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Photographic Exposure ISO | San Jose CA Portrait Photographer
As a portrait photographer, it is my job to make sure the final images come out in a way that is not only flattering to my client, but technically proficient as well. The most important lesson to learn as a photographer is how to control exposure and what to change to create a “mood” or “emotion”.
Remember the visual of a triangle, with ISO-SHUTTER SPEED-APERTURE as the three points. Today we will deal with ISO. ISO stands for the Greek term “isos”, or “equal”. In camera speak, it means the International Organization for Standardization, which is only really interesting if you are a nerd like me and get excited about learning new words and their origins…ahem…
If you ever shot film, you may remember the numbers on the boxes you purchased, for example ISO 125-200-400-1600. Remember when you wanted to shoot indoors, your photography store clerk would point you to 400 or even 1600? You see, ISO indicates the sensitivity of the film–or in digital terms, the sensor–to light. The lower the number, the less sensitive. I used to use 200 or less for sunny days. By the way, we are not going into using flash/strobe yet.
You can input your preferred ISO into almost any camera, including your point and shoot. About 99% of the people I talk to have no idea how to do that. Never fear, we will get to that, too. The main thing to remember right now is ISO=sensitivity to light.
See you next time, and be sure to leave any questions for me. I’ll be happy to answer them below! xo
Posted in Glamour Photography, Portrait Couture, Questions
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The Soul of a Portrait | Bay Area Portrait Photography
When you photograph a face . . .you photograph the soul behind it.
- Jean -Luc Godard
This is one of my all time favorite quotes about portrait photography, because it is so accurate. Eyes are the windows to the soul, they say, and it couldn’t be more true when a woman is in the studio, most likely having hated being photographed before.
- (c) Jillian Todd 2004-2015
These are the best subjects to work with, because in their aversion to having a portrait made, they forget what part of them is really being captured. When she begins to relax, laugh and maybe shed a tear or two, I know I am opening that window. Yes, her face, her decolletage, maybe a full body shot. But what she doesn’t realize is I want her eyes to speak. For without her eyes penetrating through the lens, the image means nothing at its core.
So my challenge to you this week is, whether with a camera or not, connect. Really look at the people around you. If you are shooting a portrait, see if you can get that connection through the lens. When you do, it’s palpable. It will not only move your subject; it will move your soul.
Posted in Glamour Photography, Portrait Couture
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Introduction to Exposure | San Jose Glamour Photographer
Exposure
Haha! I talk a lot about exposure here, but this is the first in a series of photography tips regarding the term exposure.
Cameras today are no different than the pinhole camera I made in high school. They are light proof boxes designed to keep unwanted light away from your film, paper or sensor, while directing the “latent image” right where you want it. Remember the foil with the little hole in it? That would be the “aperture” but I’m getting ahead of myself.
When you bought your camera, did you ask a lot of questions on how to use it? Did you take a class? Maybe you saw “P”–no, it doesn’t mean “professional”– set your camera to that part of the dial and have been shooting (un)happily ever since.
A lot of my non-photographer friends are frustrated by their camera. The questions I get most often are about blurry photographs of kids playing indoor sports, people standing in front of a window—why do they look so dark—couldn’t my camera tell–why is everything so BRIGHT? Why do I have this weird black bar across the top and/or bottom of my image? Why would “P” not do the trick?
What you need to know about exposure is it’s made up of more than “P”—you can actually decide what you want to expose for. Wha….? Yes, YOU can tell your camera what to do while shooting indoor sports or people in front of a window or any other situation. The point of photography is to convey a mood, right?
The three elements of controlling exposure are ISO, APERTURE and SHUTTER SPEED. Think of them as a triangle. Each week, I will be giving you a lot more information on how and why you should control exposure in your photography, when to make changes and what those changes mean for your images.
Ready? Questions anyone?
Posted in Glamour Photography, Questions
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Obsession with Transformation | Glamour Photographer Bay Area CA
Transformations | Bay Area Makeover
Are you, like most people I know, am transfixed by before and afters? Some of my favorite TV shows revolve around the concept: Candice Olsen’s Divine Design and Candice Tells All…What Not to Wear…Biggest Loser…Extreme Home Makeover…almost every other HGTV show, the list goes on and on. And I’m not too ashamed to admit it: I usually skip to the end.
- Fave Bedroom From Candice Tells All
The most powerful transformation, obviously, is the one that happens inside. So many people, at the end of these shows, talk about how the experience changed their perception of themselves, their lives, how even the space they live in impact their quality and enjoyment of their lives…I shared a little yesterday about throwing a bunch of crappy beliefs and “stories” out of my life. Today, I’d like to hear about how YOU have transformed yours: inside? Outside? Attitude? Clothes? Makeup? Surgery? What makes you feel transformed? Have you overcome what seemed like insurmountable obstacles? Please share with us (it can be anonymous, of course). So much can be learned from each other…xo