Fashion Shooting in Winter Wonderland

This weekend we did a fashion based beauty shooting in the beautiful forest near Stadtbergen. Our models had a lot of fun despite the cold and icy winds.To keep them warm we had hot fruit punch and warm blankets. Due to the unique setting in combination with the colourful smoke the portraits turned out fantastic and had a very dreamy touch. Thick snowflakes and the blowing wind  give a very unique feel to the wintry pictures.

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The use of colours and contrasts is one of the most important design elements in photography. 80% of human perception is visual, directly from the eyes the information goes straight to the brain, and enters our minds, unfiltered. Our world is full of colours. Colours for themselves as well as the combination of colours are able to influence the way we feel. How they set the mood in photographs and which effects can be used in respect to colour and contrast will be the topic of this article.

colours IN OUR LIFE

‘Having the blues’ or being ‘green of envy’, these are expressions that reflect that colours are very closely related to emotions. Colours can affect moods, feelings and emotions. They are able to create a certain atmosphere. It seems that there is a special colour for each emotion. If you want to compose your picture in a conscious way it can be very helpful to have basic knowledge of colours and their meaning and what influence they have on the viewer. This article is intended to give you a good overview on the symbolism of colours and the psychological aspects of colours. Using Itten’s colour wheel different kinds of contrast and their effects are introduced as well as the harmonic combination of different colour shades. The last part of this article will be filled with interesting facts about effect of colours on human behaviour, also those linked to gender. There will be some helpful facts about how to use colour in order to create an impression of depth in your pictures and much more.

Colour Symbolism and colour psychology

It is important to recognize on which factors the effect of colours can dependent. Every culture assigns to different colours different cultural and social meanings and values. Additionally men perceive colour in a different way than women. For these reasons one should be aware of one’s target group and which atmosphere is intended best to carry the desired message. What do you want to achieve with your picture? Which impression do you want the viewer to have?

The symbolic meaning of colours has developed in each culture over a long period of time and still does. It is also linked to the local environment. Culture and tradition are two key aspects when talking about the perception of colours. In western countries it is custom and tradition that the bride wears a white dress. The colour white communicates pureness and innocence. In China the colour white is associated with death and mourning. The difference could not be more dramatic.

On the other hand a universal understanding of colours exists independent of culture and gender. It is because of global phenomena and observation of nature that we e.g. distinguish between cold and warm colours. Orange, red and yellow the colours found in fire and the sunset are perceived as warm colours. Whereas blue is in many aspects a cold colour since it is connected with snow, ice and water. Sky-blue, obviously a global phenomenon, is associated with vastness, cheerfulness and good weather. A dark blue is being connected with the night and darkness. Darker colours provoke an intense sensation and are more prone to be associated with something negative. Dark blue might not only transport night and darkness but also fear of the unknown.

the dualism of colour perception

Colours usually have more than one meaning. Red for example symbolises love and passion but is also a common signal colour in nature used to attract and to warn. Examples are sweet ripe fruit in contrast to the threatening glow of a forest fire. Red can make aware of the poison an adversary might carry but can also be the temptation and promise of a delicious reward. Red communicates very different messages but never fails its effect. That is why red is very often the best choice when it is important to leave a mark. It attracts the viewers attention requires him or her to check what is going on. Is is a threat or a reward?

The following chart shows the most popular colours and their symbolic/psychological meaning. The left side shows positive, the right side the negative attributes.

It has to be noted, that just the colour for itself will usually not be associated with something bad. It requires the image content and the combination with other colours to do this. In any case it is not an easy task for the photographer to take personal preferences and individual associations of the viewer into account.

An attempt to simplify things: the colour wheel

The German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) looked into the matter of colours and their effect and arranged them into a so called colour wheel. This chart is still used today to illustrate colours and their relationship to each other.  If you search the web for colour wheel you come up with many different interpretations. Some are very condensed other show even the slightest colour difference  and hundreds of shades. These very detailed versions are not very helpful for the photographer, but are intended for painters, who want to mix their colours. For this reason we will be talking about Itten’s colour wheel which contains 12 colours.  It serves as a guideline when selecting the right colours for strong contrasts and harmonies. Opposing colours are contrasting whereas neighbouring colours harmonise. When shooting people outdoors the means at hand to selectively choose all colour in your picture can be limited. Most of the time you can only change the perspective or you ask the model to move to a different location in order to change the background colours.

If you want to create an image which carries a clear message it is best to choose all colours carefully. This is of course easily done in a studio where you simply need to pick the right backdrop. In other locations one might want to wait for the light to create the desired colours and atmosphere. But what colours and their contrasts are suited for which atmosphere? This will be shown in the next part.

Colour contrasts and their effects

Colour contrast can emphasize and create suspense and drama. They can transport happiness and warmth but can also leave a dismal or dull impression. They point out differences and create attention. The considered use opens up many ways of expressing oneself which are not available when using only a single colour and is therefore a powerful tool for the photographer creating the desired atmosphere.

• Colours that oppose each other in the colour wheel form a complementary contrast. It provokes an impression of suspense and drama and let the colours strongly repel each other almost as the like poles of magnets. Well placed, this contrast will cause a lot of attention.

• A quality contrast is created by using colours that have been darkened or brightened by mixing them with grey or white. The quality contrast aims to accentuate the pure colour by opposing it with the darkened or brightened colour, letting the pure colour glow. In photography the different shades are created by the amount of light that shines on the colour. Areas on which more light shone will have a lighter colour than the rest of the picture. The absence of light, i.e. the shadow, darkens the colours. It is simple and fundamental that light determines the colours of the image and their quality. The considered use of the quality contrast increases the intensity of the pure colour and allows the photographer to manipulate the viewer.

• Another special quality of our colour perception is called the quantity contrast. As the name suggest this contrast is about the amount of a colour in a picture. A harmonic impression on the viewer can be achieved when the area of one colour in the picture is in the right ratio to the area of another colour. According to Goethe’s colour theory the effect of a colour depends on it’s luminosity and it’s share in the image. To achieve a harmonic impression the ratio of yellow:orange:red:green:blue:purple is 9:8:6:6:4:3. This means for example yellow has a greater effect than purple. An image needs three times more purple than yellow. The blue area needs to be twice as big as the orange area. Red and green appear equally strong. In other words a photograph in which purple is the dominant colour will lose it’s gloomy impression by the use of a few yellow accents.

A different aspect of the quantity contrast is that if the amount of one colour is significantly smaller, it loses it’s colour quality. For example if you have a large area of blue with only a small spot of orange, this spot will only be accounted for its luminosity and not identified as orange. The colour loses it’s identity as a colour.

• The colour-in-itself contrast grabs the viewers attention effectively. This contrast is composed of three or more strong colours which differ a lot, i.e. are not neighbouring on the colour wheel. The pencil colours of this article’s cover picture were chosen accordingly to maximise the effect on the viewer. The colour-in-itself contrast is colourful, loud, strong and dramatic. Thanks to its signal effect this contrast is common in warning signs and flags.

To achieve the best effect the coloured areas need to be separated by a neutral colour (f. ex. black, white, grey). Otherwise the contrast will be perceived weaker. In the cover picture this separation is established by the shadow between the pencils.

• The cold-warm contrast is a very commonly used design element in photographs (see ‘Colour Symbolism and Colour Psychology’). It is based on the distinction between warm colours, e.g. red, yellow and orange, and cold colours, e.g. blue, violet and green (and any mixture of them). Warm colours are perceived as pleasant and inviting, whereas cold colours leave a feeling of distance and coldness or even sadness. These very different moods are often used to control the atmosphere of a picture. A change of the colour temperature in respect to the white balance can really enhance the desired effect a lot. On the colour wheel red-orange is the on the warm end opposite of the coldest colour blue-green. They divide the colour wheel into a warm and cold side. Yellow and violet are the transition colours.

But as always there are exceptions to every rule. If you place yellow-green (a cold colour) next to red, yellow or orange it will be a warm contrast. Yellow-green next to blue-violet on the other hand will form a cold contrast.

Not only important for landscape photographers is the fact that cold colours create a feeling of vastness. Warm colour on the other hand suggest that things are close by. When taking this into account an impression of depth in a picture can be created.

• The light-dark contrast is created by combining the pure colour with it’s shades, in other words by usi   ng colours of different brightness. Photography’s low-key technique is built on this contrast. Low-key is a certain style dominated by dark colour shades and high contrasts. The background is usually dark and the object of the picture is accentuated by a few or a single light sources. The atmosphere of such images is mysterious, dark and dramatic Pictures in this style are often reduced to what is most important and accentuate shapes and forms. It is ideal for portraits since nothing is distracting from the face. The viewer only sees character and expression reflected in the face. This is ta ken one step further by shooting in black and white. In black and white photography it is naturally all about light-dark contrasts and shades of black and white, adding aesthetic and suspense.

• High-key photography complements the low-key style. It is dominated by bright colour tones and the absence of shadows with the background being equally bright or pure white. By using several light sources the object or model is illuminated evenly. Strong contrasts are undesirable. The slight overexposure lets skin appear smooth. Small blemishes, wrinkles and other details disappear. 

A high-key photograph is used if one wants to create an image of a generic type of person. Due to the lack of details the viewer does not perceive an individual which makes it easier for him to identify himself with the model. This is often used in commercials and advertisements. Since there are no shadows, high-key images appear flat contrary to low-key photographs. Most high-key images are taken in black and white. They transport happiness, pureness and softness but can also leave a fragile impression.

• The simultaneous contrast exists due to a characteristic of our visual perception, i.e. how our brain corrects the way colours are perceived. The simultaneous contrast describes the subjective change of colour perception induced by another colour. This effect is very strong when combining achromatic colours like white and black with strong colours. On a black background a colour appears brighter and more saturated. On a white background this colour will be much less prominent. This effect allows to selectively choose how much an object is “moved” to the foreground.

In principle will the colour in the foreground appear colder with a cold coloured background and vice versa. The underlying principle is that our eyes are searching the image for strongest contrast, which lets us identify objects much more easily and faster. Under certain circumstances and especially in former times a life saving quality. The simultaneous contrast lets colours influence each other. A red square on a blue background lets the red appear orange. This fact should be considered when choosing a subject’s background.

For a quick overview on what effects colours and their combinations have in a photograph:

• Contrast through content

Last but not least another contrast needs to be mentioned which is important for a great photograph. This contrast is not so much about colours but about content. Opposite pairs like slow-fast, hard-soft, big-small, poor-rich, ugly-beautiful, sadness-happiness can evoke strong feelings in the viewer. If combined with the right colour contrast this effect is obviously intensified and becomes much more attention grabbing.

colour harmonies

In principle there are two different approaches to create colour harmonies:

Neighbouring colours in the colour wheel will create harmonic contrasts. When combining similar colours, shades, saturation and brightness it will create a pleasant harmony.

Harmonies can also be created with different shades of a single colour. This combination avoids strong contrast which would prevent a harmonic perception. The combination of light blue, blue and dark blue creates a pleasant over-all image in unity.

There are various possibilities to create colour harmonies:

• Combination of neighbouring colour shades on the colour wheel

• Combination of either warm or cold colour shades

• Combination of colours with achromatic colours (e.g. black+pink, yellow+grey, violet+white)

• Combination of pure, saturated colours with lighter tones of the same colour

• Combination of pure, saturated colours with desaturated tones of the same colour (colour mixed with grey)

The page Color Scheme Designer is always worth a visit in this aspect. With only a few clicks you will be presented with several colour harmonies and contrasts for a given colour. This input can really make the difference when composing a picture. The most beautiful and inspiring colour combination are of course found in nature’s great diversity.

more interesting facts about colours

• Colours can create an impression of depth in an image:

Desaturated, dark and cold colours appear to be in the background, whereas saturated, bright and warm colours move to the front.

• Colours can change the perceived size of objects:

A red area might appear bigger than a green area of the same size, since red is a warm and intense colour.

• Colours can change the perceived weight of objects:

-dark coloured objects appear to be more heavy

-the lighter the colour the lighter the object appears. This is used in packaging design for so called diet products.

• Too many colours confuse: A large number of colours with different meaning can be too much for us to grasp. Too many colours do not appear to have an underlying order. This can confuse the viewer and cause negative feelings. More than seven different colours appear unharmonious and should be avoided.

• The colour red lets women appear more attractive: A study from 2008 confirmed that colours have a direct effect on human behaviour. Men rated the attractiveness of women to be higher if the picture showed the colour red. The result was the same if the picture had a red background, a red frame or if the women wore something red. In case of women rating women, no significant effect of any colour was found. A red accessory or red lipstick can really increase the attraction of your model, scientifically proven

• More scientifically proven difference in the colour preference of men and women:

-men show less dislike for achromatic colours than women

-woman are more conscious about colours and able to distinguish finer differences in colour shades

-men prefer bright colours (e.g. yellow), whereas woman prefer light colours (colours mixed with white, e.g. light yellow). No difference was found in the preference of dark versus bright colours.

-Women are more likely to have a favourite colour.

• Colours and Zeitgeist:

After years of branding environment preservation and energy conservation ‘green’  a  shift to ‘blue’ can be seen. Many scandals and fraud are responsible that green lost it’s credibility. The colour blue which has always been connected to clean water and the blue sky is now more and more used in advertising renewable energies and environmentally friendly technologies.

In order to be up to date with colour trends for your pictures sneak a peak into fashion magazines, analyse advertisements or visit designer websites.

The colour trends for 2012 are differing. One trend prefers soft pastel colours combined with beige, grey and sand colours. Another trend is about strong and vivid colours. Bright yellow, red-orange or pink are combined with cyan. This trend is all about casing attention.

• 

  Consistent colour appearance or how do I make sure that the colour in my photograph reflects what I see:

Usually the camera automatically determines for every picture what colour temperature should be used for the white balance. That this works is important for the correct colour appearance. If you do not want to rely on the camera you have to do the white balance manually. A standardised grey card is all you need. Just use the eyedropper tool in your RAW converter on the reference picture you took with the grey card, by this determining the colour temperature and applying it to the rest of your series. This is especially useful for portraits since skin tones need to appear natural for a good picture. The correct white balance is of course also important for landscape photography. Reference colours can also be helpful to achieve consistent colour appearance.

The monitor calibration, i.e. the colour profile of your monitor is equally important. It can be an eye opener if your pictures, that look great on your computer, appear underexposed and have a colour cast on a friend’s screen. To avoid this, there exist several devices to calibrate your display. In principle they consist of a primitive camera that sits on your screen. The calibration software displays several colours and identifies any deviation of the colour displayed with the help of the camera. If colour consistency is crucial for your pictures, these steps are equally important.

The deliberate use of colours and contrasts is one of the most important design elements in photography. The knowledge about colours,symbolism, contrasts and harmonious combinations provides a mighty tool for any photographer and helps to create the desired atmosphere.

Have Fun! Get inspired!

Special thanks goes to Paul Wyman who allowed us to display his picture “Changing Shape”.

© All rights reserved.

References:

• http://www.grafixerin.com/bilder/Farbpsychologie.pdf
• http://www.colormatters.com/color-symbolism/gender-differences
• http://psychology.about.com/od/sensationandperception/a/colorpsych.htm
• http://www.rochester.edu/news/show.php?id=3268
• http://hilo.hawaii.edu/academics/hohonu/writing.php?id=73
• http://www.helium.com/items/559775-introduction-to-color-psychology
• http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCR/is_3_38/ai_n6249223/?tag=content;col1
• http://www.farbimpulse.de/Blue-statt-Gruen.bluestattgruen.0.html
• http://www-is.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de/~dibo/teaching/mm97/buch/mm-buch.pdf
• http://www.pantone.de/pages/fcr.aspx?pg=20916&ca=4
• Jörg Michael Matthaei. Grundfragen des Grafik-Design. Heinz Moos Verlag, München, 1. Auflage, 1975.
• Eva Heller. Wie Farben wirken. Farbpsychologie, Farbsymbolik, kreative Farbgestaltung. Rohwohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg, 1994.

Bring your photographic skills to the next level. Stop taking snapshots but add design and unity to your pictures. How to apply essential compositional aspects and questions you definitely should ask yourself before you start shooting pictures the next time.  Composing pictures in plain and easy words explained step by step.

Taking a stroll and enjoying the beauty of nature you took some snaps displaying things and details you found interesting. You enjoyed your walk and were proud at what great and inspiring sceneries came across your lens. But then back at home you suddenly realize that your pictures just don’t look good viewed on screen. Instead of being disappointed you search the net for tips and find an overwhelming abundance about this very abstract topic – composition. Reading on and on, your goal , a well composed and pleasing picture, seems to get more and more out of sight. What to do with all those information? And how can I apply this flood of information on my workflow?

First of all don’t get discouraged. Composing pictures is a creative process. Creativity is the ability to solve problems effectively which needs time and a structured approach. But to get started you need a good overview. To save you some precious time and get you shooting you’ll find in this article a summary of the most important aspects and questions you should ask yourself to improve the aesthetic value of your photographs.

How to compose pictures from scratch

Very similar to composing music a well composed picture needs to become a harmonious whole. Just as music consists of single music notes, rhythm and melody a well composed picture consists of different aspects you need to put together in order to form a pleasing picture. Every single aspect could be discussed in book-length but I’ll break it down for you in plain English and lead you through the whole process step by step.

Set priorities and identify the strengths of your subject/object

Looking at your motif ask yourself what are the interesting aspects? What caught your attention?  Why did you stop here? Why is my subject pleasing to the eye? These are very important questions, you should ask yourself in order to focus on your aim, because usually this is a subconscious process. Generally it is possible to categorise these aspects in light, form/shape,  leading lines, colour/contrasts, texture.

Identifying primary and secondary subjects

A prime example where you have to choose the main subject is macro photography.  When shooting macros you have to chose which part of your picture is in focus, due to the very shallow depth of field. So you have to identify your primary and secondary subject, if any. Where to place it? Is my subject towering up or is it expanding to the sides? Taking a quick look through your viewfinder will help you to get a first impression of how your subject suits the frame. Ask yourself how do you want to stage your subject by choosing the back- and foreground. What role does the background play in transporting the message you want to convey?

Choice of perspective and optimization of the background

Right after being clear on these points, it is time to find the optimal perspective. This is easy when shooting non-moving and small objects. When shooting landscapes it might help to walk a little and to get a different point of view. Take your background into consideration while doing this! What is the worth of a picture showing a romantic sunset and beautiful beach scenery, when a flag pole is sticking out of the head of your dearest or the foreground is completely littered? This is not really a keeper. The devil is in the detail.  You do not want to make a photo report about the pollution of the ocean, but capture the romantic atmosphere. When shooting macros, dust, pollen and scratches can be annoying. In landscape photography transmission lines and pylons can be a real pain. When you are sure about your perspective, it is time to chose the right format. And don’t forget in most cases less is more.

Optimize your frame

In general pictures in portrait format appear more dynamic and have the advantage that empty space is being avoided. The landscape format on the other hand allows the subject to be set in a bigger context, to gain an overview and to imply movement in a certain direction. The square format is being marginalised these days, since modern digital cameras are shooting in 3:2 or 4:3. This is a pity. This format is able to avoid distractions, eliminates empty space effectively, and suits a lot of subjects. Luckily digital images can be cropped easily. It is worth the effort trying out a different format on pictures that lack the certain something. If you like to experiment more with the square format, how about covering your camera’s screen with some tape, creating a square viewfinder? This is an inspiring exercise.

Placing your subject and leading the eye

Optimizing the picture detail is all about finding the right balance. How much space does my subject need? Are there secondary subjects which need to be put in relation with it. Where to place the subject in the frame? Do I want to convey stability or create tension? Placing your subject in the middle of the frame will create a static and peaceful composition. This might suit in some cases, but turn out as boring in others. A positive example is a subject with mirror symmetry. Be 100% sure to place the centre of symmetry right in middle of your frame. This composition is very unforgiving. On the other hand placing your subject off centre will create a feeling of tension. Format has a great influence on how the subject appears in the picture. Even aspects as the reading direction, depending on culture, can play a role. Viewers from western cultures are more likely to set eyes on the upper left corner. But the viewer’s eye will also scan the picture for bright and sharp areas. Ideally the photographer will not only guide the viewer’s eyes to one spot, but let them wander over the whole frame. When doing this, be aware not to create too much agitation. It is important to let the eye rest on the most interesting parts.

Choosing the right DOF

When shooting with DSLRs, also depending to some extend on your lens, you need to think about the depth of field (DOF) in your picture. In general a higher f number results in more DOF. This is important for landscape photography. Here you usually want to maximize the depth of field. In other cases it is more desirable to separate the subject from its background by working with a shallow DOF, as e. g. for portraiture shoots. By focusing on the model’s eyes you let the skin appear soft and create a pleasing bokeh, which lets the model stand out from the background.

In order to take a well composed photograph, it is important to be clear on a few but decisive questions. The following flow chart could be of some help, to let you keep your aim.

A structured approach will lead to success.

Following these guidelines the effect of the picture on the viewer can be controlled and intensified by the photographer. This is valid for portraits as well as macros or  landscapes.

Have fun and get inspired!

© All rights reserved.

In part one we tried to explain the basic principles of macro photography and how to get better results. But having a brilliant picture in an excellent quality isn’t enough when it comes to sharing pictures in the world wide web. Especially when you like to share your pictures on Facebook you’ll notice that some pictures look fabulous while others have a grainy blurred look. So what’s the trick and how do I optimize my pictures for Facebook and other photography sharing platforms on the internet?

First of all you need to know that Facebook compresses your pictures using a certain algorithm. If you compare the original picture (below, left) with the Facebook upload (below, on the right) of your picture you’ll observe a notable increase of saturation and contrast. Furthermore the details that are especially important to macro pictures get lost to a certain extent. For people who are not really into the art of photography this is useful and doesn’t make a big difference but for photography enthusiasts this Facebook ‘habit’ is just annoying. It changes the ‘real’ picture. So the first step towards an optimized picture for Facebook is to take this into consideration.

Size your pictures down before uploading to the internet. In December 2011 Facebook changed the size for pictures form 720 px to 960 px on the longer side. Since photographs are only displayed in that size there is no use uploading them in a higher resolution. Sharing pictures in a higher resolution is only an invitation for others to steal your pictures and use them for their purpose!

The worst thing you can do now is to downsize your picture in one step. This will eliminate fine details and give it a blurry look. Instead decrease its size only for 10% at a time. You need to repeat that step until you have the desired size. Since this whole process can be a very tiring when you have for example a 18 MP photo there are plug-ins available for purchase that are doing the work for you. Such a plug-in costs about 20 $ for Photoshop. If you don’t want to buy one you could use this script we wrote for the free picture editing programme GIMP (click here). It works with every format you wish to downsize and we offer it for free.

But you are not finished yet. After downsizing it properly you need to sharpen your photograph. You can choose between several methods now. One filter you can use on a duplicated layer is the unsharp mask . After you’ve performed that step you can play around with the opacity and give your picture just the right amount of sharpness. Over-sharpened pictures will show a very distinct grid pattern which is not desirable! So be careful with that filter.  Sometimes this filter reveals fragments and even increases the noise in the background. If so try the filter high pass on a duplicated layer.

The high pass filter will only sharpen areas of high contrast and won’t lead to more noise and grain. Furthermore an over-sharpening is pretty unlikely with this method. The important thing is to set the layer mode to soft light which will also increase the luminance of the colours or to hard light which will give it an even stronger definition at the edges. Adjusting the opacity will again give you full control over the final result. But even with this method you need to be a little careful. Looking at the examples below you see that you get some blown out highlight. Decrease the opacity of the layer until it looks fine to you.

The third method is the most elaborate but also the one which will take some time to accomplish. Partial sharpening will give you the best results. For this method you choose the area with a lot of details and select it with any selection tool you are familiar with or which is most apt for your purpose (f. ex. the quick selection tool). In the next step you choose one filter for sharpening but apply it only to that area. The advantage is that you have even more control over the final result and you won’t have to compromise between a sharp point of interest and a soft bokeh in the background. Be sure you’ve duplicated your layer in order to save your original and to have still the possibility to adjust the opacity.

The difference is clearly visible in the full size picture: Link

Of course there are a lot of different methods for sharpening your pictures after sizing them down but if you know how to handle these three methods you are pretty well prepared for sharing your favourite photographs in the world wide web.

 And don’t forget our new macro contest ‘Little Landscapes’ which starts on the 1st of Ferbuary 2012! We’re really looking forward to see your favourite shots!

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Join the adventure and explore with us the infinite vastness and uniqueness of the Microcosmos. We want to celebrate the new year with another great contest themed “Little Landscapes”.

Beginning February 1st until the 10. of February 2012, we are looking for the best picture on our Facebook page Phatic Photography.

In order to participate with your picture, email your shot to contest@phatic-photography.com. Please scale your photo to 900 pixels on the long side. If you are not sure how to do this click here for more info.

Make sure your pictures comply with the terms and conditions of Facebook, otherwise we won’t be able to publish them.

.Don’t send us more than one picture per day.

All pictures will be displayed in a special album on our Facebook page, where you and your friends can vote for your favourites. In order to grant late submissions a fair chance, you will be able to vote for one week after the deadline.

The winning picture together with the best competitors will then be shown in a slideshow on our homepage. So please make sure your photos have your watermark on them!

By sending in your picture via email your confirm that you are the author of the file and own all rights of all elements shown. You also confirm that your picture does not show any logos or elements which are protected by copyright or are intellectual property of someone else.

Have fun and a great year of photography 2012!

Your team Phatic Photography

Read more about macro photography and find inspiration in the following articles:

Through the looking glass – The Miracles of Macro Photography Part 1

Through the looking glass – The Miracles of Macro Photography Part 2

Stop taking snapshots and transform your pictures to eyecatchers

Soft Focus

Tell your friends and share your excitement about macro photography!

So what is important in macro photography? How do I solve the most common problems? What can I do to improve my results?

Your main aim in macro photography is very similar to your aims in photography in general.

• In order to get the best quality you should try to keep the ISO down. Therefore you’ll probably need to use a tripod etc. in low light conditions.
• Choose your composition carefully. Try to remember what at first glance was attractive and caught your eye. Was it the colour, the shape, some leading lines or the texture? Or is the light special? Whatever you got try to make it stand out and the star of your picture. For more tips about composition click here.
• The parts that are actually sharp should fit your composition. Consider the background and try to avoid disturbing elements. Adjust the F number and check the DOF preview button.!

Comparison of two shots of the same flower. The left picture is taken with f 11 the right one with f 4. You can clearly see the differences. The bokeh in the right picture is much more pleasing and makes the flower stand out.

How do I solve the problems I have with my macro pictures?

My pictures lack sharpness:

Shooting with plenty of light: Check your settings. Try to use a higher f number. If you’re not sure how to handle all the camera settings at once (in Manual Mode) use the Aperture Priority Mode and the camera does the rest for you.

Try selective sharpening with a picture editing programme. This can only help you to some extend. Totally blurred pictures can not yet be repaired by software.

If you were shooting in low light conditions: You have three possibilities. You either use a tripod and a delayed shutter release, or a macro ring flash/ an off camera flash. The last possibility is the quick and dirty solution. Adjust your settings, take a smaller f number and a higher ISO but that will only cause the next problem, grainy pictures with a lot of noise.

How much DOF do you want? On the left a flower shot with f 4. On the right a focus stack made of 6 pictures and merged with Helicon Focus.

You desire to get an ultra sharp picture? Then you should try to make a macro stack. You take 6 to 30 pictures (depending on the motive). Each picture shows a different totally sharp part and all those sharp parts are going to be merged in one super sharp picture. There are several picture editing programmes that are doing this automatically. One of the best is Helicon Focus. You can get a trial version for free. A fully free programme is e.g. Stack Focuser, a plugin for ImageJ. But you can also do it manually with CS4 or GIMP.

My pictures have a very grainy look:

The high ISO (ISO3200) is responsible for the grainy look in this picture.

The high ISO is responsible for the grainy look you have. Try to shoot with a lower ISO setting. And more importantly try to get more light using a reflector or a flash if you prefer not to use a tripod and a delayed shutter release. If you are really attached to your picture you can try to get rid of the grain with a denoising programme. Good ones are Topaz or Helicon Filter. If you want to try your luck with a freeware you could go with NDNoise.

Try to shoot in RAW! If your camera is able to shoot in RAW you got with your camera a software with which you can develop your pictures. There you can adjust the noise reduction. But be careful! The more you reduce the noise the more you are going to lose details.

The colours of my picture look washed out. What can I do about it?

Avoid taking pictures in harsh sunlight and wait until the sun has a lower angle. With light coming from the side you have also the opportunity to emphasize the shape of the photographed objects.

Sometimes it is best to bring your subject to a shadier place. If you can’t avoid the harsh sunlight you could use a diffuser that softens the light for you. Vary the height and the angle to see what suits best for your purpose.

Another solution would be to adjust your camera settings. Exclude more light from hitting the sensor using a higher f number, set the ISO on 100, choose a fast shutter speed.  Take a test shot and check if you’ve got blown out highlights. If necessary stop it down. This is important even if you are shooting in RAW because you can’t recover blown out highlights and that definitely ruins your picture pretty much.

Attach a neutral density or a polarisation filter to your lens. A neutral density filter acts pretty much like sunglasses to your eyes and reduces the incoming light to a certain extent. A polarisation filter (polarizer) has even more advantages than just letting less light into the camera. The sky gets a deeper blue, reflections on leafs and other reflecting materials can be reduced. In general the colours get a more vivid look.

Read in Part II more about those common problems:

• After uploading my macro picture to Facebook it doesn’t look good any more. What can I do to avoid that?
• and much more tips about how you can improve your results …

     Click here to get to Part II

Get involved and share your best macro shots in our upcoming Macro Contest ‘Little Landscapes’ which starts on 1st of February 2012! Click here for more info.

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Albert Camus

Join in on a trip to the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew and explore the beauty of  the world’s most famous garden covered in autumn foliage. Enjoy the magnificent view from the treetop walk upon the brightly coloured  trees ,and discover the impressive glasshouses set in the great landscape Kew is offering to its visitors. The gardens that were put on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO at 2003 contain the worlds largest collection of living plants.

The English Landscape Park

The English Landscape Park,  also called English Garden emerged in the early 18th century and spread quickly across Europe affecting many public parks. This new style could be seen a counter movement to the strictly formal French Landscape Garden and emphasises a more natural look than the symmetrically arranged  Garden à la francais. The arboretum, the collection of trees cultivated for educational and scientific purposes at Kew, is the heart and the soul of this magnificent English Landscape Park especially in autumn. The trees show off in all shades from bright gold, rusty orange, rich crimson to fresh lime green and warm browns.The spectacular colours tempt to walk along one of the main pathways or to just take a stroll on the soft grass and enjoy the damp smell of drying leafs.

The Grass Garden

The Grass Garden showcases about 550 different species and unfolds its full beauty in late summer and autumn. Large drifts of the same type of grass mingle with small groups. With just a limited number of plant types a huge impact is achieved for the spectator. With the flowers of the grasses swaying slightly in the mild breeze this part of Kew invites to take a seat at one of the many park benches and watch the sun going down.

The Xstrata Treetop Walkway

High up, more exactly 18 metres high, the 200 metre walkway offers to visitors the unique opportunity to walk amidst treetops and allows to have a closer look at the foliage, branches and fruits of the trees. The Xstrata Treetop Walkway which was build in 2008, aims to blend in with its natural environment. The rusty steel columns slightly sway in the wind and the floor of the walkway flexes as it is stepped upon to give it a more organic feel. Especially in autumn the colour of the rusty steel blends in perfectly with the colourful foliage of the enormous trees.

The Temperate House

From up the treetop walkway you have a magnificent view on the Temperate House as well which is containing a great collection of trees and plants from temperate regions  from all over the world. The Temperate House is the largest surviving Victorian glass structure of the world. Inside you can find plants grouped up according to their origin such as for example a beautiful collection of plants from south Africa in the southern part of the glasshouse.

Mixed Borders at The Duke’s Garden

The Duke’s Garden, also called the `Cambridge Cottage Garden´ forms part of Kew Gardens and shows cheerfully coloured seasonally planted flower beds. Typically the colour and the height of the plants were carefully set in scene along a long stretched flowerbed.

Birds at Kew

Taking a stroll through Kew you surely make acquaintance with small groups of geese. Most commonly you will find most of them at the lake. Even peacocks are very likely to cross your path at the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Autumnal Impressionism

Autumn is maybe the best time to visit the Royal Botancal Gardens, Kew because this and a lot more is waiting to be discovered by you. A great memento is a bouquet of various coloured leafs to be picked up along your journey through the spectacular autumnal landscape.

For further inspiration you are invited to read Virginia Wolf’s impressionistic short story “Kew Gardens“ which takes you back to Victorian times. It lets you literally dive into a  painting and an artistic description of this place. Enjoy!

When you’re heading to the beach don’t forget your camera as this is an excellent opportunity to take some great shots. This location offers you a wide range of different types of pictures: for example beautiful seascapes, portraits of your family having fun, or even macro shots and wildlife pictures. The possibilities are endless! But choosing that location can also be very challenging due to the extreme lighting conditions and other obstacles like flying sand, humid  salty air which can easily ruin your camera and heat. So here are 15+ quick tips on how to protect your gear from damage, how to improve your beach photos,  and some suggestions for creative beach shots.

1. Protect your photography gear

Be aware of the danger of fine sand particles that can ruin your camera and your optics. Most people know that the salty air at the seaside can have a pretty destructive effect but what you should be more worried about is the sand. Fine particles can easily get into your camera body and your optics and wreck havoc your delicate equipment. Best thing would be to take a sealed camera with your on your beach trip, or even a waterproof model. If you don’t own a sealed cam there are some possibilities which will also protect your camera. First of all a cheap zip lock bag would be a good choice.

Second, if you own a camera bag, close it directly after taking out your camera in order to avoid sand inside your bag. After you’re done taking pictures put your camera back in the bag. Don’t even think about placing your camera on the blanket or beach towel you’re sitting on. Flying sand gets everywhere. Avoid changing your lens, memory card or battery especially with sandy hands or when somebody near you is shaking out his blanket.

If you’re really worried about your expensive camera or if it is very windy you either should leave it at home or think about sealing your camera yourself. Get some adhesive tape in an appropriate width and mask all parts of your camera where it would be likely that fine particles could get in. Make sure to take adhesive tape which  is likely to get off clean without leaving stains of glue. If you’re not sure, test it before.

Protect your camera from heat. Another factor that could cause some problems shooting at the beach is the heat. If you take your camera out of an cool, air conditioned environment into the hot humid and salty air at the beach you risk drops of condensing water in and on your camera. This is particularly risky as that way you can get salt in your camera and the electronic parts of it would suffer. Again there is a pretty easy solution to it, take a zip lock bag and let your camera time to slowly adapt to the temperature of the surrounding. Furthermore put your camera back in the plastic bag after you’re done shooting. Easy!

The last thing I want to make you aware of is the heat in general. Don’t let your camera lie around in the blazing sun. Just like other electronic gadgets (mobile phones, mp3 players and so on) your cam could suffer damage. Easiest thing is to place it in the shade or cover it to avoid direct sunlight.

Keep your gear as simple as you can. Just take the things with you you’ll really need. Store your lenses in small zip lock bags and put little sachets of silicate in every single bag. Those will absorb superfluous humidity. Consider taking an external flash light with you and a tripod for long exposures.

2. Improve your beach photos

Be early or be late. If you really want to take pictures that are above average you should head to the beach either early in the morning just when the sun is coming up or late at sunset. When the light is coming from the side you’re going to have less problems with over exposure and will emphasize the form of any subject/object. Another advantage is that at those times the beach isn’t that crowded and you can make more atmospheric seascapes.

Head to the beach when other people are avoiding it is a good advise in general. Who says that you need blue skies to take an extraordinary picture! Go there when a storm is coming up or even when it’s raining. Under this circumstances you can make fabulous pictures. Take into consideration to turn them to black and white if they look dull in colour.

Be patient. If you try to make seascapes it is somehow similar to taking pictures of animals. You have to wait until the perfect moment has come to press the shutter release. As the sun is pretty quickly moving over the horizon the light can change every minute. Just when you think you have  the optimal picture stay where you are and wait for some time. If you’re lucky you’ll get paid off with another opportunity to take an even more extraordinary shot. When the sun has gone down there is still light left and the colours of the sky keep changing to wonderful soft tones.

Watch the horizon. Sometimes you’re just so excited about the beauty of what you’re seeing that you have to take a picture of it. But later when you have a close look at your photo on your computer you’ll notice the horizon is not straight. Of course, with almost every editing software you can get rid of that flaw, still the quality of your picture will be reduced and basically you can throw it away now. So watch the horizon! There is nothing worse than a tilted horizon in a seascape! Some cameras have an inbuilt levelling device which you can switch on and off. Another possibility is a water level which you can put on the shoe of your flash on top of your camera. Those are cheap but effective.

Use a polarizing filter. As the water is reflecting the sky the light becomes polarized. Using a polarizing filter will reduce the reflection which would cause glare in your picture and darken the sky. This item is also very useful for taking pictures of any other reflecting materials like foliage of trees for example or gives clouds a more dramatic look. It will work for any reflecting material except reflections on metal. Furthermore the polarisation filter is going to protect your lens. If you don’t want to buy a filter you can also try to hold your  sunglasses with polarized lenses in front of your camera. This will also work to some extent.

Put on a lens hood. Unless you want to have lens flare or glare in your picture you should put on a lens hood to block the sun. If you don’t own one here is a link where you get instructions to build one of a plastic cup. Or here is a link to an even more handy version where you can print (for free) PDF documents and cut them out to make your own lens hoods. They have different versions suitable for many different lens types for Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sigma, Tamron and for Tokima.

Avoid harsh sunlight. Taking portraits in harsh sunlight will result in hard shadows in the face of your model especially under the nose. Unless of course your model is lying down and looks directly into the sun. If you still have the desire to take pictures at midday try to find a shady place and take your model to that shady spot, for example under a parasol.

Use a reflector. Taking portraits at the beach can be very challenging. If you rely on the automatic mode of your camera it is very likely that the background turns out over exposed and your subject looks too dark. If you have a reflector you can easily add light to the important parts (face)  and will also get rid of some undesired hard shadows. Don’t worry if you don’t own a reflector. You can also use a white sheet or towel and get the same effect. Which brings me to the next point.

Use a flash. Using your flash light will basically have the same effect. Especially in situations where the light/sun is placed behind your subject turning on the flash will help you to avoid under exposed portraits and fills in the shadows. If you have the possibility of regulating the intensity of the flash light experiment until you get the desired result. If the flash is firing with too much intensity your subject is going to look washed out! If you can’t decrease the intensity try to shoot from a distance and use the zoom for framing your subject.

Mind your exposure settings. The lighting conditions at the beach are very bright as the sun will be reflected by the water and the sand which is why your camera is likely to underexpose your photos in automatic mode. Mind your exposure settings unless you want to do a strait silhouette shot. In general you’ll be better of in manual mode. Choose a low ISO like ISO100 or ISO 200 and combine it with a narrow aperture (a high F-Number) which will reduce the amount of light coming in your camera. The shutter speed will be relatively fast with those settings. If you want to take a portrait you’ll need a wider aperture and an even faster shutter speed. It is difficult to generalize settings as they depend on the situation. Try to experiment until you get it right.

Think about the composition. Imagine your picture divided into three horizontal and three vertical sections. Place your subject/object of interest at the points where the lines are crossing. That way you give the eye of the viewer a place to rest. Also avoid placing the horizon directly in the middle of your photo but choose the upper or the lower third in order to either to emphasize the sky or the width of the sea.

3.Some More Examples – Get creative At the beach

Have Fun. Be Creative! And share with your friends if you liked it.

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Saint Augustine

Follow us on a trip to the Swiss Alps and explore the fascinating mountain vistas. The summits covered with snow are a strong contrast to alpine flowers and the blue sky. Enjoy the slide show and share it with your friends!

Music: Antionio Vivaldi / The Four Seasons – Winter Suite / Musopen.org