Why This Will Help You Understand Contrast And Light

Every photographer at some point has taken a photo thinking the image would come out in a certain way but the lens, film and camera capture something altogether different. 

In a nutshell, contrast is the difference of brightness in light, in different parts of a scene being observed. On bright sunny days (which are few and far between in England) this may be extremely strong. Ofcourse in a studio these can be controlled using flash. In contrast [no pun intended!] it can get quite low, again depending on where you live on the planet! 

On a very wintery day, snow, due to its albedo, can result in extreme contrast if there are shadow areas present in the same photograph. 

The human eye is quite remarkable, being able to switch instantaneously, between extreme brightness of an open area to the light deprived alleyways of old London. In comparison with the human eye, film cannot process or adjust to these rapid changes. 

Generally, black and white film fares much better with contrasts in brighter light and darker areas. However, in comparison to colour film, particularly in my experience, slide film stocks such as Velvia and Provia seriously struggle. Ofcourse the human eye is leagues ahead, however, technology is rapidly changing and I would not be surprised if the digital realm at some point, reaches some degree of closeness to the experience of the human eye. The question I have on this would be, do we really need it? 

On average, black and white film, can handle much wider exposure latitudes. Films such as Kodak Tri-X or Ilford HP5 Plus allow for greater shifts in light and shadows. You can push-process HP5 Plus up to 6 stops but you might lose shadow detail as a result, although it generally tends to fare better in highlights. Ofcourse, if that is not enough for you, then try Ilford Delta 3200 or Kodak P3200 TMAX, these films can be shot from ISO 400 through to 25,000 making their exposure latitudes the widest available across all black and white films. 

Most modern colour films such as Kodak Portra can manage one stop underexposed or two stops over-exposed relatively well, however this will depend on what you are shooting. Often, highlights render as white, if you overexpose on a sunny day, and if you under-expose the shadows may be black. In either case, you’ll have an image, but, whether it's something you are happy with, is another question! 

One of the best ways to establish the ‘correct’ exposure would be to use a light meter. You can use your phone, the ‘Light Meter’ app is useful but you only get a reading for the entire scene which is not going to be ideal. 

Some film cameras do have their onboard light meter, but the trouble with this is going to be similar to your phone light meter. You have two further options, using a dedicated light meter. The Sekonic L-35, which you can use specifically to meter the light and shadows, however, the best and quickest way to figure out the exposure, is to use the Sekonic Speedmaster L858D. Which allows you to take multiple exposures and calculates the best lens aperture to lock in. Using a dedicated light meter will be especially useful when shooting colour stock films. 

Take for example these shots, incorrect metering resulting in overexposure of these images but when metered correctly the outcomes are much more accurate! However, with the absence of much light and overcast conditions, colour again underperforms, as you can see with these images! 

Light itself is not the creator of contrast. The subject, such as buildings, are what help to create shadows. The lack of light helps to create contrast and if you take the right steps you can reduce its impacts on shooting with film.

Remember, when shooting portraits out in bright sunny conditions, take a reflector with you to fill in light into the shadowy areas of the subject. Alternatively you could use flash, but bouncing light off a reflector has its own unique qualities! 

Ofcourse shooting in an extremely well lit environment, such as the deserts of Arizona will be much easier to expose for. However, shooting the sand dunes of the Sahara with its piercing light and shadows, you must come prepared and armed with a good light meter!

Why Planning Is Essential In Photography

As a photographer you will be competing with millions of other photographers. How many of us take the time to really reflect on the imagery we are bombarded with everyday?

Imagine you have a blank frame, its easier to close your eyes for this one to avoid distractions!

Now imagine that you have taken a portrait of a person of interest, say, a footballer, baseball player or perhaps a movie star. Are they sitting down or they standing? Where are they looking? How are their eyes expressing themselves? Do they look happy or sad? 

Sometimes taking a step back and switching off, and going within you,  will help you to find what really resonates with you. And what you would like to capture with your photography. 

Whoever you may be photographing, whether it's a bride and groom or a model, for your photo to stand out, you will need to be aware of what you would like to create before you even pick up the camera. 

The advantage of working with a professional model is that when you communicate with them what you are looking for, they will flow with effortless ease into that state. No doubt, someone who has been before a camera thousands of times, will by experience, allow you to create and capture some dynamic images. 

Next comes lighting. 

Having some basic knowledge of studio lighting can help you to create some well lit images but often distractions abound in such scenarios. And if there is one approach to lighting that perhaps is the best it would certainly be the simplest. 

How many times have you been amazed by a portrait taken with a singular light source, up high, directed downward towards the subject. Or perhaps even natural light pouring in through the window illuminating just enough to really emphasize those cheekbones? 

As you can see through these images, shooting portraits requires motion! It’s not about simply dropping someone in one position and shooting directly at them. Feel your surroundings and communicate how you would like your subject to express themselves. Watch them carefully as they move from one pose to the next, how is the light changing, how is the shadow changing as they move their head or neck? 

Going on a portrait shoot?

Prepare by planning what you would like to capture. Keep it simple, communicate with your subject in advance if you can, if not be present. Keep a keen eye on how light is falling on the face for it can dramatically change like the passing of the clouds can change the light on a landscape. 

Choosing the favourite image can be tricky too, no? Which one was your favourite from the shoot? 

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Focus On This For Composition Balance

If you've ever gone bowling, you'll appreciate that with every throw you’re only aiming for one pin - right at the top. Composing pictures in the camera is a bit like that too. 

As you look through the viewfinder you seem a bit lost as you can’t figure out where to place your main subject. There aren’t many choices available to make the picture balanced and well composed. 

Here's a shot taken in an urban environment. The model is placed well to one side of the picture area. That choice allows the picture to do more than simply provide a graphic rendition of the shape of her. In fact the emphasis is now on atmosphere, and a sense of the confines of an urban environment  that pervades every corner of the frame. 

Here's a shot taken in a coffee shop. The subject is placed well to one side of the picture area. That choice allows the picture to do more than simply provide a graphic rendition of the shape of them. In fact the emphasis is now on atmosphere, and a sense of the confines of a coffee shop that pervades every corner of the frame. 

But does such 'off balance', the placing of the main subject always introduce a certain atmosphere? Well, it is true, of course, that the more information you include with a picture the more material you have available to create an impression. But this is not an unbalanced picture. The difference between balance and imbalance is very subtle: it is much more a feeling than it is a set of rules. At the left hand side of this picture there is a greater weight of tone evident than there are in the trees and wall at left - though the subject provides a 'heavy' area. 

There is no one area which, screaming for attention, uncomfortably draws the eye - because the picture is predominant in either light or dark areas. But cover up the right hand half of the picture and you will see how quickly the subject dominates. 

The subject and surroundings offer a shape of tone - and they become the centre of interest. Now examine the entire picture. Without doubt the surroundings of the subject with the trees and large balloon like shape are of interest, and have an effect on the impression conveyed to you. 

Imagine the effect you'd experience if the subject was arranged at the right hand side of the frame instead of on the left.Even then, the major areas of heavy tone - the black bits - would all be in one place, and at the left hand side there would be a similar sort of backdrop to the left as there was on the right. 

Only if there was a blank backdrop to the left with a lightweight tone that the image would probably become more disinteresting creating an imbalance. Was this balance or effect a conscious choice? In this case it was more a case of being at the right place and being aware of the surroundings. Once you begin to appreciate light and how light works with film then things begin to feel more tangible. Obviously when shooting with BW film, you will become more aware that the light will be exposed well and subsequently the shadowy areas will come out black. 

Finally, remember that the strength of tone can be adjusted to a certain extent in the darkroom. Any area of this picture could be made more heavy than it is by the simple act of burning in - that is, allowing more light to fall on that area when printing, so that it becomes darker in comparison with the rest of the print. That's part of the value of darkroom work. 

If you are keen on enhancing your photography beyond just your getaway snaps from the beach then you must work on your visualisation. Your ability to visualise a picture in advance can only happen if you are getting out there and shooting in all sorts of different lighting conditions. I’m not sure I know anyone who sits and reads a camera manual. I suspect in most cases it never leaves the box! Only through patience, practice and continual reviewing will you,  in time, become a master of light! 

Why You Should Shoot Street Photography

Whether you're shooting with a film camera such as the Bronica Zenza ETRS, a digital camera or even a phone camera, you're going to find this video really helpful to get you started. 

I wanted to go out and check out what I could get with a Bronica Zenza. I don't think I actually went out to shoot with it in the street, and I want to see how it handles, what it felt like? How would I frame my images? This was a practice run for me to see if it's a practical camera to use for street-based photography. 

One of the major blocks when it comes to street photography is actually getting out there. 

A lot of people want to do photography, but they get worried about what other people might think or how people in the street might feel. The absolute simplest thing you can start is grabbing your camera and go out!  This could be in your local area because you're going to be more familiar with it and naturally more comfortable. 

Failing that, you can go further into a field, maybe somewhere people don't know you. It could be your high street, maybe your shopping mall, or a completely different town or city itself. The key thing is to get going and start shooting. As soon as you can get going, that's really going to help you. 

It doesn't matter what camera you've got, whether that's your phone, DSLR or SLR camera. Shooting film, then take lots of film with you on your walk! Shooting digital? I would shoot nonstop, everything and anything that I can see within my walking frame. 

When shooting with a medium-format camera, such as a Bronica Zenza, you're going to get 15 shots on a roll, that's six by four point five If you're shooting by six by six on a Yashica Mat 124 G for example, or a Hasselblad. You're probably going to get 12 images only. If shooting with a 35 millimetre camera, you can get, I would say up to 37 images, maybe even 38, if you are very good at putting on your roll and being very economical with it. 

One of the challenges of shooting with the Bronica Zenza ETRS is that it's actually quite a bulky and heavy camera. That side, when you're shooting outside, it will force you to think about what you're shooting and how you're going to shoot it. Now in the street environment, there are some challenges, challenges being that the atmosphere, the scenery is constantly changing. People are moving in, people moving out, there's cars moving in, cars moving out, something could happen, it's quite spontaneous, And I don't think using a medium format camera such as this one is going to get you the full opportunity to be able to take those shots quickly and efficiently. 

An alternative method of overcoming that challenge is going to be shooting with something a lot lighter, like a compact camera, such as the Nikon L135AF. It's a compact camera. You can put it away into your pocket. And if you want to, you can take it out very quickly or you can carry it around in your hand without having any problems shooting with it. Compact cameras offer discretion so you can quickly take a shot without really disturbing the environment or catching anyone off guard. There are plenty of digital cameras that are similar to this, which will allow you to take a lot more shots than what a Bronica Zenza ETRS can offer.  

I was out with some friends having dinner. It was just a few hours after the shoot. And I remember showing my photos that I'd been taking like Polaroid SX-70. This is one of the images that we were actually looking at at the time. And the waiter oversaw the images and was actually really intrigued by the Polaroid SX-70 itself. 

He started asking me questions about it. How to use it, and why was he using it? Which led him to the ultimate question about what camera he should get for his 15 year old son. He was really interested in photography. He wanted to know what would be the best camera to start shooting with. A lot of people ask me this question. If you're a young photographer and you don't have a budget personally, I had no budget even to have a camera at the age of 15. 

My first camera was when I, when I started working, I think it was 23 or 24 when I first got my Nikon. To get started with photography, the key thing though, is that we have so many cameras that are available to us. Every single person has a camera phone. If you really enjoy and love photography, that is such an easy and simple way to access this medium of art. I advised him to start shooting with his camera on his phone as often as possible. If something is coming off it, then that's the time to start thinking about, well, going into an entry level camera, rather than diving straight into a top level DSLR camera with all these kit lenses and so forth. Better start some projects first before investing fully into it. So shooting with the Bronica Zenza ETRS, and you'd have to take the magazine holder at the back off first. 

Kosmo Foto is a 100 ISO panchromatic black and white film. Perfect for all medium format cameras. One of the exciting things to note about this film is that it is freshly made and stopped in the wilds of Europe. For those of you looking to reduce your carbon footprint and love shooting film, then this could be a more environmentally friendly option. 

The packaging of this film is pretty cool too, with the cosmonaut at the front, and this film can be used on sunny days, overcast conditions, as you can see in my images here, but also for indoors with studio lighting, flush or even natural light, it'll be really interesting to see how it compares with Acros 100 or even Ilford Delta 100, to see the comparisons between them. 

The film is a traditional black and white chemistry so that it can be developed with formulations such as perceptol or tetenal or rodinal as well. If you've tried with any other C 41 chemicals then shoot them in the comments below It can be pushed and pulled to ISO 50 or push processed up to ISO 400. 

Is that your teddy in the video?

You can grab a copy of my Photography Book here!

Afropean Notes From Black Europe By Johny Pitts

You read because you want to be moved, feel something, be inspired or learn something new. Afropean is a book about understanding the lived experience of Europe’s black communities. No doubt this book will move you in ways that will get you to think more about you and how similar or different your lived experience is wherever you may be in the world. 

Johny Pitts is writer, photographer and broadcast journalist, born and raised in a low middle income home in Sheffield, England. His father is African-American and mother is White English. After breaking up with his girlfriend he moved back temporarily from London to Sheffield before embarking on his budget backpacking trip to Europe. 

What I find most interesting about his journey is that he was in his 30s when he first decided to do this trip. Unlike upper middle income kids on their gap year or post uni backpacking around Europe, he had spent years saving money and even then had to max out his credit cards to fund his 5 month trip. One which was spent not living the delights of some of its famous spots and sceneries but spent on a budget living and experiencing the lives of those communities living on the fringe. 

Johny takes us with him on this journey through Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Stockholm, Moscow, Rome, Marseille and Gibraltar. Interspersed with meticulous social and detailed historical knowledge, he infuses his personal experiences of the trip with those that he meets sharing their deeply rich experiences giving them a voice. 

One of the most fascinating stories that Johny writes about is on Alexander Pushkin’s heritage. Alexander Pushkin was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era. He is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poets and the founder of modern Russian literature. A Russian, his great grandfather was Abram Gannibal who was a son of a Prince from what is today the border between Chad and Cameroon. His story in itself is one of brilliance and excellence of the human mind and character. One of his sons would go on to become a General in the Tsar’s Army (incredible considering the attitudes towards people of African origin during the colonial period) and later one of his descendants would marry into British Royalty! 

In my own ignorance, this story reminded me of the great work of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges who was a French classical composer, virtuoso violinist, a conductor of the leading symphony orchestra in Paris  (as well as being a renowned champion fencer!) There are likely many, many more great artists who have African heritage that have influenced European culture directly that have simply been forgotten about or had their influence removed. 

The way Johny weaves the story of Alexander Pushkin, through to the Soviet era when those of African heritage saw even briefly an attempt to reduce the racial gap and now when being a man or woman of colour in Russia might find you targeted directly physically and in some occasions brutally. 

It is incredible to see that in Europe today so much is forgotten about notable individuals such as Pushkin, their heritage and contribution to European art and culture. Johny brings contemporary life stories and frames them eloquently within the context of the past. 

One of the most tragic dots that connect all the stories of the African diaspora living in various parts of European cities, is how similar their backgrounds are and the contempt and most challenging conditions they find themselves living in. From the Senegalese living in the Banlieues of Paris to the Freedom fighters of the ANC living a solitary existence in Stockholm. All share deprived and wretched conditions they live in even though after a generation of migrants has come most continue unable to be treated as citizens of their home state and face daily challenges trying to make economic and social progress. 

From encounters with people on the train who openly demonstrated their hatred of ‘foreynjers’ [I won't go into details here but you must really read the chapter ‘Rinkeby Swedish’] for anyone not aware of the deeply embedded racism within European society Johny’s travels and book is truly revealing of a european society with two halves. 

If you love travel, journaling or immersing yourself in real life stories you must read this book. Johny curates an online journal Afropean.com and contributes to The Guardian, the New Statesman and The New York Times. Be sure to check out his continuing work! 

How about grabbing this book wherever you might be and take an incredible journey through Europe that many of us will never get to see or experience. It will forsure change the way you see Paris or Rome the next time you fly for a getaway vacation. 

Have you read Afropean or any other travel/photography books? Let me know, I’d love to hear from you in the comments! 

You can grab a copy of the book here

How You Can Frame Better Photos

Symmetry is critically important in design - and by default in photographic composition as well. How we achieve it is open to interpretation and debate! 

For some symmetry is all about a peaceful balance of all the elements in frame, while others find it restricting, insisting instead on a touch of off-balance tensity in their compositions. 

You cannot deny it though, regardless of how you view it, symmetry is powerful its something we are attracted to. 

Here is a shot I took in Central London, it was the taken the morning after a stabbing had taken place outside Urban Outfitters.The arrangement of the elements of the picture, controlled of course by the cameras viewpoint, has a strong hint of symmetrical balance; yet the picture is just 'off centre' to prevent that hint becoming featureless as to conceal what else is going on in the frame.  

And that is important. For a picture should of course be good to look at from the point of view of design - but if it is nothing more than a sterile juxtaposition of shapes then it may well end up being merely a pretty pattern, with nothing else to stimulate the viewer's interest. 

Here’s a simple recipe to help create something moving. First, figure out what your main subject is and here it is the man walking across the central reservation. Then, when you are certain about the shot, move yourself to a position where you can capture the image which will communicate some mystery or story element to it. Ultimately, you want to be in a place which maintains the importance of the subject in frame. 

In this circumstance, I had been walking on the other side of the road when the man caught my eye and instinctively I decided to walk across to the centre and capture him walking across. 

Did you get the formula down? 

Now that sounds like a lot of work and faffing around but it should be pretty straightforward. Regardless of you shooting with the latest Mirrorless Camera, iPhone or Analog Camera by practicing deliberately you should be able to naturally recognise opportunities to get into the right spot for the perfect shot. Have you ever been shooting, whether out in the countryside or in a portrait shoot, you have stopped and thought, no I need to try that in a different way, that’s it. Just learn to consciously be aware of it and you’ll be well on your way! 

You can grab a copy of the book here!