DOs:

1. Buy a good filter. A bad filter can do more harm than you expect.
2. Never touch the glass of the filter. The oil from your skin will rub off on the filter and could damage it’s coating. Some filters, are noted to retain fingerprints if not cleaned up immediately. Always touch a filter by the edges.
3. Store filters in their boxes. This ensures that dust and fingerprints stay away.
4. Clean it like you would clean your lens. Use a lens cleaning kit or a blower brush. Keep it clear of sand, dust and sea spray.
5. Keep a UV filter on at all times, especially if you’re likely to be visiting the beach or are in a sandy / humid location.

DONTs:

1. Don’t press the filter when screwing it on or unscrewing it. The filter mount is usually made of thin Aluminium and will warp if you press it or tighten it too much. This makes it difficult to remove and could spoil your lens’ filter mounting thread.
2. Don’t use your camera like it’s all fine now that you have a protective UV filter on it. It’s still the same lens, you’re only protecting the first element from dust and direct scratches. You still have to be careful with it.
3. Don’t point your camera in to direct sunlight or harsh lights. The filter’s anti-reflective coat (if it has one) is not as good as a lens’ and it will usually create a spot of lens flare.
4. Don’t forget to clean the filter regularly.
5. Don’t forget that you have a filter on. If you think that you’re going to get a group of unforgettable images and you have a great lens on your camera, take the filter off – capture the image in all it’s glory.

Got more tips?

If you’ve got any more thoughts on how you can take care of your filters and how to get the best quality image out of a filter, do leave a comment.

This post was published on Beyond Phototips.com if you like what you’re reading, please visit the website.

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Please feel free to comment, or retweet any of the posts. Also, be sure to let me know which ones you liked – or didn’t like.

Note: This list is in no particular order.

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He keeps his videography gear simple: A Canon EOS 550D (aka Rebel T2i) dSLR that shoots HD video, coupled with either with an 8mm prime fisheye lens set at f/5.6 or the kit 18-55mm lens.

Here are some tips on how to film Parkour action from Scott himself. You can adapt these tips for filming Martial Arts Tricking, Skateboarding and many other ‘Extreme’ sports. Also check out some tips on how parkour can inspire your photography.

1. Never Change Lens/Aspect Ratio

   The quickest way to make your video look amateur and in-cohesive is to film it on a multitude of cameras. Pick one lens/camera and stick with it for the whole video.

2. Colour Correctly

   Most DV cameras tend to result in washed out footage direct from the camera (which is great for a colourist!). Throwing a few subtle effects on, especially with contrast but keep the colours at a suitable level to ensure that once its on youtube, its still nice and clear.

3. Only Use Slow Motion When You Have A Good Reason

   The vast majority of consumer cameras film around 30FPS, but some can do 60 or more. I suggest never using slowmo unless a move is better appreciated that way, and if thats the case, keep the slowmo time to about 3 or 4 seconds.

4. The Maxim Of Relevance

   Start your clip after they have started the move, and stop it just before they have finished. There is nothing worse than watching someone walk up to a jump, get ready, do it, walk back and turn of the camera. You’re filming parkour to show parkour, not to show a dude walking to/from camera.

5. Stay Off The Black

   Black space should be avoided at all costs. The only times in a video you should ever see black space is at the start and the end. If you use black to make music fit better, it simply means you don’t have anything worth putting there. A good video will be all content and no filler.

6. Transition Wisely

   Never use any ‘Transitions’ more complex than a Fade and a Cut. There is a reason the Movies rarely do it.

7. Film Steady

   Using a very wide lens will account for a large amount of steadying your shot but ensure to try to keep the camera as still as possible while filming and especially moving with it.

8. Get Close

   Robert Capa once said “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough”. This applies with Parkour videos too, If you’re filming a complex series of movements from far away, chances are you cant appreciate the movement! Try to be close enough to see what is going on, but still able to capture it all.

9. Find The New Way

   Parkour enables you to go anywhere. Apply this when using a camera. Shoot above a rail as someone swings below you. Lie under someone as they flip over. Lens permitting, you can create some fantastic new camerawork by simply ensuring you are somewhere interesting too.

10. Make A Contrast

    If you can, try to get a balance between shots where the objects are the focus, and the practitioner. Wide shots combined with tracking shots create a powerful contrast which will make your video more dynamic.

11. Get In The Way

    Try getting people to jump right next to you, or have them land inches away from the camera. Being right in the action is key to creating an interesting video.

12. Use (What Appears To Be) The Whole Song

    If you find yourself with a video thats lacking footage, you have three options. You either scrape the barrel and try to find some acceptable filler (the case with Live On). You cut the audio in a way nobody notices (as in Heartbeat). Or you wait and film more content (Constant Motion).

13. If Its Not Movement, Consider Suitability

    If you have clips that aren’t Movement but you still want to put in, ensure they have merit of their own right. Be they a beautiful sunset, a funny clip, etc, ensure it will be something you could show a complete stranger and they’d understand (Or at least laugh at because they didn’t understand).

14. Never Reuse/Stay Yourself

    Never reuse footage. If you need to re-film a movement, film it from a different angle, use a different person or find a way of making it new again. Don’t make a ‘Showreel’ ‘Sampler’ or ‘Sponsorship Video’. Videos should be for you first and foremost.

15. If It Feels Wrong, It Probably Is (Golden Tip)

    If after all this, you’ve made your video, edited it to a song, coloured it, rendered it, and you watch it and it doesn’t ‘Work’. Go back to scratch and edit it afresh because if you aren’t buzzing off of it, nobody else will.

Naturally, there are reasons to ignore a lot of these guidelines. Videos are an expression of you as an artist, so if you have an idea that doesn’t fit these, go ahead with it.

Cracking Examples of Scott’s Work

Constant Motion

Live On

Contact Scott

Follow Scott on Twitter, YouTube, or visit his Website.

This post was published on Beyond Phototips.com if you like what you’re reading, please visit the website.

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Yesterday, I deliberately got lost in my city, Chennai. I went into a section of Chennai that I’d not been to before, and I discovered a whole new part of the city that I never knew existed. It was a simple step; wander through a section of town that you’ve not been through before, look around you at the people, buildings, shops. For me, it was like I’d gone back through time, to when the city was simpler, less modern, more rural. You may not discover new vistas around each bend, but give it a shot. If you’re truly looking for a photograph, you’ll find one.

You’ll ask me then, “Where are your photographs of this new section of town you’re bragging about?” You’d be right in asking. I don’t have any photographs to show… yet. But I will have them soon.

In the mean-while, let me walk you through some interesting ideas to explore a new area in your city.

Discovery

You could either plan out your ‘expedition’ or just take an impromptu diversion like I did.

• If you’re planning it out, bring out a map and mark out all the sections of the city that you’ve never been to. Next, make a note of the sections of town that you’ve heard interesting stories or anecdotes about. If you’re truly interested, collect the stories themselves before you visit the location.
• If you’re just heading back from work and you’ve got some time to kill, or like me, if you want to try n find a way around a traffic jam, just dive in. No compass necessary. Just make sure that your family knows what you’re doing and ask them to check in with you every 30 minutes. That way, if you’re lying in a ditch in just your underwear, they’ll know (only kidding!)
• Stay out of troublesome neighbourhoods. Stay out of trouble.

Planning Photography

Once you have a general idea of whether the neighbourhood is interesting, and once you’ve identified some potential spots for photography, you’ve got to plan your assault on this new territory. Rope in a few friends if you’re uncomfortable about exploring the area on your own.

• I say explore the neighbourhood on foot, alone, but if that’s not your style, you could do a number of alternative things. You could:
  • Organise a nice photowalk with photowalking buddies.
  • Drive through a couple of times till you’re happy about exploring the place alone.
  • Not explore the area photographically, but file it away for future reference
• Carry small, inconspicuous cameras the first time you visit. Point and shoots are good for scouting out locations and identifying potential photo-ops. A good reccee is half the fun in creating a great photo-op.
• Speak to people, visit shops in the neighbourhood interact with the locals. Ask them about interesting spots, occurances in the ‘hood.
• Take special interest in the old parts of your city. They usually have a lot more character.

Taking the photographs

• Respect the sentiments of the people you’re photographing. If they ask you to move on, do so, with a smile. Maybe they won’t ask you to shove-off the next time they see you around taking photographs.
• Stay open to new possibilities. I suspect that you will find new things to photograph simply because you’re out of your comfort zone. That’s the whole point, right? To see things as if you’re in a some new exotic land… Ok, you’re still in your extended back-yard, but it’s a corner of your back-yard that you’ve explored. Who knows, but maybe Darth Vader invaded and populated this section with Imperial Stormtroopers.
• Look for uniqueness. I’m sure you’ll find it.
• Work on a project that compares your neighbourhood with other places in your city.

Keep Exploring

There are some genuine benefits from systematically exploring your city.

• People will believe you when you need to be somewhere in a hurry, and say “Don’t worry, I know a shortcut”.
• You’ll find a genuine appreciation (or have more cannon-fodder for your local newspaper) for other parts of your city / town / jungle.
• You can extend this habit when you actually do go on vacation. You’ll be prepared, because you’ll know just how to find the unique character of the places you visit.

Have you done this before? Do you have other ideas about how best to explore your city? Leave a comment.

This post was published on Beyond Phototips.com if you like what you’re reading, please visit the website.

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Canon hopes to globally integrate open communication policies that are intuitive and easier to remember compared with existing domain names such as “canon.com.”

Read more at their press release.

This post was published on Beyond Phototips.com if you like what you’re reading, please visit the website.

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However, there is a bright side to it. Here, we have 113 of your photographs that are really cool. They’re all my favourite photographs from the ones you submitted to the Beyond Phototips Flickr Group. Please take a look at them, and if you think the thumbnails look cool visit the group and check them out. If you would like your photographs to be featured here, I invite you to submit them to the flickr group. I’ll take a look at the submissions and post some of my faves real soon.

Really!

Hope you enjoy viewing the results of your own hard work.

This post was published on Beyond Phototips.com if you like what you’re reading, please visit the website.

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… at least they’re not a Pentax.

Joey L & The Photo Club.

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Now, we’re going to look at how you can use that retro dSLR to improve your photography skills and the way you think when you have a camera in your hand.

Your dSLR has a lot of features that help you get your image ‘just right’. Take the modern gadgets away, and you’re back with the fundamentals of photography; and that’s not going to change. Even in the distant future.

Why go back?

Pushing your camera back to the “old days” will:

1. Make you understand the mechanics of taking a photograph.
2. Improve your awareness of the composition in your frame.
3. Help you visualise what you want to capture.
4. Show you the difference between your visualisation and the actual capture. (practise will make you better at reducing this gap).
5. Enable you to make the most out of your camera when it is back in ‘regular dSLR’ mode.
6. Confuse the hell out of you for a while. (For sure, if you’ve never shot in full manual before.)

Guidelines

Some simple guidelines for the project.

1. Retrograde your camera as described earlier… or use an old Film SLR.
2. Try not to use any automatic modes, and do not look at the LCD display for anything.
3. Learn the Sunny 16 rule – Brian Auer’s Sunny 16 guide is brilliant.
4. Take only 36 photographs in a session. Do not cheat by deleting pix.
5. Do not. I repeat “DO NOT” look at the photographs until you download them on your computer.
6. Only use simple retouching techniques at first… Basic “Levels” or “Curves” Photoshop adjustments.

Step-by-step project walkthrough

Step1:

You’re in the dark when it comes to correct exposure (unless you have prior experience). This is because our eyes are so good at adapting to the light that is available to them. A well lit room could look easily look as bright as daylight in summer even though it is not.

Use the Sunny 16 Rule to guide you, and take photographs in sunlit places. Unless you want to live dangerously.

Step2:

Consider every single exposure. Really look at the composition, study the light that’s falling on the object, calculate exposure based on the sunny 16 rule, note the background, take a breath, and gently depress the shutter release.

Remember that you’re only taking 36 photographs for this project. If you take a picture, don’t delete it.

Restricting yourself to a low number of photographs makes you think about the subject:

1. Is the subject worth photographing? Ditch it if you think you’ll get better subjects.
2. Have I got the best angle? Try different angles till one looks great.
3. Is the light right? Come back when you think it’ll be right.
4. Have I set the right Focal Length, Aperture and Shutter speed? Only time will tell

Step3:

Try really, really hard not to look at the photographs before they download. This is the hardest part for many of us. If you’re on a Film SLR, you’ve got to wait anyway, so skip this step.

Step4:

Download your photographs, or get them printed at the photo-store. Analyse the pictures, and re-live the moment in which it was snapped. If you were to take that photograph again, what would you do differently? Log these notes in your memory for future use.

If you do retouch these photographs, try to keep the retouching light in an effort to maintain the original feel.

Step5:

Pick a photograph, either because it came out exactly how you envisioned, or because it failed miserably. Tag it “BP-retro” and share it in our Beyond Phototips Flickr Group, or you could write a blog post about it. Alternatively, you could simply post in in the comments, right here… But do explain what you were trying to do, and whether you succeeded or failed.

I’ll be participating too, so expect to see my misfired pictures in the near future.

Wrapping up

I’ll compile all the photographs that are shared on this website, or in the Flickr group and share them in a post two weeks from now, around the 9th of December. Submit your entries before that. If you write a blog post, mail me from the contact page if you want it posted.

Note: This sort of limited-frame shooting is best tested when on a photowalk. In that case, limit yourself to about 72 frames. The equivalent of two rolls of film.

This post was published on Beyond Phototips.com if you like what you’re reading, please visit the website.

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photo credit: Alex Dram

A Digital SLR is a modern piece of equipment. It has nothing of the old-world charm associated with photography. No “wait till the film is processed“, no “did I get the exposure right“, no “oh, this is not good enough to be photographed“, no “Is the light right?”, no “I’ve got only 2 frames left. They’ve got to count“. Instead, you’ve got instant gratification, with nothing left to your imagination. You see the exact photograph that will be printed (or viewed on your screen) instantly, and if you want to change it, you can experiment till you get it right.

But why not try to experience the magic of not knowing exactly how your photographs are going to turn out? Want to try it? Simple.

1. Set your ISO to 100, 200 or 400, and set your white balance to Daylight because these are the most easily available film rolls available.
2. Set your camera mode to M so that all the aperture and shutter speed decisions are made by your brain, and not the camera’s.
3. Set up your camera to disable image reviews after you’ve taken a photograph. If you don’t have this option, stick a Post-it Note on the rear LCD screen so that you can’t see the image. Post-it Notes leave no sticky residue on the camera once you peel them off, so they’re perfectly safe for your camera.
4. Stick a cut Post-it Note on the top LCD so that you resist the urge to look at the number of frames remaining, shooting / AF mode and other details.
5. Rely on your intuition, and try not to use the light meter readout in the viewfinder.

Any other suggestions? Leave ‘em in the comments.

Watch out for a Photo Project based on your newly set up Retro DSLR in the days to come.

This post was published on Beyond Phototips.com if you like what you’re reading, please visit the website.

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