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The New York Times’ massive photo archive is being digitized with Google’s help

13 Nov

The New York Times has millions of printed photographs stored in an underground archive nicknamed “the morgue,” and it has begun the arduous task of digitizing this collection. Google is part of the project, according to a post on one of the company’s blogs, where it explains that its machine learning and cloud technologies will help The New York Times store, process, and search its archive.

The morgue houses between 5 and 7 million photographs dating back to the late 19th century, all of them stored in folders within file cabinets. Many of the photos haven’t been viewed in decades and all of them are at risk of damage. In 2015, for example, the morgue experienced minor damage after water leaked in from a broken pipe.

The New York Times‘ CTO Nick Rockwell said in a statement to Google:

The morgue is a treasure trove of perishable documents that are a priceless chronicle of not just The Times’s history, but of nearly more than a century of global events that have shaped our modern world … Staff members across the photo department and on the business side have been exploring possible avenues for digitizing the morgue’s photos for years. But as recently as last year, the idea of a digitized archive still seemed out of reach.

To help preserve this visual history, Google has stepped in to provide The New York Times with its cloud storage product for storing high-resolution digital copies of the photographs. The New York Times has developed a processing pipeline for the digitization project that includes resizing images using Google Kubernetes Engine and storing metadata using PostgreSQL, in addition to the open source command-line software ExifTool and ImageMagick.

Google’s machine learning technology augments the system to offer insights into the digitized content. The company’s Cloud Vision API is used to detect text, logos, objects, and more within photographs, while the Cloud Natural Language API uses the detected text to categorize the images. This data makes it possible to search the digitized collection for specific images that would otherwise be lost in the vast archive.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How to Photograph Kids Playing, Running Around and Generally Being Kids

11 Nov

If you’re a people photographer, it’s hard to resist photographing kids as they play, run around and… well, be kids. It’s also a great chance for you to play as a photographer.

Here are seven tips to help you capture photographs of kids at play.

It was a grey hazy day at the beach so I focused on silhouette photos of my kids at play.

1. Use Your Phone Instead of Missing the Moment

I teach people how to use their new DSLR cameras. One of their biggest frustrations is that their friends seem to take better photos with a phone than they can with their complicated DSLR.

If you’re still struggling with your DSLR, don’t be afraid to use your phone as a camera. As long as you keep in mind the most important parts of a photo – light, moment, and composition – your phone will take great photos.

This photo of my daughter running through a puddle was captured with my iPhone 4s. Because it was a bright day, the shutter speed was fast and froze the water as it splashed.

2. Be an Observer Instead of a Boss

If you’re going to photograph kids at play, it’s best to have them acting candidly rather than telling them what to do. Just let them play, and they’ll give you countless moments to photograph. The moment you step in and tell them what to do or how to play, you’ll ruin the moment.

I wanted a nice portrait of my daughter with these fall colors, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to make her stand still for one. So I let her walk on ahead of me. When I called her name she looked back, and I snapped the photo.

3. Angles

While photographing kids at play, consider the angle you’re using. Your photos will look more exciting if you go for low angles or face to face. Get down to their level (if not lower) and into their world.

I achieved this extremely low angle by laying down on the ground and looking straight up.

Before it was hauled away, my kids turned this mattress into a trampoline. A low angle helped to capture how high he was jumping.

4. Get Close

Join in the play, and get as close as you can while using a wide angle. When you look at the photo it will make you feel like you’re right back there in the moment.

This son was wrestling with his dad so I decided to get in as close as I could. The wide-angle helped to exaggerate the moment.

5. Get Behind Them

Photographing people from behind adds a bit of mystery to your photo. It lets the viewer bring a little more of their own imagination to the photo. When we can’t see the person’s face, it makes us imagine what they’re up to.

This over-the-shoulder shot anticipates the action that’s about to happen.

This photo was taken in a massive outdoor sandbox. Obviously, he’s been sliding down the dirt hills on his bum.

This combines taking a photo from behind with getting in close. (Taken with an iPhone.)

6. Play With Your Shutter Speed

One of the biggest problems you’ll face when capturing action is motion blur. So you’ll need a fast shutter speed.

But you can also play with a slow shutter speed and capture creative motion blur.

I took advantage of my iPhone’s slow shutter speed to capture this portrait of my daughter. As you can see her face is basically sharp while the background is quite blurry. This was achieved by having her walk toward me while I walked backward. To the camera everything is moving except for her.

7. Tell a Story With Your Photos

You can tell a story with your photos. It might be a ‘before and after’ story using just two photos. Or it could be a beginning, middle and end with three photos. It might even be a longer story that fills a photo book.

This story begins with a little girl taking her daddy by the hand and leading him.

Then in the middle of the story, she dances with her daddy.

The story ends with her daddy swinging her around wildly.

Final Checklist

Here’s a checklist for photographing kids as they run around and play.

Consider this playtime for you as a photographer.
Use any camera you’ve got – even your phone.
Stand back and let moments happen on their own.
Be creative with your angles.
Get in close.
Add mystery to your photo by photographing kids from behind.
Be creative with your shutter speed.
Tell stories with multiple photos.

Now go out there and take some great photos of those kids being kids and share them with us in the comments.

The post How to Photograph Kids Playing, Running Around and Generally Being Kids appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Lexar confirms XQD development being “held up by multiple parties,” focusing on CFexpress

29 Oct

Last week, Nikon Rumors reported Lexar will no longer make any XQD cards, citing a press release from Polish Lexar distributor My Adventure. DPReview has since independently confirmed this report with Lexar.

“While Lexar is eager to pursue the XQD technology, the product availability of XQD has been held up by multiple parties including Sony (who owns the IP) which has prevented us from moving forward,” said a Lexar spokesperson to DPReview. “In addition, we are diligently working on the future standard of CFexpress through our efforts in the Compact Flash Association and partnerships with key camera manufacturers.”

The move echoes ProGrade Digital, a memory card brand founded by former executives of Lexar, who recently said it too will skip developing XQD cards in favor of CFexpress.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Camera app developer says there’s no ‘beauty filter’ being applied on the iPhone XS, XS Max

03 Oct

Yesterday we learned that at least a handful of iPhone XS and XS Max users are unhappy with their new devices’ front camera image quality, with some early adopters reporting over-excessive skin smoothening and beautification effects when taking self-portraits.

Software developer Sebastiaan de With, the man behind the Halide camera app, has had a closer look at the new iPhone models’ camera processing and says there isn’t any beautification applied to the front camera images. Instead, he says, it’s Apple’s new approach to image processing that can result in soft textures and smoothening.

Both the front and rear cameras in the iPhone XS and XS Max are applying computational photography methods, merging multiple frames into one to optimize image quality across the image. Frames are captured at different exposures, with the image processor picking the best elements of each frame and combining them into the final image output.

In his blog post de Wit says that this method results in a “whole new look” that’s quite different from previous iPhone cameras. The frame merging reduces the brightness of the bright areas and the darkness of the shadow areas, resulting in textures with lower levels of contrast. All the detail is still there but the viewer perceives those areas as softer and less sharp. This is also why the skin in selfie images looks softer.

Additionally, the new iPhone models are applying more aggressive noise reduction — something Apple was already known for going heavy on in the past. This is necessary because the iPhone XS tends to user faster shutter speeds and higher ISO values than previous versions, presumably to keep motion blur to a minimum. Getting rid of the noise inevitably also eliminates some fine detail.

The reduction in detail is particularly true for the front camera where a smaller image sensor comes with higher noise levels to start with. On the plus side, dynamic range is increased which is particularly useful for high-contrast scenes, where highlight-clipping is reduced and more shadow detail visible.

De With also says all these software parameters can be tweaked by Apple. So, if it turns out the “new look” isn’t too popular with consumers the Apple engineers could pretty easily revert to a more “traditional” look via a software update.

De With’s Halide app will soon receive a new Smart RAW feature that “deactivates” Apple’s Smart HDR algorithm to reduce noise reduction and reveal more image detail and fine textures. For more information head over to Sebastiaan’s complete article on the Halide blog.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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The Nikon Z is a big step for Nikon but they need to keep being brave

26 Aug

The Nikon Z is a brave and important step for Nikon and, while it might not have got everything right first time, it shows enough promise to encourage existing users to commit themselves to the system. However, to deliver the system’s full potential, Nikon needs to continue being brave.

A brave new lens mount…

It may sound odd but I think the most significant thing about the Nikon Z cameras isn’t that they’re mirrorless: it’s that they use a new lens mount. This may sound like the same thing, but I think it’s informative to separate the two ideas.

A mirrorless design lets the body be a bit smaller and allows a more consistent experience between stills and video shooting, but that’s not that radical. Casting off the existing limitations of your mount and looking to the future: that’s a big step.

Nikon is a company with a long history and a proud 100 year tradition of making excellent products. Whether it’s the Nikon F, F3, FM, D3, D500 or D850, it’s produced some genuinely superb cameras. And then, of course, there are the lenses: it’s 59 years since the company introduced the F-mount and the majority of those lenses can still be used, to various extents, on its latest models.

Moving to a new lens mount, even if you do everything you can to respect history by maintaining backwards compatibility, is a huge step. Canon’s reputation took a knock when it took the decision to abandon its existing FD lenses and move to the EF mount. It was a big move but one that’s been vindicated by how future-proof a large, all electronic mount has proven to be. Sony, conversely, made the decision to squeeze a full frame sensor into its E-mount, rather than try to add a third mount to its lineup.

Nikon showed a series of mockup lenses when it launched the 1 System, but the decision to spell-out its plans for the Z mount represents an unusual degree of candor for the company.

The move to mirrorless was, then, the perfect chance to design a new lens mount and Nikon has clearly gone out of its way to make something flexible. If you asked a team of engineers who’d spent their entire careers working with the restrictions of a narrow-throated, film-era mount to design something new, the vast, adaptable Z-mount is probably what they’d come up with.

And this is promising for the future: it provides plenty of scope for making a wide range of lenses without having to worry about sending light to the corners of the sensor at hard-to-capture oblique angles.

The Z mount compared to the F mount.

…a little shortsightedness?

But, while I commend Nikon for making a break with its past, I worry a little that it’s decided not to share the details of this mount with third party makers.

It’s understandable that, having sold 100 million lenses for your existing mount, you might feel you don’t need anyone else’s help. However, for photographers without any F-mount lenses, the initial lack of third-party support (in terms both of adaptors and native lenses) will look like a weak point.

The dimensions of Sony’s E mount may look somewhat restrictive when compared with the Nikon Z’s but even if you think solely in terms of full frame, it has a four and a half year headstart and native support from both Sigma and Tamron. This gives it a huge advantage in terms of native lens availability and one that it’s likely to maintain if Nikon won’t let anyone else play in its sandpit.

Wouldn’t it be better to open up the mount and make the whole system look more attractive to would-be buyers? After all, you shouldn’t have to artificially protect your own lens sales if you’re confident that yours are better quality or better value than those of third parties.

…and some opportunities missed

Beyond the lens mount, Nikon has struck a similar balance of respecting history and seizing new opportunities: copying much of its widely-admired ergonomics and UI directly across while also making much greater use of the touchscreen than would have made sense on a DSLR.

But the job’s not done. In designing the Z 7, Nikon seems to have used a continuation of its live view AF system (the one no one uses), rather than see the move to mirrorless as an opportunity to re-think how AF would be controlled, given a blank piece of paper.

Nikon has instead opted for a clumsier system adapted from its live view AF tracking system. This requires you to press ‘OK’ or tap on a subject before it’ll start tracking

Initially this will present a hurdle for Nikon DSLR users moving across but that in itself shouldn’t be the deal-breaking argument: these cameras need to attract new users, too. The more compelling argument for more closely mimicking its DSLRs’ through-the-viewfinder AF behavior is that it’s the best in the industry. And it should be: Nikon’s literally spent decades refining it, to the point it’s used by news, action and sports journalists the world over.

Nikon’s 3D Tracking system, where you position an AF point and it tracks whatever was under that point when you initiate AF is brilliant. No matter which system we’ve each come from, there’s consensus in the DPReview office that 3D Tracking represents best practice. There’s a reason why Sony’s mirrorless cameras seem to more closely copy its behavior with every generation (though if they could also take note of Nikon’s system working without the need for an infinite number of AF area modes, that’d be good, too).

Unfortunately, Nikon has instead opted for a clumsier system adapted from its live view AF tracking system. This requires you to press ‘OK’ or tap on a subject before it’ll start tracking, rather than simply tracking based on your pre-selected AF point. Worse still, it requires that you disengage tracking (either by pressing ‘OK’ again or by tapping onto a different subject), rather than simply reverting to your chosen point when you release the shutter button.

This might not sound like much of an inconvenience, but it’s the difference between being able to switch subjects in-the-moment, rather than having to stop shooting, make a change and start all over again. It’s a loss of precisely the immediacy and simplicity that makes 3D Tracking so good in the first place.

To be clear, I’m not criticizing the AF algorithms themselves: we’ve not fully tested it yet but the Z 7’s tracking seems incredibly sticky: my concern is solely about the user interface

Act now, before things become set in stone

As I say, Nikon’s through-the-viewfinder behavior is so good that it would be worth Nikon trying to mimic it in the Z system’s interface. And yes, there’ll be the added bonus that it’ll be behavior that existing users expect. But they need to do it now, before the new, less refined behavior becomes ossified as ‘the behavior our existing users expect.’

So, having made a break with the past to adopt a radical, future-proof lens mount, I call on Nikon to be brave again and redesign its AF behavior. And maybe have a think about whether third-party lenses are a threat or a benefit.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Rumor: Canon full-frame mirrorless already ‘being used by select pro photographers’

24 Mar

So far, the EOS M5 is the nearest thing Canon has made to a high-end mirrorless camera.

Rumors of a Canon mirrorless full-frame camera are heating up. Just days after our own Canon interview from CP+ 2018 seemed to hint, quite strongly, that a “high-end mirrorless” from Canon is in the works, Canon Rumors is reporting that they have “confirmed from a couple of good sources” that a full-frame mirrorless Canon is indeed being tested by select pros.

The Canon Rumors report, published earlier today, claims that “a full frame mirrorless camera is well into its development cycle,” and is in fact being used by “select Canon pro photographers” in the field. This matches up with what Canon told us during our interview at CP+ 2018. Specifically, the Canon executives we spoke to said:

In accordance with the full lineup strategy, we will be tackling [the mid-range and high-end mirrorless market] going forward.

And when we asked if it was “realistic” to expect a Canon full-frame mirrorless camera within a year, their tongue-in-cheek response was:

That would be nice, wouldn’t it?

Read our full Canon interview from CP+ 2018

Canon Rumors is “very confident we’re going to see something announced before the end of Q1 in 2019,” while other outlets have predicted something for Photokina in September. Either way, as rumors and reports heat up, it seems more and more likely the industry will be getting a major shake-up in early 2019 or late 2018.

The major unanswered question is: what about lenses? Will Canon release a new lens mount with this rumored full-frame mirrorless camera—thereby taking advantage of the shorter flange distance offered by mirrorless—will the new camera be compatible with EF lenses out of the box, or will it be some sort of hybrid arrangement?

When we spoke to Canon, the company said it “can’t simply ignore the [130 million EF lenses] in the market,” but that “we’re considering the technical advancements that are possible” with a new mount. In the end, they didn’t give us anything definitive, encouraging us instead to “let your imagination suggest some possibilities.”

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Pros an Cons of Shooting Alone Versus Being a Group Photographer?

06 Mar

An age-old question in life, not just photography, is are you a pack animal or a lone ranger? Everyone reading this will have their own answer to this question, it’s not even a black and white answer. In this article, the question posed is whether you shoot alone or are more of a group photographer?

Let’s take a look at the two different approaches to doing photography, and then compare them to see which one is better. Whether one is better is really just subjective, but depending on your favored form of photography you’ll certainly have a preference.

Do you Shoot Alone or are you More of a Group Photographer?

Joining other photographers is great, although they sometimes get in your shot!

Photographing solo

The preference for many photographers is to photograph alone. There are a lot of good reasons why this is best, so let’s take a look at a few of them:

Get into the zone – To achieve the best photos, being distracted by others is rarely a recipe for success. Photographers will often get into a zone where a heightened sense of the environment around them will lead to better photos.
Set your own schedule – When you visit a place, and how long you spend there are very important factors in photography. Whether you’re a street photographer waiting for that perfect moment, or a landscape shooter photographing blue hour, the schedule matters.
Choose where to visit – Equally important, and related to the point above is where you choose to visit and shoot. Even if you travel with a fellow photographer, they may well want to visit a different place to suit their style of photography. Shooting alone allows you to be totally focused on your goal.

Photographing alone is the favored choice of many photographers, it helps you get more in the zone.

Get your own angle – There will never be another photographer standing in the way of your composition when you photograph alone. Equally, you don’t need to worry about getting in the way of someone else, or getting to the best angle second.
Curate your own photo – Those who do portrait photography will know that creative control of the pose and position of your model are key. As is forming a close working relationship with your model. When photographing without other photographers these things are easier to achieve.
Learn from your own mistakes – You’ll make mistakes along the way, even those with experience do. It might mean adding to your knowledge after you have made your mistake, but the next time you photograph this self-improvement will take you up a level.

The chance to work one to one with a model means you can work on your own concepts and ideas.

Photographing with a group

Of course, sharing your photography with others has some drawbacks, but there are also a lot of positives to photographing with other people. So whether you’re a solo or group photographer take a look at this list, and decide for yourself if you can benefit from joining a group, even if only occasionally.

Share your experience – The act of exploring and seeing a new place is often more pleasurable when you have company. You may even be able to model for each other if the location would be better enhanced with a person in the scene.
Pool your resources – Photography can be expensive when it comes to equipment, model hire, and location rental. These costs can be cut considerably by joining forces with other photographers.
Share knowledge – One of the very best ways to learn about photography is from other photographers, that’s why you’re here right? Whether you’re experienced or new to photography you’ll find everyone can offer advice or tips that could improve your work.

Joining a group of photographer allows you to dip into their pool of knowledge.

Safety – Carrying an expensive piece of camera gear? Heading out late at night for some photography? Having a few people with you when you photograph makes it a lot safer.
Collaborations – To create a group project, you need a group! So getting to know some fellow photographers will facilitate this. Likewise, photographing a model often takes more than one person, sharing duties to hold the light stand helps a lot.
Share your photos – Groups of photographers often share their work either each other. Sharing your photos is a great way to improve your photography, as you often get feedback on the photos you have shared.

This group of photographers was on a photo walk which I organized.

This is a photo taken on that photo walk, it was later shared with the participants through social media.

Being a solo or group photographer, which is best?

There are lots of pros and cons for shooting alone or with a group of photographers. The best answer is to make time to do both. Join a group perhaps once a week, and photograph by yourself on other occasions.

The genre of photography you do will also have a big impact on your choice, portrait photographers using strobes often need a team. On the other hand, if you’re a landscape or street photographer photographing alone may be best.

There is a middle solution though. The group doesn’t have to be large, perhaps only two or three. When all the photographers share the same interest, it can be just like photographing alone, only you have a group.

Are you a solo or group photographer? Why not be both? My friend and fellow dPS writer Pete DeMarco is someone with whom I’ve often photographed. We allowed each other enough space to photograph “alone” but then meet later after we’re done shooting.

Myself and Pete enjoy taking cityscape photos, so meeting up to do the same style of photography makes sense.

What kind of group should you join?

There are plenty of types of groups that you can join if you’re interested in meeting some new people. Not all of them even require you to meet other photographers in person, we do after all live in a digital global age. So let’s take a look at a few possibilities.

Attend a photo walk – These are often one-off events and can involve large crowds. They’re great for meeting a lot of new faces, not always so good for taking the best photo. A very well known event like this is Scott Kelby’s worldwide photo walk, held once a year. An alternative idea to a photo walk is a potluck photography party, why not try it out?

This steel wool fire spinning photography event was organized by a photography club.

Join a photo club – A great way to meet other photographers on a regular basis, and therefore learn from them. Groups like this often organize photography outings or perhaps hire a model for the club members to work with and photograph.
Online communities – In reading and participating with this website you are part of a photography community. Even though not in person, participating online is a great way to gain knowledge. There is always the possibility of travel as well, you can meet people on a trip perhaps.
Take part in a workshop – Meeting other photographers on a workshop is a great way to socialize, and learn at the same time.

Joining a group of photographer allows you to share the cost of hiring a model. It also means you lose control of pose and position. You also need to avoid getting into each other’s photos.

Are you a solo or a group photographer?

So which kind of photographer are you? A solo or a group photographer? Are there any other reasons why you like to photograph alone, or in a group?

If you photograph alone, why not reach out to a group and become part of a community. Although it’s nice to photograph alone, there is a raft of benefits to joining up with others. You’ll likely make some new friends, the type you can form a close friendship with through a shared interest.

The post Pros an Cons of Shooting Alone Versus Being a Group Photographer? by Simon Bond appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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The Importance of Being Honest With Yourself and Your Clients

08 Dec

If you do any photography for clients, either on a regular basis or whenever work comes your way, there can be a tendency to be somewhat creative when answering questions about your skills, abilities, and expectations. You might be asked to shoot a wedding when you don’t necessarily have the gear or experience to do what the client expects. Or someone might ask you to take product photos when your background is in portraits.

It’s not uncommon to be on location at a photo session and have things suddenly go awry or get strange requests from your clients. Even in the editing phase, you could very well find yourself dealing with a situation that you aren’t ready for. In times like these, it’s important to remember three simple words we have all heard since we were kids – tell the truth. You might not like the immediate results, but it will work out for the best for you and your clients in the long run.

The Importance of Being Honest With Yourself and Your Clients

Set your client’s expectations

Not long ago I was asked to do a portrait session for a high school senior. I knew the family and we were all looking forward to the session. But about a week before we were scheduled to take photos, we hit a bit of a wrinkle. Her parents asked if their daughter could have her two dogs in the photos as well. I had a moment of panic because this was a situation for which I was quite unprepared.

After I thought about it for a little while, I realized I had two choices, neither of which was all that appealing. I could have said yes in which case I would be agreeing to something that I was not ready for. Or I could have said no in which case I would have run the risk of angering the client and maybe even losing their business to another photographer who would agree to take the photos they wanted.

The truth of the matter, though, was that I simply didn’t know the answer so I told the client just that. Rather than say yes or no, I laid my cards out on the table and hoped for the best. I explained that I would be willing to give it a try but I had no experience with this sort of situation, and there would be a chance the pictures wouldn’t turn out at all.

The Importance of Being Honest With Yourself and Your Clients

This high school senior wanted some pictures with her dogs. I obliged but tried to be as honest as possible regarding my comfort level and experience with this type of photography.

Honesty is the best policy

Instead of being upset or angry, her parents were quite pleased with my response and told me they appreciated me being upfront about it. They felt more comfortable working with someone who was willing to tell the truth rather than spend money on a photographer who just told them what they wanted to hear and might not be able to deliver on the results.

On the day of the shoot, I continued the trend of being open and honest and suggested a couple options for photos, many of which the family quite liked. I even enlisted the help of the parents. Even though the photos aren’t going to win any awards or get printed in magazines, the family was more than pleased with the results. They liked the collaborative nature of the photo session as well. They felt like they could trust me and knew that I would do everything in my power to get some photos they would like, and in the end, that’s what really mattered.

We enlisted her mom to help!

This type of honesty can go a long way towards making sure your clients know what to expect when they book your services. Getting everyone on the same page before, and during, the photo session can help make sure they know what they are getting and you know that you haven’t promised something you can’t deliver.

Work with a safety net

Being open and honest with your clients is a little tricky and can involve walking somewhat of a fine line because as a photographer you are getting paid to know what you’re doing and you have to project a certain degree of confidence. After all, people are paying you to know what you’re doing so you had better know how to do it!

That being said, if you are honest with your clients about what you can do, it can give you a great deal of wiggle room when out actually doing a photo session. It also helps build a relationship of trust with your clients.

I normally shoot photos on location at parks and open areas around town. When I was taking pictures for another high school senior the two of us met up at a local garden, talked about school and college, and then got to work on the photo session. I started by giving him some very specific directions to get some good shots in the bag – the slam dunks if you will. He politely obliged, and we took some pictures that turned out just fine when I reviewed the images on my camera.

This young man was willing to try some new locations and poses for his senior photos. We got some good ones in familiar spots first, and then tried a couple of experiments just to see what would happen.

Get the safe shots then experiment

After that, I spoke to him quite plainly about some ideas I had and asked if he would be comfortable trying some pictures that might be different than what he expected. Instead of just barking orders I explicitly said: “I’ve got an idea and I’m not sure how it will turn out, but would you be up for trying something and see what happens?” This sort of talk put him at ease, and he told me he appreciated that I was straightforward and plainspoken with him, and he gladly agreed to experiment with some poses and locations that were new to both of us.

I don’t have quantitative data to support this, but I have a strong suspicion that if I had played the classic “fake it ’til you make it” approach I would have been nervous, fidgety, and a little on edge the whole time. Instead, my honesty about the photos we were taking helped make the session comfortable for both of us and we got some pictures that both he and his parents liked quite a lot.

Neither of us had ever been to this spot before, but I asked if he was willing to try something new and he was all for it.

Be open to ideas – but be honest if you aren’t sure about it

Here’s one final example of how important honesty is when working with clients. Not long ago I was asked to shoot photos of a family in early November in time for them to get their Christmas cards printed. We discussed the details of the shoot beforehand and she gave me examples of the types of pictures she was hoping to get. I assured her that I could certainly get that same look and feel. (I really meant it too because I knew the location, I knew my own capabilities, and I was entirely confident I could get the shots she wanted.)

The Importance of Being Honest With Yourself and Your Clients

During the photo session, one of the family members asked about some different types of pictures. Rather than blindly agree with everything she asked for, I slowed down and discussed the details with her on the spot. I knew the capability of the lenses I had with me, I knew the setting and the lighting, and I asked her several questions in order to make sure I was giving her honest and straightforward answers.

Soon enough I found myself standing atop an eight-foot ladder shooting straight down at a collection of hands on a tree stump. While it was certainly something I had not imagined beforehand I was able to set expectations with the client, build a safety net in case things didn’t work out, and ultimately get a shot that everyone liked.

Not the type of picture I’m used to taking, but I explained that and the family didn’t mind at all.

Be honest with yourself

I want to make it clear that as a photographer working with clients you should absolutely possess a high degree of knowledge regarding your craft. You should understand lighting and composition, and know how to work with your subjects (even if they’re inanimate objects) to get the pictures you want. You should know your camera like the back of your hand and have a firm grasp on the fundamentals of exposure like aperture, shutter, and ISO.

But you should also know your own limitations, and understand what you can do as well as what you haven’t yet learned. Essentially you need to make sure you don’t over-promise and under-deliver when crunch time hits.

This is a mistake that a lot of new photographers make, myself included. It’s thrilling to get a new camera and some lenses and think that you can suddenly start taking on paid jobs. I know, I’ve been there! But if you take time to learn your own limitations and be honest with yourself about what you really should and should not be doing, you will find yourself producing better results while also having a clear idea of how you can improve over time.

Here’s a photo that illustrates what I’m talking about

The Importance of Being Honest With Yourself and Your Clients

I took this picture without being honest with myself. When I look back on it now I notice so many problems that were plain as day if only I had been willing to see them. This mother and her girls look great, but as their photographer, I really should have known better before agreeing to do their photos.

I had gotten a DSLR and a 50mm lens about a year before this and I thought I knew everything there was to know about photography! But in reality, there was a vast chasm between what I thought I knew and what I actually knew.

I didn’t understand the relationship between aperture and depth of field, hence the reason the girl in the foreground is out of focus.
I didn’t fully understand the capabilities and limitations of my gear and shot at much higher ISO values than I should have in this scenario.
My knowledge of light, shadows, and composition was lacking.
I didn’t know how to edit my RAW files to get the final images to look how I really wanted.

The list could go on, but the lesson here is that if I had been willing to own up to my shortcomings I would have either waited to do the photo session until I actually did know what I was doing. Or I would have been more forthcoming with the clients about what I could do and what they could expect.

This shot turned out okay, but there was a lot I didn’t know about using external speedlights when I took it. I should have taken more time to learn what I was doing first.

Do the right thing

One final note, or perhaps a bit of advice, is to be forthcoming with your clients about the limits of what is culturally and legally permissible. If you’re in this business long enough you might be asked to shoot photos at a spot where photography is prohibited by custom or by law. (Note: if you are ever asked to take photos on train tracks, do not do it. Not only is it dangerous and life-threatening, but train tracks are private property and you will likely be trespassing if you shoot photos on them.)

Alternatively, someone might inquire about taking pictures at locations that are particularly dangerous to themselves or you as the photographer. Sometimes even the subjects you are shooting might want to engage in risky activities or behaviors that are either illegal or, as your gut instinct might tell you, just plain wrong.

Trust your instincts

It’s best to be upfront and honest if you find yourself in these situations. Tell your contacts or potential clients, “Thanks, but no thanks.” and explain that you just aren’t willing or able to meet their request. “But my friend did it, and it was no big deal!” they might reply. If they do…stand your ground, maintain your integrity, and advise them to look elsewhere for their photos. Don’t compromise your integrity and professionalism to get pictures you know you shouldn’t be taking.

The Importance of Being Honest With Yourself and Your Clients

Conclusion

One of the best feelings in the world is when I see someone pick up a camera, get inspired, and start using it to create images with meaning, impact, and a sense of artistry. Digital cameras make photography easier than ever before but if you are working with clients whether it’s shooting weddings, portraits, products, real estate, or any other type of transactional relationship you have to be honest with them and yourself to build a rapport and sense of trust that can lead to long-term partnerships.

The post The Importance of Being Honest With Yourself and Your Clients by Simon Ringsmuth appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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How to Avoid Being Overwhelmed When Learning Photography

03 Dec

Likely, you are working hard to improve your photography. You are trying to master all the settings on your camera, trying to control things like depth of field while trying to improve your focus and the sharpness of your photos. And then there are all those rules of composition to think about as well. That is a lot to remember, and it can be overwhelming. Frankly, it is enough to make you nostalgic for the good old days when you put your camera in Auto mode and fired off snapshots.

How to Avoid Being Overwhelmed When Learning Photography

Before you revert to that, however, let’s take a look at a few ways you can avoid that feeling of overwhelm, and continue to grow as a photographer.

#1 – Use Swing Keys

First, you can take a page from other areas of life that subject people to being overwhelmed. Perhaps no activity involves a feeling of overwhelm for the beginner more so than golf. When you are learning a golf swing, it is not uncommon for there to be 12 to 15 different thoughts going through your mind. If you try to do them all at once, the result is inevitably a disaster.

Therefore it is common to hear golfers talk about “swing keys.” This is about limiting your thoughts to one thing that you want to do in that particular swing. The physical nature of the swing key will vary from golfer to golfer. For one it might be to keep the wrist straight, for another, it might be to follow through. It just depends on their swing and weaknesses. It just gives the golfer something to think about to improve their swings and also keeps them from being overwhelmed.

Works for photography as well

I find this a useful analogy for photographers as well. When you are out in the field getting ready to shoot, you may have a thousand different thoughts going through your head. You might be worried about the overall exposure level, setting the right depth of field, avoiding digital noise, watching the focus point, keeping the picture sharp, placing the subject in the right part of the frame, creating an interesting foreground, looking for leading lines, trying to create some emotion, and so on. All this can lead to overload. Having one or two swing keys in your mind can help add some clarity.

How to Avoid Being Overwhelmed When Learning Photography

Personally, I am always thinking about the foreground. Doing so helps me keep my thoughts together. It also specifically addresses issues of focus, depth of field, subject, and overall composition. For you, it might be something different. It doesn’t matter what it is – and it can evolve over time – just try to simplify things. Remember that often the best photos are the simplest. Further, as we’ll see in a moment, you can add more things later.

Create a Checklist

Another way to keep from worrying about all the things you want to accomplish is to create a checklist. When I was starting out, I found that I would get home from a shoot and kick myself for all the things I forgot to do. I would look at a series of shots I took and wonder why I didn’t bracket some of them, or zoom in on something, or add a neutral density filter in a certain spot, and so on.

Having a checklist will keep you from forgetting these things. At the same time, it will allow you to relax and not worry about missing anything when you are in the field. The checklist can be as simple or elaborate as you want. It can be a folded up sheet of paper or a laminated page – it doesn’t matter. Once you have gotten the shots you want, just consult your checklist and make sure you didn’t overlook anything.

How to Avoid Being Overwhelmed When Learning Photography

Having a checklist can remind you to do things like adding a shot using a neutral density filter.

Use a Building Process

Another way to keep from being overwhelmed is to avoid attempting to do too much at once. Instead, use a building process to create your pictures step-by-step. You’ll be amazed at how simple photography can be when you use this process.

What do I mean by that? Let’s start with an example of a dramatically lit portrait. Trying to create the whole thing in one shot could result in failure and frustration. Therefore, break the final picture down into steps. You might start with a few shots that get the background lighting correct. Once you have that right, then add your flash or strobe, but even then don’t try to control or shape the light yet. Spend a few shots getting the quantity of light the way you want it, and only then move the light off to the side and start working on shape and directions.

In this way, you’ll find that what seems overwhelming at first, actually becomes pretty simple. I have been to enough photography workshops and seminars to confidently state that many masters of photography work this way.

In night sky photos, I find it works best to start by just getting the sky right and then worrying about the foreground elements later.

Build a landscape the same way

It works in other contexts as well. A landscaper photographer might find a great background and work on setting that part of their shot up before they start looking for a foreground. Once they have built that part of the picture they might look for additional aspects to use as a subject or center of interest. After that, they might wait for something to happen to add interest to the picture. As a result, the final picture looks very complicated, but it was built step-by-step.

In fact, the famous street photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson worked this way. You may know him as the master of the “decisive moment,” but he was always building to that moment. He would find a great spot to use as a background, set everything up, and then wait for something to happen. That way when the decisive moment happened he was ready for it and created an overall wonderful picture. It didn’t just come together in an instant as it might otherwise appear.

The point of all this is to show you that if you start simple, you can avoid being overwhelmed. Once you have established one building block of your picture, add another one. This will not only improve your pictures but will result in you having more fun – and certainly fewer feelings of being overwhelmed – while you are doing it.

Ideas for How to Avoid Overwhelm When Doing Photography

This started as a simple shot of a barn. We added lights as we went. The white streamers were ultimately lit by a person with a flashlight.

Take Advantage of Digital Technology

Finally, as you take your photos, keep one thing in your mind. Remember the magic of digital photography is that you get to take as many exposures as you want and it costs nothing. There should not be any pressure!

Not only that, but you are getting instant feedback on what you just did via your LCD screen. You can just delete the bad ones (and we all have bad ones) and move on. No one is going to look at your SD card and judge you on the pictures that don’t work out. They’ll only see the ones you show them.

Ideas for How to Avoid Overwhelm When Doing Photography

Similarly, don’t worry about any sort of “hit rate.” Frankly, if you end up with a high hit rate, that probably just means you need to take additional pictures and experiment more.

A Never Ending Quest

Done correctly, photography always involves learning and experimentation. Therefore, while I have aimed these comments at those just starting out, these things really apply to everybody. The feeling of overwhelm never really goes away.

Once you master the controls on your camera you will add other elements to your pictures. Ultimately, you have to find your own way to relax and keep everything fun. Hopefully, these tips will help a little in that regard though.

The post How to Avoid Being Overwhelmed When Learning Photography by Jim Hamel appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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AI-powered ‘Google Lens’ is being integrated into Assistant on Pixel phones

25 Nov

With the Pixel 2 smartphone, Google introduced an exciting new software feature called Google Lens. Google Lens uses Artificial Intelligence to power its visual recognition algorithms and provides information about whatever your smartphone’s camera is pointed at—for example, what type of flower you are looking at or reviews and other information about a restaurant. You can also identify landmarks, look up movies, books or works of art and scan barcodes/QR codes and business cards.

Unfortunately, in its first implementation the feature wasn’t terribly easy or straightforward to use. You had to take a picture, then go to Google Photos and tap the Lens icon which would trigger the Google Lens scan. That’s too many steps to make the feature as useful as it could potentially be.

Thankfully, Lens will be integrated into Google Assistant soon. When you open the latter, there’ll now be a Lens icon near the bottom right of the display. Tapping this opens up a Google Lens camera. You can tap on any object of interest in the preview window and the app will provide any available information.

As usual, the new feature will be rolled out gradually. English-language Pixel phones that are using Assistant in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, India, and Singapore will be served first over the coming weeks, but we’d expect the new feature to make it other regions soon after.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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