Following on from our recent post showing some examples of high dynamic range photos, see High Dynamic Range Photography, here is a Nik Software video that gives a fascinating introduction into the creative power of the HDR Efex Pro software.

“HDR Efex Pro is the first high dynamic range (HDR) imaging tool capable of delivering the full gamut of photographic possibilities for professional and advanced amateur photographers, from realistic to artistic images.” Nik Software

With new found inspiration I am now re-visiting some of my earlier HDR photo sets and re-processing them using the HDR Efex Pro software and aiming to upload an HDR Photo Gallery soon.

Are you a HDR Efex Pro software user? If so it would be great to hear your comments.

Phil McDermott Photo - Isle of Mull Photographer Commercial and Wedding Photography Scotland

The technique of HDR Photography (High Dynamic Range) is capable, if used with care, of creating wonderful images that have detail in both the shadow and highlight areas.

We can visually see detail in as much as 12 stops difference of light intensity whereas our digital sensor if shooting jpeg can only record 5 to 6 stops and if using Raw this increases to about 8 to 9 stops, so the cameras ability to render detail in both highlight and shadow areas is somewhat limited.

Using HDR Photography (High Dynamic Range) enables us to create and record images that reflect what we saw when taking the image. With the use of Tone Mapping software, in the case of the examples here I used Nik HDR software, we can maintain detail in both the highlight and shadow areas of the scene. For some types of images there are other ways to control the contrast within the picture space, see our photo article “A Photography Trip to Ben More” for further information.

Here are varied selection of recently added HDR images,hope you enjoy them, your comments are always welcome.

Phil McDermott Photo - Isle of Mull Photographer Commercial and Wedding Photography Scotland

Contre jour, a French word literally meaning “against daylight” and it is possible to take stunning photographs when shooting into the light. Whilst this may contradict advice given to beginners to always shoot with the light coming from behind the camera the art of contre jour or backlighting in photography is a technique that can produce wonderful images.

However, many photographers are intimidated by the idea of pointing the camera towards the light and shy away from some of the photo opportunities.

There is much to consider when using this backlighting or contre jour technique if disappointment is to be avoided. Once mastered however, there is little doubt that backlighting can be magical and will add drama and visual impact to your photographic portfolio. There are many subjects to try, some of my favourites are flowers and foliage or trying to catch the rim lighting around animals and birds. Mist, rain and haze will be enhanced by backlighting adding creativity and atmosphere to landscape images.

” The two most challenging aspects of photographing contre jour subjects are to adequately eliminate flare and ensure correct exposure. These concerns can be allayed with a little practice, good technique and an understanding of the exposure process. “

Flare gives rise to a loss of definition and is probably the most significant area within contre jour pohotography that requires attention, so a measured and methodical approach is needed. Flare is produced when intense rays of light hit the front element of the lens causing lens refraction, leading to specula highlights, image softening and a loss of definition. There are several ways to overcome this undesirable effect in our contre jour photography.

Lenses show individual characteristics but in general the more lens elements used in their construction the more vulnerable they will be to flare. So zoom lenses are more likely to be flare susceptible that prime fixed focal length lenses. Lens coatings also have an impact on flare, modern multi coated lenses consistently outperform earlier models and this alone can significantly reduce most potential flare problems.

In many backlighting situations using a designated lens hood will greatly improve the chances of eliminating flare by keeping stray light from striking the front element of the lens. Indeed, the use of a good quality lens hood can improve saturation in contre jour subjects and is genearally beneficial to all images.

Having taken the above precautions a final visual inspection of the image through the viewfinder, preferably with the lens stopped down, will show any remaining areas of softness or highlights resulting from flare and may only require a slight repositioning of the camera to eliminate.

The other challenge in photographing backlit or contre jour subjects is how best to handle exposure. Underexposure is a common problem in backlighting, as the brightly lit background will overly influence the camera’s meter; this will turn the subject very dark, indeed almost silhouette like.

Exposure compensation is the answer and it is best to give between one and two stops extra exposure from the exposure suggested by the camera. Alternatively, take a spot meter reading from the shadow area and expose at the camera’s reading this should require no compensation. As exposure for contre jour subjects is tricky it is best to practice various exposure metering patterns and overrides until you are comfortable in approaching various back lighting opportunities as they present themselves.

So there really is little excuse for not getting out there and giving it a go, there are plenty of contre jour opportunities waiting to be found and with care they can become some of the most creative and satisfying images in your photo portfolio.

Phil McDermott Photo - Isle of Mull Photographer Commercial and Wedding Photography Scotland

The above image was taken near Croggan on the Isle of Mull a while ago, it has previously been shown in colour in one of our blog photo galleries.

I decided to re-visit this image and re-process it as a moody, dramatic monochrome version of the original using Nik Software Silver Efex Pro via a Plugin for Adobe Lightroom 3.

I generally only shoot Raw and normally use Adobe Lightroom 3 for mono conversions and as I have only recently started using the Nik software it is too early to say that I agree with Nik’s statement that it is “the world’s leading Black and White software“.

However, I did find it very intuitive with some nice tools, presets and borders and I am looking forward to using the software some more.

Do any of you use this software? If so, maybe you would like to share your thoughts or provide a link to some of your black and white examples.

Phil McDermott Photo - Isle of Mull Photographer Commercial and Wedding Photography Scotland

Internationally renowned photographer Don McCullin talks about his work as a social documentary photographer. Don McCullin’s exhibition ‘In England’ was shown at the National Media Museum, Bradford, Yorkshire in 2009 For more information about current exhibitions at The National Media Museum visit: nationalmediamuseum.org.uk

Don McCullin on Social Documentary Photography from National Media Museum on Vimeo.

Phil McDermott Photo - Isle of Mull Photographer Commercial and Wedding Photography Scotland

For those new to landscape photography there is often a temptation to look upon equipment as a vital component in the belief that it will automatically produce better images. Whilst this may be true to some degree buying an expensive new camera or lens will not guarantee that you become a better photographer, far better to learn learn good landscape photography technique and hone your image processing skills to get the very best from the kit you have.

Indeed, I would only advise buying kit when absolutely necessary and then only buy the very best equipment that you can afford. It is far better to wait a while than rush in only to regret the decision some time in the future, this is particularly true of lenses.

When we consider the requirements for landscape photography all the major camera manufactures produce SLR cameras that can be built into complete landscape photography systems.

“In many ways as landscape photographers we are fortunate, with a quality camera, a few lenses, filters and a good sturdy tripod we are ready to go and create.”

More equipment does not equate to more success, remember we may have to carry our landscape photography equipment to that ideal location and we do not want to be weighed down with a lot of gear that will become tiresome to carry. So my advice is to travel as light as possible and think carefully beforehand what photo gear is required for a particular shoot.

Personally I have always used Canon but all SLR camera systems are suitable for rewarding landscape photography, however, there are some features and photo gear that I consider to be essential for landscape work.

1. Landscape photography covers everything from wide angle views to smaller details so a camera system that offers a choice of lenses is important.
2. As serious photographers we do not want to rely on the cameras auto setting so we need total control of exposure, we will want to be creative and use the aperture / shutter speed to suit our personal vision and specific location.
3. For landscape photography work a depth of field preview is a must. It will allow the lens to be closed down to your selected shooting aperture and allow you to preview the depth of field.
4. A manual or electronic cable release is extremely useful as this will prevent camera movement when the shutter release is pressed.
5. Used in conjunction with the cable release a mirror lock-up facility will further prevent any camera movement, this can optionally be used in conjunction with the self timer.
6. A sturdy tripod and head that will hold the camera rock solid, it must also have a range of movements from high to low level.
7. A few filters, most importantly a polarising filter and a set of 1 stop, 2 stop and 3 stop neutral density graduated filters.
8. And finally a strong sturdy camera bag to protect all that valuable equipment, I prefer a rucsac type as they are much easier to carry across rough terrain.

With the above, some reasonable weather and a well structured plan we are ready to set to head off into the great outdoors for an enjoyable and rewarding day of landscape photography.

Landscape Photography Workshops available.

Phil McDermott Photo - Isle of Mull Photographer Commercial and Wedding Photography Scotland

Landscape Photography

In this article I will present the approach I take when planning a landscape photography field trip. I will describe each stage from initial preparation to the final image. Some may be obvious, some less so.

1. Preparation Generally

I start by selecting a suitable landscape photography location, (if this is a new area I like to study maps, guide books and normally contact the local Tourist Information Centres for leaflets, etc). I then use the 1:25000 Ordnance Survey map covering the proposed landscape photography location to target a particular area. I check sunrise / sunset times and the suns position at sunrise, midday and sunset to decide when is the best time of day to be there. Also, if applicable, refer to the local tide table. It is always a good idea to inform someone of your intended landscape photography trip route, destination and time frame. Record the Grid Reference for future use.

For this late summer afternoon landscape photography trip I chose the small village of Croggan located at the mouth of Loch Spelve on the Isle of Mull. Looking at the map I could see that the sun would set behind the mountains to the west at this time of the year. I could include part of the coastline with a rising tide in the foreground to provide a lead in into the picture. Access to my chosen area was relatively easy with only requiring a little walking from the road.

If your chosen landscape photography area is less accessible then it is essential that further preparation be done, venturing into remote areas requires fitness and additional skills, the ability to map read and navigate for example.

It is always a good idea to check the weather forecast prior to setting off on a landscape photography trip, adverse weather may not stop you from going but at least you will be prepared. Local knowledge is a bonus; certainly here on Mull the weather can often vary from one end of the island to the other so local knowledge or having a network of contacts can be of enormous benefit.

2. Prepare Kit & Equipment

This will depend on your chosen landscape photography destination, its ease of accessibility or its remoteness. Typically for a full day of landscape photography work I would carry the following :

• Camerac rucsac
• 2 Camera bodies
• Wide angle zoom 17-40 mm lens
• Fixed 24 mm lens
• Mid range zoom 24 – 105 mm lens
• Short telephoto zoom 70-200 mm lens
• Hand held Sekonic lightmeter with a one degree spot
• Electronic Cable release
• Memory cards, spare batteries
• Polariser and ND Graduated filters
• Tripod, karabiner, canvas bag (to fill with stones for adding extra weight and stability to the tripod)
• Camera cleaning kit and minor repair kit
• GPS, compass, map and whistle
• Note book & pen or digital recorder
• First Aid Kit including Space Blanket
• Plastic bags for protecting gear etc in wet weather
• Waterproofs, hat and fingerless gloves
• Food and drink

3. Arrive at location

I always plan to arrive at the landscape photography location in plenty of time then find somewhere safe and convenient to park giving due consideration to local residents, farmers etc.

4. Assess area visually – risk assessment

Before leaving the car I have a look around, make sure all is secure and nothing left behind sitting on the car roof for example, trust me it does happen. I know Croggan to be a very safe place to work, but other places are less so. Remember you are carrying a lot of expensive equipment. Having decided on the general area to take my photographs I then do a more specific risk assessment, again this will vary depending on where you are but it helps to concentrate the mind making you more aware of your immediate surroundings. As Croggan is a coastal location with a very rocky coastline the obvious risks are remoteness, slippy rocks and tidal water.

4. Assess scene visually – photographically

This is now a crucial moment in our landscape photography as we need to identify the exact position from where to compose our image. I take time to look around and visualise what I want, I use the camera to view the scene with different lenses from different angles, low down and high up, trying both vertical and horizontal formats. Doing it this way allows freedom of movement without the constraints of a tripod. Finally I decided on a spot a few metres from the waters edge with some prominent rocks in the foreground. With this combination of foreground rocks, setting sun and rising tide I am happy with my choice.

View across Loch Spelve at twilight

5. Compose the image and position tripod

Ensure that all the elements in your final view are what you want in the scene. Check all around the frame, it is surprising just how often something creeps into the image, remember also that the coverage of most camera viewfinders is typically about 96% of the final image. Only when I have my preferred composition do I finally commit to placing the camera on the tripod. The location of the tripod is crucial, not only photographically but from a stability point of view; it needs to be positioned securely. In many situations I use a karabiner attached to the underside of the tripod to hang either my camera bag or a bag of stones collected from nearby.

6. Select the f Stop and set Hyperfocal Distance

Hyperfocal Distance is point of focus needed to ensure sharpness from half that distance to infinity. It is determined by both aperture selection and lens focal length. For the image and composition I have in mind I decide to use a 24mm lens and aim to achieve maximum depth of field (depth of field is the distance from the nearest to furthest part of an image that appears to be sharply focused, it will change with lens selection and point of focus). Fixed focal length lenses have a usable hyperfocal scale on them whereas zoom lenses do not so referring to Hyperfocal & Depth of Field Tables (that I have for all of my lenses) is useful. To achieve the depth of sharpness I want I select an aperture of f11 which will ensure sharpness from 2.5m to infinity when set to focus at a Hyperfocal distance of about 5m (the minimum focus is always half of the Hyperfocal distance).

Having set the point of focus, looking through the viewfinder the image looks out of focus, to actually see what will appear in our image we need to use the Depth of Field preview. This takes a little getting used to as the preview with the lens stopped down to f11 will look very dark indeed. Here we need to be patient and allow our eye to adjust to the reduced light in the viewfinder. After time our eyes will adjust making the view appear brighter, then we can visually inspect and confirm that the f stop selected does actually provide the depth of field we require.

View across Loch Spelve, a 30 second exposure

7. Set exposure

I usually use the Evaluative metering mode setting on the camera. For the majority of instances this works just fine. However, there are times when a high contrast scene will require a little more effort and I will the use either the spot meter on the camera or a 1 degree hand held Sekonic lightmeter to check the exposure difference between the highlight and shadow areas.

If the contrast difference exceeds 6 stops I will add a Neutral Density graduated filter to reduce the intensity of the highlights, the strength of filter required is determined by the amount of brightness above the acceptable 6 stop difference.

I may also add a polarising filter, I always use these filters with care, yes they help to increase saturation and reduce glare but they can also darken skies too much. Using them with ultra wide angle lenses can cause a significant fall off in sky tone that I find unpleasant.

During this particular landscape photography shoot I had no need for a ND grad filter as the sun had set behind the horizon and the contrast range was less than 6 stops. However, I did add a polariser, in this instance to slightly reduce reflection on the water. It also had another benefit, a polarising filter set to maximum will darken the image by about 2 stops which meant a 2 stop decrease in shutter speed. For this particular image I wanted the incoming tide to appear silky as it flowed around the rocks, reducing the shutter speed ensured that this would indeed be the case.

8. Wait for the ideal moment

Landscape photography is about patience. All we need now is that right moment. I wait for the afterglow of sunset combined with an incoming wave to maximise the amount of water in the foreground. Before I took the shot I had quick final look around the viewfinder before tripping the shutter via the cable release.

9. Persistence

Hopefully at this point the shot is in the bag but don’t relax just yet. Use the opportunity to seek out further images. A slight change in camera height, changing from a horizontal to a vertical composition (or vice versa) can all add variety and increase your landscape photography opportunities. Only when you have exhausted the potential of an area can you confidently decide to call it a day.

10. Finally

Enjoy your landscape photography, have fun and be safe.

Phil McDermott Photo - Isle of Mull Photographer Commercial and Wedding Photography Scotland

Although it has been some time since our last trip to Turkey I came across this small collection of images whilst I was looking for something else. The lasting memories for me when visiting this thriving market was the smell of spices, the noise and the fantastic vibrant colours.

I took this set of purely abstract images to capture and portray just some of these vibrant colours.

Yes these images of vibrant colours could have been taken almost anywhere. To me that is not the point. It is one of the joys of photography that our images are not only visual but act as a catalyst, jogging our memories into recalling our emotions along with the other things that were happening at the time of taking the shot.

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”

Maya Angelou (American Poet – born 1928)

Phil McDermott Photo - Isle of Mull Photographer Commercial and Wedding Photography Scotland

When creativity and inspiration ebb away I re-visit a selection of my favourite books for creativity that I have acquired and read over the years. I find it helps to dip in and try to re-energise and re-connect with my creativity and inspiration.

Are your creative juices running low? Looking for creativity and inspiration but not sure where to start?

Whilst not all these books are directly related to photography they still offer much useful practical advice that is relevant to the creative and inspiration process of the photographer. I have listed them in no particular order and hope you find it a useful resource to build your creativity and inspiration.

The Tao of Photography: Seeing Beyond Seeing by Philippe L. Gross : A fascinating book that draws upon Taoist inspiration and teachings to examine the creativity and inspiration relationships within the art of photography. Includes images from photographers such as Alfred Stieglitz, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Dorothea Lange these are complemented by writings from the “Chuang-tzu”. This is a worthwhile read though a little heavy in parts, it also includes a number of exercises designed to encourage photographers to add the teachings into their photography work.

Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision (Voices That Matter) by David du Chemin : I have long been an admirer of David’s photography and writing and certainly that admiration has been reinforced further after reading this book. It offers encouragement on creativity and inspiration as David eloquently conveys his approach to photography. To see more of David’s work and writing please see the Craft & Vision website.

Zen and the Magic of Photography: Learning to See and to Be through Photography by Wayne Rowe : Exploring the link between the the nature of the Zen philosophy and the art of photography, it targets methods to improve your photography through visual awareness, sensitivity and intuition. This books requires a degree of commitment to read through, can be a little heavy at times though it is well worth the effort.

On Photography by Susan Sontag : This is a classic, although photography has moved on considerably this book in my opinion as relevant today as when first published in 1973. It explores the power of images “inserted between experience and reality” . Certainly worth reading though it is also a work that can be randomly dipped into as it never fails to deliver.

Visual Poetry: A Creative Guide for Making Engaging Digital Photographs by Chris Orwig : I have only recently discovered the photography and writing of Chris Orwig and must say I have taken this book to my heart. The writing is inspiring offering many pointers and assignments to improve your creativity and inspiration, thinking and awareness, it is accompanied with Chris’s images to make it a very worthwhile read and addition to your “creative” library.

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp : I found Twyla’s book has opened up a whole world of creative opportunity, offering a deep insight into how to change your life into one with more creativity and inspiration. Overall a most enjoyable book to read, indeed it is one of the most practical and thoughtful books on the creative process I have read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to stimulate their creativity. To read more about this inspirational book please see our earlier post Guidance and Inspiration for Artists and Photographers.

Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle : Inspiring and thought provoking, Madeleine L’Engle combines her fluent writing style with her faith as a Christian. It is an interesting approach and a fascinating read, Madeleine L’Engle writes, “hoping readers are inspired to turn the chaos of life into the cosmos of art”.

Ignore Everybody: And 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod : Just brilliant!! I love this book for its no holds barred approach to creativity. It has good solid practical advice on creativity and inspiration and the requirements necessary to be successful. Written with sincerity and humour it is a must read, you may not agree with all of Hugh MacLeod’s philosophy but you will touched by it for sure.

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard : Aimed primarily at aspiring writers this none the less offers much valuable information for those seeking creativity and inspiration.

More Photography Books and a selection of Photography eBooks.

Phil McDermott Photo - Isle of Mull Photographer Commercial and Wedding Photography Scotland

Happy New Year and best wishes for 2012 to all our customers, friends, readers and subscribers. Lets hope it’s going to be a good year for everyone.

Phil McDermott Photo - Isle of Mull Photographer Commercial and Wedding Photography Scotland