Anatomy of a Photo: Chattisgarh, India 2009

Canon 5DMarkII     24-70mm f/2.8L (40mm)    1/4 sec. at f/14     ISO 100     Canon 580EXII 

Welcome to my world of Bad Light Photography. I’m constantly photographing great situations in mid-day contrasty light (bright highlights, dark shadows). I internally tear at my mind pondering,  “What can I do? Think creatively!” I believe in the ancient Chinese proverb: Crisis = Opportunity.

A couple of years ago I was traveling in the lesser-known state of Chattisgarh in India, photographing some of the numerous tribal groups. I stopped at Kangrapada village to make images of the Godaba Tribe’s fast-moving Dhemsa dance. It was a cloudless day at the stark hour of 2pm. They were outside, ready to dance, under big trees. The first thing I always do when I see a situation that I’m interested in photographing is to ask myself, “What is the problem?” Well, this problem was very evident: the light was mottled bright light and deep shadow, beyond the contrast range of my sensor (about half the range of the human eye). They were dancing under the shade of the trees, but it was an inconsistent pattern of light and shade and beyond the dancers was a glaring background. “What can I do? Think creatively!” Eureka, an idea: Pan and Flash!

I set my Canon 5DMark II camera at ISO 100. Then made an exposure for the lowest shutter speed possible of the dancers when they were the shade. That was ¼ sec. at f/14. Perfecto! My starting point for thinking about panning is 1/15 sec., but the slower the shutter speed the more dramatic the background blur. However, the problem with panning people at very slow shutter speeds is that the feet (and the hands) move at a much faster speed than the torso, so they can “ghost out”, disappear completely, and you are left with an image of a footless, handless torso drifting through space.

This is when using direct, bright flash is very helpful (I was using a Canon 580EXII, but a pop-up would work great in this situation). A flash burst is about 1/800th sec., so it will accentuate and freeze that moment within the blur. So it gives an illusion of sharpness with a blur. I always expect mistakes and misses so I “panned and flashed”for dozens of frames. I experimented from 1/15th sec. to ¼ sec. shutter speeds (aperture was not important). I was standing a bit away from the dancers and I needed a bright burst to make an impact, so I probably was on + 1.7 EV with the flash pointed directly at the dancers without a diffuser.

I had a number of interesting images to choose from but this frame I liked the most. The troublesome, splotchy light was smoothed  into lines that mimicked the stripes in the women’s dresses. The multiple feet are not a problem as they enhance the feeling of the dance. If you look carefully you can see how the use of flash sharpened the toes and heels. The background of people, bushes, bicycles blurred into patterns of color.

I actually love it when there are problems because then I’m forced to think of a creative solution. Most of my initial photographic ideas are ones that are familiar to me and come easily. As the brilliant Leonardo da Vinci wrote in his diary:

“Life is pretty simple: you do some stuff.

Most fails. Some works.

You do more of what works.

If it works big, others quickly copy it.

Then you do something else.

The trick is to do something else.”

Anatomy of a Photo: Lampa, Peru 2011

Peru. Lampa. Nighttime on Plaza.

5DMarkII    24mm f/1.4    1/40sec at f/1.4     ISO 1250

I am starting a new section call Anatomy of a Photo. I’ll post different images (mostly recent) and explain the inner workings of how they were made. Enjoy!

I was in Peru a couple of months ago; I hadn’t there for five years and I really loved it. We went to Lampa, a lovely small town, north of Julicaca. I enjoyed photographing in the late afternoon when the shadows were deep and long, however I knew that plaza would be lovely just after the sun set and the artificial lights appeared. Lampa is 15 degrees south of the equator so the dusk does not linger. The sun set at 5:35pm on July 11th. I figured there would be 10 – 15 minutes of “dull” light before the ambient artificial light glowed with the same intensity as the lingering blue in the sky. Then there would only be 10 to 15 minutes, maximum, to photograph before the sky turned too dark.

The first evening I brought my 5DMarkII with a 24mm f/1.4 lens and photographed hand holding, occasionally with an off-camera flash with a 1/2CTO gel. It was fine and I got some reasonable images. However, the church was a dominating presence and it begged to be sharp. The next evening I returned with my tripod and set up near a food stall and waited for people to cross into my frame. It is not a busy plaza, even on a Saturday night. I felt very lucky to have this confluence of activity. I only had ONE opportunity, and ONE click of the shutter when the spacing between the subjects was perfect. 

It was taken on 7/11/2011 at 5:53 PM. A couple of minutes later the sky was too dark. 

So why did I use such a shallow depth of field since I was on a tripod? Because I needed a relatively fast shutter speed so that my subjects would not ghost out. I did want a bit of motion blur but not too much; the subjects had to be recognizable. The church was at “infinity” and I almost parallel to it so I know it would be sharp even at the very shallow f/stop of 1.4. (You get what you pay for… the Canon 24mm f/1.4 fast lens is expensive but sharp). I kept my White Balance on Daylight to preserve the Kelvin temperature of the various mixed lighting. ISO 1250 was as high as I wanted to go with this camera.

Any other questions?

Upcoming Workshops 2011-2012

Hola everyone!

I have the honor of being listed in the recent issue of Photo District News as one of thirteen top workshop instructors. You can read the article here: PDN article    And an interview with me: PDN Interview

PDN Reader Survey: The Best Workshop Instructors. August 03, 2011

2-Day “Hands On” Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.0 Workshop

Dallas/Ft Worth        Saturday, September 17, 2011 – Sunday, September 18, 2011

The cost for both days is $295.00 with an early registration $100 discount. Early Discount is applied to all registrations before the start date of the scheduled.  For registration www.lightroomworkshops.com

Flash and Low-Light Photography  w/Nevada Wier & Carlan Tapp

Santa Fe Photographic Workshops    Santa Fe, NM     October 5 – 8, 2011  For more information: www.santafewworkshops.com 

Low-light, late evening, and nighttime photography are challenging and rewarding aspects of travel photography that are often overlooked. This action-packed, four-day workshop delves into long exposures; work with on-camera and off-camera small strobes, and painting with light. Geared to the traveling photographer who desires to photograph hand-held in low light, we work with accessories that are easily carried in your camera bag. No big heavy cases in this workshop! Nevada and Carlan use a lively blend of lectures, discussions, and assignments to support the challenges of tackling low-light photography with a digital camera. Their emphasis is on expanding your creative vision in the realm of low-light photography in order to elevate your travel photography beyond the ordinary. The historic town of Santa Fe is a perfect backdrop for our photographic forays. In addition, the workshop coincides with the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which provides abundant and exciting opportunities for late-evening or early-morning photography. The workshop includes group and individual critiques and personal assignments. Those who want to explore the creative possibilities of low-light photography, and don’t mind staying up late, are encouraged to attend.

The Dream Team Travel Photography Workshop

San Cristobal de Las Casa, Mexico    January 13 – 21, 2012  For more information: www.pixelchrome.com   Field Instructors: Nevada Wier, Brenda Tharp & Holly Wilmeth   Logistics: Jeremy Woodhouse & Ita Gelada

You are not going to want to miss this opportunity to photograph with four of America’s active travel and nature photographers – all together for six days in the wonderful colonial town of San Cristóbal de las Casas in the southern state of Chiapas, Mexico. This town is still remarkably “Mexican” and does not boast the crush of expat winter residents that many other colonial towns in Mexico do – on the other hand it is still well set up to take care of visitors who choose to travel beyond their comfort zones.

There are a maximum of 18 places on this instructional tour together with the 3 field instructors (and since it is billed as an instructional tour, the instructors are encouraged to photograph). Participants will be divided into 3 groups of 6 people and each group of 6 will be assigned an instructor for the day. The instructor will rotate every second day so that during the 6-day tour each participant will have the opportunity to work with each instructor for two days, giving them the opportunity to experience distinct photographic styles. Each instructor will make a presentation during one of the late-morning sessions. These sessions will include audio-visual presentations and there will be plenty of time for interaction with the instructors – they alone will be worth the price of admission!

CREATIVITY WITH LIGHT 

Nevada Wier and Dan Westergren, Photography Editor for National Geographic Traveler Magazine, presenting a one-day seminar on LIGHT!

Have you ever anticipated getting to a beautiful location you want to photograph only to arrive and find yourself thinking, “The light’s not right, now what?”  Whether it’s a once in a lifetime vacation to a remote location or an important magazine assignment, you know you have to get the picture.  Join National Geographic Traveler senior photo editor Dan Westergren and world-renowned travel photographer, Nevada Wier as they demonstrate how to find great light and what to do when it’s “not quite right”.

Dallas    Sunday, September 25, 2011   Richland College, Fannin Hall Performance Center

San Francisco   Sunday, October 2, 2011   Fort Mason Conference Center

Philadelphia   Sunday, October 16, 2011   Moore College of Art & Design

$195.00 per person (includes lunch)      Sessions will run from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

For information and registration:  www.ngtravelerseminars.com/light/ 

Update on “Save the Neck; Go Light”

I returned a few weeks ago from five weeks in India leading a National Geographic Expedition photo group to Rajasthan (great fun, great group!) and then I was photographing tribal groups in Orissa and Chattisgarh for three weeks. I wore my neck brace 24/7 (see this post). I felt like a robot since I had to turn my entire body whenever I needed to look to the side; but interestingly, only a few people ever commented on it. I think most tribals thought the brace was a fashion statement (and I was accessorizing with a buff and scarves).

Nevada photographing in Orissa © Manoj Sharma

So how did my travel vest plus Lowepro Street and Field work for me? Thumbs up for Lowepro and thumbs down for the Magellans Travel Vest. (see this post)

Well, as I wrote in the previous post, I never found a suitable lightweight photo vest for tropical weather, so I tested travel vests and decided on the Magellan Travel Vest. It failed “the photo vest test”. In its defense, the Magellan travel vest is not meant to be a photo vest. However, it also failed “the travel vest test”. I love the fabric and cut of the vest. Yet for the pockets to be truly useable they really do need to be bigger (and there is room). I did wear the vest a few times when I didn’t want to carry my Eagle Creek Departure waist pouch (see this post) but needed a place to hide money in an interior pocket and stow my sunglasses. Otherwise the vest was not that useful and since it was hot in India I abandoned it most of the time.

Now the good news! I love the Lowepro Street and Field system. It was perfect for walking around markets and in villages. I brought all my gear over in my trusty Lowepro Orion AW bag (I may have to mount a campaign for Lowepro to resurrect this great camera bag from its discontinued status, join me!) but it was primarily a vessel for my equipment and stayed in the car most of the time. Honestly I usually only needed two lenses: the 16-35m f/2.8 and usually the 24-70mm. Occasionally I also carried the 24mm f/ 1.6 (I love it, so sharp!). I think I only walked around with my 100-400mm f/4.5 a couple of times.

Nevada photographing in Orissa © Manoj Sharma

Nevada photographing in Orissa © Manoj Sharma

So I had 2-3 pouches on the waist belt for the 1-2 lenses and one pouch for flash accessories. I also carried my Garmin GPS and Canon S95 on the belt. In addition, I usually had my converted Canon 5D infrared camera in an older TopLoad Zoom (it is not as bulky as the new ones) slung over a shoulder to my left side. So I still looked armed and dangerous (well, not so dangerous) but all the weight was off my shoulders and my neck. It really was just perfect.

Nevada photographing in Orissa © Manoj Sharma

I also found that I could slip my Canon 580EX flash into one of the pockets with the Rogue Flashbender – Small Positionable Reflector or LumiQuest FX diffuser and have a workable off-camera flash when I was kneeling and photographing upwards. The new Pocket Wizards Flex TT5 and Mini TT1 Radio Slave for Canon function so much better than the Canon wireless transmitter.

Now I’m on my way to Myanmar and am taking the same setup with me. I have some suggestions for Lowepro about the pouches but generally I am really happy with the gear.

I have graduated to a soft collar and am beginning to get some movement back in my neck. Bless the healing power of bones, and bless seat belts!

I am going to have to design a photo vest though.

Don’t forget that …

…even when it seems impossible to handhold an image in the dark that if you put your camera on continuous and rip off at least five shots that the middle images has a high probability of being sharp even at 1/2 sec.

© nevada wier  Sri Lanka, Kandy Esala Perahera

… sometimes there just are times when one needs a tripod! Some subjects beg to be sharp with a substantial depth of field in low light situations.

© nevada wier  Sri Lanka, Dambulla Rock Cave

…95% of the boring photographs are taken straight on. Get low, get high, get a new lease on your physical perspective.

© nevada wier  Sri Lanka, Negombo Beach

and if you don’t have any idea what you doing, just try… if you don’t click the shutter you are 100% guaranteed to fail!

© nevada wier  Sri Lanka, Kandy Esala Perhera Elephant Festival

So here I sit in LAX, waiting for my plane to New Delhi. I won’t be carrying my usual retinue of gear; but having a creative perspective is of more importance than another lens. I’m looking forward to the simplicity of only using a lens or two, although I know it will feel quite strange. My new mantra: “Don’t forget to move…but move slowly and carefully!”

A Vested Endeavor

I sure have done a number of posts about packing. However, since I consider myself a professional packer as much as a professional photographer it is not surprising. I am off to India in a few weeks but I have this pesky broken neck. So, how I am going to carry my camera gear has become more intriguing than usual. (Update: My back is 100% thanks to Rolfing, Acupuncture, Electromagnetic Therapy and Satanic Rituals. My C2 neck break is happily healing well, ensconced  in a fashionable brace wrapped with all those scarves I buy in Asia that I finally get a chance to wear. Have Brace Will Travel…off I go!)

Originally I was going to try Lowepro’s Slingshot 302AW (since my trusted Orion AW has been discontinued… curses!). But….. I really can’t carry my usual 20-25lbs of gear around all day. I am going to take it all with me but only walk around with a lens or two at a time. I have a number of small shoulder bags but even minimal weight on my shoulder is not a great idea. Luckily Lowepro just came out with a update Street and Field Series. Brilliant! I will use a padded waist-belt that can attach a collapsible (perfect for travel) lens pocket for an extra lens, if I want, and pouches for my flash and accessories. It was a cinch to figure out what pouches I needed (and there are lots of choices!). And, the BlackRapid RS-W1 (yes, they now also have designed one for women) camera strap is so much more comfortable than the usual strap that hangs down on the neck.

And, I thought I should bring a photo vest in case I wanted to use that instead of or in tandem with the belt system. This is where I came grinding to a halt, and hours have been spent online. I have a Domke Photo Vest that was “the standard” for years, but even though I have a small size, it is long, huge, and heavy with outdated Khaki fabric. I also have a Royal Robbins Field Guide Vest, (on sale now for $58) which is fine, but too heavy for India. So I started searching and searching and searching online. I looked at Vested Interest: no way was I going to wear a vest with padded pockets, definitely a guy thing. I checked out Humvee Safari Vest but it looks too big and hot (and there was also the Humvee Combat Tactical Vest Khaki Multi Pack!!!!). It became very clear that vests are made primarily for men (not surprising) and they are large, heavy, with a zillion pockets (I begin to lose things when I have too many choices). Actually I thought the BigPockets Tropical Vest ($89) looked the best of all of them; even though it is for birders I think it would also be great for photographers. But it might be more than I really need if I am using the S&F belt.

So I thought “Okay, forget about Photo Vests, look at Travel Vests. It may not be able to hold a lens but it can carry money, accessories, sunglasses, etc. That would be good with the Street & Field belt.” So back online for a few more hours. Last year I tried a ScotteVest Travel Vest for Women (a real nifty$100 vest with all kinds of pockets for electronics); but it became clear on the plane that it was going to be too hot for Thailand and India. I couldn’t even wear it in the airports; I was roasting, especially with fleece around the collar. I used to have a great TravelSmith travel vest but I lost it in Laos years ago and of course they don’t make it any longer. The Tilleys Different Drummer Legends Women’s Traveller/Carry-On Vest looks good but it is a $150 and I can’t tell how lightweight it is by the description online (it does say it dries overnight). Yet it is GUARANTEED FOR LIFE NOT TO WEAR OUT. You have to love Tilley products. The TravelSmith Women’s Voyager Vest ($69) looks okay and is a contender at 12 oz (but not sure I need “hand warmer pockets”). Then I saw Magellans Travel Vest for $52 that had the magic word “ultralight” (8oz), doesn’t have a collar, and seems to have all the pockets I would need for access and security. Sot that is what I ordered.

After the vest and the Lowepro S&F arrives I’ll give you a thumbs up or down about my choice.

And, if you ladies out there have any other suggestions. I’m listening! After what I learned,  I want to design my own vest. Someday I’ll get that WierGear rolling!

Blogging with B&H

I have an inaugural post, Low Light and Flash photography, on the first-class blog–B&H Insights.

“There is no doubt about it; India is a photographer’s carnival. The colors are kaleidoscopic; the scenes are cinematic; and the light is luminous. I’ve been traveling to Rajasthan for the past few years to lead the National Geographic Expeditions India Photo Tour—a tour that has focused on light and lighting.

However, even the best light sometimes needs a bit of enhancement or a creative touch. I don’t bring a lot of lighting equipment when I travel because I have to carry everything myself, on my shoulder, for hours. I use a Canon 5D Mark II and usually work with only one flash, 580 EX II flash, and an assortment of small, lightweight, but very important flash accessories.”

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM, ISO 800, 1/80 sec. at f/3.5

Read the rest of the post on B&H Insights. Enjoy!

And join me in Tampa, Florida Sunday, September 26th or in Chicago, Illinois Sunday, October 3rd for the National Geographic Traveler CREATIVITY IN LIGHT one day seminar. It is a blast of a seminar; I share my insights with the fabulous Dan Westergren, photo editor of NG Traveler Magazine. If you can’t make it one of these cities then hopefully we will be somewhere near you next season when we go on the road again.

Lensbaby Panoramic

© nevada wier 2009  Rajasthan, India

I just received an email asking me about the above image that was in my recent show Outer India at the Verve Gallery in Santa Fe, NM. I was leading a National Geographic Expedition to Rajasthan last year (great fun!) and we were photographing on the Sam sand dunes outside of Jaisalmer. It was a beautiful evening and had the good fortune of meeting a caravan of travelers who were willing to spend some time with us on the sand dunes. I photographed wide, long, standing, lying down and then.. said “Lensbaby“! So I pulled out my Lensbaby Composer and starting photographing. I decided to try an panoramic. So I shot a series of images with the idea of merging them. I knew it would be tricky but I did find two images that were clicked seconds apart that worked perfectly when stitched together (I used the miraculous Photomerge in Photoshop CS5). As I have written before, I choose not to crop or change any content in my images, so these are two intact images stitched together. Pretty cool! Otherwise there is no way to create this kind of double selective focus. I could have achieved this with a tilt-shift lens but I find the Lensbaby works best in motion situations. I love it when what I see is a catalyst for a creative image.

I’m leading another National Geographic Expedition to Rajasthan this fall. If your interested in this year or next you can get more information at NationalGeographic.com

Those 10 things I knew, or wished I knew, before becoming a professional photographer

Last month I taught two workshops, Creativity and Travel Photography, for the Santa Fe Workshops. I love teaching (and working as a Mentor also), although I don’t have time to teach more than two or three a year. I had two remarkable groups and they inspired me as much as, I hope, I inspired them. You can see their final shows here and here (week 2).

At the end of the first week one of the members of the class handed me a piece of paper with two questions and asked if I would answer them. They were brilliant, although I remember fumbling through the answers. However yesterday, just hours before I was leaving for a flight to Sri Lanka, I found the paper on my desk. Since the luggage was loaded in my car; I decided to think about my answers a bit more coherently. I got most of the way through them, then it was off to the airport. Now I’m on the 15 hour flight from LA to Bangkok, (then to Colombo) and am finishing the post.

What are 10 Things you are glad that you knew when you decided to become a professional travel photographer? So, in no particular order, here they are:

1. Because of my experience as a river guide, rock climber and Outward Bound instructor I learned the difference between perceived risk and actual risk. A very valuable distinction to have when one is traveling in foreign countries.
2. Also because of my previous experience as a guide and instructor, I knew not to projection my thoughts, feelings, or interpretations on anyone else. I learned that there is no way to really know what someone is thinking, unless you ask or give them space to answer, verbally or non-verbally. Presume nothing; expect everything.
3. I knew that I had some great traits for a traveler: I can handle alcohol; I can sleep anywhere; I have an “iron stomach”; I have a bad sense of smell; and I remain very calm in times of stress or uncertainty. All very useful for the solo traveler
4. It was very clear that I was “born to roam”. I didn’t care about getting married and having a family; I just wanted to travel. And, I was passionate about photography.
5. I knew that there is no such thing as luck. Luck is everywhere; it is just a matter of taking advantage of it.
6. I am glad that I had brilliant teachers who taught me to think creativity and write coherently. I am also glad I learned how to type.
7. I am glad I began photographing with black and white film and taught myself the fundamentals of working in a darkroom.
8. I am also glad I used fixed focal length lenses and was forced to move to fill a frame.
9. Although I was not a painter, I admired and studied artists from historic to contemporary. I understood the power of color, and why the color wheel was important in art.
10. I knew that it was never going to be an easy field in which to make a living. And, that it was best to keep my overhead very low.

What are 10 Things you wish you had known when you decided to become a professional travel photographer? Again, in no particular order, but notice that most have to do with business:

1. That photography is 80% about business, not photography. I really should have hung out with MBA students and not river guides and rock climbers (for potential boyfriends).
2. Just about everything that had to do with photography since I am self-taught—which means that the teacher knew very little.
3. It took me awhile to figure out that it was useless to try and photograph what I saw, since slide film can only render about four stops of contrast range, while my eyes could see about 16 stops. Really, I was just using reality to express my perception of it.
4. That there is a difference between marketing and business and you have to be great at both.
5. That many clients do not understand that photographers need to make a decent living also (especially non-profit organizations) and are always asking for free images. And, that it was never a good idea to give into these requests without some kind of compensation.
6. That one should buy a house young to build up credit and equity. Invest in yourself but also in other ways.
7. Those credit cards are essential, but evil.
8. That I should never have carried such heavy cameras bags or pack packs.
9. That computers would eventually rule my life (well, maybe it good that I didn’t know that actually)
10. That no matter how recognized I would become in photography, the phone would never ring on its own. I would have to hustle and reinvent myself all the time.

And now you ask…

What would I like to know now? How to clone myself since I have to keep hustling!

Singh-Ray filters… the best.. and I only need three

Check out this post I wrote for the Singh-Ray blog!

http://singhray.blogspot.com/2010/06/on-narrowest-trails-in-most-faraway.html

“Traveling the back roads and narrow trails of Asia, Africa and South America for hours at a time to reach the world’s most remote tribal areas and cultures gives National Geographic photographerNevada Wier plenty of time to think about the gear she takes with her… what stuff is important and what might not be. “Believe me, my filters are important. In particular three kinds of Singh-Ray filters go with me everywhere. There’s a Hi-Lux filter on each of my lenses, and I also carry a 77mm LB Warming Polarizer and a 77mm Vari-ND filter. Each one of these filters is essential and fits neatly in my camera bag that I have to carry around all day.

“I keep a Hi-Lux UV filter on each lens because I want the best possible glass between my lens and the world. I photograph in extreme elemental conditions — rain, snow, fog, hot days, cold nights… you name it. I’ve learned the importance of protecting my valuable lenses. However, I do not want a filter that degrades my image quality so I always go with the Hi-Lux.

To read the rest go to … http://singhray.blogspot.com/2010/06/on-narrowest-trails-in-most-faraway.html

Enjoy!