Autumn Care

Greetings and welcome to Hohenfels Volks, THE place for our place! Here in Hohenfels, the Sun made a couple cameo appearances but wasn’t able to stir up any kind of significant warmth. The rain put a damper on the spirits, as did the fact that it’s a workday!

With autumn’s brutally chilled arrival, we’re nearing the time to shoot some real color! There’s always some excitement about the colors, shapes, textures, and patterns that accompany autumnal photography. As I mentioned in yesterday’s quote, now’s a great time to think about negative space and the use of color to create tension, balance, and harmony in your photos, and bring about the connection you’d like to make.


ISO 800, f/11, 1/60
These flowers were shot at the Hermitage in Bayreuth. A Wratten #8, yellow, filter was used. By using the filter, the green was brought up slightly, and the white flowers separated from both the red flowers and green leaves. By allowing a rich grey-black to fall on the leaves and red flowers, a velvety feeling of negative space results. While fragmented and carrying visual detail, it is by no means the subject, and yet becomes a subject of its own.

Along with the march of color into the dreariness ahead, comes other factors that photographers should take note of. First, is the rapid decrease in temperatures, the drop in temperature can take the starch out of an exciting day. Another factor is the rain, always something to be ready for in our Hohenfels area. Getting your camera wet can lead to issues that no one wants!

One of the biggies, I’ve found, is the increase in static. For the most part, photographers don’t have to worry about while photographing with digital cameras. It’s when the time comes to change cards or clean your sensor, or even change your lens that it becomes an issue. A typical “zap” can have as much as 30,000 volts jumping from one surface to another. Enough to ruin your day if it arcs over onto your sensor. Since most folks don’t clean their sensors beyond a squirt from a bulb blower, it’s pretty reasonable to say that the standard precautions are sufficient.

With film, though, static can be a big problem. Advancing film, rewinding film, activating the shutter, removing a dark slide, all these things can cause an arc that will ruin your shot. The can also damage your shutter curtains if your camera uses cloth. In the driest and coldest weather, it could damage your sensor, but that’s unlikely.

The biggest threat to digital cameras during this time of year is the condensation from thermal transitions. That’s a fancy way of saying going inside from outside. I’ve found one of the best ways to protect anything is a Ziploc bag and 30 minutes. Don’t plug your camera in, put your card in your reader, or power on your camera when you first come in. The temperature change can cause moisture, which we all know, doesn’t sit well with electronics! Think about glasses fogging over when you come in from the cold!

Another awesome tip- when you get in from the cold, make a big cup of hot cocoa, with extra chocolate. It’ll warm you up, and give time for your gear to reach a suitable temperature! It helps if you have someone to share it with. A nice cup of cocoa with my little princess makes for some fun talk time, and 30 minutes is gone before you know it!

Now’s the time get scouting and planning your autumn shots. Figure out where and when, the rest will follow. Then, make your shot and share it with us on our Hohenfels Volks Facebook page. We’d love to see your work.

Is there anything you’d like to see here? Do you have a question? Share your thoughts here or at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page. Of course, commenting on both Facebook and here is always appreciated, too! Don't forget, Hohenfels Volks is on Google+, too!

Weekend

Greetings, volks. Welcome to Hohenfels Volks, THE place for our place! I hope everyone in Hohenfels is ready for the weekend. The clouds are out, with their full range and the skies are moody, it’s the perfect time for photos!

Just a quick tips for all of planning to shoot outside this weekend. Bring a clear shower cap and a couple zip lock bags. The shower cap can be used to keep your camera dry during a surprise rain shower, and the zip locks can be used to keep your spare batteries and lenses dry if you use the 1-gallon size.

With the onset of wet weather, it pays to be prepared and have a way to keep your expensive gear dry. The savings could be quite substantial! That doesn’t even take into account your stress level and disappointment.

Keep your eyes open to scenes that include lots of clouds, they’ll bring interest to an otherwise flat landscape. Another great thing about lots of clouds is the soft light they produce when shooting people outside.

Enjoy the weekend and keep shooting. I hope everyone will post at least 1 pic from this weekend, I know we’d all like to see your work!

I’d love to know what you think and what you’re doing with your photography. Where are you headed, and is there anything you’d like to see here? Share your thoughts here or at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page. Of course, commenting on both Facebook and here is always appreciated, too! Don't forget, we're on Google+, too!

Tools of the Trade- Lenses

Welcome to another Hohenfels Volks photography article. Today in Tools of the Trade, we’re going to discuss lenses. The lenses are like the eyes of the camera. Without them, your light is useless!

You may hear someone talking about their “glass.” Photographers like to refer to them that way, it’s a kind of insider speak. A fine example is the statement that for shooting pro-sports, you need “fast glass.”

Here are the basic parts of a lens;

The Focusing Ring - this allows you to focus your lens on your desired center of interest.
The Zoom Ring - this allows for changing your focal length on zoom lenses.
Front Optical Lens- the front-most element in a lens. This is where the light enters your lens for image recording.
Rear Element- the last element before the curtain or sensor. This is special because of back focus.
Lens Mount- this is where your lens connects to your camera body. It usually has electrical contacts for the camera to communicate with the lens.
Auto-focus On/Off selector- turns off the lenses auto-focus motor.
IS On/Off selector- if your lens is equipped with IS, this turns it on or off.
Diaphragm Blades- these are the blades used to adjust your aperture. they are sensitive and easily damaged. The more blades, the more circular your aperture.

Never try to mount a lens with a different mounting system than yours to your camera. Canon’s lenses cannot be used on a Nikon without a special adaptor, and vice versa. When mounting your lens, remember to align the mounting marks, and firmly seat the lens on the body. Once your lens is seated, you’re off to the races!

When shooting on a tripod or at higher speeds, turn your IS off. This saves battery life and prevents blurring caused by the IS looking for motion that doesn’t exist. A sufficiently high speed is no slower than 1 over your focal length in seconds. For a 300mm lens, you can safely handhold at no slower than 1/300 second.

Lens Care

When handling your lenses, never touch the glass!
Always keep the camera side of the lens facing down whenever the cover is removed to prevent dust settling on it.
When your lens is mounted, the best option is either a cheap UV filer or Circular polarizer. This will protect the glass of your lens from being scratched or broken.
Clean your lenses with either a cleaning kit or soft lint free microfiber cloth.
Always use a blower bulb to remove the dirt before wiping. Then wipe in a circular motion from inside to outside.
If it still needs cleaning, place a couple drops of lens cleaning solvent on the cloth and wipe again. Never put liquid on the lens.
Store your lenses in a clean dry place. Try to ensure it is free from dust, dirt, and moisture.
The case most lenses come with is a good place to store them.
Never subject your lenses to hard banging or jostling. This can damage the diaphragm blades used to adjust your aperture.
Take care of your lenses and they will provide a lifetime of great images and memories!

Not all lenses are created equal, some are better than others, but taking the time to learn about yours will make it more valuable and your images that much better!

Well, after that long-winded discussion, I’m sure your dying to get out and take some pics. Choose your lens and shoot away! There’s enough around Hohenfels to give all your lenses a workout! Make sure you post the pics to the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page and share the joy with all of us!

Remember; leave your comments and questions here and on our Facebook pages, also.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks to all of you, have a great day!