PhotoWalking USA

Are you tired of the same old tired looking snapshots of your friends and family? Give your photos a twist, or to be more accurate, give your photos a Dutch Tilt. A Dutch Tilt is a cinematic technique used to portray the uneasiness or tension in the subject being filmed. I personally think the Dutch Tilt offers much more to photos than it’s definition.  I think the Dutch Tilt can bring more interestingness to any photo.

So how do you go about creating a Dutch Tilt? It’s easy.. Normally you hold your camera even with the horizon, this is called  “Landscape Mode”.  If you turn your camera on it’s side, this is called “Portrait Mode”. Hold your camera at any angle in between, that’s a Dutch Tilt!

As humans, we are all too often compelled to follow the rules,  living each day within the lines of what is proper or expected.  Think about this, almost 99% of all photographs taken, are shot in landscape mode. Less than 1% of all photographs taken taken in portrait mode.  

Using a Dutch Tilt is breaking the rules of what is expected or ordinary. Photographs taken with a Dutch Tilt can add interest to almost any photo in the right situations. Dutch Tilt,  give it try…

What exactly is ISO? Well if you remember back in the days of film, we use to buy film with a ASA rating, such as ASA 100, ASA 400, etc. This expressed the films sensitivity to light, or commonly referred to as the speed of the film. Today’s camera do not use film, but use image sensors instead.  ISO is basically a ASA equivalent. The ISO setting denotes how sensitive the image sensor is to the amount of light present. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the image sensor and therefore the possibility to take pictures in low-light situations.

Back in the days of film, you had to physically change the film if you wanted a different ISO, but with todays digital cameras, you can simply set the camera to whatever ISO speed you want. Pretty nice huh… just one of the advantages of the digital world.

Having the ability to change your ISO on the fly helps you always get the shot. Suppose your in a low light situation, and your camera can’t obtain a correct exposure, you could use a flash, but what if your in a museum, or concert where flash photography is not permitted. All you need to do is use a higher ISO setting,  this will allow you to obtain a correctly exposed picture.

Another example is, if you find your camera is using a shutter speed that is too slow (1/60 sec. and slower) to handhold the camera steady and shake-free (thus resulting in blurred pictures), and you cannot open up the aperture anymore, and there’s no tripod readily available. then you might select a higher ISO which will then allow you to select a faster shutter speed.  

Oh course there’s always a price to pay for versatility. Increasing our camera’s ISO setting can introduce what is called digital noise. This is a necessary evil, the higher the ISO the more noise. But I wouldn’t worry too much, about digital noise, as todays cameras have greatly improved picture quality at higher ISO speeds. Just remember to shoot at the lowest possible ISO setting for the lowest noise and best dynamic range.  

So,  go dig up your cameras owner manual, and read up on how to adjust/set your cameras ISO settings. Having this knowledge means you’ll always be able to get that award winning shot..

Shooting fireworks is easy if you follow some basic steps.

Step 1. Know your camera. Every year, I see people fumbling with their cameras in the dark, trying to make adjustments and navigate their camera settings . Trying to change settings on your camera in the dark can lead to frustration and lots of missed opportunities. Be sure and spend some quality time with your cameras manual before the big event, be sure and get comfortable setting your cameras Mode, ISO, Shutter, and Aperture settings. Also, it’s a good idea to bring along a mini flashlight to help lumenate things when needed.

Step 2. Bring a tripod. This is essential. shooting in the dark requires long exposures, sometimes several seconds. Trying to hand-hold your camera for that length of time is next to impossible. Also, if you want the best control over the quality of your shots, I recommend a shutter release cable. A cable release ensures stability, and makes taking pictures a much more comfortable process, since you can watch the fireworks in the sky, and time your shots much more accurately.

Step 3. Pick a good vantage point to shoot from. Location, location, location. Arrive early and scout a good location with a unobstructed view. Be sure and stay clear of ambient light sources (such as light poles) that will cause your shots to overexpose.

Step 4. Turn Autofocus off. You heard me right, turn it off. Most cameras have a terrible time with low-light shooting. Low-light shooting can cause cameras autofocus system to constantly hunt in the dark. Autofocus is simply not needed for fireworks. Simply set your lens to infinity. 

Step 5. Camera Settings. The settings I give you here are starting points. Once on location, you will no doubt have to make slight adjustments, but for the most part they are a good place to start.

• Set your camera mode to Manual Mode.
• Set you ISO to 100.
• Set your shutter speed to BULB.
• Set your Aperture to f/11

Step 6. Exposure Timing. A good rule of thumb is to open the shutter as soon as you hear or see the rocket shooting into the sky and to leave it open until the burst is dissipating. This will usually take several seconds. Anywhere between 1 and 4 seconds, usually give excellent results.