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Kickstarter: Compact Reveni Labs Spot Meter uses unique two-eye aiming method

08 Feb

While digital photography is popular, film photography still has a dedicated following and beginner film photographers are popping up regularly. New products for analog photographers are popping up regularly to meet experienced and novice film photographers’ needs. Reveni Labs has launched a new Kickstarter campaign, which was funded within two hours, to deliver an extremely compact spot meter to film photographers.

A spot meter is a light meter designed to precisely measure only a small portion of the image area. Photographers can use a spot meter to check metering in different areas of the frame, especially one with a wide range of brightness, and make an informed decision about the exposure.

The Reveni Labs Spot Meter being used by creator Matt Bechberger. An electronics engineer, inventor and self-professed film camera nerd, Bechberger started Reveni Labs in March 2020 when launching the Reveni Labs Light Meter on Kickstarter. A few months later, he quit his job to run Reveni Labs full time.

Vintage spot meters can be challenging to find, and new spot meters can be expensive. Reveni Labs hopes to ‘find the middle ground with its spot meter to provide a spot meter that meets the needs of modern film camera users, with a lower price point and relevant feature set.’ To Reveni Labs, there are three major issues with the currently-available spot meters: They’re large and heavy, they’re complex, and they are expensive.

To help solve these issues, the Reveni Labs Spot Meter is very small and lightweight. It weighs 1.25 oz. (about 35g). The Spot Meter is 2.8″ (71mm) long, 1.2″ (30.5mm) wide, and 1.5″ (38mm) in height.

The Reveni Labs Spot Meter is also designed to be easy to use. It has a two-eye aiming method, features simple controls and an easy-to-use menu, and offers straightforward modes, including aperture or shutter priority modes. Further, the Spot Meter includes a bright internal OLED display.

The external design (left) of the Reveni Labs Spot Meter. On the right, you can see the internal display. Image credit: Reveni Labs on Kickstarter

The Spot Meter has a shutter speed range of 1 hour to 1/8,000s in one-stop increments. The aperture range is F0.7 to F1024, also in one-stop increments. The ISO range is 1-12,800. Reveni Labs states that the EV range is 2-20 in 0.1EV increments (at ISO 100). The spot meter is about a 1.5° (6″/15cm) circle at 20′ (6m).

On the top of the Reveni Labs Spot Meter are four buttons: right and left directional buttons, a menu/compare button, and the power/sample button. Beneath the sensing lens on the front of the spot meter is the battery compartment, which holds a pair of LR44 alkaline batteries to power the device. Through the viewing lens at the back, you see the OLED display, which shows shutter speed, current state, EV value, ISO, rounding remainder, aperture, and driving value arrow surrounding the central aiming reticle.

Reveni Labs Spot Meter optical design. Image credit: Reveni Labs on Kickstarter

The Reveni Labs Spot Meter utilizes a two-eye aiming method. One eye views the data in the spot meter while the other eye surveys the subject area. There is a close-focus rear lens in front of the OLED display inside the meter to allow the user to focus on the scene and display simultaneously. The internal components are aligned on a central axis.

This design is significantly different from a more typical spot meter. A traditional spot meter uses a viewing lens and requires the user to view the scene solely through the spot meter, closing their second eye. The Reveni Labs Spot Meter doesn’t have a viewing lens; the inside is just a dark screen, which is why it’s a binocular vision spot meter and why it’s possible for it to be so compact. You can see how the Reveni Labs Spot Meter varies from a typical spot meter in the hands-on video below, published by Mat Marrash.

You can see another review of the device from Todd Korol in his video below.

The Reveni Labs Spot Meter looks like an exciting product for film photographers. If you would like to back the project, you can do so for $ 225 CAD, which is a little under $ 180 USD at current currency conversion rates. The Reveni Labs Spot Meter comes with the meter, a neck lanyard, storage pouch and four LR44 batteries. Shipping is expected to commence in August. For more information and to back the project, visit Kickstarter.

Disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators. Still, as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How To Find Your Lens’ Sweet Spot: A Beginner’s Guide to Sharper Images

06 Oct

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.

How To Find Your Lens' Sweet Spot: A Beginner's Guide to Sharper Images

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

Mid range aperture sharper than wide open

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:

Lens aperture range

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:

Sharp images shot in lens sweet spot

Mid range f stop sharper than small f stop

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”).

Aperture priority on canon mode dial

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.

Main dial canon

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:

Aperture setting on canon LCD screen

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:

Mid range aperture sharp image low light

Find your lens sweet spot for sharper images

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!

Mid range aperture for sharper images

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.

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Spot the differences: Comparing a $430 35mm F1.4 7Artisans lens to Leica’s $5,895 Summilux-M

19 Aug

It’s well known that better optics ultimately yields better images, as higher-quality glass and components affect how the light hits the image sensor inside your camera. But just how much does cheaper glass differ from expensive glass? We’d like to think it differs quite a bit, but a recent comparison from Leica Rumors shows just how close a cheap lens can be to an incredibly expensive lens — one nearly 14X the cost.

In the blind comparison, Leica Rumors put the Leica Summilux-M 35mm F1.4 ASPH lens ($ 5,895) up against the 7Artisans 35mm F1.4 lens ($ 430). All images were shot on a Fujifilm GFX 50R, using the exact same settings. We’ve embedded the images from Leica Rumor’s Flickr account down below, presenting them in the same order Leica Rumors has on its website. You can carefully view and even download the full-resolution images from Flickr to look at more carefully. Following the images, we’ll share what photos were shot on what lens, so don’t scroll down too soon if you want to spoil the surprise.

Now that you’ve had some time to pore over the images, are you confident you know which shots are from which lens? Below are the answers:

Scenes 1–3 (Leica is A, 7Artisans is B)
Scene 4 (Leica is B, 7Artisans is A)

While this is a rather extreme comparison that is by no means scientific nor representative of the build quality or manufacturing conditions of either lens, it goes to show just how far optics, even budget optics, have come over the years. Ultimately, the best choice is the one that fits your need.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sony bumps Nikon from #2 spot as its global ILC market share increases 4% year-over-year

24 May

An illustration in Sony’s financial documents that shows how its Digital Imaging Business is positioned.

In a recent conference call with investors and analysts, Sony broke down the numbers and statistics of its digital imaging business for the 2018 fiscal year (FY2018). While there’s plenty of interesting tidbits to pull out, the most significant is that Sony is now reporting it has 24 percent of the global still camera market based on revenue, an increase in four percent compared to FY2017.

Sony’s global market share, based on revenue, from its FY2017 report.

Sony’s global market share, based on revenue, from its FY2018 report.

According to Sony’s report, its interchangeable lens camera (ILC) market share increased from 19 percent in FY2017 to 23 percent in FY2018, moving them to second place behind Canon and ahead of Nikon. Meanwhile, its compact camera market share increased from 26 percent in FY2017 to 29 percent in FY2018, moving them to the number one spot globally.

Despite Sony’s increase in the global market share, based on revenue, Sony’s report shows the still camera market as a whole decreased from ¥1,400 billion to ¥1,300 billion, a drop of 7.1 percent. Interestingly, this decrease is identical to the 7.1% drop in global digital camera unit sales according to the most recent report from the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA).

Moving away from still images, Sony also reported that while its global market share in the video camera market remained at 29 percent, the overall market size, in revenue, dropped dramatically from ¥390 billion to ¥300 billion, a massive decrease of 23 percent.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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FOB Kitchen, Great New Filipino Hot Spot in Oakland, California

09 Feb

FOB Kitchen, Oakland, California

I had the pleasure to try FOB Kitchen last night, a hot new Telegraph Avenue Oakland Filipino menu in Oakland (Thanks cristina_thebaker!). 5179 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609. You would not know it from the unassuming Temescal strip mall setting, but once inside you are treated to an amazing and flavorful Filipino menu from this former San Francisco pop up. The decor and setting make you feel like you are being transported to a swanky tropical beach bar in the Philippines and once you dive into the family style offerings you will be hooked. The friendly service is first rate and definitely take their recommendations when ordering for the first time.

Chef Janice Dulce (right), FOB Kitchen, Oakland, California
FOB Kitchen Chef Janice Dulce (right).

My favorite dish of the evening was their popular and well regarded Pork Adobo (palm vinegar, soy, garlic, annatto). The succulent chunks of pork go perfectly with the savory sauce which is also perfect to pour over the rice served with dinner. I also enjoyed the cornucopia of flavors in another recommended vegetarian dish the Ensalada Talong (eggplant, jicama, tomato, sea bean, cilantro, scallion, coconut vinegar, soy, rice cracker). I’m a huge brussel sprouts fan and FOB Kitchen prepares theirs perfectly — and as a bonus they also have bok choy as a side as well. Of the three desserts I tried I think I liked the turon the most, which are Filipino fried banana rolls served with ice cream. While these dishes were some of my favorite standouts, I loved everything I tried there.

Beautiful well crafted cocktails, savory regional cuisine and a flight of excellent desserts with family celebrating my second oldests 17th birthday made for a memorable evening. I will definitely be back!

FOB Kitchen, Oakland, California

Thomas Hawk Digital Connection

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$400 Camera VS $4,000 Camera – Can a Professional Photographer Spot the Difference?

23 Nov

In this video, Peter McKinnon asks the question “Can a professional photographer tell the difference between a $ 400 camera and a $ 4,000 one just by looking at the pictures?”

Watch the video, and take a look at the images shot with the Canon Rebel and the Canon EOS R. Can you tell which is which?

Can you really take professional photos with an entry level camera? Can you be a professional photographer on a budget or do you need to spend thousands of dollars on professional gear?

You may also find these articles helpful:

Shooting Portraits Like a Pro on a Tight Budget

A Look Inside the Bag of a Hobby Photographer on a Budget

10 Tips for Creating a Photography Kit on a Budget

Small Budget Photography: Lenses

Beginners Guide to Different Types of Digital Cameras

What cameras do you use for your photography work? Are you achieving great photos with less expensive gear? Share with us in the comments below.

The post $ 400 Camera VS $ 4,000 Camera – Can a Professional Photographer Spot the Difference? appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Sony claims top spot in full-frame interchangeable lens camera market, launches ‘Be Alpha’ campaign

16 Aug

In a press release issued this morning, Sony announced it has sold more full-frame cameras than any other brand in the US over the past six months, measured both by units sold and by value.

Perhaps more impressively, the company is also celebrating occupying the top position in the overall mirrorless market, a spot it has owned for the past six years thanks to the huge success of the a6000, as well as sales of the a7 series.

That’s all good news for Sony, yes, but it’s probably no coincidence that Sony was the last brand to release a mass-market full frame camera. It’s been a year since Canon’s last entry in the category, and a similar amount of time since Nikon announced the D850. And either way, we don’t recommend getting too invested in brand market share, but that’s just us.

Sony’s also taking the opportunity to launch a brand new ‘Be Alpha’ campaign, which will comprise a number of in-person events in major cities, starting on August 19th in New York City to celebrate World Photography Day. The initiative also includes an ‘Alpha Female’ program, which will include grants, mentorship and events to address “the imaging industry’s well-documented diversity challenges.”

Sony Celebrates No.1 Overall Position in U.S. Full-frame Cameras with Launch of Historic “Be Alpha” Campaign

The Leader in Full-frame Empowers Creators of all Types to Continue to Innovate, to Lead, to Push the Limits, to “Be Alpha”

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 15, 2018 – Sony Electronics, Inc. – a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer – today announced that it has overtaken and held the No. 1 overall position in the United States full-frame interchangeable lens camera market in the first half of 2018, in both dollars and units¹. In fact, four out of every 10 full-frame cameras sold during this time period have come from the Sony brand¹.

Additionally, Sony has announced that within the overall mirrorless market, it has held the No. 1 position in both dollars and units for more than six years². These strong results can be attributed to the company’s leadership in transitioning the market from older DSLR technology to next-generation mirrorless cameras.

Much of Sony’s recent success has been driven by sales of the acclaimed ?7R III and ?7 III models, as well as the rapid adoption of the ?9 camera amongst professional sports photographers and photojournalists. The brand’s extremely active community has played a major part as well, as evidenced by the strong engagement on key social platforms like Instagram, where the official @SonyAlpha page has just surpassed the coveted one million followers count.

As a celebration of these historic achievements, Sony has announced the launch of its extensive “Be Alpha” campaign that will connect creators of all types with the brand and its ever-growing roster of talented photographers and videographers.

“We’re extremely proud of achieving No. 1 overall share in Full-frame cameras in the US market, as well as holding a strong No. 1 share in the mirrorless market for six years running” said Neal Manowitz, vice president of Digital Imaging at Sony Electronics. “More than anything, we owe this to our community. It is our pleasure to create for you, the true creators. You pushed us to innovate, to change, to continually adapt, and your voice remains core to everything we do.”

Manowitz added, “To ‘Be Alpha’ is to be a leader, to be an innovator, to stand out amongst the crowd. It represents everything we stand for as a brand. Our campaign will celebrate the extended Sony community, while also shining a light on the topics that that we are most passionate about – diversity, conservation, equality and much more.”

Sony’s “Be Alpha” movement will be headlined by a series of community events in major markets throughout North America in 2018 and beyond, beginning with the official launch event on August 19^th, World Photography Day, in New York City. The campaign will encourage all creators to get involved by sharing their own “Be Alpha” content on all relevant social platforms while tagging #BeAlpha.

The “Be Alpha” campaign will also feature programs that are designed to foster growth in both the current and next generations of imaging professionals, the most notable of which being the flagship “Alpha Female” program. This multi-tiered, female exclusive program is Sony’s thoughtful response to the imaging industry’s well-documented diversity challenges. It will include a variety of grants and mentorship opportunities for female photographers and videographers, as well as the production of several large-scale industry events. Additional details to be released soon.

All key information regarding Sony’s “Be Alpha” movement, including the campaign launch video, will be hosted at www.alphauniverse.com/BeAlpha. This page will be continually updated with information on new events, content pieces and more.

A variety of additional stories and exciting new content shot with Sony products can be found at www.alphauniverse.com , Sony’s community site built to educate, inspire and showcase all fans and customers of the Sony ? brand.

A chart summarizing Sony’s rapid growth in Full-frame market is included below:

Source: The NPD Group, Inc., U.S. Retail Tracking Service, Detachable Lens Camera, Sensor Size: Full Frame, Based on dollar and unit sales, Jan. – June 2018.
Source: Sony internal historical data sources.
Source: The NPD Group, Inc., U.S. Retail Tracking Service, Detachable Lens Camera, Sensor Size: Full Frame, Based on dollar sales, Jan.- Dec. 2017 vs. Jan.- Dec. 2016.
Source: The NPD Group, Inc., U.S. Retail Tracking Service, Detachable Lens Camera, Sensor Size: Full Frame, Based on adjusted dollar sales, Jan.- June 2018 vs. Jan.- June 2017. Sales are adjusted for 5wk Jan. 2018 vs. 4wk Jan. 2017.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Fixing Your Photos with the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool

23 May

Lightroom’s suite of editing tools is not as comprehensive as its big brother Photoshop But the program does offer a host of options for fixing photos that cover most of the corrections you are likely to need on a daily basis. You can, of course, use Lightroom for basic operations like adjusting white balance, changing exposure, and converting images to black and white. But there are much more advanced features as well, such as the Spot Removal Tool.

This tool is a quick and easy way to remove blemishes and imperfections. It doesn’t have the same level of depth and customization as similar options in Photoshop, but with a little practice, it should suffice for most situations in which you are likely to need it.

Fixing Your Photos with the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool - sunset photo

Fixing Imperfections

To access the Spot Removal tool, first, click on the Develop module and then press the Q button (the keyboard shortcut). Or you can click on the circle icon with a small arrow pointing to the right just below the histogram at the top of the panel on the right-hand side.

how to open the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool

Once you are in the Spot Removal panel it might be tempting to start clicking away at every spot and blemish on your images. But understanding some of the options available to you will help you use the tool more effectively and result in better edits.

The Spot Removal tool has two main options, Clone and Heal. Each of these has three sliders that you can change: Size, Feather, and Opacity. Before getting into the differences between cloning and healing, let’s take a look at the three options they have in common.

Fixing Your Photos with the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool - sliders

Size

This changes, as you might have guessed, how big the edit is going to be. Larger sizes are suited for bigger edits, while pinpoint accuracy can be obtained by making the tool as small as you need it to be.

You might be tempted to slide left and right to change these values, and that certainly works just fine. But you can also type precise numbers between 0-100 or just scroll up and down using the mouse wheel to see the brush automatically grow and shrink until you get it to where you want. You can also use the square brackets [ and ] on the keyboard to adjust the brush size.

Feather

This slider lets you control how gradually the Clone or Heal edits are implemented. Sliding all the way to 100 means your edits will gradually fade out near the edge of the tool. A value of zero indicates that there will be no feathering whatsoever.

This will result in a harsh edge around your edits that will be easy to spot so I don’t usually recommend it. Instead, try for a value of around 50 and adjust it to your taste. Similar to the Size parameter you can adjust this with the mouse by holding [shift] and scrolling up and down, which I find much easier to use than the slider.

Opacity

The opacity is a way for you to specify how transparent your edits will be. A setting of 100 is totally opaque and nothing will show through, whereas lower values will lessen the overall impact of the tool.

There might be instances in which you don’t want to completely remove a spot or blemish but mask over or fade it just a little, and in that case, set an opacity of 25 or 50 (this works well for portrait retouching, lightening circles under eyes and wrinkles without completely removing them).

Fixing Your Photos with the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool

Cloning

Hearkening back to the earlier days of Photoshop, the Clone tool is one of the most often-utilized features for beginning or even more advanced photographers who want to tidy up their pictures. The basic function is pretty straightforward since all it does at a fundamental level is copy, or clone, one part of a picture and put it on top of another part. This is great for situations with textures, patterns, or colors that are highly similar or where duplicating one portion would not be easy to detect.

Using the Clone Tool

This picture of a squirrel (below) has a stick on the right-hand side that I would like to remove. The Clone tool is a good way to do it. To fix something like this you can either shrink the tool so it’s small and brush it over the imperfection or increase the size to be much larger and click just once.

Each situation is going to call for a different type of edit but in general, I like to use a larger brush and click once because it usually results in edits that aren’t as visible in the final result.

Fixing Your Photos with the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool - image needing some cloning to remove a stick

This image is fine, but it would be great if that stick protruding up on the right side could be removed.

Lightroom tries its best to get your initial clone edit just right by taking what it thinks is a sample of a similar portion of your image. But as you can see below it doesn’t always work.

bad cloning job - Fixing Your Photos with the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool

Lightroom’s initial attempt with the Clone tool was less than ideal. You can clearly see a circle of in-focus grass where the stick used to be.

Adjusting cloning results

You don’t have to be content with the initial results though, as Lightroom lets you refine and tweak the cloning options until you’re satisfied.

There is an Overlay setting for the Clone tool. It is a white circle indicating the location from which the Clone Tool is selecting to copy. As well there is another circle showing you where it is being pasted. In the lower-left portion of the Develop module is a tiny little option picker that says “Tool Overlay” with four choices: Auto, Always, Selected, and Never. My personal preference is to go with “Never” and use the “H” key to show and hide the Tool Overlay as I need it.

As you use the Spot Healing tool you will see little gray circles pop up all over your image, which shows you the places where you have edited your image. If you don’t see these tiny pins press “H” to show them, and then click on one to show the white circles showing you where the edits are being taken from and applied. You can see an example of this in the image below.

Fixing Your Photos with the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool - cloning overlay

Press the H key to show and hide the Tool Overlay. Then grab the source that is being copied and drag it to another part of your image that blends in better with the surroundings of the blemish to be cloned out.

Once you see where Lightroom is grabbing the part of your image that it’s using to fix a blemish, it’s easy to fine-tune it to get the results you are looking for. Use your cursor to drag the bright circle around the image until you find a spot that would be better-suited for filling in the blemish. You can also adjust the sliders while you have your editing point selected to see in real-time what happens when you change things like size, feather, and opacity.

better cloning job - Fixing Your Photos with the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool

I wouldn’t say it’s impossible to tell that this photo has been edited, but most casual viewers would likely never know.

Visualize spots

One issue that you might encounter when using the Spot Removal Tool is that it’s not always easy to see where the spots in your picture are actually located. Fortunately, Lightroom has an option that can help you in this regard.

If you click the “Visualize Spots” button in the lower-left corner of the Develop module (make sure the Spot Removal tool is selected), you will see a black-and-white version of your image with areas of high contrast highlighted. If you do not see this option, activate your toolbar by pressing T on the keyboard.

You can also simply press the A key to activate the Visualize Spots view. Use the slider to fine-tune the amount of contrast visible, and doing so will show you where some of the imperfections are located that you might have missed.

Fixing Your Photos with the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool - silhouette with spots to remove

Some of the spots on the above image are easy to see, but others are visible only upon closer inspection. Snuffing out all the blemishes, which are really dust on the front of my camera lens, would be a time-consuming process without the Visualize Spots option enabled. Doing so makes it easy to see every mote and speck that I need to fix with the Spot Healing tool.

Fixing Your Photos with the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool - visualize spots active

Visualize spots activated

The finished image, after some clicking and editing, is much improved. I even decided to leave in the streak of lens flare on the left side because I liked the effect, you could remove it if you wanted to by using the same tools.

image after cloning - Fixing Your Photos with the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool

Healing

While similar to the Clone tool, the Healing brush operates in a slightly different way. It takes textures and tones from a source portion of your image and blends it with the area you want to fix. It’s not a direct 1:1 copy of the source, like the Clone tool, and as such it creates results that are often a little more refined and effective in terms of removing problems and blemishes.

The Heal tool has the same options as the Clone tool (Size, Feather, and Opacity) but because the nature of the tool is somewhat different. The Opacity doesn’t function in exactly the way you might expect. It still adjusts how much of the source spot is stamped onto the blemish you want to remove but because it’s blending textures, colors, and patterns even a 100 value of Opacity means that you won’t see quite the same results as the Clone tool.

Fixing Your Photos with the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool

To fix a picture using the Heal tool, click on any spot you want to remove (or click and drag if it’s more than just a single spot) and Lightroom takes care of the rest. If the spot is not fixed to your liking, press H to show the Tool Overlays and edit as you see fit by dragging the source that is being copied and adjusting the Size, Feather, and Opacity.

Note: One other thing you can do with the Lightroom Spot Removal tool is to draw a line or shape. Your cloning area is not just limited to a circle anymore as it once was in LR.

The picture below shows the result of using the Heal tool to remove about a dozen blemishes and imperfections on a photo of some mushrooms. All this was done in under five minutes using only the Heal tool, and it illustrates how simple and effective this type of editing can be.

Fixing Your Photos with the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool

The Photoshop Solution

I often use the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool to fix little things in my images, but for real in-depth editing, you might want to turn to Photoshop. There you can really dig in with layers and the advanced editing tools that program offers.

For most photographers, whether professional or casual, the options in Lightroom will usually suffice. That’s what I find myself using almost every time I need to tweak a picture. Give it a try and you might be surprised at what it can do for you too.

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How to Use Spot Coloring in Your Photos

14 May

What is spot color in an image?

Some people refer to it as selective coloring. However, these two techniques are not the same thing.

Traditionally, selective coloring is something that is done in post-production. Photographers would highlight a certain area of the image, or a certain object, and leave it as the only thing that has colored in the frame.

They would turn the rest of the image into monochrome, or on occasion increasing the color saturation of that object while lowering it in the rest of the photograph. This is to call attention or focus to that particular part of the image.

Spot coloring in photography - dried roses against a white backdrop

Do you remember the days of black and white prom dresses with red corsages? Or, do you remember a black and white image of a model with red lips? Those are classic examples of selective coloring.

Difference between spot coloring versus selective

Spot coloring uses the available colors in a scene and then composes the image so that one color stands out from the rest of the frame. Spot coloring is a technique that is used in-camera (done by the photographer). It works by placing a color against other colors that allow it to stand out in the composition.

Selective coloring is a technique where one color is prominent in the final shot whereas all the other colors have either been changed to monochrome or had their color saturation levels lowered during post-production.

Spot coloring in photography - purple flower against green trees

The key with spot coloring in camera is to look for naturally occurring examples of color pops as opposed to making changes in post-production to highlight a particular color. This purple flower pops against the green of the leaves.

Before we move forward on this subject, I have to say that I am not downplaying or downgrading selective coloring versus the spot color technique. If there is one thing that this photography journey has taught me, it is that there is a market for every style of photography.

Each style of photography has its fans and its critics – that’s just the way the industry works. You just have to decide which camp you want to be in and run with that. I use spot coloring as I compose my shots in-camera. Unfortunately, rarely do I see a good use of selective coloring in post-production.

Spot coloring in photography - woman in red sari against yellow brick house porch - 2

My lovely client, in her red sari, stood out against this historic yellow brick building. This is a perfect example of spot color. By placing the bright red clothing against the reduced color tone and vibrancy of the building, the eye is directed right toward the subject.

I don’t know about you, but being in front of the computer for an extended period of time editing my images is not the most productive use of my time. If I can get the shot as close to how I envision it to be in-camera, then post-production is just about adding the finishing touches so it becomes relatively easy.

Here is a link to another recent dPS article about tips for quick editing. For me, spot coloring is a way to achieve an effect that fits my brand, my aesthetics, and my style of photography. Also, note that a spot color in your frame doesn’t have to be bright and vibrant. Sometimes, color contrast or a change in color hue is enough to move the eyes to the subject.

Advantages of Spot Coloring In-Camera

Spot coloring in photography - two hands holding gelato cones in pleasing colors in Rome

Colorful Italian gelato against the brick façade gives the right amount of soft color pop in this “subtle” use of spot color.

Spot coloring in-camera, if done correctly, can help you in the following ways:

#1 – It provides a clear definition of your subject.

By isolating your subject by way of color, you give a clear definition of the subject and help it stand out in an otherwise busy/crowded frame.

#2 – It helps you understand the relationship between colors.

Some colors work together, and others just don’t. Understanding the relationship between complementary colors and opposing colors can go a long way to creating images that are aesthetically pleasing and on point for your brand and your portfolio.

When practicing your spot color technique, keep a copy of the color wheel with you when you are creating images or studying the images of others to see how colors work together or against each other. You can print a color wheel off of the internet or find one in your local art supply store.

By No machine-readable author provided. Bwilliam assumed (based on copyright claims). [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 2.5 ], via Wikimedia Commons

#3 – Spot color makes images more impactful, images that have strong clear subjects.

These are more impactful when compared to images that are busy and cluttered and don’t give the viewer a sense of what is happening in the frame.

#4 – It slows you down to observe first and then click later.

When you observe a scene intentionally for the play of colors, patterns, and textures, you automatically slow down and learn to see first and then click the camera. Often, we are so focused on just clicking and getting something captured as opposed to photographing the right subject the right way.

If nothing else, this process will help you get away from the “spray and pray” mentality (photograph multiple frames at once and hope one of them works). Trying to use spot color can help you to slow down and analyze your scene. Ultimately, this will help you develop as a photographer instead of relying on the “spray and pray” technique.

Creative spot coloring can be done for any genre of photography: portraits, travel, and still life. Of course, some are easier than others, but this look is achievable in all these areas.

Spot Coloring in People Photography and Portraits

Spot coloring in photography - family portraits in red colored clothes against the snow

By choosing a pallet that complements the background, I was able to bring focus to my clients instead of having them blend into the frame. Here the red clothing worked really well against the white of the snow. This example is a bright, vibrant use of spot color. Note that they are not all wearing the same colors – but they do all have some common elements of the red which collectively looks well matched.

When you are photographing people (e.g. families and kids), a simple tool like a style guide can go a long way. I proactively send a style guide, or what-to-wear for your portrait tips list, to my clients where I suggest clothing options and colors – basically, pieces that I know will photograph well according to the season and location.

For example, if we will be shooting outside in a park or out in nature, I will suggest colors and outfits that will not compete with all the greenery. During the fall season when we have gorgeous colors in the trees, I will suggest colors that go well with the oranges, browns, and reds that Mother Nature shares with us. This way, when I am composing my shots and directing my clients, I will use poses that will ensure the photos are aesthetically pleasing and that do not have too many competing colors in the frame.

This is a “professional use” of spot color. I am going to coordinate the colors so that my client stands out from the background while looking pleasing at the same time.

Now, before you accuse me of manipulating the client experience, I have to point out that in all my eight years of being a family photographer, I have yet to come across a client who does not appreciate the what-to-wear tips that I send them when they book my photography services.

Most people are extremely uncomfortable being in front of the camera and get stressed out on what to wear and how to dress. Anything that can help alleviate that pain is going to be a welcome and much-appreciated thing. They have no idea that it’s actually a technical and aesthetic consideration on my part. It makes my job easier!

Spot Coloring in Travel Photography

Spot coloring in photography - roman vatican guard in costume standing guard

This colorful costume of the guards in the Vatican, Rome really stands out against the pastel colors of the building facade and the iron gate.

One of the key considerations to creating compelling travel images is to be aware of what is going on around you. Location is just as important as light. When you get to a scene, take a quick look around and do a quick mental assessment of everything that is happening around you. Colors, textures, light, and the subject all play a very important role in the final outcome of the image.

Think about how spot color could work for your shot. If you are in a location that has generally muted tones and colors, look for a subject that is a contrasting color to the rest of the scene. If framed correctly, that subject will carry the entire weight of the image, and the other colors will work in harmonizing the overall image around that subject.

On the other hand, if you were to choose a subject more or less similar in tones and colors to the background, the subject will likely blend in and the entire image may lack that oomph that you were hoping for. If you are in a busy, colorful location with lots of activity, try to isolate your subjects against a monotone background, thereby giving the subject a chance to stand out from the commotion.

Spot Coloring in Still Life Photography

Spot coloring in photography - still life flat lay with ruby red grape fruit and grapes

I love photographing food because that means I get to munch on it after as opposed to snacking on junk food! Plus, there is no better learning tool for the spot color technique!

This is one of the easiest genres of photography where you can practice spot color easily. Why? You have complete control over all of the color elements.

Remember when I said spot color is an exercise in understanding the color pallet? When you are planning your still life imagery, you can choose the colors (from opposite ends of the color wheel) to add that element of color pop to your images. You will also learn how effectively different colors work together to create a composition.

Spot color can be used with any genre of photography. However, the still life genre is a particularly useful learning experience because you have plenty of time and you control all of the colors that will be introduced into the picture!

Summing Up

I hope these examples help you to understand that just like many other techniques, spot coloring is a way to add creativity and fun to your images. Do you use spot color in your images? Share in the comments below.

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Nikon claimed the #1 spot in the full-frame camera market for December 2017

24 Jan

Nikon says the jump to #1 was due to ‘exceptional demand’ for the D850.

Nikon made a major sales announcement today, revealing that the company achieved the #1 spot in the full-frame camera market for December 2017. More specifically, the company “attained the #1 position for both market share and revenue for December 2017, in the full-frame digital camera with interchangeable lens (DCIL) category in the U.S.” That DCIL term is what we refer to as just ILC here at DPReview, and yes, that includes full-frame mirrorless.

The numbers come from the US retail tracking group The NPD Group Inc., and the result is due largely to what Nikon calls “exceptional demand” for the Nikon D850 DSLR, which launched in August of last year and went on to be one of the most highly demanded cameras of the 2017 holiday season.

Admittedly, the result only covers a single month’s worth of sales, but Nikon is quick to point out that it is the most important sales month of the year.

“December is a significant month for sales because of the large volume of units sold during the holidays,” reads the press release. “Industry-wide, DCIL full-frame unit sales for the month of December 2017 were almost equal to unit sales from January through March of 2017.”

Interestingly, it’s not just the D850 that propelled Nikon into the #1 spot. According to the Japanese camera giant, the top two cameras in the full-frame ILC segment during December were the Nikon D850 at #1 and the Nikon D750 at #2.

This announcement comes hot on the heels of the 2018 BCN camera rankings that had Canon users so excited, and less than a year after Sony announced that it had claimed the #2 spot in the full-frame ILC market from Nikon for the period from January to February of 2017.

Correction: An earlier version of this article said that the D750 probably wasn’t the #2 best-selling full-frame ILC overall, since Nikon specifically used the term ‘DSLR’ in that section of the press release. However, Nikon has since confirmed that the D850 and the D750 were the #1 and #2 best-selling full-frame ILCs for December 2017.

Press Release

Nikon Inc. Achieves #1 Spot in full-frame Camera Market During Important 2017 Holiday Selling Season

Market Bolstered by Exceptional Demand for the Award-Winning full-frame (FX-format) D850 DSLR

Melville, NY (January 23, 2018) – Imaging leader Nikon attained the #1 position for both market share and revenue for December 2017, in the full-frame digital camera with interchangeable lens (DCIL) category in the U.S.¹ The overwhelming success of the powerful new Nikon D850 DSLR as well as the acclaimed D750 DSLR helped contribute to the brand’s strong growth within the full-frame camera segment for December 2017. According to The NPD Group, Nikon achieved double-digit unit and dollar sales growth within the full-frame camera segment in December 2017 vs. December 2016.²

This market category comprises all full-frame digital cameras with interchangeable lenses (DCIL), including DSLR and mirrorless cameras. December is a significant month for sales because of the large volume of units sold during the holidays; industry-wide, DCIL full-frame unit sales for the month of December 2017 were almost equal to unit sales from January through March of 2017, according to The NPD Group.³

“Nikon has returned to an emphasis on high-end products for advanced and professional users. These users appreciate Nikon’s full-frame offerings because of their amazing image quality, reliability, low-light capability and high-speed performance,” said Bo Kajiwara, President and CEO, Nikon Inc. “Nikon is an innovative, diversified company with a clear, long-term strategy to thrive into 2018 and beyond.”

Since the beginning of 2017, the camera industry has seen strong growth in the full-frame segment, with consumers gravitating toward Nikon’s innovative offerings for advanced and professional photographers. The month of December alone saw an overall increase of 69% in units and 59% in dollars compared to the same period in 2016.² Nikon specifically experienced an 81% increase in units, and 88% growth in dollars for this segment.²

For the month of December, the top two selling DSLR cameras in this segment were the Nikon D750 and the Nikon D850.⁴There has been exceptional demand for the extremely versatile, highly acclaimed D850, which is the ultimate combination of speed and resolution. This 45.7-megapixel full-frame DSLR is a tool for serious photographers with robust construction, unparalleled imaged quality and proven reliability. Both the D850 and the D750 have won a myriad of industry and consumer accolades, and both are perfectly complemented by the vast NIKKOR lens system, which offers the best in optical excellence.

“Premium segments are leading the imaging market, as consumer demand for features like full-frame are on the rise,” said Ben Arnold, executive director, industry analyst for The NPD Group.

Kajiwara also added, “We want to sincerely thank our customers and our fans for making this achievement possible.”

1- The NPD Group Inc., U.S. Retail Tracking Service, Detachable Lens Camera, full-frame, Based on unit and dollar sales, Dec 2017
2- The NPD Group Inc., U.S. Retail Tracking Service, Detachable Lens Camera, full-frame, Based on unit and dollar sales, Dec 2017 vs. Dec 2016
3- The NPD Group Inc., U.S. Retail Tracking Service, Detachable Lens Camera, full-frame, Based on unit sales, Dec 2017 vs. Jan- March 2017
4-The NPD Group Inc., U.S. Retail Tracking Service, Detachable Lens Camera, full-frame, Based on unit sales, Dec 2017

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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