A few changes can make a BIG DIFFERENCE Mary Kay Stein, President MD Communications Desert Light Photography

 1. Arizona presents special challenges, mainly because of our wonderful, powerful light.  2. For outdoor portraits in bright sun, look for nearby shade. If all else fails, you can have your subject sit in a car, framed by a window.

In this midday shot, with harsh overhead light, and a face-front pose, only the crested saguaro looks good. Time to move to shade!

An overhead roof in the herb garden softened the couple’s faces; note the side pose, which is much more flattering.

With the couple slightly turned to me, and flash, we balanced the strong backlighting.

Beautiful light is all around us and you need only watch for it—late day, window light, and reflected light. Also, the angle of the light makes a real difference.

Light from a window high above, reflecting off the painting of Mary. No flash allowed near the altar but Nature provided the light. At this quincinera, the light spread to the teen and the priest.

Late Day, from an Angle

Late afternoon light often is the most flattering for portraits and since it came from the side, it shaped my niece Silver’s face—the reflection in the glass was nice, too.

My neighbor found an overcast day in Oregon to photograph grandchildren at the beach—a soft box- like effect, with no flash needed.

 1. Wires, signs, and distracting backgrounds can ruin your “masterpiece.”  2. Check all around the frame of the viewfinder before you click the shutter. Watch for fine wires, signs (which will draw the eye immediately), or people in the foreground.

Navajo Code Talkers, in Gallup Parade

Commercial signs, people in the foreground, wires and crowd take away from the image.

The Zuni Maidens are surrounded with wires, crowd, and signs.

Now we can see them! Different angle only.

Food for thought: According to Tech News Daily, the iPhone 3G has dethroned several popular Canon brands, including the Canon EOS Digital Rebel and Nikon D models, becoming the most popular camera on Flikr.

1.Know Your Equipment. Know what it can and can’t do, and be sure to read the manual thoroughly. 2.Be aware of light; some cell phone cameras have color options in case you are inside or outside, but the best idea is to Keep It Simple, and leave it on Automatic. 3.Many cell phones have settings for file size, which can be large, medium, or small and also for picture quality, which might be fine, medium, or low. If you using your phone for shots you want to keep, you want it to be on the highest resolution and best quality. 4.What is Resolution? Older iPhones have 3 megapixels, which can produce a 24 x 30-inch print. Again, know your cell phone—you might have 10 megapixels, which means you can shoot on “medium” and still have a great print.

 1. Use the entire frame when you frame your shot. Thus, pay attention to objects in the background or on the edge of the image.  2. Place your subjects off-center.  3. Adjust the white balance.  4. Think about the light source. Unless you want your subject to appear as a silhouette, stand with the light behind you, not behind your subject.

 5. Keep your subject close to the camera. Since cell phones have fixed lenses, the camera can capture wide details but not deep details.

 A. Meetings, poster sessions, guest speakers  B. Illustrating articles, such as with profiles of industry leaders  C. Purely as art, as photomicrographs.

 Ask yourself, What do I most enjoy photographing? People? Landscapes? Family? Animals? Travel and historical sites?  Then give yourself an assignment— photograph a family gathering; catch a beautiful sunset; find a favorite wildflower in bloom. Spend an hour photographing only things that are red or green or black.

 Does your volunteer group need help?  Find a worthwhile cause. Here is one—a group that photographs children with special needs. The Picture Me group founded by Karen Dorame of Phoenix is a good example.  Here are some special high school graduates.