Stella's Photography Tips: Depth of Field

'Depth of field' is the area in your photograph that is in focus from the nearest point to the furthest.

Sometimes we may choose to have an image that is sharp throughout, showing the foreground with the same focus as the background. Alternatively, we can choose to separate the subject from the background by using a shallow depth-of-field to achieve this. Here are my tips to achieve this:

1. Select the correct lens. I would normally chose a 70-200mm - the longer the focal length the shallower the depth-of-field.

2. Use a wide aperture - f2.8 or f4 works best.

3. Position your subject at least two metres away from the background to separate the two. The further away your subject is from the background, the more out of focus the background will be.

4. Adjust your shutter speed and ISO accordingly to get the best exposure. Remember not to go below 1/60th to avoid camera shake.

5. The closer you are to your subject, the shallower your depth of field will be. If you are two meters from a subject and shooting at f/2.8 with your 70mm lens, you may get 10cm of depth to your focus. With the same lens and aperture at 10 meters, you may get 100cm of depth.

6. If you are looking to create soft backgrounds with a less than optimal lens such at a 16mm prime, get really close to your subject to achieve the desired results of shallow depth-of-field.

7. Always experiment with different lenses to achieve a variety of results using different subjects.

Stella

Meet the Team: Ben

Following on from the last 'Meet the Team' with Stella, this time Jo Hackerspeaks to Ben about his role within SMS Creative Photography.

Q. What did you want to be when you were at school?

Funny thing is that it wasn't that long ago that I was at school! In fact the majority of my friends still are. Therefore since 2010 photography has been my obsession! I can't imagine a future without photography or retouching playing some part in it.

Q. How did you start working for SMS Creative Photography?

About six months after finishing college my Tutor emailed me a job description that Stella had sent him and asked whether it was something I was interested in. That next day I walked into the SMS Creative Photography studio laptop in hand with examples of my work and asked for the job. 

Q. What is your role at SMS Creative Photography?

As a Digital Artist, my responsibilities include retouching and the finishing and printing of any photographs.  It is important that I always get the detail right!  I am also responsible for web design and maintenance, graphic design and liaising with customers.

Q. Please can you describe a typical day for you?

There is rarely a moment when I find myself without at least one image open in Photoshop! I also manage the daily communication of our services to customers through a combination of design and technology on the various platforms that we use. No two days are the same -  we cover everything from the restoration of old photographs, studio photographs of Meissen porcelain, family studio and location photo-shoots as well as headshots. Every image we create in the studio passes through me for finishing.

Q. Who are your favourite photographers?

I'm always returning to Frederic Schlosser's website to see what projects he is working on. I also keep up to date with what Taylor James is doing in the commercial space but at the top of my list is the surreal photographer, Erik Johansson. In my opinion, nothing compares to his ideas and the execution of the imagery he produces.

Q. What one piece of advice would you give to a budding new photographer?

Do something different, look at what everyone else is doing and then run in completely the opposite direction.

Q. What three words would you use to describe SMS Creative Photography?

Passionate. Committed. Dynamic.

Update October 2018: Ben has been a fantastic employee and moved on to pastures new to further his in post-production and design career. We are still in touch and wish him all the very best!

2018 Bluebell Round Up

Our Bluebell photo-shoots in April and May are always one of my highlights, taking place in local ancient woodlands and private gardens where these wonderful wild flowers are in abundance. We always tread carefully so as not to unsettle them, treating them with the respect they deserve by sticking to pathways and exposed fallen trees.

This year I was lucky enough to photograph many families, some returning and some new, to capture precious family moments against this vivid backdrop of bright colour. Due to this year's extreme weather, the bluebells were late to flower but when they did arrive they came out in full force, with a huge rainfall helping to create an impressive crop just in time for the May bank holiday.

Here are a few of the photographs from this year. If this spurs you on to look ahead to next year please get in contact so we can book you a slot. Before next year, we are now looking forward to our meadow photo-shoots in late June and early July which are also proving to be very popular since we introduced them in 2016.

Stella

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Time to Book Your 2018 Meadow Photo-Shoot...

Create everlasting memories in this little piece of floral heaven.

As Mother Nature provides us with a fresh variety of spring wildflowers and grasses, I am looking forward to starting again my beautiful meadow photo-shoots. I truly believe there is no better backdrop to capture family and friends in such a natural and personal setting.

Our Meadow photo-shoots in June are always very popular, taking place in a secret location on private land where wonderful wildflowers are in abundance. Just to reassure any nature lovers, we always tread carefully so as not to unsettle them and stick to the pathway as much as possible.

We know instinctively that family and friends are the most precious things we have in life - in this crazy world of work and commitments it is easy to lose sight of what’s really important.

Make time to photograph your loved ones in a timeless natural setting. I will guide you through your experience and advise you how to display these moments to enjoy now and for future generations to come.

Do get in touch to discuss your ideas and to design your bespoke package.

Stella

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Meet the Team: Stella

Jo Hacker, part of Stella’s expanding team, speaks to Stella about her family, her love of photography and of course her ‘fourth’ child, SMS Creative Photography.

Q. What was your first big break?

I worked as a Saturday girl at Handford photography portrait studio from the age of 15. When it came to leaving school at 16 they offered me an apprenticeship within their commercial department and I was delighted to accept.

Q. Why did you decide to set-up your own business?

I always wanted to own my own photography business. Every time I considered it, I found a hundred reasons not to until my family circumstances changed and I took the opportunity to fulfil my dream.

Q. Can you remember your first customer, and if so what did they buy from you?

Yes, I can!  My first customer called into the studio on the day I opened on Monday 10 February 1997 to ask for a treasured old family photograph to be copied. In those days, it was produced via a 5” x 4” negative on a rostrum camera.
 

Stella 'Then' in 1966 outside her parents house and 'Now' 2017 - same place and not quite the same clothes!

Q. What do you love most about your job?

I love most meeting new people and working on a diverse range of commissions. One day I am knee deep in mud photographing a family run farm, the next I am on the race track capturing beautiful cars.

Q.  What has been your most challenging moment, as a business owner?

The transition from analogue to digital was initially hugely challenging, but in time has become very lucrative. I often find the hardest tasks are worth the time I spend on them in the end!

Q. You describe SMS Creative Photography as your fourth child, how involved are you other three children?

My two sons love the business but they have other work commitments, and don’t play a direct role. My daughter Nicola worked with me whilst she was at school at the weekend and as a second shooter at weddings.  More recently she is supporting me with marketing.

Q. Why did you choose to name your business SMS Creative Photography?

When I was thinking about a name for my business I didn't have the confidence to call it by my name, so I took the easy option to use my initials 'SMS' for Stella Marina Scordellis, I added Creative Photography because back in 1997 this was a new style of photography. In 2012 I introduced 'Stella' a different part of the business taking me in new and exciting directions.

Q. How different is the job of a photographer different today, to when you first trained?

When I first trained there were very few women doing the job. I was one of the first female wedding photographers and as a result I was inundated with wedding bookings. The job of a photographer now is different because of the changes to digital and post production technology. This has made photography so much more accessible, I would never have thought that technology would develop to create such high-quality results so quickly.

Q.  What one piece of advice would you give a budding new photographer?

Trust your intuition.

Q.  What excites you about the future of SMS Creative Photography?

Developing into new areas of photography. I am also interested in limited-edition photographs which can be a great investment.  Watch this space for new developments!

Stella's Photography Tips: Shutter Speed

Following on from my photography tips from March, this month I am explaining how to use shutter speed to your advantage, to show motion, either to slow it down or to freeze it. This works particularly well for moments that are fleeting, for example as shown here with the flow of water, the same principals apply for sports photography.

Simply follow the steps below and enjoy the experiment!

1. Depending on how close you are to your subject, this generally works best with a 24mm -120mm so you have varied range of focus. A focal range similar to this is fine - remember there are no hard and fast rules.

2. To show motion, select a slow shutter speed 1/15 of a second and below.

3. It is best to use a tripod to avoid camera shake, or make sure you are leaning against something sturdy to support yourself. Alternatively you can stand with your legs apart and your elbows close to your body to minimise camera shake.

4. Select auto ISO as you maybe restricted with your maximum aperture opening. Just to remind you that ISO controls the sensitivity of light on the digital sensor. Auto ISO will increase or decrease the sensitivity by going up to increase or down to decrease, in numbers from 200 - 400 - 800 - 1600 - 3200. If you prefer you can control this manually.

5. Select you aperture at f5.6 and take the shot, experiment to achieve your desired effect and exposure.

6. To show frozen motion select a fast shutter speed about 1/500 of a second or more.

7. Keep the aperture to f5.6 and the ISO to auto. Take the shot and experiment with different exposures to achieve the desired effect.

If you would like more advice to help you understand your camera one to one, I offer masterclasses tailored to suit your knowledge and ability. Alternatively, you and a friend can take a class with me.

Stella