Professional Photography in Cape Town

Last time I mentioned some of the image editing software options available to you for free download or bundled with certain digital cameras you purchase. So you’ve all installed yours on the computer, right ? Editing technique number one to know is how to crop effectively. It is the ideal fix for photos that were badly composed (shot in a hurry!) or contained unwanted distracting objects. The cropping tool in the software is normally denoted by a boxy looking icon depicting scissors. An effective photograph is like a good essay that puts across one story, or an idea. Think abou t that when you crop. Dismiss the notion that your subject needs to be at the centre of the photograph. Think about what story you are trying to tell, or what looks interesting. Consider how you would like the eye of the viewer to travel. Experiment. Remember first to save your original image from the camera, and always work on copies only. The beauty of modern high resolution cameras is that y...

I'm available to do some group or individual training on the ins and outs of digital cameras. What I had in mind would be personal training of small groups of about 3 individuals. The Basics course would consist of 3 x 1.5 hour modules over 3 days as follows: First session: Your camera - how to find the right buttons and ask your questions. (1.5 hours) Second session: Practical photography session in the field. (2 hours) Third session: Processing your images on the computer and optimising for prints. (1.5 hours) The 3 sessions would not necessarily be on consecutive days and would be arranged to fit in with everyone's schedules as best possible. Bring some cash for tea / coffee. And of course bring your cameras and your questions! More advanced training would include use of camera under difficult lighting conditions, understanding "magapixels", sizing of images for publishing or for the internet, etc. Cost: R xxx for the full set of three. Contact me via e...

Published in the Peoples' Post - 27 September Having a digital camera without a computer is like being in an or orchestra without a violinist. Although it is possible to get photos printed directly from your camera’s memory card at the photo shop, you miss out on a world of opportunities by not having a computer with some basic image editing software installed. Most digital cameras come with some type of image editing software, but there are also a number of great free packages available via the internet. All you need to do is download them, assuming you have a reasonable internet connection. There is a big difference between comprehensive image editing software suites such as Photoshop CS and simple image manipulation software such as Irfanview. The most basic programme should allow you to make minor adjustments to the light levels in the photo, convert to grey tones, crop the image, rotate it, resize it and save it to a new filename. You can download Irfanview free at ...

A selection of interesting accommodation establishments I have shot over the past few years. BOULDERS BEACH LODGE - ANNUAL SHOOTS! The brief: To do an "Atmospheric" shoot Rooms  Wish you were there ? Food ! BRYNBROOK, NOORDHOEK - Clive and Iris Gibson GLENCAIRN The brief was to show how relaxing and accommodating the Whale View was to visitors and in particular to whale watchers.   Finally, a bit of decorative detail ! Always important to help advertise your establishment to clients - show them what trouble to you to to make them feel comfortable !

Interesting pre-dawn shoot at the Southern Africa Large Telescope a the SA Astronomical Observatory near Sutherland. Photo  taken over a 10 minute exposure at 5 mins 20 secs. Shutter button was pressed at approximately 6 a.m. This was about 1 hour 45 minutes prior to sunrise, but the reflected glow from the eastern horizon bounces off the side of the SALT scope.  Later, during the exposure, a vehicle occupied by off-duty astronomers pulled up alongside and spoiled the lower half of the picture with red and orange light from their brake lights and flashers. Fortunately this did not affect the upper area of the image, where the main action is. The lens flare near dead centre however comes from that vehicle. Astronomers posted at SALT and the other SAAO scopes are not only permanent staff but also come from all over the world to do observations and research. SALT is one of only two such facilities in the world. The other unit is at Austin, Texas. Yes - and it was c...

Food photography along with various other types of photography can be very demanding and require a good understanding of the way that light and camera lenses work. Although best done with a digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera, it is possible to take reasonable pics using a compact digicam. The trick is to find your focal point on the plate of food. First, decide what story you about the food you are wanting to portray. The stronger your lighting and the more steady your camera the larger the area on the plate that will be in focus. Remember to choose your ISO setting carefully. The higher the ISO setting, the lower the image quality will be. However the lower the ISO, the slower the exposure will be meaning that any shaky hand movement will spoil the pic. It is also about coming close up to the subject. Clever cameras won't let you press the shutter if the image is out of focus – so check very carefully. Often digicams have “closeup” or macro settings, so by all me...

Lovely wedding between 2 favourites in the Noordhoek Valley. At Cafe Roux, a great place to be ! Lots of pics on my Picassa Page for those who would like to visit. Deo and Margaret tie the knot at Cafe Roux Saturday 6th August https://picasaweb.google.com/112873586789461152677/DeoAndMargaretSWedding5August2011?authuser=0&feat=directlink

No, not about shooting nudes, although a worthy topic! Learn about the use of your camera's "RAW" image mode and shoot pics that can be adjusted post-shoot for unfavourable lighting conditions. Download and print my latest article:

Sunset at Stadsaal Rocks. Easter 2011. Cederberg.

How often do you use the timer setting on your digital camera? This useful feature is not taken advantage of enough. Two big advantages of this feature are; -           In low light or when taking close up pictures, compose the pic, select the delay, press the shutter and then remove your hand from the button. The camera will be as steady as its support base. No blur! -           Include yourself in the photograph. I’ve often done this on hikes or with friends. Snag is, you need to be quick on your feet to join the group, so make sure you don’t trip. Plus, you need a solid base to support the camera while doing the under 10-second sprint! Those who have scratched their cameras, had the wind blow them over while doing the 10-second sprint, or simply come out with skew looking pics will enjoy learning of a great portable beanbag product from Canada, which I discovered last week. Called “the Red Pod...