The next day he was headed out to the wilds of Pennsylvania, determined to be shooting at one of his favorite local spots just as the sun came up. The images speak for the temselves, but I asked Dave if he’d take it one step further and give me a post about dragging the shutter.

Everyone knows what it means to drag the shutter, but not everyone has mastered the technique. From landscapes to a wedding there’s always an opportunity to create something out of the ordinary. Just like Dave getting up earlier than he would normaly, you have to have that special motivation and like Nike’s ad campaign the only words that fit are, “Just do it!” 

Often we get caught up in creating perfect images too quickly and we often neglect tools and techniques that can create images that create a sense of mystery, allure and romance.

Here are the tools and techniques to get you started:

-First and most importantly you need a solid tripod.  The heavier the better to avoid vibration.  I use a Gitzo G2258 Carbon Fiber 6X tripod because it reduces vibration and keeps weight down on long hikes.  

-Next you need a good cable release or remote trigger so you can release the shutter without touching the camera.  

-Then it is helpful to find out if your camera has a mirror lockup, which will further reduce the chance of unwanted vibration and will lock the shutter in the firing position allowing you to make the exposure without the mirror “clacking”.  This is not necessary but is a help.  

-Finally a good neutral density filter is a must for slowing things down on a sunny day or in a bright environment where you need to reduce your shutter speed.  I like to use the Light Craft Fader, which has a variable feature that allows you to go from 2 to 8 stops of added density.

My favorite subjects to use these techniques on are water and waterfalls.  This is how I create that satin feel that gives the water a soft flowing feeling of movement.  There are countless other ways to use shutter drag to create blur, motion and HDR images.  

To the portrait and wedding photographer, this is a must in dimly lit situations and churches to avoid, the “Cave Effect”.  This is a common mistake made by new photographers who allow their strobes to overpower the subject and lose detail in the background. 

Dave’s Gear: Camera – Canon 5D and all shots were taken with a Canon 17-40mm f4, which is Dave’s favorite landscape lens. The photographs of the waterfalls were all taken at ISO 100 at F11-f16 and between 3 and 10 seconds for the exposure.  The pier and ocean was taken at F14 for 30 seconds at ISO 50.

In this second “installment”, Jerry hits on the technique to fulfill his vision.  I said it last week, if the tour he’s doing with Sandy Puc comes within 200 miles of you – make it a point to get there! In the mean time, let’s continue the tour inside Jerry’s head…

Camera: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Lens: 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Focal Length: 145mm
ISO: 2500
Aperture: f2.8
Shutter Speed: 1/80
WB: Tungsten
Light Source: Ambient & Video Light

I believe that the true craft of photography is often lost to lazy digital capture and is compensated by overzealous retouching techniques.  If you haven’t gathered already, I photograph on the “manual” setting.  Many photographers shoot on “aperture priority” or on the “program” mode and wonder why their bridal images are underexposed and their groom’s images are overexposed. 

If you are relying on the “program” or “aperture” mode for your exposure and you were photographing a pale complexion bride in a white dress, leaning on a white wall, your exposure will be underexposed and your subject will appear gray.  Just as you would overexpose an African American man in a black suit, leaning on a dark wall, the image will also appear gray.  Your camera can’t think for itself. 

When I am faced with a different scene, I will always follow the same routine to determine my exposure:

I will adjust my ISO to the lowest setting that the lighting condition allows me to use.  I will then select my white balance and no, I will not always use the “auto” setting.  For example, a church may be tungsten-lit but if I set the camera to the “tungsten” white balance setting, the light may over correct the beautiful warmth of the church.  I would instead set the white balance to the “daylight” setting.  This would add blue tones to the scene and make the lighting appear less yellow, but not enough to kill the ambiance of the church. 

I then select the depth that I desire so I choose my aperture.  I look through the viewfinder and picture my scene in shades of black and white rather than color.  I then pretend to mix those tones together and diagnose the result.  If the mixed tones appear mid gray, I adjust my shutter speed so that my exposure setting in my viewfinder is set to zero or the middle.

Let’s refer back to the example of our pale skinned bride in a white dress, leaning on a white wall.  Some photographers would naturally underexpose such a scene because of its brightness.  It is quite the opposite.  The camera will evaluate the scene and want to underexpose, resulting in an ashen bride in a gray dress leaning on a gray wall.  Therefore you have to overexpose such a scene in order to bring everything back to its true density.  Similarly, you would have to underexpose the scene I spoke of earlier, of the African American man in a black suit, leaning on a dark wall. 

I use the meter in my camera and deliberately under or over expose a scene once I have evaluated it.  Once I believe I have the correct exposure, I take a quick shot and view the image on the back of the camera.  Reading the back of the camera can sometimes prove difficult especially in sunny conditions.  In these instances, I create shade by turning my back to the sun.  Correctly exposed images often appear underexposed on the back of the camera.  I let the detail in the skin tones and the highlights act as my guide.  Trust your instinct.  If you think you have over or underexposed an image, you have probably have.  Experience will be your best teacher.  

Now that I have a correct exposure, all I need is an action or reaction.  Don’t forget, I have placed my couple in the best light, I have roughly positioned them in the scene, I know what I want from the couple because I have conceptualized the image, but at the same time I will also allow for spontaneity.

My camera is set.  I then communicate to the couple clearly and effectively what I want from them.  My prompts and directions add style and finesse and make the image appear believable to the viewer.  Photography is 99% personality and 1% technique.  If you are not enthusiastic or fun, how can you expect your couple to be?  I have heard fellow photographers say that their couple over the weekend “didn’t work it.”  I agree that some couples can be more of a challenge, but that is no excuse for an average result.

Don’t lose faith, trust your instincts and extract as much love and emotion out of the couple as possible.  I believe that too many photographers overshoot, believing that it costs them nothing to do so.  Before I even look through the viewfinder, I ask myself, “Is this working?”  If it is not and I am not feeling it, I simply don’t shoot.

Once I have told the story of a particular scene, I move on to a different one.  I am an artist, but I need to sell my art during the week, so I shoot to sell.

“Remember, you don’t have to be the best; you just have to be better than last week.”  – Jerry Ghionis 

Thinking about signing up for The Power of Passion Tour – the schedule is just a click away!

If you know Steve or have heard him speak, nobody could be more down to earth.  His passion for photography is only topped by his humility.  The best part of the image is that we all know he wasn’t trying to create one of the most recognizable portraits in the history of photography.  It just happened – and, it happened on film, without any manipulation, major retouch work – nothing but a photographer who knew his craft.

So, as you photograph your next job, think about the traits that produced Afghan Girl.   Steve wasn’t trying to do anything except tell a story.  He understands photography cold, so his understanding of  lighting, exposure and composition were completely second nature.  He didn’t have hours in a studio to ponder how he would create one of the greatest portraits of all time.   And that’s the biggest point – when you look for something too hard, it will continue to elude you.   Relax your vision and learn everything you can about photography, hang on to every dream and just keep shooting - your own version of Afghan Girl will be in your portfolio sooner or later!

“The starting point of great success and achievement has always been the same. It is for you to dream big dreams. There is nothing more important, and nothing that works faster than for you to cast off your own limitations than for you to begin dreaming and fantasizing about the wonderful things that you can become, have, and do. ”

Brian Tracy, Motivational Coach and Author

So,  relax, dream BIG and don’t compromise!