Astaroth's Photography Blog

Panning

2012-02-19T12:54:00.000+01:00

The "Panning" in photography is a technique for take pictures of objects in motion. The photographer follows the motion with his camera. The principal subject is sharp, but the background is blurred. It produces a speed sensation.

Yesterday I've tried this technique with cars. I've used a Manfrotto tripod with a basic pan tilt head. The "up-down" and "horizontal (landscape) - vertical (portrait)" movements were blocked and I only let the "right-left" movement.

These are some of the results:

You can view the complete gallery clicking here. You can view below some funny coincidences:

It was a sunny day with a lot of light and I needed slow shoots for this kind of photography, so I used very very closed apertures (about f/32). The shooting speed was about 1/10 seconds.

Maybe this afternoon I could start other project: costume photography, today is carnivale :D! See you then ;)!

The Empty Weekend

2012-02-05T22:27:00.000+01:00

Since I started to work (the last august), I'm feeling how my time escapes. I haven't almost free time, so I try use it as good as possible. The most part of this time is dedicated to photography.

This weekend hasn't been a good weekend. The Saturday I was to take pictures of my little brother playing soccer. It was an interesting experience under the point of view of the photography. However, I don't like show images of my family in the Internet, so this ball is all I can show us.

I think I'd never taken pictures about sports since I bought my reflex camera (I don't like sports). As bird's photography, you must follow the movement and is hard get sharpness. Telephoto lens (the players are far), very open apertures (faster and with small depth of field), short shooting times (against blur). The tripod is not necessary because you have to follow the player in motion.

Today, Sunday, I had several photographic plans... but I rejected them because of the weather (theoretically, It was going to be raining). All I could do today was take this picture from my window.

A very frustrating photographic weekend...

Finally, I've been retouching some images of the last weekend (more productive). I've applied a HDR post-processing basically.

The next weekend I'll try use better my time.

Retouching

2012-02-01T21:13:00.000+01:00

Some of you have seen my last natural-landscapes session (published in Astaroth's World). I've been reviewing these pictures and creating new versions through the photographic retouching.

I want show you my two finalist:

1.- A colourful HDR version

2.- A version that It seems as It was painted.

What do you like more? The "over-processing" version (the first picture of each couple) or the "natural" version (the second one)?

Composition

2012-01-29T00:45:00.000+01:00

This week I've been learning photographic composition. I've used the wonderful conferences "A Year of Photograph", made by José Benito Ruiz.

I've decided go out today for practice the new acquired knowledges. The next pictures are little exercises of composition. They aren't good pictures. They aren't interesting shots. They only are exercises for upgrade my composition skills. The below pictures were not processed: they were not cropped.

Symmetry

Some of the pictures I've taken are specular reflections over the vertical axis that divides the image in two identical parts.

In this picture I've used a regular structure as background

I've also used lines and basic forms, as the square

The symmetry can be broken: for example, close-open

Or empty-full

Basic Forms

The closed curves make contours. The basic forms (as the square, the circle and the triangle) are very important in composition. Each figure have a signification.

I've tried to use the diagonal directions to get a full frame

The triangle sometimes has a religious meaning. In this case, we have a religious symbol inside the triangle

Vertical axes also are very important in composition

Textures

The pictures of textures are other way for compose. The textures can be used in different ways. It can be alone or be part of the picture (as the background or the main subject).

Diagonal Lines

An image seems more unstable with diagonal lines. Lines are a basic (but very important) element in composition. Diagonal lines are dramatic, dynamic, unstable and they help us tu get the frame full.

We can trace a curve that it pass for the points of interest. If the points of interest are important, that curve will be the way used by the eyes for travel through the image.

Break The Pattern

If we have a regular pattern and we break it, we are making an interesting visual effect.

This image also can be an example of isolation

Isolation

Isolate an object over an uniform texture is also an interesting visual effect.

Roads For The Eyes

As I've said before, we can build roads for the eyes joining the points of interest. If the curve is closed, the viewer will spend more time in the image.

Vertical Axes

The vertical lines are very important in composition. The taller vertical axis is one of the first areas that the eye visits.

They are not great pictures, but they are great concepts to learn and practice

Trying simplify the process, I've used a telephoto lens. With this kind of lenses it's easier because there are a low number of objects in the frame. If you use an angular lens, you will have to organize a high number of object inside the frame (and it's harder).

The pictures were taken in the old centre of Alcalá de Henares (Madrid - Spain). I chose an urban environment because in this kind of environment there are more pure forms than in natural environment (usually more sinuous).

Learning new things everyday,

Astaroth (O.R.G.)

Shooting at night

2012-01-21T15:02:00.000+01:00

Yesterday the night was clear. There were not too many clouds and the stars were visible. I thought that go out to take some pictures could be a good idea.

I had thought some days before in a natural area near my home. It has some trees, now without leaves, there aren't artificial lights.... I thought it could be a good place for night photography.

Unfortunately, my battery was exhausted a few minutes after I went out. The image at the right is a very very low quality preview of the last picture I was taken.

I like very much the composition of this picture, but I couldn't finish the good shot when battery was exhausted. Now, I only have this preview for remember that I must bring a replace battery the next times :p.

Winter Time

2012-01-15T22:03:00.000+01:00

I was bored at home this afternoon and I've decided go out to take some pictures of this grey day.

My friends, winter is yet here. In Spain, the last months were very sunny and with moderate temperatures, but the day is really grey today. However, even grey days can be beautiful.

Rain, maybe snow, will come soon. I hope the sun doesn't forget about us :).

Following the steps of Passaporte & Moreno

2012-01-14T01:40:00.000+01:00

Recently I've written about the digital archive of Spanish Cultural Heritage Institute (IPCE), the place where you can find old images from important Spanish collections (as the Moreno's Archive or Loty's Archive).

Now I'm going to show you pictures taken over 80-100 years ago by Moreno & Passaporte, and images taken by me the last week in Alcalá de Henares, an immortal city in the heart of Spain.

By me

António Passaporte. Loty's Archive, IPCE, Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of Spain.

By me