DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY NEWS FROM ePHOTOzine

 

What Is A 'Fast' Lens?

When you hear the term 'fast lens' it means that the lens in question has a large maximum aperture (the bigger the aperture, the faster the lens will be). The aperture is often displayed as an f followed by a number but do remember that a large maximum aperture will actually be a small number such as f/1.8. A fast prime lens would be considered fast when it has a maximum aperture under f/2.8. However, if the lens is 300mm or longer, an aperture of f/2.8 would be considered to be fast and the same goes for zoom lenses.

 

Let's Talk Apertures A bigger aperture (small f-number) will allow more light to reach the camera's sensor which means faster shutter speeds can be used even in low light situations. They're useful in various shooting situations including places where flash can't be used, at concerts where there's not much ambient light, indoors when you're trying to capture movement such as dancers on stage and for subjects such as sports photography where fast shutter speeds are essential.

 

Nikon 50mm f/1.4D lens, Different apertures: f/1.4, f/4, f/16. More on exposure and camera settings here.

 

You Can Work Hand-Held

Another advantage to fast lenses is that you won't always be forced to use a tripod as the faster shutter speeds allow for hand-held shooting in more situations. This is something that's particularly useful in places where tripods aren't allowed such as in cathedrals or in busy locations where light can be an issue such as in a museum.
 

The Negatives

A downside to fast lenses is that they can be expensive and they tend to be heavier and bigger than other lenses. Care needs to be paid to focus when using autofocus as you may find it tries to focus on the wrong part of the shot, leaving focus on an area of the image that wasn't your intended subject. It's also worth investing in a good quality lens so images don't appear soft when viewed on-screen.

 

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Orientation names suggest that landscapes should be landscape format and portraits should be portrait format and even though there are times when the subject will dictate the orientation, there are scenes where switching to portrait will benefit the shot. 

Landscapes are very different when they are upright; they have much more depth and tend to emphasise the contrast between foreground and background.

The height of the picture allows you to make more definite use of perspective, especially if the foreground has a linear quality about it such as a field with ploughed furrows. The shape also gives you a more obvious opportunity to choose the position of your horizon. The rules of composition favour placing the horizon at a third from the top or bottom (actually three-eighths from top or bottom – which is fairly accurately the ‘golden ratio’). However, do experiment with more extreme framing to see what happens: placing the horizon right at the top or near the base of the picture.          
Depth of field in landscape is rarely a serious issue, but if you like to play with focus then the emphasis that the format places on the perspective will also give you opportunities to exploit shallow depth of field. Of course, you can do this in a horizontal picture too, but it seems to crop up more often this way round.
Do remember that not all of us get it right every time and being able to change the orientation of a picture by cropping can change the dynamic of the shot entirely so it's always worth having a look at your images once home to see if a quick crop will improve your shot.    

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The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a huge arts festival that runs in August and even though you need tickets for many of the shows at the Fringe, you can visit the Royal Mile for free where you'll find plenty of street entertainers you can capture images of.

Due to the event's popularity and the variety of things on offer to photograph, you will see all sorts of photographic approaches so there's not really hard-and-fast rules to follow more like guidelines that'll help you capture the best of what the Fringe has to offer. Also, although taking photos is fun do remember that you're actually there to enjoy yourself so do take your eye away from the viewfinder occasionally and just enjoy the atmosphere.

 

Photo by Cattyal

 

1. Lens Choices 

A standard zoom is perfect for the sort of distances you'll be taking photos from. If you own a telezoom do take it, however, someone will more than likely get in the way if you're using a longer lens so use it for tightly-cropped shots rather than trying to get a shot from a distance. Wides can work but make the point of getting in close to fill the frame and accept that you are going to get fussy backgrounds.

 

2. Know Where You Are Going

Pick up a guide as it lists times as well as locations of where things are happening, plus if it's your first time visiting, there's usually a handy map included to help you find your way. The best location is on the Royal Mile where you get street performers and artists promoting their shows with mini-performances.

 

3. Be Patient 

It does get bustling with visitors and performers coming and going all day but hang around for long enough and you will find something to aim your lens at.

 

4. Take Care 

Due to how busy the Royal Mile gets remember to take care of your possessions and don't leave anything unattended. It can also get hot at this time of year, so remember to keep hydrated and you'll probably encounter a sudden downpour, too so keep a brolly handy.

 

Photo by  Cattyal

 

5. Payment For Performance 

Some performers would like a payment for posing and it is up to you if you want to make a contribution. Some of the shows are excellent and you might feel that a sample of enjoyable street theatre is worth some small change.

 

6. Be Polite 

As they're performing in public, on the street they tend to not mind you photographing them. However, if the opportunity arrives, it is always polite to ask them if it's OK to take a few shots. 

 

7. Capture Close-Ups 

As they're passionate about their performance you'll have plenty of interesting expressions and movements to photograph so get in close if the opportunity unfolds.

 

8. Crowd Or No Crowd? 

If there's a big crowd or the street they're on is particularly cluttered hide it by cropping in close to the performer. However, if the crowd's having a particularly good time, having them in the shot can work well in an image with the performer. Alternatively, just capture an image of the spectators watching the show. 

 

Photo by David Pritchard

9. Speed & Position 

Shoot quickly, watch the background and move around to explore different camera angles.

 

10. Different Perspective 

Performance shots are great but don't overlook capturing shots of performers scooping up change from guitar cases or moving position to set-up for the next part of their act.

 

11. Continuous Shooting & Focus 

Switch to continuous shooting but don't be tempted to constantly machine-gun away. Instead, take the time to watch for the key moments that are worth capturing. Continuous focusing will help you maintain focus on the street performers.

 

12. Shutter Priority 

Consider using Shutter Priority so you can decide how much you freeze / add motion blur to action shots. To add crowd movement to your shot you'll need a slower shutter speed and a support. Tripods take up too much space so use a monopod or even your camera bag as a support. Use a small aperture and low ISO to get the slower speeds you need. You may need to experiment to find the exact shutter speed that works but the beauty of digital means you can check the screen, adjust and take another shot.

 

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