7 Secrets To Creating Stunning

Photos!

Basics Every Photographer Needs To Know

By Dan Eitreim

7 Secrets To Creating Stunning Photos! Basics Every Photo-

grapher Needs To Know

Published By: On Target Publishing

Dan Eitreim

10650 7th Ave.

Hesperia, California, 92345

U.S.A.

Copyright © 2018 – Dan Eitreim. All rights are reserved.

No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in

any form without the written permission of the author, ex-

cept for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

You do not have the right to sell, give away or otherwise

share this e-book.

Table of Contents

Introduction............................................................................1Message From The Author............................................................1Simple system...............................................................................2

Secret #1..................................................................................6It’s The Photographer - Not The Camera!....................................6

Secret #2................................................................................12The Notebook..............................................................................12The first thing you need to do is start a notebook!.....................13Starting a “Photo Notebook” will help get those lost photo skills back..............................................................................................14Your Notebook Doesn’t Need To Be Fancy.................................15

Photo Exercise #1.................................................................20Secret #3................................................................................21

B-A-S-E........................................................................................21Secret #4...............................................................................23

B = Background..........................................................................23Antlers.........................................................................................24Traffic Problem...........................................................................27

Secret #5...............................................................................32A = Action...................................................................................32

Secret #6...............................................................................36S = Shutter..................................................................................36There Are Several Options..........................................................37

Secret #7...............................................................................40E = Eye........................................................................................40Accidental F-Stop........................................................................41

Case Study Example.............................................................44Not Using B-A-S-E......................................................................44

Photo Exercise #2.................................................................46Conclusion.............................................................................47Other Books By Dan Eitreim................................................48

Fiction:........................................................................................50Non-Fiction.................................................................................51Book Bundles:.............................................................................68Other Useful - Non Photography - E-books...............................74

Thank You.............................................................................77Disclaimer.............................................................................78

Introduction

Message From The Author

Hello, I’m Dan Eitreim and I’ve been shooting photographs

professionally for over 20 years.

Before we get started, let me tell you a bit about me.

Getting stunning images is almost automatic for me now,

but it wasn’t always like that! I remember struggling to fig-

ure out what all the buttons and dials on my camera were

for, and I remember the frustration at not being able to

shoot the type of images I knew it was possible to produce.

I think I own just about every photo technique book avail-

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INTRODUCTION

able and believe me, there is a lot of misinformation and

downright useless information out there.

Most photo books are written - not to really teach you any-

thing new - but to show off the author’s photographs! In

this series of e-books, I’ve tried my best to avoid that pitfall.

While there are a lot of my own photos in here, there are

also a lot of stock photos. The idea is to use the photos to

demonstrate a point, not to show off my work.

Simple system

I’ve developed a simple, systematic approach that ANYONE

can easily master to start shooting better photos – TODAY!

Once you’ve completed this, the first training lesson in this

step along your photo journey, “7 Secrets To Creating

Stunning Photos”, don’t lose your momentum! Head over to

Amazon and get the next lesson in the series...

“Master Photo Exposure”

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RO17AO

2

INTRODUCTION

Btw - If you haven’t yet enrolled in my Better Photos 101

newsletter, head over to http://BetterPhotos101.com In the

sidebar, you can sign up for the newsletter AND as an eth-

ical bribe to get you to sign up, you’ll get a copy of “How To

Shoot Breathtaking Sunset Photographs”

http://BetterPhotos101.com

3

INTRODUCTION

It’s time YOU put the “WOW” factor into your photos!

Let’s get started!

****************

Welcome to “On Target Photo Training - Volume 1: “7

Secrets to Creating Stunning Photos!” The most im-

portant thing to keep foremost in your mind is that YOU

can take better photos!

The quality of cameras and lenses has improved SO dra-

matically in recent years - particularly in the area of digital

photography – that it makes stunning photos within the

reach of EVERYONE!

It’s really not that difficult once you understand the basics

of cameras, light, and lenses. All photography is really noth-

ing more than capturing light on film or digital representa-

tions of light on a digital memory stick.

With my basic multi-part home study course (On Target

Photo Training) you will become acquainted with quality

photography and how it’s created, the basics of cameras and

lenses, and how they are all combined to create amazing

photographs.

4

INTRODUCTION

We will start off with – admittedly – VERY BASIC con-

cepts and build on them. The course progresses rapidly and

in less time than you may think, your photos will be better

than anything the local “pros” are shooting!

It all begins with the basics...

Soon, you’ll find your friends and neighbors coming to you

for photography advice… Please refer to them to:

http://OnTargetPhotoTraining.com

Where they can get their own copy of this e-book. They will

be grateful to you and you won’t have to spend hours and

hours teaching when you’d rather be out shooting.

So, let’s get started!

5

Secret #1

It’s The Photographer - Not The Camera!

Don’t lose sight of the fact that it is the photographer - not

the camera which creates the image. You won’t need a lot of

expensive equipment, just some knowledge and before you

know it, your photography will have that elusive “WOW”

factor.

I once read an article in “National Geographic” that talked

about a photographer they’d sent on location (up around

the polar icecap) to shoot photos of icebergs.

Now keep in mind, “National Geographic” is famous for

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SECRET #1

working with the best of the best in photography. Even so,

these top shooters create hundreds and hundreds of photos

for every one that makes the final cut and finds its way into

the pages of the magazine.

To make the cover of “National Geographic”…well, that’s a

once in a lifetime dream.

This photographer (I apologize - his name eludes me) was

out in a dinghy, trying to get closer and position himself to

get some good angles on the icebergs, when a rogue wave

came along and tipped him over!

All of his equipment was washed overboard into the Arctic

Ocean!

Retrieving his gear was impossible. Even if he could drain

all the water and get his camera to work again (which you

usually can’t after a salt water dunking) the water was far

too cold and too deep.

It seemed that all was lost - not only thousands of dollars in

first rate equipment, but all the time and expense of getting

to - and back from - the polar region. Tens of thousands of

dollars gone in an instant.

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SECRET #1

Not to mention his reputation with “National Geographic”!

But, as luck would have it, on board the ship he had a bunch

of disposable one-use cameras. You know the ones I mean -

you used to see them all the time at weddings.

The article never mentioned WHY a top photographer

would have them, but he did.

He completed the assignment with THEM! The disposable,

fixed lens, one time use, film cameras!

Everything worked out great…the article was not only pub-

lished, but one of his shots was actually chosen for the

magazine cover!

This was a long time ago, before the digital revolution, so

photo manipulation wasn’t as advanced as it is now. You

either got the shot - in the camera - or you didn’t.

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SECRET #1

I say all of this to drive home the fact that photos are

made by the photographer, NOT the camera. Fancy

gear helps, but is not essential. Of course the more you un-

derstand how great photos are created, the better off your

results will be.

This On Target Photo Training course is going to give you

hundreds of tips and ideas on how to improve your photo-

graphy, but resist the urge to run out and buy a lot of ex-

pensive equipment. Practice with what you have and only

buy something when you have a definite need for it.

I can’t tell you how much equipment I have sitting around –

that I bought on impulse because it seemed “cool” at the

time – that I have NEVER, not even once, used! Whatever

equipment you have right now - learn to totally master it

before you buy anything new.

Photography is a fun and exciting passion so my intent is to

teach you just enough in each On Target Photo Training

volume to get you out there shooting, not reading a book

and getting bogged down in a bunch of useless detail.

Everything you are about to discover has been tried and

proven over and over, all around the world, by both working

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SECRET #1

pros and amateurs alike.

In any artistic endeavor, there are many “right” paths to get

the job done. So, I’ll try to show you the simplest, most dir-

ect route.

This is not a science lesson, but you are encouraged to ex-

periment! Every time the phrase, “I wonder what would

happen if…” pops into your head, try it and find out!

That’s how the greats got to be great and how all the new

“techniques” are born.

That is the fastest route to mastery. Some of the most fam-

ous photos in the world were captured by accident and

some the biggest breakthroughs and newest techniques in

the art were discovered when someone made a mistake. In

other words, experiment and don’t be afraid to fail.

Actually, in an experiment, you can’t fail. No matter what

happens, you get a result. Either you learn something new,

or you learn a new way that something doesn’t work. Either

one will advance your photography skills.

If you want terrific photos...

The First Secret is: It’s the photographer, not the

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SECRET #1

equipment that creates the shot!

11

Secret #2

The Notebook

Fast and Easy Ways to See Immediate Improve-

ment in Your Photography…

Most courses in photography start out by discussing either

composition or by telling you that you need to use a tripod.

While composition is a very important component in great

photography and while using a tripod can be vital at times -

there’s a beginning step that comes before all of that! It’s

rarely mentioned but, it IS vital to your photo education.

I could be wrong here, but I think most photo books don’t

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SECRET #2

discuss keeping a photo notebook because it is SO effective,

the authors would be creating a lot of photo competition for

themselves. (Most photo books are written to show off the

photographers images, NOT to create a bunch of competit-

ors.)

The first thing you need to do is start a

notebook!

From this day forward, you should record every shot you

take.

With the rise of digital photography and the ease of manip-

ulation in Photoshop, most photographers - particularly

amateurs - are losing skills that were essential back when

film was king.

These days, they use a volume technique - shooting hun-

dreds of shots for every “keeper”.

This is not good for a couple reasons...

First: A lot of the time, they never get a truly good “keeper”.

After enough time of seeing second rate photos, they forget

what a true “WOW” photo looks like and they learn to settle

for second best - thinking it’s a great shot!

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SECRET #2

Second: If they DO happen to stumble into a great shot,

they have no idea how to reproduce their winners. They are

doomed to forever be hit and miss shooters. (And usually,

it’s MISS!)

Starting a “Photo Notebook” will help get

those lost photo skills back.

Back in the ancient times when everyone shot film – and

paid $5.00, $6.00, $10.00 + for each roll of film...

AND after you finished shooting, you had to have it de-

veloped!

When you knew that it was going to cost you between $10 -

$20 to have your film developed and printed, you took a lot

more care with each shot!

In my photo business I used to use a rule of thumb that... it

cost me $1.00 every time I clicked the shutter.

Again... These days, I constantly see people - with digital

cameras - rapidly firing away. They’ll shoot hundreds of

photos hoping to get one or two “good ones”. All pretense of

skill has been replaced by a fast trigger finger – and “Pho-

toshop”.

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SECRET #2

Any really great photos they get are accidents and cannot be

repeated.

That is NOT how to master photography.

BTW - If the thought, “I’ll fix it in Photoshop” ever crosses

your mind…immediately take your finger off the shutter and

rethink the shot. Imagine that that shot is going to cost you

a dollar! Your goal is to have every photo be perfect - in

camera.

Then, if you later use Photoshop, you are improving on a

terrific shot...not trying to salvage a bunch of garbage!

Your Notebook Doesn’t Need To Be

Fancy

Your notebook doesn’t have to be fancy, just something that

you can put in your camera bag or in your pocket. A big

three ring binder with color coded tabs may be pretty to

look at, but face it - you aren’t going to lug that thing

around with you in the field.

Once you get home, if you have the ambition and tenacity to

transcribe your pocket notebook into the fancy binder, go

for it. But first, just get a pocket notebook. One of those

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SECRET #2

steno pads would work very well.

You will want to record the data for every shot you

take.

You will want to record: the frame number, the date, your

subject and location, what kind of film you’re using (if you

are shooting film), the film speed (or the digital equivalent),

the type of lighting (ambient, incident, etc.), your f-stop,

shutter speed, camera & lens, and any filters you are using.

Those are the basics. In addition - your route to photo mas-

tery will be greatly shortened if you pre-visualize every shot

and write a short blurb in your notebook about what you ex-

pect to have happen.

I know that with digital, you can see the results right away,

but taking the time to imagine what you want and writing it

down - before the shot - will tremendously enhance your

learning.

It will actually make you think about it – and by extension,

figure out how to do it.

Side note: Educational studies have shown over and over

that if a student is asked a question (one they don’t know

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SECRET #2

the answer to), and they are asked to try to guess the an-

swer before being told what the correct answer is, they’ll

do much better on subsequent exams than students who

were just given the information and not asked to guess.

Along those same lines…your photos will improve

much faster if you try to pre-visualize the result first - be-

fore shooting! You are in effect guessing at what the final

outcome will be.

Later, you will compare your actual photo with your pre-

visualized goal.

If you got exactly what you wanted, note that in your note-

book and put a star by it so you can find it again and duplic-

ate it whenever you want.

In this way, every time you want a shot to turn out that par-

ticular way, all you have to do is refer to your notes for the

settings, lenses, etc. needed. It makes it easy to duplicate

your masterpieces. (That’s what makes a photographer a

true professional... the ability to get the shot, every time.)

Soon, you won’t need to refer to your notes, when you see a

situation, you will know exactly how to get the desired

shot.

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SECRET #2

If the end result WASN’T what you pre-visualized, make a

note of that too and write down two or three thoughts on

how you might be able to solve the problem. I recommend

trying to figure out three different ways to improve on every

shot.

Then, the next time you’re shooting, try your new ideas! See

if they solve the problem.

Keep doing this until you get what you wanted! Now you’ll

be able to repeat those results any time you want - just by

referring to your notebook!

I hope you can see the power in that. It’s a simple concept,

and most of you will blow it off as being too basic, or worse,

too much effort...but in reality it’s the fastest route to photo

mastery there is.

The one or two percent of you that are reading this and truly

take it to heart will see results out of all proportion to the ef-

forts required. The rest of you will keep shooting mediocre

shots for the rest of your life. That’s ok too, just as long as

you know there is a better way and that you made the de-

cision to avoid it.

Yes, it takes a little extra effort to keep a notebook. Actually,

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SECRET #2

let me rephrase that. It takes a LOT of extra effort to keep a

notebook.

And yes, it will slow down your shooting dramatically. The

good news is, in a few short weeks when you go somewhere

with your friends and you are all merrily shooting away…

you’ll find that they will shoot hundreds of photos for one or

two (mediocre) “keepers”, while you are getting almost

ALL “keepers”.

If you want terrific photos...

The Second Secret is: Keep a notebook.

19

Photo Exercise #1

1. Get a notebook.

2. Grab your camera and go out and shoot a roll of film

or 36 digital shots.

3. Pre-visualize what each shot would look like in a per-

fect world and write it down.

4. Take the shot.

5. When you get back your film or digital images, com-

pare them with your pre-visualized goal. (Do this

later - not in the field. It will teach you to write better

pre-visualizations if you later have to actually read

them and try to figure out what you meant.)

6. Analyze your shots. Aside from your pre-visualization

comparison, what else did you learn? No matter

what, NEVER do a photo session without trying to

learn something. No photo is perfect, find the flaws

and figure out 3 different ways to fix them.

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Secret #3

B-A-S-E

Here’s an analogy of what “B-A-S-E” means for us.

Structurally we want good strong photos, none of this ama-

teur stuff we’ve been used to shooting. What is there that is

a good symbol of structural strength? Hmmm…let’s see. The

best example I can think of is a pyramid. With their wide

bases, they’ve managed to survive in Egypt for about 5000

years!

How to make better photos? Think of the pyramids and

start with a strong base!

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SECRET #3

Every time you are ready to depress the shutter button, say

the word “B-A-S-E”. Out loud! This will help remind you to

give your photos the strong, basic structure they need.

It may take a few months, but eventually it will become a

habit to say the word base every time you are ready to take

the shot. You are going to feel sort of goofy saying the word

before each shot, but the results are going to be worth it!

Soon your photos will have a “wow” factor that everyone

will envy – and not quite be able to figure out!

THEN you can move into more advanced concepts with

ease and comfort.

If you want terrific photos...

The Third Secret is: Say the word...B-A-S-E out loud

before each shot.

22

Secret #4

B = Background

Regardless of who you are, there are a few mistakes that we

all make sooner or later and they can absolutely destroy an

otherwise terrific photo.

Imagine this…you are trying to shoot a photo of a pretty

girl.

You are at a local park, the available light is giving you that

perfect glow we photographers are always searching for… in

fact, the light is so perfect, that you’re rushing to get the

shot.

You think you may NEVER get light like that again!

There’s just enough breeze so that her hair is flaring out in

that sexy, not messy way.

She has a ready, gorgeous smile - her posing is natural and

automatic. In other words, it’s one of those magic moments

where everything just falls into place.

You quickly fire off 30 or 40 shots before the light is gone.

Later you review the photos and - TADAAA! In the back-

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SECRET #4

ground there’s a huge garbage can with refuse flowing all

over the ground in EVERY shot. It is absolutely ruining

every photo.

Yes, it can be removed with Photoshop (if you’ve invested

the $700+ to buy the program!), but to do it well is going to

take hours and hours!

Using Photoshop is tedious to say the least. Not to mention

that it has a pretty steep learning curve just to figure out

how to work the program.

THEN, you’d have to repeat the whole boring, time

sucking, tedious process for EVERY shot!

By the time you’re done, you’re no longer enjoying the ma-

gic of photography. You are sick of the shot and hope you

never see it again.

Antlers

Or, let’s take the same photo session, but this time the back-

ground issue isn’t quite so obvious... there are tree branches

behind your model.

They were quite a way back, so you didn’t really pay much

attention to them, but in the photo they are sharp as a tack

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SECRET #4

and look like antlers sticking out of her head!

By the way, to get the antlers affect, you don’t need any

trees! Here are a couple examples…

Think this photo might have been better with her feet not

sticking out of her head?

The fix would have been a simple one, just have her put her

feet down! Or I could have had her shift so she was at an

angle of about 45 degrees - or I could have shifted myself!

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SECRET #4

(Whenever you see a problem with a photo, try to figure out

at least 3 solutions.)

Here’s one where the way that the door in the background

was made created our “antlers sticking out of her head”

problem. Actually, in this case it’s an iron bar rather than

antlers, but it’s the same concept..

These types of background antler problems are really easy

to overlook - since they are part of the building and you just

don’t pay attention to them (unless you force yourself to do

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SECRET #4

so). If I’d shifted either her pose, or my shooting angle just a

little, this could have been a keeper.

Watch out for book cases and windows too!

Let me repeat what was written before… Yes, antlers can be

removed with Photoshop, but to do it well could take hours!

Do you want to be a better photographer? Or do

you want to learn to sit in front of a computer all

day mastering Photoshop?

Traffic Problem

Here’s one with a traffic problem. The van wasn’t moving

but I call any shots of unwanted vehicles in the background

a traffic problem. (There’s a bunch of flowers sticking out of

her head too!)

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SECRET #4

What is the problem here?

Our eye is distracted by the van itself as well as the words

on it. We want the viewer looking at the model, not trying to

figure out what the rest of the phone number is, or what

flower company the van belongs to.

Plus, it’s the van and not my model that is in sharp focus.

What was I thinking!

The rest of the background was not the best...but I was re-

quired to shoot at this location. Even so, I got so caught up

with my model, the light, and so on… that I didn’t check out

the background in the viewfinder. A minor shift of position

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SECRET #4

would have fixed it.

I KNOW these types of background issues have

happened to you! If not, you truly are a beginner

and haven’t taken any photos yet - hang in there, it

WILL happen!

Here’s how to fix the problem. Before you start shooting, for

just a moment ignore the model and scan all four corners

(and the middle) of your viewfinder looking for these sort of

problems. Scan the background for problem areas - poten-

tial antlers, unwanted subjects, etc. you don’t want in the

photo. Watch for traffic, kids in the background, distracting

colors or anything that would take away from the object of

your photo.

Keep in mind that when you are looking through the view-

finder, it is wide open by default. Trees and branches, etc.

that don’t appear very distracting in the viewfinder, can

ruin the finished shot. When you actually take the shot,

your aperture closes down to the f-stop you have set, mak-

ing items in the background sharper than they appeared in

the viewfinder.

Usually just moving your model - or yourself - a few feet one

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SECRET #4

way or another will make all these problems disappear.

You’ll get the stunning portrait you were after and you will

save hours of tedious retouching and reprinting. Or, heaven

forbid, a totally ruined session.

What’s wrong with this next one?

There’s a BUNCH of problems in the above photo

1. It had traffic in the background

2. It had a microphone stand sticking out of her ear

3. It was a horrible, non photogenic background

4. The sidewalk is amputating her head

5. And it wasn’t even in focus! (I must have really been

having a bad day!)

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SECRET #4

Obviously just a grab shot - no “WOW” factor involved!

If you want terrific photos...

The Fourth Secret is: Pay attention to the “B” –

Background.

31

Secret #5

A = Action

Make sure the action you are trying to capture is in focus

and as large as possible. (We’ll cover more on that in later

On Target Photo Training lessons.)

Next, let’s take a look at a shot I once did… what is the sub-

ject? Is it the insect sitting on a flower? Is it a flower that

happened to have an insect on it?

It’s hard to tell. I’m not close enough and there’s just too

much junk and visual confusion in the photo.

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SECRET #5

By the way, the shriveled up, dead bud should have been

snipped before the image was snapped.

Always strive to make your subject large and prominent in

the frame. Plus, simplify… simplify… simplify! Try to re-

move as much extraneous junk as you can.

Actually, the action I was going for was the insect! Would

you say it is prominent in the frame? Can you even see it?

Here’s a better shot...can you tell what the subject matter is

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SECRET #5

on this one? And yes, I realize that I’ve been using action

and subject matter interchangeably. There is a reason for

that that will be covered in future On Target Photo Training

lessons.

In this case, I made the insect as large as I could as well as

isolating it from the background by blurring the leaves, etc.

By the way, this is no award winning photo!

There’s PLENTY I could have done to make it better! Can

you list 3 ways?

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SECRET #5

We’ll cover all these things - and more - in future lessons.

If you want terrific photos...

The Fifth Secret is: Make the “A” – Action (subject

matter) prominent in the frame.

35

Secret #6

S = Shutter

Make sure (double check - don’t assume) that the camera is

set to the shutter speed you need in order to get the shot

you want. (We’ll cover more on knowing what shutter speed

to use in later On Target Photo Training lessons.)

It is very easy to forget and leave your camera on the set-

tings you used for the last session you did, which is likely

NOT going to be the correct setting for this session!

This is a problem, particularly if you’re in the habit of shoot-

ing with your camera set on automatic.

You get out of the habit of checking your settings. You also

get out of the habit of being creative too!

Shutter speed is controlled by – and controls –

movement.

If there is ANY sort of movement in the frame, you need to

think about what shutter speed will creatively get you where

you want to go and produce the shot you want to produce.

When considering what shutter speed to use...

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SECRET #6

There Are Several Options

You could:

1. Keep the subject in sharp focus while blurring the

background to show motion.

2. You could freeze both the subject and the background

and just imply motion.

3. You could keep the background sharp and blur the

subject just a little to hint at movement, or make the

subject nothing but an unrecognizable streak! (Or

something in between.)

The idea is to determine which creative method will

do the best job of showing what is most important

in the frame - in the most creative way possible.

These are the sorts of things you will be deciding in your

pre-visualization of the shot. You then record them in your

notebook; guess at what settings will get you there and

shoot.

Then, compare the end result. Did you achieve your goal? In

a matter of days, you’ll have a very good grasp on what set-

tings will do what!

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SECRET #6

It is easy to mix up techniques. Using the wrong one can

ruin an otherwise great photo opportunity.

In the above shot, which is more important, the background

or the girl? Which one should have been in focus and which

one should have been blurry?

I definitely used the wrong shutter speed! I could easily

have made her show up in sharp focus and made the back-

ground blurry. Her hair flying and her dress flaring out

would have still displayed movement, and would have been

a better shot of my model!

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SECRET #6

If you want terrific photos...

The Sixth Secret is: Make the “S” – Shutter Speed,

display movement, or lack of it, in the best and

most creative way for the subject.

39

Secret #7

E = Eye

Light controls the f-stop. F-stop controls the depth of field.

The f-stop is a numeric representation of how large the lens’

iris, (aperture) is. You can think of it as the “eye” of the lens.

It acts like the pupil in your eye - it needs to be open wider

to let in more light, or closed down to let in less light.

But, in addition to allowing enough light to strike the film or

digital sensor for a “correct” exposure, it also determines

the depth of field. (How much of your photo is in focus.)

BTW – A “correct” exposure is a relative term - there isn’t a

right one for any given shot - there are bunches! Another

good reason to take your camera off automatic. Your cam-

era just can’t think creatively.

We’ll cover more – a lot more - on exposure and depth of

field in later On Target Photo Training lessons.

As with the shutter, it’s easy to leave this on the wrong set-

ting out of habitually shooting on automatic. Make sure it’s

on the right setting or you won’t get the shot.

40

SECRET #7

Accidental F-Stop

There’s an additional problem with the f-stop set-

ting that can easily trip you up...

Since the aperture is set by turning a ring on the lens, it’s

easy to accidentally change it while you are focusing or

when you change lenses.

To avoid a ruined photo session due to accidentally chan-

ging the f-stop setting... even though the conditions from

shot to shot have remained the same, you will still need to

check the f-stop setting EVERY TIME!

The two big things the aperture does are; it lets in the right

amount of light to properly expose the film or digital light

sensor (depending on your creative vision) and it controls

the “depth of field.”

Depth of field is the depth of your photograph that is in ac-

ceptably sharp focus.

Here are a couple examples of what the aperture can do to

control “depth of field”…the first shows a depth of field

where everything is in fairly sharp focus all the way to the

horizon...

41

SECRET #7

The next example shows a depth of field that is less than the

length of a fly’s head! Everything behind (and in front of)

the eyes is out of focus!

Both are controlled by the f-stop (aperture)!

The Seventh Secret is: Make the “E” – Eye (f-stop)

42

SECRET #7

Not only give you enough light for the exposure you

want, but make sure it gives you the depth of field

you want too!

43

Case Study Example

Not Using B-A-S-E

If you can get in the habit of saying the word “B-A-S-E”

and doing the required checks before each shot, you will

save literally thousands of shots.

Unfortunately, you will never know just how many disasters

you’ve avoided... simply because you avoided them! Because

of this – not knowing - we tend to minimize the importance

of these seven secrets.

Don’t fall into that trap!

Here is a tale of woe that NEVER needs to happen to you!

I live in southern California and waaay back, when the

Rams football team was still playing in Anaheim - before

the move to St. Louis - I read in the newspaper that there

was going to be a Ram’s Cheerleader tryout that weekend!

Professional Cheerleaders! I couldn’t let the opportunity to

get photos of the tryouts slip by… so I got up early, drove

down to the location and there they were! Hundreds and

hundreds of gorgeous, physically fit, young ladies!

PROFESSIONAL CHEERLEADERS!

44

CASE STUDY EXAMPLE

I grabbed my camera body, put on my best lens and put in a

roll of 100 speed, 36 exposure film. (This was back in the

ancient times - in the days of film.) I started shooting as fast

as I could. I managed to fire off about 3 rolls of 36 expos-

ures before I was thrown out.

Apparently, security guards have no sense of humor. But, it

was fun while it lasted.

I’m not normally a paparazzo, but in this case, I guess

maybe I was...

I ran down to the photo lab and turned in the film. About an

hour later, I discovered that I had screwed up - big time!

The day before, I had been doing some experimenting with

3600 speed film and had forgotten to change the film set-

ting back to my normal 100.

Not one single shot turned out!

An opportunity gone forever, if I had said the word B-A-S-

E and done the appropriate checks even one time, I would

have noticed the incorrect settings and changed them. AND,

it would have only taken a second or two!

45

Photo Exercise #2

1. Grab your camera and notebook and go shoot the

equivalent of a roll of film - 36 digital exposures.

2. Record everything in your notebook - including your

pre-visualization.

3. When you bring the camera to your eye - say the

word B-A-S-E. Out loud.

4. Check the Background for unwanted elements.

5. Check to make sure the Action is uncluttered, in fo-

cus and filling the frame.

6. Check to make sure the Shutter speed is at the best

option for that photo.

7. Check to make sure the lens Eye opening (f-stop) is

the optimal one for that photo.

8. Rinse and repeat…

46

Conclusion

There you have it.

“7 Secrets To Creating Stunning Photos!”

I hope you’ve gotten a lot out of this quick overview of how

to create stunning photos! Now it’s time to dig in and start

learning how to truly master your camera! Keep reading for

a very special offer...

Dan Eitreim

Dan@OnTargetPhotoTraining.com

P.S. On the subject of additional information... The next

section has a listing of all my e-books! 2 of them are FREE!

47

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76

Thank You

As we reach the end of this book, I want to say thanks for

reading!

I want to get this information out to as many people as pos-

sible. If you found this book helpful, please refer your

friends and family to get their OWN copies! Then, be sure to

check out the other volumes in this series!

For TONS more FREE information, don’t forget to sub-

scribe to my newsletters at:

http://OnTargetPhotoTraining.com

OR

http://BetterPhotos101.com

You’ll get an email about every three days with a brand new

photo tip!

77

Disclaimer

Legal Notices

While all attempts have been made to verify information

provided in this publication, neither the Authors nor the

Publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions

or contrary interpretation of the subject matter.

This publication is not intended for use as a source of legal,

medical or accounting advice. The Publisher wants to stress

that the information contained herein may be subject to

varying country, state and/or local laws or regulations. All

users are advised to retain competent counsel to determine

what country, state and/or local laws or regulations may ap-

ply to the user’s particular situation.

78

DISCLAIMER

The purchaser or reader of this publication assumes re-

sponsibility for the use of these materials and information.

Adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, your na-

tional, federal, state or local - governing business practices,

advertising and all other aspects of doing business in the

United States or any other country or jurisdiction is the sole

responsibility of the purchaser or reader.

The authors and Publisher assume no responsibility or liab-

ility whatsoever on the behalf of any purchaser or reader of

these materials.

Any perceived slights of specific people or organizations is

unintentional.

Last Updated: July 31, 2018

79