Mike Yoder

Behind the Lens: When packing for vacation, go light on camera gear

When it comes to camera gear, I prefer to pack small and light. Nothing gets in the way of a pleasant trip more than carrying too much gear. For a general, non-photography-specific vacation, here’s a list of my preferred method of traveling with camera gear:

Behind the Lens: When it comes to a camera’s sensor size, bigger usually better

Many decisions go into purchasing a digital camera.

Behind the Lens: Get photos off the fence and into the game

I was covering a high school baseball game Tuesday night while pondering what to write in my column this week. It occurred to me that the very thing I was photographing would be of interest — or at least the method I was using to photograph the subject.

Behind the Lens: Robinson’s reaction sums up KU defeat

I’ll offer one more story on our recent photo coverage of the Kansas University men’s basketball team in the NCAA Tournament.

Behind the Lens: How photographers can be in 5 places at once

Last week my office was at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

Behind the Lens: High-speed photography reveals player’s quickness

I was going to write about different sensor sizes in digital cameras this week but I fell asleep at my computer due to subject boredom. Another time maybe. Instead I want to mention a book I’ve been reading and relate it to recent photo coverage by the Journal-World staff.

Behind the Lens: Learn about photography by getting involved

Writing these columns is my attempt to spark interest and expand your knowledge of photography. Unfortunately, it’s a one-way conversation. If your main photography instruction and insight is coming from this or other solitary sources like books, magazines etc., I encourage you to explore other avenues of photo education.

Behind the Lens: Photographers sum up KU’s big win against Missouri in photos

Journal-World photographers Richard Gwin, Nick Krug and I all photographed the Kansas University basketball game against Missouri on Feb. 25.

Behind the Lens: Depth of field important for focusing on subject

When I photograph a KU football game, even outdoors in daylight, I choose a large aperture (f/2.8, f4.0) for creative purposes.

Behind the Lens: Aperture setting can be used to manipulate depth of field

The typical camera has a control dial on top. Last week I reviewed how setting this dial to “S’ “T” or “Tv”, controls the shutter speed. The other primary controls on this dial are “A” or “Av” for aperture priority, “P” for program, and on some cameras, “M” for manual.

Behind the Lens: Incorrect shutter speeds cause blurry photos

Advances in camera technology have made capturing decent photographs fairly easy.

Behind the Lens: Things photographers don’t want to hear

Recently I came across a photography blog about what newspaper photographers don’t like to hear said to them when working.

Behind the Lens: Finding a perfect feature photo

Our photography staff is often relied upon to gather stand-alone images for the newspaper.

Behind the Lens: Effective lighting kits don’t have to be expensive

In last week’s column I mentioned using household table lights as a possible source of illumination to re-photograph prints or other hard-copy documents. It is a make-do solution only and not one I recommend if you plan on doing a lot of tabletop photography or have a growing interest in photographing other subjects requiring artificial lighting.

Behind the Lens: Camera, scanner can be used to digitize old photos

Mike continues where he left off last week to give more tips on digitization.

Behind the Lens: Preserve old slides by digitization

Mike talks about the process of digitizing old photo slides and offers some first and third party options for getting your slides from the shoebox into the computer.

Behind the Lens: a look back and a look ahead

As I look forward to new adventures and photographs in 2012, here are some observations and notes to sweep out 2011.

Behind The Lens: Use sharp contrast when shooting snow

When shooting objects against snow or trying to capture the powdery stuff itself, stark backgrounds and drastic color shifts are your best friend.

Behind the Lens: Capturing the coach

In a little more than a 36-hour period, on three separate occasions Journal-World photographer Nick Krug and I covered the arrival and introduction of Charlie Weis to Lawrence as Kansas University’s new football coach.

Behind the Lens: Cameras for kids

Considering that children are experiencing digital devices at younger and younger ages, it’s not a crazy idea to provide them access to better cameras.

Behind the Lens: Gifts for the photographer in your family

If you're like Mike's family, you're hesitant to buy photography gifts for a seasoned photographer, likely because they already have everything or the process of buying for them is intimidating. This guide should help east the latter.

Behind the Lens: Breaking down which camera is for you

Mike Yoder highlights the advantages and disadvantages of different camera types.

Behind the Lens: Know your macro

Macro lenses for DSLR cameras come in several sizes and with various fields of view. Here are some tips to get the most out of yours.

Behind the Lens: Getting the most from your 50 mm 'normal' lens

Shooting on the 50 mm lens is almost a lost art, but the images it creates and its fast shutter speed make it an obvious choice for patient photographers.

Behind the Lens: Wide-angle lens wizardry

If you like to be in the middle of the action when it comes to taking photographs, the wide-angle lens is for you.

Behind the Lens: Achieving telephoto nirvana

In the first part of a series dedicated to lenses, Mike looks at proper telephoto lens usage.

Behind the Lens: Tips for shooting video

In recent years Mike has gone from a photographer to a visual journalist, shooting and editing his own video from the same SLR camera he uses for photos. Here, he offers some tips for shooting

Behind the Lens: Removing frame clutter always in season

People usually choose spring and fall to clean up around their house. They wash windows for a better view or rake up leaves to clear the lawn. As a photographer, I clean up year-round.

Behind the Lens: Stitching together panoramas

More and more camera manufacturers are incorporating software into their cameras that allow sweeping panoramas to be constructed from a series of shots. Here are some tips to get the most from this new technology.

Behind the Lens: Connecting Lawrence to 9/11

Tasked with finding a way to visually connect Lawrence residents with the tragedy in New York, Mike Yoder made a couple of attempts before finding something poignant.

Behind the Lens: Dreaming up the perfect camera, digital rot and all

I may have to spend a considerable amount of money, but I’m determined to own a camera that will have everything I will ever need.

Behind the Lens: Shooting the Civil War

Staying true to historical photography practices offers its own challenges.

Behind the Lens: Purchasing prints

Most phone calls to the Journal-World photography department deal with questions regarding reprints of published images. Yes, they are available. Here's how.

Behind the Lens: Low-tech photography

There's a time and place for low-tech photography. Here are some examples.

Behind the Lens: Photo apps for on-the-go

On a long bike trip, you can't weigh, Mike opts for versatile camera apps over his weighty DSLR.

Behind the Lens: The added value of wide-angle lenses

If I had to photograph with only one lens for the rest of my life, I would settle on a wide-angle lens.

Behind the Lens: Creative framing

Summer’s here, which means it’s a good time to brush up on a few photography skills to help make the most your vacation scenes.

Behind the Lens: The importance of P.A.T.

For a seasoned photographer, position, anticipation and timing play a big part in any photograph.

Behind the lens: Cameras for the clumsy photographer

These sturdy cameras will survive even the clumsiest photographers.

Behind the lens: Camera recommendations

Camera choices for any level of interest.

Behind the Lens: Gearing up for the NCAA tournament

Shooting the tournament requires more gear than a standard assignment. A lot more.

Behind the Lens: Back up your old photos

Whether you're a professional or an amateur photographer, chances are if you've been shooting for awhile, you've plenty of old photos cluttering your home or workspace. Here's how to archive them and cut down the clutter.

Behind the Lens: A staggering find

Jim Russo stumbled upon a collection of presidential transparency slides he thought were reproductions. As it turns out, they're the real thing.

Behind the Lens: Kodachrome fades into memory

Kansas isn’t particularly colorful in winter. Except at Dwayne’s Photo in Parsons. During the last two weeks of 2010, over 20,000 rolls of Kodachrome color slide film was shipped to this southeast Kansas lab.

Behind the Lens: The benefits of improved shutter speed

Photographers take it for granted that we can stop action with fast shutter-speeds.

Behind the Lens: Repetition of activity

A news photographer has many tricks and techniques to help capture better images. These are not unique trade secrets special only to photojournalists.

Behind the Lens: Optimizing shutter speed

If you have to use the flash on your point-and-shoot, here are some tips to avoid washout.

Behind the Lens: Quality, not quantity, of light

Keeping the sun behind you goes a long way to ensuring well-lit subjects, properly exposed images and a sun-burned neck. But breaking this rule can lead to more creative work.