An evening with Andrew Collett
The Halton Hills Camera Club hosted Andrew Collett as our guest speaker at our November 6th 2013 meeting night. Andrew's images of Algonquin and northern Ontario were a spectacular reminder of why we all go out and photograph the world around us. If you are up in the Bracebridge area be sure to visit his studio or just peruse his website for some inspiration. Maybe even sign up for a workshop in Algonquin Park and get some incredible images of your own. Here are some notes from his presentation, some common sense, some you may know, all just his thoughts that I believe are worth repeating and contemplating at your next shoot....
1. There are 2 components in photography that you need to master, technique and artistry
2. Try to get the perfect image in camera so you don't need to work so hard at the computer
3. If you are taking photographs to sell as "artwork" think like a decorator, warms tones rather than cold tones, panorama's rather than squares
4. There are 3 keys to make a great image: interesting subject matter; good composition; and atmosphere through light
5. When thinking about composition always think about the rule of 1/3's and place objects or highlights in a way that moves the eye through the image without any distractions
6. Use light and atmosphere to take an image beyond the " snap shot"
7. Always spend a lot of time scouting locations - know where you want to go and then wait for the right conditions to get the image you want ( light, time of day, rain, colour elements)
8. When composing an image look for - foreground - elements that grab you
- midground - things that carry you through the image
- background - what takes you out of the image
9. Experiment, decide what you want to do and then do the complete opposite
10. Pre - visualize how you want your image to look and then find that in your location
11. Noise lives in the shadows in digital images so expose to the light and darken back rather than lighten the shadows and have noise
12. Use neutral density filters to bring back your highlights after exposing for the shadows. If you move the filter slightly while taking the photograph you will lose the hard edge line
13. Focus a 1/3 of the way in F18 as a general rule
14. When photographing trees mist is the best mood enhancer
15. Defraction will soften your image so shoot at the "sweet spot" of your lens for enlargement quality
16. Try a tilt and shift lens for complete focus control they are great for landscapes and panorama's
17. Get a good tripod with a ball head also use a quick release for your camera on an "L" bracket for easy turning of the camera on the tripod
18. Andrew uses a Carbon Fibre tripod with a " really right stuff" brand ball head and bracket
19. Use a cable release
20. Always get your horizons straight in camera so you don't lose some of your image cropping ( use a spirit level)
Andrew has also partnered with 44Wide to provide printing service to photographers on Dufferin Street in Toronto or goto www.printpartner.ca
When printing they use 240dpi and a 20-50 MB file will easily print a 3ftx4ft image when they use their programs to "res up" the image but they will work with photographers to get the results you are looking for.
1. There are 2 components in photography that you need to master, technique and artistry
2. Try to get the perfect image in camera so you don't need to work so hard at the computer
3. If you are taking photographs to sell as "artwork" think like a decorator, warms tones rather than cold tones, panorama's rather than squares
4. There are 3 keys to make a great image: interesting subject matter; good composition; and atmosphere through light
5. When thinking about composition always think about the rule of 1/3's and place objects or highlights in a way that moves the eye through the image without any distractions
6. Use light and atmosphere to take an image beyond the " snap shot"
7. Always spend a lot of time scouting locations - know where you want to go and then wait for the right conditions to get the image you want ( light, time of day, rain, colour elements)
8. When composing an image look for - foreground - elements that grab you
- midground - things that carry you through the image
- background - what takes you out of the image
9. Experiment, decide what you want to do and then do the complete opposite
10. Pre - visualize how you want your image to look and then find that in your location
11. Noise lives in the shadows in digital images so expose to the light and darken back rather than lighten the shadows and have noise
12. Use neutral density filters to bring back your highlights after exposing for the shadows. If you move the filter slightly while taking the photograph you will lose the hard edge line
13. Focus a 1/3 of the way in F18 as a general rule
14. When photographing trees mist is the best mood enhancer
15. Defraction will soften your image so shoot at the "sweet spot" of your lens for enlargement quality
16. Try a tilt and shift lens for complete focus control they are great for landscapes and panorama's
17. Get a good tripod with a ball head also use a quick release for your camera on an "L" bracket for easy turning of the camera on the tripod
18. Andrew uses a Carbon Fibre tripod with a " really right stuff" brand ball head and bracket
19. Use a cable release
20. Always get your horizons straight in camera so you don't lose some of your image cropping ( use a spirit level)
Andrew has also partnered with 44Wide to provide printing service to photographers on Dufferin Street in Toronto or goto www.printpartner.ca
When printing they use 240dpi and a 20-50 MB file will easily print a 3ftx4ft image when they use their programs to "res up" the image but they will work with photographers to get the results you are looking for.
