‘Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world.
~William Shakespeare
Jacquelin Green sent me this photo, taken at the Ocean Discovery Centre in Sidney, B.C.:
(Taken with Canon Rebel XT at f/5.6, 1/30 sec., ISO 800)
This beautiful sepia-tinted wedding photo comes from Sarah MacKenzie, from SK:
(Taken with Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi at f/1.8, 1/15 sec., ISO 1600)
I love this!!
I’m also a sucker for a man in a kilt! 
Last, but definitely not least, Beth Sears of NB, shares this photo of fireworks – note how her long shutter speed effectively captures the fireworks’ trails:
(Taken with Nikon D80 at f/32, 10 sec., ISO 100)
Thanks to everyone for sharing their work with us here!
How about YOU? Have you sent me your photos yet??
Happy Clicking!
~~~~~~~~~~
Jennifer Steinhauer sent me this incredible photo, taken during a foggy night:
(Taken with a Nikon D40, f/20 , 30 sec., ISO 400)
Great effect, Jennifer!
Just a reminder that our October assignment deadline has been extended to Nov 2nd – still time to submit your photos!
Happy Clicking!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Since Hallowe’en is all about darkness and spooky, I’m extending the deadline for the October tutorial to 11:59pm, Monday, November 2nd! This will give everyone a chance to take some photos of their little spooks or freaky decorations on the hallowed night!
Keep sending your submissions in for a chance to win this month’s prize from Pink Paislee!
Happy Clicking!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks to Michelle Bjarnason who submitted the following two photos for our October assignment (see here and here for Parts I and II!).
{photos removed at photographer’s request}
Note the big difference that using a slower shutter speed can have! By using a fastershutter speed in the second image, Michelle was able to darken the background and areas surrounding the candle, using the candle only to illuminate her daughter’s face. Thanks for sharing, Michelle!
Happy Clicking!
~~~~~~~~~~
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
~John Fitzgerald Kennedy
and this gorgeous prize package from Pink Paislee may be yours!!
**October '09 prize pack by Pink Paislee**
Oh, baby… come to Mama!
So, did you take a nap this afternoon so you could stay up late and get some night-time shots? I want to share a series of photos that I snapped of the full moon last week – it was around 8:30pm but already the sky was so dark…
Not that you can tell from these photos! All were shot with my tripod and a wide-open aperture of f/1.8:
**Settings: f/1.8, 6.0 sec., ISO 400**
After photographing this, I realized that my exposure, at 6 seconds, was too long, overexposing the photo and showing considerable amounts of blur from the trees swaying in the breeze. So I halved my time to 3.0 seconds and snapped this one:
**Settings: f/1.8, 3.0 sec., ISO 400**
It was still way too overexposed for my purpose! So I dialed it right down again to 1.3 seconds:
**Settings: f/1.8, 1.3 sec., ISO 400**
Since it’s hard for me to judge exposure on my LCD screen, I always take several shots, bracketing my photos. I find that it increases the chance of me getting the shot I want, so I photographed it at 1.6 seconds and 1.0 seconds:
**[Settings: f/1.8, 1.6 sec., ISO 400**
**Settings: f/1.8, 1.0 sec., ISO 400**
Ah! Now we’re getting somewhere!
These images are all SOOC (straight out of the camera) so I enhanced the colours slightly, using the Pioneer Woman‘s Photoshop Actions (go and get your own right HERE – they are awesome!)
First, I ran her Boost action (one of my favourites) to enhance the colour:
**Enhanced using the PS Boost action by Ree Drummond**
Then I ran the Lovely and Ethereal action (another favourite) – perfect for those photos where you want a dreamy and well, ethereal look!
**Enhanced using the PS Lovely and Ethereal action by Ree Drummond**
Ah… Photoshop is a beautiful thing!
So get out there and start snapping – not only will you learn a bit more about your camera, but you may end up with a fabby photo to scrapbook, not to mention a wicked prize!
Happy Clicking!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry about the delay in posting the winners from our first assignment! I had grand plans to video tape my daughter picking a name out of the bowl and to post it here online, but I needed my hubby’s technical expertise and he had some problems to solve at work so that was sidelined. 
However, I did just go the old-fashioned route and wrote all of our participants’ names down on slips of paper and then just had my hubby randomly draw a winner…
Congratulations to Sierra Heggie who submitted this photo:
Taken with Canon Powershot S5 at f/8, 1/1250 sec., IS 400
Sierra, we will mail your prize out to the address on your submission form! Thanks to all who participated in our September assignment. I hope you will all try out our October assignment (be sure to check out BOTH parts here and here!) – I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone can do with low light! I took advantage of a full moon a few nights ago and took a series of photos that I will share in a few days – a full or partially full moon often provides plenty of light for nighttime shots!
Just a note – please send me your submissions by using the submission form! Thanks!
Happy Clicking!
~~~~~~~~~~~
As you work on your assignment, you may notice, as you test various shutter speeds, that something happens. As discussed in a previous issue of Canadian Scrapbooker, you know that the shutter speed and f/stop change correlatively; that is to say, as your shutter speed increases, your f/stop decreases. Remember the glass of water/running tap analogy I used? To recap, if it takes 30 seconds to fill a glass of water with the tap barely open, and 10 seconds to fill with the tap opened wide, logic concludes that it would take 20 seconds to fill it with the tap open halfway. Shutter speed and aperture works the same way.
But there’s another aspect to photography that can affect the outcome of your photos: ISO.
ISO, thanks to www.dictionary.com, is described as “the numerical exposure index of a photographic film under the system adopted by the International Standardization Organization, used to indicate the light sensitivity of the film’s emulsion.”
Back in the days of film, you could choose films of various ISOs (or sometimes refered to as ASA (American Standards Association), depending on your subject. For example, generally ISO 100 was used for standard outdoor or indoor flash photos, while many professional sports photographers used film with ISO 800 or 1600. The higher the ISO rating, the more sensitive the film was to light. The trade off was that the resulting photos had higher contrast and grain.
In digital photography, we can use ISO as part of the equation with shutter speed and f/stop to control our image results. Using a higher ISO will increase the amount of light that will reach the image sensor, and in turn, decrease the shutter speed. You know how shutter speeds increase approximately double each time (i.e. 1/60 s., 1/125 s., 1/250 s., 1/500 s., etc…)?* Well, ISOs are the same way – and they basically double the amount of light that enters the camera with each increase. The same results occur when using a higher ISO – except what appeared as grain in film, is referred to as “noise” in digital photography.
* These are standard shutter speeds correlating to film. Many cameras today have included 1/3 stops - for example: 1/500 s., 1/400 s., 1/320 s., 1/125 s., etc.
So, to illustrate, let’s go back to Part I and look at Figure 2.
Taken with Nikon D70, 50mm f1.8 lens at f/1.8, 1 sec. ISO 200
With camera settings of F/1.8, 1 sec. and ISO 200, I was at my widest aperture for my 50mm prime lens. To achieve the same exposure, but with a faster shutter speed, my only option would be to adjust the ISO setting.
By changing my ISO from 200 to 400, I am doubling the amount of light that enters the camera. Therefore, I can change decrease my shutter speed to 1/2 sec. and achieve the same result. Remember that as more light enters the camera, the shutter does not have to stay open as long.
(Please note – I would have had an example for you, but my son decided that he had had enough of being a model for the time being… )
The following settings would offer the same exposure:
original setting: ISO 200, f/1.8, 1 second
option 1: ISO 400, f/1.8, 1/2 second
option 2: ISO 800, f/1.8, 1/4 second
option 3: ISO 1600, f/1.8, 1/8 second
option 4: ISO 3200, f/1.8, 1/15 second
The important thing to remember is that while the above settings result in the same exposure, the amount of noise in the image would increase with each ISO change.
Many cameras allow you to set the ISO to automatic, in which it will change the ISO, depending on the amount of light available. To avoid this, check your camera’s manual – you can change this setting to set it yourself for each photo. Just remember to change it back to ISO 100 or ISO 200 for everyday photos to avoid “noisy” photos!
So, are you ready for some Hands On Photography practice?
Your October assignment:
Using a slow shutter speed, or a combination of a wide aperture, slow shutter speed and change of ISO, capture a nighttime or low light image. Try using candlelight or even moonlight (with a long shutter speed!). Use your imagination for your subject and composition, and don’t forget – the beauty of digital is that you can try many different settings! Don’t forget to bracket your exposures for the best results.
Deadline: October 31st, 2009
Please submit your photo(s), along with camera settings, using our submission form only (also linked above) for a chance to be entered into our draw. A randomly chosen entry will be drawn on November 1st, 2009 and the winner will be posted within a few days of the draw! Please click here to review the rules regarding this draw before submitting.
Please stay tuned for more information about our October prize package!
Thanks for playing along this month, and be sure to join us on November 1st, when we will talk about having fun with light and long exposures!
Happy Clicking,
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welcome to Part I of my October tutorial! Before we begin, let me apologize for not getting the tutorial up earlier… I had a draft post done but I guess my internet connection had other things that it wanted to be doing! I will be drawing a name this afternoon for our September assignment and will announce the winner tomorrow in my Part II post!
This month, we’re going to be talking more about shutter speeds. Just as we can set our shutter speeds to stop an action in time, we can also set them for longer periods to let in more light. Of course, in using a longer shutter speed, a tripod or steady surface may be needed, depending on the speed. You will also need a still subject!
As with many situations, your best bet is to take a few trial settings to see which will work the best. Start by setting your lens at its’ widest aperture (i.e. lowest number). Depending on your lens, this can range from f/4 down to f/1.4 (or lower, if you are saavy like this gentleman!) Then try a few different shutter speeds until you find the proper exposure. This is assuming that you are using full manual mode on your DSLR. If you prefer, you can set your camera to Aperture Priority at the widest aperture and let the camera figure out your shutter speed. As always, first consult your manual for more information pertaining to your own individual camera.
Remember, if your shutter speed is more than the reciprocal of your lens’ focal length, it’s almost always mandatory to use a tripod or stable surface to prevent camera shake. That is to say, if you are using a 50mm lens, the slowest shutter speed you can confidently use handheld would be 1/60. Similarly, if you are using a 70mm-200mm lens and are zoomed in to 200mm, you should probably use a shutter speed for anything slower than 1/250 for best results. If your camera lens has the image stabilization feature, you may be able to stretch that a few stops but for a sharp image, your best bet is a tripod or flat surface.
A technique that many professional photographers use is called bracketing. To do so, simply take three photos – one at the recommended shutter speed, one above and one below. For example, if your shutter speed is 1/15 sec., then you can “bracket” your shots and also photograph your subect at 1/8 sec. and 1/30 sec. This covers a range to ensure that the best exposure is taken.
Another factor that can affect the results of low-light photography is the speed of your lens. Most standard camera kit lens have a speed of f/4 -f/5.6. Using a faster lens, such as an f/1.8, you can use a faster shutter speed to reduce movement and blur, especially if your subject is animate. In the following photos, I photographed my son, using my Nikkor 50mm AF f/1.8 lens. Using a flash, I photographed him next to a candle. Note the harsh shadows and flat lighting, not to mention the telltale catchlights from the flash in his eyes.
Taken with Nikon D70, 50mm f/1.8 lens at f/2.8, 1/60 sec. ISO 200
But by using a slower shutter speed and my tripod, I was able to catch this photo of him, in candlelight. I love the glow of the candle, and the warmth of the lighting.
Taken with Nikon D70, 50mm f1.8 lens at f/1.8, 1 sec. ISO 200
Let’s just overlook the expression of “I’d rather be anywhere else” for a moment…
Note that the image is not as sharp as it could be – this is due to the fact that it was difficult for Connor to sit completely still without the slightest movement. To avoid this, I would have had to use a faster shutter speed, but since I was already at the widest aperture of f/1.8, I would have been unable to achieve the same exposure.
So what to do in that situation? Check back tomorrow for more info and your October assignment!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sue has been behind a camera for more than 25 years, working professionally as a photographer for the last ten years. While she began the hobby of scrapbooking in 2000, as a complement to her photographer career, it soon grew into a rival passion! Sue loves to enlarge one of her favourite photos and make it the focal point of her page, using her supplies to bring the focus onto her photography. She has, in recent years, turned more to scrapbooking "moments" rather than "events", choosing to leave her children more insight into her point of view of their lives.
Sue has been married to her best friend, Gary, for over 10 years and has two children, Connor and Aili. She considers herself very fortunate to be so lucky to work not only for herself, but also to be involved with Canadian Scrapbooker - both of which combine her passion for scrapbooking and writing!
CONTACT SUE: sue@canadianscrapbooker.ca
