Neutral Density Filter. How to Create Motion in Water.

If  you think this is a hard shot to get you are wrong. I did 4 things.
1. I put the camera on a Tripod
2. I set the camera on f/16 and the aperture priority setting.
3. I attached a neutral density filter.
4. I set the timer for 2 seconds so I would not shake the camera while pushing the shutter button.

This is all there is to it. So the question most of you will ask is what is a neutral density filter?
Simply put and ND filter is a glass or plastic filter that is darkened so that more time or a bigger aperture is needed to gain a correct exposure. This is what a ND filter looks like.

If you attach this to the front of your lens you can either use a longer shutter speed or a larger aperture. It’s really simple and the effects are amazing. You can purchase an Nd filter online for about 18-100 dollars. I use a Fader ND filter. I like the faders because I can carry one filter and not have to worry about stacking them on top of each other if I need a longer exposure. Remember that when you put a filter over your lens it can distort your image. Be careful when you purchase filters. If you get a cheap one it might cause color issues or other quality problems with your images. That being said I paid 18 dollars for my filter.

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Brian Johnson is the owner and main writer for Buffaloz Photography Training. He is a bit weird at times but is always a fun likable guy. He also owns Missoula Photography Schooland Ayres Photography. 

Creative Film Photography

Creative Film Photography
I have always loved film photography. To me it seems like a challenge. It’s exciting. I like the idea of not seeing what the photo looks like right away and I also look forward to getting film back.
Lately I have been developing my own film. I bought the supplies at my local camera shop and since it had been 20 years from the last time I had developed my own black and white film I decided I would research it a bit and make sure I remembered how to do it.
Funny thing. I am better at it now than I was 20 years ago. This might be because I am more patient when it come to putting the film on the spools. I get fewer crescents in my film and it just seems easier than it was 20 years ago.
Here is the thing. I don’t have a film scanner at the moment and I am in the process of getting an enlarger to make prints. In the meantime I wanted to find a way to show my work to others. I know it has been done before but in desperation I came up with a way to get a positive image from the negative at no cost.
What I do is I take the negatives and tape them to the front of my studio window. Then with m digital I take a few shots. Then I upload them into photoshop( which I rarely use) and invert the image. This is what I get. To see more of these images you can visit my Facebook page. There is a link below. If you have questions let me know on Facebook.
Link to images on Facebook

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Brian Johnson is the owner and main writer for Buffaloz Photography Training. He is a bit weird at times but is always a fun likable guy. He also owns Missoula Photography Schooland Ayres Photography. 

What is Aperture.

Buffaloz Photography Training
What is Aperture.
This is me.

Brian Johnson is the owner of Missoula Photography School, Buffaloz Photography Training and Ayres Photography. He pretty much almost always has a camera on him. Actually, he usually has at least 4. He likes to teach and shoot and loves to learn. Yeah, even after 25 years of learning he is still trying to figure stuff out! Aren’t we all?

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Film Vs. Digital: Which is Better?

Film Vs. Digital: Which is better?

We all have our opinions right? Yeah, we do. And this is totally my opinion. Really it’s like trying to have a discussion about wether Canon or Nikon is better. We all know that Leica is the best anyway!! Haha!

O.K. Well,  here is the question, Which is better, Film or digital? I’m not going to go into the whole talk about the advantages and disadvantages of them. You all know them. People say with digital you get instant feedback and it’s easy to learn. That is true. With Film you have to wait and it’s a bit nerve racking for those who are unsure of getting the shot. Really, there are lots of advantages to both. So I would rather focus on the look and feel of the shot.

I wanted to know what the difference was when you compared them side to side.
So, I went out and took a few shots. I took the same shot with my digital camera and them the same shot seconds later with film. I will say that I prefer the film. The digital shots seem flat and lifeless. The film is just nicer to look at. I could say a lot more but I really want to know what you think.
I do need to mention that all the shots were touched up in Photoshop. But I should also mention that I did almost nothing to the Film shots. The most I did was maybe dodge and burn a bit and then throw a bit of softness on them. The digital were a lot more time cosuming and it’s sad because I like the film shots a lot more!

Here are a few shots. Which ones do you prefer?

 

Brian Johnson is the owner of Missoula Photography School, Buffaloz Photography Training and Ayres Photography. He pretty much almost always has a camera on him. Actually, he usually has at least 4. He likes to teach and shoot and loves to learn. Yeah, even after 25 years of learning he is still trying to figure stuff out! Aren’t we all?

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Powered my lack of sleep and the will to get things done.

Photography Tips:How to Be More Creative in Your Photography

Photography Tips:How to Be More Creative in Your Photography 

I have to confess something. I am behind the times. See, when I first started out in photography we had this thing called film. Remember that you oldtimers? Yeah, that is when I had teeth too. Haha! I’m kidding, well at least about some of it. I really am behind the time. I still love film and even though I shoot digital a lot I don’t know much about photoshop.
That has been changing recently. I realized that to get where I want my work to go I have to know photoshop. I have now embarked on a journey to be more creative. Yeah, I’ll still shoot portrait and the bread and butter stuff I need to make a living, but it doesn’t excite me so I’m gonna get creative.
The question I had to resolve a few months ago when I realized I wasn’t excited about my work was how do I go about being creative and being proud of my work again. I really haven’t answered that question totally yet. I am still figuring things out. I’m still working on the look and feel I want. I’m searching.
In the quest for creativity I have a few ideas that might help you if you are in a similar situation or even just wondering out to be more creative in your photography.
1st– Don’t be afraid to take risks. This is probably the most important thing. You have to be fearless. Others might not like your work,  you might not like it, but you will learn from it and if you don’t try  you will never do. Try new things. I bought this program for about 5 dollars and used it to make this two images. It was really easy and if I hadn’t taken a risk these two shots would not be here.  Sometimes it’s go to be impulsive.
2nd– Look at other photographers work. Analyze it, research them, study them, find out everything you can about how they do it. And don’t be a stalker. It’s wrong. Really, If you like a certain photographer just find out how they do it. Don’t copy them, but use what and how they do it to make your own look.  I have to say though that I think almost every shot has been done before so there is really no originality of anything anymore. But be yourself.
3rd-Go really big or really small. I think if you want to be a great photographer you either need to keep it really simple or really complex. In between doesn’t work. Big productions and lots of photoshop and make amazing images. Simple one light film shots can be beautiful and stunning. If you decide to do it half way, it won’t work. It’s always best to pre-visualize and plan ahead. Draw your shot out on a piece of paper. Decided how you want to light it. Decide what the model will be wearing if you are shooting a model. If you are shooting landscape plan on the best time of day for the light.
4th– Be different- Don’t be afraid to do something that no one else is doing or maybe your friends think is weird. I have always said that if you want to make it in the photography world your work shouldn’t look like the everyone else’s.

Be innovative. be fearless, be creative and see where it takes you!

Brian Johnson is the owner of Buffaloz Photography Training. He does a lot of other stuff too. He doesn’t sleep an lot and is no a quest to be more creative. And just so you know he doesn’t do drugs, promise.

Photography Training: Finding Your Style

Photography Training: Finding Your Style

I must say that when I started out I thought I was ok. And I was. I was 14 and shooting my first wedding. I was using a Yashica FX-D with on camera flash. The wedding turned out pretty good and I made 300 Dollars. Not bad for a 14 year old. That was 1987.

Even though I was proud of those shots and they were good, if I was shooting the same way now I would not be happy with myself. A lot of photographers get stuck in the one mode the learned to shoot in. They don’t challenge themselves. They don’t learn. They don’t look. They become stagnant.

I could not do that. A few months ago I looked at my work. I do good work and my clients love it. I loved it. But then I looked around at what inspired me. I realized I was not shooting what I wanted. I was not taking the images that I admired. I was taking shots that I knew I could get.

I decided it was time for a change. So. I changed. I have decided to change my business model. I have decided to shoot the type of shots that inspire me.

So, if you are not shooting the type of shots that inspire you maybe you should ask yourself why? I went looking for a new style. I found it on Tumblr. There were other places too but I was inspired by a specific look and a specific blog. My work does not look the same but this woman’s blog was my inspiration.

These shots are some of my new work. I have gone with a more intimate idea of work and portaits. I am looking forward to this weekend. I have my first client to shoot in my new style. I will let you know how it turns out!

Brian Johnson is a professional photographer and the owner of Buffaloz Photography Training. Missoula Photography School and Ayres Photography






If you are interested in being a guest writer for this site please contact me at ayresphotography@yahoo.com

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Photography Training: One Tip on How to Take Better Portraits

This post will help you if you are a beginner or even a professional. 

In the past I have said that it is good to reinvent yourself as a photographer every few years. I even went as far to say that a great example if reinvention is Madonna. Love her or hate her, she was very successful at reinventing herself and that is why is was popular in the 80’s, 90’s and is still successful after 30 plus years of being a musician. If you can reinvent yourself every few years and you are running a photography business there is a good chance that you won’t be out of  business in 10 years from now. I reinvented myself, and  I will do it again and again and again.

One way that I reinvented myself was I made one simple change in how I photograph. I don’t always do this but a large portion of my images have this in common. So, you are wondering what I am doing different? I use depth of field to the max!! I must say that I am not the only photographer out there that does this but I have a certain look to my images that sets me apart. Some can look at an image of mine and say, “yep that was shot my Brian”.

You might wonder how I do this….?? Well, the main thing I do is I shoot almost all portraits wide open!! What I mean by this is I have lenses that have large apertures. They have apretures like f/1.1 and f/1.4. These apertures allow me to create very shallow Depth of Field. Basically the backgrounds go out of focus. I have invested in lenses that help me get this look. If you buy a camera and it comes with a kit lens you probably can’t get this look. So, you really need to invest in some good quality lenses with fast apertures.  

I spent over a thousand dollars on my Voigtlander Nokton 50mm. I got my 85mm f/1.4 for a lot less. It’s a Rokinon. The Rokinon is not as sharp as the Nokton, but it does a great job. Next I will get a 35mm f/1.4 Voigtlander and then I am not sure were I will go after that. Anyhow, fast lenses are very important to the look and style that I want my images to have. 

To take advantage of these wonderful lenses I have I need to make sure when I take the picture I have space behind the subject. If you have lenses like mine and you put your subject right up against a wall it kind of defeats the purpose.

If you want to learn more about how to pose people click here and check out this ebook! It’s a great resource on how to creatively pose!

These are examples of what I mean.

See how I do not put them up against a wall? I almost always use f/1.4 for the Aperture and adjust the Shutter speed to allow the correct exposure.

Notice the leading lines in the image above? Do you notice the Shallow Depth of Field in this shot also?

Again, I have very shallow depth of field. When you have shallow depth of field it will separate your subject from the background and make the subject stand out. 

Again, this lovely lady stands apart from the background because I used a wide aperture of f/1.4.

If you have questions or need clarification on any of this please leave a comment and will answer you back!!

Thanks! -Brian

Is my goal if working as a full time photographer something you want to do? If so check out this ebook and learn how to get started!

Buffaloz Photography Training: One Tip on How to Take Better Portraits 

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Photography Training-How to Build your Photography Business Quickly

In the past I have said that one if the quickest ways to build your business is to photograph others for free.  Friends and family are great for this but to get a bit more help attractive people and models are great for this. Handing out cards for free photo sessions and connecting with people on line is one of the best ways of jump starting your business.  I use Model Mayhem, Instagram, Facebook, and sometimes Craigslist to find people to photograph,  

When you are shooting an model that has experience, even a little experience, this helps you in other ways too. I am sure you know that when you get a picture you are proud of your confidence goes up. When shooting models you will usually get better shots, and sometimes you will get amazing results. This can be a real confidence booster! I have a few models that I work with a lot. There is one in particular that does an amazing job and I love working with her.  Jaci, (photos below) is such an amazing person. We try to get a shoot in every week or two as long as we have time.  

Most of the time, at least for me, it takes a few shots to get comfortable with the model. I usually plan on the first few shots to be “not so good” and then after a few minutes of shooting and talking the model and I will relax.  That’s when I get the shots that I want. With Jaci, almost all of your shots are good because we feel comfortable shooting together.

However, you do need to shoot more than one model.  If you just shoot one and don’t expand then you will not have acomplish your goal of growing your business, which is what this is really about. 

One thing you need to be aware of is people and models canceling. When shooting models, or others for free, there will be times when you have people that will stand you up. Yes, this is very rude and unprofessional of them but the fact is that it happens quite a bit. I used to get really upset and frustrated when a model cancelled on me. I took it personally. I kept wondering if something was wrong with me. Maybe the didn’t like my work or maybe someone else was saying bad things about me.

Then I found statistics online. The stats say that when shooting someone for free, especially a model, you will have about 50-70 percent of no shows. Yes, they will stand you up. Some will call and have an excuse, others will just not even call. I have sat and waited for a model to show up for 45 minutes, then called and left a message and they never show up. This is very inconsiderate, and I still get a bit ticked off by it, but knowing the statistic makes me feel a lot better.

Anyhow, I do feel that even with the the issues of working with models and giving away free sessions is still one of the fastest ways of growing your business. You are not gonna get tons of business right away, and keep in mind that it still takes time to grow your business, but if you keep plugging away and don’t give up, you will succeed where others fail.

The main reason photographers fail to make it is because they don’t market and advertise. I look at shooting sessions for free as advertising. I get my name out there and others talk about me. 

There are other reasons for a photography business to fail, like charging too little, not having a look that others like, and simply not knowing how to manage money, but the main reason is photographers don’t know how to market. 

Take some time to write down some goals and the just work on them a little everyday. Try to do something that helps you grow every day,  and keep shooting, shooting, shooting! If you have questions please leave a comment below. 

Thanks for being part of this community are reading my blog!

If you are interested in growing your business and learning how to make money with photography please check out this other post I wrote! Click here to learn more!

Here are a few photos of my lovely friend Jaci. She is simply amazing. You can visit her vintage clothing shop on Esty by clicking here.

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Photography Training: Why it is Important to Touch Up Your Photographs.

Photography Training: Why it is Important to Touch Up Your Photographs.

I have worked for over 20 years as a professional photographer. Everyday that I have taken photos I have learned something new Even though I write this blog and I shoot almost every day I still get a big surprise once in a while. 

I have touched up my images myself since the beginning of my career. I used to develop and print my own film and now I use computer programs which make it a lot easier. 

The other day I had an awakening. I wouldn’t say it was rude because it came from a good friend. I had photographed her son a few weeks ago for his senior portrait. As most boys his age do, he had a small problem with acne. I did not remove them and sent her and gave her the images. Well, she called me yesterday and asked me if I could take care if it. 

It was at that moment that I had a paradigm shift. I had become lazy. I was putting my name out into the public and I wasn’t putting my best foot forward.  When she got off the phone with me I will have to admit I was kind of embarrassed. I have made to new promise to myself that I will only sell, and post( on my various sites) my best work. This principle is the same with any job. Always do your best and don’t do  half @%#@#  work.

Here is an example of an image that is touched up correctly and one that is does half @#$^.

The Image below is good(at least I think it is. I took it)

This Image is better. It took me 5 minutes to do this.

Not touched up but still nice right?

Much better don’t you think?

So, if you don’t have programs to touch up your images then you are missing out. The program that I used to touch up these images cost me $50. That’s it. Anyone can afford it.

Also, you should check out this e-book. 

The Easiest Way to Start a Photography Business Book Click Here! Only $97 dollars!
-If you are interested in starting a photography business, this is a great resource!
All kinds of great info to get you started!!

AND

Portrait Photography Guide Click Here! Only $47 dollars!
Any excellent resource if you are interested in learning the art of Portrait Photography!

If you want to make money at photography they will really help you out. I recommend them. 

As Always thanks for reading this blog and if you have questions please get hold of me or leave a comment.

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Photography Training: Why Quality Lenses are so Important

Photography Training: Why Quality Lenses are so Important

I get asked all the time “which camera should I buy?”. Well, truthfully, but the cheapest camera body you can and spend the rest on quality lenses. You’re probably thinking that I am crazy right now. I mean, everyone knows that you need to newest Canon or Nikon digital camera body to look cool, right?  Wrong! I totally disagree. For example, I have a friend that has a $4,000 Nikon body and she has a cheap lens for it. Well, Hmmm, how do I say this nicely? She messed up. I did it the other way. I have a Lumix G1 camera. It cost me $250. I have spent around $4,000 on my current lens selection. I can take the same shot as her with my cheap camera body and my quality lenses and get an amazing shot that she is so jealous of. She sure looks cool with that big heavy digital monster of a camera though. No one looks at my camera. Is it really important to look cool or is it more important to get the amazing shot that can sell and make you money?  I would say the latter. I make money with my little digital camera. My clients love my photos. So, if you don’t believe me, I will just add some photos below. They were taken with the same camera, but different lenses. One is a Canon FD 50mm lens and the other is a Leica lens. 

This one was taken with the Canon Lens. not a great shot but I’m trying to prove a point

This one was taken with the leica lens 

They were taken within seconds of each other.

The second one is much sharper and you can tell it is a quality lens.

Here are some other examples:

Cheap lens, not a bad photo though…

Quality lens.. Can you see the difference?  Haha.. I hope you can!

Ask yourself which image you would buy? They are both nice shots. I took them. I think the bottom shot is way better. It was taken with a quality lens.  

So, if you are going to purchase a new camera soon, think about this before you go out and but the expensive high megapixel camera with the kit lens. I would say do it the other way around. Buy expensive lenses and not as expensive camera body. In a few years your gonna get a new camera body anyway. If you have lenses you can keep them forever. Quality lenses are an investment. All brands of cameras have quality lenses available. They all have cheap lenses available too. Make sure you do your due diligence before you buy lenses and get the best one you can! Not the most expensive, but the best!

If you have questions please leave a comment and I will answer. 

Also, If you want to learn how to make money with photography check out this post I did earlier.

Click here!

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