Social media plays a huge role in what I do and I'm thankful for every single one of you who reads, comments, likes, shares and generally interacts with my page, blog and website.
And with a big milestone being achieved in 200 likers on my Facebook page it is only fair that I share the love and give back to those who have supported me.
To celebrate the 200th liker I'll be giving away $200 worth of vouchers in the form of ten $20 vouchers that will be able to be redeemed against either a print order (minimum order value of $50) or a portrait session. But, to be eligible you must be a 'liker' of Will Barton Photography!
To enter into the draw, simply head over to the Contact Page and flick me an email with your details. Now this is important: you only have a week to enter - entries will close midnight Wednesday, 23 May 2012. Winners will be chosen at random via random.org and the results will be announced on my page Thursday evening.
Thank you again to all those who have supported me; I hope that support will continue into the future and of course I hope I can continue to provide quality content and a quality service.
Cheers,
Will
Showing posts with label portraits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label portraits. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
An Afternoon in the Park
Always have your camera ready; you never know when energetic subjects - aka kids - and wonderful light come together!
The occasion? Tye-man's first birthday and what better way to spend a glorious early Autumn evening than with friends and a bunch of crazy kids!
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| Tye (the birthday boy) and my darling Lilly enjoying the late afternoon glow of the Autumn sun |
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
New Website
No doubt you have noticed a couple of changes over the last week or two. The most obvious of these changes has been the switch from a dark theme over to a white theme, along with the addition of a new header and now a new menu bar.
These changes have been in preparation for the long awaited (for me anyway) re-launch of my site (which can be found under the Home menu above or www.willbartonphotography.com.au).
So make sure you check out the new-old site and please let me know what you think!!!
Over the next week or two there may be some times when the content is a bit jumbled as I tweak and finish off, so please bare with me during this time!
Will
These changes have been in preparation for the long awaited (for me anyway) re-launch of my site (which can be found under the Home menu above or www.willbartonphotography.com.au).
So make sure you check out the new-old site and please let me know what you think!!!
Over the next week or two there may be some times when the content is a bit jumbled as I tweak and finish off, so please bare with me during this time!
Will
Thursday, January 5, 2012
2012 Packages, Prices and Specials!
In welcoming in the new year I've put together my first ever packages and rates for portraiture and corporate work. It has taken me a couple of days to put these together to make them as affordable as possible.
You can find the packages and prices under it's own tab (here).
To herald in this new chapter of my photography, for a limited time I'm offering a 25% discount on any portrait or corporate package. To redeem this discount all you need to do is visit my Facebook page (Will Barton Photography), print out the coupon and book a package for either January or February!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
A New Digital Process!
With the prospect of some important jobs coming up, I thought I'd better explore what options are out there in terms of modern processing of raw files.
Now when using a digital SLR, there are essentially two options for shooting: raw and jpeg. Raw, as the name would suggest, captures the raw data from the sensor. When shooting in jpg, the camera processes the raw image, compressing the image and shedding the raw data in the process. For those who demand full control of their images, raw is the suggested method with the shooter then using a software package to process that image.
Until now I had been using an old software package to process my raw images before exporting them as jpgs and then editing them in Photoshop; a rather drawn out and time consuming process!
With my interest in photography lagging for a number of years, I didn't take much interest in the advancements of processing technology, so when I came back to it earlier this year, I resumed with my old ways.
But as I again became involved in the photographic community I began to notice how image quality had greatly improved, whether from the amateur or pro. So, I thought I'd better investigate!
From what I read the options were either Adobe's Lightroom or Apple's Apeture; the latter though requiring a Mac (from my brief reading). So Lightroom was the first port of call and as quickly as possible a trial version was loaded and ready to go. And after only a few minutes I was sold - and at the same time absolutley kicking myself for not trialling it sooner!
Here's a few comparisons from the shoot with the Turtons (all which, I might add have been reprocessed!)
(I might add that not every photos is a direct match, I wasn't about to go back to the old ways to process the exact matches)
And best of all, it is unbelievably fast to work through a shoot and end up with higher quality at the end!
What are others using these days?
Now when using a digital SLR, there are essentially two options for shooting: raw and jpeg. Raw, as the name would suggest, captures the raw data from the sensor. When shooting in jpg, the camera processes the raw image, compressing the image and shedding the raw data in the process. For those who demand full control of their images, raw is the suggested method with the shooter then using a software package to process that image.
Until now I had been using an old software package to process my raw images before exporting them as jpgs and then editing them in Photoshop; a rather drawn out and time consuming process!
With my interest in photography lagging for a number of years, I didn't take much interest in the advancements of processing technology, so when I came back to it earlier this year, I resumed with my old ways.
But as I again became involved in the photographic community I began to notice how image quality had greatly improved, whether from the amateur or pro. So, I thought I'd better investigate!
From what I read the options were either Adobe's Lightroom or Apple's Apeture; the latter though requiring a Mac (from my brief reading). So Lightroom was the first port of call and as quickly as possible a trial version was loaded and ready to go. And after only a few minutes I was sold - and at the same time absolutley kicking myself for not trialling it sooner!
Here's a few comparisons from the shoot with the Turtons (all which, I might add have been reprocessed!)
And best of all, it is unbelievably fast to work through a shoot and end up with higher quality at the end!
What are others using these days?
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sun: Friend and Foe!
All to often I see happy snaps ruined by harsh, bright sunlight. Sometimes this mightn't matter too much; it may be one of hundreds of photos of that family member or friend. Sometimes though it might be a rare photo of a loved one or of a never repeated special moment; a photo that you want to be able to look back on with fond memories.
Now I know that in a past blog I briefly explored the idea of what makes a memorable image, and that the important thing is the memories that it brings back. To this end though there is a limit; sometimes a photo can be that bad that it simply isn't evern worth saving (or printing if your're still using film).
So how can we make the most of the least ideal conditions? What are ideal conditions and what are least ideal conditions?
Ask any photographer and they'll probably tell you their favourite times to shoot outdoors are the first couple of hours of the day and the last few hours. During these times (coined the "golden hours"), when the sun is low in the, sky the light is normally much softer (due to the increased depth of atmosphere through which the light must pass) and much warmer. And, with the sun low in the sky, it is also easier to work with.
But we're not always presented with opportunities at either end of the day; most outdoor family events are over lunch, we go down to the park with our kids either late morning or early afternoon, so we must adapt to these harsh lighting conditions and make the most of them.
First trick, and probably the most obvious, is seek out the shade!
Shade, although much darker, provides a far more even quality of light. And with even light comes soft shadows and smooth exposures. Now "shadow" might extend to waiting for a cloud to block the sun (as with the photo left) and, depending on the extent of the shadow, bright sunlight from surrounding areas can still spill enough light in to keep your exposure up and provide a bit of interest.
Failing overcast conditions, or at least a cooperative cloud or two, then the shade from structures or trees is the next best thing, but be warned that things can get quite dark. To combat this you might want to use a bit of fill flash to just help boost the ambient light levels.
If you're confident with controlling your exposure then the soft dappled light found under the bigger trees can be very pleasant; just make sure you expose on the slightly darker side to avoid blowing out the lighter areas and ending up with brutal white splurges on your subject.
Shade not an option? Well if you're forced to shoot in full sun the first goal should be to avoid full sun on the face of your subject. This is especially true when the sun is high in the sky and will cast deep shadows around the eyes, under the nose and under the cheeks.
Try to get the sun behind your subject and expose for the face. You might end up with blown out rim lighting, but one hopes that you'll still get a half decent exposure on their face.
This situation can be improved by 'bouncing' light back into your subject. To achieve this photographers use refelctors - essentially a large, rigid sheet of aluminium either silver or gold - to bounce light back into the subject and in doing so balancing out the light from the sun and the light on the subject.
Reflectors are a pretty cheap bit of gear with a 3/4 length 5-in-1 reflector (silver, gold, white, translucent and black - the last being for soaking up light) available for around $100 and a bit cheaper on line. It is definitely a very useful bit of gear if you're shooting people and outdoor subjects.
But if you can't access one, or don't think it's worth the outlay, then look for bright reflective (but muted) surfaces and position your subject in such a way that the sunlight bounces back onto them from the reflective surface.
Finally, for the more advanced there is the option of strong artificial light (dedicated speedlight either on or off camera). This will act either as a primary light source or at least a very close secondary light source to the sun.
To use a speedlight effectively you're going to need something with a bit of oomph, after all it will be competing with the sun! So it pays to get a good brand and invest in good batteries! With the speedlight on the camera your creativity is limited, but if you get yourself an off-camera shoe chord that will really start to free you up with regard to creativity and quality. If you want to go that bit extra (and have the required deep pockets) then the ultimate is a set of radio triggers.
Radio triggers can be used to trigger speedlights, strobes (and even cameras) remotely and with some brands as far away as 400m. With these in your armament very quickly your only limit becomes your own imagination. A set of good radio triggers (and I emphasise good - last thing you want is unreliable triggers) will cost you up around $350-$500 depending on brand and retailer.
So there you go; hopefully you have got something out of this post and will see an improvement in your photography.
For more photos don't forget to check out my gallery and be sure to 'Like' my facebook page to keep up to date with these blogs and my work!
Now I know that in a past blog I briefly explored the idea of what makes a memorable image, and that the important thing is the memories that it brings back. To this end though there is a limit; sometimes a photo can be that bad that it simply isn't evern worth saving (or printing if your're still using film).
So how can we make the most of the least ideal conditions? What are ideal conditions and what are least ideal conditions?
Ask any photographer and they'll probably tell you their favourite times to shoot outdoors are the first couple of hours of the day and the last few hours. During these times (coined the "golden hours"), when the sun is low in the, sky the light is normally much softer (due to the increased depth of atmosphere through which the light must pass) and much warmer. And, with the sun low in the sky, it is also easier to work with.
But we're not always presented with opportunities at either end of the day; most outdoor family events are over lunch, we go down to the park with our kids either late morning or early afternoon, so we must adapt to these harsh lighting conditions and make the most of them.
First trick, and probably the most obvious, is seek out the shade!
 |
| Eliza (from An Arvo with the Turtons). There is no use of artificial light or reflectors in this shot, just expose for the subject and let the background blow out. |
Failing overcast conditions, or at least a cooperative cloud or two, then the shade from structures or trees is the next best thing, but be warned that things can get quite dark. To combat this you might want to use a bit of fill flash to just help boost the ambient light levels.
If you're confident with controlling your exposure then the soft dappled light found under the bigger trees can be very pleasant; just make sure you expose on the slightly darker side to avoid blowing out the lighter areas and ending up with brutal white splurges on your subject.
Shade not an option? Well if you're forced to shoot in full sun the first goal should be to avoid full sun on the face of your subject. This is especially true when the sun is high in the sky and will cast deep shadows around the eyes, under the nose and under the cheeks.
Try to get the sun behind your subject and expose for the face. You might end up with blown out rim lighting, but one hopes that you'll still get a half decent exposure on their face.
 |
| An excellent use of a reflector to bounce light back onto the subject by Wagga Photographer Belinda Fraser |
This situation can be improved by 'bouncing' light back into your subject. To achieve this photographers use refelctors - essentially a large, rigid sheet of aluminium either silver or gold - to bounce light back into the subject and in doing so balancing out the light from the sun and the light on the subject.
Reflectors are a pretty cheap bit of gear with a 3/4 length 5-in-1 reflector (silver, gold, white, translucent and black - the last being for soaking up light) available for around $100 and a bit cheaper on line. It is definitely a very useful bit of gear if you're shooting people and outdoor subjects.
But if you can't access one, or don't think it's worth the outlay, then look for bright reflective (but muted) surfaces and position your subject in such a way that the sunlight bounces back onto them from the reflective surface.
Finally, for the more advanced there is the option of strong artificial light (dedicated speedlight either on or off camera). This will act either as a primary light source or at least a very close secondary light source to the sun.
To use a speedlight effectively you're going to need something with a bit of oomph, after all it will be competing with the sun! So it pays to get a good brand and invest in good batteries! With the speedlight on the camera your creativity is limited, but if you get yourself an off-camera shoe chord that will really start to free you up with regard to creativity and quality. If you want to go that bit extra (and have the required deep pockets) then the ultimate is a set of radio triggers.
Radio triggers can be used to trigger speedlights, strobes (and even cameras) remotely and with some brands as far away as 400m. With these in your armament very quickly your only limit becomes your own imagination. A set of good radio triggers (and I emphasise good - last thing you want is unreliable triggers) will cost you up around $350-$500 depending on brand and retailer.
 |
| My lovely sisters-in-law Kristy (L) and Jo (R). Sun is fairly low in the sky (3pm) over their left shoulder. Speedligh is slightly off to the left of camera. An off-camera shoe chord was used to free up the speedlight. |
 |
| A more creative use of off-camer flash. As you can see the sun is behind and to the left of Kristy while the flash is high and to her right. An off-camera shoe chord was used to free up the speedlight. |
 |
| An example of the creativity the freedom of radio triggers provides. The speedlight is high and to my right and is exposed just under the sun. The sunlight provides great rim lighting while a bit of post-processing provides the cooler tone and strong contrast. |
So there you go; hopefully you have got something out of this post and will see an improvement in your photography.
For more photos don't forget to check out my gallery and be sure to 'Like' my facebook page to keep up to date with these blogs and my work!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
An Arvo With the Turtons
Answering my call for test subjects was Monique and her two lovely daughters, Molly and Eliza.
Both girls have a great sense of humour and kept the whole afternoon entertaining with their laughter and wisecracks (usually at my expense!).
Here's a few that I've managed to process tonight...
Both girls have a great sense of humour and kept the whole afternoon entertaining with their laughter and wisecracks (usually at my expense!).
Here's a few that I've managed to process tonight...
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