Photography

Do you use both auto and manual focus? How do you decide?

Mastering Autofocus: When and Why Manual Focus is Essential

Well I would say at least 95 percent of the time I'm using the auto focus because the autofocus systems especially a mirrorless cameras are so good. These days, they always spot on but there are some situations where the autofocus might not work properly. For example when you're shooting Motorsports and you should try was sitting in the car with helmets on and Sometimes there's a really narrow Gap to see the see the eyes, then it can be hard for our focus and then I'm just switch to manual to get their eyes sharp. But as I said mostly, yeah, at least 95% of the time. Out of focus is still fine.

I most often use autofocus on my mirrorless camera because it is so reliable, but I switch to manual when the autofocus isn't able to focus properly in certain situations, such as when shooting Motorsports.

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I primarily use autofocus, as it is incredibly accurate and reliable, especially with the advanced autofocus systems found in mirrorless cameras. In fact, I would say that about 95 percent of the time, autofocus is my go-to choice. However, there are certain situations where autofocus may struggle, such as when shooting Motorsports and the subject is wearing a helmet, making it difficult for the autofocus to lock onto the eyes. In these cases, I switch to manual focus to ensure the eyes are sharp. But overall, autofocus serves me well in the majority of situations.

Can you tell us the story behind a specific photo and share it here?

Capturing the Perfect Shot: The Tale of a Skydiver, Balloons, and a Swing

Yeah, that was for sure, one of the toughest assignments I ever had. As you can imagine. To get the perspective right to, to get the skydiver and the balloon and the really, really long swing into one picture was really hard, because with the tele lens from a helicopter, it was impossible, you know, to get the whole scenery into one frame. So we had to stay close to the skydiver. He was jumping. What you don't see on the picture. It was true. An artifice second balloon. There were two balloons and but the basket as you know is like really small, that is not a lot of space. There was a video production as well so we had to share and the problem was as soon as this guy like Chumps, he, he's just falling for the first two meters. Let's say, and the Rope is not really an attention. And in addition, Ooh this problem we also had just let's say all together seven to eight tries but I was just able to stay in this balloon where he was jumping off for four tries and this was actually the very last one and I was lucky. I had a monopod from a modest but shoot is still in my car. So I attach the camera to the monopod, with some radio triggers with a fisheye lens to get under the basket to get the A deeper perspective, as you can see, is looking up to me and hope the best is jumping into the frame. I was shooting completely blind with the radio trigger and the last thing I told him before, I was going because before that one, I already had a good one but slightly from behind, just told him. Hey listen, I'm on the left side. So when you jump, just try to turn a little bit towards me to give it this playful character. You know like swinging and yeah in the end it worked out it's I think it's not a bad picture at all.

I had to take a picture of a skydiver and balloon, which was very difficult as the tele lens could not capture the whole scenery. To get the right perspective, I attached my camera to a monopod, used a fisheye lens, and shot blindly with radio triggers. I also asked the skydiver to turn towards me when he jumped, which gave the picture the playful character it has.

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Sure, that photo was definitely one of the most challenging assignments I've ever had. The goal was to capture the skydiver, the balloon, and a really long swing all in one picture. However, it was incredibly difficult to achieve the right perspective. Using a telephoto lens from a helicopter made it impossible to capture the entire scene in one frame.

To overcome this, we had to stay close to the skydiver as he jumped. What you don't see in the picture is that there was actually a second balloon for safety. The basket was quite small, so there wasn't much space to work with. We also had a video production going on, so we had to share the limited space.

Another challenge was that as soon as the skydiver jumped, he would fall for the first few meters, and the rope wasn't taut. We only had a total of seven to eight attempts, and I was only able to be in the balloon for four of those tries. Luckily, on the very last attempt, I was able to stay in the balloon.

To capture the shot, I was fortunate to have a monopod in my car. I attached the camera to the monopod using radio triggers and used a fisheye lens to get a unique perspective from under the basket, looking up at me. I was shooting completely blind with the radio trigger.

Before the jump, I told the skydiver to try to turn a little bit towards me when he jumped to give the photo a playful character, as if he was swinging. In the end, it worked out, and I think the photo turned out pretty well.

What’s the biggest mistake a new photographer makes?

New photographers: The one rule that transforms your photos instantly!

The biggest mistake a new photo makes is usually what I've seen so far. They don't apply the rule of third, the rule of thirds really helps to make pictures more interesting. Most of the time sometimes you can also break this rule but it just says that you should not place your main subject in the middle. The frame also, the Horizon shouldn't be Landscapes, it should be in the middle. It should be in the upper third or lower third but yeah Google rule of thirds and there is a there will be really really good explanations about it but this is something which will improve your photography immediately and pictures get much more interesting and yeah rule of four. Hurt, very important.

A new photographer's biggest mistake is not applying the rule of thirds when taking a photo, which makes the photo look flat and uninteresting.

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The biggest mistake a new photographer often makes is not applying the rule of thirds. This rule helps make pictures more visually appealing and interesting. It suggests that the main subject should not be placed in the center of the frame. Additionally, for landscapes, the horizon should not be in the middle but rather in the upper or lower third of the frame. Researching the rule of thirds will provide detailed explanations and greatly improve your photography. Remember, the rule of thirds is essential and can have a significant impact on your photos.

I am an amateur photographer.  My biggest problem is focus.  To the naked eye, the photos look fine but I know they should be sharper.  Any tips?

Master the art of focus for sharper photographs

Okay, if your image is not 100% sharp, this can have two reasons. First, your camera is not focusing properly. You have front or back focus problem, which can happen to to dslrs. It's not a problem. Are mirrorless cameras but you can test it out at home. Put your camera on a tripod and auto focus on a subject and then check the images if they are. Harper, not, and then try the lens with, with manual. Focus, with manual focus, it should be 100% sharp. It s your shutter speed is not right. You may be 22, you need a faster shutter speed. If you shoot, let's say with the 200 mil lens and the shutter speed should be at least First 200 of a second without stabilization mode to shoot handheld and Kia, get sharp images. So make sure your you don't have any motion blur, maybe that's the problem in your images. This could also affect here that the sharpness, the oval sharpness of the pictures. So yeah, test it out, I would recommend

If your image is not 100% sharp, it could be because your camera is not focusing properly or because the shutter speed is too slow. Test out the lens with manual focus and make sure the shutter speed is at least 1/200 of a second to get sharp images without motion blur.

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If you're an amateur photographer struggling with focus issues, there are a couple of potential reasons why your photos may not be as sharp as you'd like them to be.

First, it's possible that your camera is not focusing properly. This can happen with DSLRs due to front or back focus problems. To test this, set up your camera on a tripod and use autofocus to focus on a subject. Then, review the images to see if they are sharp. Alternatively, try using manual focus and see if the images are sharper. This will help determine if the issue lies with the camera's autofocus system.

Another factor to consider is your shutter speed. If you're shooting with a slower shutter speed, it can result in motion blur, which can affect the overall sharpness of your images. For example, when using a 200mm lens, it's recommended to have a shutter speed of at least 1/200th of a second without stabilization to capture sharp handheld images. So, ensure that your shutter speed is fast enough to avoid motion blur.

By testing these factors and making adjustments, you can improve the sharpness of your photos.

Discovering the Ideal Editing Software: Adobe, Capture One, and More!

Regarding selections. I work with for the mechanic before, for a mechanic. I used Adobe bridge but I really, really prefer a really like for the mechanic, it's much faster, it's simple. Especially also, when you have to do, some metadata has four for the news and regarding editing, I still use Adobe the cab. Raw converter in Photoshop and but other lately Triad Capture One it has some some benefits, but I'm not really into it yet. So I'm still learning, I would say. But yeah, for the mechanic for selecting Adobe for the RocknRolla converting and maybe in the future little bit more with capture one.

For selecting, I prefer to use Adobe Bridge. For editing, I use Adobe Camera Raw Converter in Photoshop and am starting to learn more about Capture One.

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When it comes to editing software, I have experience with a few different options. For organizing and selecting images, I have used Adobe Bridge in the past. However, I have found that I really prefer a software called For the Mechanic. It is faster and simpler, especially when it comes to handling metadata for news purposes.

For editing, I primarily use Adobe Camera Raw converter in Photoshop. It has been my go-to for a while. Recently, I have started exploring Capture One, which has some unique benefits. However, I am still in the learning phase with it and haven't fully transitioned yet.

So, to summarize, my current setup involves For the Mechanic for selections, Adobe Camera Raw converter in Photoshop for editing, and potentially more work with Capture One in the future as I continue to learn and explore its capabilities.

How did you become a Red Bull photographer?

From Beginner to Resident: The Journey of a Red Bull Photographer

Hi Ryan. Thanks for your question. How did I became a Red Bull photographer? Well, I don't know what could be the reason. No jokes aside. Um, yeah. Maybe the answer is maybe not satisfying for for lots of photographers who maybe look into becoming a Red Bull photographer. Yeah, Red Bull is more or less a client. And like, with all clients, if you satisfy them, if they are happy with your work, you you get more work and this This was the case I started in 2009 with my first shoot for Red Bull, which was the Red Bull, a expect rodeo and there were kind of happy with the outcome and so I did the event. Again, the next year in between one or two smaller events for them and then it progressed in the end. I was kind of lucky that the racetrack opened nearby the Red Bull Ring. So I did all the photography for the Red Bull Ring. NG as well. And yeah, over the years I became kind of a resident photographer for it bulent. Yeah that's the story behind but there is, there is really there is no secret recipe to become a Red Bull photographer. You just have to deliver kind of fit in there in the in their style and that's it. just,

I became a Red Bull photographer by delivering consistent, quality work that fit the style of Red Bull, starting with my first shoot for them in 2009. Over time, I was able to progress and become a resident photographer for Red Bull.

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Becoming a Red Bull photographer is not a result of a secret recipe or a specific process. Red Bull is essentially a client, and like any client, if you satisfy them and they are happy with your work, you are likely to receive more opportunities. 

In my case, I started working with Red Bull in 2009 when I did my first shoot for the Red Bull X-Fighters event. They were pleased with the outcome, so I continued to work with them on that event the following year. I also took on smaller events for them in between. Eventually, I was fortunate that the Red Bull Ring racetrack opened nearby, and I had the opportunity to do all the photography for the Red Bull Ring as well. Over the years, I became somewhat of a resident photographer for Red Bull.

There is no secret or specific reason why I became a Red Bull photographer. It's about delivering work that aligns with their style and meeting their expectations. If you can do that, you have a chance to work with them.

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Career Journey

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Form & Technique

Philip Platzer was born in Graz, Austria in 1979 and since then developed a passion for outdoor adventure sports such as mountain biking, surfing, and snowboarding. His love of photography grew naturally from his outdoor pursuits, allowing him to capture the emotion of the moments he experienced. After buying his first SLR camera in 2008, he became hooked. He developed his skills as an autodidact by assisting various fashion, advertising, and sports photographers. When he turned pro in 2010, motorsports photography provided a lot of opportunity and excitement and remains a key part of his work. Over the years, his respect for the art form has deepened and he continues to push himself to capture truly unique shots, fuelling his passion for photography.