Lighthaus Camera: How to take fireworks pictures

As we close out 2013 one of the better and more challenging photographs to take are of fireworks.  I have to admit that I've never really tried so I had to look it up on the interweb and here is what I found to be a very informative article to take fireworks photos.

From wikiHow:

http://www.wikihow.com/Photograph-Fireworks

I checked the weather report for South Maui and it looks like it is supposed to rain so I may not get a chance to get those shots.  But if it does clear up, I will try my best.

A stable platform is one of the key tools you will need to have when taking those fireworks shots.  Lighthaus Camera has several tripod brands for you to choose from, including Manfrotto, Canon, Gorilla Pod, and Mefoto in several price ranges to fit your budget.  Be sure to call us before you come down to the store as we have holiday hours at each of our four locations.

Thank you for taking the time to read our posts and for shopping at Lighthaus Camera this past year.  It is greatly appreciated and we look forward to helping you with your photographic needs in 2014.

Your New Camera

So, you are one of the lucky people who Santa blessed by giving you a new camera.  One of the first things you should do is skim your manual so you can gain a working relationship with your new image capturing device.  You don't have to read the whole manual but go to the page where it tells you where and what all those buttons can do.  Refer to the index for more in depth explanations. The next thing you will want to do is play with your camera's different settings and take some practice shots.  You can see what you have done right or wrong by looking at your camera's EXIF data.  The information can usually be found by right clicking while you are on an image and going into the properties window.  Now that you have a generalized idea of how to use your camera, get out there and shoot till your heart's content.

A few ideas about the photographs in this post:
1.  Leading lines: lead your audience's eyes to where you want them to focus.
2.  Bokeh:  This is the term used by photographers to describe the blurry background.  This can be achieved by opening your aperture to its largest (smallest number) opening.  For example f/1.4, F/1.8, F/2.8....
3.  Train your photographers eye by going to the swap meet.  There's so many different subjects to photograph.
4.  Cloudy days can make for some dramatic photographs.
5.  Famous landmarks: here is a picture of Diamond Head that was made a little less "boring" by including the outrigger canoes in the foreground.
6.  Look for interesting patterns and colors.
7.  Silhouettes can be fun.
8.  Of course family, friends, and pets are always fun too.

Please keep in mind that if you take a few shots that you would like to blow up, Lighthaus Camera has the ability to print your pictures up to 24xinfinity sized.  This can be done at the Oahu, Kona, and Kihei locations.  Price is a low $16 per square foot.

Alert Canon Users

It looks like Canon has decided to kill off third party batteries with its current firmware update.  Read the full article below by clicking the link.

Canon and Third Party Batteries

Monday Showcase: Pentax K50

This is the Pentax K50.  This white and black edition is all the rage with the Empire's Stormtroopers.  If you are photographing the Ewoks on the forest moon of Endor, the Jawas on Tatooine or Darth Vader himself on the Death Star, the weather sealing in this cropped sensor Pentax should survive all of the harsh conditions that the universe can throw at the official photographer of the galactic empire.

The Pentax K50 has an ISO maximum setting of 51,200.  A maximum shutter speed of 1/6000 of a second, a 6fps burst rate and a shake reduction system built into the camera body.  Along with the weather sealing this camera has the ability to also use AA batteries when the lithium ion battery has reached its 480 images limit.  This is a fantastic option when you are traveling and power is not available.  If you use the Energizer Lithium AA batteries, the K50 can capture up to 1250 images.  The K50 can be ordered in 120 different color combinations.

The Pentax K50 can be purchased at Lighthaus Camera which is conveniently located on the planet earth in the region known as Hawaii.  Lighthaus Cameras four locations are on the island of Hawaii, Oahu and two location on Maui.  Disclaimer: Lighthaus Camera does not discriminate, if you are rebel or a member of the empire we will happily meet your camera needs.

Alert Nikon Users

Nikon has recently made some firmware updates for several of their cameras that make third party brand batteries useless.  Read the article below by clicking the link.


Third Party Battery Issues

Monday Showcase (sort of): Digital Photography Tips

I came across this article from National Geographic while looking for some tips for my Canon 5D Mark III. I thought it would be a great place to start for people looking to get into digital photography. National Georgraphic's photographers have been taking some of the world's most beautiful photographs for about 100+ years. Why not share their knowledge?

Lighthaus Camera has four locations across the islands to serve your photographic needs. Look for a post later this afternoon on the Pentax K50. 

Tips From National Geographic

Sunday Showcase: Canon Powershot S120

Looking for a small, fast, compact camera that can take pictures in low light conditions? Canon's newest point and shoot camera may just be the one you are looking for. 

The Canon Powershot S120 features a 12.1 MP sensor and the Digic 6 processor forming a powerful combination that can shoot exceptionally well under low-light conditions and has an ISO range of 80-12800. The f/1.8-5.6 lens allows for a shallow depth of field creating the creamy bokeh many photographers love. The S120 can capture 1080p/60p full HD in stereo sound and can be played back on an HDTV via the HDMI output. The built in WiFi lets you share you photographs instantly with your smartphone, tablet or computer.

Want to know about the other features the S120 has? Come on by any one of Lighthaus Camera's four locations to view the camera for yourself. You might want to call ahead to see if it is in stock. This little, innovative camera from Canon is turning out to be a great idea for a Christmas present.

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody...it's still too early for Christmas decorations!

Lighthaus Camera's Pre-Black Friday Sale!

Black Friday Week Starts Sunday November 24th and lasts through Cyber Monday December 2nd. There are many different deals starting and ending throughout the week. We are doing 20% off all accessories(ie. tripods, bags, memory, filters etc. Cameras, Lenses, Flashes, Adapters, Underwater Housing are considered hardware not accessories. The website is offering free shipping. The website will also be honoring the 20% accessory deal with the coupon code of black20. Instant and mail-in rebates will be processed in-store only.

Happy Shopping Lighthausers!

Monday Showcase: Pentax Cameras

 Lighthaus Camera has been a proud Pentax dealer for several months.  Recently, we just got a shipment of their top of the line tough style camera, the WG-3 and their DSLR cameras and lenses.  The Pentax brand has been around since the early part of the 20th century.  The Asahi Optical Joint Stock Company was created in a little shop in the Toshima district of Tokoyo and they specialized in providing Japanese camera makers high quality lenses that were superbly polished.

Fast forward to today and here are my thoughts on the WG-3.  We have the WG-3 listed for $269.99 and it is a great deal for an underwater camera that has a f/2.0-4.9 lens, GPS capabilities, six LED ring lights and is crush proof, dust proof, shock proof and cold proof down to minus 14 degrees F.  Definitely a great value for a tough style camera.

As for the DSLR's, I don't have any experience with these crop sensor cameras.  What I do like about them is the fact that the K30, K50, K5II, K5IIs, and K3 are weather sealed. Prices for those cameras start at around $600 and go up to about $1700. Getting a weather sealed camera from the other two kids on the block start at $2000.  What a great deal.

If you are looking for a new camera, come on down to any one of Lighthaus Camera's four locations to see what Pentax has to offer.

Lightroom 5 Class at Lighthaus Camera's Kona Location

A very special thank you goes out to Christian Farner for putting on the Lightroom 5 class last night. It looks like the students were very attentive and learned many new tips and tricks that Adobe's photo editor has to offer. I don't see any evidence of notes being passed around, gum chewing or funny drawings of the teacher. Thank you again Christian for putting on this very informative class, please accept my virtual apple.

Not only does Lighthaus Camera have four locations to serve you, we are happy to share our knowledge as well. It does not matter if you are a seasoned professional or a newbie, we will try our best to answer questions or find that piece of gear to complete your quiver of photographic arrows.

Monday Showcase: Nikon AW 1 Photo Examples

Don't have thousands of dollars to spend on an underwater housing for your DSLR?  Want a camera with a little more oomph than the standard underwater point and shoot cameras?  Lighthaus Camera is proud to present the Nikon AW 1.

Nikon's AW 1 is a nod to its past Nikkonos cameras.  This camera is the world's first digital camera with interchangeable lenses that are waterproof to 50 feet and shock proof from about 6 feet.  The AW 1 has three different underwater  options: standard, scuba, and macro.  The easy access menu has a lock function to prevent accidental setting changes when wearing diving gloves and the camera has a built in electronic compass, altimeter, depth gauge, virtual horizon and location data settings to create dive logs.  The AW 1 is a 14.2 MP camera with 1080i video recording at 60 frames per second and has two waterproof lens options.  The Nikkor AW 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6 and Nikkor AW 10mm f/2.8.  There is even an exclusive filter (AW 40.5 NC) for the lenses that will help prevent fogging underwater.  The SB-N10 underwater speedlight is scheduled for release in the spring of 2014.

Don Slocum, the person who shot the photographs in this post had this to say about the Nikon AW 1:
"Feels solid like the Nikonos, especialy the lens. Quite durable. Zoom is manual by rotating the lens barrel. Macro is awesome!!!. Has RAW, first UW camera to have it, big plus. Image quality is very very high. The zoom is a little cumbersome, can't wait for the 10mm. Best to use the auto ISO feature U/W, these were on the 100-800 range and there is also 100-1600iso and 100-3200iso."

Lighthaus Camera has four locations to serve your photographic needs.  If we don't have an item you are looking for in stock, we can order from the manufacturer or get items from the other Lighthaus Camera locations.  When items do come from other LHC locations, it usually takes about a day or two depending on when the item is shipped (weekends may take longer).

Saturday Showcase: What shot are you chasing?

Is there a shot that you've always wanted to take? For me it would be the full moon rising from the depths of Haleakala. A few years ago while my mom was visiting, that shot appeared on a crisp & clear summer evening. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the way the moon lit up Haleakala was amazing. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me that night. I've been chasing the shot for a while now but I still did not get it due to conditions not being right, forgetting that it was a full moon and not having the right lens with me. I will not give up! Please post any PG rated photographs you've been wanting to take in the comments below.

Look for my upcoming post on how to tackle manual mode on the camera.

Saturday Showcase: What is depth of field?

Depth of field is the range of distance that appears acceptably sharp in a photograph. Factors that can affect the DOF can be the aperture & focusing distance, camera type, size of print and camera settings. You can actually see how the depth of field changes in the video. The acceptable focus range starts at 20/21 then moves up the measuring tape to about 31/32. As the depth of field moves, you can see how the few inches before and after the sharp points of the focal range are blurred. That blurriness is what the Japanese call bokeh. And bokeh is what really makes portrait photographers clamor for the faster lenses. The larger the aperture, means the more blur your lens can make. The number of aperture blades and shape of the blades helps determine the shapes of your bokeh too.

Lighthaus Camera has several large aperture lenses for sale. Among them the Canon 24-70 f/2.8 version II, the Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 ED VR version II, the Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 DC HSM, etc.. If we don't have a lens in stock, we can order it for you. Lighthaus Camera has four locations to serve your photographic needs.

Sunday Showcase: What is a histogram?

Sunday Showcase: What is a histogram?

In short a histogram is a representation of tones in any given photograph.  Moving from left to right indicates the tonal range being its darkest on the left to its brightest on the right.  The "mountain range" represents the amount of pixels in the given ranges.  In that photo, most of the pixels are below the mid range (18% gray) with a few pixels in the mid range and even fewer pixels in the brightest tone range.

Depending on the type of shot or mood you are looking for, most people want to have a relatively even tone range throughout their photographs.  The histogram would have peaks in the mid tones then they would taper off towards both the left (dark) and the right (bright) sides of the histogram.  If you were taking silhouette type shots, the histogram would have peaks on both the left and right with little in the mid tones.

Thank you for taking the time to ready my post about histograms.  Should you have questions about photography or need to purchase equipment, feel free to contact us at Lighthaus Camera.  We have four locations across the island chain to serve your photographic needs.

Saturday Showcase: Blurred Photgraphs

Last week my wife and I attended a pre-halloween party. I will not bore you with any of those photographs but I will show you examples of some of those recreated blurry photos.

The equipment I brought that night was my 5D Mark III and a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. That's it. When I first gave her the camera to shoot with I had forgotten to let her know that the lens was set in manual mode. Several shots later she came back to me asking why the picture her friend took of her was blurry. Since the background was in focus but she was not, we determined that her friend focused just behind her. That is what the second photo represents, a wrong focus point. The last photo in this post is a representation of her last photograph before she gave the camera back to me. That photo turned out blurry not because of the focus point or being in manual mode. She used the live view mode and took a shot that was almost in focus. Being in live view mode at night and hand held, the slightest movement of the camera caused her photograph to be slightly blurry.

The above three examples of blurry photos can be fixed easily. The manual mode error: turn the lens's auto focus feature on or turn the focus ring until your subject is sharp. The wrong focus point: compose your shot, press the shutter button half way to focus then take the shot. When looking through the view finder, the square represents where your focus point will be, the beeping sound indicates you are in focus. If your subject moves, just recompose the shot, focus and fire away. Camera shake: in my wife's case using the view finder instead of the live view can help correct camera shake. In most cases live view the camera operator is holding the camera with arms extended somewhat. Any slight movement will create blur. By using the view finder and creating a more stable platform by bringing your elbows into your chest will more than likely create sharper images.

Other types of out of focus shots may be because of the subject moving while the shutter is being pressed. This can be corrected by increasing the shutter speed to freeze the action. Another situation may be that your camera's aperture is wide open. Having that bokeh in portrait photography is super cool but other times you may want to close that opening, so increase the aperture to at least f/8 to get sharper images. 

As I said before, neither my wife nor I are professional photographers. We make mistakes and through those experiences, I hope I can help you learn a few things about not just taking photographs but recording life's memories.

Next on the wife's wish list is the Canon 70D. This new camera system has a dual processor, so the focusing system is just amazing. Stop by any one of Lighthaus Camera's four locations to see how fast it really is.

Sunday Showcase: 4/3 Camera Systems, Interested?

Pictured here are two cameras that were recently announced from Nikon and Olympus. 

Nikon's AW1 is a throwback to the Nikonos years and is a fully waterproof (49 feet) mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. It boasts 14 mega pixel C-format CMOS sensor. Has an ISO range from 100-6400 and built in GPS with a compass, altimeter and depth meter.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 has a history too, going back to the first year OM became their flagship camera which was 1972. The 2013 version features a 16.3 mega pixel Live CMOS sensor and has an ISO range from 100-256000. It has a five axis stabilization built into the camera and is weather, dust, splash and freezeproof.

My question to you, the amateur, semi-professional, professional photographer, would you trade your more traditional DSLR camera setup in for a 4/3 mirrorless system? If so why? I look forward to reading why this 4/3 set up is appealing to you.

Both of these camera systems will be available at Lighthaus Camera. We have four locations across the islands to serve you. Two on Maui, one in Kona, and one on the gathering isle, Oahu.

Saturday Showcase: What is Aperture?

Today's showcase will be my attempt to describe what aperture is in terms that might make sense to the average Joe.  Keep in mind that I'm am just like Joe, I have not studied photography nor am I a pro photographer.

First off, let me tell you the settings on my camera: the ISO (light sensitivity of the sensor) was set at 250, the exposure time was set at 1/160 of a second and the focal length was set at 42mm for all of the photographs.  I used the middle focus point and it was pointed at the n in watermelon.

Aperture:  In simple terms it is the size of the hole that is letting in light to the camera's sensor.  The lower the f stop number, the bigger the hole, the more blurry the background will be behind the subject.  You can see how the background gains focus when progressing from f/2.8 to f/5.6 to f/11 to f/22.  As the hole (aperture) gets smaller the more the background becomes focused.  How does this relate to non can photographs?  When taking portraits having a large aperture (small number) will give you great bokeh (blurred background).  When taking landscape photographs you will most likely want to have the whole scene be sharp and you can do that by having a small aperture (big number).

I hope this definition helps you to understand what aperture is and how it helps you to get off that green mode on your camera.

Speaking of cameras, Lighthaus Camera has four locations across the Aloha state to serve your photographic needs.

Sunday Showcase: High Speed Sync

High speed sync is your flashes ability to use flash at shutter speeds faster than your camera's native sync speed (1/250th of a second). When would you use high speed sync? Outdoor portraits on a sunny day would be a perfect time to use high speed sync. If you were to use your cameras normal sync speed of 1/250th, the photo would most likely have an aperture of about f/16. That means everything in the picture would be in focus. To still get that creamy bokeh and have your subject in focus you would have to open your aperture to lets say f/2.8 and the shutter speed would be about 1/4000 of a second. Because we are shooting outdoors in bright sunlight, unwanted shadows may be present. How do we get rid of those shadows and still have that classic portrait look? The answer is by using high speed sync. On Nikon cameras look in your settings for Auto FP. On Canon cameras the syn button is actually on the flash and is represented by the lightning bolt with the letter H. Keep in mind that when you use high speed sync the power of the flashes effective range diminishes. What other situations would high speed sync benefit your photography?

Saturday Showcase: Night Photography

Let's face it, Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places on earth.  It seems like there is a "postcard" shot around every corner.  Whether it be the double rainbow over the valley, the sunset at the beach or turtles frolicking about the rocks, photographers have inspiration all around them.  A majority of the photographs are taken during the day.  There is a whole new world after the sun goes down.  Capturing that beauty will be a little different and here is what you will need.

The first and foremost thing besides your camera you will need will be a good, sturdy tripod.  Lighthaus Camera carries the Mefoto Backpacker (holds up to 17 lbs.) for $250.  A nice fast lens like the Sigma 18-50mm 1.8 aperture lens ($800) also available at Lighthaus Camera. A flashlight so you can see where you are going or for checking the camera settings (if you haven't memorized where all the buttons are located).  And a bottle of water since it is always good to keep hydrated.  For us Non-Canadian citizens, depending on the time of night and year a light jacket may come in handy too.

Now that you have all of the equipment needed, lets talk about camera settings.  It may be a little scary but you will have to change from the green automatic mode to manual mode.  For the picture in this post, I have my ISO set at 3200.  My aperture was wide open at 2.8.  My shutter speed was set for a 30 second exposure.  My white balance was on automatic and my metering was center weighted.  Of course depending on the subject, those settings may change.  It is very important to have no camera shake. Using your two or ten second timer or using a remote to release the shutter is a must.  If your images are blurry, make adjustments where needed.  Don't fret if it doesn't come out the first time, it's all about learning and having fun.

Lighthaus Camera has four locations across the islands to serve your day time and night time photographic needs.  Come on by to see what we have.

Lighthaus Camera's Free Class

Just a reminder for all my friends out there in the social media world. Lance Folden from Canon will be giving free classes later this week. The schedule is as follows: September 13th from 5 to 7 at our Oahu store, September 14th from 4 to 6 at our Kona store, and September 16th from 5 to 7 at our Kihei store. Please call the appropriate store to reserve your seat today. Oahu 808 955-5155. Kona 808 326-7355. Kihei 808 877-5155.

Monday Showcase: Underwater Camera Care

There are so many places across the islands where an underwater camera comes in handy. You can channel you inner Jacques Cousteau and explore all of the sea life in Hawaii's waters. You can do your best impression of Kelly Slater catching tubes at Pipeline. Or you can be a little less adventurous and go to Iao Valley on Maui and get some of the same shots that are in this gallery.

After doing so you should rinse your camera or housing in fresh water so salt will not build up and corrode all those sealed buttons and dials. Just remember when opening up your camera, let gravity be your friend so any water will fall away from the camera as opposed to into the camera. If water does get into your camera, DO NOT try to turn it on! Any electrical impulse can fry your camera. 

You can try to save your camera by going to your local department store and purchase a product that is similar to "Damp Check" or "Damp Rid". Basically it is silica gel designed to suck up moisture. In a closed container, open your camera's ports with the battery and memory card taken out. Next open the silica gel and place it next to your camera (DO NOT PUT THE CAMERA IN THE GEL). Seal the container with the gel and camera and wait about a day or two. Hopefully all the moisture that was in your camera is now in the gel.

Lighthaus Camera has several cameras to fit your adventurous needs. We have the Olympus TG-830 and TG-2, Canon's D20, Pentax's WG-2, and the Intova camera system available for sale. Our rental division has underwater cameras too but each store has different products. Call any one of our four Lighthaus Camera locations to see what we have.