Posts Tagged ‘technology’

iOS Camera Improvements | Tech Tuesday

There has been a lot of excitement lately with the new iPhone 6 and iOS camera improvements from Apple. Even though I am not upgrading from my iPhone 5, I am enjoying using the new features that come from the operating system update. Smartphones are really quite amazing in what the programmers can add and change without having a change to the hardware. As a photographer that is used to having more control over the exposure, I like the ability to have more controls. Previously, you hold your finger over a part of the image to set an area to meter the exposure. This really helps to get some control over the brightnes in the photo.

Monterey, California

Monterey Bay Aquarium - ©TimeLine Media
Monterey Bay Aquarium – ©TimeLine Media

In the new iOS 8 version of the camera, you can still specify a point to get a meter reading. Now, an additional control has been added. To the side of the box that pops up after you select a metered area, there is a sun icon that appears. You can then move that sun up to increase the exposure, or down to decrease the exposure from that point. This really came in handy as we walked through the amazing displays at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Monterey Bay Aquarium - ©TimeLine Media
Monterey Bay Aquarium – ©TimeLine Media

The glass that they use for display is so clear. You can put your smartphone right up to the glass without getting bad reflections through the lens. They also control the amount of stray light coming in with their darkened rooms,. This really puts the animals front and center. With the new exposure controls, I could ensure that the meter readings were taken from the bodies floating in the water, then took down the exposure. This helped to make a faster shutter speed to keep the subjects sharp, and helped to pop them out of the background. This was probably my most re-tweeted image yet!

Monterey Bay Aquarium - ©TimeLine Media
Monterey Bay Aquarium – ©TimeLine Media

TimeLine Mediawww.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Morning Moons | Tech Tuesday

Fairfax, Virginia

I feel like I have been so lazy with the blog! Sorry if you have just been anxiously hitting refresh to see if I get inspired today J Well, I am really getting caught up with all my assignments, and getting things back on track after going on a short vacation. Last week some excitement happened in the early morning skies that I almost missed! There was a lunar eclipse that would be viewable in our part of the world right at the time that I would be getting up to start my day – a perfect chance to make some photos without too much effort! And with the backlog of things I had to do, this was what I needed.

Early-morning-lunar-eclipse-©TimeLine-MediaEarly-morning-lunar-eclipse-©TimeLine-Media

Lunar Eclipse

A lunar eclipse is an awesome practice for your camera. Trying to get good photos of a bright moon can teach you a lot about metering, or “how a camera views and image”. Left on automatic, a camera has a difficult time getting a good photo of the face of the moon. This is due to the construction of the light meter in every camera system. They do not see composition, nor can they read the photographer’s mind to know exactly the goals for the image.

A meter measures all the light coming into the sensor, and it calculates the aperture and shutter speed that will give a middle gray image. It does not know that you want the bright light of the moon to be lowered to see the details of the surface. Lowering the amount of light will also make the rest of the photo darker – which is the compromise when making these photos. You will lose detail around the bright moon. During an eclipse that is happening right outside my front door– that is fine by me! I do not care about any of the other surrounding details.

Early-morning-lunar-eclipse-©TimeLine-Media
Early-morning-lunar-eclipse-©TimeLine-Media

Once I figured an exposure that gave me the detail that I was looking for, I played with all kinds of settings. Sometimes I changed the aperture, sometimes the ISO. The exposure values were very similar, but I wanted to see how the camera responds when pushed in such a dark scene.

Lightroom-Library-of-lunar-eclipse
Lightroom-Library-of-lunar-eclipse


It only lasted a few minutes before the moon ducked too low in the horizon. I was very lucky! No need to go to extra lengths to get these photos, but so many that I’ll keep in the collection.

Early-morning-full-moon-©TimeLine-Media
Early-morning-full-moon-©TimeLine-Media

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Updated portrait | Virginia Photographer

Happy Thursday! It’s my 38th birthday today, and time to update my portrait. Thanks for the all the messages on social media – it is really nice to have them stream in! it is one of the best things about the new technology. It is a great excuse to hear from people that you have not seen or talked to in a while. You can reminisce again about birthdays past and make plans for future celebrations! In addition to all the messages, I set up my camera to make a new self-portrait with some lighting.

GGB updated portrait at 38
GGB_portrait_at_38

My 25th birthday was marked by a day of national tragedy. We felt it here in the DC area, and the memory of the events will always be felt when the date comes around every year. The solemnness of ceremonies and memorials on TV and across the Internet lets me also be reflective on my own events. I can take things in; reflect on a milestone day along with everyone else, as a tribute to those that were taken that day, and to be thankful for another year.  It will be back tomorrow, but it’s nice to have a break from the norm. It is nice that so many do the same on your birthday, even if it borne out of sadness.

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

1 2 3 4 5 16