Bulb Mode is a special mode on camera. Bulb mode allows you to take long exposure photos or to be more precise, it takes unmetered photos. 

Usually, when you take a photo, the camera will help you by selecting certain settings (ISO file speed, aperture, exposure). There are modes on the camera to force the camera into selecting its setting around your preference. Eg. switching your camera to A mode will force the camera to select its settings around the aperture you choose. 

There is also a manual mode, manual mode is in some ways very similar to bulb mode in that you have to set all the settings yourself, the camera does not help you choose the right settings. This is a very useful mode in tricky lighting (backlighting, bright lighting or mixed lighting). However, most cameras have limitations on the longest exposure time allowed on a manual mode. For my camera, it is 30 seconds. For most circumstances, 30 seconds is more than enough. However, when it is dark, 30 seconds isnt always enough. This is where bulb mode comes in. Bulb mode will expose the photo for as long as you have the shutter held down. It could be 1 second or less, or if you hold it down long enough, an hour or more is possible. 

Bulb mode requires experimenting . These is no definite right or wrong way to use it, it just depends what you are doing with it. 

For best results, I highly recommend using a Cable Release. A cable release is a little device like a cabled remote that allows you to take the photo without actually touching the camera itself. Even better , one that has a lock on it. The lock will lock the shutter down so that while the photo is being taken , you can go and get yourself a cup of tea.

You will also need a tripod, You cannot take long exposure photos without one. 

In the photo above, I pointed the skyward, centered the camera on "the Southern Cross" and exposed the photo for 15 minutes in bulb mode. If you are using a digital camera, bulb mode usually requires a processing time equal to the time of the exposure. So if you expose a photo for 15 minutes , it will take another 15 minutes before you can look at the photo you have taken. 

 Equipment: 

Camera

Tripod

Cable Release

Stop Watch

Tech details:

Exposure: 15 minutes @ f6.3

I am going to experiment a bit more with bulb mode, so expect more bulb photos soon!

Black and White photography is to a certain extent a lost skill. In the age of colour, we want to have everything in bright colours. Sometimes it is good to step back in time a little to create something a little different and in an age where computer programs are able to adjust images easily, there is no reason why, once in a while you shouldnt explore to possibility of creating a black and white image.

Black and White images are, for me, about the moment. Choosing what photo to convert to a black and white depends very much on what converting it to black and white will do for the image. Will it enhance it? or will it take away from the image?

On this particular image, it enhanced it, take away the colour and what you have left is the expression on the childs face, no colour to distract the viewer away from the expression on the childs face and the eyes.

Not all images will work well in black and white, it all depends on the lighting, backlighting, and side lighting make great B&W photos (that does not mean all photos taken with the sun behind the main object is going to work out well as a black and white. It just means that when you are experimenting with your photos, look first for photos you have taken this way.

What software do you need to do this with? Personally, I use Adobe Lightroom , but if you are wanting a good free alternative, Picasa is an excellent program for photo editing and organising. It has some excellent editing and touch up features and is a great place to start for this.

So next time you are looking through your photos, try something different and look to see what a good photo you have taken looks like in B&W , you might be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

I will admit it, I enjoy taking photos of flowers, don't ask me why, I just do. It might be the challenge, while taking photos of flowers , taking good photos of a flower is a whole different story.

Most times , when you see a photo that someone has taken of a flower in their garden, they will take the photo, showing the plant, and these tiny little flowers on it.

While this is nice, the question arises, are you taking the photo so we can look at the plant? or are you taking the photo so we can look at the flower?

When thinking about how you are going to take a photo, think about what it is you are taking a photo of, and make sure the viewer will clearly see what it is you want us to see.

This flower was on a small plant with lot so flowers on it. The temptation is to take a photo of all the flowers on the plant, after all, they are all wonderful, so why pick and choose?

Often, it is a good idea to look at the plant, and find the very best one, the one that will show off the flower in all its glory. After all, flowers are beautiful things, and when your taking your photo, you want this glory to show through.

So when your taking the photo, unclutter the photo by moving stray leaves out of the way. (note: dont pluck them off the plant, just move them, you can put them back later so others can enjoy the plant too!).

Make sure you have a nice clean shot, for the background, usually this is easy, just use the plant itself. No distractions in a plant!

Focus your camera on the stamens, or centre of the flower, this will enjoy that most of the flower is in good focus.

Dont forget to use your flash too, it might be nice and light outside, but using a flash as a fill light will bring out the colours of the flower and give you a beautiful resulting photograph.

Continuing this weeks theme of experiments, here is a new one. This one is more of an experiment of lighting than it is the object itself.

Using side lighting lets the photo show the objects texture. Standard front lighting is usually quite unflattering light, which is why using an on camera flash usually gives disappointing results, but more about that another day.

So here we have a silly old egg. Nothing completely special about the egg, its a brown egg. mainly because that is about all you can buy around here, dont ask me why, it just is.

Set Up

For this photo you will need it to be night time (or a dark room if you happen to have one just laying around somewhere )

An Egg

A T-shirt or something else that is black, if you have black paper or cardboard, this is better, as it would give less "noise" from the fibres.

Piece of Glass (I used one that I nabbed from a picture frame that was on the wall. )

Torch (Flashlight)

How To

Put the Tshirt down on a table.

Place the glass over the Tshirt.

Place the Egg in the middle of the glass.

Place the torch so that the light shines on the egg from the side, you may want to bring it slightly forward from the exact side to ensure light hits enough of the egg to make it a good photo. Experiment by moving it to different positions around the egg until you find a spot that works for you. I find that using batteries in the torch that are quite used works better as it gives off a softer light.

Turn off the house lights and Take the photo!

You can do this without the glass, but using the glass gives it a nice reflection that gives your photo a special something.

Tech Details

70-210mm Lens

Exp: 30 seconds @ f5.6

This photo was taken this morning. Please note that this is a photo and does not contain any enhancements or effects by photoshop.

What you need

You will need a glass pan (some sort of cooking pan is great for this).

two glasses

A loud shirt

water

olive oil

What to do

Place the loud shirt on the ground (outside works best)

place the two glasses on the shirt, and balance glass pan on top of the glasses.

pour in water so the pan is filled.

drop in drops of olive oil, use as much or as little as you want, experiment with the amount you use.

get your camera ready with a zoom lens is best. zoom into the pan so that the sides are not showing. and shoot away.

as you are shooting you will see the oil moving around the pan, creating new and interesting shapes, the loud shirt under it makes the colours of the bubbles alter as they move.

To give the photo a canvas look, focus your camera so that the bubbles are slightly out of focus. If you focus too crisply they will just look like bubbles without the canvasy look.

Technical details

Camera: Sony Alpha

Lens: 70 -210

Exposure: 1/1000 @f6.3