Writing is not for photographers. This is the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard, and as a photographer, I have heard many. Do you know what is even more absurd about this declaration? For a long time, I am the one who swore by it. This was following the demise of my first personal photoblog. You can say Continue Reading
The post 8 Amazing Hacks To Be A Pro Photographer Blogger: The Definitive Guide I’m Using To Write How I Shoot appeared first on Photodoto.
Small, lightweight and offering great image quality from its APS-C format sensor, the Fujifilm X100V is designed for street photography.
In a season of unrest across the globe, Seattle-based photographer Chloe Collyer has been busy using the X100V to document the people – and the expressions of anger and creativity – which have made this summer unforgettable.
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This is sponsored content, created with the support of Amazon and Fujifilm. What does this mean?
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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| A look at the makeshift front door camera form inside Roper’s living room. |
Given ample time at home and the desire to continue creating images while observing social distancing restrictions, Roper converted his front door into a camera obscura using magnetic dry erase board, gaffer’s tape, cardboard boxes, a dark cloth, c-stand, clamps and sandbags. For photo paper and film, Roper uses Ilford RC IV Multigrade Photo Paper, Ilford Direct Positive Paper and Ilford Ortho 80 Plus. His lens of choice is a Nikkor-W 300mm F5.6 lens in a Copal shutter.
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| An overview of all the elements of the front door camera. |
Roper states that he was inspired by his friend, Brendan Barry, an artist and camera builder we’ve featured many times before. Roper was also inspirited by the work of Dorothea Lange and Francesca Woodman. The former is a particularly interesting inspiration given Lange’s famous documentary and photojournalism work for the Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression.
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| The conveniently-located window in Roper’s front door. |
Of Door Frames, Roper says, ‘When you have nothing but an abundance of time, you take the time and slow things down. You find that these antiquated processes can reveal and create such beauty.’ Below is a collection of portraits Roper captured with his front door camera:
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In order to communicate with his subjects outside, Roper speaks to them from inside his home using a speakerphone. Roper then affixes his photographic paper on the image box using the magnetic dry erase board and captures an image with his Nikkor lens wide open because his photo paper is ISO 3 or 6. Once an image is captured, Roper develops it in his bathroom, which he has converted into a darkroom.
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| Prints in the process of being made in Roper’s makeshift darkroom. |
To view more Kyle Roper’s work, visit his website and follow him on Instagram.
Image credits: All photos used with permission from Kyle Roper
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Above: El Chaltén, located in the Argentine side of Patagonia, is known as the National Capital of trekking.
I first stumbled across Cath Simard’s work on Instagram and was instantly mesmerized by its beauty. Not only does the Canadian photographer capture stunning and unsullied locations around the globe, she’s developed a distinctive style. Every photographer serious about making a living with their work especially needs to focus on creating an aesthetic that makes them instantly recognizable.
Simard’s humble, down-to-earth demeanor and grace dealing with the occasional critic is also refreshing. I got a chance to catch up with the former model and find out how she got into photography, why she’s passionate about teaching others her methods, and how traveling solo altered her outlook.
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Above: This campsite, located at an altitude well above 4,000 meters, was the perfect site to capture the night sky against the Andes Mountains in Peru.
I started in the creative industry as a model when I was 15 years old. I modeled for ten years and worked as an Art Director and fashion stylist for four years. I’ve always been attracted to the visual arts but I would have never thought I’d be a photographer one day. Then, back in 2014, I got tired of the fashion industry. I decided to sell all my belongings and buy a one-way ticket to Australia with very little money in the bank.
I did farm work for two years over there, documenting my journey with my iPhone. I was approached by an Australian bandana company to take photos of their products. I said yes, immediately, even if I had no experience using a camera or in professional shooting. I decided to purchase a Sony a6000 with a 35mm F1.8 lens and started photographing people wearing bandanas doing outdoor activities.
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Above: After a long evening hike, the best was made of a foggy morning in the mountains of Peru.
After completing my farm work, I decided to go on a three-month solo trip covering Indonesia, Hawaii, and Western Canada. Never before had I seen such huge mountains as when arriving in Alberta. The feeling I got when I saw them for the first time is indescribable. It was in Alberta I discovered my passion for hiking and I was introduced to scrambling, which allowed me to access more remote areas and reach viewpoints that have never been photographed before.
I started to document my adventures and fell in love with photographing the mountains, specifically. It was the first time in my life I found something that made me feel whole and brought me so much joy and energy.
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Above: Here are the Cerro Yerupajá and Siula Grande mountains, in Peru, amongst other giants, captured between 2:00 and 3:00 am.
Three years ago, a company from Quebec (my hometown) asked me if I would be interested in teaching photography to a group of 10 people for one day. It was something I have never done before and I was curious to find out if it is something I’d enjoy, so I said ‘yes.’ That day was quite a revelation for me – the amount of excitement, satisfaction, and the feeling of accomplishment I got from teaching each student was indescribable. A new passion was born.
After this experience, I decided to combine my passion for teaching, hiking and traveling into unique international photography workshops for people to learn photography while completely immersing themselves in nature. I highly enjoy spending time with people that have similar interests, sharing my knowledge, and giving as much insight as possible so they can return home with images they are proud of.
 |
Above: My favorite photo to date was captured at Jasper National Park in the Alberta province of Canada.
I don’t have one in particular but, in general, the images I’m the proudest of are the ones where I followed my own personal creative vision. They often involve a lot of physical work and perseverance. Being unique is also something I value and prioritize a lot, so I’d say that my favorite images usually have a unique and original compositional component or mood along with a great story behind them.
 |
Above: I wanted to capture this ice cave in Iceland at night. Although I didn’t get Northern Lights when I took this particular image, I decided to composite it with a night sky I captured a couple of days before.
I use the Sony a7R III + 16-34mm F2.8 lens for 80% of my images. I also love the Sony 100-400mm F4.5-5.8 lens for tighter shots of mountain peaks and compression.
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Above: This image was taken with a drone at El Chaltén National Park. It’s important to note that you need a permit to fly inside the borders of a National Park, or you need to take off outside the border.
I used to say Lightroom Classic CC, but I’ve been experimenting much more with Photoshop over the last year. I like to combine both software programs for my editing.
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Above: My favorite image from 2019 was taken at Torres del Paine National Park in Chile’s Patagonia region.
I simply cannot choose between Patagonia and Peru. I love the variety in landscape and wilderness that Patagonia offers and the remoteness and untouched beauty of Peru. Both places demand that you put work into creating great images – especially Peru, since you need to trek in high altitude for many days to reach interesting viewpoints.
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Above: Also captured in El Chaltén, I challenged myself to get out of my comfort zone by creating something interesting out of an average foreground and backdrop.
I would love to explore Alaska – especially its giant snow-covered peaks, glaciers, lakes, and ice caves. It seems this part of the world has it all!
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Above: I spent all night photographing the Andes Mountains in Peru. Obviously the Milky Way doesn’t bend in an arch but I had some fun with compositing to create this effect.
Traveling solo multiple times allowed me to do discover hidden parts of myself through self-reflection and introspection. I think that introspection is essential for becoming a better person and it is the single most powerful tool for internal self-awareness and how to find true happiness.
When you take the time to become an expert, you make better decisions, you are more confident, you learn to respect your limits which all brings you closer to live the life you want. You worry less about what other people think of you, you become more empathic to others, and have a more positive attitude towards life.
This is definitely easier said than done. You need to find a time and space for this, and to me this happens whenever I’m alone hiking in the mountains. It’s like a meditation that grounds me and helps me get back to what’s important in life.
Other tools that help are self improvement books such as How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and What to Say When You Talk to Yourself by Dr. Shad Helmstetter, to name a few.
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Above: A final perspective of El Chaltén, located in Patagonia.
Pick three photographers that inspire you and analyze their images. Why do they speak to you? Try to identify the elements that you like in their photos and look for them when you are shooting or editing. I do believe that imitating – not copying – is a great way to learn and find your own personal style.
Another thing is to listen and trust your creative instinct. For example, I started creating composites at a very early stage of my learning process. Compositing has always been a creative way for me to express myself but it has always attracted negative comments. I’ve often been told that my images were too contrasting, too blue or too Photoshopped.
If I would have left these comments get to me and influence the way I create, I would never be where I am today as an artist. The moral of the story for me is to ignore negative comments and only take constructive criticism from people you trust and who you know truly believe in you.
Lastly, developing your style takes time. A lot of a time. So be patient, learn new techniques and practice as much as you can.
Catherine Simard is a Canadian-born self-taught travel/landscape photographer and digital artist with a passion for the outdoors and the wilderness. She is a Sony Artisan of Imagery. Simard will be resuming workshops at various international destinations in 2021.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Above: El Chaltén, located in the Argentine side of Patagonia, is known as the National Capital of trekking.
I first stumbled across Cath Simard’s work on Instagram and was instantly mesmerized by its beauty. Not only does the Canadian photographer capture stunning and unsullied locations around the globe, she’s developed a distinctive style. Every photographer serious about making a living with their work especially needs to focus on creating an aesthetic that makes them instantly recognizable.
Simard’s humble, down-to-earth demeanor and grace dealing with the occasional critic is also refreshing. I got a chance to catch up with the former model and find out how she got into photography, why she’s passionate about teaching others her methods, and how traveling solo altered her outlook.
|
Above: This campsite, located at an altitude well above 4,000 meters, was the perfect site to capture the night sky against the Andes Mountains in Peru.
I started in the creative industry as a model when I was 15 years old. I modeled for ten years and worked as an Art Director and fashion stylist for four years. I’ve always been attracted to the visual arts but I would have never thought I’d be a photographer one day. Then, back in 2014, I got tired of the fashion industry. I decided to sell all my belongings and buy a one-way ticket to Australia with very little money in the bank.
I did farm work for two years over there, documenting my journey with my iPhone. I was approached by an Australian bandana company to take photos of their products. I said yes, immediately, even if I had no experience using a camera or in professional shooting. I decided to purchase a Sony a6000 with a 35mm F1.8 lens and started photographing people wearing bandanas doing outdoor activities.
|
Above: After a long evening hike, the best was made of a foggy morning in the mountains of Peru.
After completing my farm work, I decided to go on a three-month solo trip covering Indonesia, Hawaii, and Western Canada. Never before had I seen such huge mountains as when arriving in Alberta. The feeling I got when I saw them for the first time is indescribable. It was in Alberta I discovered my passion for hiking and I was introduced to scrambling, which allowed me to access more remote areas and reach viewpoints that have never been photographed before.
I started to document my adventures and fell in love with photographing the mountains, specifically. It was the first time in my life I found something that made me feel whole and brought me so much joy and energy.
|
Above: Here are the Cerro Yerupajá and Siula Grande mountains, in Peru, amongst other giants, captured between 2:00 and 3:00 am.
Three years ago, a company from Quebec (my hometown) asked me if I would be interested in teaching photography to a group of 10 people for one day. It was something I have never done before and I was curious to find out if it is something I’d enjoy, so I said ‘yes.’ That day was quite a revelation for me – the amount of excitement, satisfaction, and the feeling of accomplishment I got from teaching each student was indescribable. A new passion was born.
After this experience, I decided to combine my passion for teaching, hiking and traveling into unique international photography workshops for people to learn photography while completely immersing themselves in nature. I highly enjoy spending time with people that have similar interests, sharing my knowledge, and giving as much insight as possible so they can return home with images they are proud of.
|
Above: My favorite photo to date was captured at Jasper National Park in the Alberta province of Canada.
I don’t have one in particular but, in general, the images I’m the proudest of are the ones where I followed my own personal creative vision. They often involve a lot of physical work and perseverance. Being unique is also something I value and prioritize a lot, so I’d say that my favorite images usually have a unique and original compositional component or mood along with a great story behind them.
|
Above: I wanted to capture this ice cave in Iceland at night. Although I didn’t get Northern Lights when I took this particular image, I decided to composite it with a night sky I captured a couple of days before.
I use the Sony a7R III + 16-34mm F2.8 lens for 80% of my images. I also love the Sony 100-400mm F4.5-5.8 lens for tighter shots of mountain peaks and compression.
|
Above: This image was taken with a drone at El Chaltén National Park. It’s important to note that you need a permit to fly inside the borders of a National Park, or you need to take off outside the border.
I used to say Lightroom Classic CC, but I’ve been experimenting much more with Photoshop over the last year. I like to combine both software programs for my editing.
|
Above: My favorite image from 2019 was taken at Torres del Paine National Park in Chile’s Patagonia region.
I simply cannot choose between Patagonia and Peru. I love the variety in landscape and wilderness that Patagonia offers and the remoteness and untouched beauty of Peru. Both places demand that you put work into creating great images – especially Peru, since you need to trek in high altitude for many days to reach interesting viewpoints.
|
Above: Also captured in El Chaltén, I challenged myself to get out of my comfort zone by creating something interesting out of an average foreground and backdrop.
I would love to explore Alaska – especially its giant snow-covered peaks, glaciers, lakes, and ice caves. It seems this part of the world has it all!
|
Above: I spent all night photographing the Andes Mountains in Peru. Obviously the Milky Way doesn’t bend in an arch but I had some fun with compositing to create this effect.
Traveling solo multiple times allowed me to do discover hidden parts of myself through self-reflection and introspection. I think that introspection is essential for becoming a better person and it is the single most powerful tool for internal self-awareness and how to find true happiness.
When you take the time to become an expert, you make better decisions, you are more confident, you learn to respect your limits which all brings you closer to live the life you want. You worry less about what other people think of you, you become more empathic to others, and have a more positive attitude towards life.
This is definitely easier said than done. You need to find a time and space for this, and to me this happens whenever I’m alone hiking in the mountains. It’s like a meditation that grounds me and helps me get back to what’s important in life.
Other tools that help are self improvement books such as How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and What to Say When You Talk to Yourself by Dr. Shad Helmstetter, to name a few.
|
Above: A final perspective of El Chaltén, located in Patagonia.
Pick three photographers that inspire you and analyze their images. Why do they speak to you? Try to identify the elements that you like in their photos and look for them when you are shooting or editing. I do believe that imitating – not copying – is a great way to learn and find your own personal style.
Another thing is to listen and trust your creative instinct. For example, I started creating composites at a very early stage of my learning process. Compositing has always been a creative way for me to express myself but it has always attracted negative comments. I’ve often been told that my images were too contrasting, too blue or too Photoshopped.
If I would have left these comments get to me and influence the way I create, I would never be where I am today as an artist. The moral of the story for me is to ignore negative comments and only take constructive criticism from people you trust and who you know truly believe in you.
Lastly, developing your style takes time. A lot of a time. So be patient, learn new techniques and practice as much as you can.
Catherine Simard is a Canadian-born self-taught travel/landscape photographer and digital artist with a passion for the outdoors and the wilderness. She is a Sony Artisan of Imagery. Simard will be resuming workshops at various international destinations in 2021.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Editor’s note: Image #10 (11th in the gallery) doesn’t strictly feature nudity, but may be considered NSFW, so proceed with caution accordingly.
Yes, you read the headline right. The Potato Photographer of the Year is a real photo contest and this year’s winners have been announced.
If you’re wondering where the idea for a potato photo contest came to be, look no further than Kevin Abosch’s Potato #345 (2010), a now-famous photo of a sole starchy tuber that sold for a wallet-mashing one million dollars in 2016, making it the 15th most expensive photo sold at the time.
The Potato Photographer of the Year contest was founded by the contest platform Photocrowd, who partners with The Trussell Trust to ensure all proceeds to ending hunger and poverty in the United Kingdom. Proceeds are made with each photo entry, which costs £5 (GBP) each (up to 8 images).
While the competition ‘didn’t quite raise a million bucks I had secretly hoped for,’ says competition organizer Benedict Brain, ‘the few grand we did raise will go a long way to help provide much-needed food for the Trussell Trust.’
The overall winner is Raw Spence, who captured an image of his sprouting spud about to get a much-needed quarantine haircut. For taking the overall prize, Spence is receiving a Fujifilm X-A7, a year’s membership of the Royal Photographic Society, a one-on-one workshop with photographer Benedict Brain and 3 years of Photocrowd master-level subscription.
The ten winning images, presented in the following gallery, were selected from an panel of judges that includes Martin Parr, Paul Hill, Angela Nicholson (Founder of She Clicks), Nigel Atherton (Editor, Amateur Photographer), and Benedict Brain (Brain’s Foto Guides).
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Photographer: Ray Spence
Title: End of Lockdown
Caption: ‘This picture manages to introduce a topical lockdown obsession to the brief of photographing a potato. It takes a great imagination to see a sprouting potato as a head covered with hair, and there is a lot of humor in the way the picture has been executed.’ — Nigel Atherton
Judge’s comment: ‘This is delightful, imaginative, and a good laugh. And again, a bit bonkers. What we all need at this grim time. Love it!’ – Paul Hill
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Title: A Potato
Judge’s comment: ‘This looks like an alien lifeform, photographed on the surface on a barren planet by a NASA robot.’ — Nigel Atherton
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Title: Tight Market Specifications
Caption: ‘Potato agronomy is changing, raising the need for new solutions to old problems. In an environment where pests, weeds and diseases have no regard for the pressure to meet tight market specifications Bayer is committed to helping you produce quality crops that are also profitable to grow.’ – Bayer, 2019
In Peru, the birthplace of the potato, indigenous women sometimes use fine slices of potato peel as a facemask to soothe and soften the skin.
I was meant to be working with an indigenous NGO in the Andes when Covid broke out so since I couldn’t try this in the Andes themselves, I decided to try this technique out at home and made a self-portrait documenting the process. I was simultaneously reading about the history of agriculture and the development of large agribusiness, specifically about the corporation Bayer, now one of four major agrichemical businesses in the world, a company that owns 80% of all commercial seeds on the planet. The report that I was reading was released by the CIA in 2001 and discloses information about Bayer (then known as IG Farben) and their despicable involvement in Nazi Germany.
I rang up the Crop Science branch of Bayer that is based in the U.K. and was shocked to hear that the company still uses and promotes the use of glyphosate on British potatoes. Glyphosate, a chemical that the company Monsanto, which was bought up by Bayer in 2011), sold in their ‘Round-Up’ product, a product they, and now Bayer is being sued by consumers for giving the users of the product various cancers and autoimmune diseases. I was fascinated by the obvious dichotomies and differences that there are when looking at the relationship that indigenous peoples have with their food and the relationship that western ‘developed’ countries and companies share with their food.
Indigenous peoples make up less than 5% of the planet’s human population, and yet they are protecting 80% of its diversity. And only 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions. This image investigates the relationship between natural remedies /the close relationship some people have with their food and the big companies/corporations that take advantage of that natural knowledge to expand on market specifications.
Judge’s comment: ‘This image looks at the politics of the potato from two angles — its indigenous origins and the current domination of agriculture by a single company — and cleverly combines them is a thoughtfully conceived and well-executed composite image.’ — Nigel Atherton
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Title: Potato Slug
Caption: A straight shot of a sweet potato
Judge’s comment: ‘I like the fact that this spud looks like a cross between a seal and a unicorn.’ Martin Parr
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Title: Planting Jersey Royals
Caption: Every winter the fields in Jersey are ploughed in preparation for the planting of the Island’s main cash crop, Jersey Royals. As a Jerseyman I have been endeavouring to determine and photograph some of the things that we take for granted but are intrinsically and distinctly part of the fabric of Jersey life, cultural reference points that fellow Islanders would instantly recognise and instinctively understand. The planting of potatoes by migrant workers has been a feature of the farming community since the 19th century. Over the years some have stayed and many families include forebears who originally arrived as seasonal farm labourers.
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Title: Untitled
Caption: A portrait of individuals, together yet very much alone….and the unifying task of the mundane that is also beautiful….much like the character of the potato (mundane and glorious in its basic state and potential).
Together, alone, under a mundane task of peeling potatoes. During these past months of lockdown, the story of individuals; each from a different country, with their own interests and commentary…sharing space. In this depiction, they are united by the potato.
Judge’s comment: ‘This carefully arranged tableau is a work that stayed most in my mind when I went back and forth through the excellent contributions to the competition. The photographer has creatively used what looks like available light in an empty kitchen, and the image also reflects effectively the claustrophobic side of the lockdown. It is engagingly surreal and a bit bonkers too.’ Paul Hill
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Title: Frites in Bruges
Caption: Frites in Bruges with dollop of mayonnaise.
Judge’s comment: ‘How reassuring to see a helping of chips and mayonnaise.’ – Martin Parr
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Caption: Eating a ‘potato face’ – from inside of my mouth ‘Smileycam’, 110 cartridge pinhole camera image taken from inside of my mouth using two flashguns to illuminate subject and teeth (not in mouth).
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Photographer: Amy D’Agorne
Title: 2030
Caption: The year; 2030. Climate change and a rise in food shortages have prompted the U.K. Government to encourage all citizens to start growing food within their back yards. Gripped by the mass hysteria, the protagonist, with a colander on her head to protect herself from her own erratic fears of 5G, tries to plant potatoes in her concrete-lined back yard. As one of the hardiest food crops, they may be her only chance of survival.
Judge’s comment: ‘I like the humour in this image and have nothing but admiration for the effort the photographer went to in order to create it.’ – Nigel Atherton
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Photographer: Jodie Krause
Title: Apple of the Earth
Caption: This photograph depicts an interpretation of Adam and Eve. Subsequent to COVID-19, humans have been denied many temptations such as contact and intimacy. However, it has also provided an opportunity for the world to ‘reset’ and renew. The potato is a staple food enjoyed around the world and therefore epitomises the fundamentals of life. Moreover, potato in French, ‘Pomme de Terre’, directly translates to ‘Apple of the Earth,’ highlighting the importance of the potato since it is likened to a fruit associated with re-birth. Therefore, my photograph is focused on the creation of Adam and Eve, who herald the start of a new world by holding a potato.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post 6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darlene Hildebrandt.
In classical portraiture there are several things you need to control and think about to make a flattering portrait of your subjects, including: lighting ratio, lighting pattern, facial view, and angle of view. I suggest you get to know these basics inside out, and as with most things, then you can break the rules. But if you can nail this one thing you’ll be well on your way to great people photos. In this article we’re going to look at lighting pattern: what is it, why it’s important, and how to use it. Perhaps in another future article, if you enjoy this one, I’ll talk about the other aspects of good portraiture.
Lighting pattern I’d define as, how light and shadow play across the face to create different shapes. What shape is the shadow on the face, in simple terms. There are four common portrait lighting patterns, they are:
There are also Broad and Short lighting which are more of a style, and can be used with most of the patterns above. Let’s look at each of them individually.
Split lighting is exactly as the name implies – it splits the face exactly into equal halves with one side being in the light, and the other in shadow. It is often used to create dramatic images for things such as a portrait of a musician or an artist. Split lighting tends to be a more masculine pattern and as such is usually more appropriate or applicable on men than it is for women. Keep in mind however, there are no hard and fast rules, so I suggest you use the information I provide here as a starting point or guideline. Until you learn this and can do it in your sleep, default to the guideline whenever you’re not sure.
To achieve split lighting simply put the light source 90 degrees to the left or right of the subject, and possibly even slightly behind their head. Where you place the light in relation to the subject will depend on the person’s face. Watch how the light falls on them and adjust accordingly. In true split lighting, the eye on the shadow side of the face does pick up light in the eye only. If by rotating their face a bit more light falls on their cheek, it’s possible their face just isn’t ideal for split lighting.
NOTE: any lighting pattern can be created on any facial view (frontal view showing both ears, or ¾ face, or even profile). Just keep in mind that your light source must follow the face to maintain the lighting pattern. If they turn their head the pattern will change. So you can use that to your advantage to easily adjust the patten just by them rotating their head a little.
What the heck is a “catchlight”?
Notice in this photo above that the baby’s eyes have a reflection of the actual light source in them. It shows up as a little white spot, but if we look closer we can actually see the shape of the light I used in this portrait.
See how the bright spot is actually hexagon with a dark centre? That’s the light I used which was a small hexagon shaped soft box on my Canon speedlight.
This is what is known as the “catchlight”. Without the eye of the subject catching this light, the eyes will appear dark, dead and lifeless. You need to ensure that at least one eye has a catchlight to give the subject life. Notice it also lightens the iris and brightens the eye overall. This also adds to the feeling of life and gives them a sparkle.
Loop lighting is made by creating a small shadow of the subjects noses on their cheeks. To create loop lighting, the light source must be slightly higher than eye level and about 30-45 degrees from the camera (depends on the person, you have to learn how to read people’s faces).
Look at this image to see where the shadows fall, and on their left sides you can see a small shadow of their noses. In loop lighting the shadow of the nose and that of the cheek do NOT touch. Keep the shadow small and slightly downward pointing, but be aware of having your light source too high which will create odd shadows and cause loss of the catchlights. Loop light is probably the most common or popular lighting pattern as it is easy to create and flatters most people.
In this diagram the black backdrop represents the bank of trees behind them. The sun is coming over the trees but they are completely in the shade. A white reflector is used at camera left to bounce light back into the subjects’ faces. The reflector may or may not be in the sun but you can still pick up light even if it’s not. Just play with the angles, by changing the placement of the reflector you can change the lighting pattern. For Loop lighting it will need to be somewhere around 30-45 degrees from the camera. It also needs to be slightly above their eye level so the shadow or loop of their nose angles down towards the corner of the mouth. That is one mistake I often see beginners make with reflectors is to place them down low and angle it up. That lights up the bottom of your subject’s nose and does not create a flattering pattern.
Rembrandt lighting is so named because the Rembrandt the painter often used this pattern of light in his paintings, as you can see in his self portrait here. Rembrandt lighting is identified by the triangle of light on the cheek. Unlike loop lighting where the shadow of the nose and cheek do not touch, in Rembrandt lighting they do meet which, creates that trapped little triangle of light in the middle. To create proper Rembrandt lighting make sure the eye on the shadow side of the face has light in it and has a catch light, otherwise the eye will be “dead” and not have a nice sparkle. Rembrandt lighting is more dramatic, so like split lighting it creates more mood and a darker feel to your image. Use it appropriately.
To create Rembrandt lighting the subject must turn slightly away from the light. The light must be above the top of their head so that the shadow from their nose falls down towards the cheek. Not every person’s face is ideal for creating Rembrandt lighting. If they have high or prominent cheek bones it will probably work. If they have a small nose or flat bridge of the nose, it may be difficult to achieve. Again, keep in mind you don’t have to make exactly this pattern or another, just so long as the person is flattered, and the mood you want is created – then the lighting is working. If you are using window light and the window goes down to the floor, you may have to block off the bottom portion with a gobo or card, to achieve this type of lighting.
Butterfly lighting is aptly named for the butterfly shaped shadow that is created under the nose by placing the main light source above and directly behind the camera. The photographer is basically shooting underneath the light source for this pattern. It is most often used for glamour style shots and to create shadows under the cheeks and chin. It is also flattering for older subjects as it emphasizes wrinkles less than side lighting.
Butterfly lighting is created by having the light source directly behind the camera and slightly above eye or head level of the subject (depends on the person). It is sometimes supplemented by placing a reflector directly under their chin, with the subject themselves even holding it! This pattern flatters subjects with defined or prominent cheek bones and a slim face. Someone with a round, wide face would look better with loop or even split to slim their face. This pattern is tougher to create using windowlight or a reflector alone. Often a harder light source like the sun or a flash is needed to produce the more defined shadow under the nose.
Broad lighting is not so much a particular pattern, but a style of lighting. Any of the following patterns of light can be either broad or short: loop, Rembrandt, split.
Broad lighting is when the subject’s face is slightly turned away from centre, and the side of the face which is toward the camera (is broader) is in the light. This produces a larger area of light on the face, and a shadow side which appears smaller. Broad lighting is sometimes used for “high key” portraits. This type of lighting makes a person’s face look broader or wider (hence the name) and can be used on someone with a very slim face to widen it. Most people however want to look slimmer, not wider so this type of lighting would not be appropriate for someone who is heavier or round faced.
To create broad lighting the face is turned away from the light source. Notice how the side of the face that is towards the camera has the most light on it and the shadows are falling on the far side of the face, furthest from the camera. Simply put broad lighting illuminates the largest part of the face showing.
Short lighting is the opposite of broad lighting. As you can see by the example here, short lighting puts the side turned towards the camera (that which appears larger) in more shadow. It is often used for low key, or darker portraits. It puts more of the face in shadow, is more sculpting, add 3D qualities, and is slimming and flattering for most people.
In short lighting, the face is turned towards the light source this time. Notice how the part of the face that is turned away from the camera has the most light on it and the shadows are falling on the near side of the face, closet to the camera. Simply put short lighting has shadows on the largest part of the face showing.
Once you learn how to recognize and create each of the different lighting patterns you can then start to learn how and when to apply them. By studying your subject’s face you will learn which lighting pattern will be best for them, and for the type of portrait and mood desired. Someone with a very round face that wants to appear slimmer in a grad portrait, will be lit very differently than someone that wants a promo shot for their band that makes them appear mean or angry. Once you know all the patterns, how to recognize and master quality of light, direction of light and ratio (we’ll discuss that in a future article) then you will be well equipped to handle the challenge.
Of course it is much easier to change the lighting pattern if you can move the light source. However if the main light source is the sun, or a window – it’s a bit tougher to do that. So what you will need to do instead of moving the light, is to have the subject rotate in respect to the light to change the direction it falls on them. Or change your camera position. Or change their position. So basically move the things you can move in relation to the light, if you cannot move the light source itself.
Corral yourself a subject (as in a real live person, not your dog) and practice creating each of the lighting patterns we just discussed including:
Remember to show both broad lighting and short lighting – for each of the different patterns, where applicable. Don’t worry about any other aspect (ratio, fill light, etc) for now, just concentrate getting the patterns down pat first. Use light from a window, a floor lamp with a bare bulb (take the shade off) or the sun – but try and use a light source that you can see what’s happening (I’d suggest that you do not try using flash until you’ve got more experience, it’s harder to learn with because you can’t see it until after the photo is taken) This also works best to start out with the subject facing the camera directly, no turning except to create the broad and short.
Show us your results please and share any challenges or problems you encountered. I’ll try and help you solve them so you and others can learn from it, and get better for next time.
If you’re on Pinterest – here’s a graphic to save this tutorial.
The post 6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darlene Hildebrandt.
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The Royal Observatory (Greenwich) has announced the shortlisted photos for its Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2020 competition. This year marks the 12th year of the competition, which is sponsored by Insight Investment and is held in association with BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
A record-breaking 5,200 photographs were submitted from nearly 70 countries across the world. The competition will ultimately result in one overall winner and winners within nine categories (Skyscapes; Aurorae; People and Space; Our Sun; Our Moon; Planets Comets and Asteroids; Stars and Nebulae; Galaxies; and Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year), as well as two special prizes (The Sir Patrick Moor Prize for Best Newcomer Award and The Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation Award). The winning images will be announced on September 10, 2020.
We’ve rounded up a few of the shortlisted images and presented them in the accompanying gallery. You can find out more about the Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition on the Royal Museums Greenwich website.
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About the image: Close to the Spring and Autumn Equinox, the Earth’s magnetic field aligns with the incoming solar wind to create a better chance for aurora activity. The photographer had been waiting for signs of solar storm near the equinox date hoping that the ‘Russell-McPherron effect’ would kick in. During the last weekend in September it seemed there would be favourable terrestrial and space weather conditions, so the photographer travelled with a friend to Iceland. They were not disappointed. The northern lights danced all weekend, with clear skies every night. This shot shows the famous Geysir of Iceland preparing to blow with the aurora behind it.
Gear: Sony ILCE-7S camera, 24 mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 2000, 2-second exposure
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About the image: The photographer loves to travel, especially exploring the north and chasing the Northern Lights. Trying to capture how ordinary things can take magical forms under the lights, the photographer selected and lit this rocky outcrop and waited for the aurora to work its magic.
Gear: Canon EOS 6D camera, 14 mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 30-second exposure
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About the image: After two weeks of storm, clouds and snow in the Lofoten Islands, the sky finally cleared up, providing perfect conditions for hunting the northern lights. The photographer waited patiently in their car for the light show to begin and on the first sign of the aurora borealis in the sky, he set up his camera at this famous overlook of the idyllic fishing village Hamnøy. The image is a manual exposure blend consisting of one base image for the sky and foreground plus a total of seven bracketed images to balance the highlights and shadows in the fishing village and water.
Gear: Nikon Z7 camera, Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD 17 mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 800, 10-second exposure
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About the image: This image depicts an object that many will recognise in the southern hemisphere skies – NGC 253, The Sculptor Galaxy. It is an intermediate galaxy located within the constellation Sculptor and is one of the brightest spiral galaxies visible to us. It is also one of the dustiest and currently undergoing a period of intense star formation. The photographer’s goals were to present this large and bright galaxy in a way that retains its subtle colouring and intricate textures throughout its disk.
Gear: RCOS 10″ telescope at f/9.1, AstroPhysics AP-900 mount, SBIG STL-11000 camera, L-RGB-Ha composite, 34 hours total exposure
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About the image: This entry tries to catch the feel of stargazing through basic optical instrument – a kind of Galileo’s telescope. Special processing of the image includes converting to Lab, channel mixing, increasing contrast, and applying filters, with the aim of illustrating that images with limited colour range may be as stunning as full colour ones.
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About the image: On 12th August, our moon occulted Saturn and its moons. The shadowed limb of the waxing gibbous Moon gradually hid the planet over several minutes. Shadowed mountains are visible against the bright planet and rings as an irregular edge where the planet is hidden. To Saturn’s left are two of its own icy moons, Tethys (lower) and Dione (upper), tiny specks in the darkness.
This is an image the photographer has long wanted to catch; the contrast of a big far away planet against the sharp details of the nearby Moon.
Gear: Celestron C14 Schmidt Cassegrain telescope at f/11, Celestron GCX-L mount, ZWO ASI290MM camera, Saturn: 2 x 30-seconds, Tethys and Dione: 4 x 30-seconds, Moon 1 x 60-seconds exposures
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About the image: This image of the Moon at 39% illumination was captured through eleven videos of different areas, which were stacked and then stitched together. The saturation process revealed the mineral compositions in the Lunar Basalts on the surface. These vivid browns and blues are due to high concentrations of titanium and iron. The photographer loves the contrast along the terminator and the close-up detail and clarity of this image.
Gear: Celestron Nexstar 6SE telescope, Celestron Advanced GT mount, ZWO ASI120MC camera, 4,400 x 0.08-second exposures.
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About the image: The photographer was inspired to imagine what the Crimean peninsula would look like in the distant past, when thousands of volcanoes erupted on Earth. She used lighting and long exposure to illustrate this. The resulting image sees everything combined into one large panorama image and processed in a photo editor.
Gear: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera, Sky: Canon 24 mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 3200, 22 x 20-second exposures. Foreground: Samyang 14 mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 23 x 20-second exposures
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About the image: This image is the view of the Milky Way rising above the Moai at Ahu Akivi. Ahu Akivi is a particularly sacred place in Easter Island in the Valparaíso Region of Chile, looking out towards the South Pacific Ocean. The site has seven moai, all of equal shape and size, and is also known as a celestial observatory that was set up around the 16th century. The shot highlights the central bulge of the Milky Way, the constellation Scorpio, as well as the planets Jupiter and Saturn.
Gear: Canon EOS 6D Mark camera, Sigma art 14 mm f/1.8 lens, ISO 12800, 10 x 15-second exposures
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About the image: After a long hike and a little bit of climbing to the top of the mountain, the photographer was able to see the Milky Way. He only had five minutes time to take the panorama shot before the clouds moved. The photographer and his friend are pictured standing on the edge, looking out at the sky and over the city of Füssen in Germany.
Gear: Nikon D810 camera, Sigma 14 mm f/1.8 lens, ISO 4000, 33 x 20-second exposures
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About the image: Years ago, before over-fishing, Little Redfish Lake was called as such due to the vast numbers of salmon turning the lake a red colour. The red colouration is no longer seen because of salmon, but the colour of sunsets and airglow during the night still turn the waters a vibrant red. It is these beautiful warm echoes of red, combined with the mirror-like reflections of the Sawtooth Mountains in the distance and the alignment of the Milky Way with the mountains that make Little Redfish Lake one of the most spectacular places the photographer has ever shot at night. The photographer recalls that ‘we were fortunate enough that night to have the lakeshore to ourselves, just three of us, and a rather excited dog who tried his best not to run into our tripods! We spent the sunset here, waiting for the stars to come out and the Milky Way core to rise, marvelling at the red colour of the water.’
Gear: Sony A7riii camera, Sky: 50 mm f/2 lens, ISO 1600, 121-second exposure, Foreground: 50 mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 1600, 111-second exposure, Reflection: 50 mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 6400, 30-second exposure
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About the image: Located in the heart of the desert in Southern Utah, the Cave of the Wild Horses, with its copious wildlife, petroglyphs, rock varnish, and framed view of the summer Milky Way in its entrance, makes for a fairy-tale place to take astrophotographs. This photograph is one of the most complicated that the photographer has taken to date due to the location of the cave and the number of foreground images taken. Getting to the cave involves a long hike through the desert, over sandstone plateaus, through brush and desert sand. Upon reaching the cave, the photographer decided that she wanted to take a large panorama in order to preserve the feeling of looking out of the cave to the sky beyond.
Gear: Sony A7riii camera, Sky: 50mm f/2.2 lens, ISO 1250, 90-second exposure, Foreground: 50 mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 1600, 120-second exposure
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About the image: On the photographer’s trip to Australia, he travelled to the coastal town of Kiama, where he captured his first Milky Way image of the year – his first Milky Way image taken from the Southern Hemisphere. Once the sun set, the photographer made his way into the cave and waited for a few hours for the core of the Milky Way to appear. Being unfamiliar with the southern sky, the photographer was surprised to also see Jupiter appear soon after.
Nikon D600 camera, Sky: 24mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 6400, 15-second exposure, Foreground: 24mm f/8 lens, ISO 200, 30-second exposure
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About the image: One of the attractive things about astrophotography is that one can always improve on a previous image of an object, by going deeper with a longer integration, by trying new processing techniques, by changing the scale and framing, by using a better gear. This gives endless possibilities. In this particular case, the photographer went back to an image he did last year, and added 19 hours of data to complete a 25-hour integration. It is a bicolor narrowband image of a well-known nebula, which is sculpted by a central Wolf-Rayet star. With the added data, the structures are revealed in more detail and depth, and the surrounding nebulosity expands well towards the borders of the frame. The result, a ghostly helmet that seems to float in outer space.
Gear: Astro-Physics 167 FLZ telescope at f/7.2, Astrodon 3 nm filters, Astro-Physics 1100 mount, Apogee Alta U8300 camera, Ha-OIII composite, 75 x 20-minute exposures
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About the image: Photographed using narrowband filters to accentuate the energy levels occurring in each emission line, sulphur was mapped to red, hydrogen to green and oxygen to blue. An additional 4 hours per RGB channel were acquired and substituted into the image, particularly for the stars. While aptly titled the Statue of Liberty Nebula (NGC 3576), the irony is that this is a southern hemisphere object.At lower left in the image is NGC 3603 containing the Starburst Cluster.NGC 3576 is located in the Carina arm of the Milky Way at approximately 20,000 light years distant.
Gear: Planewave CDK 17″ telescope at f/6.8, Bisque Paramount ME mount, SBIG STXL11002 camera, RGB-Ha-SII-OIII composite, Total exposure 35.5 hours
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About the image: This image captures the photographer’s favourite astrophotography field and one of the most vibrant, colourful nebulas in space. It shows many interesting deep-sky objects as Rho Ophiuchi the triple star surrounded by the blue reflection nebula IC 4604 on top-left, the red supergiant star Antares and one of closest globular cluster to the Solar System M4 to the right. This two panel mosaic was taken under the dark Namibian sky over two nights in August 2019.
Gear: Takahashi FSQ106 ED APO refractor telescope at f/5, Astro-Physics Mach1 GTO mount, Canon EOS 6D Cooling CDS Mod camera, ISO 1600, 13 hours total exposure
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
How far would you go to profess to the world your love for photography? Would you live inside a house that looks like a camera or name your children after popular camera brands? If you’re 49-year-old Indian photographer Ravi Hongal, the answer to both of those questions is ‘yes.’
Detailed in this short video from Caters Clips, Hongal spent over £75,000 (roughly $ 95,000) turning his family’s home into a photography tribute. The house features a window lens, a film strip balcony railing, an oversized SD card and even a speedlight that doubles as a security lamp. Although not shown in the video, Hongal has also adorned the inside of the house with camera-inspired rooms.
As if the house wasn’t enough, Hongal and his wife also named their three sons Canon, Nikon and Epson. If that’s not dedication, we’re not sure what is.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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The winning photographs and commended shots of the inaugural World Landscape Photographer competition have been announced, showcasing incredible scenery captured around the world.
The World Landscape Photographer competition is the brainchild of professional landscape photographer Nigel Danson. Determined to help those affected by people affected by COVID-19 and inspired by browsing through his own photo catalog, Danson conceptualized the competition and eventually brought it to life.
The premise was simple — share five of your best landscape photos captured from before March 1, 2020 for an entry fee of just £10. ‘At least 90%’ of the entry fees would go to a COVID-19 charity, with the remaining 10% going towards ‘CC fees and costs associated with sending the prizes to the winners.’ According to Danson, he ‘never thought over 1000 people would enter,’ but sure enough, he and six other judges pored over 4,838 images from more than 1,000 entrants to whittle it down to one 1st place winner, seven prize winners and 50 commended images.
The 1st place prize in the inaugural World Landscape Photography competition went to Neil Burnell from England with his ‘stunning mystical image of Wistman’s Wood in Devon entitled Wise.’ For winning the coveted 1st place prize, Burnell is receiving a Nikon Z50 camera and two lenses, which were donated by Nikon. Other items from Benro, Fotospeed, Kase and Tenba were given out to the remaining six winners.
In total, more than £10K went to a Unicef coronavirus appeal that is ‘raising money to help children affected by the outbreak by working to provide handwashing campaigns as well as providing essential health worker supplies, such as surgical gloves, soap and clean water facilities.’
In this gallery, we’re presenting the 1st place winner and the remaining six prize-winning photos. You can view all 50 of the commended images and words from each of the judges on the World Landscape Photographer website.
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Gear & Settings:
www.neilburnell.com
About the photo: I’ve been shooting Wistmans now for four years and have had the composition of this shot in mind for a little while. The shot required extremely thick fog to give the centre trees a touch of separation in what is a very condensed and complex area of the woodland. After several unsuccessful shots of this scene, I finally got lucky with a full day of fog in January this year, I have to say this is probably my favourite image I’ve taken from this wonderful woodland.
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Gear & Settings:
About the photo: Living in the Eden Valley, all I have to do normally to see if its misty is look out of the window. Thus was the case this particular morning. Thick mist sat across the Eden Valley. With my Sony A7 in for repair I was left with a small Sony Compact and my Fujifilm XT1 which had been converted to Infra Red.
I waited for the sun to rise over the Pennines for the magic to happen. For a glorious 20 minutes I scurried about in my local woodland at Edenhall. I captured some lovely images but then as I came along the road I saw this copse of trees emerging from the mist. It looked majestic. With some blue sky above.
I knew Infra Red would work well. As soon as I looked through the eyepiece I saw the potential for this image. I short the image handheld. The capture needed very little processing, other than an infra red preset in Silver Efex that I use and a touch of Gaussian blur to soften it.
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Gear & Settings:
www.andrewbaruffiphoto.com
About the photo: I’ve only been practicing photography for a couple years. In that time I’ve always assumed that subjects, composition, and conditions outweighed the importance of light. In some cases that can still be true for me, but even the littlest amount of light can make a scene truly special. This image spans across two days. In areas of Zion’s east side, patches of ice can be found tucked between the boulders of the washes in the winter months. Those patches tend to fade as more of the water and ice seeps into the sand or simply melts and evaporates on a hotter day. I arrived to a section of the main wash on a chilly day that has the more rare attribute of a pool at a certain bend. The pool was fairly iced over, and the intricacies in the ice patterns were supported by delicate fallen leaves here and there. One leaf in particular caught my eye, a golden oak that bent upwards from the center as the tip and stem were fused into the ice. I sat at that pool for a few hours trying to find the best composition, and eventually found exactly what I wanted. It was such a beautiful scene, I knew that I had to make sure that I got it right before it all vanished.
The next day I arrived to an even colder east side. I returned to the same exact composition to see how it transformed over night. The ice took on a more singular pattern with less variation thanks to the freeze, and the oak leaf still sat frozen in place. Even more special was the morning light creeping into the scene. Golden reflected light from the sandstone opposite me kissed the surface of the oak leaf, and made me realize what I was missing. It wasn’t the composition, conditions, patterns, or subjects that defined the moment; just the simplicity of a tiny bit of light.
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Gear & Settings:
www.todcolbert.com
About the photo: I took this at Lower Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park this February. It was shot early in the morning and the sun’s position created the rainbow for no more than a minute or so. There were many shots taken before this one as I waited for the sunlight to stream through the falls. Magical it was.
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Gear & Settings:
About the photo: Living only half an hours drive from buttermere in the lake district you could say that i am quite familiar with this location. I cant count how many mornings have been spent here trying to capture something that looked a little different from the images you usually see from here. luckily for me, on this occasion the conditions were simply amazing. fog filtering through the scene, perfectly calm waters and not a breath of wind. all i could hear was the sound of the gravel underfoot. i took several frames here but decided to go with a long exposure so the viewer could see just how the fog was gently moving over the fells behind the infamous pines of buttermere. A morning to remember.
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Gear & Settings:
www.radoslavcernicky.com
About the photo: The photo was taken in the spring during the golden hour using a telephoto lens. It is South Moravia in the Czech Republic near the village Kunkovice. This is an area also known as Moravian Tuscany.
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Gear & Settings:
www.jasonflenniken.com
About the photo: This was an image taken on my first trip to Acadia National Park in October 2019. It was my first time seeing fall color in the northeast, and I was completely blown away. This location is a Tarn right on the side of the road. It was taken mid-morning. For about 30 minutes you get perfect reflections of the hillside colors in the water.
This area was full of small scene compositions, and I was lucky in that some cloud cover created patchy light. It required little editing as does most shots from that time of year in Acada, the colors are almost too vibrant straight from the camera. Shot with a 70–200 f/4 and Sony A7R4, which let me crop in to really narrow down the shapes in the image.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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