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That said, I love sharing what I do know. The following pages describe some of the photo techniques I use most often. I have learned a lot on my own, and a lot from others. Where appropriate, I will give credit to the ideas of others, as well as recommending those books and resources that have been the most helpful.
I hope to add to these pages over time. If you have anything you would like to see added, please let me know and I will see what I can do.
Dan
Creating High Contrast Black and White Images
While I started photographing in color as a kid, the work of Ansel Adams really hooked me on black and white images, especially for cityscapes and other wide vistas with strong geometric patterns. Back in the film days, high contrast was a function of film choice and the application of filters at the time the image was made. In the digital era, there is a lot more flexibility. Ultimately, I suggest leaving your DSLR in color mode, and subsequently converting the image to black and white in the digital darkroom. This offers you far more control over the process. This page overviews my favorite technique.
There is one occasion where I advocate shooting black and white directly in the camera - low light and/or photojournalist style images. While all digital cameras suffer noise problems at higher ISO's most of this noise is color noise. I find that I can shoot at ISO 1600, even 3200, in black and white mode with little noise. In fact, the images take on a grain-type texture similar to the film days of old - something I find pleasing. If you haven't tested your DSLR at higher ISO's in black and white mode, give it a try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
Article Created: July 2006
Creating Product Shots
Whether it is for items I am selling on eBay, or some other use, I often find myself taking close-ups of items around the house. In the past, lighting setups (along with proper exposure) took a lot of time to configure and execute. Not anymore! Using Nikon's wireless iTTL system, it is ridiculously easy.
Article Created: January 2007
Duotones
This image was a perfect candidate for a duotone - I was looking for a way to make the girl stand out from the background. The duotone application did this, and gave the image a unique look. The best part, making a duotone is really easy! Click the picture to see how it is done.
Article Created: January 2007