film and processing. That made it necessary to shoot mindfully. We ended up with more images that we loved and fewer wasted frames. Today with digital, the costs are hidden, but there are still costs. Take the time to set up the sessions, meter the light, compose and be present while you are photographing your little subjects. Practice shooting digital with the discipline of film. You just may find that you enjoy the act of photographing kids even more than you thought possible.

For more on the topic of Kids Photogrpahy – Check out Rachel’s eBook Click! How to Take Gorgeous Photos of Your Kids.

Guest Contributor This post was written by a guest contributor to DPS. Please see their details in the post above. Become a Contributor: Check out Write for DPS page for details about how YOU can share your photography tips with the DPS community.

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Sunset/Sunrise Landscapes

Over the next few weeks – to celebrate the launch of our brand new Landscape Photography eBook (which is currently 33% off) – we are going to be issuing landscape photography challenges as our weekly challenge.
Image by Todd Sisson: Author of our Living Landscapes eBook
This week your challenge is to take and share a landscape photo taken at either Sunrise or Sunset.
There’s a section on photographing landscapes at sunset in the eBook to help you with this but whether you’ve read it or not we challenge you to get your camera out over the next few days and to head out early in the morning or at twilight to shoot with it!
Feel free to shoot a landscape in whatever setting you can get to. It might be a rural area, a seascape or even an urban landscape – it is totally up to you!
Once you’ve taken your ‘Sunset Landscapes’ photos upload your best ones to your favourite photo sharing site either share a link to them even better – embed them in the comments using the our new tool to do so.
If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites with Tagging tag them as DPSSUNSET to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.
Also – don’t forget to check out some of the great shots posted in last weeks Leading Lines challenge – there were some great shots submitted.

Digital Still Life Photography [Book Review]

This is a sumptuous book in a number of departments: it’s large, beautifully printed and full of useful, easily navigated information.

So why the word ‘digital’ in the book’s title?

Author Sint explains ‘I hate using Photoshop to correct my mistakes because I feel the time required to do so is both unproductive and unprofitable. … what I really love more than Photoshop is downloading pictures that I find pretty close to perfect the moment I open the image’s file.’

The book’s style is thoroughly disarming and direct to the point: when approaching a still life photograph the first step, Sint suggests, ‘is to spend a moment thinking about what type of photograph you are trying to create.’

He then describes the techniques in shooting simple setups on a plain background, the need for speed and the need to plan your shoot efficiently. After all, time is money and the more shots you can pack in per hour the higher your financial return. This book Sint affirms is about ‘how to make a living taking pictures …’

An initial step is to select a suitable shooting space. It should ideally be a big space, one that includes an office, shooting area, storage for props etc, conference area, makeup room and maybe a kitchen. However, in an effort to describe how little you really need, the author describes his own first studio: a room 250 square feet in area, containing his own twin bed, a dresser, small nightstand … with the remaining 225 square feet dedicated to the studio!

Next, you should assemble the necessary tools to make the space work: timber and the necessary power and hand tools; some form of canned compressed air or even a compressor and more. This is followed by three simple building projects: building a simple set flat; a diffusion screen; a light table.

The important subject of lighting gets serious attention, with tips on how to assemble and use a continuous light array, electronic flash, reflectors, barn doors and snoots, hair lights, scrims, a lighting umbrella etc. The variations in continuous and flash light are explained thoroughly and examples given as to which type suits what subjects.

To give an idea of the depth of detail found in the book, just go to pages 150 and 151 on clamps but not just ordinary clamps but ‘super clamps’! These can do so many more things on a still life shoot than merely position a light as they come in handy to build backgrounds etc.

More follows on soft and hard lighting, the colour of light sources, how to vary a lamp’s colour balance and filtration plus a useful primer on working with fluoro lighting and how to mix it with flash. Fluoros may be 20-30 per cent green in hue so you may filter the flash output with green gels and then add a magenta filter to the camera lens to bring everything back to a daylight balance.

A superb eight page section takes you step-by-step through the shoot of an expensive Cartier watch: how to pose it, light it, position fill lamps. And then there is the fundamental advice never to perform post editing on the original digital file: duplicate! And only work on a copy.

This book will be invaluable to the photographer who wants to move into the studio. Big time!

Author: S Sint.
Publisher: pixiq.
Distributor: Capricorn Link.
Size: 28x22x2cm.
Length: 271 pages.
ISBN: 978 1 4547 03273 3.
Price: Get a price on Digital Still Life Photography at Amazon (currently 50% off).

Barrie Smith is an experienced writer/photographer currently published in Australian Macworld, Auscam and other magazines in Australia and overseas.

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How to Shoot Landscapes at Sunset

Sunsets are a huge draw for landscape photographers due to the unique light at the end of the day. Not only is the colour of the light attractive but also its low angle as the sun goes down gives greater texture to the landscape.

Whilst the conditions at sunset have the potential to yield great images, they also provide challenges that need to be overcome to maximise that potential.  Here I want to share some tips and approaches for shooting landscapes at sunset.

One thing I am often asked is “what settings should I use to photograph a sunset?”.  Photographing at sunset is no different to shooting any other landscape; therefore the following make a good starting point:

Shooting mode: Manual
ISO: 100
Aperture: f/11 (maximising depth of field, without compromising image quality)
Shutter speed: Adjust so that detail is retained in the sky highlights (if too bright, make it faster, if too dark, make it slower)
White balance: Daylight/Sunny (if shooting in JPEG)

However camera settings alone do not guarantee success, there are a few other things to consider.

Shot into the sun as the sun crossed the tree line (ISO 200, f/11, 30s, using 3-stop graduated ND filter, 10-stop ND filter)

Often, the draw of a sunset is a brightly coloured sky containing reds, pinks and oranges and the temptation can be to make the sky the focal point of the image, expose for it, and throw everything else into silhouette.  If there is an interesting skyline, this can work compositionally however if not, you will be left with an image that can lose the viewers interest quickly – after the sky, there is nowhere left for the eye to go.

Also, one of the joys of sunset is capturing the golden light illuminating the world in front of you and casting long shadows.  Therefore, capturing both the land and sky correctly exposed can produce images with a much higher impact that will hold the viewers attention for longer.  However, therein lies one of the challenges.

When the sun is low, the sky will appear very bright in comparison to the land.  Due to the limited dynamic range of digital sensors, the difference in brightness between the sky and the land can cause problems for the resulting image – if the difference is too great, you will either lose detail in the highlights (sky) or shadows (land).

There are two ways to overcome this:

Use graduated neutral density filters (as covered in this post) to reign in the bright sky, and ensure that you can record the full range of highlights and shadows in one imageTake multiple images (one exposed for the sky, one exposed for the land as a minimum) and blend the two together using photo editing software.

Both approaches come with complications (the potential for unwanted flare or colour casts from filters, or unwanted movement between exposures for the blending).  My preference is to use graduated neutral density filters, with the aim of getting as much right in-camera in one image, to save having to spend time blending exposures when back at my computer.

Shot with the sun at 90 degrees to my right highlighting the foreground rock detail (ISO 100, f/11, 1.6s, using 3-stop graduated ND filter)

Too many people pack up and head home when the sun goes down, but it’s only 10 or so minutes after the sun has set that the real colour display in the sky begins.  A small amount of time after the sun drops below the horizon, you often see any clouds in the sky take on a red/pink hue.  As there is no bright light source at this time, shutter speeds soon increase to a few seconds, so a tripod is a must, but you will be able to capture images with incredible saturation in the sky, without any post processing.

Taken approx. 30 minutes after the first image above, showing the clouds taking on the pink/purple tones (ISO 200, f/11, 4s, using 2-stop graduated ND filter)

Everything I’ve written here discusses shooting at sunset, but it all applies to sunrise too.  It is a much more difficult to motivate yourself to go out at sunrise, but it is my favourite time of day to take landscape images as the light is just as magical and, depending on the overnight temperatures, you can often be greeted with early morning mists that can add a whole new dimension to your landscape images.

Taken just after sunrise with mist rolling in the valley below (ISO 100, f/11, 1/40s, using 3-stop graduated ND filter)

So whilst sunrise or sunset are challenging times of day to shoot effectively, hopefully the above tips will help you go out and capture the full potential of the landscape in front of your lens.

Elliot Hook is a wildlife and landscape photographer based in Hertfordshire, UK. He tries to learn as much as he can to improve his photography and enjoys sharing what he has learnt with others. Elliot can be found at http://www.elliothook.co.uk/, on Twitter, Flickr and 500px.

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Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX50V Review

I’ve had lots of experience with these mega zoom cameras: some enjoyable, some not so much.

If you’re new to the field, approach them with caution: the zoom range is appealing, impressive and somewhat frustrating.

For one, you simply cannot use them handheld at the full tele end: at best, use a tripod; at worst, lean them on something substantial, like a fence or a wall.
If you’re crazy enough to want to shoot video with the zoom working mid shot … practice, practice.

The HX50V initially surprised me: feels solid, pocketable, well-balanced in the hand, thanks to a prominent speed grip.

At rest, the camera is only 38mm deep; powered up, the lens protrudes and the depth increases to 73mm; with the zoom fully extended, it reaches 100mm depth.

Most external controls are id’d in white but some are rendered in off-white text. Designers: make ‘em all white next time!

Sony claims it’s the world’s smallest 30x zoom, a claim with which I have no argument. The zoom range has a 35 SLR equivalent of 24-720mm, which makes it a very powerful shooting tool.

What sets it apart from most other mega zoom cameras is it ability to capture 20.4 million pixel images. This large image size is of course burdened by a small CMOS size, so noise will be a factor in large prints.

Maximum image size is 5184×3888 pixels or as a 44x33cm print.

Video can be shot in either MPEG4 or AVCHD formats up to Full HD 1920×1080 pixel resolution. You can’t shoot stills while recording video.

For what it’s worth the HX50V model offers enhanced Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation that is claimed to be about twice as effective as the HX200V high-zoom model of last year. It seems to me that each HX model raises the bar in image stabilising. Where will it end?

At first glance I felt the camera had minimal external controls. Anything missing?
No, as far as I could tell, everything appeared to be on deck.

Top surface: at left is the flash cell, with activating button just below; mid-surface is the multi interface shoe to attach electronic viewfinders, flashes or mics.

Moving further right is the power button, zoom lever, leading to the mode dial, with positions for intelligent and superior auto, PASM, scene modes, video, sweep panorama, memory recall. And a dial for exposure compensation.

The scene modes (17 in all) include positions for 3D shooting, fireworks, night portraits etc. Nine picture effects are accessed via the finder menu and these include HDR painting, rich tone mono, pop colour etc.

Rear: buttons for video record, replay, menu and trash. The four position control wheel gives access to self timer/burst shooting, flash options, display and ‘photo creative’ options. There is also a custom button that takes you directly to ISO, white balance, metering mode and smile shutter choices.

The finder menu is graphically clear and not at all intimidating.
The PDF manual I found to be sufficient bot no more than that. For a beginner, it’s poorly laid out and a little jumbled in access to important features.

Only at ISO 6400 did noise become a problem. At ISO 12800 noise was well up and definition down.

No problems at either end of the zoom.

About two seconds from power on I could shoot the first shot; follow-ons as fast as I could tap the button.

Quality: above average.
Why you would buy it: compact; powerful zoom range; integrated WiFi; GPS functionality.
Why you wouldn’t: no RAW capture; no optical finder; no vari-angle finder.

Having already bought a couple of mega zoom compacts, I am loathe to invest more hard-earned shekels in acquiring another one, but this baby is enormously appealing. Please, mummy, can I raid the piggy bank one more time?

Image Sensor: 20.4 million effective pixels.
Metering: Multi pattern, centre-weighted, spot.
Sensor Size: 11mm CMOS.
Lens: Sony G f3.5-6.3/4.3-129mm (24-720mm as 35 SLR equivalent).
Shutter Speed: 4 to 1/1600 second.
Memory: Memory Stick Duo, PRO Duo/PRO-HG Duo/SD/SDHC/SDXC and Micro SD/SDHC cards plus 48MB.
Image Sizes (pixels): 5184×3888 to 640×480.
Movies (pixels): 1920×1080, 1440×1080, 1280×720, 640×480.
Rear LCD Screen: 7.6cm LCD (921,600 pixels).
File Formats: JPEG, AVCHD, MPEG4.
ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 80 to 12800.
Interface: USB 2.0, HDMI, WiFi, DC.
Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery, DC input.
Dimensions: 108.1×63.6×38.3 WHDmm.
Weight: 272 g (with battery and card).
Price: Get a price on the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX50V at Amazon.

Barrie Smith is an experienced writer/photographer currently published in Australian Macworld, Auscam and other magazines in Australia and overseas.

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Setting The Mood With Low Key Lighting

This image was made using a flash on camera, bounced into an uncoated muslin reflector. The uncoated muslin warms the light up about 400 degrees Kelvin. The reflector was positioned above and to the left of the camera, with the flash aimed into it. EOS-1D Mark IV, EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro. ISO 100, 1/250, f/4.

This diagram shows the lighting for the image above. The uncoated muslin reflector is positioned above and to the left of the camera, with the flash bounced into it. Play with the angle of the reflector to get the lighting just right.

Last week I wrote about high key portrait lighting and how it creates a very upbeat feel in images lit that way.  The opposite end of the spectrum is low key lighting, which creates a more moody feeling in images.  Low key lighting tends to be lit with one light on the subject, using reflectors or fill light if necessary to fill in shadows. Because only one light is required, it can be a bit easier to light a subject in the low key style, and certainly less costly indoors.

Light reveals your subject, and shadows define your subject.  The shadows you create are equally as important as the light you use to expose your subject.  Low key lighting will have a high lighting ration from main to fill, typically as high as 8:1.  High key, by comparison, will approach 1:1.

Indoors, the simplest way to achieve low key lighting is to use a speedlite on camera, bounced off a wall, or into a reflector angled to catch your subject in the face. Adjusting the flash output will help you get the softness in light, as well as using a larger reflector. Another reflector on the opposite side of your subject can be used to throw reflected light back where it came from for fill if desired.  Using a silver or gold reflector will create a harsher light, while using uncoated muslin or soft white will create a softer light.

If you’re able, and want to get the flash off camera, using a wireless trigger on your speedlite, while placing it in a softbox gives you another option to light your subject.  A softbox gives you soft, directional light, without spilling the light into the background.  Softboxes work by enlarging your light source.  The larger the light source, the softer the light will be.   I use several softboxes depending on what I need.  The first is a Westcott Bruce Dorn 18×42 assymetrical strip box.  This is great for

lighting a full length figure, with a natural falloff at the feet.  The rest I use are Westcott Apollo softboxes. I have the 16?,  28? and 50? softboxes, depending on what the situation calls for.  The 50? creates light very similar to window light, with a nice soft wraparound effect.  The 28? is a bit harsher, and the 16? harsher still.

For this image, I used a Westcott 28? Apollo softbox, with a speedlite off camera. I turned down the flash output slightly to give a more moody feel. EOS 5D Mark II, EF 24-70 f/2.8L. ISO 100, 1/200, f/8.

The softbox is positioned to the left of the camera and aimed at the subject as the subject is turned toward the light. The camera shoots from the shadow side of the subject, allowing the light to just kiss the contour of the subject from the side.

Outdoors, to get a low key lighting effect, you’ll need to catch the sun when it’s low in the sky, just as it’s setting, or in the morning as the sun rises. Alternatively, standing at the edge of deep shade can help create a low key effect as well.  If needed, a scrim can help soften the light hitting your subject, but generally a sun low in the sky creates a soft warm lighting on your subject.

Low key lighting is great for setting a mood. Add it as another option in your lighting toolbox and see what happens.  Share your favorite low key images in the comments too!

This shot was taken using only late afternoon sun, just before sunset. When the sun sets it becomes directional, and all I had to do was instruct my model to face the light, watching the soft shadows it created. EOS-1D X with EF 85mm f/1.2L II. 1/320, f/4, ISO 320.

Rick Berk is a photographer based in New York, shooting a variety of subjects including landscapes, sports, weddings, and portraits. Rick's work can be seen at RickBerk.com and you can follow him onhis Facebook page.

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6 Lessons the Square Format Can Teach You About Composition

In another article I wrote that one of the main attractions of the square format for me is composition. Today I’m going to elaborate on that idea.

Composition in the square format is a different process than within a rectangular frame. The benefit of understanding of why that is so is that you will be able to apply the lessons learnt to improving the composition of your images in any aspect ratio. Even if you never intend to use it in earnest, it’s worthwhile playing around with the square format for this reason alone.

Let’s take a look at some of these factors:

A square is a perfectly balanced shape. Each side is equal in length. Using the square format encourages the eye to move around the frame in a circle. This is different to the rectangular frame, where the eye is encouraged to move from side to side (in the landscape format) or up and down (in the portrait format). There are many factors that influence the way the eye moves around a photo, including the use of line, texture, colour, selective focus and negative space. But the shape of the frame is a major factor.

In this landscape, composed within the 3:2 aspect ratio of my 35mm camera, the eye is encouraged to move from side to side by the shape of the frame and the horizontal lines:

In this square format photo, the eye is encouraged to move around the frame in a circle:

Negative space is the term used to describe the empty space in an image around the subject. Composition is often improved by getting closer to the subject. But sometimes you can create atmosphere or emphasise the shape of the subject by including negative space around it. In the rectangular frame, this can be difficult to do as it results in a lot of empty space. But it can be very effective in the square format.

Here is a photo that I took of a lizard in the 3:2 aspect ratio:

And here is the same photo cropped to a square:

Which do you prefer? There is no right answer – it’s entirely subjective. But it’s interesting how the dynamic of the image is changed by a single crop.

The square format lends itself to a simple approach. There is less room within the square frame than the rectangular one, therefore simplifying the composition becomes a necessity.

Creating a simple composition is often much harder than it seems. But it’s a very useful exercise. For your photos to have impact, you want to eliminate as many distractions as possible. The focus should be on your subject. If there are other elements within the frame that pull the viewer’s eye away from the subject that can lessen the strength of the image.

The composition of this image is about as simple as it is possible to get:

How many shapes can you see in the images below? There are circles, squares, diamonds, rectangles and triangles within these photos. The square format lends itself to this style of composition. I think that’s because the square is such a powerful shape in itself, that it emphasises other shapes within it. Linked with this are the ideas of balance and simplicity. Simplifying the composition emphasises shape, and so does placing shapes within a square frame. Converting to black and white emphasises them further.

In the square format you can often place the subject in the centre of the frame for an effective composition. Generally speaking, many photographers tend to avoid place the subject off-centre for a more interesting composition.The rule-of-thirds is a reminder of this. But in the square format that doesn’t apply.

It’s even more true when the image is simple. The less distractions there are in the frame, the more effective a central composition becomes. If the subject has a strong shape, the empty space around it emphasises the shape. And the square format provides the perfect, balanced frame:

Take away colour and what do you have? An image that relies on tonal contrast for impact and that emphases visual elements such as line, texture and shape. The square format and black and white seem made for each other, which perhaps explains its popularity with fine art photographers.

Take another look at the photos in this article. Do you prefer the colour images or the monochrome ones? The answer may give you an idea for future photo projects.

Whether you shoot with the intention of utilising the square format, or go back over old images to see whether they can be improved by cropping to a square, the most important thing is to have fun with the process. Enjoy the challenge of getting to grips with the square format and its implications for composition. Don’t take it too seriously. You’ll create some beautiful images and the lessons you learn about composition along the way will help you create better images in the future.

Andrew Gibson is a writer and phototographer living in New Zealand. He is the author of over fifteen photography ebooks and he's giving one of them away for free. All you have to do is sign up to his monthly newsletter and you'll receive a complementary copy of The Creative Image.

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5 Tips for Creating fun Campfire Photos

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting the Digital Photography School headmaster, Darren Rowse, in person at a conference we both attended called the World Domination Summit in Portland, OR. The message of the conference (yes, the name invokes much curiosity) is simple: community, adventure, and service. It’s a large group of people that enjoy life, live adventures constantly and give back in service of others. That’s one of the reasons why I love writing on this site so much, I get to share my experience and knowledge and help you!

Me and Darren Rowse

Darren was one of the keynote speakers and he most of the attendees (3000+) inspired to move forward and live our dreams. He even fulfilled one of his childhood dreams on stage, but I’ll leave that for Darren to share with you!

One thing I’ve always wanted to do is visit the Sea Lion Caves in Oregon. So after the conference my husband and I headed to the coast for a few days. We camped in one of the state parks, in the middle of the woods and sand dunes, it was awesome being in nature. But, being a photographer I couldn’t just sit around the campfire and do nothing, so out came the camera!

It’s really not that hard to create some really cool images that will impress your friends. I’m going to walk you through my process for creating the image above and how I adjusted as I went to get the desired result. Remember photography is a journey, not a destination, don’t expect to get it perfect on the first shot – I never do!

Here are my 5 tips for you on creating some fun campfire images.

A tripod is essential for doing this type of photography as you’ll be dealing with some really long exposures, mine ranged from two to ten full seconds. Make sure you have a sturdy tripod and if you want to get in some of the photos you can either use the self timer, as I did and run into the scene, or get yourself a handy wireless remote you can put in your pocket and fire the camera from your spot in the image.

ISO 400, f/4, 1/8th of a second

The image above is the first one I made and I wasn’t happy with it. It didn’t have the mood I wanted and the sky was too light. So I had a snack and waited about an hour then made the following image. I’ve given the exposure data for each shot so you can see how I adjusted it as the sun went down and the amount of light diminished.

ISO 1600, f/4, 2 seconds

Okay, so that’s way better but I felt it was still missing something. I really liked how the light was streaming out of the holes in the rim of the fire pit. The exposure is just right on the background but it seemed a bit boring.

Notice also that I increased the ISO to 1600. If I hadn’t my exposure at ISO 400 would have been 8 seconds. It’s pretty hard to keep perfectly still for 8 seconds so I sacrificed gaining a little bit of noise to get what I felt was a more reasonable 2 second exposure time.

Going from the last image, I knew wanted to add a bit of a light to to the tent, to make it look like it was glowing. So I took my headlamp (get one at a camping supply store or use a flashlight) and turned it on inside the tent. I aimed it at the back wall facing away from the camera so I didn’t get a hot spot, and it lit up the whole tent quite evenly. If you have a larger tent you may need more than one light inside.

**NOTE:  do NOT put fire or a gas lantern inside your tent! Please practice good fire safety habits at all times.**

ISO 1600, f/4, 2 seconds

Okay almost perfect, except for a couple of little things. As we had just put a log on the fire it was pretty intense and bright. That brings me to the last tip.

There’s no way to control the intensity of the fire except by darkening the whole image, but if I do that then my background will basically disappear into a black abyss. So we waited a while before doing the next image. I also added a second head lamp, this time on the picnic table seat behind us. It is pointed back towards us and I placed it careful so we’d be in front of it and the light itself wasn’t hitting the lens directly.

Here’s a couple of the final shots, with which I was quite pleased. I changed my camera angle a bit and re-cropped but otherwise they are very similar. Notice these last exposures were a bit longer. The light in the sky was almost completely gone so in order to get any detail in the background I had to increase the overall exposure, taking care to not overexpose the fire.

ISO 1600, f/4, 5 seconds

ISO 1600, f/4, 5 seconds

Focusing at night is very tricky because your camera can’t see in the dark, neither can you! The best way to focus is to have your friend hold a light where you’re going to sit (or put it on a chair). Aim the light directly at the lens, which will allow the camera to “see” it and lock focus on that spot. Once it’s locked, just switch to manual focus, taking care not to bump the camera or accidentally turn the focusing ring. If you move the camera or recompose the scene, just do the same procedure over again.

If you want to read more about other night photography techniques I’ve done a couple of article on Light Painting and some special effects. Links to them below:

Since we still have a little bit of summer left in the Northern Hemisphere, if you plan on doing a little camping take the camera gear along and give this a try! You may find your travel companions get into it and have a little fun with it as well. Also gives you a great way to do some fun group photos. You can also use flash if you’re so inclined and skilled. Please do share your images with us and any other tips you want to add that I may have missed.

Cheers, Darlene

Darlene Hildebrandt is a professional photographer and educator who teaches aspiring amateurs, hobbyists and pros how to improve their photography skills through virtual photography tutoring, classes, and photography travel tours (special discount for DPS readers use the code "DPS50" for $50 off). Darlene has a FREE ebook 10 Challenges To Improve Your Photography which you get instant access to on her website. She can also be found on Google Plus

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