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Tips For Achieving Blurry Backgrounds When You Don’t Have a Fast Lens

03 Dec

The post Tips For Achieving Blurry Backgrounds When You Don’t Have a Fast Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

Using a shallow depth of field to get blurry backgrounds in your photos is a powerful and popular tool for photographers. Blurring your background in this way makes it easy to obscure details in your scene that don’t add anything to your photographs. This helps to ensure that the focus of your images is your subject, and only your subject.

Using fast lenses with maximum apertures such as f/1.8 or f/2.8 is the easiest way to achieve this blurry background effect.

Getting blurry backgrounds with a fast lens
Using a fast aperture (f/1.8 here) is a surefire way to ensure blurry backgrounds in your images, but what do you do if you don’t have access to a fast lens?
Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 | 85mm | 1/1600s | f/1.8 | ISO 100

However, what do you do if you don’t have a fast lens? And what do you do in situations where you are unable to use your lens wide open?

Controlling aperture is only one way to alter the appearance of DOF when trying for blurry backgrounds.
Here, you can see the difference the aperture has on the background. On the left, the aperture is f/8, while on the right, it is f/1.8.

Fortunately, manipulating the aperture settings in-camera is only one way to control how depth of field appears in your images.

This article will show you two ways to help you achieve more background blur when you don’t have access to a fast lens and when you can’t shoot wide open.

1. Get closer to your subject

An easy way to obtain a shallower depth of field for blurry backgrounds is to simply get closer to your subject.

Achieve blurry backgrounds by getting closer to your subject.
Simply moving your position so that you are closer to the subject is a great way to manipulate depth of field. The closer you get, the shallower the depth of field gets.

Depth of field is determined by multiple factors. Aperture is one, but another important factor is how close the camera is to your subject. 

By moving your camera closer to your subject, you will increase the amount of background blur that appears behind your subject. 

(Conversely, if you want more depth of field in your image, move farther away from your subject.) 

Putting it into practice

With techniques like this, it can be a good idea to do a few exercises so you can see exactly what is going on.

To see this technique in action, find yourself a subject and position them in front of a background. Choose a background that’s a little bit busy (like foliage) so you can see the full effect. 

Getting blurry backgrounds without a fast lens
In the leftmost image, I was 12 feet away from the subject. You can see almost all of the details in the background. I slowly moved closer, 2 feet at a time; you should be able to see as the background gets blurrier. The last image was from 4 feet away. (Images are cropped for comparison.)

If you’ve chosen a portrait subject, start from between eight and ten feet away. If you’ve chosen something smaller, decrease that distance as much as you need to have a somewhat reasonable composition.

No matter what lens you have, you should be able to choose an aperture of f/5.6. Dial that in and adjust the other settings until you have a decent exposure. Take a shot. 

Step forward a foot and take another. Then move a foot closer again and take a third shot. Do this until you have reached your minimum focusing distance or you are too close to your subject to frame a photo. 

Then you can review the images in order. Watch for how the depth of field becomes shallower the closer you are to your subject. 

If you use multiple lenses, I encourage you to do this with all of them. 

The reverse

Of course, if what you want is more depth of field (i.e., less blurry backgrounds) in your frame, you can always move further away from your subject. 

In more depth

If you are technically minded and want to learn more about why and how this works, note that depth of field is governed by the inverse square law, just like many other aspects of photography. These other aspects include light intensity (which governs your exposure) and light fall-off (which governs the shape of the light). 

With an in-depth knowledge of the inverse square law and how it works, you would actually be able to calculate exactly where you need to be with a certain focal length and aperture to get an exact result. You will probably never find yourself in a situation where you would need to do this, but it is still possible! 

2. Bring your subject farther from the background

The other main way to achieve a shallower depth of field is to put more distance between your subject and the background.

Getting blurry backgrounds without a fast lens
Another easy way to manipulate depth of field for blurry backgrounds is to move your subject away from the background. Both images above were shot at f/8, but the lefthand image was taken 2 feet away from the background. The righthand image was taken 12 feet from the background.

This works the same way as the previous technique, but in this case, you will be moving your subject rather than the camera. If your subject is close to the background, more background detail will be present. To get more blur, simply move your subject forward. 

Practice

To see this concept in use, position your subject almost touching a background of your choice; this can be a studio background, some trees, or a wall. 

moving your subject away from the background is essential
To practice this, have your subject move away from the background in set increments. Make sure you move the same distance back, as well. Here (from top-left to bottom-right), the subject started 2 feet away from the background and ended 12 feet away from the background.

Start at an aperture of f/5.6 and get a decent exposure with your other settings. Take a shot. Now move your subject a foot away from the background. Note that it’s important that you move the same distance backward. If you don’t, then you will have two factors affecting the depth of field in the frame, and it will be impossible to accurately see what is blurring the background. 

Take another shot. Move yourself and your subject another foot back and shoot again. Repeat as many times as you want. In practice, how far away you move your subject is dependent on how much blur you want to achieve.

Do you want to retain some detail so that your viewers can recognize the background? Or would you rather obliterate any background details altogether, ensuring that your subject is the only thing for your viewers to focus on?

Real-world use

Now that you have put all of this into practice and you have your sequences of images, you should have a good idea of how the depth of field changes with your distance from the subject and the subject’s distance from the background. 

Getting blurry backgrounds is still possible at small apertures.
At the end of the day, you do not need a fast lens to achieve blurry backgrounds in your portraits. You are still able to achieve a shallow depth of field with smaller apertures.
Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L | 1/200s | f/8 | ISO 800

Not only will you be able to use this knowledge to help you get a shallower depth of field when you can’t shoot wide open, but it will also help you design any desired photos long before you pick up the camera.

For example, you might want an image where your subject is in focus from front to back, but you want the background to be as obscured as possible. Having gone through these exercises, you should be able to approximate what aperture you need to use, how close to the subject you need to be, and how far away the background needs to be. And you should be able to do it in a fairly short amount of time, too!

Achieving blurry backgrounds: final words

Manipulating depth of field to get blurry backgrounds may be a basic technique, but understanding fundamentals like these helps give you a well-rounded set of camera skills that will serve you well in your photography. 

The post Tips For Achieving Blurry Backgrounds When You Don’t Have a Fast Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.


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Roger Cicala: why I don’t use an MTF bench to test my own lenses

25 Oct
Roughly clockwise from left: 300mm collimator, laser transmission testing, lens test projector, Trioptics Imagemaster HR optical bench, spectrometry measurement. It might not look like much, but the total cost is similar to really nice house in a small city (or a decent house in big city).

I have a complete testing lab at my disposal: MTF benches, lens test projectors, spectrometers, lasers, an Imatest setup gathering dust in a back room; everything all the cool kids have. A lot of people assume I test the hell out of my own shiny new personal lenses after I buy them. (Yes, I buy my own stuff). I do test them, but not in the lab. I go out and take pictures with them.

It’s not because I’m such a great photographer that my practiced eye can tell more about the lens through photographs than any lab test could. I’m a mediocre photographer. Years ago I tried making a living as a photographer. I sold some prints once, made enough to pay for maybe half a lens, and after another six months without a sale I decided to explore other methods of supporting my extravagant lifestyle.

The lab is faster, gives tons of information, and makes cool graphs. But I still don’t use it to test my personal lenses

It’s not because the lab stuff doesn’t give useful information. The lab gives a LOT of useful information. Most people don’t have time to learn how to interpret it, or learn its value and limitations, but it’s useful information nonetheless. And the lab is fast; I can test a lens about 32 different ways in a couple of hours. My ‘test a lens with photography’ time is a half a day or more. So the lab is faster, gives tons of information, and makes cool graphs. But I still don’t use it to test my personal lenses.

Lab tests give a ton of precise information. Understanding and interpreting it is, I’ll admit, not completely intuitive.

That’s because all lab tests have some major limitations. The biggest one is this: real images are 3-dimensional, they are focused at a variety of distances, and almost always contain foregrounds and backgrounds. Optical tests are two-dimensional slices taken at a fixed focusing distance with no background or foreground. The focusing distance is infinity for an optical bench. It’s a single, close distance for Imatest / DxO / and other computer image analysis methods.

So, the lab tests tell me everything I want to know about the plane of exact best focus at one focusing distance. That’s really useful information, especially if you want to find out if a lens is optically maladjusted, want to know what kind of aberrations it has, or are interested in its maximum resolution. And it gives people numbers – the ammunition of choice in many a Forum War.

Even a three-dimensional standard comparison image, such as the kind that DPReview and other sites use, is basically limited to one focusing distance. That distance is different for different focal lengths but it’s always fairly close up. And, if it’s an indoor target, the depth of those targets is usually only a few feet at most; it’s not going to show you what the out of focus area 30 feet behind the image plane looks like.

What I actually do to test a new lens

Photographs give me far more information than the lab, even if it’s less exact. I don’t recommend brick wall or side-of-building photographs. Those are just 2-dimensional slices like the lab gives, but with more variables and less information. I want photographs of 3-dimensional subjects.

With the right background (I prefer a field or yard of grass) you can quickly compare resolution at a half-dozen focusing distances. Sure, some lenses are about the same at all distances, but many are not. No zoom lens is equally sharp at all focal lengths. My favorite grass field is a hill behind my office that slopes up away from me. I focus on the mower tracks and quickly get images at several focusing distances.

Simple grass slope image taken with a Canon 50mm F1.2 lens at F1.4.

Grass (or pebbles or concrete or all manner of things that make fairly uniform photographs filled with fine detail) are great for figuring out the zone of acceptable sharpness (for you) of a lens.

Repeating this set of images at several apertures lets me see at what aperture maximum center, middle, and edge sharpness occur (those are almost always different). It’s good to know things like there’s maximum center sharpness at F4 and the edges are at maximal sharpness at F6.3 or F8 or that they never get very sharp.

Grass is also great because it gives you a nice sharpness comparison as you leave the area of best focus. I also recommend looking at what you consider the depth of field at each aperture and focusing distance. Depth of field is not an area of maximal sharpness. It is an area of acceptable sharpness; there is greater and lesser sharpness within the depth of field. Your definitions of ‘acceptable sharpness’ in your images may be greater, or less, than the calculated depth of field.

You rarely see dramatic changes in a prime lens’ field curvature at different focusing distances, but you will usually see a dramatic change in a zoom’s field curvature at different focal lengths

More importantly, some lenses fall off of the sharpness cliff as they exit their area of maximal sharpness, others drift so slowly down the gentle sharpness slope that it really does seem as if the entire depth of field is maximally sharp. Also, that sharpness slope often changes at different apertures. Those are all good things to know.

The other thing I do is to take some of my grass images and run them through a Photoshop ‘Find Edges’ filter or equivalent. This will let you visualize the field curvature of your lens and see how it varies at different focal lengths or focusing distances. (Pro tip: you rarely see dramatic change in a prime lens’ field curvature at different focusing distances. You will, however, usually see a dramatic change in a zoom’s field curvature at different focal lengths.) That’s really useful information that few people know about their lenses. The find edges type filters are also a good way to look at depth of field at various apertures or with different lenses.

Same image as above (Canon 50mm F1.2) run through a find edges filter – the field curvature is obvious.
Field curvature of Canon 50mm F1.2 as measured on an optical bench. You get about the same information from the grass photo and find edges filter as you would from the $ 250,000 optical bench.

Grass shots also give you a superb way to see if your lens is softer in one area or if the field is tilted. The grass image above is very slightly tilted, an amount that’s about normal for a good prime lens. A more dramatic field curvature might look as though you’d rotated the dark area 15 or 20 degrees in Photoshop.

About half the people who take building or brick wall images and think their lens is ‘decentered’ actually have a lens with a field tilt; the lens is equally sharp on both sides, but not at the same distance as center focus. It’s actually very hard to detect a field tilt by shooting a chart and evaluating a two-dimensional image.

A large field tilt in a prime lens is unusual while a field tilt at some focal lengths of a zoom is pretty common. (I’ve seen 45 degree field tilts in zooms, but 10 degrees or so is routine.) If you return your zoom lens to the store for exchange, the replacement will probably have a different field tilt at another focal length.

People like to talk about a lens’ bokeh like it’s one thing, but bokeh often varies

If the lens is one for which I consider bokeh important, I use the a Bokelizer. Basically, this is a couple of strings of tiny Christmas lights hung in a three-dimensional pattern. I take some images at various focusing distances and evaluate the foreground and background in-focus highlights, as well as the in-focus lights. People like to talk about a lens’ bokeh like it’s one thing, but bokeh often varies in the foreground vs the background, at different focusing distances, and depending on how far off-center the object is for many lenses.

Why do I look at in-focus lights, since they have nothing to do with out-of-focus highlights? Because comparing pinpoint light sources is a superb way to see if the lens is optically maladjusted. ‘Optically maladjusted’ means a lens that has a decentered, tilted or poorly spaced element. On the forums, people often refer to all of these issues as ‘decentering’ but that’s less than correct.

Illustrations of the various types of optical maladjustments. In reality, a given lens usually has several small errors, rather than one single large one.

Each of those optical maladjustments causes different optical problems and often they’re apparent when looking at pinpoint light sources. Looking at pinpoint light sources also gives you an idea of the coma and other aberrations that the lens displays by design.

This image was created from equipment in the repair department that basically just projects pinhole lights. You can easily see the difference between a good lens (upper half) and one that is slightly decentered (bottom half).

Once I’m done with the stuff above, I go out and take the kinds of pictures that I bought the lens for. But the hour or two needed for the checks above gave me a lot of information about how to best use the lens’ strengths and weaknesses before I set off to shoot. It also shows me if the lens is optically maladjusted, and there’s no sense taking a bunch of photographs if I already know I’m going to return the lens.

Will taking pictures tell me if I got a copy that’s every bit as sharp as the copy Reviewer Guy got? Absolutely not. Does it let me spout numbers in ‘my lens is better than your lens’ Forum Wars? Again, no. But it certainly does tell me if the lens meets my expectations and will do the job I want it to do. Lab tests give me all manner of information, but they can’t tell me whether I’m going to like the images from the lens.

It doesn’t matter to me at all if I have the sharpest copy of a lens or not. I just want to know if it’s acceptable for the purposes I want to use it for

To be completely honest, if I think the lens isn’t as sharp as I expect, then I may actually take it to the lab and measure it on the bench. I’ve done that maybe twice in the last ten years out of a few dozen lenses I’ve purchased, and both times it turned out that the lens wasn’t up to spec. So, really, I knew the answer without using the bench.

Photographic testing won’t tell you if your lens is among the sharpest copies of that lens, or if it’s in the top half of the variation range or things like that. If you want to know that, then really you need to pay someone to test the lens on a test bench. Why don’t I do that? Because it doesn’t matter to me at all if I have the sharpest copy or not. I just want to know if it’s acceptable to me for my purposes.

Roger Cicala is the founder of Lensrentals.com. He started by writing about the history of photography a decade ago, but now mostly writes about the testing, construction and repair of lenses and cameras. He follows Josh Billings’ philosophy: “It’s better to know nothing than to know what ain’t so.”

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Instagram clarifies its sublicense terms don’t cover embedded images

06 Jun

Instagram has made a surprising announcement that will have big implications for photographers and anyone who uses its built-in ‘share’ function: it does not grant sublicenses to users for embedded images. The revelation comes amid lawsuits over embedded Instagram posts and allegations that embedding without permission or a license constitutes copyright infringement.

Instagram features a share button that, among other things, enables users to embed public posts on other sites. This is a common way to include social media content in an article or blog post, but that may change with the bombshell announcement from Instagram. In a statement to Ars Technica, Instagram’s parent company Facebook said that despite the fact that ‘while our terms allow us to grant a sub-license, we do not grant one for our embeds API.’

The company went on to state that users must get permission to embed the image from the copyright holder, this despite the fact that Instagram offers the embed function on all public images and does not allow individual users to disable the sharing option.

In light of this, users who embed Instagram posts without first getting permission or a license from the photographer may face a copyright lawsuit. We’ve seen two cases of this issue appear in court in recent months, one involving digital media website Mashable and, more recently, another involving Newsweek.

In the first case, photographer Stephanie Sinclair filed a copyright lawsuit against Mashable after it embedded one of her Instagram posts without permission. The court ultimately sided with Mashable and ruled that Instagram’s terms allowed it to grant a sublicense for images. In the Newsweek case, however, the court sided with photographer Elliot McGucken and found that more details are needed to determine whether Instagram’s terms cover sublicenses for embedded images.

In the Newsweek case, Judge Katherine Failla references the Mashable ruling, stating:

‘The Court finds Judge Wood’s decision to be well-reasoned and sees little cause to disagree with that court’s reading of Instagram’s Terms of Use and other policies … The Terms of Use unequivocally grant Instagram a license to sublicense Plaintiff’s publicly posted content … Nevertheless, the Court cannot dismiss Plaintiff’s claims based on this licensing theory at this stage in the litigation … there is no evidence before the Court of a sublicense between Instagram and Defendant … Although Instagram’s various terms and policies clearly foresee the possibility of entities such as Defendant using web embeds to share other users’ content … none of them expressly grants a sublicense to those who embed publicly posted content.’

Ars Technica contacted Facebook to find out whether its sublicense terms cover embedded images — and the company says it does not. The revelation was very surprising and will fundamentally change the way users share Instagram posts, though it is a win for professional photographers who are frustrated over how the platform currently operates.

As Sinclair pointed out in the Mashable lawsuit, Instagram is one of the most popular image-sharing websites, but it gives photographers little control over how their images are used: they can either make the images public and therefore open to embedding or make them private to restrict embedding, limiting the platform’s usefulness for photographers seeking an audience.

With Facebook’s public statement on Instagram’s lack of sublicensing for embedded images, future copyright cases will not be able to follow in Mashable’s footsteps. Instagram has been criticized for failing to give photographers more control over how their images are shared and this new revelation will likely add fuel to that fire.

Though users are warned when they embed an image that they must follow Instagram’s terms, most are unlikely to actually read those terms and may not understand the intricacies of sublicensing and how it relates to embedded content. This would put unaware users at risk of copyright lawsuits for using the feature Instagram makes readily available.

In a statement to Ars Technica, Instagram said that it is ‘exploring the possibility’ of allowing photographers to control whether their images can be embedded…presumably without having to make their account private. It is far from certain whether this feature will actually be deployed, however, and how long it may take to introduce this additional control.

Whether Instagram’s statement will have a far-reaching impact on copyright lawsuits and how content is shared on the Internet is yet to be seen, however. Questions remain over the ‘server test’ and whether Instagram, not its users, is liable for infringing use of its embed feature. It seems likely that Newsweek will appeal the judge’s ruling with a server test defense, but only the future will tell how this all plays out.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon EOS R5: Here’s why you probably don’t need 8K right now (and a few reasons why you might)

23 Mar

Here’s why you probably don’t need 8K right now (and why you might)

Canon’s recent announcement of the new EOS R5 wasn’t completely unexpected, but one of the camera’s key specifications, 8K video, did catch us a bit by surprise. 8K video has been in development for several years, but to date it’s mostly been limited to Hollywood-level cinema production and tech demos by Japanese broadcaster NHK.

With the R5 it looks like that may be about to change. In fact, we now know that the R5 will be able to capture 8K/30p using the full width of the sensor. Of course, there’s a lot more to video quality than just resolution, and we don’t expect the R5 to challenge a camera like the RED Helium 8K, but the fact that 8K is making its way into any consumer mirrorless camera suggests that this could be the tip of the iceberg.

With that in mind, let’s look at some reasons why you probably don’t need 8K video anytime soon – as well as a few reasons why you might.

Almost nobody is watching 8K

8K displays are absolutely incredible, and once you’ve seen one in person you can’t unsee it. It’s exciting to think that some day 8K displays will be everywhere.

But today, they’re not everywhere. In fact, they aren’t really anywhere except for niche locations like post-production environments or the living room of that guy down the street who always has the latest gizmo (and isn’t afraid to pay top dollar for it). Sure, 8K TVs are coming down in price, but they still run into the thousands of dollars and it will be a while before they’re commonplace.

8K TVs are coming down in price, but they still run into the thousands of dollars…

There’s also the question of whether most viewers will be able to see the difference between 4K and 8K. Even with good eyesight, human vision at typical viewing distances will be a limiting factor unless you’re using an exceptionally large display.

In short, there’s really no reason to get an 8K camera in order to deliver 8K content today.

You’ll probably need a new computer

Unless you’re in the high-end video production business, or possibly a really serious gamer, chances are pretty good that your current computer won’t be up to the task of editing 8K video.

The same thing happened when 4K video came on the scene. It wasn’t uncommon to discover that video rigs designed to cut through 1080p footage like butter could get mired down when working in 4K. We needed faster processors, faster video cards, faster storage and, of course, new 4K displays to take advantage of all that resolution.

We can expect similar challenges in the early days of 8K video. Early adopters will pay a premium to upgrade their editing equipment, so unless you really need to shoot 8K today it might be better to wait a couple years for better, and more affordable, mainstream support.

The files will be huge

Remember when we first started shooting 4K video and discovered just how big the files could be compared to HD? We needed larger memory cards, more of them, and in may cases, faster cards to accommodate the increased bit rates required for high quality 4K. Check out our recent review of the Panasonic S1H for a real world example of how this impacted DPReview’s Richard Butler.

Remember when we first started shooting 4K video and discovered just how big the files could be compared to HD?

Larger files also resulted in workflow changes. Some videographers who were used to editing entire projects on a laptop’s internal hard drive had to start carrying around external hard drives, and later, portable SSDs. Even archiving projects required more storage.

High quality 8K video will, to some degree, begin this cycle over again. At least this time we’re starting out in a world in which SSDs are ubiquitous, but we’re still going to need larger SSDs and faster connections to effectively work with 8K files. The good news is that SSDs are gaining capacity as prices continue to fall, and USB 4 promises to deliver faster connections for consumers without the high cost of Thunderbolt, but early adopters will again pay a premium.

Your current video lenses might hit their limits

A single frame of 4K video delivers around 8.2MP of resolution, something that’s comfortably within the resolving range of almost any lens from the modern digital era (and many earlier ones). In contrast, 8K video delivers roughly 33MP frames.

That’s within the working range of quite a few still cameras, and many recent optics are certainly capable of resolving that level of detail. If you already have higher resolving lenses that’s great, but if you’ve been shooting video using older lenses – including some from the digital era – you may find that you need to upgrade your glass to get the most out of 8K video.

To capture still photos from video

We’ve talked about several reasons why you probably don’t need 8K video today, but let’s consider a few reasons why you might want it anyway.

One might be to capture high quality still images from video. Heck, even 4K video provides enough resolution for many purposes, and features like Panasonic’s 4K and 6K Photo modes have been useful to many photographers. Having the option to capture 33MP images from video takes this to a whole new level.

At a recent NAB Show, Canon displayed a gallery of stunning photos that were extracted from 8K video frames; the quality was so high that they could have been shot with a modern DSLR. Of course, extracting photos from video may not be the ideal workflow for all types of photography, but for some it can work very well. We may very well see 8K photo modes on some cameras. Maybe even the R5.

For video post-production

8K video will provide immediate advantages when shooting and editing 4K projects; the camera operator will be able to plan a shot knowing it will be possible to ‘punch in’ later, and the editor will have more creative flexibility when cutting the project together.

The resolution provided by 8K will facilitate 2x cropping to 4K in post with no apparent loss of resolution, making it possible to simulate longer lenses or edit out distracting elements at the edges of a scene. It will also enable editing tricks like virtual zooms and pans. These techniques are frequently employed when editing 4K footage for HD delivery, but now the entire process can be scaled up.

8K will also allow you to do better green screen work. Good chroma-keying depends on the ability to discern fine details around the edges of your subject, such as hair. The more resolution you have to play with, the better. Other factors, such as color sub-sampling, are also important to the quality of green screen work, but all else being equal more resolution is an advantage.

To create even better 4K video

4K video is impressively detailed, but oversampled 4K video is even more detailed. So, even if you don’t need to create virtual crops, zooms or pans in your video you’ll still benefit from the effects of oversampling.

We’ve already seen a number of mirrorless cameras that oversample 4K in-camera, typically from a 6K starting point. However, sampling theory says that 8K is the minimum resolution you need to correctly capture the maximum resolution that 4K can show. In effect, it’s perfect oversampling, similar to the way the original Sony a7S (above) captured 4K and downsampled it to 1080 with zero luma aliasing.

To future-proof equipment

This one is tricky because it requires us to predict the future a bit more. However, there are a couple useful data points we can look at: 1) As a consumer technology, 4K video experienced more rapid adoption than many expected, and 2) The trend among camera buyers is to upgrade their cameras less frequently than they did in the past.

This suggests that 8K technology could be widely available more quickly than we anticipate as well. In fact, it’s already showing up on some smartphones. As a result, if you plan to keep your next camera for a while and want to make sure it’s future-proof, then it may be a good idea to ensure your next purchase is 8K-ready.

To future-proof content

There was a time when widespread access to HD TVs and displays seemed a long way off, but savvy content creators, including a lot of small, independent videographers, were already producing content in HD instead of SD. Why? Because they knew that if they didn’t, once HD was more widely adopted their content would appear dated quickly (and possibly even be excluded from some platforms).

This was true during the transition from HD to 4K as well, and we’ll likely see a similar trend as we move to 8K. Whether the visual difference between 4K and 8K at standard viewing distances is as noticeable as the previous transitions is debatable: both have so much detail it might be difficult to tell them apart.

Whether the visual difference between 4K and 8K at standard viewing distances is as noticeable as the previous transitions is debatable…

However, screens keep getting larger over time: the 24″ TV that sat in a family’s living room in the 1980s became a 65″ TV by the 2010s. If screens get big enough, the difference between 4K and 8K might actually become noticeable. There’s a counter argument to this, of course, which is that many people watch more content on the tiny screen that fits in their pocket than on a TV, so it depends a lot on your target audience.

Ultimately, if future-proofing your content is important, it might make sense to begin working in 8K early.

8K is coming, but do you need it now?

The Canon EOS R5 is likely the first of many cameras we’ll see with 8K video. At a technical level, we should at least recognize that this is a pretty impressive accomplishment for any manufacturer. However, whether you truly need 8K video in the near future is debatable.

If you’re the type of person who mostly shoots video to capture your own life adventures, share movies with friends on social media, or does fairly minimal editing on the video you shoot then there’s little incentive to adopt 8K today. Chances are good that you won’t notice much difference.

If you’re the type of person who mostly shoots video to capture your own life adventures… chances are good that you won’t notice much difference.

On the other hand, if you’re serious about video and produce 4K content, 8K has the potential to benefit your workflow: cropping to 4K in post, digital pans and zooms, and downsampling to create better 4K video being just a few examples. 8K will appeal to some stills photographers as well. Do you enjoy using 4K and 6K photo modes on your camera to nail the perfect frame? If so, you’ll probably love 8K photos.

Not sure if 8K is in your future? You can watch this 8K video on YouTube while you decide. Of course, you’ll need an 8K monitor to properly watch it, which you can find here. We’ll wait while you try it out.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon EOS R5 Is Being Developed, But Don’t Forget About the R1

27 Feb

The post Canon EOS R5 Is Being Developed, But Don’t Forget About the R1 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

news-canon-eos-r5-development

The Canon EOS R5 hasn’t yet hit the shelves, but the rumors keep coming regarding Canon’s full-frame mirrorless line.

Rumors which promise something even more exciting (for those of us who can be patient, that is!).

Now, the Canon EOS R5 is plenty thrilling in its own right. It was officially announced by Canon earlier this month and is positioned to correct a number of the much-criticized flaws of the Canon EOS R and EOS RP, Canon’s two major full-frame mirrorless offerings.

In particular, the R5 promises to feature some form of in-body image stabilization, which is considered by many to be a defining aspect of mirrorless technology.

The R5 will also offer dual card slots, 20 frames-per-second continuous shooting with the electronic shutter (this drops to 12 frames per second with the mechanical shutter), and an incredible 8K video recording capability. The R5 is rumored to begin shipping sometime this July.

Canon is calling the R5 its “most advanced full-frame mirrorless camera ever,” and they’re undoubtedly right, though some might claim the EOS R/RP duo set a low bar.

That said, Canon seems determined to push their mirrorless lineups to greater heights. According to Canon Rumors, the R5 is “definitely not the ‘professional’ EOS R mirrorless camera” that Canon is developing, in reference to an action-focused mirrorless camera teased by Canon, one that would potentially rival the Sony a9 Mark II, as well as the Nikon D6 and the Canon 1D X Mark III.

Canon Rumors states that the “professional” camera, dubbed the “EOS R1,” should appear in 2021, and suggests that there may be a reveal in the final months of 2020.

In a sense, this Canon EOS R1 is only interesting as a marvel of innovation. We all want to see Canon push its mirrorless development to the next level (though advanced features do have a tendency to trickle down to lower models). But the EOS R1 will almost certainly be prohibitively expensive, and it won’t be the type of camera the average photographer wants or needs. Instead, it’ll be like its potential competitors, the 1D X Mark III, and the D6: interesting in concept, but relevant only for a niche audience.

The EOS R5, on the other hand, may be positioned much like the Canon 5D Mark IV. The 5D Mark IV is an impressive camera, and while it’s not Canon’s “true” professional option, it’s a body used by plenty of professionals. Many of these photographers hoped to see an upgrade in the form of the Canon EOS R and were disappointed by its lack of IBIS and single card slot.

So maybe, with the EOS R5, Canon will finally produce what was hoped for over a year ago.

What do you think? Are you excited about the EOS R5? How about the R1? If so, why? Let me know in the comments!

The post Canon EOS R5 Is Being Developed, But Don’t Forget About the R1 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Don’t Be Afraid to Say These Things to Your Photography Clients

11 Jan

The post Don’t Be Afraid to Say These Things to Your Photography Clients appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

say-these-things-to-your-photography-clients

Shooting photos for clients is an interesting business. People pay you to take great photos, but you also have to balance your photographic goals with the very human side of the job. You can’t just boss people around and expect them to come back or give you positive word-of-mouth. On the other hand, you can’t let your clients walk all over you. There’s a fine line between assertiveness and rudeness. However, as long as you are polite and respectful you should never be afraid to say these things to your photography clients.

say these things to your photography clients

Nikon D750, 86mm, f/4, ISO 2800, 1/400 second

“I don’t offer discounts”

If you have been in this business for a while, you have almost certainly had clients ask you about some kind of sale, discount, sweetheart deal, or other tactic to get you to lower your prices.

I used to feel self-conscious about these sorts of requests, thinking I had some kind of obligation to accommodate my clients who didn’t want to pay full price. The thought of not offering a discount made me feel arrogant and cold-hearted.

The truth is, you are worth your price. If people want to hire you to do your best work, then there is no shame in asking them to pay for it. If someone asks for a special deal, politely but firmly decline. Tell them that your prices are competitive and you will take beautiful photos for a reasonable fee.

say these things to your photography clients

Nikon D750, 92mm, f/4, ISO 220, 1/180 second

Additionally, don’t use the phrase “I’m sorry” when discussing your prices. You should never have to apologize for charging what you are worth!

You might think you are being polite, but you have nothing to apologize for. So you shouldn’t feel obligated to say it.

I have had several situations where potential clients have asked me about offering discounts. At first, I felt uncomfortable sticking to my guns. However, every single time I declined to go down in price, I have felt good about the decision. Plus, the clients were still happy with my photos.

Recently someone asked me about taking photos of her daughter’s graduation. When I told her my price, she winced and asked if I offered any type of discount. I said no, and she eventually went with another photographer who had a cheaper rate.

While a part of me wishes I could have gotten this woman’s business, I think of the ramifications if I had gone down in price.

say these things to your photography clients

Nikon D750, 110mm, f/2.8, ISO 160, 1/125 second

She would have expected a similar discount on future sessions, and she would have almost certainly told her friends about this great photographer she knows who gave them a really good discount.

That would have started things off on the wrong foot with other potential clients who might be expecting me to drop my price.

The implications for lowering your prices can be much worse in the long run. So you should never feel bad for saying these things to your photography clients.

“You have something on your face”

There are many ways to fix blemishes, pimples, dust, dirt, and other imperfections in Photoshop.

I have had clients joke about taking ten pounds or twenty years off in Photoshop. That always makes me a little uncomfortable since I think my clients look great just as they are.

With almost every photo session, there is some type of artificial issue that can easily be fixed right on the spot.

If not addressed right away, these things can add hours to your post-processing time.

say these things to your photography clients

Nikon D750, 135mm, f/2.8, ISO 500, 1/350 second

You might feel a little nervous or uncomfortable telling your clients that they have a stray hair on their cheek or a spot of dirt on their shoulder. I know what that’s like, having been in the situation many times!

Kids are fussy, the wind is blowing, rain is starting to fall, and you feel like you’re adding yet another burden to your clients by telling them they’ve got something on their face.

On the contrary, don’t be afraid to say these things to your clients! Every time I have neglected to mention an issue while taking pictures, I have regretted it afterward.

If you fix a blemish on a single photo, you have to fix it on all the photos. If it takes one minute to fix the first time, multiply that by 20, 50, or 100, and the simple task quickly turns to tedium.

Image: Nikon D750, 92mm, f/2.8, ISO 400, 1/250 second

Nikon D750, 92mm, f/2.8, ISO 400, 1/250 second

Not once have I had a client get upset, offended, or otherwise bothered when I told them about a problem like this. If anything, they have appreciated my watchful eye and attention to detail!

Kindly and politely tell them that they have a leaf on their dress, a speck on their forehead, or a butterfly resting on their shoulder. (I’m not kidding, it has happened!) You can deal with it in a few seconds and move on, instead of worrying about it and then wasting hours of your time editing it out on your computer.

“Sure, let’s try your idea”

Any time I prepare for a photo shoot, I always make sure I know the location, the types of photos the clients want, and other pertinent information. I even built several custom photo benches that I bring with me in case people need a place to sit. Basically, I try to have all my bases covered so I can make sure the session goes smoothly.

However, sometimes clients have other ideas. When that happens, I used to get defensive – I’m the professional, my clients need to listen to me!

On a sports team, it’s the players’ job to listen to their coach, and if every person on the field did things his or her own way, the game would be lost in short order.

say these things to your photography clients

Nikon D750, 112mm, f/4, ISO 1600, 1/250 second.

A photo session isn’t a sporting event, and you are a photographer, not a coach, and certainly not a dictator. You have great ideas for how to carry out the session, but your clients might too. It also behooves you to show them you care and will listen to their suggestions.

Even if you might not particularly like an idea that your clients have for poses, locations, or props, you might be surprised at the results. At the very least, it will send a message to your clients that you are flexible and willing to listen to them.

Even if the photos aren’t your favorite, word of mouth from your clients will help build a good reputation for you!

say these things to your photography clients

Nikon D750, 50mm, f/1.8, f/2, ISO 320, 1/250 second.

The image above is one example of how this can work out well for you and your clients. After I shot this family in the middle of a park, one of them told me he wanted to get a picture by a bridge. I was a little hesitant since the lighting and location weren’t my favorite, but I was happy to oblige. These photos turned out to be their favorite from the entire session!

“I have a location I prefer”

This seems a little counter to the last bit of advice since the idea here is to not take your clients suggestions into account. If you shoot outdoors, as I and many others do, you probably have some particular spots you like to use. Your locations have good lighting, pleasant surroundings, few people, and no bothersome elements like trash cans or street signs. You have used these locations many times, and they work great!

Your clients might have other ideas, though, and this is when it’s important to push back a little. I have had clients ask to do photos in spots that might look great for social media selfies, but they just aren’t well suited to a formal photo session.

In these situations, there’s nothing wrong with gently but firmly steering them to a location you prefer.

say these things to your photography clients

Nikon D750, 200mm, f/2.8, ISO 280, 1/250 second

It might seem harsh or uncaring to say these things to your photography clients, but it’s all about setting expectations.

When it comes to choosing a location, you know things your clients don’t. You pay attention to aspects of lighting and composition they would never think about.

If a potential client is insistent on using a spot that you would rather not use, show them your portfolio and explain the reason that you want to do it at another location.

Ultimately it’s your call – you can go with a spot they want, and the pictures might turn out great. But there’s a good chance you will encounter unforeseen obstacles, distractions, and other issues that will lead to sub-par photos.

If your client is insistent, you can politely tell them you won’t be able to meet their needs and recommend another photographer instead. Or you can do the session anyway, but make sure to scout the location first so you can prepare for what awaits.

Image: Nikon D750, 150mm, f/4, ISO 1100, 1/250 second

Nikon D750, 150mm, f/4, ISO 1100, 1/250 second

“Photos will be ready in two weeks, but not sooner.”

Your own timeframe for this might differ, but you must be honest with clients about these types of expectations.

They might have other ideas in mind based on experiences their friends have had with other photographers. If you need a specific amount of time to deliver the photos, then make sure to stand by what you say.

Be sure to explain this early when you establish a relationship with your clients, so they know right away what to expect. You don’t want them complaining on social media because they thought you would deliver their photos the very next day!

Let them know that you need time to carefully cull, edit, and even print their photos. A few extra days of work can mean the difference between good photos and frame-worthy portraits to hang on a living room wall.

say these things to your photography clients

Fuji X100F, 23mm, f/5.6, ISO 320, 1/125 second

Expectations

One trick is to under-promise and over-deliver. I let my clients know that they will receive their final images within three weeks. I almost always send their photos in two weeks. So in their eyes, I have not only met their expectations but vastly exceeded them.

Your clients might want photos quickly, but if you need time to do your post-processing, be firm and stick to your guns. Quality takes time, and you’re not just slapping on a filter like you would see on some social media apps.

And if you need a few weeks to work your magic, then make sure your clients know what to expect.

Image: Nikon D750, 50mm, f/1.8, f/5.6, ISO 6400, 1/90 second. (Using a +4 close-up filter)

Nikon D750, 50mm, f/1.8, f/5.6, ISO 6400, 1/90 second. (Using a +4 close-up filter)

Conclusion

At the end of the day, this is all about establishing a positive, healthy, and productive relationship with your clients.

Always be respectful, and always treat them how you would prefer to be treated yourself. If you say these things to your photography clients it will help send the message that you are a serious professional. Moreover, they will likely want to keep working with you well into the future.

We hope Don’t Be Afraid to Say These Things to Your Photography Clients will help you on your photographic journey. Do you have other things that you feel can be said to clients that can help the session run smoother? If so, share it with us in the comments!

 

The post Don’t Be Afraid to Say These Things to Your Photography Clients appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.


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Godox SL60W Review – A Light for Those that Don’t Like Flash

07 Jul

The post Godox SL60W Review – A Light for Those that Don’t Like Flash appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sean McCormack.

The SL60W is a monobloc-style LED continuous light from Godox. Godox is probably more well known for its excellent flash systems, which incorporates everything from small Speedlites to 600W battery flashes. We’ll see if they can also match this excellence in continuous light with the Godox SL60W.

About the light

While taking the look of a monobloc, the Godox SL60W is actually smaller than a typical studio flash head. It still weighs in at a hefty 1.6kg. First impressions of this light in the box were that it was a little smaller than I expected and that although it looked plastic, it looked well made.

Removing the light hood revealed the LED itself and the aluminum heatsink. It gave the light an immediate hi-tech look – instantly increasing the perceived build of the lamp. The heatsink, combined with the internal fan, keeps the LED chip cool.

As the LED lamp is a combined controller chip and LED, it means the light has a high CRI, translating to accurate and consistent color in use. Rated at 5600k ±300, this is daylight balanced, which matches your midday light and any flashes you may have.

In the box are a long IEC cable, a Bowens mount reflector and remote control. The remote needs AAA batteries (not included). The remote can be set to 16 channels with 4 groups, the same as the light. This allows for a large number of lights to be controlled remotely. While the remote does appear to allow temperature changes, this light is white light only. You can dim the light from 100-10%. A single pushes give 1% changes while holding down the + or – buttons speeds this up. You can also turn the LED off from the remote, while the light remains powered up.

As well as the remote, you can dim the light from the dial on the back, and power on and off.

The included reflector has a pop-out hole that allows an umbrella shaft to run through, for better on-axis light modification.

Specifications

The Godox SL60W has the following specifications:

  • AC Power Supply: AC 100~240V 50/60Hz
  • Channels: 16
  • Groups: 6 Groups (A-F)
  • Power: 60W
  • Color Temperature: 5600k ± 200K
  • 100% Illuminance (LUX): 4100 (1M)
  • 100% Luminous Flux: 4500
  • Color Rendering Index: >93
  • TLCI (Qa): >95
  • R9: >80
  • Light Brightness Range: 10%-100%
  • Operation Temperature: 10-50ºC
  • Safe Temperature: <70ºC
  • Dimension: 23X24X14cm (without lamp cover)
  • Net Weight: 1.61kg approx

The key things to note are that the light can be used worldwide and has high color accuracy.

Why continuous light?

Despite having years of experience with flash, I get that it takes time to learn. You’re effectively guessing what the light will look like, every time. With continuous light, there is no guessing. You turn it on and modify it as you see fit. Every change you make is there before your eyes. You can immediately see if it’s bright enough, and whether or not moving the light will improve the shot.

The first and foremost thought about using the SL60W is that what you see is quite literally what you get. No guessing or external metering required. Your in-camera meter will give an accurate reading and those on mirrorless with preview simulation on will see the shot in-camera before shooting (same for Live View users with Exposure Simulation on).

You’re reading this article at a photography site, but it’s worth mentioning that this light is perfect for basic lighting applications for video such as YouTube channels. Yes, it has a fan, but the light position behind camera mixed with directional mics should minimize this during recording.

Changing the look

You may be considering this light for food or product photography, so here’s how you can change the look of the light to get a variety of photo options. There are a few ways of getting modifiers onto the light. The most basic is the umbrella slot in the stand mount, coupled with the standard reflector. You can use either bounce or shoot-through umbrellas for this.

Further options open up with the Bowens mount. Any modifier than can fit a studio light with a Bowens  S-type mount will work. As most studio lights have modeling bulbs that heat up inside the modifier, it should work no bother with the SL60W.

Hard light

With just the included reflector you get a crisp hard light. Placing the edge of the light roughly 2-feet from the side of the plate gives you an in-camera reading of 1/400sec ISO200 at f/2.4. (My Fuji has a default ISO of 200).

By bringing in a white foamcore card from the opposite side, it fills in the shadows. While the hard shadows from the reflector are still visible, the bounced light softened the overall look.

Soft light

By placing a shoothru umbrella on the light, you’ll get a softer light, but at the expense of lower power. This is because you tend to lose about two-stops of light when using any kind of diffuser modifier.

I’m using a Westcott double fold with the black back removed. The umbrella edge is also about 6-inches closer to the plate than the reflector, giving you a reading of 1/160 ISO200 at f/2.4. Not quite a full two-stop drop, but close. Notice how much softer the shadows are, even without a bounce card.

 

Adding your card again makes a difference. You could increase the shutter speed to compensate, but this sample hasn’t changed to show the increased light in the scene

Lighting product

With photographing products, it’s similar. Here’s the hard light scene on some colorful products. The high CRI means that you know you have good color accuracy here.

First, the reflector.

Using the white reflector card:

And the umbrella:

Finally, here’s how the umbrella looks with the foamcore card.

 

If you’re shooting for e-commerce, or even like this situation where you need to create product shots for reviews or tutorials, the SL60W makes it remarkably easy.

Here are a few random shots in this vein.

Godox SL60w lighting a product set

I’ve started making camera wrist straps and bracelets, so this light makes it easy to capture shots of my work.

Portraits

Again, the “what you see is what you get” factor is great. Using Fuji’s iOS app, I could pose myself easily for this self-portrait. Here I’ve used a Neewer 26″ Octagonal Softbox. This is now my go-to YouTube video setup.

Conclusions

The Godox SL60W is a keenly-priced continuous light with accurate color, good remote control, and more than adequate output for most of your indoor lighting applications. As well as photo applications, you’ll find it’s also usable for video – something more and more photographers are involved in.

If you need more light, the Godox SL200W is a higher-powered option.

I can’t speak to the long term reliability of the product yet, but I do own quite a few Godox products – some for quite a few years – and they still function perfectly.

 

Godox SL60W Continuous Light

The post Godox SL60W Review – A Light for Those that Don’t Like Flash appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sean McCormack.


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Don’t Lose Your Photos – How to Store Photos While Traveling

03 Jul

The post Don’t Lose Your Photos – How to Store Photos While Traveling appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

Travel photography is one of the most fun and rewarding things to do while away from home. But whether you’re a hobbyist or pro, it’s important to have a solid backup plan for your photos. After all, it’s all fun and games until someone loses a memory card; or has a camera stolen; or accidentally formats a card. Catch my drift? There are countless ways to lose your images while traveling. In some cases, there’s a chance for data recovery, and in other cases, it’s pretty much hopeless. So it’s best to plan ahead for the worst case scenario with a backup plan.

How to store photos - travel photography workflow backup

Having just returned from several international trips that involved both travel photography and videography, I have a workflow that has kept my data safe. In this post, I’ll share how to store photos with my travel photography workflow.

It’s worth noting that I was traveling for a paid job that lasted three weeks, and I used four different cameras, so my workflow may seem like overkill to some.

However, consider this: there are a plethora of camera devices out there, such as drones, smartphones, mirrorless cameras, and waterproof point-and-shoots. Thus, I don’t think it’s unreasonable that some of you might also travel with multiple recording devices, even if just for a vacation.

What I bring with me

Memory cards

You can never have too many memory cards. Some photographers advocate for bringing one memory card for each day that you are traveling, but that can be tough if you’re away for more than 2 weeks. My rule of thumb, especially if I’m recording 4K video, is to bring enough cards to fill my memory card wallet. In my case, I use a Pelican 0915 case that holds a total of 12 SD cards, so I bring 12. When one card is filled, I have the label facing inwards so I know not to use it. If I can help it, I never format or delete a memory card when I’m on the road. Thus, my memory cards are one layer of data protection.

Two portable hard drives

I also bring at least two portable hard drives with me. One is a 1TB Samsung SSD hard drive, which I consider my secondary backup. It’s a bit pricey as far as hard drives go, but considering that it is a compact SSD hard drive, it is fantastic for doing photo and video editing on. I also bring a 4TB LaCie rugged hard drive. Its high capacity storage means I should never run out of space while on a trip. Also, in the case of both the SSD and rugged drives, they can take a bit of a beating, which is also important for travel. Don’t skimp on quality and bring a non-rugged hard drive with you. All it takes is a light blow to destroy them.

how to store photos - backup drives

Laptop computer

Try as I may, I can’t find a viable travel photography workflow that doesn’t involve bringing a laptop computer, especially if I’m shooting for a client. It’s too important to be able to carefully review all of my work each night and sometimes churn out quick edits on the go. However, if you’re dealing with smaller files or simply lower volumes of media, an iPad could work for you, as long as you can connect your hard drives and memory cards.

Why multiple hard drives?

The thing about hard drives is that they will inevitably crash on you. Sometimes, it’s for an obvious reason (ie. dropping it), and other times it will happen for seemingly no reason at all. Plus, there’s also the danger of losing a hard drive or having it stolen from you. Thus, you want to have at least two hard drives, each with a copy of your photos and videos on it. When traveling, put the hard drives in different bags. That way, you’ll still have a copy if a bag goes missing.

how to store photos - travel photography workflow

My travel photography backup workflow

Before shooting

I almost always use multiple cameras these days including my primary Fujifilm X-T3, DJI Osmo Pocket, GoPro Hero 7 Black, and Samsung Galaxy S10. All four of these devices are capable of capturing high-resolution photos and videos, which is both a blessing and a curse. They all take the same type of memory card (SD card, or microSD with SD card adapter), so the first thing I do is label each memory card with a silver sharpie. I write my last name and a number so I can tell each memory card apart.

I also go into each camera device and make sure the date and time are accurate and synced across all devices. This is especially important if you are on a long trip and are shooting with multiple cameras. If my camera allows for it, I also customize the folder name where the media is recorded to. This helps for distinguishing what media comes from which camera at the end of the day.

how to store photos - travel photography workflow backup

After shooting

At the end of each day, I sit down with my laptop and review the day’s media from each camera. I create folders on both hard drives and name the folders based on the date of the shoot, what camera the media is coming from, and how many total items there are (ie. 30 May_Fujifilm XT3_130 Items). Folder name structure is again very important if you’re shooting with multiple cameras on multiple days. It helps you keep your media organized and easy to find.

Going over this process is helpful not only for feeling more inspired to keep shooting, but also to ensure that my gear is clean and working properly. You can only see so much detail from a camera’s LCD preview screen. I make sure that if one memory card is full, I place it label facing down in my memory card wallet so I don’t delete it.

travel photography workflow backup

What about cloud backups?

I know some of you will wonder about backing up your photos to a cloud service, and this is certainly a possibility. However, this is highly dependent on two things: 1) what format are you shooting in and how large your files are, and 2) how fast is your Internet upload speed? Personally, cloud backups are not reliable for me mainly because I shoot RAW photos and 4K video. Each is too large to upload to the cloud unless I happen to have ultra-fast Internet speed. However, in a perfect world (i.e., my Gigabit Internet that I have at home), I do cloud backups of my photos and videos on both Google Photos and SmugMug.

In Conclusion

The key to the best photography workflow is to have one in place and do what works for you. Mine is based on my particular needs and shooting style, but it doesn’t have to be what you choose. What’s most important is to recognize that things do go wrong and it’s incredibly easy to lose your photos or videos.

So make sure you have a backup plan in place both on the road and when at home.

What does your photography workflow look like? Let me know in the comments below!

 

how to store photos while traveling

The post Don’t Lose Your Photos – How to Store Photos While Traveling appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.


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The 7 Nature Photography Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making

19 Jun

The post The 7 Nature Photography Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Do you like to do nature photography?

Then you might be making these 7 mistakes.

And here’s the thing:

These nature photography mistakes are the kind that you don’t even know you’re making. They’re the type of mistakes that are easy to miss, but they’re absolutely critical to your photography.

To discover these mistakes (and to ensure you never make them again!), read on!

1. Shooting under bad lighting

I’m going to start with the single most critical, most common mistake I see nature photographers making:

Shooting in poor lighting conditions.

Because good light is absolutely essential to good nature photography.

In fact, I’d go so far as to say that without good light, you cannot get a good photo. It’s so easy to have the perfect setup, the perfect composition, and the perfect settings…

…only to ruin the shot with bad light.

So what counts as bad light?

Two main situations.

First, shooting under the harsh, midday sun will pretty much always ruin your shots. The midday sun just isn’t good for nature photography!

And second, shooting in low light, at any time of the day. Unless you’re shooting with a tripod, your shots will end up grainy or blurry, which you definitely don’t want.

Which begs the question:

What is good light?

I recommend that you do nature photography at two main times.

First, you can capture some great nature photography under cloudy skies. Cloudy light is especially great for photography that involves color because the clouds diffuse the light and saturate the colors.

Second, you can always rely on the golden hours, which are the two hours after sunrise and before sunset. Golden-hour light is warm, wonderful and, well, golden. It’s perfect for capturing that stunning, once-in-a-lifetime shot.

In fact, most of the best nature photography you’ve seen was probably taken during golden hour. It’s just that amazing!

2. Shooting your subject from a standing height

Here’s another common nature photography mistake:

Not paying attention to your angle!

(More specifically, photographing from a standing height, so that you’re shooting down toward your subject.)

This is especially problematic in wildlife and macro photography, where shooting downward conveys a sense of dominance and separation.

Instead of shooting downward, try to get on a level with your subject. That way, the viewer will feel much more connected, like they’re in the same world as your subject.

And don’t just shoot from a single angle. Try to experiment with different possibilities, and take note of the way a different angle results in a different nature photo.

This is a great way to get out of a creative rut: Force yourself to shoot a subject from an angle you’ve never used before. Get on the ground and shoot upward!

3. Using a (slightly) messy background

In nature photography, the background is absolutely essential.

If you don’t include the perfect background, then your photos just won’t stun the viewer.

And one of the easiest mistakes to make is using a messy background.

You’ve got to do everything you can to avoid the mess. You must avoid chaos. Instead, you need to produce a background that’s as simple as possible:

  • Uniform in color
  • No additional subjects
  • No lines or shapes

Your goal is to make your subject stand out. And to do that, you have to eliminate everything that’s unnecessary in the background. Only include the essentials.

4. Photographing low-quality subjects

Once you’ve found a subject…

…do you check to make sure that it’s not damaged, dirty, or poor quality?

It’s so easy to forget this step. And yet it’s critical to capturing a stunning nature photo.

I recommend you always do a quick evaluation of your subject.

If it’s a flower, then you’ll want to ask yourself:

  • Are there any blemishes or holes?
  • Are there any spots of dirt or mud?
  • Are there any insects in the center of the flower?

If it’s a landscape, then think about:

  • Whether there’s any litter or human-made items
  • Whether your foreground subject is damaged

Your evaluation doesn’t need to be in-depth. You should just spend enough time to be certain your subject is in good shape.

5. Not including a point of focus in your compositions

This is another quick way to ruin a great nature photo.

Because basically, every composition must have a point of focus.

By this, I mean that you must include a subject. Something that viewers can latch onto. The subject can be whatever you like (as long as it’s there!).

If you’re shooting landscapes, then try to include a subject in both the foreground and the background. Ideally, the foreground subject will lead the eye to the background.

If you’re shooting wildlife, then your subject is pretty much guaranteed. Just make sure that you emphasize the wildlife in your photo!

And if you’re shooting macro photos, then make sure that an aspect of your subject is tack-sharp, so that your viewer’s eyes go straight to it.

6. Shooting low-contrast scenes

This mistake is a bit more advanced, but still important to keep in mind.

When you’re doing nature photography, you should strive to avoid ultra-low contrast scenes.

By ‘low-contrast scenes,’ I’m referring to those with very little variation in tone (that is, lights and darks) and color.

A low-contrast scene might be almost entirely white.

Or it might be entirely red, or blue, or black.

What’s the problem with low-contrast scenes?

The lack of contrast makes every element blend in. So no single element stands out, and the photo becomes boring.

Which is exactly what you want to avoid.

Instead, look for scenes where the subject pops off the background. And look for scenes where you have some nice shadows and nice highlights.

I should note: It is possible to use low-contrast scenes for an artistic effect. But you have to do it deliberately, and it’s extremely easy to mess it up.

So I recommend you stick to high-contrast scenes. That’s how you’ll avoid low-contrast issues!

7. Not post-processing your nature photos

There are three fundamental aspects of every nature photo. They are:

  1. Light
  2. Composition
  3. Post-Processing

If you can nail all three of these things, then you’re set. Your photos will be stunning. And we’ve already talked about light, and how you should shoot during the golden hours. We’ve already talked about composition, and how you must include a point of focus.

But we haven’t talked about post-processing. And here’s the thing:

Without post-processing, your nature photos just won’t stand out. Because editing is what adds that finishing touch, that last bit of shine, to your nature photography.

Now, you don’t have to do much editing. But there are a few things I recommend you do to every photo:

  1. Check the exposure. It’s especially common to let your photos remain underexposed. So make sure that the shadows in your photo still look nice and detailed.
  2. Check the contrast. In general, I recommend boosting the contrast of your nature photos. This gives an extra bit of punch and will help your images stand out.
  3. Check the saturation. While it’s easy to overdo this step, a little bit of saturation goes a long way. You want your colors to look deep, but natural.

If you can just follow these three steps, then your nature photography will look so much better.

Nature photography mistakes: conclusion

Now you should know all about these seven deadly nature photography mistakes.

And you’re prepared to avoid them!

The key is to just keep a lookout. Maybe even create a checklist.

Then, when you’re shooting in the field, you’ll make sure that none of these happens, and your photography will turn out better than ever.

Have any nature photography mistakes that I didn’t discuss? Share them in the comments!

 

nature photography mistakes

The post The 7 Nature Photography Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Don’t Create Detail, Just Reveal It – How to Reveal the Hidden Details in Your Photos

24 May

The post Don’t Create Detail, Just Reveal It – How to Reveal the Hidden Details in Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Herb Paynter.

Just as cleaning the lenses of your eyeglasses clarifies what you see, cleansing your pictures of dull lighting will put the sparkle in your photos.

Have you noticed how many individual tools are available in your favorite editing software for changing the values of pixels? The array is dazzling, and most of this editing involves “localized” procedures (dodging, burning, painting, cloning, masking, etc.) affecting specific areas.

But here’s something to consider.

Unless the image you are working on is either damaged (either completely blown-out highlights, plugged-up shadows) or just contains too much unwanted clutter, you rarely need to create specific detail with these tools. The detail is usually right there just below the surface waiting for discovery. You need only make global adjustments to the tones within the darker and lighter ends of the range to achieve pretty amazing results.

When I took this shot of my wife Barbara fifteen years ago, I put it in the reject file because it was so dark. But carefully adjusting and lightening the shadow and middle tones in the picture separated the deep shadow tones from the middle tones. Now both she and the picture are definite keepers. No local editing was necessary, and there is no tell-tale evidence of a touchup. The image contained all the necessary lighter tones – they simply had to be uncovered.

Push tones instead of pixels

Post-processing digital images is usually a process of subtraction; removing the visual obstacles that are covering the underlying detail in a photographic image. This detail will reveal itself if you merely nudge the tonal ranges instead of the pixels.

The fact is…all the detail in every subject has been duly captured and is hiding in either the shadows or the highlights, waiting to be discovered.

The digital camera’s image sensor sees and records the entire range of tones from black to white within every image it captures. What is hiding within this massive range of tones is the detail. Unfortunately, the camera sensor has no way of knowing the detail that may be under (or over) exposed within that range. It simply captures everything it sees inside the bookends of dark and light.

Camera image sensors can capture a range of tones up to 16,000 levels between solid color and no color. This doesn’t mean that all 16,000-pixel values are actually present in the picture; it just means that the darkest to the lightest tones are stretched out over the significant detail that is hiding in the middle.

Adjustments made to the image in Alien Skin’s Exposure X4.5 revealed detail in the sunlit walkway and darkened archway that appeared lost in the original capture. No painting or cloning tools were necessary.

The purpose of this article is not to get geeky about the science, but to assure you that there is an amazing amount of detail that you can recover from seemingly poor images.

A basic JPEG image can display more than 250 tones in each color. While that doesn’t sound like much, you should know that the human eye can only perceive a little over 100 distinct levels of each color. No kidding! Technically, 256 tones are too many.

The balancing act

Here’s a sobering truth. Your camera can capture more detail than your eye can detect and more tones than your monitor can display. As a matter of fact, it can capture up to 16,000 levels of tones and colors. That’s more than any publishing resource (computer monitor, inkjet printer, Internet, or even any printed publication) can reveal. Each of these other outlets is limited to reproducing just 8-bits (256 levels) of each color. The camera’s light-capture range is even beyond the scope of human vision. The range (light to dark) of your camera is immense compared to any reproduction process. What this means is that the editing part of the photography process needs MUCH more attention than the image capture process.

This introduces a complex but interesting phenomenon. Your post-production challenge is to emphasize the most important details recorded inside the tones captured by your camera and then distinguish them sufficiently for the printer, your monitor, or the Internet to reveal.

Your camera captures an incredible amount of detail in each scene that isn’t initially visible. However, with the right software, this detail can be uncovered just as an electron microscope can reveal detail buried deep inside things that the naked eye cannot perceive.

Image editing is all about discovering and revealing what is hiding in plain sight.

Image clarity

Bringing a picture to life doesn’t always require additional touchup procedures. Sometimes, just massaging the existing detail does the trick. The Highlights, Shadows, and Clarity sliders were all that were required to transpose this shot from average to special.

Clarity is the process of accentuating detail. The dictionary defines clarity as “the quality of being easy to see or hear; sharpness of image or sound.” When we clarify something, we clear it up. We understand it better. We view an issue from a different perspective.

Many image editing software packages have a slider called “clarity.” The function of this slider is to accentuate minor distinctions between lighter and darker areas within the image. Each of the other tone sliders (Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, Blacks, Clarity, and Dehaze) all perform a clarifying process on specific tone ranges.

The real beauty of shooting with a 12/14-bit camera is the level of access you receive to the detail captured in each image. If you want to think “deep,” you can start with the editing process of your digital images. You’ll be amazed at what you will find when you learn to peel away the microlayers of distracting information in well-exposed photos.

Just as cleaning the lenses of your eyeglasses clarifies what you see, cleansing your pictures of dull lighting will put the sparkle in your photos.

Adobe Camera Raw controls reveal significant detail in the darker portions of the image by simply adjusting the Basic slider controls.

Learning to expose images correctly

The information you learn from excellent teaching resources like Digital Photography School teach you how to correctly set your equipment to capture a variety of subjects and scenes. Study the articles in this amazing collection and learn to shoot pictures understanding the basic tenets of good exposure. Poorly-captured images will hinder your discovery of detail. However, correctly exposed images will reward you with, not only beautiful color but, access to an amazing amount of detail.

Learn to harness the power of light correctly for the challenge that each scene presents by balancing the camera controls of ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed. The more balanced your original exposure, the less post-processing will be necessary.

Conclusion

Every scene presents a unique lighting situation and requires a solid understanding of your camera’s light-control processes to capture all possible detail. Any camera can capture events and document happenings, but it takes a serious student of photography to faithfully capture each scene in a way that allows all that information to be skillfully sculpted into a detailed image.

 

The post Don’t Create Detail, Just Reveal It – How to Reveal the Hidden Details in Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Herb Paynter.


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