The post How to Find Good Locations for Family Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Hunter McRae.
When you’re shooting a family portrait, about nine times out of ten the client will ask, “Do you have a place you typically like to photograph?”
We all do, of course, but if you take every portrait client to the same location, your portfolio will develop an undesirable, repetitive consistency.
That’s why it’s important to thoroughly scout the area where you live and work, to build a list of go-to spots for any scenario, circumstance, and style.
So think about your city, and build a list of these places where you can shoot:
A field or shoreline with broad vistas to capture the aura and glow of twilight
A similar outdoor venue with features like tall grass or trees to provide a backdrop
An outdoor area with full shade, appropriate for shooting at midday
A covered outdoor space like a gazebo or covered porch for shoots in inclement weather
An indoor space with high ceilings and lots of windows for natural light
Because most family portrait sessions will include a variety of backdrops and poses, the perfect shooting location contains all of these elements. But that’s pretty rare and hard to find.
Finally, make sure that you have the required permits, permissions, and licenses to shoot in your desired locations, whether they’re public or private (many municipalities require a business license to shoot in public places like parks and beaches).
Once you’ve built your list of go-to locations, you’re ready to schedule a session with a client.
Here are the two scenarios that could play out:
Scenario 1: The client has already chosen a location
It’s rare for a client to be dead set on a location, but sometimes there’s a family home or a special place with memories where they’d like to be photographed. Or maybe there’s an extended family gathered together already, and they’d like to keep the photoshoot as easy as possible by having you come to them. If you’re shooting for next year’s holiday portrait or another special event, your client may also choose a place that fits the theme, such as an evergreen forest or a snowy landscape.
If you’re not familiar with the location, ask questions about it when confirming the shoot. You may discover that you need to bring extra equipment, such as speedlights to fill in shadows (if, for instance, your client is hoping for a family portrait underneath a moss-strewn oak tree at two o’clock in the afternoon).
Likewise, indoor photoshoots – such as people gathered around the fireplace or around a Christmas tree, for example – may present difficulties with lighting that you’ll want to consider and be prepared for prior to the actual shoot. When feasible, visit the site of any session before arriving for the actual job.
Scenario 2: The client is open to your location suggestions
This is the more common scenario, and it allows you to pull out that list of locations you’ve already scouted.
Start by getting a sense of the feeling the family wants to capture in their photos. If you’re doing a holiday family portrait, the client may prefer a warm and rustic theme over something bright and urban, for example.
Timing should also affect your decision of where to shoot. When possible, schedule sessions for an hour to an hour and a half before sunset, giving you time to arrive and chat, time to get the family comfortable with your presence and style, and then time to be fully ready to capture beautiful, stunning portraits just when the changing light is at its peak.
Sunset (and sunrise) shoots
For golden hour sessions, just after sunrise and just before sunset, choose a location that ideally has both broad vistas and objects of interest.
For example, if you’re shooting on the beach, don’t just choose a spot with wide-open sand (plus houses and passersby). Instead, aim to find a section of beach with sand dunes, tall grass, driftwood, or even distant trees.
These objects help frame the image and make it more interesting, without distracting from the subjects of the photograph. The same rules apply in a desert, lake, or city park scenario.
Midday shoots on a sunny day
The challenge with shooting at midday is the shadows. You don’t want your subjects to squint in full sun, and you don’t want shadows from tree branches or from other obstructions blocking portions of their faces. The key to shooting at sunny midday is to put your subjects fully in the shade.
When a client wants to schedule a midday session, I often lean toward urban areas with architectural interest. If your city or town has a historic neighborhood, seek out alleyways, parks, cobblestone streets, or even sidewalks that are shaded at midday, but that still present a beautiful surrounding for your subjects.
Cloudy day shoots
It’s a huge misconception that overcast days are bad for family portraits. Clients may be discouraged by the threat of rain, but encourage them with the news that cloud coverage actually makes for beautiful outdoor shots – there’s no squinting, plus there’s nice, even light.
That said, if there’s no drama in the sky (i.e., no dark clouds swirling on the horizon), an overcast day may be less exciting when shooting in broad vistas and open spaces.
Instead, turn to your surrounding objects (trees, historic buildings, etc.) to provide the intrigue in the photograph. Or add a pop of color with balloons and other props.
On an overcast day, a local mural can actually make for a perfect backdrop – just make sure your subjects wear muted tones (black, white, gray, or beige) rather than colorful attire that might clash with the art.
Final tips and tricks for finding family portrait locations
Start by putting together your list of portrait locations. And make sure that where you decide to shoot won’t be crowded at the time you’re there; the last thing you want is a bunch of strangers in your backgrounds.
Finally, be flexible. Not every shoot will be perfect, but it’s your job as the photographer to ensure that your clients have an enjoyable experience. Have confidence in your skills, and work around obstacles as they arise. If you are engaged and the subjects are happy, it’s possible to create gorgeous family portraits that your clients can share on cards, calendars, and gifts throughout the year.
Now over to you:
How do you choose family portrait locations? Do you have a favorite type of location? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post How to Find Good Locations for Family Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Hunter McRae.
The post 15 Ways to Find Photography Inspiration in 2021 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.
Photography inspiration is easy to lose.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to ignite your creativity and get you excited about shooting again!
In this article, you’ll discover 15 ways to feed your photographic inspiration.
Let’s dive right in.
1. Make a list
Photography inspiration can manifest in mysterious ways. And while it may seem removed from the photographic process, list-making can actually help inspire new creative photography ideas.
Try compiling a list of photography goals to work through, or make a list of subjects to photograph. These lists can be as detailed as needed, so grab a pen and paper and brainstorm your next move.
Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II with extension tubes | 1/6400s | f/1.8 | ISO 100
2. Get some exercise
Researchers have found that mood and creativity can be improved by physical exercise.
So if you’re in the midst of a creative lull, lace up your shoes and head out the door for a quick walk around the block – you could even bring your camera!
3. Try a new medium
Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II with extension tubes | 1/80s | f/4.0 | ISO 100
Trying a new artistic medium can often provide surprising artistic perspectives that feed into photographic inspiration.
Activities like drawing or painting can open you up to fresh compositional insights that inspire intriguing creative possibilities.
4. Keep a journal
Maintaining a written journal is a great way to get down your important photographic processes on paper.
Journaling encourages introspection, which will help you nail down the effective aspects of your photography (and which you can reflect on later).
Ultimately, keeping a journal can give you a clear sense of creative direction, inspiring new photography ideas and approaches.
5. Make time for photography
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day. But actively setting aside dedicated photography time feeds photographic inspiration and facilitates creative growth.
Regularly making time for photography will help exercise your creative muscles – even if it’s only an hour a week.
6. Try new equipment
Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II with extension tubes | 1/250s | f/2.8 | ISO 100
Trying new equipment can broaden photographic possibilities considerably.
Simple and cost-effective accessories like extension tubes, prisms, and filters are economical ways to inspire new methods of photography.
7. Make a mood board or a visual diary
Mood boards and visual diaries are used by artists to keep creative information in one place. By creating an accessible source of inspiration, artists can more easily expand on their own processes and ideas.
Traditionally, visual diaries were kept on paper. Today, websites like Pinterest and Tumblr allow you to maintain a visual diary or mood board online.
No matter which method you use, mood boards and visual diaries are a tried-and-true source of valuable photographic inspiration.
8. Catch up on art history
Art has a rich and varied history dating back millennia. Familiarizing yourself with art history contextualizes, informs, and expands creative output.
In fact, a good knowledge of art history can help you identify the subjects and approaches that have inspired creatives over the centuries, which you can then use in your own photography!
9. Revisit old photographs
Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM | 1/160s | f/5.0 | ISO 100
The depths of a photographic library can be a great source of inspiration. When sifting through old photographs, opportunities to revisit past subjects and locations may reveal themselves, inspiring new photography ideas.
Looking through old photographs can also reveal consistent errors to fix in future photoshoots. And it can draw attention to how far you’ve developed over a period of time, encouraging a positive sense of creative growth.
10. Check out art establishments
Art establishments, such as galleries, are full of inspirational material.
And since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, plenty of galleries have added online tours and online events that allow you to experience art from the comfort of your own home.
11. Read photography books and magazines
Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II with extension tubes | 1/1000s | f/2.5 | ISO 100
These days, most visual art material comes from a digital screen. But reading photography books and magazines can inspire a greater appreciation for printed photography, which can feed new creative possibilities.
12. Find photography inspiration by learning from past mistakes
From forgetting gear to technical or practical mishaps, photography, like any art form, is full of easy mistakes.
But when mistakes happen, don’t get discouraged. Instead, make a note of what went wrong – and be inspired to do better next time.
13. Reach out to fellow photographers
Photography often seems like a single-person endeavor, but reaching out to other creatives is an important way to generate and share inspiration.
From Instagram to in-person photography meetups, there are plenty of ways to connect with fellow creatives; ultimately, you can encourage growth and creativity in yourself and other photographers.
14. Photograph a favorite subject
Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM | 1/400s | f/16 | ISO 100
Photographing a favorite subject can help you remember the reason you took up photography in the first place.
While it isn’t always easy, prioritizing a session of photography simply for the sake of reconnecting with a favorite subject is an effective way to boost photography inspiration.
15. Challenge yourself
Photographing challenging subjects supports creative growth. Sure, photographing tricky subject matter can be intimidating. But getting outside your comfort zone is a surefire way to generate photography inspiration.
If you like landscape photography, give portraiture a try. Or if you’re into abstract photography, why not focus on wildlife for a change?
In short, take the opportunity to branch out. This will broaden your photographic experience and help you develop a more versatile approach to capturing images.
Ways to find photography inspiration: Conclusion
From photographing a favorite subject to maintaining a journal, there are many simple ways to get out of a creative rut.
And while it’s true that photography inspiration can be elusive, making these changes to your creative habits is a great way to build your skills and develop new approaches!
Do you have any additional tips for finding photographic inspiration? Share them in the comments below!
The post 15 Ways to Find Photography Inspiration in 2021 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.
The post How To Find Your Lens’ Sweet Spot: A Beginner’s Guide to Sharper Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Dena Haines.
Are you tired of blurry images?
It’s time to learn how to capture sharper images by finding your lens’s sweet spot. This will give you more confidence, save time, and help you take better photos.
In this article, you’ll learn:
How to find your lens’s sweet spot (for sharper images)
Why you should shoot in Aperture Priority mode (and how to use it)
How to perform a test to get the sharpest image every time
How important your lens’s sweet spot really is
In the above images of the clock, the one on the right is sharper. Look closely at the words. The f/9 image is sharper throughout because it was shot using my lens’s sweet spot. The f/3.5 one was not.
First, take a look at your lens
In this beginner’s guide, we’ll use an entry-level zoom lens as our example. Most kit lenses (the basic lens that comes with a DSLR) generally shoot their sharpest at a mid-range aperture setting. To determine the mid-range aperture of your lens, you’ll need to know its widest (or maximum) aperture setting. This is located on the side or end of the lens and will look something like 1:3.5-5.6.
For example, here it is on my Canon 18-55mm zoom lens:
This means that when my lens is zoomed all the way out to 18mm, its widest aperture is f/3.5. When zoomed all the way in to 55mm, its widest aperture is f/5.6.
The rule for finding that mid-range sweet spot is to count up two full f-stops (aperture settings are called f-stops) from the widest aperture. On my lens, the widest aperture is f/3.5. Two full stops from there would bring me to a sweet spot of around f/7.1.
Use this chart to count your f-stops:
By Robin Parmar
There is some wiggle room in what counts as mid-range, so anything from f/7.1 to f/10 will capture a sharp image. Once you know the mid-range aperture of your lens, you can do an easy test to get your sharpest image. To perform the test you’ll need to shoot in Aperture Priority mode.
Take control with Aperture Priority mode
Shooting in Aperture Priority allows you to choose the aperture setting you want, which gives you more creative control than Auto mode.
By controlling the aperture setting, it’s much easier to get a sharp image. And because your camera still chooses the ISO (if it’s set to Auto ISO) and the shutter speed automatically, it’s very easy to use.
You’ve probably heard that apertures like f/16 and f/22 are best for keeping everything in focus. While that can be true, focus does not always equal overall sharpness. Choosing a mid-range aperture will give you sharper images throughout. You can improve your photos even further by reducing camera shake by way of a tripod and a remote shutter release (or your camera’s self-timer).
Here’s an example of how shooting in your lens’s sweet spot will give you sharper images:
In the above image, the f/9 shot is sharper than the f/22 one. The needles and shadows are not as soft or blurry as in the f/22 shot (look at the crispness and sparkles in the snow, too).
Switching from Auto to Aperture Priority mode
To take your camera off of Auto and put it in Aperture Priority, just turn the large mode dial to Aperture Priority. This is what that looks like on my Canon (on Nikon and other brands look for the “A”).
Auto mode is the green rectangle; Aperture Priority mode is the Av (or A on a Nikon). Once your camera is in Aperture Priority mode, turn the smaller main dial (shown here on the top of my Canon) to choose your f-stop.
As you turn that dial, you’ll see the f-number changing on your screen. In the next picture, it’s set to f/9.5:
Perform a lens sweet spot test
Once you have your camera set up on a tripod, performing a sweet spot test only takes a couple of minutes. To begin, put your camera in Aperture Priority mode, then compose your shot and take photos at varying apertures. Start with a shot at the widest aperture, then rotate that main dial a couple of times (to narrow the aperture) and take another shot. Keep doing that until you’ve taken seven or eight photos.
Upload your photos to your computer and zoom in. You’ll quickly see which aperture settings gave you the sharpest overall image.
This next photo of my daughter was shot using natural light. Shooting in my lens’s sweet spot gave me a pretty sharp image, even in this low light setting:
The close-up of the mug shows the advantage of shooting in the lens’s sweet spot. Whenever you want to make sure you get the sharpest capture possible, take a shot at each mid-range setting: f/7.1, f/8, f/9, and f/10.
Getting your sharpest images
Now that you know your lens’s sweet spot, it’s time to practice. I hope you’re as pleased with the results as I’ve been!
I love shooting in natural light, and learning how to capture sharper images in low light has made me so much happier with my photos.
Tips for capturing the sharpest images
Shoot in Aperture Priority mode
Choose a mid-range aperture (usually f/7.1 to f/10)
Use a tripod and a remote shutter release (or your camera’s self-timer) to reduce camera shake
Take a series of shots at f/7.1 through f/10 when a sharp capture is especially important
But don’t stop there. Keep playing with settings in Aperture Priority mode. It’s awesome to get images that are sharp throughout, but there’s a lot more to aperture than that.
Learn more about aperture and depth of field here.
The post How To Find Your Lens’ Sweet Spot: A Beginner’s Guide to Sharper Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Dena Haines.
Vlogging is more popular than ever. In response, manufacturers have introduced specialty cameras for vloggers. But do you really need a dedicated camera to vlog? We compared the Sony ZV-1 and Panasonic G100 to an iPhone to find out.
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A newly-launched online mapping system called 1940s NYC makes it simple for anyone to find historical images of the city captured from 1939 to 1941 by the New York City Tax Department in collaboration with the Works Progress Administration. The photography initiative involved capturing images of every home, shop and other buildings in all five boroughs, the result being an incredibly detailed time capsule of the city as it existed decades ago.
These historical photographs were already available to the public, but getting them — particularly ones of specific buildings — was time-consuming. Things got a bit more simple in 2018 when the New York City Municipal Archives finished digitizing the full collection, a process that also involved tagging each image so that it could be more easily found online using the right details.
Despite that improvement, the process of browsing these images was still limited. Users must go to the NYC.gov website’s city map tool and enter the exact address for the building of the photo they want. This makes it difficult to casually browse these historical images, something the new 1940s NYC mapping tool solves.
The new and far more capable mapping tool comes from NYC-based software engineer Julian Boilen, who notes on the website that an automated process was used to place the images on the map and, therefore, there is the potential for some ‘imperfections.’
The mapping tool is exceptionally simple to use. Every black dot on the map represents a photo of that location; users can zoom in on individual streets and neighborhoods, which appear to be overlaid with historic city zoning maps. Users can also enter an address to go right to a particular building. This is quite a bit more robust than the mapping tool offered by the city itself.
Users located in New York City also have the option of clicking a location icon that will pull up their current location on the map, making it easy to see what their neighborhood looked like decades ago. As well, the map provides an ‘Outtakes’ section that is a large gallery of browseable photos. Many of these images feature black dots and NYC.gov watermarks.
In addition to serving as a portal to the 1930s – 1940s NYC images, the mapping tool also includes a link to a similar map that features the same variety of imagery, but one captured in the 1980s.
This dataset features 800,000 photos of buildings, according to the tool, as well as more than 100,000 ‘street segments.’ This mapping tool includes a ‘Stories’ feature that provides a series of images alongside the stories behind them.
These stories include things like pointers on spying interesting elements in the photos, details about whether certain buildings still stand and if they were remodeled, notable events that took place at these locations and similar information.
The website is not affiliated with the New York City Department of Records, which is the agency that owns the historical photos. Anyone can order the high-resolution digitized copies or prints of images they like from the city’s Municipal Archives, otherwise, the public is limited to the watermarked and low-resolution versions made accessible by the NYC Department of Records and Information Services.
Including these images, the NYC Municipal Archives Digital Collections website offers the public access to more than 1.6 million digital items, including photos and videos.
The post How to Catalog and Store Your Photos so You Can Find them Easier appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.
Keeping track of the photos you’ve taken is a vital element of the photography workflow. In this article, you’ll learn about different ways you can catalog and store your photos. This is important because, first of all, you’ll want to be able to easily find the photos that you took several years ago. You’ll also want to review your photos periodically to see where you can improve your work. This is easier with a well-managed photo library. Let’s take a look at the options available to you then.
Keeping your photo library up to date is vital.
Will you catalog and store your photos in the cloud?
The options available to store large amounts of file data have grown in recent years. It’s a good job because the amount of memory most photographers go through has also grown. The biggest rule here is that if you only have one copy of something, you might as well have none. The day your hard drive fails means you could lose everything, so diversify and keep multiple copies. Let’s look at some of the options you could take.
Internal hard drive
The first and most convenient place to store your photos is on your computers internal hard drive. Doing this means the files are easy to reach, and you don’t need to play around with wires to plug other devices in.
The drawback here, of course, is that most internal hard drives are limited in storage capacity, even more so if you’re using a laptop. At best, keeping photos on your internal hard drive should only be for your most recent photos. Even then, you need to back them up on a separate external hard drive.
External hard drives like these are one solution.
External hard drive
The next option is to use external hard drives.
The capacity of external hard drives continues to rise, and with the introduction of solid-state hard drives, their reliability has also improved. Large external hard drives that have terabytes of storage space are the best solutions for photographers wishing to back up their work. While you can have storage from flashcards and pen drives, it’s realistically far too small to database your library.
A word of warning though, most hard drives have a shelf life. That means for each external hard drive you have, you need a separate backup external hard drive.
Cloud services
The newest version of storage is cloud storage. It’s become increasingly popular, and with good reason. Companies that provide these services need to ensure your data is protected, as a result they need to keep several copies in the event one of their storage systems goes down. Your files being kept in a remote location is also safer, especially if you use cloud storage in conjunction with an external hard drive.
Dropbox – One of the first cloud storage services, they offer a good service.
Adobe – Anyone using Adobe products can sign up and store their photos on Adobe’s servers.
iCloud – Those using apple products will be familiar with the iCloud, it works as a hub to link up all your devices.
The downside to this type of service is that there is an ongoing subscription fee if you want storage sizes capable of backing up your photography. That compares with an external hard drive that has a one time fee. You’re also reliant on a fast, reliable internet connection, something you might not find if you’re traveling somewhere that’s more remote.
Cataloging your photos by type works well, this is a cityscape.
What’s the best solution?
Burning to a DVD was once a way you’d store photo library’s, but this has now become outdated as storage size has far outstripped this method. The best solution is to diversify. Keep backup copies of your photos on separate external hard drives, and use a cloud service for that extra protection.
Which is the best software to use for your library?
Now you know what hardware you’ll use to store your photos, the next step is to decide which program you’re going to use to store them. Once again, there are several options, and here are some of them.
Catalog in folders
One option is to simply set up folders, and then subfolders on your hard drive. You can use these to store individual sets of photos. The problem is this takes a lot of work, and could quickly become disorganized if you’re not on top of it all the time.
Photos is the current storage option for apple users.
Apple Photos
Apple Photos is now the default photo storage program that comes with apple devices, be that a phone or a computer. It’s taken over from the older iPhoto, and the concept with the program is to share between devices. That means all your files will be synced to the iCloud account you have. You’ll likely need to pay the subscription fee for this functionality to be of any use.
The program comes with some basic editing functions, with the ability to catalog your photos into albums. You can further organize your work by putting these albums into folders. You can download Apple photos to use with windows as well.
Adobe Bridge and Lightroom
Adobe is the choice of many photographers, especially Adobe Lightroom.
There are actually two separate programs to create a library from. The two programs create folders on your hard drive, as opposed to Apple Photos, that has a closed-off app.
You can select the folder you’re going to use, so putting these photos on an external hard drive will work well.
Bridge and Lightroom allow you to organize your photos by folder, but you can also put them into collections. Where Lightroom differs from Bridge is that it offers an advanced photo editing suite. For many photographers, this is all they need.
As is becoming increasingly standard, there is also the option to store your photos in Adobe’s cloud service through these programs.
Adobe is the most popular service for most photographers.
Other options
There are many other options you can use to organize and store your photos. If you’re using a Mac, using Photos or Lightroom is probably the best move. If you’re using a Windows machine, Lightroom is a great option. However you could buy a different program if you wish, this article gives a list of some of the possible alternative options.
How will you subdivide your collection into folders?
The last step in organizing your photos is putting them into categories that will make them easy to find. This comes down to some basic organization. Typically, you’ll want to start with a broad way of labeling photos, and then get more specific for the subfolders you put these photos into.
The year
Every year it’s time to reset and look again at your photos. It’s also a good time to begin a new folder for that year’s photos. In doing this, you’ll prevent any folder or library from becoming too large.
A location like a national park is a good name for a folder.
The location
This is a category you can obviously narrow down further from the broad area of just the location. The following are some suggestions on how you might do just that.
Country – Every time you make a trip to a new country, this should have its own folder. In fact, you might decide to make a whole new library with the year and country as the title for this library.
City/Town/Village – The next step down from the country is the place you visit within that country. Often an urban center of some description will be the next folder you use.
National park – Visiting an area of natural beauty will be high on the landscape photographer list. These are often national parks, so this would also form a folder.
District/Market/Lake/Mountain – To further narrow down where the photo was taken, look to the district or market you visited in an urban center. Likewise, if you’re in the countryside, look for things like lakes or mountains to signify the photo’s location.
This photo could be labelled portrait, light painting, or wire wool.
The day
Now you’re getting down to the nitty gritty of how to catalog and store your photos.
How you apply this to your organizational structure will depend. If you’re visiting a country for one week you might dispense with the city or national park, and just name each day France day 1, France day 2 and so on. However, if you’re in a country for longer, you might decide to use Paris day 1, Paris day 2, Lyon day 1, and so on.
The event
Photographing at festivals and events is a great way of getting unique photos, as they’re dynamic and you’ll be constantly on the lookout for moments of capture. Events like these will typically lead you to take many photos. If the event lasts several days, you’ll likely want to catalog by day.
The photography technique
Another approach to organizing your photos is to do it by type. In this case, you might be working on a photographic project, and you’ll want to keep all the photos of a particular type together. Below are a few examples you could try.
Color – Take a series of photos that are all the same color.
Technique – Use a technique like silhouettes, light painting or Lensball photography.
Portraits – If you’re a portrait photographer, you’ll likely want to sub-genre this topic. If you’re a travel photographer, it might form its own folder.
Street – Street photography is a great topic to try out and lends well to anyone living in an urban center.
Urban – Urban photography could include things like cityscapes, architecture, or rooftop photography.
Festivals provide many photographic moments.
Favorites
Lastly, one of the best folders of photos any photographer can have is the favorites.
Each day you’ll choose your favorites from that day. However, at the end of the year or the end of a trip, it’s worth refining your selection further. To do this, go back over your favorites from each day and pick the very best images. Then use those images to create a portfolio folder for your very best work.
What’s your preferred way to catalog and store your photos?
There is a definite process you need to follow when you catalog and store your photos. This article lays out where and how to store photos so that you don’t lose control of your database of images.
There are many ways to do this, so how do you catalog and store your photos? If you use a different approach, we’d love to hear your ideas in the comments section.
Likewise, if you use any of the approaches in this article, which have you found the best? It’s always good to be organized, so organize your photos today so you can add more of them to your collection tomorrow!
The post How to Catalog and Store Your Photos so You Can Find them Easier appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.
The post Ways to Use Lightroom to Find Photos Worth Revisiting appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.
I don’t have to tell you these are abnormal times. Like many others in every profession, photographers are experiencing a huge decrease in business due to stay-at-home and social distancing restrictions. While we hobbyist photographers may not rely on photography for our income, we just aren’t getting out as much to take pictures. So, maybe this is the time to go “back to the mine” (your photo archives), to see if you’ve overlooked some diamonds in the rough worth revisiting. Let’s take a look at how to use Adobe Lightroom to find photos you might have passed over. Also, how to use it to do some cleanup you just never got around to before.
I’d passed this shot by after an edit session I did years ago following a trip to Trillium Lake in Oregon. Now, using Lightroom to find photos I’d passed over, I found it was a diamond in the rough, simply needing some polishing.
See if this describes you
You’re a photographer and make photos pretty routinely on trips, photoshoots, studio sessions, weddings, portrait work, or whatever genre of photography you do.
You make dozens, if not hundreds of images, during just a single shoot.
Then, you want to quickly edit and get the best shots to your client, perhaps print some, or post the best to social media. When done, you’ve cherry-picked the best shots, edited them, wrapped up and moved on.
Left behind on your drive are perhaps the other 95-percent of shots that didn’t jump out at the time. There are quite possibly some good images still there that might only take a little extra editing to polish up, diamonds in the rough as it were.
Perhaps the shots were taken years ago, maybe even with lesser cameras, but now with more editing experience, you have skills to bring them to life.
There are also photos you’ll never use. Trash that just never got taken out. Images just taking up room on your hard drive.
Let’s cover how to use Lightroom to find photos, flag them for a second look or clean them out.
Get a DAM
Lightroom is a very capable photo editor, but there’s little dispute that Photoshop is the more powerful program for really serious photo editing.
Other programs have also risen to the forefront; Skylum Luminar, Phase One Capture One Pro, Corel Paintshop Pro, DXO Photolab, and ACDSee Ultimate. The list is growing and joined by many free and quite capable photo editing programs.
Using the Flags, Star-Ratings, and Color Codes in Lightroom is a great way to better manage your photo library.
One of the greatest strengths of Adobe Lightroom, however, is as a Digital Asset Management (DAM) tool.
In layman’s terms, that means it does a great job of organizing your photos, helping you search for images using keywords, ratings, color-codes, flags, collections, filters, and other means of organizing, sorting, and searching. At its core, Lightroom is a database program.
Many photographers who have spent years learning Photoshop still use that tool for most of their editing but are now looking to Lightroom as a partner program for organizing their photo libraries. What they had previously done with Adobe Camera Raw and Bridge can be done with Lightroom, which if desired, can simply send images out to Photoshop for editing or be used as an editor and more.
A jealous secretary
A concept many new Lightroom users find hard to grasp is that the photos you work with while using it are not “in” Lightroom. Lightroom is strictly a note-taker, a “secretary” to use that term, that records everything about an image; where it is, the metadata, how you’ve rated, flagged, color-coded, keyworded, and otherwise tagged it.
When you edit a photo in Lightroom, each and every step of that edit, text data, is stored in what is called the “catalog.” Your images are never altered, Lightroom just appends “notes” to them.
I tell you that to tell you this – Lightroom is a “jealous secretary.” She will keep meticulous notes about everything you do with your images, so long as you use “her” to do the work.
If you work with your images outside of Lightroom, say using the File Explorer in Windows or the Finder on a Mac, you are essentially working “behind Lightroom’s back.” She will let you know it too, losing track of where your images are and what you’ve done to them.
Ever see a “?” mark on your Lightroom photo or folder? That’s your secretary scolding you. There are ways to recover from this, but my recommendation is if you are going to use Lightroom as your DAM program, keep your jealous secretary happy and do all your image management with her exclusively.
Question marks on folders of photos in Lightroom means the program can’t locate the item. This will happen when you use tools outside of Lightroom to move or change your image.
A culling session
If culling is not a term familiar to you, here’s a dictionary definition: “A selection of things you intend to reject.”
In Lightroom, one of the first things you need to do to work with images is to “import” them. This is sometimes where people become confused. An “import” in Lightroom is simply a means of telling the program where your images are.
Let’s use two examples of how this might work.
Returning from a shoot, I have my images on my camera card. I pull the card from the camera, put it in a card reader, open Lightroom and using the Import process. Here, I copy the files from the card to a location on a computer hard drive, be it an internal or external drive. Lightroom copies the images to that location, builds thumbnails for them, and stores the information in its catalog.
I already have the photos somewhere on one of my computer drives. I use the Import function of Lightroom to Add the photos to the LR catalog. Lightroom does not move or copy anything, it simply now has information about those images and where they are.
If you are importing images from a camera card into Lightroom and want it to copy them to a location on your hard drive, the “Copy” method is what you want.
In both scenarios, the photo files are not “in” Lightroom, and not in a subfolder of that program. They are wherever you chose to store them. However, now your “LR secretary” is keeping track of them.
If your images are already on one of your computer drives and you simply want to be able to work with them in Lightroom use the Import “Add” function, not the “Copy” function.
Once visible in Lightroom, the temptation is to look through them and start editing the ones that jump out at you. I’ve done that many times, in a hurry to get to the obvious “nuggets” and start editing them.
Instead, I’d like to introduce you to a way to more formally, and with greater organization, go through a folder of images.
The proper way to do this is when you first start working with that new folder of images. But, if you are like me, you might not have known to, were lazy and impatient, or for whatever reason just didn’t do this. No worries, it’s not too late for a proper culling session.
Here are the steps:
Go to the folder where you have the images. You should be in the Library module of Lightroom and in the grid view (Hit “G” on your keyboard) so you can see all of your images.
Do some folder-level keywording. If all of the images in the folder were, for example, taken at the beach, you might want all of them to have that keyword to aid in searching later. Hit Ctrl (Cmd on Mac) A to select all of the images. Then click in the Keywords section at the right and type in the keywords you want. If you want more than one to apply to just certain selected images, pick those first and then use a comma between them. i.e., Fireworks, Still-Life, Sparklers.
This entire folder of images were shots of fireworks, so I selected all images in the folder and added the keyword “Fireworks.”Selecting several images within the folder, I added additional keywords – Still-Life, and Sparklers. You can have multiple keywords for an image if you separate them with a comma.
Time to quickly go through your images one-by-one. To move faster through the images, first, turn on Auto-Advance. You can either turn this on by going to Photo in the top pulldown menu and selecting Auto Advance or simply by holding down the Shift key while you work. Now bring up just the first image in Loupe View (Hit the Enter key).
For this first pass, you want to flag the images you want to keep and cull out the ones you know you’ll never use. Viewing each image, hit either the “P” key to flag the image as a Pick or “X” key to reject it.
If you just can’t decide, the right arrow key “>” to move on.
To quickly cull your images in Lightroom, turn on Auto Advance and then use the “P” key to flag an image as a Pick, the “X” key to mark it as a Reject, or just use the Right Arrow Key to move to the next image with no flagging. Note the white flags are picks, the black flags with an X are rejects.
Try to be selective here. This does not immediately throw out any images and you can change your mind later. However, your objective ought to be to do some serious housekeeping, X-ing out the images you are unlikely to ever use, and Picking the ones you will probably want to edit later.
Everyone is different. Some people are tidy and have no problem tossing things out they don’t expect to use. Then there are folks like me, packrats for whom this is a tougher task.
Time to be brave. You can check to see which images you flagged with an “X” as rejects if you like. Hit “G” to go back to the Grid view. Now using the Library Filter (top of the grid), click the word “Attribute” and then click the Black flag. This will show the images you flagged as Rejects with the “X.” You can take another look at these if you have to and if you decide it is not one you want to be rejected, hit the “P” key to change it back to a Pick.
Taking out the trash
So let’s get rid of the rejects. To see what you flagged with an “X” as a reject, hit Ctrl- Backspace (Cmd on Mac). You will see two options:
Delete from Disk – This will permanently delete the images from your hard drive. You might still find them in your recycle bin if you accidentally pick this, but consider this the trash for the most part.
Remove from Lightroom – The files will remain on your drive, but you will no longer see them in Lightroom. This is the safer option if you are unsure, but it’s also like just putting your garbage in the hall closet. If you plan to clean the house, do it and don’t look back.
Decision time. After you’ve using the culling step to flag your Picks and Reject images, hit Ctrl-Backspace. This question will appear. You can delete your rejected images entirely or, simply remove them from showing up in Lightroom but retain them on your drive. Choose wisely.
Colors and flags and stars, oh my!
If you were disciplined, using the Pick and Reject options helped you separate the wheat from the chaff, getting rid of things you’ll never use and perhaps freeing up all kinds of space on your hard drives. So now let’s use some tools to go a little deeper, helping you to organize and find images warranting further work.
Lightroom lets you tag photos with several different things to add in organizing, sorting, filtering, and finding them. Let’s look at the options.
Sorting – There are many different ways to sort your images in the Library view of Lightroom. This doesn’t change anything but simply allows you to see them in whatever sort order you like. Some are obvious, like sorting by Capture time so you can see the images in the order you took them. Others, like sorting by aspect ratio, are less obvious but sometimes very useful. Say you need an image for a magazine cover and want a portrait-orientation image. Sorting by aspect ratio is the ticket. Explore what this very simple option can do for you.
Using the Sort by Aspect Ratio option can be handy if you want to group your portrait and landscape orientation images together.
Color – You can flag your photos with any of five different colors (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue or Purple). What each color signifies is strictly up to you. Maybe you want to flag all of your very best images with Red, your Landscapes with Green, your images you want to edit with Yellow – whatever you like. To flag an image, click on the image(s) you want that color applied to, then click on the color patch you want to apply that color tag to. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts – 6-Red, 7-Yellow, 8-Green, 9-Blue. There is no number shortcut for Purple.
If you’ve used color codes to identify different photo types, sorting by color can be useful.
Star Rating – How to apply a star rating is easy. When on an image, just click the number key for the rating you want to assign or use the star symbol on the toolbar at the bottom. What a certain rating means…that’s your call. Is a 5-star image your best ever? Is a 1-star image one that barely escaped deletion? What does a 3-Star rating mean? Whatever you come up with, be consistent and the rating system will be more useful.
Come up with your own scheme of using the star-rating in Lightroom and then sort by rating.
Flags – We already discussed flags earlier. Basically, they are a way to mark an image as a pick or a reject. Use several or none. You can use these tagging tools singularly or in combination, depending on how you choose to mark up your images. For example, a really great landscape photo might be a green, 4-star, flagged as a Pick image. The power comes in how once marked up, you can filter and sort your images.
Finding, filtering, and sorting
So you’ve cleaned up your folders, eliminated the rejects, and flagged your images with color codes, star ratings, and perhaps added some keywords. (We didn’t get into keywording much as that can be an art unto itself. I refer you to this article to learn more about the power of this tool).
Now we want to use this organization to help us find all our best lighthouse images taken in the past three years, for example. If we were good about marking up our images, we might have put the keyword “lighthouse” on them, flagged them with red (which we decided were our best photos), or maybe just made our top images 5-star.
How do we use the markups to find what we seek?
Creative use of the Library filter in Lightroom can bring up just the image you’re looking for if you’ve properly labeled your images with star ratings, pick flags, color codes and keywords. Here, I was looking for all my photos that had the keyword Lighthouse, were 4-star images, and color-coded red.
The better you are at marking-up your images, the greater the degree of precision you will have in finding that needle in a haystack when it comes time for that. I personally have over 100,000 images in my Lightroom catalog. (That’s a big haystack!) So, to use Lightroom to find photos requires some creativity with the Library filtering tool.
You will be able to search through basic things you may have added; keywords, file names, folder names or anyplace else where text might be. You can search your Attributes, the star ratings, color codes, flags.
Another very powerful Attribute is being able to search for unedited photos. Note the filter selection in the image below. Using that icon, I can have Lightroom show all photos for which Lightroom has no edit history.
If I bring up a folder with images that were edited elsewhere before coming into Lightroom, they will also show up as unedited. But, assuming this is a folder with images that have been brought in directly off your camera card and never been touched with anything other than Lightroom, this is a fantastic way to show those “passed over nuggets” we might want to revisit.
Using the Library filter, I’m able to see all the images for a particular year shot with my Canon 6D that are unedited by Lightroom. Creative use of the Text, Attribute, and Metadata filter in the Library Filter function of Lightroom can tell you much about your images and help you find that missing needle in the haystack.
Searching through metadata can also be a powerful way to find photos. Without you even having to enter any information, your camera captures a wealth of data about each image it takes. (Have a look at my article on Irfanview which gets into metadata.)
So, say you’re still looking for those lighthouse photos, but you never put keywords on them. Searching for “lighthouse” isn’t going to help. But say you do know you took the photos on a trip in September of 2017 and shot them with your Canon 6D. Putting just that information into the search filter in the Library module should greatly reduce the size of the “haystack.”
The more precise you can be with your search parameters, the more precise your search will be. Explore all the search options in the Text, Attribute, and Metadata areas and how using them in combination can greatly help you find what you seek.
Become a Collector
Using the Library filter is a great way to search through your photos when you’re looking for something, particularly an ad hoc search for something you don’t need to find often. When you really want to tap the power of the database that is Lightroom, Smart Collections are really cool. First, let’s describe what a Lightroom collection is.
Say you like to take pictures of flowers. Even when you’re out on some other kind of shoot, when you see a nice flower, you take a shot. Thus, you have flower pictures scattered throughout your folders. Now, how would it be to see all of those in one place, without having to move, copy, or duplicate anything? That’s what a Lightroom collection can be, a “pointer” to images that groups them all into one “folder” without moving anything.
There are two kinds of collections in Lightroom.
The first is a regular collection. You can add the photos manually. You can drag them from their folder location to a collection you have set up. Alternatively, if you designate a collection as the “Target collection,” while viewing that image in the Library module, you can just hit the “B” key on your keyboard to add the image to the target collection. You can also select multiple images in the Library module, hit the “B” key to add them all to the target collection.
Remember that nothing really moves, no duplicates get made, no additional drive space is needed. Collections are virtual – only pointers to the original files.
Collections can be very handy. When I’m gathering photos for an article, I will often create a Lightroom collection with the title of the article, make it the target collection, and then as I prowl through my library looking for photos I might want to use, I hit the “B” key on the keyboard and they are added to the collection. Fantastic!
Be a Smarter Collector
Collections are a great tool, but we can go a step further.
Let’s go back to our flower photos example. If I took some flower shots every time I did a shoot, I want them to automatically show up in my Best Flowers collection without any additional work on my part? A smart collection uses filters and conditions like the Library filter but runs continuously in the background.
To set up a new Smart Collection, go to the Collections tab in the panel on the left side of Lightroom. Click the + symbol. Select Create a Smart Collection. Then use the controls in that menu to set up the parameters defining what will be selected.
So, if I set up a smart collection, name it “Best Flowers” and use the parameters where, for example, keywords contained “flowers” and the rating was 3-stars or above, any photo added meeting those conditions automatically appear in that smart collection without any additional work by me. Once built, your smart collections just work silently in the background of Lightroom. (I would just have to remember to be diligent about rating and keywording my flower photos each time I had some new ones brought in.)
Once you set up the parameters for a Smart Filter in Lightroom, it will watch for any images that meet those qualifications and add them to the collection. Here, I have a filter that looks for photos with the keyword “Flowers” that are rated 4-stars or higher. Now, if I’m good about rating and keywording my flowers photos as I take them and import them into Lightroom, they will automatically be added to this collection
Another great use for a smart collection – make one to show all your unedited photos, wherever they might be in your library.
Set your smart collection parameters to something like my example below. It has the Has edits set to False, the camera as the one I’m interested in, my Canon EOS 6D, the File Type Raw, and the Pick Flag is on.
Now, unedited images I’ve flagged as Picks will immediately show up here as soon as I imported them in Lightroom. As I edit them, they will fall off this list. Think of this kind of Smart collection as your “In Box” of photos for editing.
I can also use the other tools and filters we’ve discussed to determine if I will keep them at all. I can do additional culling here if I decide I won’t edit them and perhaps delete them.
Use a Lightroom Smart Collection to act as your “In Box” telling you which photos need editing. I’ve set this Smart filter to add photos that are not edited (Has Edits is False), where the file type is Raw, I’ve flagged the photo as a Pick, and the photos were taken with my Canon 6D. Smart Collections can be very powerful and the beauty is, as collections are strictly virtual, there’s no need for additional copies, folders, or duplicates that would take up more drive space.
Also, remember images in a collection are just pointers to the original files. So if you click on an image in a collection and open it in the Edit module to make changes, you are also editing the photo in the folder where it really lives.
Polishing up the diamonds
When you can’t be out taking more photos, a good use of your time might be to use Lightroom to find photos worth revisiting.
I’m betting that you’ve passed over many diamonds in the rough, and a trip back through the mine that is your photo library will yield some yet undiscovered treasures. Happy prospecting. For now, stay home, be well, and “Live long and prosper.”
The post Ways to Use Lightroom to Find Photos Worth Revisiting appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.
The Chinese smartphone maker Oppo isn’t as well known in the western world as rivals Huawei or Xiaomi, but the brand is renowned for its camera-centric approach to smartphone design and has been responsible for quite a number of innovations in mobile imaging. For example, Oppo introduced swiveling camera modules in its N-series, the first sensor-based image stabilization system on a smartphone and the first periscope-style 5x zoom on a smartphone.
Now, the company has launched its latest flagship, the Oppo Find 2X Pro, and, at least on paper, the new model has everything it needs to take on the flagship competition from Apple, Samsung, Huawei and other more established rivals.
The below video is the entire launch presentation from Oppo:
Triple camera with ultra-wide and 5x tele
The Find X2 Pro comes with a triple camera setup, that covers focal lengths from a 16.5mm ultra-wide-angle to a 5x tele with a whopping 129mm equivalent lens, making it one of the most versatile mobile cameras in the market.
The primary camera uses a 48MP Sony IMX689 Quad-Bayer sensor that produces 12MP output files. At 1/1.4″ it’s almost as large as the main sensor in the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro (1/1.33″) and larger than those of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro (1/1.7″) and Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (1/2.55″). In combination with the fast F1.7 aperture and optical image stabilization this should make for very decent low light performance.
The 5x tele camera offers more reach than most rivals in the high-end bracket of the market and is only matched by the Huawei P30 Pro and Oppo’s own Reno 10x Zoom. The 1/3.4″ sensor size in this camera is in line with other high-end tele cameras. OIS is on board on this module as well but with an F3 aperture zooming in low light conditions is likely not recommended. The tele module uses image fusion and other computational methods to achieve a 10x ‘hybrid zoom’ and offers a 60x maximum zoom factor.
Like the primary module, the ultra-wide uses a 48MP Quad-Bayer sensor albeit a smaller model. Still, at 1/2″ it’s one of the currently largest sensors in an ultra-wide and only topped by the 1/1.54″ sensor in the Mate 30 Pro. The F2.2 aperture is not the fastest we have seen but in line with most rivals.
In addition, the Find X2 Pro is the first smartphone to offer a PDAF system with 100 percent focus pixels and comes with a dedicated night mode that works on all three camera modules.
4K HDR video
On the video side of things, the new Oppo comes with an upgraded image stabilization algorithm that works on both the ultra-wide and primary cameras. Unlike on some recent flagships, there’s no 8K video but the Oppo can record 4K footage at 60fps and is one of the very few devices to support HDR video.
Top-end processing power
Non-camera specifications and features are all worthy of a true flagship as well. The new device is powered by Qualcomm’s brand new top-end chipset Snapdragon 865 which supports UFS 3.0 for fast read and write speeds, as well as 5G connectivity and uses OPPO Smart 5G technology to navigate between 4G, 5G, and WiFi network environments.
The 4260mAh battery supports SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging which, according to Oppo, can deliver a full charge in only 38 minutes.
120Hz color-calibrated AMOLED display
Images can be viewed and other content consumed on a color-calibrated 120Hz QHD+ AMOLED display with a whopping 3168 x 1440 pixels. Oppo says the new screen offers, ultra-low screen reflectivity and improves smoothness as well as operation feedback, thanks to a 240Hz high touch sampling rate. To deliver adequate audio output, the Find X2 Pro comes with dual speakers and Dolby Atmos which can automatically adjust to applications, such as music playback, movie watching or gaming.
Flagship pricing
As you would expect, this innovative tech comes at a price. The Find X2 Pro with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage will set you back 1,199 EUR in Europe (approximately $ 1,355). If that sounds a little bit rich for your taste Oppo also offers the Find X2 at 999 EUR (approximately $ 1,130). It comes with the same chipset and display as the Pro version but only 256GB of internal storage and a very slightly smaller battery.
In the camera, the primary and ultra-wide are the same as for the Pro but the tele lens is a more conventional variant that offers a ‘5x hybrid’ zoom factor. Oppo has not provided much detail on this camera yet but presumably, the reach is achieved using a 2x or 3x lens in combination with super-resolution and image fusion algorithms.
Both devices will be available globally in the coming months.
We’ve updated our ‘best bargains’ buying guide, which features both newer cameras that we think are great values, as well a few older models that are inexpensive yet still very capable.
The post How to Find Your Vision as a Photographer appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.
It’s frustrating to be a good photographer but not know what to do with your skills.
You can know your camera inside and out, be able to compose a good photo and capture a great moment, but without vision, you’ll always feel aimless as a photographer.
You’ll be stuck taking pictures that don’t inspire you and perhaps even running a photography business that brings you down.
I’ll show you how to find your vision as a photographer so that you can thrive and create a body of work that you are proud of.
“It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision.” – Helen Keller
Even though I’m a family photographer, photos like this do not fit my vision as a photographer. However, I understand that families want a nice portrait like this, so it’s part of what I offer as a family photographer.
What is “vision”?
Vision has to do with seeing, and photographers constantly practice the art of seeing.
Having vision means you know why you’re taking pictures. You know what you want to accomplish. You’re not controlled by what other photographers tell you to do. You know what you’re pursuing and why.
“Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.” – Jonathan Swift
Photos like this, a candid moment, a splash of chaos to break the order, is more in line with my vision.
Who’s vision are you living?
Without a vision of your own, you may be living out another photographer’s vision.
You see everyone else’s style of photography and feel you have to conform to that even though you don’t want to.
Somebody else has told you how to see the possibilities. Your vision isn’t your own.
But how do you find your vision as a photographer?
A photo like this fits my vision perfectly. It was cold and the little one was confused and grumpy and shivering. The only thing that mattered to her was her mom. But this photo is not really about the little one, it’s about her mom. The mom who sacrifices, and comforts. The mom who abandons everything to embrace her little one.
Look back to find your vision
Part of your work as a photographer is to explore. What you explore is completely up to you.
You often don’t realize the significance of your discoveries until you can see some thread that connects them all.
In all your exploration as a creative person, you will see clues to your vision.
Look back on these five things to help find your vision as a photographer.
1. Note your other creative pursuits
You’re probably a creative person and not just a photographer.
Consider what books you love to read.
Take note of what you watch.
What type of music do you listen to?
If you sketch or paint, what is your subject matter?
Now, connect photography with your other creative pursuits.
Here’s what it looks like for me:
I tend to read novels that explore human nature, listen to music with lyrics about the ideal life, enjoy comedy that pokes fun of everyday routines, write on themes of personal growth, and studied the humanities at university.
I love to photograph candid moments (even during headshot sessions) because it lets me explore personality and how people act.
Already, I see a connection between my photography and my other creative pursuits.
“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.” – Ansel Adams
In each of these books, I find a clue to my vision as a photographer.
2. Collect the photos you love the most
What sort of photos are you drawn to and what are your favorite photos that you’ve taken?
What do you see in those photos and how do they connect to your other creative pursuits?
From my earliest days as a family photographer, this is one of my favorite photos. Childhood is a theme I love to explore.
Look beyond your own photography to that of others. What prints have you purchased or photography books do you own?
I’m not a photojournalist, though it’s photojournalism that seems to really inspire me as a photographer. This 25-cent yard sale magazine was one of my best purchases this year.
My favorite photographs are gritty, grainy and misfocused, but I love them.
I appreciate photographers who live for the moments and ideas in the photograph.
Moving forward, pay attention to what compels you to grab your camera and take a photo.
3. List your quirks as a person
This is a fun one. The purpose is to discover what is unique and interesting about you as a creative person.
Do you have a strange hobby?
Do you have any funny rituals?
What are you most embarrassed about?
List those quirky things that make you interesting.
If a toddler cries at one of my photo sessions, you can be sure I’ll snap a picture. l also make moms and dads dance together during photo sessions. It’s always so awkward, but that’s interesting to me.
One of my quirks is that I’m afraid to dance. I figure if I’m afraid of something, then other people are too. So I make couples dance at a portrait session. It’s lots of fun and the most awkward couples end up with the most romantic portraits.
4. What are your favorite 3-5 photography quotes?
Your favorite photography quotes will help you find your vision as a photographer.
Here are a few to get you thinking.
“I realize more and more what it takes to be a really good photographer. You go in over your head, not just up to your neck.” — Dorothea Lange
“Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.” — Marc Riboud
“For me, the camera is a sketchbook, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity.” — Henri Cartier-Bresson
“I tend to think of the act of photographing, generally speaking, as an adventure. My favorite thing is to go where I’ve never been.” — Diane Arbus
“Taking pictures is like tiptoeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies.” — Diane Arbus
“My life is shaped by the urgent need to wander and observe, and my camera is my passport.” — Steve McCurry
“The most difficult thing for me is a portrait. You have to try and put your camera between the skin of a person and his shirt.” — Henri Cartier-Bresson
Do your favorite quotes have anything in common with your creative pursuits, your favorite photos, and your quirks as a person?
One day the bay we live on flooded and took over our yard. I put on my chest waders and followed my son as he paddled around. This is who I am as a photographer. Wandering into unpredictable and unexpected events to explore. I love it when our everyday life is made strange
5. Pay attention to what you say when you’re upset
Sometimes the spontaneous overflow of emotion contains the exact revelation of what your vision is.
How do you react when your photos are criticized? If you’ve never been criticized, just find a community to share your work online. Sooner or later, a person will let you know what they think of your photos. They will insult you relentlessly. Hopefully, they get under your skin, and you lash back. The words you blurt out are an expression of your vision.
I like wading into chaos and making something beautiful out of it. And if there are blemishes in the photo, so much the better. Because where there are smudges and dust and grain – that’s where things got real.
I keep my iPhone 4s to use as a camera. The grain and discoloration in the photos represent what I see in life. It’s one of my favorite cameras.
Ask, what problem does your vision solve?
By now, you should have a clue as to what you’re after as a photographer. Don’t worry, it takes some time to come up with a precise vision.
A final approach is to ask what problem your vision tackles.
I remember the day I realized what photography was all about for me. I was reading a book on the history of journalism and came across this comment:
“The mission of photography is to explain man to man and each man to himself.” — Edward Steichen
My everyday photography and work is permeated with trying to understand ourselves. That is right in line with the books I read, the comedy I laugh at, and the moments I capture.
As I photograph my kids, other people and social events, I come to understand humanity. And I find myself in places I would never get to be unless I was a photographer.
“The camera is an excuse to be someplace you otherwise don’t belong.” — Susan Meiselas
I’ve been there when brides get ready for their wedding day. That would never have happened without the camera. You get insights into a person when you spend their wedding morning with them. You get insight into humanity when you do this repeatedly over time.
Here is a question that drives me as a person and a photographer: who do you become in a crisis?
What do you become like when a session falls apart? Who do you become as a mom when your little one won’t smile pretty for the camera? Who are you when your children need you? Those questions drive me and therefore drive my vision as a photographer.
A moment between a father and son. He’s done something wrong and neither knows quite how to react or what to say. It’s a defining moment in their relationship.
Your vision ought to make you grow
People with vision foresee exactly what they’re after and why. They work toward it, overcoming obstacles and their weaknesses. To find your vision as a photographer:
Explore your creativity.
Ask, what problem does my vision solve?
How does it make life deeper and better?
Who do I need to be(come) in order to bring this vision to life?
What do I have to do consistently in order to bring this vision to life?
Write yourself a tag line and print it, make a mug, a t-shirt, or paint it on the wall.
Do you have anything else you’d like to add to this? If so, please share with us in the comments.
The post How to Find Your Vision as a Photographer appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.
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