Cecil Brathwaite

The Elegance of Christmas

cecil — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:36:22 +0000

Christmas means so many things to so many different people. If you ask the question “What does Christmas mean to you?” to 25 people you’ll probably get 25 different answers. One might say, “the birth of a Savior,” another might say, “holiday cheer,” another might say “beautiful decorations,” and so on and on. But did you ever think that even the common things that are shared can also be very different, but share similar characteristics?

Take for instance wreaths

There are many styles of beautiful and elegant wreaths that represent Christmas in the most simplistic manner. As you marvel at this beautiful collection of wreaths here, tell me which one would you hang on your front door at Christmastime?

Location: Old Town Alexandria – Camera: Nikon D300 - Lens: 17-55mm f2.8

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5 tips on becoming a photographer

cecil — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:00:19 +0000

We are going to discuss the process of how to become a photographer. Here are some of the tips that I used to make photography a reality in my life. I realized years ago that I had a passion to TAKE photographs. This in no way means that I had any skills in the art of photography. Actually the photographs that I created in my photographic infancy actually sucked – I was using the hit and miss method of photography with lots of misses and few hits. I tried to always keep up with anything relating to photography. I would read magazines, get VHS’s about photography and ask questions of those that I knew where in the photography industry. (Okay I know I am dating myself with VHS’s but that was the tool at the time).

I had the fortune of working in downtown Washington, DC and would frequent a photography shop called Pro Photo on 19th and I streets. There I met the owner Dickron Bagdassian and immediately became friends. Dickron aka Dick and his brother Sabouh have been invaluable to me and my photographic career. Not only have they become great friends but awesome resources in the industry. So these are some of the tips that I have learned from Dick:

Identify – Find a few local photographers and find out if you can interview them. Ask them how they became a photographer and if there is anyway that you could intern or assist them on any jobs that they are doing. In choosing these photographers, it is important to find photographers in the part of the industry that you are interested in. It would make no sense in interviewing a stock photographer if you want to be a wedding photographer. Track down the best in the market and find out if you can schlep his or her equipment around. (Once you learn skills from these photographers do your very best to not compete with them in the marketplace.)
Education - For me that was joining the Professional Photographers of America and taking classes. The advantage of joining the PPA or ASMP is that you will be instructed by some of the best photographers in the world. Keep in mind also that photography can be broken into 2 categories, the art of photography and the business of photography.
Invest - Photography is like any other business, an investment needs to be made. In the beginning it might be prudent to rent equipment to make sure that it is the correct fit. It is better to invest a couple dollars a weekend to find out that the equipment is the correct match for you.
Type - When I ask prospective photographers what they want to photograph all to often I hear them say “I want to be good at everything”. I am glad that Yousef Karsch, Ansel Adams, Monty Zucker, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Annie Lebowitz, Gordon Parks, Helmut Newton, Emogene Cunningham, Richard Avedon, Margaret Bourke-White all knew what type of photographers they wanted to be. With all that is available in the industry there are so many avenues to follow: stock, aerial, commercial, advertising, portraits, event, wedding, architectural, forensic, macro, nature just to name a few. So make a decision and identify what you want to photograph.
Promote – When I started in photography I told everyone that I was going to be a photographer. I carried a 5×7 portfolio of images that I created, and showed them to everyone I knew. The word started to spread that Cecil Brathwaite is a photographer. From this promotion there were two very significant things that happened. 1. I have family, friends and neighbors ask me to take photos of them and they referred me to others. 2. I had a friend refer me to a photography studio where I landed a job as a photographer that lasted 4 years, hmmmm there is a good idea in there somewhere.

Next topic: Travel Photography

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3 tips for creating better photos

cecil — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:45:32 +0000

When I started taking photos years ago it was a HUGE disaster. I had photos with my finger over the lens, overexposed photos, underexposed photos, photos cropped incorrectly, and not knowing when to use a flash and when not to, and when I used the flash it would be over or underexposed. Funny thing, sometimes I was clueless as to when the camera should be landscape and when it should be portrait. Thank God for digital media. With digital media you can make lots of mistakes and not be concerned that your expenses are rising as with film. So there are some things that I have learned over the years.

Manual Setting: When taking photos, if your camera allows manual exposure settings use them. This will teach you the relationship between shutter speed and aperture. You will be able to take a photo and judge that a photo is over or under exposed and know exactly what to do. Most find it easy to use the S, A or P settings on the camera. S – Shutter priority is when you set the shutter and the camera based on the quantity of light controls the aperture (f/4, f/5.6, f/8 etc). Aperture priority is when you set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed once again based on the quantity of light coming through the lens (1/60, 1/125, 1/500, 1/640 etc.). Last but not least, we have the P – Priority mode – here the camera takes over entirely– it creates the best aperture and shutter speed combination based on the quantity of light. Shutter, aperture and priority settings offer you no control to the quantity of light coming through the lens – - – - – -using the manual setting gives you control over both shutter speed and aperture – both speed and opening.
ISO – (ISO relates to film speed, even thought you possibly have a digital camera it relates to how sensitive the image sensor is to light). Learn how ISO relates to the quality of your images and how to manipulate the ISO depending on how much light is available. A quick rule of thumb that works for me, when outside in full sun or even overcast I tend to use a lower ISO like 100 up to ISO 400. When indoors with good light I might start at ISO 400 and work my way to 1600 if I have that need.
Read your manual. I never thought I would be saying this but I am. Know where to find info in your manual. This year I was taking photographs for a non-paying friend (which should not matter but in this case it did). While taking the photos and checking the display I realized that some of the photos were missing. I have never had that happen before so I panicked a bit but overcompensated by taking more photos. Two days later after consulting my favorite photo store–Pro Photo and my manual–I realized that all media cards are not created equal. On page 371 I found the media cards that I had just purchased on Ebay had NOT been tested or approved for use in my camera. Two days later I photographed a group of 150 people (paying customers) with tested and approved media cards.

The above photo:

Nikon D300 17-55mm f2.8 ISO 200 shot at

1/60 @ f2.8 processed with Nik Software HDR EFEX Pro

taken about 15 min before sunset

Next: Tips on becoming a professional photographer

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3 Tips on buying a camera

cecil — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 06:36:04 +0000

So you want to buy a camera. There are a lot of factors that are in play when considering buying a camera. I think that the main questions one should ask themselves is why. Why do you want to buy a camera and how will you be using it? It is perfectly okay to have a camera for just casual use. Having the ability to create the impromptu photograph. Or are you interested in creating a higher quality image. If going for that higher quality image do you have aspirations of making money in photography.

How will you be using the camera: Point and Shoot or DSLR? Point and shoot cameras have come a long way and can create some magnificent images. Most point and shoot cameras have a retlative good zoom lenses but most do not have interchangeable lenses. Some of the major advantages of point and shoot cameras are size, weight and concealment. The ability to always have it in your pocket. With the DSLR normally you have a bit more flexibility as it relates to image size. Most DSLR’s also have the ability to create RAW images therefore making larger images. DSLR’s also have the ability to change lenses therefore creating different visual perspectives.
Price consideration: Most point and shoot cameras will range from about $150 on the low end to just about $1200 on the high end - Some DSLR ‘s start as a kit. Kit lenses are normally not the the best the manufacture has to offer so most pros will purchase the body only and opt for the lens a la carte. Your better DSLR’s will start around $400-500 and some with body alone can wind up as high as $7000 to $8000.
Features: So what features must YOU have based on what you want to do with your camera? Camera RAW images will afford you a wide dynamic color range. 1080P will allow you to view your images on your HDTV with minimal loss of quality. A built in flash will give you the flexibility in low or no light situations. A good zoom lens can be of great value creating wide angle images at the same time creating a great portrait without changing lenses.

So as you see there are many factors to take into consideration when buying a digital camera. But I the primary question should be how are you going to use the camera that should guide you to your solution. Good luck.

While waiting for Nikons new line of professional DSLR’s my current camera is a Nikon D300. I have always used Nikon except for a 3 month period years ago. For me Nikon is a personal preference, I like the feel of the system and it has never failed me.

Next I will write tips on taking better photographs.

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The Great Emancipator – Abraham Lincoln

cecil — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:41:14 +0000

The Great Emancipator – Abraham Lincoln

My goal is to create memorable photographic images at all the major Washington, DC historical sites. After the 911 terrorist attacks there have been many security measures that make is a bit difficult. But non the less I have a goal and am getting it done. Hey if anyone out there has an in at the White House let me know.

On one cold and damp Washington, DC morning I went to the Lincoln Memorial. That morning I packed my Think Tank StreetWalker Pro. Because of the distance of the closest possible parking space and the memorial I find this backpack a true jewel. This backpack removes the stress that comes with carrying a load with little effort. The StreetWalker Pro allows me to hang my cameras for easy use while walking and it has a removable rain cover to protect my gear.

In this series of images I slightly tilted the camera to ensure that the inscription on the wall could be read. On my Nikon D300 I chose my 17-55mm f2.8 lens (if I were using Canon I think that my choice of lens would be either EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM or the EF 24-70mm f2.8L USM lens.)

As I approached the monument and started taking images I realized that the for me to get the image that I was looking for I was going to need to tilt the camera. Shooting at f2.8 at 1/20 of a second ISO 400 I was able to achieve what I was looking for. And got all of you that have been here before guess what tripod I used?

Correct answer, none!!!

At certain historical sites in Washington DC tripods are not accepted.

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The Wall – A Place of Reverence

cecil — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 04:27:41 +0000

There is no place like “The Wall” the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. With almost 60,000 names on “The Wall” I have always approached “The Wall” with reverence. On a slightly cloudy morning I took my time once I arrived on location just after sunrise. There are things that I see in the morning and late evening that do not reveal themselves during the light of day.

I find morning the best time to work because

there are no crowds few distractions

and the light is great.

The gear that I used for this image was my Nikon D300 with the Nikon 17-55mm f2.8.

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Roll that Thunder!!!

cecil — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:52:36 +0000

I find that whenever I have something new in my photographic arsenal I tend to think a bit more out of the box. This was one of the 1st images that I created with my (at the time new) Nikon D300. In this case this was all about timing. Timing and patience – I saw this photo in my mind way before I captured it. It took me about 20 misses before I nailed it. This is a worst batting average then any professional baseball player, but with digital media it does not matter as much. It is not like in the “good old days” with film where your expenses were rising with every shot. Shooting at ISO 400 at f/13 @ 1/8 of a second panning the camera and the participation of the rider created this result.

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Sunset over the Nation’s Capital

cecil — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:10:57 +0000

Sometimes I find myself in aww to the simple beauty of nature. On this fall day I had my attention arrested by this magnificent sunset. The slight danger of pulling to the curb on the ramp to 95 north made the photo worth it. It took me all of 30 seconds using my Nikon D300 to capture this image.

Sunset Over Arlington National Cemetery Fall is my best time to capture nature especially sunsets...

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Nights Falls Over the U.S. Capitol

cecil — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:00:51 +0000

As a local there are places in Washington DC I don’t frequent…..okay maybe I just never go there at all. But as I photographer I find it necessary to take that extra step. Shooting from the base of the Washington Monument and being patient, I was able to capture this image. Truth be told the base of the Washington Monument is one of the windiest locations in the Washington metro area.

In Tribute – Washington’s World War II Memorial In the fall, at night it can get cold in...
America’s Enduring Legacy in Words Spending long periods of time looking at the same...

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America’s Enduring Legacy in Words

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:59:48 +0000

Spending long periods of time looking at the same item will either give one a headache, their eyes cross or maybe you might get a chance to see it in a different light. In this case it was none of the above. I have a friend that is a new rising star in the photography arena and I saw an image the he created by getting close and looking up. This image is the Gettysburg Address in the Lincoln Memorial.

How others see things are as important as how I see things. (Maybe there is a lesson to be had here.) I find myself observing just how others see things, especially during the tourist season in the Washington DC area.

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