Check out the latest shots in Austin Monthly!

Austin Monthly. It's on page 54! Pick up a copy today!

Girls in Gis Photo Gallery

Check out all the action from Girls in Gis event yesterday at Relson Gracie Jiu Jitsu San Antonio. Big thanks to everyone that came out to support the event! See ya at the next one!

Girls in Gis

Us Combat Sports: Best photographs of 2010!

Check out the Us Combat Sports best of 2010 photographs! Amazing shots of all the action!

Us Combat Sports

Check out all the Strikeforce Challengers 14 action @ UsCombat Sports

uscombatsports.com

What the BEC?

Recently, I've returned back to school to brush up on some the digital photography techniques I may have missed and get up to date on the newest and latest in the field. To my surprise, I learned the most basic and oldest rules of metering. Somehow missed a long time ago.

Basic Exposure Constant, otherwise known as BEC, is a set of rules for metering that has been around since the earlier days of photography when cameras didn't have built in light meters and photographers didn't have hand held ones for that matter. The BEC is a system that determines the correct exposure of the image with out using a light meter.

So how does it work? .

Let's start out with the F16 rule:

"On a sunny, bright day defined by sharp distinct shadows, the exposure will be F/16 @ the reciprocal of the ISO."

Next here is the Aperture chart:

F/22 Super sunny bright/reflective light-medium shadows, hard edges
F/16 Sunny bright,-dark shadows, hard edges
F/11 Partially cloudy-medium shadows, soft edges
F/8 Overcast bright light-no shadows
F/5.6 Overcast dull/blue sky-no shadows
F/4 Dark/no sky-no shadows
F/2.8 One hour before sunset-no shadows

So what does all this mean?

This is how I've come to understand it. It means your Aperture/ f-stop will be determined by the lighting conditions in which you are shooting (Aperture chart). The ISO speed will also be determined by the lighting conditions, thus giving you a shutter speed of 1/ISO.

Example: When taking a photo of people on the ski slopes on a bright sunny day the settings will be: F/22-ISO 100-Shutter speed 1/100.

If your light meter stops working you now know how to properly expose an image using BEC. Thought I'd pass along this little nugget of wisdom. Keep on learning!

Shama Ko Photography updates!

Happy New Years everyone! I wanted to wish you all the best in 2011. I am also proud to announce that Shama Ko Photography's website has undergone some major updates. Please check it out and let me know what you think. Also if you or anyone you know needs a photographer keep me in mind! Best wishes to you all and thank you for your continued support!

Shama Ko Photography

Practice Makes Perfect

The only way one gets good at something is by practicing it. One way I keep in practice with my photography is to make assignments for myself. Some ideas I have developed are to:

1) Create areas of photography that I'd like to get better at or fine tune areas that I already excel in ;
2) Come up with creative and fun project ideas for no other purpose other than to have fun;
3) Set deadlines for these projects so that they are not opened ended and I get bored when they are never finished. I try to do one new project a week. Unfortunately, I've been way too busy lately to keep on task with this goal. But I highly advise you try it. Not only does setting goals help you to become a better photographer, it can be a lot of fun too!

Sometimes it is even more enjoyable and motivating to have someone to go on a "photo shoot" with you. Especially when shooting at night I suggest you always go with another person. Not only does it help to have a second pair of eyes, you have someone else making sure you don't get hit by a car while trying to take a photo.

My most recent project was to shoot Austin by night. I went out with my fellow photographer friend, Lauren. We wondered around South Congress and then up to the State Capitol. Here are some shots I got from this project.







These photographs may or may not be used but I definitely learned a lot about shooting in low light, how to use new functions and most of all I enjoyed doing it! Keeping your enthusiasm and spontaneity as a photographer is very important whether you have assignments going on or not.