May 2010

All the information in this series leads us into the taking of photos. The most important for Geocachers being the Self Portrait whether for Virtual or Earthcache requirements, milestone photos, or just the photos for scrapbooking and posting online. So when you're ready to take one, think about these points:

• Stand in frame and look for markers
• Set-up your support (tripod, bean bag, or other support)
• Set your self timer or use the remote
• Stay tight (zoom in and avoid wide angle settings)
• Try the flash

The challenge of setting up a self portrait is in composing the image. Being that your main subject (yourself) isn't in the frame as you set-up the camera you'll have to check for things like door frames or branches in the frame near where you'll be standing. Those marks will help you figure out whether you'll be in frame or chopping off your head. Be aware though of the background as you generally don't want it to look like you have an antenna or tree coming out of your head. But never forget that you're working in digital images now and can review the photos right there. If something doesn't look good, try it again. With practice you'll learn what works best and get faster at setting up and shooting your self portraits. An important point to getting a flattering image of people is to stay telephoto rather than going wide. Wide angle captures distort the image with objects in the center appearing larger and shrinking toward the outside. The result is that your subject will look fatter than in real life. The more the wide angle, the more significant the effect. Using telephoto focal lengths will be more pleasing so it's best to stick with those settings. This is such a significant subject that I'll talk more about it in future postings. Next week though we'll look at taking self-portraits at arm's length.

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As Geocachers we generally have the luxury of natural, bright, outdoor lighting by which to take our photos. Those sunny days we enjoy so much can lead to some nasty shadows on the faces of the Geocachers in our photos. When the clouds roll in they'll give us a nice, soft light to reduce the shadows, and we can sometimes shoot under the cover of a tree or awning, but many times we need those shots out in the sun with those heavy shadows on the faces. Using your camera's flash -- either built-in or external -- can help by lighting up those shadows and reducing their impact. Check your camera's manual for details about using fill flash, but many times it's as easy as turning on the flash without the red-eye reduction features. Some cameras have a slow- or high-speed flash sync mode you'll want to turn on as well and your manual should tell you how to do that. The difference can be astounding, so take some time to play with your camera and test the results. We're working with digital cameras now so try a few different versions of the photo with different settings to get a feel for how the settings work. Most cameras do a good job automatically controlling the flash and balancing out the light, but don't be afraid to take manual control and try a few settings if your camera allows it. Avoid relying on that LCD on the camera when reviewing the photos -- bring them back to your computer to make your judgments as the camera's LCD isn't nearly as good. With a little practice you'll likely find that flash to be as valuable outdoors as indoors.

We're only about a month away from the June 2010 Geocaching 12 of 12. We'd love to see photos of your Geocaching so head over to geocaching12of12.com for information on how to submit your photos. This will be a good opportunity to share you hobbies with the world and fellow Geocachers and Photographers.

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As Geocachers we generally have the luxury of natural, bright, outdoor lighting by which to take our photos. Those sunny days we enjoy so much can lead to some nasty shadows on the faces of the Geocachers in our photos. When the clouds roll in they'll give us a nice, soft light to reduce the shadows, and we can sometimes shoot under the cover of a tree or awning, but many times we need those shots out in the sun with those heavy shadows on the faces. Using your camera's flash -- either built-in or external -- can help by lighting up those shadows and reducing their impact. Check your camera's manual for details about using fill flash, but many times it's as easy as turning on the flash without the red-eye reduction features. Some cameras have a slow- or high-speed flash sync mode you'll want to turn on as well and your manual should tell you how to do that. The difference can be astounding, so take some time to play with your camera and test the results. We're working with digital cameras now so try a few different versions of the photo with different settings to get a feel for how the settings work. Most cameras do a good job automatically controlling the flash and balancing out the light, but don't be afraid to take manual control and try a few settings if your camera allows it. Avoid relying on that LCD on the camera when reviewing the photos -- bring them back to your computer to make your judgments as the camera's LCD isn't nearly as good. With a little practice you'll likely find that flash to be as valuable outdoors as indoors.

We're only about a month away from the June 2010 Geocaching 12 of 12. We'd love to see photos of your Geocaching so head over to geocaching12of12.com for information on how to submit your photos. This will be a good opportunity to share you hobbies with the world and fellow Geocachers and Photographers.

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There are a couple of functions cameras offer which really make it possible to shoot self-portraits -- the self-timer and remote releases. Not all cameras will have both functions, some don't have either, but both gives you the time to set-up the shot and get into the frame before taking the picture. In this article I'll just cover the basics, but look for future articles where I'll write about various situations when you'll want to use these.

The more common of the two features is the self-timer which is built into most cameras. Many times the self-timer function is accessed through a dedicated button, but sometimes you might have to scroll through menus or find it on a dial or switch. Check the camera's manual for access and settings, but look on your camera for a round icon with a dot at the top and a diagonal line for the hand of the timer. Once engaged the self-timer generally gives you audible beeps or visual blinks as it counts down (anywhere from 2 through 10 seconds) once you press the shutter release. You'll sometimes have options in the menus of the camera to control that length between pressing the release and when the photo is captured. 5 seconds is usually enough to walk into the frame and position yourself. For larger groups and longer distances you might find that 10 seconds works better. If you're just looking for a short delay when holding out the camera at arms' length then the 2 second setting is usually best. Most cameras only engage the self-timer for the one shot though and if you'd like a second you'll have to run back to the camera and reset for another go.

The more expensive option is the remote release. The cable release has been in use for more than a century and is the most reliable. Wired or cabled releases allow a direct connection to the camera and therefore aren't easy to interrupt. They can be painful to use since you're physically connected to the camera through some type of cable. Many newer cameras offer a wireless, IR release. This eliminates the cable freeing you from that physical connection to the camera. Because it's an optical connection, exactly like the remote for a television, you must have a clear line-of-sight to the camera and bright lights can render the remote useless. An interesting class of remote releases work on radio signals. These still cut the physical connection between the camera and the remote, don't need to be line-of-sight, and offer greater distances between the remote and the camera. They are illegal in some countries and subject to interference which can keep them from working at all, or trigger the camera erroneously. All of these are specific to a camera or manufacturer. Not all cameras support a remote release option, but those which do support them usually allow the remote to release the shutter directly or with the self-timer making them great options for grabbing your self-portrait.

For my part I use both the self-timer and the remote release. The camera and the situation tend to determine which modes I use and what types of remote release. I'll write more about that later, but in the meantime check your camera's manual for information about your self-timer and remote release options. Be prepared next time for some information about how a flash can help Geocachers with their outdoor photos.

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There are a couple of functions cameras offer which really make it possible to shoot self-portraits -- the self-timer and remote releases. Not all cameras will have both functions, some don't have either, but both gives you the time to set-up the shot and get into the frame before taking the picture. In this article I'll just cover the basics, but look for future articles where I'll write about various situations when you'll want to use these.

The more common of the two features is the self-timer which is built into most cameras. Many times the self-timer function is accessed through a dedicated button, but sometimes you might have to scroll through menus or find it on a dial or switch. Check the camera's manual for access and settings, but look on your camera for a round icon with a dot at the top and a diagonal line for the hand of the timer. Once engaged the self-timer generally gives you audible beeps or visual blinks as it counts down (anywhere from 2 through 10 seconds) once you press the shutter release. You'll sometimes have options in the menus of the camera to control that length between pressing the release and when the photo is captured. 5 seconds is usually enough to walk into the frame and position yourself. For larger groups and longer distances you might find that 10 seconds works better. If you're just looking for a short delay when holding out the camera at arms' length then the 2 second setting is usually best. Most cameras only engage the self-timer for the one shot though and if you'd like a second you'll have to run back to the camera and reset for another go.

The more expensive option is the remote release. The cable release has been in use for more than a century and is the most reliable. Wired or cabled releases allow a direct connection to the camera and therefore aren't easy to interrupt. They can be painful to use since you're physically connected to the camera through some type of cable. Many newer cameras offer a wireless, IR release. This eliminates the cable freeing you from that physical connection to the camera. Because it's an optical connection, exactly like the remote for a television, you must have a clear line-of-sight to the camera and bright lights can render the remote useless. An interesting class of remote releases work on radio signals. These still cut the physical connection between the camera and the remote, don't need to be line-of-sight, and offer greater distances between the remote and the camera. They are illegal in some countries and subject to interference which can keep them from working at all, or trigger the camera erroneously. All of these are specific to a camera or manufacturer. Not all cameras support a remote release option, but those which do support them usually allow the remote to release the shutter directly or with the self-timer making them great options for grabbing your self-portrait.

For my part I use both the self-timer and the remote release. The camera and the situation tend to determine which modes I use and what types of remote release. I'll write more about that later, but in the meantime check your camera's manual for information about your self-timer and remote release options. Be prepared next time for some information about how a flash can help Geocachers with their outdoor photos.

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