Ask a National Geographic Photographer

Q: In a day, how many photos do you take for National Geographic magazine?

A: I'm asked this question often. How many pictures I take in a day depends on what I am shooting. On a very busy day with lots to shoot, I might take 400 pictures. There are other times when most of the day is setting up the photo, adjusting strobes, etc., and I might only take 50 shots. But the funny thing is, the picture editors at National Geographic, who have to look at all my photos, don’t know or care how many pictures I shoot. They just care that I have enough of the right photos for the story. During seven weeks of shooting my recent story on wildfires, published in July 2008, I shot 12,000 images. My picture editor would gladly have me shoot double that if it meant I would get better pictures.

Question submitted by Seth in Fort Collins, Colorado

Q: What type of printer and paper do you recommend for high-quality art prints? My camera takes beautiful pictures, but I haven't yet gotten a true high-quality print from my expensive home photo printer.

A: Most common color printers use inks in four colors; cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. The best printers use up to ten ink colors to make prints that maintain the subtle tones and hues that cheaper printers can't reproduce. If you buy an expensive ten-color printer, you can't skimp on ink and paper. Don't be fooled by an off-brand ink that appears to be a bargain. Printer manufacturers spend a lot of money on research and development matching their printer, ink sets, and paper. I suggest you buy ink and paper that is recommended for your printer. They come in different types: glossy, semigloss, and matte. To get started, look for an assortment pack that contains many of the different types of paper, and experiment to see which one works best for your needs.

Question submitted by Dave in Lexington, Kentucky

Q: Are you shooting in 3:2 or 4:3 aspect ratio? What are you seeing as the norm, and more importantly, which is considered to be more appealing to the eye?

A: I use both aspect ratios; 4:3 in the studio using a Hasselblad, and 3:2 in the field using a Canon. I don't think there is any hard-and-fast rule about which aspect ratio is the right one. You can always drop it to match your needs. For some applications, like landscapes, you might want to shoot a more horizontal format like 3:2. For portraits I might choose 4:3 or maybe even a 1:1 square. To shoot a square, I use a 3:2 or 4:3 camera and pre-visualize the subject in the viewfinder as a square. I mentally crop the photo as I'm taking it. Then later I can easily crop the photo in image-editing software like Photoshop.

For the subjects and needs of my shooting, I don't pay much attention to the aspect ratio. I'm more concerned with getting the image that tells the story.

Question submitted by Darren in San Antonio, Texas

Q: What is the function of the AE Lock, and how can I use it?

A: Shooting level pictures when there aren't any horizontal visual cues in the scene can be tricky. Here are some tips to help you out.

Grid viewfinder: Some digital SLRs have focusing screens that are interchangeable. See if you can purchase one for your camera that has a grid overlaid on it. It's much easier to shoot level pictures if you can line up the horizon line with the viewfinder grid.

Vary the angle: If you can tell you are in a situation where it will be hard to shoot level pictures, shoot a series of photos with your camera tilted a little more in each picture. Later when you look at them in your image-editing program, you can find the image that is the most level.

Hot shoe level: Camera stores sell a very small level that slides into the hot shoe of your camera. This is more suited for range-finder cameras where you use the LCD monitor as a viewfinder. It's difficult to use a hot shoe level on a camera like a DSLR, where you have your eye in the viewfinder.

Rotate it later: You can use image-editing software to level your crooked photo by rotating it. You might loose a little around the edges though.

Question submitted by Michael in Wantagh, New York

Q: How do I get aquarium pictures to come out good? Do I need a special camera for that?

A: I've never shot in through an aquarium, but I can imagine it's full of potential problems.

Lighting: Although aquarium lighting can look quite dramatic in a dark room, it doesn't put out enough light for decent photography. There are two things you can do: First, turn your ISO to a higher number. This will give you a faster shutter speed so you can freeze the fish. Secondly, you can add additional lighting by using an off-camera strobe. Attach a sync cord between the strobe and the camera. Position the strobe so it shines down in the water from above. Experiment with positioning the strobe on the sides and see what gives you the effect you are looking for.

Reflections: Any time you are shooting through glass, unwanted reflections can degrade your shot. Shoot at night with the room lights off. You still might see reflections of yourself in the glass. To prevent this, drape a piece of black material in front of the aquarium and cut a small hole large enough for the lens.

Close-ups: You probably want to shoot close-ups of your fish. Most lenses don't focus close enough for the fish to fill the frame. You will need a dedicated macro lens or a lens that has a macro setting.

Play around with these tips and see what works best for you.

Question submitted by Mary in Henderson, Nevada

Q: What is the most reliable method when traveling in foreign countries to secure a guide or fixer to help with a project?

A: A fixer is someone who offers assistance to foreign journalists who are trying to get a story. They use their local experience and contacts to smooth the way for their journalist, and many receive a high rate of pay when compared to locally available wages. For photographers, fixers are crucial, because without a fixer, it can be very difficult to get a story or to connect with the people of a country. They also arrange transportation, accommodations, and meals, and use local connections to track people down. Fixers also translate, or find translators who speak obscure dialects, and they work to arrange interviews and visits to various sites.

Finding a good fixer can be very tricky, and we find them in various ways. Sometimes it's contacting a journalist at the local newspaper or through a reputable local travel office.

Question submitted by Michael in Dripping Springs, Texas

Q: How do you decide on exposure and white balance when you are photographing a very dark-skinned and a very light-skinned person standing right next to each other?

A: Contrasty subjects are always tricky to photograph, especially when it involves a subject like faces where you want to capture all the detail. The lighter-skinned person can have blown out highlights if exposing for the darker person, and the darker-skinned person can have plugged-up shadows if exposing for the light-skinned person. I can't imagine white balance really coming into play here. If in doubt, try it with "Auto" and also a preset light for "daylight" if you are outside One way is to use a fill flash dialed down a stop or two to give your subjects a base exposure. It will lighten the dark-skinned person while not affecting the light-skinned person as much.

Another method is to use an exposure that is a compromise between the exposure of the light-skinned person and dark person. Or better yet, bracket your exposure by shooting some lighter and some darker than what your meter specifies.

Finally, consider shooting the RAW file format if your camera allows. You can better control the contrast, brightness, and color balance in your image-editing software.

Question submitted by Sachin in Columbia, South Carolina

Q: When shooting indoor pictures of people, some of their faces have a slightly reddish tinge. What can I do to prevent this?

A: The reddish cast you are seeing is probably the color balance of the ambient light in the room caused by incandescent lights. These are the round light bulbs we have in our homes, which emit a reddish-orange color that our eyes correct for but the camera doesn't. Try to set the white balance of your camera to "Auto." The camera should detect the warm-colored light and correct for it. You can also try to set your camera to preset for "tungsten" light. This is a preset setting that will correct for incandescent bulbs by a fixed amount. Look for the icon that looks like a round light bulb.

Question submitted by Joe in Kansas City, Missouri

Q: What are different photo backpacks that you would recommend?

A: I'm partial to the Lowepro brand of camera bags. There are two that I love. The first is the Orion AW. It's a large waist-belt-type pack that, in addition to the belt strap, can be configured with a shoulder strap like a regular camera bag. If you need to hike for a while, you can buckle the waist belt strap to help stabilize the bag on rugged trails. It also comes with a backpack that clips in place of the shoulder strap. In effect you have a backpack camera system with a waist belt for added stability during longer hikes on difficult trails.

The other backpack I like is the Lowepro Fastpack 250. It's a true backpack unlike the Orion, which has a small, removable pack. It has padded compartments like you would expect, plus side-entry access, so you can get at your gear when only one strap is on your shoulder. It also has a padded compartment for a 15-inch (38-centimeter) laptop, so you don’t need another laptop case.

Question submitted by Greg in Pennington, New Jersey

Q: Can a light meter on a Pentax manual camera get jammed?

A: When you write "manual" camera, I' m assuming you are talking about a film camera with a metering system where the needle moves in the viewfinder. I suppose any camera that old is subject to jamming. It might just be that it needs a new battery. If all else fails, take it to a camera store where they can look at it.

Question submitted by Reuben in Adelaide, Australia

Q: I am using a Nikon D70s. I would like to take some black-and-white photos, but I can find nothing in the owner's manual or in the camera's menu that will let me do this. Is it necessary to "convert" digital color photos to black and white using photo software, or can I do it in the camera?

A: Nikon has been criticized for not having a black-and-white (B&W) mode on the D70 when their other cheaper cameras had it. I think there is a good reason for this. It is better to shoot color and convert to B&W in your image-editing software, for example Photoshop, by using one of the following methods: grayscale, desaturate, or channel mixer. Each has its pros and cons. Grayscale and desaturate are fast and easy because they basically remove the color information from the image. But this can result in muddy, low-contrast black-and-white images. The channel mixer will give you the most control over how your B&W image will look. You can mix the red, green and blue channels interactively to come up with a better-looking image depending on what colors are in the image. I prefer this method as it can give you some wonderfully rich black-and-white tones.

Question submitted by Mel in Washington