Tips on Night Time Festive Photography

Photographing Festive Lights at Night

Don't you just love this time of year with the vibrant autumnal colours by day and the variety of colours the Christmas lights project at night? Let me tell you more about photographing festive lights at night.

I want to share with you the best way to photograph at night to capture how spectacular the lights look. Don't leave it up to your camera to decide what setting is best, you'll be disappointed with the results.

Just follow the tips below to get the best out of your DSLR.

• Use a good sturdy tripod or a gorilla pod if travelling light or want to attach your camera to railings.

• Select manual mode on your camera.

• Set White Balance (WB) to AUTO

• Select 200 ISO

• Use a memory card at least 8GB - 32GB if selecting RAW files

• Select L file size - I like to shoot RAW as well as JPEG to record maximum data- this will use a lot more memory.

• Find where the delayed timer is on your camera and select 10 seconds, this will help settle your camera once you have pressed the shutter to prevent camera shake.

• Set your aperture to f16.

• Set your shutter speed to 10" (seconds).

• Find where your histogram is so you can check the exposure after the first shot.

• You may need to select manual focus if it is too dark for auto focus.

Now You Are Ready

First find a spot where you want to position yourself and attach your camera to the tripod, make sure it is tight and secure, especially if it is windy and/or there are lots of people walking by.

You don't always have to shoot at eye level, some of the best shots taken are just above ground level, decide what you would like to create.

I have taken many classes at night shooting in Westminster looking over the bridge towards the London Eye, with the camera settings as above.

The benefits of the low ISO and the slow shutter speed are that it allows the camera sensor to pick up the variety of tones and colours, especially if the colours are changing during the 10 second exposure or something is moving.

During the slow exposure the water on the Thames appears very smooth and the wheel is blurred. Take a look at the example below that a participant took during one of my classes.

One thing not to forget is the 10 seconds you have selected to allow the camera to still itself before the exposure, most cameras flash during this time. Don't be tempted to touch your camera until after the full exposure.

You can tweak the exposure by increasing or decreasing the shutter speed once you have seen the image and checked the histogram.

The image below, with the trail lights from a passing bus was taken in the same way as the Oxted and Thames photograph. The skill of this image is the timing as you can miss the moment and is often trial and error, but worth the results.

Would you like to come to one of my classes to achieve great results?  Gather a group of four friends to spend a couple of hours in Oxted or Westminster to produce your own set of photographs like these, please get in touch on 01883 722282

I hope you have found this newsletter 'Tips On Night time Festive Photography' informative, just keep persevering to achieve the results you want, it will be well worth it.

You may just get the photograph you want to use as this years Christmas card.

Christmas Fun

A reminder that next Saturday 6 December is the 'Love Oxted Christmas Festival' for a fun filled family day to get into the Christmas spirit. On this day only, our studio sitting offer, take a look at this link to find out more, just two appointments left.

From 6 - 21 December American Express card holders can use their card with us and and they will give you a £5 statement credit, this is to promote their 'Shop Small' campaign to support local participating businesses.

Thanks for reading

Bye for now.

Stella

Wilton Classic and Supercar Show 2014

 I'd been looking forward to going to the Wilton Classic and Supercar Show for a while now. The show took place in the grounds of the Wilton House Estate, near Salisbury.

The Wilton Classic and Supercar Show 2014 is an annual event, now in it's sixth year, and took place on Sunday10th August. The show is the brain child of Lord Pembroke the current resident of this ancestral home and his friend Jay Broom, and was set up to share their love of classic and supercars with the public. The show was suitable for all the family and had something to offer the local residents as well as avid petrol heads. Major car manufactures were given the opportunity to showcase their latest cars, hot off the production line.

This years event hosted a demonstration rally event too.

The weather on Sunday started off wet and windy but it didn't discourage the crowds who travelled from all over the UK to share a little bit of car culture.

Let me tell you more...

What Was On Display

There was a broad selection of cars on display including the only Aston Martin Bertone Jet in the world. McLaren P1 a selection of Ferrari's including a 1957 250 Testa Rossa and the Bugatti EB10 and the car above the 1959 Chevrolet Corvette.

The centre piece for the "head to head" theme for the show, in which classic icons met their modern counterparts, was the Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing and SLS AMG,  and also showcasing the BMW M1 and i8, Lamborghini Miura and Huracan.

The parade of over 150 supercars featured marques such as Bugatti, Pagani, McLaren, Ferrari and Aston Martin. In front of Wilton House’s south façade, on the South Lawn, visitors could get up close to some rarely seen classics, fortunately by this time the sun was out, umbrellas down, coats off and engines roaring.

Rally Car Display

The grounds also boasted a real life high-speed demonstration of superb Group B rally cars on an authentic rally stage, with the Race2Recovery team joining the action in the Bowler Wildcats that they fielded in the gruelling Dakar Rally earlier this year.

My Car Photography Exhibition

I will be launching my inaugural exhibition at Chartwell in Westerham, Kent, the family home of Sir Winston Churchill, featuring some of the most iconic cars from each of the decades he lived there, between 1922 until his death in 1965.

Sir Winston Churchill had a great sense of style and appreciated the finer things in life.

The exhibition will be open to the public for two weeks in October. I will tell you more about this event in forthcoming newsletters.

I am in the early stages of planning which photographs to exhibit and who to send press releases to. Amongst the photographs on display there will be classic and supercars, my www.stellascordellis.com website will tell you more about me in this field.

Oh, by the way, the title to my exhibition is:-

"A Drive Down Memory Lane"

Where This All Began

My passion for car photography started when I was a child and shared my brothers' interest in anything with wheels and an engine.

I started my photographic career at just 15 years old when I went to work at a photographic studio in Croydon as a Saturday girl. I left school the following year to start an apprenticeship with a three year day release course at their commercial studio. It's been a long and varied journey and my love of photographing people as well as cars has led me to explore this exciting direction my business takes me to.

The Rolls Royce, Silver Cloud 1963 below was photographed as part of my course work whilst at college, and looking back this is where it all began...

Thanks for reading. If you didn't go to the Wilton Classic and Supercar Show  this year, its well worth going to next year, you won't be disappointed!

My next newsletter will be in two weeks time.

Bye for now.

Stella

The Masterpiece Marie Curie Party.

Where and When

On Monday 30th May I had the pleasure of attending The Masterpiece Marie Curie Party at the Masterpiece Art and Antiques Fair, located on the South Grounds of The Royal Hospital, Chelsea. I always look forward to visiting the fair because of the diversity of pieces for sale and the history behind them, they each have a story to tell.

For sale were museum-quality art, antiques, jewellery and a whole host of exclusive designs covering different eras, a collectors paradise. Each item at the fair was individually vetted by 26 committees of independent experts and specialists to guarantee authenticity.

Mid Summer Party

This years Masterpiece Marie Curie Party was supported by watch manufacturer Jaeger-LeCoultre. For the second year Marie Curie Cancer Care was selected as the beneficiary of funds raised at the party.

Ambassador Heather Krezner hosted the Champagne, cocktail and canapé reception and greeted guests who included David and Catherine Bailey, Tina Cobley and her husband Oliver Wheeler, Clive Owen, Monica Lewinsky, Princess Beatrice of York, Kirstie Alsop, Rachel Hunter, John Caudwell, Amanda Eliasch and celebrity photographer Richard Young to name only a few of the celebrities who attended.

The general public were invited to attend too and paid £95 per ticket to this prestigious event. There was the option to purchase luxury goods and experiences in the silent auction, including a painting lesson with Ronnie Wood, all proceeds to the chosen charity. There was also a raffle to win a brand new MINI convertible and an exclusive pair of fine earrings by Niquesa Fine Jewellers, at only £20 per ticket, a bargain for the lucky winners.

After the drinks reception the celebrities were privately entertained to a dinner and auction which raised in excess of £900,00 for Marie Curie Cancer Care that depends on events like this to fund their nursing care. It was so lovely to see so many of the nurses and staff from the charity at the event, and the local Chelsea Pensioners too.

My Photographs

I photographed the atmosphere which was buzzing, as well as the guests, there was a lot going on which really set the party scene from a graceful ballerina to Robin Harris' London Dixie and Jazz Bands and snippets of wonderful characters through time from Gideon Reeling.

I particularly like going to visit Long Sharp Gallery this Indianapolis based gallery features works from Picasso and Andy Warhol to Pop with a huge variety of innovative art too.

I was introduced to The Masterpiece Fair by my clients Chris Jowitt and Ray Russell from WW.Warner who specialise in 18th and 19th century porcelain. I have had the privilege of photographing their exclusive pieces for the BADA catalogues and always look forward to seeing what I'm going to photograph next. For example a Worcester porcelain lobed dessert plate (as shown) hand painted at the London atelier of James Giles . Circa 1768-70, at nearly 250 years old it's a strange feeling working with such fine quality that has withstood the test of time.

Photographed in my studio using Nikon's 24mm-120mm lens and one soft box to light the subject, I find it picks up the fine detail synonymous with art of this era, propped against a neutral grey background, the perfect contrast. The artwork shows a traveller on horseback with his dog at his side. Post production on these images ensure the colour reproduction is as accurate as possible.

This was a wonderful evening enjoyed by so many to raise funds so needed to support Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Thanks for reading, my next newsletter will be in two weeks time about the Oxted Beer Festival.

Bye for now.

Stella

Edenbridge Car Pageant

Where and When

On Monday 26th May I drove a few miles south to Edenbridge to see (and hear) for myself what the car pageant I had read about had to offer. The weather was overcast and wet, not ideal for such an occasion. The event was organized by the Eden Valley Chamber of Commerce as part of the Edenbridge Fun Day. As a member of the Oxted Chamber of Commerce I caught site of an email from our chairman letting us know what another local chamber were up to over the Bank Holiday weekend. I’m very glad I took note of this because what unfolded filled me with delight and added so much to my visual and mental portfolio of cars! All on my doorstep in Fircroft Way, Edenbridge, Kent.

John Surtees OBE

Edenbridge is the hometown of Motor sport legend John Surtees OBE.

This year John is celebrating 50 years since he won his Formula 1 World Championship title as well as his 80th birthday. John Surtees OBE is a one off; the only person to have won World Championships on both two and four wheels. John proudly showcased his F1 bikes and cars outside his Bradford shop, Station Road, the Surtees team factory and business base for the past 56 years. The cars were built at this address and mainly by local residents. Edenbridge High Street was closed to allow the parade to take centre stage. It was led by John in the Ferrari 158 which he won the 1964 Formula One Driver’s World Championship, and was followed by Team Surtees Formula 1 cars of the Seventies driven by Scott Malvern and Robbie Kerr.

Exhibition and Book

John will be launching his book "My Incredible Life on Two and Four Wheels" on June 19th 2014. The book contains over 250 photographs some of which were on display at TOPFOTO Gallery also in Fircroft Way. The photographs are an incredible account of an incredible man. The majority of the photographs were taken by John Topham a documentary photographer who lived in Edenbridge until he died in 1992, please follow the link to find out more about him http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Topham_(photographer).

The book can be ordered from Evro Publishing.

The exhibition was an added bonus to my afternoon as it showcased some of John's finest moments, even better, it was an opportunity to own a limited edition print signed by John Surtees and very reasonably priced too, £50 for an unframed A3 print.

Fund Raising

The event raised funds for the Kent Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Association and The Henry Surtees Foundation.

The foundation was set up in memory of John’s son Henry who was tragically killed in a freak accident at Brands Hatch in 2009 aged just 18 years, whilst competing.

The Pageant

I was pleasantly surprised to see so many owners turn up with their cars and bikes, they had travelled from all over the country to take part in this prestigious event. I chatted to a few of them who were happy to tell me the history of their cars, one man told me he bought his MG when he was just 18 years old and has owned it for the past 36 years, and was passing it over to his son to enjoy.

Amongst the parade were Ferrari, Aston Martin, MG, Corvette Stingray, Lotus, BMW, Morris Cowley to name just a few. They followed John's parade of cars and gathered at the Lingfield Road recreation ground, the other end of town, for all to enjoy as part of the fun day.

It was a very enjoyable Bank Holiday Monday afternoon, thanks to all involved who made this the great success it was, despite the great British weather.

All part of my other passion in life photographing Classic and Super cars. You can see and read a bit more about this on my website www.stellascordellis.com

If you would like to commission me to take photographs of you, your family, or your cars, then please get in touch.

Bye for now.

Stella

How To Take Great Holiday Photographs You and Your Family Will Love

Time To Get Ready

It’s that time of year when the days are getting longer and warmer so we can think about getting the suitcases out of the attic ready for the summer hols!

Don’t forget to pack your camera too and get those important holiday photographs that will keep the memory alive.

An Accessory To Make Taking Photographs Fun

When packing your camera it’s always useful to pack a small tripod and I always take my Gorilla Pod this friendly gizmo is ideal to pack in your case as it’s flexible, small and capable of great things, to get shots in awkward places and for putting your camera on self time for a group shot you want to be in. Check out the website to see what this little monkey can do http://joby.com/gorillapod

Before You Leave Home

It doesn’t matter what camera you have, whether it’s a big DSLR or a compact point and shoot if you aren’t confident using it you’re not going to get great shots, so spend some time getting to know your camera if you haven’t already.

Pack a couple of extra compact flash memory cards or buy them at the airport, the cost of these have come down considerably in recent months. Best not to have all your images on one card so spreading across two or three makes good sense in case you lose your camera.

• Set your camera to the large file size option so you are getting maximum quality, you can make smaller if you need to on your return. You can’t make a small file bigger so start how you mean to go on.

• Check you know where your flash option is so this can be easily triggered when the occasion arises.

• Clean your lens with a soft cloth and take this with you, it’s so easy to have a greasy, sandy lens which will impair the quality of your images.

• Check you are familiar with the different shooting options. You may prefer to shoot everything on ‘auto’ or ‘A’ for aperture priority or ‘S’ for shutter priority.

• If you don’t get time to check this out before leaving home and are taking a flight this can always be done on the journey. The advantage of doing this at home is anything you aren’t sure about can be looked up and understood on You Tube, you can bet there is someone demonstrating exactly what you are looking for, just enter your camera make and model and what you would like to know, much easier than fumbling through a manual.

• Don’t forget to take your battery charger and adaptor depending on where in the world you are going.

• Two spare fully charged batteries are always worth having and carrying with you, we have all been in the position where you miss a crucial shot because your battery has expired, depending on the temperature of where you are this can happen sooner than you expect.

• Just one point worth remembering about battery power is it will expire quicker if you are a ‘chimper’ ( "chimping" frequently looking at every exposure captured on the back of the camera after exposure). Try and resist the urge to do this if your battery power is low.

Flash I always use my flash when shooting people in harsh sunlight especially with the sun behind your subject otherwise they will be in shadow so just flip up your flash option to increase the contrast.

Avoid using flash indoors if you have enough ambient light , especially for a portrait shot by the window the light is much softer and more flattering. Experiment with your flash on and off and see the difference. You may need to increase your ISO (sensitivity of your digital sensor) or if you have this setting on Auto the camera will do it for you.

Lens

Regular readers of my newsletters will know I love my 70mm – 200mm lens as it will allow you to shoot from a distance and get great results as far as shallow depth of field is concerned, so whether it’s people or landscapes you are keen to shoot this lens is ideal. For shooting groups and in confined places you’ll need to use a lens with a wider angel so a 24mm-70mm is a safe bet. However it isn’t always practical to carry a few lenses so if you can have a 24mm – 200/300mm this one lens will do the lot but you will have to compromise on your widest aperture as you may only get f5.6 when you are using it at its maximum 200/300mm

Composition For shots that are capturing a moment you really don’t get much time to think before you shoot otherwise the moment has gone, but for shots where composition can make all the difference between a good shot and a stunning shot, just give yourself a little time. Your subject doesn’t always have to be in the centre just by moving your camera to the left or right if you have an interesting background will make a difference. You don’t have to always shoot at eye level you can crouch down, tilt the camera on the ground, hold the camera above your head, just have fun and experiment and find what works for you. For shooting landscapes the best time of day is early morning as the sun is coming up or at dusk as the sun is going down. Try over or underexposing to get a more atmospheric result.

Finally

Photography should be about capturing a moment for future reflection and to enjoy the process, don’t let it get in the way of actually enjoying a moment and absorbing it, taking a great photograph is also about knowing when not to take it.

Experiment as much as you can as this way you’ll see what works for you.

On return from your holiday download your images and back up on external hard drives too, only when you have done this clear and reformat your memory cards ready for the next time.

If you want to get the best pictures possible feel free to join us for a photography Masterclass. Create memories from your holiday to last a lifetime; investing a small amount on learning how to use your camera properly is worthwhile when you are spending so much on the holiday itself..call us on 01883 722282 to enquire or visit the Masterclass section of our website.

Bye for now!

Stella