I saw the wonderful full-length human sculptures made from wood and wanted to get a shot.  All of the gallery lighting is ceiling spotlights, which provide lots of light, but also lots of glare.  The sculptures I wanted were in the middle of the gallery, surrounded by these ceiling lights.  I walked around the case, looking for the best, least-interferring angle.  I finally decided it was impossible to avoid the lights and glare, so looked for the angle that had the least amount of light hitting the sculpture itself and put as much as possible in the background.

I had already turned off my flash and set the camera for a mid-range light sensitivity reading, known as the ISO reading.  I used 400 – a mid-range setting, because the light in the gallery was good.

The results weren’t great, but they were acceptable.  I could still see the figure in some detail, and the lights were mostly in the background.

  I could, of course, stamp out the lights in a photo editing program, but lots of photoshop work isn’t what I want to do.  I would rather get the best shot I can out of my camera.  It’s a challenge sometimes, but a little thought and observation does make it possible.

   My book, The Accidental Photographer:  Enhancing Your Travels With a Camera, is now available for purchase online!  Click on the link above to go directly to the store.  Take advantage of the free download, and while you are there, also click on the green banner on the side and have a look at the photos for sale through a group of talented, aspiring photographers.

            I think just about anyone who takes a camera on a trip wants to travel with it unencumbered and come home with good photos that can be shared with friends and family.  My book illustrates how to use the camera effortlessly and take good pictures that reflect the passion of travel.  The book is aimed at the casual photographer and the techniques described are basic and can be mastered with a little practice and used with any camera. 

 Many thanks to all of the people who have helped me with this project.  Marco Zecchin and JD Savelli of Marketing4Artists helped me define my photographic niche and helped me develop the goal of writing this book.   Linda Watanabe McFerrin and my writing workshop friends helped me think through many approaches to this topic before we came up with one that worked.   They, along with my traveling and photo buddies encouraged me to finish and get it published through many discouraging efforts. Left Coast Writers, sponsored by The Book Passage in Corte Madera,  gave me the social and educational forum to keep going.  Cheryl McLaughlin was instrumental in getting the online strategy going.  Marie Teixeira and Steve Kimbrough, talented webmasters, put all of the creative ideas into my website, blog page and store.  My dear husband, Dale Black, supported me through this effort and never questioned my sanity. 

Here’s what one of my Photography friends says about The Accidental Photographer:

“I have recently reviewed The Accidental Photographer, and find this to be an excellent piece of work. It is well written, contains some very useful information for the non technical photographer, and is well illustrated with the authors’ personal photos. A great many people could benefit from reading this, and in so doing be able to shoot and better organize photos of their trips and vacations.” – Larry R. Van Etten – Owner – Aspiring Photographers of The World – http://goapow.com

Larry R. Van Etten
LVE@GOAPOW.COM

 Here’s what Linda Watanabe McFerrin, author, travel writer, instructor, says about The Accidental Photographer: 

 If you have a camera and haven’t spent plenty of time and money on classes, this is the book for you. The Accidental Photographer: Enhancing Your Travels with a Camera is excellent on-the-fly, hands-on training in how to use the ubiquitous tool. Marsha Black’s eye-opening tips are so simple and clear that even the technically challenged will have no trouble following them. Every  traveler armed with a camera should leave a small space in their bags for this book.

Linda Watanabe McFerrin

 So, check it out, enjoy, and please, help me spread the word.

Ross Fountain at Butchart Gardens, British Columbia

Take a hard look at the water flow details in these two images.  In first, the water has a silky flow, cascading down the fountain configuration in a smooth line with no hint of water droplets or splash.  The second photo is all action, frozen in place, with water droplets and splash as part of the movement.  The differences were not happy accidents: I manipulated the camera to slow the shutter speed in the fountain shot and to speed it up in the kayaking shot.

My husband and I were visiting Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia.  We had strolled through the sunken garden to the end and were watching this famous waterfall as dusk began to develop and the fountain lights were coming on.  Low light conditions were working in my favor.  I knew if I set the camera on a landscape icon, the camera would adjust to a setting that would increase the focus throughout the frame and in doing so, would slow the shutter speed down.  If the evening had been brighter, I would have insured that result by setting the light sensitivity of the camera – the ISO – to a low number (100, as opposed to 1600) to reduce the shutter speed.   Be sure to hold the camera steady when you do this, as the slow shutter speed will also pick up any camera movement and produce a blurry shot.

Kayak in White Water

We ended that trip with a slow walk along the river in Missoula, Montana. We came upon an overlook and were watching young people practice their kayaking techniques.  Freezing the action was the required result.  Who wants to look at a blurry kayaker?  I still used the landscape icon.  The day was bright, so I could use a 200 ISO to increase the light sensitivity so I would have a shutter speed fast enough to freeze the action as well as focus through the entire frame.

How do you figure out how to make those adjustments on your camera?  All cameras come with a manual that most people toss in a drawer because it looks far too complicated to read.  You don’t need to read the whole thing.  It does pay off, though, to read the sections on how to change the icon settings from automatic to one you select and on how to set the light sensitivity — the ISO –  on your camera.  If you understand how to use those two settings, you, too, can manipulate your camera to get the result you want.

DeYoung Museum New Guinea Collection

When we entered the gallery, I immediately reset my camera for low museum light.  First, I found the flash control and turned off the flash.   Then I found the menu control, where I could adjust the light senstivity reading, called ISO settings.  All cameras “automatically” put this reading on “auto” adjustment.  However, that rarely “adjusts” well for museum light.  The gallery was fairly well lit, and the lighting in the museum cases was fairly bright, so I set the light sensitivity, the ISO,  at 400.  In order to frame the masks themselves and to get an accurate reading on the light, I stepped back a little and used the zoom lens to frame the artifact  itself. 

I had to check the corners for window glare on the glass casing that held the artifact.  Avoiding excess window glare is difficult but critical to a good photo – the glare can obliterate an otherwise good photo.  I saw a little in the upper left corner of the shot, but it didn’t interfere with the subject itself.  So, I let it go.  Sometimes I need to step to one side or the other in order to avoid this glare problem.

This portrait of a 20th century New Guinea ancestor skull was the result.  A great reminder to honor our ancestors this Hallowe’en and the All Soul’s Day which follows.

Venetian Lacemaking

A big part of travel is watching people engage in local arts and craft-making. We ache to get good photographs of the projects. Next time you have the opportunity to view someone engaged in an activity that requires the use of their hands, hone in on their hands! That’s where the action is, and where there is action, there is a story.

We were touring the lace-making island of Burano on a trip to Venice one year, and were treated to a fascinating demonstration of this ancient art as we entered one of the shops. I tried some head-on shots, facing this beautiful elderly woman as she plied her craft. No luck. The shots were flat and not interesting at all. As we walked behind her to view the displays, I glanced back for one last look, and there it was – the shot I wanted. I framed down with my telephoto lens and clicked. The hands told the story. I didn’t need a flash; the light illuminated her work. The angles of her hands over her work and the angle of her head and body created the dynamic feel I wanted. Her bright red dress gave me a perfect color accent and drew my eye into the photo. I knew I had a great memory of our outing.

PS:

Turn off the flash. The sudden “pop” distracts the person doing the project, and it may create too much light, blotting out what you are trying to capture.

Add just enough of a face and body to bring life to the story. Too much information distracts from the main subject – the action itself.