Photo Shoots + Calling for More Models! =)

And so I just completed my first ever photo shoots!  It was for a couple who have dated for quite a while. I am friends with them both which made the communication quite natural and hopefully put them at ease. We shot after lunch hour till around 4PM at Stanley Park, Vancouver, mainly beside the rose garden. For those of you unfamiliar, Stanley park is one the biggest parks in Vancouver, immediately adjacent to the downtown core. I just sent them the photos for them to preview and they both loved them very much and I got a lot of thanks for that!

So on the side of giving the rundown of this photo shoot, I just want to call out for more models - single or couple! Whether you need it for memories or professional purposes (job hunting), or even just some fun, I'm all here for you! I'm basically giving photo shoot session + ALL of the shots I took for free. All I ask for is this learning experience for me, give me a shout out if you liked the photos, and maybe supporting me by giving me permission to post the photos on website (you absolutely do NOT have to, and you can sue me if I did it against your permission LOL!)

Now, onwards with the juice of this post!

The Details

Location: Stanley Park, Vancouver
Weather: Gorgeous sunny day with some clouds.
Time: Afternoon, Late April
Equipment: Canon 550D (T2i) with Canon 50mm F1.8 prime lens + Vivitar Soft Filter for some shots.
Subjects: Dating couple

Some Lessons Learnt

1. Aperture
I shot with a 50mm prime throughout, primarily using large aperture for nice bokeh (blurring effect). However, since it is for 2 people, I used mostly F3.2 just so we get both people in focus.

2. Getting the "Natural" Look
I am friends with both of the couples so I did not have trouble communicating ideas at all. The girl was very natural at posing while the guy started out slightly awkward (a common thing you will find when shooting couples I suspect). To overcome that, I usually give them a pose that I want them to try out, and give them a few minutes to settle in. At this point, I will tell them I will take a few shots. After a few shots, I will look down on my camera while they talked. But what I'm REALLY looking for was not the pictures I just took, but them. Usually this is the moment they are most natural and unsuspecting. Sneaking a few shots during this time is great if you didn't get the result you wanted during the first time.

3. Lighting
I used mainly back lit lighting as the scattered light gives off smooth and well defined features on their faces. For girls, it really shows off the smooth skin and pretty features.

4. Dealing with Imperfections
The girl had very nice skin, with 1 pimple that she was concerned about. I attached a smooth filter to deal with that. However, while it DID work on giving the skin and background grass a better look, it did NOT remove the pimple at all. As a result, I removed it in post-production which worked out like a charm (easy and effective). Having some makeup (foundations/cover ups) with me in the future may not be a bad idea!

5. Showing your Results
There's nothing more important than getting instant feed back from your models - after all, they are your star. I found showing them the photos you took is a very effective way to do this, especially with modern dSLR. It definitely keeps them excited and interested because now they know they will look nice in your photos and they want more!

Things I Need Improvement On


1. Poses
One of the biggest challenges I had was coming up with poses for the couple to try out. I was glad that I had an album with some sample poses I downloaded off of internet on my cell phone. Some poses worked, some did not. I think what I need are eyes that will spot out beauty (in terms of poses) and brain that will be able to come up with styles I want.

As a result, I will be learning more about the BASICS on what works and what does not in a pose for portrait. eg. how can I show the intimacy? How do I show off girl's waist line? etc etc.

2. Intentional Incorporation of Scene
Second most important thing is probably how to better incorporate the model into a scene in a very intentional way. ie. creating a very lively shot with smiling couples, active poses amidst colourful flowers; showing a passionate, intimate couple with a very simple, deserted scene emphasizing on their love requires nothing but each other. etc etc.

3. Diverse Use of Lighting
Lastly, I want to try incorporate more uses of lighting including back lit fill, side light or direct sunlight. I really think that will take my shots to a new level.


I think that's all for now! Now I challenge YOU to do the same! Take some photos for YOUR friend. It will not only benefit you as a photographer, but also leaving your friends a happier person/couple.

Filters - The Next Step

If you liked the review please help me by either buying the tripod from the links on my website (help me the most), or click on the google ads to the side, or even just coming back from time to times to check my new blog posts!

So you've gotten your brand new DSLR and hopefully one or two not-so-expensive but nonetheless excellent lenses, what's the next step? For some people, it may be another lens, but for those of you who don't have loads of money to spend, some filters may help you a long way! Now I'm not talking about those UV filters you put in front of your lens to prevent physical damage - I'm talking about filters that actually change the ways your camera sees the world.

I went to a used camera trade show a few weeks back. They had everything from really old folding cameras to rangefinders to SLR and DSLR. After spending a good 2 hours in there, I acquired the following for a grand total (including admission fee $5) of $37!

1. Filter Adapter and 2 Graduated Chromofilter (or grad ND)

Price: $10 (adapter) + $6 (2 filters) = $16

What does it do?
The graduated chromofilters serve the purpose of reducing the brightness contrast within a photo in a very specific manner - block more light on the tinted part and less on the clear part.

Where to use it?
This is probably the most useful filter I have used. The most obvious application is the photographing of sunset. With the tint-clear edge on the horizon, the filter will reduce the brightness of the sky while leaving the land (foreground) unaltered. This will enable you to keep the land/ocean (foreground) while not washout the sky (background).

I also found this very useful when you are taking portrait with a very strong side light. By rotating the filter with the tint toward the light, you can reduce the contrast on your subject's face - and hence avoid wash out of features. (will post examples when I have some)

You can get something similar on Amazon: Cokin Graduated Neutral Grey G2-SOFT ND8 0.9 Filter - Cokin P121S

2. 4 Point Cross Filter (Star Filter)

 Price: $6


What does it do?
This filter will scatter the light of any point light source (eg. Sun, Christmas light) into a "4 point star".

Where to use it? 
This is more of a effect-adding, fun filter. I wasn't entirely happy with the result sometimes as the stars get rather distracting, but sometimes it works! One of the application I found was taking photos of a lake on a sunny day. As you can see in the photo to the left, it turns the reflection of the ripples into stars which was quite glamorous and cannot be reproduced in post production (at least to my knowledge).

Another obvious application is obviously taking a cityscape at night (which I have not tried). I was told that it would produce nice and creative effect.




You can get something similar on Amazon: Polaroid Optics 58mm Rotating 4 Point Star Filter

3. Soft Filter
Price: $10

What does it do?
This filter will essentially "softens" the image, rendering the light more diffused.

Where to use it?
Now, I understand the "soften" function is very common in post production software. But since I don't really like doing post-production and I like to see the effect when I take the photos, I bought this for portrait use.

You can use this filter whenever you are taking a portrait and are going for the "flattering" look. Especially when taking photos of ladies, this filter will reduce wrinkles, blemish. A comparison of filter not used (left) filter used (right) is posted below.

 

You can get something similar on Amazon (along with 4 point star and warming): Polaroid Optics 52mm 3 Piece Special Effect Camera/Camcorder Lens Filter Kit (Soft Focus, Revolving 4 Point Star, Warming)


That's all! for 37 dollars including admission. I felt that was an awesome deal! Filters will give you more magnitude of creativity and versatility.

If you liked the review please help me by either buying the tripod from the links on my website (help me the most), or click on the google ads to the side, or even just coming back from time to times to check my new blog posts!

A portfolio in progress

I've always loved doing scrapbook! Now that I've acquired my DSLR, I've extended my project to include a hard copy portfolio!

This post will be dedicated to the purchases I have made in preparation to this portfolio. If you like any of the stuff, you can always come and talk to me, and I'll hook you up!

First thing first, the core of the portfolio (next to the photos of course) - THE ALBUM!

Price: ~ CND$ 35

Size: 26 cm x 39 cm per page with 18 pages (36 sides)

Binding: Fabric backbone with heavy-duty paper cover.

As you can see in the second photo, this is quite a monster size album! The pictures you see in there are 8x10inch! You still have plenty of room to write. Every page is actually a "sandwich" with 450 g white paper inside covered by 350g black paper. 

I bought this in China, custom made, you could adjust the paper colours, cover image etc etc. Something that's even remotely like this would go for ~80 dollars here...

Second - Photo Corners.

This is 100 of them. Very standard photo corner with self adhesive layer on the back. Clear top cover. =)

Then of course, every album cannot lack little ornaments! 

They are all made out of brass. Very good quality built. Got a good weight to them as well! I bought this bunch for ~3 dollars! =)!

Finally I bought a few tools:

This ruler has plastic scale on one side and metal coating on the other. Very good for cutting paper using a knife!

A bunch of white heavy weight (450 g) paper and very thin, translucent paper to divide the photos so they won't stick together!

That's it, all my purchases from China! This will be my very own portfolio in progress. Hope this gave you some ideas. And if you have some ideas for me, please comment/email me! More specifically, do you have any suggestion on where to put those metal ornaments? =)

Thanks again for reading!

Max

A stable tripod goes a long way

Today I will be introducing one member of the very limited gear selection that I actually own - Ravelli APGL3 Professional Tripod.

Acquisition:
I got this bad boy on Amazon.com and got it shipped to Point Robert's Letter Carrier and bussed down to pick it up! For those of you who are unfamiliar with Letter Carrier, it is one of many reception services provided near the boarder for Canadians to shop on US website and have it delivered to them for a small fee (~$3).
Price: 
Now I paid $55 for this guy but now I checked Amazon it's $83.69 + shippings. I suggest maybe wait for a while, and see if the price drops. If it does not, 90 dollar is well worth the money as well!

What will you get?
Included in this package is the tripod, a carrying bag, and a mini-tripod that the company usually gives out as gift.

Some Specs:

• Extended Length: 70.25"
• Folded Length: 25"
• Diameter: 45"
• Tripod Weight: 2.5 LBS
• Head Weight: 6LBS
• Shipping Weight: 10LBS

Good Impression:

Weight/Stability 

The very first thing you will notice is just how heavy this thing is. With a massive 10 lbs weight (compared to the usual 2-3 lbs. tripod), this guy is a tank and is so stable that it won't drop your gears in any conditions.

Padded Legs

The legs are padded which give it a very good grip. I don't feel it being heavy even when I grab it with one hand. 

Fluid Head

The head is super fluid that I would take videos with it any day. There is absolutely no comparison to the tripods you get for 80 bucks at  Future Shop.

Some Cons:

Weight

If you are traveling uphill or travelling with tripod, then this might not be your top choice due to the weight. For some girls out there, this might be a lot to carry as well. My thought, however, is that if you go travel, don't bring a tripod at all! The IS that comes with your zoom lens or a F1.8 prime would suffice for almost any scenario. Don't let your camera gear get in the way of your travelling!!!

Assembled Head

I think this is the ONLY complaint I have for this tripod. The 3 knobs you see on the pictures are actually detachable, and it will ONLY fit in the bag if you detach them... It becomes a hassle if you are super concerned about having the tripod fit snuggly in the bag. What I started doing is simply let the head sticks out. Still very practical as it won't get in the way and at the same time people won't think I have a sniper rifle on my back!

Conclusion:

If you are looking for a super stable tripod that will withstand any sorts of punishment, this is your guy.  Ravelli APGL3 Professional Tripod in my opinion is well worth its money and I have had very good experience with it.

If you liked the review please help me by either buying the tripod from the links on my website (help me the most), or click on the google ads to the side, or even just coming back from time to times to check my new blog posts!

Toronto Trip

I visited Toronto over a weekend to meet some of their professors at UT for grad school. I thoroughly enjoyed the city as I got wonderful weather, great scenery, and most of all, the best friends who offered me food, shelter and lots of fun! =)

This is my first time doing travel photography with my DSLR. I found it actually quite challenging as time was the essence. When I travel, I like to keep moving: I walked 7 hours straight around downtown on Saturday and more on Sunday. Squeezing carefully planned shots in there was definitely not easy - you don't get the luxury of going back and forth to find the perfect shot. However, with today's DSLR, I can afford to take repeat shots. I actually found that very useful. Taking the photo the moment I thought something was pretty, then as I walk on, I took the same thing at another angle and sorted it out later on the computer. This will work if you got a large memory stick.

I think my next step is to picture the subject in my head, figure out where and how I should get the shot first, then walk over to take only 1 shot - 1 good shot of my subject. I hope that will come with lots of shutter counts and more thinking ahead!

-M

People by the Water

As a Vancouverite, there is, naturally, no shortage of water in my work. Through an accidental discovery, I have come to realize how much people's life in Vancouver actually depends on water and the vast variety of activities people do centred around water. I, therefore, devoted this People by the Water album solely to show how people interact with water, here in Vancouver, here in Canada, here on Earth (hopefully)! I hope you enjoy or even take away some ideas!

-M

Compact Camera Shopping for Dummies

This is a guide to those who can't make up their mind in purchasing their camera. If you already know which one you want, go with your heart!


As a technology geek, my favorite shopping spot, of course, includes future shop. As I browse, however, I was often disappointed with the salesmen who knows next to nothing about cameras trying to offer their "advice" on which camera to get to people who are starting out. Of course, the big selection of point and shoot each with their own unique features do NOT help. So hopefully I can make this guide as comprehensive as possible by simply giving you 1 or 2 choices based on your budget!


$0 - $200 
This is what I call an anything goes zone. Mainly because whatever camera you end up getting is probably not going to be that different. If you are in this budget range, then chances are you are going to use your camera for very simple day-to-day shooting: capturing parties, touring and etc. The main thing you should be looking for is fast start up time - the time it takes from the moment you press on/off button to when you can actually taking photos. I've found that incredibly useful as it makes miss as little shots as possible. My suggestion is to stick with Canon or Nikon as they are the 2 big names in making consumer products. You can't go wrong with them.

Conclusion:
- Stick with Canon/Nikon.
- Test out start up time.
- Whatever looks good!

$200-$300
You are looking for a point-and-shoot for day-to-day use, but also cares about your image quality now. After reading a bunch of reviews and thinking about experiences using friends' cameras, I have decided to root for Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12 MP


Price: $279 at Best Buy or Amazon.ca
Appearance: Comes in Black, Silver,  and RED! =)
Lens: 24-120mm 35mm eq. focus range will serve most every day need (this is your zoom range); f2.7-f17 aperture.
Speed: This is where this camera shines when compared to other similar cameras. It takes ~2 seconds to start up and ~2 seconds to recycle between picture.
Low light scenario: You can never expect a compact point and shoot to compare with a DSLR in low light situation, but Canon ELPH 300 can do fairly well as it can shoot without showing visible noise at ISO 800. That means you can't see the grainy dots even at fairly high light sensitivity level.

Conclusion: Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS


$300-$500
So you want to get a nice point-and-shoot or maybe you are thinking about getting a prosumer camera (the ones with big lens but can't change them). Well think no further, my advice is, don't waste your money in getting a prosumer - save the money and buy yourself something nice! (If you HAVE to get a prosumer for some reason, check out the Canon G12 10MP).Instead, get a top of the line, state of the art point and shoot! In fact, some point and shoots are actually better than most of the prosumer and even some of the DSLR. From many reviewers and friends' experience, I strongly suggest the Canon PowerShot S95 10 MP. 


Price: $419 at Amazon
Appearance: Only come in black. Manual control ring to control exposure, focus, ISO, etc. precisely. 
Lens: 28mm-105mm (35mm eq.) Max. Aperture - f/2.0 (W), f/4.9 (T) - this super large aperture for compact cameras will enable you to take excellent photos even at ISO 3200. 
Sensor Size / Resolution: 14.9 mm / 10 MP. Don't get fooled by the "small" pixel number. With only "10MP", it seems to be on the low side of compact cameras nowadays. But the sensor size of this camera is absolutely massive for a compact camera. A big sensor size means you get more "effective pixel" which actually means BETTER image quality!
Other nice features: 720p. HD movie shooting. Miniature (tilt-shift) effect (example of cool photo with this effect).


Conclusion:  Canon PowerShot S95 10 MP. (Hands down!)

Well that concludes my very first product reviews and suggestions! I hope that actually helped! I kept it as simple as possible and only showed you 1 product for each category. And if you liked the review please help me by either buying the camera from the links on my website (help me the most), or click on the google ads to the side, or even just coming back from time to times to check my new blog posts!


Thank you very much for reading!


-M