7 secrets to creating stunning photos! - on target photo...
TRANSCRIPT
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
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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!
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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
Other Books By Dan Eitreim
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40 Brain Wracking Word Scrambles,
48
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Here’s the “On Target Photo Training” series:
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Volume 2: Master Photo Exposure
51
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Volume 19: Correcting Facial Flaws - And Other Photo Tips!
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60
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Volume 23: 50 Keys To Better Photography
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graphs – Pdf Format
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65
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Volume 35: Flash Photography
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67
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OTHER BOOKS BY DAN EITREIM
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2. Master Photo Lighting – Hard Light!
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70
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Back Pain Death
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How To Cure Backache Caused By Disc Problems!
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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