FRESH LOOK

The same way a good reporter must have a “nose” for news stories, I believe a photographer should also have an “eye” for pictures. He or she should be able to passive situations otherwise not noticed by others. Kalechi Amadi-Obi the award winning Nigerian photographer said it better; to get a good image you just need a good eye. Capturing that good image however, can sometimes prove tricky, especially when you are faced with a “common subject”; that which has been photographed enough times. Famous monuments and significant buildings fall into this category, and photographing such with the same predictable point of view does not tell any new story. Seeing your subject in an unusual way will most definitely result to remarkably good images. This may require you walk around, experiment with different angles, change lenses, wait patiently almost an entire afternoon for that perfect lighting, or even climb atop tall buildings. Whatever it is you do… give your subject a fresh look!       

In recent times, the Library is arguably the most photographed subject around campus. A close-up gives it a rather dramatic look.   

      



                                             Camera - NIKON D3100

                                             Focal Length - 18mm
                                             Shutter Speed - 1/60 sec
                                             Aperture - f/5.6 

                                             ISO/Film - 100
                                             Category - Architecture 
                                             Uploaded - July 31st 2013  
                                             Taken - July 18th 2013

                                             Location - USIU, Nairobi
                                             Copyright - Stephen Mukhongi

After literally doing a 360 degrees around my subject, I stopped at this angle. The brick-wall made for a great foreground, and all that was remaining was for someone to walk into the frame... 

A long shot from one of the sides taken while on my knees ensured that I included more details of the library and the well-trimmed lawns.

Camera - NIKON D3100

Focal Length - 32mm
Shutter Speed - 1/60 sec
Aperture - f/5.0 

ISO/Film - 100
Category - Architecture 
Uploaded - July 31st 2013  
Taken - July 19th 2013 
Location - USIU, Nairobi 

Copyright - Stephen Mukhong

            Camera - NIKON D3100
            Focal Length - 38mm
            Shutter Speed - 1/80 sec
            Aperture - f/5.0 

            ISO/Film - 100
            Category - Architecture 
            Uploaded - July 31st 2013  
            Taken - April 3rd 2013

            Location - USIU, Nairobi
            Copyright - Stephen Mukhongi

MOTION BLUR

You can right several wrongs in a picture during post-processing, but you can’t rescue a blurry image; this is one advice that has been repeated to me constantly over the years. Image blurring is caused by accidental camera movement and it is one of the main reasons we discard otherwise dissent images. There is enough advice out there on how to avoid blurry images, from use of tripods, image stabilizers to hand-held techniques; The emphasize is on razor sharp images. However, according to Lou Jones, there is no written rule that says everything must be static. Deliberate blurring some subjects within otherwise sharp images is an effective way to show action, movement, or to create a particular mood. Completely freezing a subject will make you lose the drama and excitement of the event. Motion blur can be achieved by using an ideal shutter speed setting which controls the appearance of a moving subject. Fast shutter speeds <above 1/300 sec> stops (freezes) movements while slow ones <below 1/60 sec> blur moving subjects. Try panning during exposure by moving the camera in the same direction as the subject motion. This will make the subject be in focus and cause the foreground and the background to blur. I tried this during a rugby match where a player was racing past, holding the ball and I followed his motion by turning the camera while releasing the shutter. This is effective at relative slow shutter speeds of about 1/30 sec and below.

A player in full flight! during the 'Wazee kwa Vijana' (USIU Alumni vs Students) rugby match that I shot for the PR department.

          

   Camera - NIKON D3100

   Focal Length - 50mm
   Shutter Speed - 1/30 sec
   Aperture - f/5.7 

   ISO/Film - 200
   Category - Sports 
   Uploaded - July 25th 2013  
   Taken - July 20th 2013

   Location - RFUEA Ground, Nairobi
   Copyright - Stephen Mukhongi

  

BACK STORY

When telling an overall picture story the background is equally as important as the middle ground and the foreground. If rightly used, backgrounds can truly complement the foreground subject(s). However, they have the ability to easily overpower the middle ground and foreground elements, in the process becoming the lead story. Special thought should always be placed when deciding what to use as a background. Rule of the thumb is to avoid destructive backgrounds; if you want the foreground subject to stand out. In such situations plain backgrounds are recommended or the use of wide apertures and long focal lengths to throw destructive backgrounds out of focus. Before releasing the shutter, I am always wary of clashing colors, destructive lines, and the most common one of people that don’t belong. It helps changing your angles (though am always accused of not doing the same) or even moving the subject all together, to either include or omit some elements in the background. Another solution is to just create your own! By either using various backdrops like in studio shoots, or adding backgrounds during post-processing. Whatever you do, make your background tell an exciting story of the complete picture.

I was focusing on the newly weds' hands when I noticed my little friend in the background. I decided to include her in the frame as I found her curious expression thought-provoking.         

   Camera - CANON EOS 7D

   Focal Length - 135mm
   Shutter Speed - 1/60 sec
   Aperture - f/5.7 

   ISO/Film - 200
   Category - Wedding 
   Uploaded - July 1st 2013  
   Taken - June 1st 2013

   Location - Jacaranda Hotel, Nairobi
   Copyright - Stephen Mukhongi

BLACK & WHITE: THE NEW COLORED III

In photography most situations call for quick decision making and at times risk taking; thinking and acting on your feet is important, also knowing exactly what you want as your final image and going for it, save's everyone lots of trouble and precious time. After the 'night' garden shoot everyone was visibly tired. So we all headed to the hotel lobby to gather our belongings and take our leave, and also allow the newly weds time to rest. The place (lobby) was a sight to behold; very colorful, with beautiful hanging artworks, comfy seats and all... I knew I wasn't going anywhere without capturing that! In moments the cameras were out again, ready to shoot away. Unlike the poorly lit gardens outside, the lobby was a stark contrast with too much light. For the second time, my 'test shots' were not impressive; my subjects were disappearing in all that warm bright light. I was working under borrowed time and could not afford to waste a second experimenting with the light settings. Consequently, I chose to finish what I had started with black and white... the gamble paid off. 

   

I wanted as much negative space between my subjects as possible hence I made the two love birds seat on either sides of the sofa's armrests' this also allowed me to include hanging artworks in the same frame. Congrats' Wangari & Charles!

    
 Camera - CANON EOS 7D

 Focal Length - 18mm
 Shutter Speed - 1/40 sec
 Aperture - f/3.5 

 ISO/Film - 1000
 Category - Wedding 
 Uploaded - June 25th 2013  
 Taken - June 1st 2013

 Location - Jacaranda Hotel, Nairobi
 Copyright - Stephen Mukhongi

BLACK & WHITE: THE NEW COLORED II

If you ask me, no two subjects should ever be perceived the same way in photography. In simple terms, all subjects are unique and while it is good to shoot in color some scenarios are best illustrated in black and white. After a whole day of covering the wedding, my colleagues (Martin, Laurence, Safi') and I, decided to give the bride and her groom an exclusive bonus shoot. The plan was simple; return to the photo-shoot venue before sunset. This was not to be, as we arrived at the place too late; we were literally chasing light but our main light-source (the sun) had just disappeared! the beautifully lit garden that we had earlier used for a midday shoot was no more, the area was shadowy and wasn't looking anything like a shoot location. It is such situations that make one appreciate light as the basic ingredient of photography. We however were not about to back down from this challenge. We turned a security light into our key-light and some lowly placed ambient lights into back-lights. As a ritual, I took a few 'test shots' to determine my settings but the color temperature of the light was a bit too artificial for my liking and as a result, I opted to use the monochrome (B/W) setting and shoot in black and white over the recommended post-processing, while retaining other settings. With the widest aperture, relatively low shutter speeds and highest possible ISO, I was able to get some decent black and white images. 

The bench made a great prop..

   Camera - CANON EOS 7D

    Focal Length - 21mm
    Shutter Speed - 1/40 sec
    Aperture - f/3.5 

    ISO/Film - 6400
    Category - Wedding 
    Uploaded - June 22nd 2013  
    Taken - June 1st 2013

    Location - Jacaranda Hotel, Nairobi
    Copyright - Stephen Mukhongi

..but so did the ground

    Camera - CANON EOS 7D    

    Focal Length - 20mm
    Shutter Speed - 1/40 sec
    Aperture - f/3.5 

    ISO/Film - 6400
    Category - Wedding 
    Uploaded - June 22nd 2013  
    Taken - June 1st 2013

    Location - Jacaranda Hotel, Nairobi
    Copyright - Stephen Mukhongi

Who said the bench is solely for sitting?

    Camera - CANON EOS 7D

    Focal Length - 18mm
    Shutter Speed - 1/40 sec
    Aperture - f/3.5 

    ISO/Film - 6400
    Category - Wedding 
    Uploaded - June 22nd 2013  
    Taken - June 1st 2013

    Location - Jacaranda Hotel, Nairobi
    Copyright - Stephen Mukhongi
 

Someone forgot I was shooting this.

     Camera - CANON EOS 7D
     Focal Length - 21mm
     Shutter Speed - 1/40 sec
     Aperture - f/3.5 

     ISO/Film - 5000
     Category - Wedding 
     Uploaded - June 22nd 2013  
     Taken - June 1st 2013

     Location -  Jacaranda Hotel, Nairobi
     Copyright - Stephen Mukhongi


                       

                                                                               (continued)