11-24-11
Happy Thanksgiving
The new blogsite, more up to date and better!
11-19-11
11-7-11
10-27-11
There's one in every group
10-24-11
The contest is over and the winning photos are posted below.
Winners will be receiving e-mails in there inbox tonight.
Thanks to everyone who entered into the photo contest.
It was a hard to choose the winners and it took extra judges to make a final decision.
All the pictures submitted where not only judged on quality but also how well they fit the contest guidelines.
10-22-11
Just threw together a quick video showing what you can do with a pinhole lens, compared to the same basic footage shoot on the Canon 50mm f1.4, the diference between these two lens may seem huge, but then again so is the price. The pinhole lens cost a whole $1.05 to make where the 50mm f1.4 goes for $350
10-21-11
What really matters in image quality?
Here is a quick video that takes a humorous approach to answer this question.
10-20-11
Basic Lighting
There are many ways to be creative when it comes to photography, different angles and styles of composition. But one of the most dramatic ways to be creative in the process is to use external light sources to create a focal point in your picture or capture something in a new interesting way. There are a limitless number of ways to do this from something as simple as using the pop up flash on your camera to something complex like multi-light setups.
The key is to take ideas and try them out find what works and build off of it. Below is a quick run down of some basic light modifiers to give you an idea of what can be done to bend light and make it work for you. any of these ideas can be used on even the most basic popup flash so read it over and get creative!
Bare flash- lighting in its most basic form, just like a pop up flash on a camera only larger. The light that is put out by these is a hard sharp light, think action sports and bright colors. This isn't the best light for portraits due to the harsh shadows it creates. But it can reach a long ways and add extra light to any photo.
Light diffuser- a little bit like sticking a piece of Tupperware over the end of your flash, but what it does is soften the light put out by the flash and make it a better choice for shooting portraits soft light also works for wider angle shots, but it's downfall is that diffused light does't travel nearly as far the light from a bare flash. The best way to diffuse light is to put something opaque between the flash and your subject. (For a popup flash a Pringles lid works pretty well.)
Reflective umbrellas- are a great tool they work on a parabolic principle, when you fire a flash into them it takes the rays of light and bounces them back in a focused "beam" giving you a wider more focused light source. they are very handy and very easy to transport and when worse comes to worse they can be used as shelter from the rain.
Softbox- the name says it all they take a harsh light and soften it through diffusion and also spread it out over a larger area to give an even lighting effect. Though they can be slightly bulky and take up a good amount of space they are an in-despicable tool for any portrait photographer. These are my go to light modifiers whenever I find myself doing group or portrait shots.
Sometimes you find yourself with nothing but the sun to light your photo, but how do you make that light work for you? One of the most handy items to carry with you is a folding light reflector They allow you to take the light of the sun and bounce it where you want while also softening it in the process. The best part is that are very portable and require no batteries! I find them so useful that i'm giving a brand new one away as one of the many prizes in the photo contest. So if you haven't entered yet, what are you waiting for?
10-19-11
For some people going back to working with film is a way connect with photography's past. But to really understand the roots of photography you need to go back a lot further.
The basic of modern photography's origins can be traced back to the creation of the "camera obscura" or pinhole camera as it is better known. Dating back to the 1400's the idea of rectilinear propagation of light was noted stating that Each point on the surface of an illuminated object reflects rays of light in all directions. The hole lets through a certain number of these rays which continue on their course until they meet the projection plane where they produce a reverse image of the object. Thus the point is not reproduced as a point, but as a small disc, resulting in an image which is slightly out of focus. But it wasn't until the year 1850 that this idea was put into practice to create the first photographic image in the world by use of a pinhole camera.
Back to the present day and what the pinhole concept can do for you. Creativity is usually found through simplicity and few things are simpler than a pinhole lens, and today I'm going to show you how to make one for free, well almost free.
By taking an extra body cap and punching a hole through it you have the start to your very own pinhole camera, the next step is to cut and tape a piece of tinfoil into the back of the body cap you added the hole to the size of that hole depends on a few variables.
This basic equation can be used to determine your pinhole size d= your diameter f= your desired focal length and that upside down y you see is the symbol for Lamda which in this equation equals the wavelength of light which varies depending on the color. But is somewhere between the range of 450nm to 700nm. for a basic pinhole body cap you are looking to make a hole about .002" in Diameter or roughly the size of a small sewing needle. By talking that peice of tinfoil with your pinhole in it and fixing it into the back or your body cap you have finished your pinhole lens! This whole process is fairly simple so take a chance and try some variations, then gety out there and find your creativity.
Below are two shoots that came from this pinhole lens, no glass or auto focus, just a lot of history and science
10-18-11
Sometimes the most technical part of photograpy takes place after the picture is taken. You have a image stored on your camera, now what?
This is where the digital darkroom comes into play, the process of what it takes to go from your camera to hanging on the wall can have many steps.
A digital darkroom can be made up of many things from something as simple as a laptop and a basic photo program to a desktop rig with programs like photoshop and lightroom loaded onto it and external drives for complete backup. things like pen tablets and printers also fit into your digital darkroom. Out of all these things there are a few basics
- Computer- from basic laptops to a custom built laptop a computer is the core of any digital darkroom. laptops are great for mobility but nothing beats the speed and power of a well built desktop. Desktops are an affordable alternative, you can build your own desktop for under $500.
- External monitor- when working with editing programs it is beneficial to have second lager screen to edit photos on
- Software- weather you are using a free program like Photo Filtre or a high end program like Photoshop, software allows you to alter and edit your photos with ease.
- Printers- take your images and put them into your hands, from small basic printers sit on your desk to roll printers that take up a lot of space
- External hard drives- are invaluable for backing up and securing your photos and media
On the other end the spectrum from a digital darkroom there is the original Darkroom, If you brake it down these two are similar, in a darkroom your media is stored in the form of negatives and developing a picture still involves a good amount of creativity, and editing. Trial and error the main difference being that in a darkroom there is no undo button.
To work in the past gives you a much deeper appreciation for the present.
10-17-11
TlangPhoto Contest
This week i'm taking the time to look at the technical side of photography, what goes into a picture and the details of the camera lens and processes that make photography what it is. And what a better way to start the week then by giving away some free gear in the form of a photo contest.
The theme for this photo contest will be "Your favorite thing" this means anything and everything that makes you happy. The deadline for the contest will be October 22nd. The winning photos will be posted on this site on the 24th.
Rules:
- The theme of the contest is "Your favorite thing"
- This contest is open to everyone
- There is no entry fee
- Entrants may submit up to three images
- Please keep digital editing to a minimum, basic color, contrast, and tone adjustments are acceptable
- By entering this contest you grant Tlangphoto the right to display your submissions on this site
- Prizes will be awarded for the best images
- Photo submission deadline is October 22nd
Prizes
- Top five submissions will receive a printed at 16"x20" of there photo
- SD digital memory cards
- Canon EF 50mm f1.8 lens
- Other varying prizes (think film)
Please send your submissions in Jpg. format to Tlangphoto@gmail.com Title of the e-mail should read "Photo contest"
10-16-11
Get the most out of Fall
Sure you could be out taking pictures of leaves and wearing scarfs but sometimes you need to do something outside of ordinary.
10-13-11
The good people over at Eye-Fi cards did a write up for me about how I use their cards. So go check it out!
Also to tie into that post here are some photos from tonight's game.
10-4-11
Please take some time to watch this, Also stop by the caring bridge site
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jeffhamlin to read about Jeff and his road to recovery.
9-18-11
9-17-11
Photofiltre explained
Last week I put a link in for a free download of the program Photo Filtre, now i'll show you the basics of this free program.
First off this is a small and simple program that takes up a very small amount of space
The main screen is well laid out and all the basic commands are here
the best feature to get familiar with right away is the image explorer tab
clicking on this will bring up a bar across the bottom of your screen.
You can click on this bar and go to Explore/ A Folder, this lets you load up any folder you select into the program for easy access.
Once you have selected a folder all the files of that folder will appear in the bottom browser bar and all it takes is one click on a picture to open it up in the program.
When you have a file open you can select any of the adjustments listed to enhance you photos
All the commands you basic slider adjustments
Saving is also simple and this program gives you several options for formats to save to
9-9-11
Want a Quick way to edit and view photos?
Photofiltre, its simple and free!
Download it here and check back for some basic ways to put it to use.
8-28-11
Learning from the past
This weekend I packed away my bag of digital cameras and started pouring through several boxes of film, some of the pictures dated back to the early 1900's.
Photography has come a long way from those early days, But it is so amazing to look over these images and try to understand the simplicity of life.
8-22-11
8-10-11
7-22-11
7-14-11
East coast Vs. West coast
So far this year I've had the privilege to visit both sides of this great nation, and just about everywhere in between. I'll be honest there is change from one place to the next. The people, the customs, the weather, the food, but all these things blend together into one nation when you step back and take a look at the bigger picture. Some days we look over all the things going on in our life and we cant seem to see how anything connects. We feel spread thin by all these things that seem unrelated and pull us in different directions. But the bigger picture takes those problems, events, and things in our lives and weaves them into a single path where all these things fall like stepping stones. No longer separate items but more a collection that makes up one big picture, Gods picture.
Take the time when you meet people to and visit places to understand where they fit into that bigger picture of things that God has painted for all of us.
7-13-11
7-7-11
Bellingham rock climbing
7-6-11
Hmmmm, what could be in those bags on top of my car?
7-5-11
7-4-11
Happy 4th of July everyone
7-3-11
Long way from home
For the 4th of july i'm out in Washington, the mountains in this picture would be the North Cascade mountain range.
6-19-11
Happy Fathers Day
6-15-11
History Lesson:
This...
Was shot with this...
6-12-11
Climbing in
Northern Minnesota
6-7-11
Camera or Gun?
6-2-11
Tech time:
Just a quick video I found online and enjoyed watching
5-31-11
A time for everything
The last few weeks have been busy and free time has become a rare commodity, I took time to cut back on editing and posting and used that time to be with friends and family take climbing trips and go surfing. Anything to help me slow down and unwind, now i'm feeling refreshed and on the up swing, it just took time to be still and listen to what God had planed for me.
It can be hard to do, take a step back and wait for the dust to settle you can feel as if sometimes the only way to solve a problem is to keep at it until it is fixed. But they say the best thing to do when you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging. So with that in mind make sure to check back soon for more frequent updates.
5-6-11
You can tell a lot about a person by the friends they keep!
I believe that is a very true statement, and that the picture above says a great deal about my life. I have been blessed with many amazing friends over the years but Randy (pictured above) has to be one of the most unique friends I know. He recently rolled by my house here in Alexandria MN on his way out to Montana on a solo bike trip. He is a self proclaimed rambling man and he is a truly friendly and trusting person in a world that is pushing further and further away from such things.
4-27-11
4-20-11
Tried and True
4-19-11
4-14-11
I've got friends in different places
I've traveled to some pretty amazing places, but my cameras have been to even more amazing places. Its all part of how I choose to live my life, I've always tried to put a large amount of trust in the people I call my friends. Those friends have been everywhere, from the snowy mountains of Colorado to the sandy beaches of Barbados.
Some of you who know a lot about my gear know that the price is a little higher than an ordinary camera. But its not about the price, Money is temporary and you definitely cant take it with you when your gone. What you can do though is use the resources you do have wisely and grow in trust and understanding with the people closest to you and also gain new friends by going outside your comfort zone and giving them a chance to prove themselves. Keep this in mind the next time someone comes to you for a favor and instead of playing it safe consider taking a chance on someone.
4-5-11
Action
Reaction
3-31-11
Senior pictures and snow always go together
3-26-11
3-24-11
