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Mastering Noise Reduction in Lightroom: The Essential Guide

04 Nov

The post Mastering Noise Reduction in Lightroom: The Essential Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Shooting at a high ISO is a great way to retain control over other exposure parameters such as aperture and shutter speed while still getting a usable image.

However, even today’s digital cameras still produce noise and grain when shooting at values like ISO 6400, ISO 12800, and beyond. While an ISO 6400 photo is never going to look as clean as a photo taken at ISO 100, you can use Lightroom noise reduction to clean up your high ISO images.

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom involves a few tradeoffs. But it’s a great solution for people who need the flexibility of shooting at high ISO values while still getting great results.

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom infant — Nikon D750 | Nikon 85mm f/1.8G | 85mm | 1/500 sec | f/1.8 | ISO 6400

To understand how to use Lightroom noise reduction, it’s important to learn a little more about ISO.

In a nutshell, ISO is a measure of a camera’s sensitivity to light. When shooting with film, each roll has a single value and cannot be changed until you use up all your exposures and put in a new roll. Digital photography, on the other hand, lets you alter your ISO any time you want.

Higher ISO values let you use smaller apertures or faster shutter speeds because your camera produces a brighter exposure. As a result, you don’t need as much light coming through the lens in order to take a picture. This means that you can use a smaller aperture, faster shutter speed, or both. (Or you can use Auto ISO and let your camera figure out the rest.)

The tradeoff is that increasing your camera’s ISO inevitably leads to noise being introduced to the picture. (Digital noise is kind of like the static you might remember seeing on old television sets.) High ISO shots aren’t as sharp, and colors aren’t as vibrant, thanks to noise. But if shooting at ISO 6400 means you can use a fast shutter speed to avoid motion blur, then it’s generally a tradeoff worth making.

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom man portrait — Nikon D750 | Nikon 85mm f/1.8G | 85mm | 1/90 sec | f/4.8 | ISO 6400

The best of both worlds would be a high-ISO shot that retains the color and sharpness of a low ISO shot. Unfortunately, that’s not actually possible (at least not with current technology). But mastering noise reduction in software such as Lightroom gives you a great deal of control over reducing high-ISO artifacts while keeping as much detail as possible.

A closer look

The effects of high ISOs aren’t always visible when photos are downsized for the web. To really see what happens at high ISOs, and to understand how to clean it up, you should look at images up close.

Here’s a zoomed-in view of the above image; you can now see the effects of shooting at high-ISO values:

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom portrait close-up — Up close you can see the speckled background on the left and the lack of definition in the eyebrows. These are just some of the effects of shooting at ISO 6400. Noise reduction settings are at their default values: Luminance 10, Detail 50, and Contrast 0.

Lightroom lets you remedy these ISO artifacts, at least partially, through the Detail panel in the Develop module.

There are two types of noise reduction available: Luminance and Color.

Luminance is the most common form of noise in digital photography and refers to the slight speckled variations in brightness from one pixel to the next. You can see this most clearly in the brown background on the left side of the above photo.

Color noise is often obvious at very high ISO values like 25600 or greater. It looks like random splotches of color scattered around the brightest or darkest portions of an image. In modern digital photography, color noise isn’t nearly as much of an issue in most instances. Most of the time you won’t need to use the Color, Detail, and Smoothness sliders. For most practical purposes, it’s best to stick with luminance noise reduction adjustments.

Lightroom noise reduction sliders mastering noise reduction

To access the noise reduction sliders, click the Detail panel in the Develop module. The noise reduction sliders are grouped with sharpening adjustments because these often go hand-in-hand. Boosting noise reduction can have a smoothing effect on your images which can be somewhat mitigated by adjusting the sharpening sliders.

Getting detailed

When working with luminance noise, there are three sliders to adjust:

Luminance
Detail
Contrast

Luminance is a measure of how much noise to remove, while Detail and Contrast give you finer control over the effects of the noise reduction.

You might notice that Lightroom automatically applies a small amount of noise reduction to every RAW file by default. This is generally a good starting point because RAW files, due to their unprocessed nature, inherently contain more noise than in-camera JPEG files. And it’s almost always recommended to remove some of that noise even if just a tiny bit.

To start the noise removal process, move the Luminance slider to the right. The farther you go, the more pronounced the noise removal effect will be. I generally don’t push it past 50, but your settings will depend on your image and your personal preferences.

After adjusting the Luminance slider to your liking, use Detail and Contrast to bring back parts of your image that might have been lost by the noise reduction algorithm. Move the Detail slider to control the threshold at which the noise reduction starts to kick in. This can help retain some of the details in your image but end up leaving some of the noise intact.

As you adjust the Luminance slider, you will see some parts of your picture get muddy, almost like a layer of petroleum jelly has been smeared across the shot. Use the Contrast slider to bring back some of the high-contrast parts of your image that are most affected by the Luminance slider.

As with many aspects of photography, there is no single correct answer for how much noise reduction to use in Lightroom. Some high-ISO images will look fine without too much tinkering, while others require more drastic measures. Mastering noise reduction isn’t about finding one solution that works for every image. It’s about understanding how to use the editing tools to create the best possible outcome for any given photo.

Low ISO versus noise reduction

To really understand how Lightroom noise reduction works, it helps to look at some comparisons of images so you can see the results for yourself.

The following images show different versions of the same scene; one base shot is taken at a very low ISO, while another is taken at a high ISO. I then apply varying degrees of noise reduction and display the results.

I took the first image at ISO 100:

test scene — Nikon D7100 | Nikon 50mm f/1.8G | 50mm | 1 sec | f/8 | ISO 100

Here’s the same scene shot at ISO 6400 for comparison:

When resizing images for the web, some of the issues with shooting at a high ISO are difficult to notice. However, a few artifacts do stand out, such as the muddiness of the solid blue radio toy, and a clear lack of definition in the intricate parts of the ball maze on the left.

For a closer look, here are 100% crops of each image:

test scene crop — A 100% crop of the original ISO 100 image. Note the fine detail in the cactus and the overall clarity of the picture.

test scene crop ISO 6400 — A 100% crop of the original ISO 6400 image. Colors are washed-out and subtle texture is obliterated. Note that the green paint lines at the borders of the white lines are completely gone.

When looking at these images close-up, it’s clear that the ISO 6400 photo is noticeably worse. However, if shooting at ISO 6400 or greater will give you the ability to get the shot you want, then it’s a tradeoff worth making.

High-ISO shooting becomes even more practical when you learn to eliminate some of these issues in Lightroom. Using the noise reduction options won’t fix a high-ISO image entirely, but it can go a long way toward cleaning things up.

test scene with noise reduction — A 100% crop of the ISO 6400 image with these adjustments applied: Luminance 80, Detail 60, and Contrast 55. While the ugly noise artifacts have been smoothed out, the image still isn’t as rich and detailed as its low-ISO counterpart.

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom isn’t just limited to moving three sliders in the Detail panel. It’s best paired with other adjustments such as Texture, Clarity, Contrast, Saturation, etc. There is no one-size-fits-all preset to magically make your ISO 6400 images look as good as ISO 100 images. But with a little work, you can bring back some of the punch and brilliance of your originals.

test scene noise reduction and edits added — A 100% crop of the high-ISO image with previous noise reduction edits applied along with the following: Contrast -15, Shadows +34, Blacks -35, Texture +42, and Saturation +22.

Noise reduction isn’t a cure-all, and it won’t resurrect parts of the image that were never captured to begin with. In the ISO 6400 shot above, no amount of software-based noise reduction can bring back the green paint along the white lines that were clearly present in the low-ISO image.

But careful use of the tools available to you can go a long way toward making a messy picture more than usable.

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom test scene — Nikon D750 | Nikon 85mm f/1.8G | 85mm | 1/250 sec | f/2.8 | ISO 6400. The sun was setting and I needed a fast shutter speed, so I chose to shoot at ISO 6400 and was able to adjust it in Lightroom. My clients loved the results.

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom: Conclusion

Mastering noise reduction in Lightroom isn’t a science; each image is different and your own preferences matter most of all. Shoot some test images at ISO 6400 or higher, then see what you can do to clean them up using the tools available to you.

You might be surprised at how much latitude you have when editing. The more you experiment, the more skilled you will get.

And soon you’ll be transforming your photos from noisy messes into near-masterpieces.

The post Mastering Noise Reduction in Lightroom: The Essential Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

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The Five Most Essential Camera Settings and How to Use Them

20 Oct

The post The Five Most Essential Camera Settings and How to Use Them appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by David Shaw.

Modern cameras, from smartphones to high-end DSLRs, are designed to make decisions for us.

And, for the most part, they do a pretty good job. Slap your DSLR into Auto mode, and more often than not you’ll get images that are sharp with a decent exposure.

Five Most Essential Camera Settings seaside landscape

Now, if you’re just looking to document your world, then go for it. Snap away. But the drawback is that images taken with Auto mode tend to look similar to one another, with a uniform depth of field and exposure.

If you want to move beyond the automatic camera settings, you need to understand your camera, how to use it and, most importantly, what impact changing those settings will have on your final image.

Here are five of the most essential camera settings, what they mean, and how they’ll impact your photos.

ISO

Here’s the first essential camera setting you should know:

ISO.

Now, the acronym “ISO” is terrible, because it’s basically meaningless in terms of photography. It stands for International Organization for Standardization, a European non-governmental organization that makes sure industries apply the same standards.

In the case of photography, the International Organization for Standardization wanted to make sure that an 800 ISO on a Canon camera is the same as on a Nikon, Sony, or a Fuji. If that standard didn’t exist, then settings wouldn’t be applicable across camera brands. So if I set my Canon to make an image at 1/100s at f/2.8 and ISO 400, and you set your Nikon to the same settings, we wouldn’t get the same exposure.

Thankfully, all the major manufacturers do subscribe to the ISO standard.

So what is ISO?

ISO is the measure of the sensitivity of your camera’s digital sensor to light. The lower the number, the lower the sensitivity; the higher the number, the more sensitive the sensor becomes.

Say that you’re shooting in a low light situation, such as in a poorly-lit room or on a dusky evening. An ISO setting of 100 will require that more light reaches the sensor than if you were to use a setting of ISO 400, 800, or 1600.

Five Most Essential Camera Settings fire night image — This night image required a fast shutter speed to retain detail in the flame, so I had to use a high ISO (3200). In the next shot (below), you can see the noise in the original RAW file. (By the way, this image shows what happens when you free methane from a bubble in the ice of a frozen pond in the boreal forest and then set it alight.)

Drawbacks of a high ISO

So why not shoot with a high ISO all the time?

Two reasons:

High ISOs often create digital noise in the image (though camera sensors are getting better and better at avoiding this).
Sometimes you may want to force a slow shutter speed, in which case you need less sensitivity to light. This may be the case if you are trying to capture blurred motion such as water or wind, or if you’re creating pleasing blurs in sports photography.

Five Most Essential Camera Settings ISO — Note the noise in the detail of the person’s clothing and in other shadowed areas.

In short, ISO is one of the three tools you have at your disposal to manipulate your exposure.

Shutter speed

The length of time your camera’s sensor is exposed to light is the shutter speed.

Many cameras have a mechanical shutter that snaps open and closed, allowing light to reach the sensor. Others use a digital shutter that simply turns on the sensor for a set period of time before switching it off again.

Your shutter speed has a huge impact on the final image.

Why?

Because a long shutter speed will create blur in moving subjects. As a landscape photographer, I use long shutter speeds to blur water, capture starlight, or show wind motion.

Five Most Essential Camera Settings beach — For this image, I used a 1/2s shutter speed to blur the waves while retaining some detail.

Five Most Essential Camera Settings shutter speed — A 30s shutter speed blurred the Yukon River into a mirror-like surface.

Short (i.e., fast) shutter speeds have the effect of stopping motion. Use a shutter speed of 1/2000s and the motion of a runner or a cyclist will be stopped dead.

Your use of shutter speed must be thoughtful to create a good image. Think about the final image you want to create. Does it have blurred components or is it all sharp? Do you want to stop your subject or convey a sense of motion?

Consider, experiment, then decide on your shutter speed.

Aperture

The aperture, or f-stop, might be the most confusing aspect of photography for many photographers. This is because it affects images in unexpected ways.

Essentially, the aperture is how big the hole in the lens is. The smaller the hole, the less light that is allowed in; the larger the hole, the more light that gets through.

What often confuses people is the numbering system:

The smaller the number, the larger the hole.

So a setting of f/2.8 corresponds to a larger opening than f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, and so on. Lenses with a wide maximum aperture (i.e., a small number like f/2) are considered fast, meaning that they are capable of allowing in more light.

But it’s not just about light and how wide a lens can open. The aperture also affects image sharpness.

You see, most, if not all, lenses are sharper a few f-stops down (called the sweet spot). A lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 will create a sharper image at f/8 than at f/2.8. The better the lens, the less this matters, but it is noticeable on most lenses.

Depth of field and its applications

The aperture also controls the depth of field.

The depth of field is the amount of the image from close to far that is in focus. A lens set to its widest aperture (say f/2.8) will give less depth of field than the same lens set to f/11.

Five Most Essential Camera Settings aperture grouse — A very shallow depth of field in this image brings the grouse hiding in the brush into focus while the surrounding chaos of branches blurs into a haze.

As with shutter speed, your use of aperture should be purposeful. Have a landscape image that you want in focus from front to back? You better select a high f-stop (such as f/11). How about a portrait where you want a clean, soft background but a tack-sharp eye? Then use a small f-stop (such as f/2.8 or f/4) and carefully choose your focus point.

Five Most Essential Camera Settings aperture — An f-stop of f/11 at 17mm was sufficient to make the entire scene, from inches in front of the lens to the cliffs in the distance, sharp.

The aperture directly impacts the shutter speed. A narrow aperture will require you to use a longer shutter speed to attain a proper exposure, just as a wider aperture will allow you to use a faster shutter speed. Aperture and shutter speed are completely interrelated; there is no escaping it.

So you need a strong understanding of both.

White balance

White balance, like ISO, relates to the sensor.

But, in this case, it has to do with the color of the light, rather than its brightness.

Different light sources have different color tones. Our eyes often don’t detect these differences, but you can bet your camera will. Have you ever seen a photo of a home interior lit by soft white bulbs, but including a window? Usually, the interior of the room looks natural while the outdoor light looks artificially blue.

That’s white balance. The camera (or photographer) decided to use the interior light (the warm-toned bulbs) as the neutral color, but then the natural light outdoors shifted toward blue.

Now, when the white balance is set wrong, the colors are off. They look too yellow, blue, or orange.

But when the white balance is correct, everything looks natural, as our eyes detect it.

Five Most Essential Camera Settings white balance aurora — Here is an image with the camera’s white balance set to Auto. The colors of the aurora borealis appear too purple and yellow.

What about Auto White Balance?

I’ve got a confession to make here:

I almost always use the Auto White Balance setting on my camera. Cameras are pretty darn good at assessing color tones and deciding on the appropriate white balance. When my camera does get it wrong, I can check the image on the LCD and make the correction for the next shot.

Also, I shoot exclusively in RAW format, which means that I can make adjustments to the white balance during post-processing. I trust the image on my computer screen more than I trust the tiny LCD on the back of my camera.

That said, there are times you should adjust the camera’s white balance setting. The first is if you are shooting JPEGs. The JPEG file format will not allow you to effectively adjust the white balance later, so you must get it right in-camera.

The second time you’ll want to adjust your white balance setting is when stacking images, either for high-contrast scenes or for panoramas. When stacking, slight changes in color tones will make combining several images into a single HDR photo or a panorama much more difficult or even impossible.

You can also adjust your white balance if you purposely want to make an image look cool or warm, or if you are using artificial lights.

So be mindful of your white balance; know what it does and how it will impact your images. Then decide how to use it.

Exposure compensation

What is exposure compensation?

Exposure compensation allows you to very quickly add or subtract light from an image.

Too dark? Use the exposure compensation feature to add a stop of light. Too bright? Exposure compensation can quickly darken the image.

For the image above, I used exposure compensation to make sure the scene showed details in the foreground, while keeping the bright sunset in the background from being blown out.

And the image below was made in bright sunlight, but a deliberate underexposure of three stops (via exposure compensation) reduced the mountains to black but retained detail in the sky, resulting in a surreal image.

Know your camera well

Exposure compensation is a tool you should know how to adjust without lowering the camera from your eye. How it is set depends on your camera settings.

I use Aperture Priority mode most often on my camera. So I select the aperture, and the camera decides the shutter speed. If I adjust the exposure compensation, my camera will retain my chosen aperture and simply adjust the shutter speed up or down to get the desired exposure.

And if I were to use Shutter Priority mode, as I sometimes do, the camera would adjust the aperture, instead.

(In Auto mode, the camera makes this decision for you.)

I use exposure compensation constantly. It is my go-to method for fine-tuning my exposures in the field. On my Canon DSLR, I can adjust it with a simple twitch of my thumb on the rear wheel of the camera. Other cameras have their exposure compensation control as a wheel near the shutter button, or as part of a system of buttons on the back.

Know how your camera works and learn to adjust the exposure compensation quickly and efficiently. Understanding this important tool will mean you don’t miss your chance to get the shot right when you are working in the field or the studio.

Essential camera settings: Conclusion

These five camera settings are the most important things to understand about your camera.

Experiment with them so you know how they affect your final image. Learn to change each setting quickly and without fuss.

Once you’ve done this, you’ll have taken charge of your photography.

And you’ll be on your way to creating purposeful images.

If you have any comments or questions, please add them below!

The post The Five Most Essential Camera Settings and How to Use Them appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by David Shaw.

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7 Essential Tips for Photographing Business Events and Conferences

21 Jun

The post 7 Essential Tips for Photographing Business Events and Conferences appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by James Maher.

photographing business events and conferences tips

Photographing business events is a lesson in extremes. One day you might be photographing a fascinating gala with incredible lighting and a lot of alcohol and energy. Then another day, you might be forcing yourself to pay attention while capturing an insurance industry conference in a dimly lit hotel ballroom, waiting for one person to make a single joke so people will laugh or smile during a talk on offshore tax havens.

In both cases, you have to do the best job you can to come back with the best possible photography from the day. You have to be prepared for the worst lighting, awkward people, and speeches that will cause even the most focused business professionals to nod off in their chair.

Here are some tips that have allowed me to always be prepared.

1. Before the job/being professional

photographing business events — 1/200s at f/5.6, ISO 800.

The more prepared you are before a job starts, the smoother the day will go, and that starts with communication.

Provide your client with quick responses to make sure you don’t get beat out by competitors. Make sure you understand all the details of the event and what will be required of you and explain everything that you will provide the client. The better the communication when photographing business events, the fewer surprises will happen during the day.

Provide an official PDF quote on branded letterhead (it’s a nice touch) and always make sure to use a contract. I know this can be stressful for those just starting, but have a standard contract created that you can easily alter for each job, and it will quickly become a simple step in the process.

Price yourself well. Do some research on event photographers in the area and value your services. Consider your expenses, travel time, shooting time, and editing time. On top of this, consider the time you spend marketing to get these jobs, your overall business expenses, and your personal expenses.

If you under-charge, you may make a little money, but you will quickly be out of business as well as hurting your competitors at the same time. Your work is valuable.

Always make sure to bring backup equipment for everything vital to the day. Bring an extra camera, lens, flash unit, batteries, and more CF cards than you need. The more prepared you are, the less will go wrong.

Finally, dress the part. This tip segways into the next topic about making people comfortable. As a photographer, people are watching you. Cameras stand out, and as much as you want to lay low to capture the best candid moments, you will be a focus of people’s attention.

Because of this, you need to make the best impression possible, While it may feel superficial, the better you dress, the more people will respect you and believe that you are doing a good job (because they often aren’t speaking to you, just seeing you working). It’s simple, but it works.

2. Make people feel comfortable

Making people comfortable for event photography — 1/160s at f/3.5, ISO 800.

Your job as a photographer is to capture people looking happy and comfortable. The first step to doing this is making yourself look comfortable. The more comfortable and pleasant you look, the more relaxed people will feel around you, so remind yourself to keep a smile on your face.

Early on, I smile at people and give a quick hello or nod to some of the guests if the situation warrants it. If people look like they want to avoid me, I’m happy to let them. This makes me look non-threatening.

As the event goes on, people will begin to forget about you. However, the earlier you make people feel comfortable around you, the quicker this will occur.

3. Fast equipment

Photography dark business conferences. — 1/160s at f/4.5, ISO 6400.

In my experience, a majority of business events are in places with terrible lighting, so having the right equipment is necessary. You need to have a fast lens (that goes to f/2.8 or even faster), a flash unit, and a camera that can shoot well at high ISOs of at least ISO 3200 (which most new cameras can do these days).

My main event lenses are the Canon 24-70 f2.8 and the Canon 70-200 f2.8. This will cover everything from the overall room shots, the walk-around cocktail photographs, the group shots, to the detailed speaker photographs.

If you are on a budget, a 50mm f1.8 lens is a fantastic and affordable lens for event photography. However, the prime focal length will cause some significant constraints.

For photographing business events in darker environments, I will raise my ISO to 1600 and often 3200. My camera can handle this level of ISO (and 6400 if I really need) without clients noticing and it allows me to always be able to shoot with f2.8 lenses instead of needing faster ones.

Photographing group portraits at business events. — 1/125s at f/6.3, ISO 1600.

Now, even though you need to be able to shoot at f/2.8 when the lighting warrants, that doesn’t mean that I always do this. Often you will want more depth of field to show the full venue or multiple subjects sharp.

Particularly when photographing groups of people, I will always try to be around f/4 at least when it’s possible. Photographing a group at f/2.8 will often have the center person sharp while the edge subjects (or people standing too far forward) can be quite blurry.

Finally, you need a reliable flash unit. This will allow your subjects to stand out from the background and give them a pleasing light source much more flattering than your typical overhead ballroom lights. For presentations, I stay away from using a flash and instead stick to high ISOs as to not annoy a room full of people trying to concentrate.

For indoor cocktail event photography and similar, I almost always use flash.

4. Balance the room light with your flash

Photography business events. — 1/40s at F3.2, ISO 3200.

Whenever I need to use a flash, I will first set my camera to expose the room correctly without the flash. In my opinion, the best event photographs show the room and natural lighting of the environment while artificially lighting your subjects, so they look as good as possible.

I will raise my ISO and lower my aperture number until the room looks good, making sure that my shutter speed does not go too slow to cause too much handheld motion or motion in the subjects.

After this, I will turn my flash on and use the TTL (through the lens) setting to allow it to expose the scene correctly. TTL gives the camera the ability to read the light in the room and to give off what it believes to be the right amount of light.

While this screws up occasionally, it can be very accurate and will allow you to focus more of your attention on the event itself.

5. Bounce your flash with a diffuser

Using a flash for photographing events. — 1/80s at f/2.8, ISO 2000.

Using a flash does not mean the light that comes off of it will be automatically pleasing on your subjects. Facing it directly at the subject can be pretty harsh.

Instead, I typically aim my flash up and sometimes slightly to the back. That way, the light will spread out and bounce off the ceiling back to them. The shorter the ceiling, the more this works. With a very tall ceiling (or dark ceiling), you will have no choice but to aim the flash directly at your subject.

I also use a small cap diffuser on the flash, which spreads out and diffuses the light. It will also send some of the light forward when the flash unit is pointed up, which helps out significantly.

I highly suggest the smaller cap diffusers over the larger ones, since the larger ones will light up like a bright bulb and blind anyone near you. This can be disruptive for an event.

6. Anticipate and wait for the right moment

Anticipation is the key to good event photography. If you walk around constantly, it’s so hard to both pay attention and to be in the right position to capture those quick, amazing moments. Instead, find a location with a good vantage point on people having fun and wait for the right moment to occur. When it happens, you will be in position and ready with your camera to capture it.

When I do this, I try to be candid about it because there is nothing that will stop a great moment from happening more than a photographer staring at you and waiting with their camera. So instead, I try to make it seem like I’m looking around the room or looking at something else. I am scanning the room, of course, but I’m primarily watching them out of the corner of my eye.

Sometimes the moment happens and sometimes it doesn’t, so don’t be afraid to give up and move on when needed.

For conferences and long speeches, the key is to wait for someone to make a joke. That is usually the only way people will smile during these serious events. And while I try to be at attention for the entire time, this can be very difficult for a full eight-hour event of speeches and talks.

Instead, I usually pay the most attention early on in each speech and talk. Usually, the jokes come at the very beginning, so I will shoot a lot early on until I’m sure I have enough good photos. Then I will rest my attention for a bit, while still waiting for jokes or light moments to occur.

7. Edit the photos efficiently

Coming back from an event with 600-1000 photos (or more) can be a daunting experience, particularly for those newer to photographing business events. Having an efficient workflow is necessary for these situations.

I try to stick to a week-at-most turnaround time. This can be difficult, but it is a big draw for businesses in this fast-moving social media world. Often, I’ll even send a small section of the best photographs the next day.

But how do you do this efficiently?

Before I do anything, I cull down the photos to the selects as fast as I can in Lightroom. I use the star system to go through my photos. I give the best photos 5-stars, 3-stars to the ones I am probably not going to use, but I’m not yet sure about, and the rest 0-stars. Then I go through the 5-star images again to turn some of the photos into 4-star images. This allows me to get down to my final set of 5-star photographs to send to the client as quickly as possible. It reduces the rest of the editing time significantly, which is a key step.

From there, I will edit and crop the photographs. Take significant advantage of Lightroom’s copy and paste functions for the changes you make. Since you will have groups of photographs taken under the same lighting conditions, copying and pasting your changes will save you so much time. Often, some of the photos will need small tweaks after that, but the core of the work can get finished so much quicker this way.

Photographing a group portrait at event — 1/160s at F6.3, ISO 1600.

Conclusion

Photographing business events can be overwhelming at first as you never really know what you are getting into. Some events will be easy, inspiring, and delightful, while others will test your patience. Moreover, you often won’t know how this will go until you show up.

But over time, even the tough jobs with bad lighting and boring subjects will eventually become routine, as long as you take advantage of the tricks to get the best out of these situations.

Do you have any other tips for photographing business events that you would like to share? Please do so in the comments section.

The post 7 Essential Tips for Photographing Business Events and Conferences appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by James Maher.

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Four Essential Beginner Photographer Tips

07 May

The post Four Essential Beginner Photographer Tips appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

If you are new to photography the possibilities can seem endless and the options almost overwhelming. Buttons, dials, apertures, shutters, flashes…where do you even start? Of course, it’s always good to learn basics like the exposure triangle, but there are some simple beginner photographer tips that will immediately elevate your picture-taking prowess.

A bee pollinating a pink flower — Nikon D7100, 50mm, f/5.6, 1/250 second, ISO 100, +10 close-up filter

Look for the light

The first of the beginner photographer tips is tho look for the light.

Does your camera have a flash? Great!

Does it turn on all the time? Not so great.

This is usually a sign that your camera thinks your picture is too dark, so it tries to add a bit of light to fix things. From that perspective, the flash makes a lot of sense, but often it can end up ruining what might otherwise be a perfectly good photo. Instead of a pleasing, well-lit image, you end up with red eyes, harsh shadows, and bright spots of light reflecting off windows.

An adult hand embracing a baby's hand — I shot this in a well-lit room with a lot of windows letting in the sunlight. Nikon D750, 50mm, f/5.6, 1/90 second, ISO 6400.

Instead of relying on the flash, look for the light that’s already available and reposition yourself accordingly. If you are indoors, put your subject in front of you and put your back to a window. If you are outdoors, look at where the sun is. Move yourself and your subject so that the light is behind you, not behind the person or object you are shooting. Better yet, re-compose your shot so your subject is in the shade and evenly lit.

beginner photography tips – a silhouette of two children looking out of a window — Nikon D7100, 50mm, f/2.8, 1/750 second, ISO 100.

In the picture above, the light was so bright that my kids were entirely shrouded in shadow, creating a silhouette.

The only way to save the photo was to make it black-and-white in Lightroom! I could have also waited until the light was more overcast to get a more even exposure. Or I could have intentionally used the pop-up flash as a fill flash to add a touch of light to the two shadowy subjects.

This technique works for casual snapshots, formal portraits, or pretty much any style of photography.

To get this group photo of three generations of women in a park, I had to get a little creative with light and positioning. I found a spot that was in the shade of a tree, so all their faces were well lit. You can see a swath of light going across the foreground that would have wreaked havoc on the photo if everyone was two steps forward.

a family portrait — Nikon D750, 70-200mm f2.8, f/4, 1/200 second, ISO 360

Looking for the light is one of those beginner photography tips that sound constraining, but with practice, it will become second nature. You will automatically find yourself thinking about light and shadow and how to create the best composition without resorting to that pop-up flash. It’s also one of the most impactful things you can do to differentiate your photos and make people think twice when considering you as more than just an amateur.

Use Continuous Autofocus

Modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are outstanding when it comes to autofocus – certainly much more than their counterparts from a few years ago.

Modern focusing systems can track people, objects, and animals with ease. The latest mirrorless cameras can even lock focus on a single eye and reacquire in an instant if the person turns their head or another object momentarily blocks your view.

beginner photography tips – a child playing soccer — Nikon D750, 140mm, f/2.8, 1/3000 second, ISO 100

Action shots are almost impossible without rock-solid autofocus. Almost any camera you get is probably going to be up to the task as long as you’ve got the right lens.

There’s one mistake that a lot of beginner photographers make that can really hold back your action shots or even just everyday photos of people or pets. They use single-shot autofocus instead of continuous autofocus.

When you half-press the shutter button you probably here a sound to let you know that your shot is in focus. It might be a quick beep-beep along with a little dot or square lighting up to indicate that your picture will be tack sharp. Continue pressing your finger and you’ll get just what you expect: a crystal clear image in bright, vivid color.

beginner photography tips – a child playing sport — Nikon D7100, 50mm, f/1.8, 1/6000 second, ISO 100

This is all well and good, but what if your subject moves in that brief moment between the time you lock focus and press the shutter button fully? Worse, what if you want to take another picture?

You have to lift your finger off the shutter button, do a half-press to acquire focus, and then push the shutter down all the way to complete the shot. It might not sound like much, but a lot can happen in that short time!

The solution is to enable your camera’s continuous autofocus setting.

Instead of focusing once, continuous autofocus means your camera will keep your subject locked no matter where your subject goes. It will be in focus as long as you never fully lift your finger from the shutter button. This technique is incredibly useful for everyday shots and almost mandatory for fast action, especially when paired with back-button focus.

Four Essential Beginner Photographer Tips — This child moved around a lot! Continuous autofocus helped me make sure these images were sharp. Nikon D750, 120mm, f/4, 1/250 second, ISO 1400.

Every camera does this a little differently and you’ll find it by looking in the menus under the focus settings.

While it’s not always required, especially if you are shooting still objects or doing macro work where manual focus is preferred, I have found that I generally prefer continuous autofocus in most situations. If you are shooting with a prime lens wide open, where depth of field is razor-thin, it can really help you get better photos with minimal effort.

Use Program instead of Auto

The next of the beginner photography tips is to use Program Mode instead of Auto.

Every camera has a few different exposure modes, and if you are new to photography, you might find comfort in using the familiar green Auto setting. And there’s nothing wrong with that! Auto is great for a lot of people, and camera manufacturers have tweaked the auto setting so well that it really does produce good results.

Most of the time.

beginner photography tips – a person graduating from college — My dad shot this photo of me when I graduated with my Master’s Degree. He shoots in Program Auto all the time, and he’s able to get lots of great shots with it. Canon Rebel T4i, 270mm, f/6.3, 1/50 second, ISO 1600.

Even though there’s a lot to be said for learning Aperture or Shutter Priority, or even going all the way with Manual Mode, there’s a good middle ground that a lot of beginners don’t know about. It’s called Program Auto, and if you want a little more control than what Auto has to offer, it might very well be the solution for you.

Program Auto is kind of like regular Auto, but you get a little more control over the exposure. The camera starts by setting a value for lens aperture and shutter speed that it thinks will give you a properly-exposed image. You can see these numbers in the viewfinder or on the rear screen, but if you don’t like what the camera selects all you do is turn a dial.

beginner photography tips – a butterfly on flowers — Canon Rebel T4i, 270mm, f/7.1, 1/400 second, ISO 320. Shot in Program Auto mode.

You’ll see the aperture and shutter change but the exposure will remain constant.

Want a little more depth of field? Rotate the control dial on your camera until the aperture value is larger.

Want a faster shutter speed? Spin the dial until the shutter speed increases. Program usually lets you control the ISO as well. And if you still don’t like your picture, you can use exposure compensation to make it brighter or darker.

While the green Automatic mode on cameras is a great way to get started, Program is a good way for beginners to take a bit more control over their photography without getting too confusing.

Adjust your eye level

This final of the beginner photography tips applies no matter whether you have a fancy expensive DSLR or a basic mobile phone. It’s about getting yourself on the same plane as your subject or shooting your subject from a more interesting angle. It’s particularly useful when taking pictures of children, but applies in almost any photographic situation.

The default position for a lot of beginner photographers is to take a picture from an eye level that works for you. It’s usually standing up, sitting down, or whatever position you happen to be in when a picture opportunity presents itself.

For better photos, it’s important to move around and look for a more interesting, compelling, or exciting vantage point.

beginner photography tips – a close-up photo of a flower with backlight — A normal flower became much more interesting when I shot it crouched down and positioned with the sunlight coming from behind. Nikon D7100, 50mm, f/1.8, 1/2000 second, ISO 100.

This a simple thing to do, but it takes repeated practice until it becomes second nature. If your subject is short, crouch (or lay) down to get a more interesting shot, and if your subject is tall, find a way to elevate yourself.

It might not be easy or even comfortable, but your pictures will be much better because you took the effort to adjust your eye level.

Conclusion

These four beginner photography tips are just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more to learn when you start down your exciting journey to learn more about photography.

Everyone has to begin somewhere and if you’re not sure where to start, give these a try. If you have any recommendations from what you have learned over the years, share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Four Essential Beginner Photographer Tips appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

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Our recommendations: essential gear for your winter photo adventures

01 Dec

Winter travel gear for photographers

Whether you’re photographing wildlife at Yellowstone or your kids sledding at the neighborhood park, winter presents a lot of great photo opportunities. However, winter also has its own challenges due to the short days, cold weather and – in places like Seattle – a fair bit of rain. On the next few slides, we’ll take a look at some important gear to consider as you head out for your winter photography adventures.

Gloves

This one should be pretty obvious. If you’re shooting in very cold weather – especially when handing metal lenses or other gear – you’ll want to keep your hands warm. Otherwise, your camera will be about as useful as a brick in your numb, unresponsive fingers. Typical gloves are usually a poor match for photography as they limit dexterity, but there are some good options for photographers.

Look for gloves or mittens that fold back to expose your fingertips. These facilitate short periods of exposure to the cold without having to remove your gloves completely, and you can uncover just one or two fingers while keeping the rest of your hands insulated. Great options include gloves from Vallerret (pictured), Freehands and The Heat Company.

Sometimes, a pair of lightweight or liner gloves are all you’ll need, but not all liners are created equal. Look for gloves designed to work with a capacitive touchscreen, which will allow you to use your camera’s touch controls as well as other electronic devices like a smartphone. We like RucPac’s professional tech gloves, but there are probably lots of options at your local outdoor store as well.

Hand warmers

Hand warmers are obviously designed to do a good job of warming your hands, but they’re good for other things as well. For example, I find them effective at keeping the non-photographer who’s stuck outside with me a bit more patient while I get that one last shot before heading inside (yeah, right…). Of course, hot chocolate liberally spiked with Bailey’s Irish cream seems to help as well, but your mileage may vary.

One of my favorite tricks is to gaff tape a hand warmer to the barrel of a lens. This can be useful when shooting in an environment where you’re at risk of dew or frost forming on the front lens element as the temperature drops. I’ve used this technique when photographing time-lapse sequences of the night sky or the aurora borealis. Sometimes, just a bit of warmth is all you need to avoid a ruined sequence.

Chemical hand warmers like those from HotHands (pictured) can be found everywhere from your favorite online outlet to the local hardware store. If you cringe at using disposable hand warmers, check out HotSnapZ reusable hand warmers, the EnergyFlux Enduro rechargeable warmer from Human Creations or the Zippo Hand Warmer which heats catalytically to produce flame-free heat.

Camera cover

Many cameras today include weather sealing to keep out the elements. However, the fact that you’ve got weather sealed equipment that doesn’t necessarily mean you want to get your camera soaking wet, despite all those manufacturer videos showing cameras getting sprayed by a garden hose.

Camera rain covers have been around for a long time, and while they may not be quite as necessary as they used to be, it’s still nice to have one when shooting in a complete downpour. You can find a variety of commercial models from companies like Think Tank Photo and Ruggard (pictured). There are lot of great DIY hacks as well – a hotel shower cap or plastic shopping bag with a few rubber bands can work miracles. It’s good to have one of these stashed somewhere if you’re shooting in a rainy place. You know, like Seattle.

Tripod leg wraps

Other than a camera and lens, one of the largest, coldest objects many of us carry around in the winter is a tripod. If you’ve ever used a tripod with bare hands in really cold weather, particularly and aluminum model, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Of course, one solution is to use gloves. But there’s another solution as well: leg wraps. (For your tripod’s legs – not yours. That said, I make no judgements about fashion.)

Some tripods come factory equipped with leg wraps. However, if your tripod arrived, ummm… naked, a set of LegCoats (pictured) from LensCoat.com will run you about $ 50. Your hands will appreciate them.

Extra batteries

Cameras operate pretty well in cold weather, but even the best can be susceptible to power loss from cold batteries. In fact, with more photographers moving to mirrorless cameras our dependence on batteries is arguably greater than it was with DSLRs.

To keep shooting in the coldest conditions, consider some cold weather best practices for your batteries. Keep reserve batteries in your pocket so they stay warm rather than going into a deep freeze in your bag. When removing a battery that’s been in the camera for a while, consider putting it back in your pocket (a different one) for a few minutes to warm it up a bit. You may discover it has a fair amount of power left once it’s back to a normal temperature.

Finally, if you’ve recently switched from a DSLR to a mirrorless camera, consider picking up a couple extra batteries before a big winter trip. Some newer models get impressive battery life, but they still require more power than most DSLRs.

Night sky apps

Winter brings with it short days and long nights. Why not take advantage of it by doing some night sky photography? When planning night shots, it helps to know things such as in what direction the Milky Way will rise, what time it will be visible, or even just the phase of the moon. There are a lot of apps to help you with this; I recommend Sky Guide for iOS (pictured) or Star Walk 2 for Android.

If you live far enough north to see the aurora borealis (the northern lights), consider downloading an app like Aurora Forecast Pro (iOS, Android) which can alert you when conditions are such that you might be able to see the aurora from your location. All it takes is a burst of solar activity for the aurora to be visible at lower than usual latitudes, including northern areas of the continental US.

Zip-lock bags

Zip-lock bags are a great all-around utility. If it’s wet outside, they keep gear dry. If your gear gets wet you can put it inside a bag with a desiccant to dry it out. A large zip-lock can even be adapted to serve as a rain cover for your camera.

However, one of the best winter uses for zip-lock bags is transferring equipment between cold and warm environments. If you’ve been out shooting in frosty temperatures and walk into a warm building with any humidity, you may find water vapor condensing on your equipment. Instead, seal your gear inside a zip-lock bag before going inside and let it equilibrate to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This makes it less likely that you’ll need the next item on our list.

Oh, right. Don’t use the same bag that you used for pasta sauce. I always forget that part.

Silica desiccant beads

When camera gear gets wet on the outside we usually dry it off and keep going. However, if you make the mistake of getting moisture inside your gear, as may happen when you walk from a cold to a warm environment, you’ll need something other than a towel or microfiber cloth to get rid of the moisture.

When that happens – assuming you didn’t actually drop your whole camera into an ice-covered pond – silica gel beads, which acts as a desiccant, come to the rescue. Put the gear, along with a bunch of beads, into a zip-lock bag and seal it up. It may take some time, but eventually your gear will dry out. Silica beads can be purchased in bulk or in packets. In a pinch and don’t have silica beads? Use instant white rice instead.

Silica gel beads can often be found at hardware stores, but if you have trouble finding them locally there are lots of options on Amazon.

Headlamp

While not – strictly speaking – photography equipment, a headlamp can be one of the most useful accessories when the short winter days get dark. Since most cameras don’t have illuminated buttons a headlamp is a great way to see them, along with your other gear, without giving up one hand to hold a flashlight. Consider a model that includes a red light to better preserve your night vision while working.

A headlamp should probably be part of your winter kit anyway, just in case you get stuck somewhere after dark; I keep one in my pack at all times. If you’re not sure where to start check out options from companies like Petzl, Black Diamond, Princeton Tec or NiteCore (a company that, oddly enough, recently announced plans to manufacture full frame cinema lenses).

Personal locator beacon

This one applies to people whose winter photography takes them into the backcountry, away from roads, or anywhere else that might be inaccessible or cut off from mobile phone service. If you’re that kind of person and you don’t want to become the next Aron Ralston, it’s a good idea to carry a personal locator beacon (PLB) like the SPOT Satellite Messenger or Garmin InReach. With many PLBs it’s now possible to communicate with someone remotely, and in a real emergency they can be used to set off a search and rescue by local authorities. It’s like insurance – you hope you don’t need it, but if you do you’re glad to have it.

Umbrella

Finally, it’s not frozen everywhere in winter. In some places – Seattle comes to mind – it basically means a lot of rain, which is why our sample galleries often look grey enough to be mistaken for Log video footage this time of year. One simple technique to keeping rain off your camera and lens is to go old school and use an umbrella. “But, wait!” I hear you say, “I need both hands to use my camera.” I like to secure an umbrella to my pack so it just hovers above me. I’m sure it works better with some packs than others, so your mileage may vary on this one.

Hopefully, I don’t need to tell you where to buy an umbrella, but before you do that let me suggest acquiring a used umbrella instead. Go to the Lost and Found desk at just about any large venue or destination and tell them you lost a black umbrella. Chances are good they’ll bring out a box with a couple dozen to choose from. As you drive away in your 8-passenger SUV you’ll have the joy of knowing that in some small way you’re helping to save the planet.

Alternatively, you could just get the Nubrella (pictured).

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5 Essential Tools for Wedding Photography That Aren’t Gear-Related

06 Sep

The post 5 Essential Tools for Wedding Photography That Aren’t Gear-Related appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

Weddings are fast-paced with long hours. So to get you through the wedding day, we’re listing five essential tools for wedding photography that are going to make any wedding day go much smoother for you. These aren’t gear-related. They’re the things that you may have never thought of but will make all the difference during those long wedding days.

wedding pond garden

1. Bring comfortable, durable shoes

Bringing comfortable and durable shoes is almost as important as bringing your favorite lens. Shoes can keep you from falling or tripping, and they can stop your feet from hurting after several hours on the job.

Shoes that have thick soles are what you’re looking for; they must be able to withstand hours upon hours of wear. It’s also important that they’re comfortable on the inside.

uncomfortable shoes-essential-tools-for-wedding-photography

Unfortunately, flats and dress shoes don’t really fit into this category, since neither are very durable or can withstand long hours of use without giving you major discomfort. Shoes that aren’t made for long hours can fall apart or rip.

Most importantly, flats and dress shoes provide no actual support for you as you photograph the main events of the wedding. Durable and comfortable shoes that are high quality and can be worn for long hours will keep your feet safe, comfortable, and will give you the back support you need.

beach bride groom wedding-essential-tools-for-wedding-photography

If the wedding you’re photographing is mostly on pavement, you’ll be glad you looked for comfortable shoes, because those hot pavement and cement sidewalks are terrible on thin-soled shoes.

You can also get shoe inserts that help support and cushion the inside of the shoe to better withstand long hours. While this is a fast and convenient fix, it’s best if you find a shoe that provides this from the get-go, and then you can add the insert for extra support.

2. Hire an assistant

If you have the budget (maybe factor this into your wedding package) hire an assistant. This is not to be confused with a second shooter who helps you to photograph a wedding. No, an assistant is there to help you carry your things and be an extra pair of hands.

hands near a wedding dress

Assistants can be responsible for equipment, lens changes, battery changes, helping fluff out the bride’s dress, keeping you on track with the timeline, and lining up the family during group portraits. Assistants are great because they help you with things that don’t need your full attention.

They can also be quicker at getting a forgotten bouquet or holding your flash at a certain angle. Plus, the extra pair of hands will keep your gear close, so that you can focus on making the shots and not worrying about whether you forgot your tripod at the ceremony.

bride and groom under a tree

Have assistants be a part of your team. It’s good to highlight this before you cover the wedding. Outline the responsibilities, show them your equipment and what you’ll need, along with any details specific to the event you’re photographing.

3. Bring snacks

Snacks are crucial for long wedding days or even short ones. Weddings take a lot of energy out of you both mentally and physically with the posing, styling, photographing, directing, customer service, and being in charge of your team, so it’s really great to have easy and light snacks on hand.

wedding food-essential-tools-for-wedding-photography

Best snacks for wedding days include small packets of trail mix with nuts and chocolate to get your energy up, energy bars or protein bars, small reusable water bottles, fruits like an apple, and granola bars.

Keep snacks small. That way, they won’t add weight to your bags, are easy to carry, and won’t make a mess. You can also keep a small lunch bag with you and have your assistant carry it during, particularly long wedding days.

dessert on a wedding day

Having your own snacks will keep your energy up and keep you feeling great all throughout the event. No one likes a grumpy, hungry photographer!

4. Bring a small hand towel

Due to the fact that weddings are long, they tend to have a lot of sun. This means that, while your clients might be in the shade, you may find yourself in harsh sunlight.

kissing couple on the grass

A small hand towel can keep sweat off your face and your camera during those really hot summer days. This will keep you looking fresh and stop you from having to ask the guests or venue for something to wipe off your sweat with.

The hand towel can also be useful for other things: You can use it to shine wedding rings or to wipe a table you want to use in the background.

5. Bring command hooks and other styling items

Command hooks are super versatile, and getting a couple can really help you when it comes to styling certain wedding details. For example, because the strip can be taken off walls without doing damage, you can use a command hook to hang the wedding dress anywhere you want.

command hooks - essential-tools-for-wedding-photography

Examples of really elegant command hooks that are removable.

These hooks come in different styles and finishes, and it’s good to stock up on a few so that you won’t be without one come the wedding day. Make sure to get hooks with an adhesive that can be taken off without harming walls.

Conclusion

bride and groom with car

Not all wedding day prep is about gear. These tools will help keep you at 100 percent while photographing one-of-a-kind moments for your clients.

Do you have any essential tools for wedding photography to make the day run smoothly? Share them in the comments!

The post 5 Essential Tools for Wedding Photography That Aren’t Gear-Related appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

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What is the Essential Underwater Photography Equipment for Beginners?

21 Aug

Photography is a very appealing hobby and many people will be tempted to capture their holidays and all the places they’ve visited. This is one of the best opportunities to bring your camera underwater and do some unique photography with amazing results. With underwater equipment, you can capture reefs, go snorkeling, get pictures of fish, capture shipwrecks, and so on. Continue Reading

The post What is the Essential Underwater Photography Equipment for Beginners? appeared first on Photodoto.

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Essential Photography Equipment For Beginners?

03 Jul

Every photographer is unique in their own photography style and gear preference. To get you started on your photography journey, this article will help you choose the only really essential photography equipment for beginners. You will also find specific brands and explanations for why they were chosen. This photography basics bundle has everything you need to get started! I will Continue Reading

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Essential Photography Equipment For Beginners

11 Mar

Every photographer is unique in their own photography style and gear preference. To get you started on your photography journey, this article will help you choose the very essential photography equipment for beginners. You will also find specific brands and explanations for why they were chosen. This photography basics bundle has everything you need to get started! I will start Continue Reading

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4 Essential Things to Consider When Styling a Photoshoot

09 Mar

The post 4 Essential Things to Consider When Styling a Photoshoot appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

A successful photoshoot doesn’t just happen by itself. Perhaps there are times when everything lines up and an impromptu photoshoot happens. But that is often the exception. From my experience, much planning goes into a successful photoshoot. Whether you are doing a family, newborn, or portrait shoot, formal, informal, indoor or outdoors, styled or casual shoots, there are common factors that are crucial to its success. Here are some essential things to consider when styling a photoshoot.

4-things-consider-styling-photoshoot-dps-tips-lily-sawyer-photo

1. Location

Location dictates equipment

Deciding on your location beforehand is necessary as that dictates the equipment you’ll need. If shooting in a studio, you need to think of the lenses you would use for the amount of space available in your studio. If you have a small studio, you may only be able to use a 35mm or a 50mm lens for portraits. A 24-70mm would be ideal for a small space, but you need to consider any distortions if you’re shooting portraits at close range using a short focal length.

4-things-consider-styling-photoshoot-dps-tips-lily-sawyer-photo

If you are relying on natural light indoors, then you would need to think of the time of day you are shooting and the available ambient and natural light at those time to give you ample light that you need for your shoot. It would also be a good idea to have a reflector handy for both shoot, but most especially for indoor shoots. Their are various types of reflectors, that create different effects.

4-things-consider-styling-photoshoot-dps-tips-lily-sawyer-photo

Backdrops

Another thing to consider when shooting indoors is your background or backdrop. If it’s in a client’s home, you may need to ask them for photos of an idea of walls, windows, possible backdrops you can use if you haven’t been there before. If shooting in your own home or studio, then you have more control and can prepare the space beforehand. You can go for a light or dark backdrop, fabric or walls, wallpaper or painting, or just the available surfaces in the home. You may need to declutter a bit so unnecessary objects are in the shot.

4-things-consider-styling-photoshoot-dps-tips-lily-sawyer-photo

Weather – Plan B

If shooting outdoors, you need a plan B in case the weather doesn’t cooperate on the day. A plan B could be a cafe nearby or a sheltered area such as a gazebo. Generally, when shooting outdoors during the day, the opposite problem occurs. There is often too much light. The first thing to decide on is the time of day to shoot. Will it be golden hour? Middle of the day? Early morning? Dusk? Evening? Understand the needs for these different times of the day.

Best times of day to shoot

Early and late and golden hour are great times to shoot because the light comes from an angle. Golden hour gives a nice warm glow to your images but light during early morning shoots are often quite cold. Midday light, when the sun is high up in the sky, gives harsh light. You need to mitigate this by using reflectors, so you don’t get dark shadows under the eyes. They can be a natural reflector like concrete paths, white walls, floors or the usual photography reflectors available.

4-things-consider-styling-photoshoot-dps-tips-lily-sawyer-photo

Urban or country? Each has a very different vibe. If shooting in a busy city location where you have to walk around and have nowhere to park, you may need to pare down your equipment. If going to the country, then you can fill your car with equipment and props to your heart’s content and make a shoot logistically easier.

If shooting with artificial light either indoors or outdoors, you have more control over the amount of light available for your shoot and natural lighting is not so much a factor. However, this would require more equipment such as light stands, softboxes, electronic flashes, triggers and receivers, batteries, and diffusers.

You can read more about equipment you would need for a home or portable studio here.

4-things-consider-styling-photoshoot-dps-tips-lily-sawyer-photo

2. Overall colour scheme

Details matter when it comes to the outcome. For an image to be pleasing and successful, it involves more than just lighting. It involves tones and color schemes. When planning your shoot, it may help to think of a theme like vintage, bold, contemporary, simple, maximal or busy. Also think of a seasonal feeling; summer, spring, autumnal, or winter. Considering these things helps you eliminate ideas that won’t be fitting and narrows them down to a few essentials.

You can then decide on the colors. Winter would call for cool white, grey and blue tones and you may decide on a pop of color. Spring may have a combination of pastel colors with dominant greens. Summer may be bursting with saturation and light, blue skies, and warmth. Autumn can have burnt orange, red, purples and verdant greens.

Feeling your shoot while mentally preparing for it helps in streamlining everything to achieve the desired outcome. You could go for a rainbow shoot where you want the colors to pop against a plain white or dark backdrop.

4-things-consider-styling-photoshoot-dps-tips-lily-sawyer-photo

3. Props

Props are optional, but they are useful. My preference is minimal props, but I would suggest having them as tools during the shoot rather than items to be necessary in the shoot. Let me explain.

If I am photographing young children, I would often ask the parents to bring a bag of favorite toys without the knowledge of their children. During the shoot, I may need to use them to entertain, comfort, use during breaks and even to make them look at the camera. However, only one of those may make it into the shot, usually a soft comfort toy.

For engagement shoots, I’d ask the couple to choose one or two props they want to be in the shot but that these props must mean something to them. We’ve had picnic baskets, bikes, guitars, books and flowers amongst others. Sometimes, couples can’t think of props or don’t want any, and that is fine too. Often I’d say pick up a bunch of flowers just in case. Many couples, especially those who haven’t had a photoshoot yet may feel awkward and holding something like flowers helps.

A piece of outfit or accessory can be used as a prop too. A hat, bag or a special pair of shoes can work. This leads us nicely to the next factor…

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4. Outfits

Even when you have your lighting and location all planned perfectly, sometimes your photoshoot can still get ruined. Okay, ruined may be a bit too harsh but there is still one thing that can make or break your shoot – It’s the outfit.

I give my clients a guide on what to wear before their photoshoot in the hope that they plan their outfits beforehand and, even better, share them with me so we can discuss them. Often they send me options to choose from, and together we agree on one or two final outfits.

I once had a couple whose location was in the most beautiful country setting – it was a totally dreamy scene. Unfortunately, their outfits were not in keeping with the location. Although they were happy with the images and the shots were beautiful, their shoot could potentially have been published in many places but were let down by the outfits.

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Encourage your clients to treat the photoshoot as a special event that they plan and prepare for. If they can afford it, even buy new clothes for the shoot. With regards to matching outfits, like all white shorts and jeans, that’s down to personal preference. Mine is more towards classic complementary colors and patterns than matching or uniform outfits. Discussing this with your client is important. The one big no-no I always tell my clients is to avoid big logos, cartoon characters, numbers or letters, or anything that is trend-based that dates quickly.

I hope the above has helped with styling a photoshoot and what you can prepare in advance to ensure its success. If you have any more ideas, do share them here in the comments below.

The post 4 Essential Things to Consider When Styling a Photoshoot appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

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