How to Photograph Stars: Camera Settings & Setup

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• How to Photograph Stars: Camera Settings & Setup
• Presidential Photographer’s Top Photos of the Year 2012
• Magazine Article Photography Session: Behind the Scenes

How to Photograph Stars: Camera Settings & Setup

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 05:28 PM PST

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Photographing stars can be very difficult to master due to long exposure times and the limitations of some digital cameras. However, the easy to follow video tutorial Ben Canales has made, that you can watch below, helps to take out a lot of the guesswork when it comes to proper exposure. Canales also goes over a couple different cameras and what you can expect of them. If you’ve been meaning to learn about this fascinating photography genre, this is a great place to start. Take a look:

(for those of you reading this by email, the video can be seen here) First things first, Canales instructs us to take a variety of sample shots to find areas which have unwanted light pollution and see if there are any lingering or passing clouds that may be difficult to see with the naked eye in the middle of the night; both of which we can use to establish composition. For his sample shots Canales sets his camera to it’s lowest aperture setting, the highest ISO, and an exposure time of 30 seconds. He recommends overexposing the samples so they are brightly lit, making it easier to evaluate.

Here is an example of one of Canale’s sample shots:

For your final shots, you will want to make sure you camera is set to capture RAW images and leave your aperture wide open. He prefers to keep his ISO in the 3500 to 4000 range for his final images. Exposure time will vary, but Canales prefers to set his Canon 5D Mark II at 30, which is it’s highest shutter speed before switching over to the bulb setting. A rule of thumb for photographing stars is to divide 600 by the focal length of your lens; the result is the amount of seconds you should expose. For example, Canales shot on a 20mm lens, so he divided 600 by 20 to get 30 seconds. This rule of thumb will let you avoid the stars tracking, or streaking across your photograph as they move through the sky. It’s a pretty handy equation to keep in the back of your mind.

The above photograph was one of Canale’s final images he shot during the making of the video, which goes to show you that using a fairly basic setup, you can get some great star photographs.

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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Presidential Photographer’s Top Photos of the Year 2012

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 02:08 PM PST

Year 2012, should you recall it, was quite an intensive one at the White House. Pete Souza, the official White House photographer for President Obama, has much to tell about it — from private family moments expressing love and affection, through duets with BB King to the most exciting and thrilling political duties at Afghanistan, G8 Summit and the Elections, Pete is the only photographer who’s been there all the time, documenting each and every single one of those moments. His best of 2012, have now been compiled in the following set of 83 pictures (for those of you reading this by email, the slide show can be seen here):

Pete Souza is an American photojournalist who was also the official White House photographer during President Ronald Reagan’s second term. While working as a photographer with Chicago Tribune (Washington bureau) he followed, during he same period, the rise of Senator Obama to the Presidency.

On an interview, Souza recalls one meeting that he missed because it had been rescheduled unbeknownst to him:

I was a little upset with the President’s secretary for not telling me that they had moved the meeting up, and [the President] heard us talking and he said, ‘What are you talking about? You were in that meeting.’ He’s so used to me being there that he thought that I had been in the meeting that I wasn’t even in. So I took that as a compliment.

For more photos from last year, check out our top 10 photos of the year from the network.

Go to full article: Presidential Photographer’s Top Photos of the Year 2012
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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Magazine Article Photography Session: Behind the Scenes

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:07 AM PST

I’m sure all of us at one point or another have looked at a photo in a magazine and wondered, How did they get that shot? What was the lighting setup? Well here’s a short time-lapse video that may answer a few of your questions. There’s no discussion of the set-up, but the video does a good job of showing the basics of a magazine shoot as far as lights, background, props, & subject interaction (for those of you reading this by email, the video can be seen here):

Much of this may seem pretty basic to those who have done professional photo shoots, but what really got me is how much Brandon Hill steps in to direct his subject and the way he explains exactly what he wants to capture. He’s not just standing next to his camera snapping photos and keeping his ideas in his head. He’s communicating with his subject in an active manner. This seems just as important as the photography aspect in capturing a good image.

Actively working with subject to create an image

Final Image
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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

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Thank you for sharing PK.

God Bless.

Great link PK. Now just get out from beneath these city lights. Road trip!!!! 

I did find this great information but not to practical for me since I do live in the city limits and stars are something we don't see too many of. LOL