Get It Right In The Camera by David Saffir

Until now, you have been forced to bear the photographic wanderings of Hub. This article marks the first of many supplemental articles that will expose you to the wisdom of some of my long time professional photography friends who have volunteered to share their insights about their picture taking craft. It's with great pleasure that I bring these additional camera techniques and insights to beginning DSLR users.

Meet David Saffir:

David Saffir is, without a doubt, one of photography's special people. David is a gifted, award winning photographer, educator and author who has the ability to delight and inspire his audiences with practical, real world experience that's backed up with an enviable body of photographic art. David has been recently recognized as a Visionary Photographer. In addition, he is the author of the popular book, Mastering Digital Color: A Photographer's and Artist's Guide to Controlling Color. And, you can meet David personally at any of his nationwide workshops. Please take some time to visit David's website to view his art and expand your photographic knowledge.

One of my demon issues in photography is “getting it right in the camera”. Long, long ago in a galaxy far far away, I was working with my first digital camera on a three-day shoot. Anytime something in the picture wasn't quite right we would say “no worries, we’ll fix all our problem images in Photoshop”. Right. After two frustrating weeks in post-production, I said “never again”.

But there are at least a few reasons to get it right in the camera beyond saving time in front of the computer. I’ve found that shooting good, solid images using digital is even more demanding, and less forgiving, than shooting traditional transparency film. The rest of this essay is divided into two parts – part one is a brief review of the technical foundation needed, part two is about the personal.

Technical

Exposure is a key element in success in using digital technology. I have found that the ideal exposure is within +/- 1/10 stop. A hand held light meter is almost always more accurate than the meter in your camera. Using the histogram, on camera or computer, is fundamental in gauging exposure accuracy. Exposure errors can lead to all kinds of problems with image quality, including lost highlight/shadow detail, color aberrations, noise, and other gremlins.

Although some might disagree, I shoot RAW (file format) unless I’m running and gunning to create small images for the web. RAW file formats open all kinds of doors in control and creativity; I also find that a perfectly exposed JPEG is pretty straightforward to work with – but many times we don’t have control of the light.

Use a robust color space, such as Adobe RGB 1998 or ProPhoto. You can “tag” an image for this during RAW processing.

Protect your lens from unneeded light, use a lens shade, or if necessary a piece of cardboard or other barrier. Every time. Day or night. Even if you don’t feel like it. You’ll find over time that many images will have improved color and contrast.

If you can, use a prime lens -- a non-zoom lens. With few exceptions (and there are exceptions) fixed focal length lenses give a better result as compared to zooms. Also, keep in mind that every lens has a “sweet spot” – classically, this is described as two f/stops above maximum aperture. Your mileage may very from lens to lens, so test it out.

©David Saffir

Look into the corners of your viewfinder for unwanted elements in the frame. Check your background for clutter, unwanted structures, or other distractions. You can also use controlled aperture and ISO settings to make your background go dark, or even drop away completely.

Does this seem like a lot to remember? It could be – but with just occasional practice, it becomes instinctive, and you’ll find that your percentage of "keeper" images versus junk improves significantly. In the end, you be able to spend less time in front of your computer and more of your time behind your camera -- where the fun is.

Personal

So far, all technical. When working with people, getting it right in the camera (for me, at least) is creating an image that tells an effective story for a person or group. Sometimes the story is as simple as seeing a genuine aspect of who they are, or what they’re feeling at that moment. Sometimes the story is more complex, involving relationships in a group, or it’s about people within their environment. Nadia Salameh is a photographer that has an extraordinary gift for this.

I use a tripod for some of my portrait work. Not always, but at times it is useful because it lets me get out from behind the impersonal box of the camera and work to make a connection with the person. Holding a remote release in my hand, I’ll discuss anything they are interested in, or that they want to talk about. As an example - one of my heroes is Yousef Karsch, who was probably the first to use this method, captured one of the most iconic photographs of Winston Churchill.

Other times, I’ll use the camera "hand-held", and set up to shoot a little wider than the subject. I can get a lot of shots this way without putting my eye to the viewfinder, keeping the interaction going.

I’ve also made a point of attending portrait shoots run by photographers whose work I admire. Somehow I feel like a sponge, soaking it all in – from posing, to timing, lighting techniques – and building rapport.

©David Saffir

Now that I’ve said all that – this image isn’t about rapport – it’s about tasty margaritas!

In any case, look for the decisive moment, the gesture that appears in a flash, and then vanishes – unless we get it right in the camera.

- David Saffir