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How to Create a Glitch Effect in Photoshop (Step By Step)

25 Mar

The post How to Create a Glitch Effect in Photoshop (Step By Step) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

Ever wondered how to create a glitch effect in Photoshop?

That’s what this article is all about.

While glitch art embraces technological mishaps, there are simple ways to introduce a glitch art effect in Photoshop.

And in this article, we’ll take a look at how to get glitchy with a quick-and-easy Photoshop process!

Let’s get started.

What is a Photoshop glitch effect?

Glitches are visual or sonic flaws that are inherent in our digital landscape. Glitch art is made by deliberately capturing these organic glitches, manually corrupting digital media, or physically manipulating electronic devices to cultivate glitched imagery.

Instantly recognizable yet difficult to produce, the glitch aesthetic has fascinated many, with innovative artists harnessing glitches to create unique artworks that explore the fabric of our digital world.

Rewiring Kodak DC series digital cameras to create evocative auroras, Phillip Stearns subverts the nature of digital photography. Art theorist, curator, and visual artist Rosa Menkman also investigates glitch art in the form of video compression and feedback. On her website, Menkman says, “A glitch can be understood as a technological failure, but also as a space for artistic creation.”

CF card malfunction glitch — A glitch that occurred as the result of a CF card malfunction.

Glitches are unstable in themselves, so they’re difficult to anticipate and capture successfully.

But different techniques have emerged to mimic a glitch aesthetic and create evocative, glitchy effects. A Photoshop glitch effect is a way to simulate the glitch aesthetic without the traditional corruption of data.

When should you use a glitch effect?

Glitch art is a visual manifestation of our modern technological climate. Glitches can seem both futuristic and retro, abstract or figurative – but like many art forms, they can also take time to cultivate.

Although creating a glitch effect in Photoshop isn’t an organic source of glitch artistry, the process can be easier to manipulate and control.

So if you’re looking to create glitchy imagery but don’t have the time, equipment, or know-how to wrangle a glitch in the wild, applying a glitchy effect in Photoshop can be a way to explore the unique potential of glitchy aesthetics.

Now let’s take a closer look at how you can actually create a Photoshop glitch effect:

How to create a glitch effect in Photoshop: step by step

To get started, first select an image and open it in Photoshop.

For this project, just about any image will do. I recommend using an image with some variation in color, but you can try a portrait, a landscape, an object study, or something else entirely.

Here’s my starter image:

Glitch art tutorial with photoshop starter image — Canon 5D Mark II | Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM | f/4 | 1/4000s | ISO 100

Step 1: Start with the Channels panel

To work non-destructively, first right-click on your chosen image in the Layers panel and select Duplicate Layer.

In the pop-up window, rename the layer Glitch and click OK.

To apply our glitch effect, we need to work in the Channels panel.

So with the Glitch layer selected, click the Channels tab or go Window>Channels.

how to create a glitch effect in Photoshop channels

Once the Channels panel is open, you’ll see four channels:

RBG, Red, Green, and Blue.

Click on the Red channel to select it. Then, with the Red channel highlighted, select the Filter dropdown menu from the topmost Photoshop toolbar and select Distort>Wave.

In the Waves window, you’ll need to make a few adjustments. The screenshot below shows the settings I generally stick to, but a bit of experimentation can be a good idea, too.

Once you’ve picked your settings, click the Randomize button until you get an interesting preview.

Then select OK.

Next, select either the Blue or Green channel in the Channels panel.

Again, select Filter>Distort>Wave. Your previous settings should be saved in the current Wave window, so just click Randomize a few times and then click OK.

Click on the RGB channel, and you’ll have an effect similar to this:

Step 2: Add a filter

First, return to the Layers panel by clicking on the Layers tab.

Right-click on the Glitch layer and select Duplicate Layer. In the pop-up window, name this duplicate layer Filter, then select OK.

Make sure your color swatches are set to the default (black foreground and white background) or press the “D” key. With the Filter layer selected, go to Filter on the topmost toolbar and then Filter Gallery.

In the Filter Gallery, you have a couple of options to choose from. The Grain filter (under the Texture heading) adds a grainy effect to an image. For glitchy projects, I usually set the Intensity slider here to around 90, the Contrast slider to 50, and the Grain Type drop-down menu to Regular.

Reticulation (under the Sketch heading) can add an eye-catching density to the overall image.

For that filter, I often set the Density slider to around 10-12, the Foreground Level slider to 40, and the Background Level to no more than 10.

The Halftone Pattern filter (also under the Sketch heading) will add vertical lines to an image so it looks like an old TV broadcast.

Adjust the settings for the Halftone Pattern so that the Pattern Type dropdown menu is set to Line. Dial the Size slider to 3 or 4 and set the Contrast slider to 1 or 2.

Results after applying the Halftone filter.

Film Grain (under the Artistic heading), Texturizer (under the Texture heading), and even Graphic Pen (under the Sketch heading) are also useful filters to experiment with; they’ll add texture and the impression of digital deterioration.

Once you have a filter selected and set, click OK.

Step 3: Select the right blend mode

The next step in how to create a glitch effect in Photoshop is to work with blend modes.

Once your filter is applied, select the Filter layer again and choose a suitable blending mode from the Blending Mode drop-down menu located in the Layers panel.

Different blend modes work differently depending on the image, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

For the image below, I used the Halftone filter combined with the Luminosity blending mode.

how to create a glitch effect in Photoshop blend modes

Step 4: Add finishing touches

After applying the filter and a blending mode, your image might look a little bland.

So create a Vibrance adjustment layer in the Adjustments panel and give the Vibrance slider a boost.

If the image is still a bit dull, boost the color saturation with the Saturation slider. You can also make adjustments using a Curves layer.

Here’s my final image:

how to create a glitch effect in Photoshop final result — The finished result after a boost in saturation and vibrance.

How to create a glitch effect in Photoshop: conclusion

And that’s it! You should now be well equipped to create a beautiful glitch effect in Photoshop.

And though it doesn’t technically create glitch art, this method is an interesting way of presenting digital photographs that remind us about the unique potential and inherent fragility of our technological landscape.

Now over to you:

What subject are you going to use with the glitch effect? Share your glitchy photos in the comments below!

The post How to Create a Glitch Effect in Photoshop (Step By Step) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

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How to Make a Low Key Portrait (Step by Step)

27 Feb

The post How to Make a Low Key Portrait (Step by Step) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sean McCormack.

If you’re looking to create a stunning low key portrait, then you’ve come to the right place.

Because in this article, I’m going to give you a simple, step-by-step process for creating low key photos.

In fact, it’s the same setup I use when capturing my own low key shots, so you know it works.

(And I include quite a few examples, so you can see what I’m talking about!)

Ready?

Let’s get started.

What is a low key portrait?

A low key portrait has tones that are mostly dark. Like this:

Compare it to a high key image, where most of the tones are lighter than 50% gray.

Low key portraiture replaces a light, airy feel with a more moody, dramatic look. And your histogram will be bunched up on the left-hand side.

That’s not to say you’re underexposing the subject to get a low key look. You’ll still need correct exposure on the face.

A lot of action movies or thrillers have posters with a low key feel. Think drama, and you’re in the ballpark for how a low key portrait will turn out.

The background and lighting

Your background needs to be dark, usually dark gray or black. And your subject’s clothing needs to be dark, too (though black clothes aren’t necessary). Also, avoid clothes with patterns, as this will draw attention away from your subject’s face.

Set your lighting to create drama; I recommend loop lighting, Rembrandt lighting, or some other form of sidelight. Take your cues from film noir.

The photos don’t need to be in black and white, though you may find that the absence of color in low key images can lend itself to this look.

Lighting a low key portrait

You don’t need to use artificial lighting to get a low key portrait. You can always use natural window light.

But to control the natural light, you must close the curtains down to a tiny slit. Then, with the room lights off, place your subject in the light and expose for their face.

You can also shoot in the studio, so let’s discuss how to light a low key studio portrait.

You’ll need a lighting setup that is flattering and controllable. A strip box will help control the light, as will a beauty dish. If you don’t have either, you can add some material over a standard softbox to create a strip light.

If you have a grid, even better. As long as you can control where the light goes, you’ll be able to nail a low key portrait. You can even block your light from the background using a black card (items that block light are referred to as flags).

Creating a low key portrait from scratch

For the examples below, I used an Elinchrom softbox with a white beauty dish and a white reflector.

However, as I’ve mentioned, you don’t need this exact gear to get these shots. Gear is only a small part of the equation.

It’s how you use the gear that counts!

Making the background darker

In this first shot, you’ll see the model against the wall, photographed with a butterfly lighting pattern.

Though the tones are dark, the image itself is too bright to be considered a low key portrait.

By moving both the model and the light away from the wall, you’ll notice the light on the subject stays the same, but the background gets darker:

portrait with a darker background — Moving the model away from the wall means the light falls off and the background gets darker.

Move the light to the side

If you move the light around to the side into a short lighting position, you’ll see the background darkens even more and the shot becomes dramatic. We still have some light spilling onto our background, though:

Add a grid to your lighting modifier

By adding a grid to your modifier, you can control the light even more.

The grid restricts the light to a narrower beam; when a grid is in place, no light bounces around or spills past your subject.

Low key portrait of a woman setup — Light with a grid added.

Add light onto the hair

While you’ll now have a very cool low key effect, you’ll see that the hair is starting to blend in with the background. If you want separation between the hair and the background, you need to add a fill light.

You could use a reflector, but a second light offers more control. For the photo below, I added a strip light on the other side of the subject (opposite the main light).

Make sure the hair light doesn’t hit your lens; otherwise, you’ll get flare. Use a grid or a flag to block your modifier, if necessary.

Low key portrait setup with a hair light — Here you can see two lights: the main light plus a hair light.

Low key portraits: Make sure you practice!

Hopefully, these steps will help you create your own stunning low key portraits.

The trick is to control the light so you darken the surroundings. Use the narrow curtain trick if you don’t have any lights.

You can even try putting a flash outside a window to replace the natural light source for more control.

Good luck with your portraits!

Now over to you:

What type of low key portrait do you plan to take? Please share your plans in the comments below!

The post How to Make a Low Key Portrait (Step by Step) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sean McCormack.

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Step aside, Intel: Apple shows off its first Macs powered by its new M1 chipset

11 Nov

Apple today unveiled its first Mac computers powered by its new M1 chipset, ushering in a new era for Apple hardware as it leaves behind Intel in favor of its own silicon.

Apple M1 Chipset

Behind all of the new computers Apple showcased at today’s event is its new M1 chipset, the first chip designed specifically for Mac. Unlike past Mac computers, which required multiple chips from multiple suppliers, Apple’s new M1 chip puts all of them into a single system on a chip (SoC) design. This includes the CPU, GPU, I/O, security and memory.

The new chip uses a 5nm process, which helps to fit more than 16 billion transistors onto the M1. The M1 features eight cores—four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores—that work together to provide better performance with lower power consumption. Apple claims the new M1 chip offers 2x the total CPU and GPU performance of the leading commercially-available PC chip and matches the peak CPU/GPU performance of the same chip using just 25% and 33% of the power, respectively.

One of the greatest advantages of the SoC design is the ability to use unified memory. Now, with the unified memory architecture (UMA), the M1 allows all of the individual technologies inside the M1 to access the same data without having to copy it between multiple memory pools. This should open up plenty of memory bandwidth for improved performance across the board. Apple specifically notes both video and image processing will see a major performance boost with the M1 chip compared to similar Intel-powered computers.

Apple also claims 15x the machine-learning performance compared to its previous-generation Intel-powered computers with the ability to perform up to 11 trillion operations per second.

Of course, one of the main benefits of Apple’s new silicon is battery performance. As we’ll detail below, the new M1 chip enables up to 17 hours of web browsing and 20 hours of video playback on the new MacBook Pro 13”, while the new MacBook Air offers up to 15 hours and 18 hours of web browsing and video playback, respectively.

With the brain out of the way, let’s get onto the new machines using it.

The New MacBook Air

The new MacBook Air may look like its predecessors, but beneath the unibody frame is Apple’s new M1 chip, making it the first Apple computer with Apple silicon packed inside. Thanks to the new M1 chip inside, Apple says the new MacBook Air is 3.5 times faster than its Intel-powered predecessor, with 5x faster graphics performance and 9x better machine learning performance.

The new MacBook Air comes with a 13.3” retina display with P3 wide color gamut support, up to 16GB of memory and up to 2TB of storage. Other features include two Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 ports, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, a 720p FaceTime HD camera (really, Apple?) and Touch ID.

Apple claims the new MacBook Air can power up to 15 hours of web browsing and 18 hours of video playback on its 50Wh LiPo battery. It comes with a 30W USB-C Power Adapter for charging.

The new MacBook Air starts at $ 999 with the standard M1 chip, 8GB RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. There’s also a version of the new MacBook Air that starts at $ 1249 and offers an M1 chip with an 8-core GPU over the standard seven-core GPU; this upgraded version also starts with 512GB of SSD storage over the 256GB of the $ 999 MacBook Air. A full-maxed-out MacBook Air with the upgraded M1 chip, 16GB RAM and 2TB of SSD storage will set you back $ 2,050.

Mac Mini

Much like the new MacBook Air, the new Mac Mini looks identical to its Intel-powered predecessor on the outside but packs Apple’s new M1 chip on the inside.

Apple didn’t lay out the exact specifications of the M1 chip inside the new Mac Mini, opting instead to compare it to its Intel-power predecessor. Based on that comparison, Apple says the new Mac Mini offers 3x faster processing performance, 6x faster graphics performance and 15x faster machine learning performance, all while consuming 60% less energy.

Features include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 and Gigabit Ethernet.Ports include two Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, two USB-A ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. When using the thunderbolt 3 port, you can drive Apple’s Pro Display XDR at a full 6K resolution in addition to a secondary 4K display.

The new Mac Minis start at $ 699 ($ 100 less than the previous generation), which includes the eight-core M1 chip, 8GB RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. A maxed-out model, complete with 16GB RAM and 2TB of SSD storage will set you back $ 1,500.

13″ MacBook Pro

The third and final computer to receive the M1 treatment today is the new 13″ MacBook Pro. As with the two previous computers, there is effectively zero external differences between this computer and its Intel-powered predecessors. Inside, though, it’s a different story.

As with the Mac Mini, Apple refrains from spouting the frequencies of the new M1 chip inside the 13″ MacBook Pro, opting instead to gauge its performance based on its Intel-powered predecessor. Based on that, Apple claims the new 13″ MacBook Pro offers 2.8x faster processor performance, 5x the graphics performance and 11x the machine learning performance. Unlike the new MacBook Air, which relies exclusively on passive cooling, the new 13″ MacBook Pro keeps its fans, which means you should be able to push the performance of the M1 chip even further when battery life isn’t an issue.

Speaking of battery life, Apple says the new 12″ MacBook Pro offers up to 17 hours of web browsing and 20 hours of video playback on a single charge—that’s roughly 10 hours more than Apple’s previous Intel-powered MacBook Pros.

Other specifications include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, Touch ID, a 720p FaceTime camera (again, really, Apple?), P3 wide color gamut support and an upgraded three-microphone array. Ports include two Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Like the Mac Mini, the new 13″ MacBook Pro can power Apple’s Pro Display XDR at its full 6k resolution.

The new 13″ MacBook Pro starts at $ 1,300 with the eight-core M1 chip, 8GB RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. A maxed-out model with 16GB RAM and 2TB of SSD storage will set you back $ 2,300.

It’s worth noting that both the Mac Mini and 13″ MacBook Pro can still be purchased with Intel processors, if you’re not ready to make the jump to Apple silicon yet. The MacBook Air, however, is now exclusively powered by Apple’s M1 SoC.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How To Take Good Pictures of Flowers- An Easy Step by Step Guide

03 Jun

Do you want to learn how to use light in photography? Photograph a flower. A flower in and of itself is an interesting subject. Flowers have different textures, bright colors, and won’t get bored of sitting still while you adjust your settings. But a quick snap of a flower, while beautiful, can be boring. If you really want to bring Continue Reading

The post How To Take Good Pictures of Flowers- An Easy Step by Step Guide appeared first on Photodoto.

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Sony’s US-only ‘Step up to Sony’ sales event is offering up to $1K off cameras, kits and lenses

03 Jun

Sony is currently running its ‘Step Up To Sony’ sales event, a summer sales event for U.S. customers that’s heavily discounting some of Sony’s most popular cameras, lenses and kits. The ‘Step Up To Sony’ event runs through Jun 22, 2019. We’ve rounded up some of the best deals from the sales event and have listed them below.

Cameras and kits

Sony a7R III (Adorama, B&H): $ 2,598 ($ 600 instant rebate)

Sony a9 (Adorama, B&H): $ 3,498 ($ 1000 instant rebate)

Sony a7R II (Adorama, B&H): $ 1,498 ($ 500 instant rebate)

Sony A7 II (Adorama, B&H): Body only for $ 898 ($ 500 instant rebate), kit for $ 1000 ($ 600 instant rebate)

Sony RX100 V (B&H): $ 898 ($ 100 instant rebate)

Sony RX10 IV (Adorama, B&H): $ 1,598.00 ($ 100 instant rebate)

Lenses

Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G (Adorama, B&H): $ 1,598 ($ 100 instant rebate)

Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS (Adorama, B&H): $ 1,398 ($ 100 instant rebate)

Sony Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA (Adorama, B&H): $ 1,398 ($ 100 instant rebate)

Sony Distagon T FE 35mm F1.4 ZA (Adorama, B&H): $ 1,498 ($ 100 instant rebate)

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Create a Theme to Step Up Your Travel Photography

23 Oct

One of the things that always drew me to travel photography is the endless variety. Every place on earth is unique. The people, the landscape, the culture, the wildlife, the architecture. Even with neighboring cities, no two places are the same.

create a travel photography theme 01

So, why is it that we tend to photograph them all the same way? When I look back through my archives from all over the world, most of my images have a similar look. If I didn’t remember the location of a photo, I likely couldn’t guess where I took it.

As photographers, we develop our own unique approach to our craft. It’s not a bad thing – it helps to develop our own style. Although, sometimes it’s worth taking a different approach for a specific location or trip. Choosing a travel photography theme for a trip can help focus and guide your photography, as well as give you a unique collection of images.

surfers create a travel photography theme

Coming Up With Your Photography Theme

I’m not talking about changing your style or learning a whole new genre, necessarily. Just taking some time to think about how you could create a theme for your next photography trip. Here are a few things to consider that could help to give your collection of images a unique photography theme.

Genre

You likely already have an idea of what genre of photography you’ll be using. This will largely come down to what you like to photograph. It will also depend partly on the location you’re going to and the gear you have available.

However, you may be tempted to photograph everything. It’s easy to fall for this temptation, I know. You’re in a new, exciting place and may never go there again. You don’t want to miss a thing. Go crazy, if you must, but try to think of a specific genre that suits the location and spend most of your time on that.

noah create a travel photography theme

You don’t want to pick a genre that won’t give you many options. Trying to photograph the milky way in New York isn’t going to happen. Neither is photographing architecture in Yosemite. Come up with something that will give you a lot of material to work with and that you will actually enjoy.

Travel photography conjures images of epic landscapes or cityscapes. You really are only limited by your imagination. Try making the local people your theme with portraiture. Spend your days practicing street photography if you’re visiting an urban location. Maybe even try your hand at wildlife photography if there’s any around.

Subject

So, you’ve picked a genre. What are you going to point your camera at? It’s time to spend some time thinking about the subject of your theme. Again, it may be an easy decision. What’s unique about the location you’re visiting? What’s it known for?

On my recent road trip up the coast of Queensland, Australia, I followed a coastal theme. If there’s one thing Australia is known for, it’s incredible beaches. It was an obvious choice.

jetty create a travel photography theme

You don’t need to go with the obvious, though. Something less obvious can actually make a more engaging collection of photos. If you’re visiting a big, concrete jungle, you could create a contrasting theme by photographing the flowers you find. Think outside the box and get more out of the location.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with photographing the cliche. There are some incredible collections of photos that follow an obvious subject – lakes of Canada, waterfalls of Iceland, Humans of New York.

Style

The style of your photography is one of the most powerful elements in creating a photography theme. The way you choose to photograph the subject you’ve chosen can vary a lot. You may have already developed your own style. You don’t need to throw that out the window.

sand create a travel photography theme

If your photographic style suits the genre and subject that you’ve chosen, feel free to stick with it. You’ve likely worked hard to develop it. You could adapt it for this trip by turning up the volume or trying something slightly different.

If your theme uses long-exposures, you could try creating super-long exposures. If you’re doing astrophotography, maybe give star-trail photography a go. Creating an aerial theme? How about shooting panoramas with your drone?

A big factor in creating a style is focal length. A 50mm lens will create a very different image to a telephoto. As will a wide-angle or fish-eye lens. You might have a dozen lenses to choose from, or you might have one. Either way, try choosing one lens for your theme. You could even take it a step further and stick to just one focal length.

create a travel photography theme

A photography trip could be a good opportunity to try something new. Have you been wanting to get a drone and have some fun with aerial photography? Maybe it’s an opportunity to try your hand at macro photography? Travel is expensive, so buying new gear for a trip usually isn’t possible. Renting is a great option, as is borrowing gear off other local photographers.

Color

If there’s one thing that can create a consistent theme within a collection of images, it’s color. This can be both in the colors that you capture in-camera and the way you edit them in post-production. A combination of both can really bring a bunch of photos together.

shipwreck create a travel photography theme

It’s not always the case, but you may find there are certain colors that are consistent in the locations you’re photographing. Certain landscapes, for example, will have dominant colors. Green hills, blue water, yellow sand.

There are opportunities to create color themes everywhere, though. You could create a color theme in a city by photographing doors, flowers, dresses, signs, etc, that are all that color.

palm create a travel photography theme

When you import your photos to your computer, the options for editing your photos with a color theme are endless. Try playing around with the white balance and saturation sliders. Experiment with HSL and split-toning. Do something different to what you usually do, and when you find something you like, save it as a preset for your theme.

Creating a color theme doesn’t need to include advanced color grading or anything technical. Your theme might just be bright, vivid colors. It could also be the opposite. Maybe a desaturated look, or even go monotone. Black and white photography can create a very strong theme.

create a travel photography theme

As a colorblind photographer, I’ve avoided advanced color editing in the past and played it safe. Taking risks and learning to create color themes for my travel photography really helped me take my photos from mundane to unique.

Summary

Whether your trip is a family vacation, business travel, or a photography adventure, try thinking about a photography theme. Ask yourself what you could do to come home with a more cohesive collection of images that represent the location well. You might even end up with a few side-by-side on the wall someday.

Do you have any photography theme tips? If so, let us know in the comments below.

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The Nikon Z is a big step for Nikon but they need to keep being brave

26 Aug

The Nikon Z is a brave and important step for Nikon and, while it might not have got everything right first time, it shows enough promise to encourage existing users to commit themselves to the system. However, to deliver the system’s full potential, Nikon needs to continue being brave.

A brave new lens mount…

It may sound odd but I think the most significant thing about the Nikon Z cameras isn’t that they’re mirrorless: it’s that they use a new lens mount. This may sound like the same thing, but I think it’s informative to separate the two ideas.

A mirrorless design lets the body be a bit smaller and allows a more consistent experience between stills and video shooting, but that’s not that radical. Casting off the existing limitations of your mount and looking to the future: that’s a big step.

Nikon is a company with a long history and a proud 100 year tradition of making excellent products. Whether it’s the Nikon F, F3, FM, D3, D500 or D850, it’s produced some genuinely superb cameras. And then, of course, there are the lenses: it’s 59 years since the company introduced the F-mount and the majority of those lenses can still be used, to various extents, on its latest models.

Moving to a new lens mount, even if you do everything you can to respect history by maintaining backwards compatibility, is a huge step. Canon’s reputation took a knock when it took the decision to abandon its existing FD lenses and move to the EF mount. It was a big move but one that’s been vindicated by how future-proof a large, all electronic mount has proven to be. Sony, conversely, made the decision to squeeze a full frame sensor into its E-mount, rather than try to add a third mount to its lineup.

Nikon showed a series of mockup lenses when it launched the 1 System, but the decision to spell-out its plans for the Z mount represents an unusual degree of candor for the company.

The move to mirrorless was, then, the perfect chance to design a new lens mount and Nikon has clearly gone out of its way to make something flexible. If you asked a team of engineers who’d spent their entire careers working with the restrictions of a narrow-throated, film-era mount to design something new, the vast, adaptable Z-mount is probably what they’d come up with.

And this is promising for the future: it provides plenty of scope for making a wide range of lenses without having to worry about sending light to the corners of the sensor at hard-to-capture oblique angles.

The Z mount compared to the F mount.

…a little shortsightedness?

But, while I commend Nikon for making a break with its past, I worry a little that it’s decided not to share the details of this mount with third party makers.

It’s understandable that, having sold 100 million lenses for your existing mount, you might feel you don’t need anyone else’s help. However, for photographers without any F-mount lenses, the initial lack of third-party support (in terms both of adaptors and native lenses) will look like a weak point.

The dimensions of Sony’s E mount may look somewhat restrictive when compared with the Nikon Z’s but even if you think solely in terms of full frame, it has a four and a half year headstart and native support from both Sigma and Tamron. This gives it a huge advantage in terms of native lens availability and one that it’s likely to maintain if Nikon won’t let anyone else play in its sandpit.

Wouldn’t it be better to open up the mount and make the whole system look more attractive to would-be buyers? After all, you shouldn’t have to artificially protect your own lens sales if you’re confident that yours are better quality or better value than those of third parties.

…and some opportunities missed

Beyond the lens mount, Nikon has struck a similar balance of respecting history and seizing new opportunities: copying much of its widely-admired ergonomics and UI directly across while also making much greater use of the touchscreen than would have made sense on a DSLR.

But the job’s not done. In designing the Z 7, Nikon seems to have used a continuation of its live view AF system (the one no one uses), rather than see the move to mirrorless as an opportunity to re-think how AF would be controlled, given a blank piece of paper.

Nikon has instead opted for a clumsier system adapted from its live view AF tracking system. This requires you to press ‘OK’ or tap on a subject before it’ll start tracking

Initially this will present a hurdle for Nikon DSLR users moving across but that in itself shouldn’t be the deal-breaking argument: these cameras need to attract new users, too. The more compelling argument for more closely mimicking its DSLRs’ through-the-viewfinder AF behavior is that it’s the best in the industry. And it should be: Nikon’s literally spent decades refining it, to the point it’s used by news, action and sports journalists the world over.

Nikon’s 3D Tracking system, where you position an AF point and it tracks whatever was under that point when you initiate AF is brilliant. No matter which system we’ve each come from, there’s consensus in the DPReview office that 3D Tracking represents best practice. There’s a reason why Sony’s mirrorless cameras seem to more closely copy its behavior with every generation (though if they could also take note of Nikon’s system working without the need for an infinite number of AF area modes, that’d be good, too).

Unfortunately, Nikon has instead opted for a clumsier system adapted from its live view AF tracking system. This requires you to press ‘OK’ or tap on a subject before it’ll start tracking, rather than simply tracking based on your pre-selected AF point. Worse still, it requires that you disengage tracking (either by pressing ‘OK’ again or by tapping onto a different subject), rather than simply reverting to your chosen point when you release the shutter button.

This might not sound like much of an inconvenience, but it’s the difference between being able to switch subjects in-the-moment, rather than having to stop shooting, make a change and start all over again. It’s a loss of precisely the immediacy and simplicity that makes 3D Tracking so good in the first place.

To be clear, I’m not criticizing the AF algorithms themselves: we’ve not fully tested it yet but the Z 7’s tracking seems incredibly sticky: my concern is solely about the user interface

Act now, before things become set in stone

As I say, Nikon’s through-the-viewfinder behavior is so good that it would be worth Nikon trying to mimic it in the Z system’s interface. And yes, there’ll be the added bonus that it’ll be behavior that existing users expect. But they need to do it now, before the new, less refined behavior becomes ossified as ‘the behavior our existing users expect.’

So, having made a break with the past to adopt a radical, future-proof lens mount, I call on Nikon to be brave again and redesign its AF behavior. And maybe have a think about whether third-party lenses are a threat or a benefit.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How to Clone Yourself – Step by Step Tutorial

09 Dec

You have probably seen photos on the internet where the same person appears in multiple spots in a single photo. At first sight, you might not have believed it, and later you must have gone berserk looking for ways that effect can be achieved. Well, who does not want that superhero feeling where you can appear in 2-3 different places doing 2-3 different things as well in a single photo.

Let me tell you, it is not at all complicated or difficult to clone yourself multiple times in a single frame. You can achieve this effect by going through two simple stages, the execution stage (shooting) and the post-processing stage. By the end of this tutorial, I am sure you will be able to create pretty awesome clone photos, feel free to share them in the comments section.

How to Clone Yourself - Step by Step Tutorial

Part One – How to Clone Yourself – Execution

In the execution stage all you need is a:

A digital camera
A tripod
Shutter release remote or use the built-in self-timer

Step 1:

Mount your digital camera on a tripod. As you will be taking multiple photos you need to make sure that the frame in each photo remains the same and the camera doesn’t move.

Step 2:

Make sure that Manual Mode is selected as you do not want any aperture, shutter speed, or white balance variations in your multiple photos. This is to make sure that all your photos are consistent in exposure, depth of field and color temperature.

How to Clone Yourself - Step by Step Tutorial

Step 3:

Now focus on the point where you will be standing or sitting and switch the focusing mode to Manual as well. This is again to ensure that each photo is consistent in terms of depth of field and sharpness. An important suggestion is to use an aperture which is not too wide, something around f/5.6 – f/8 would be ideal to get good depth of field.

Step 4:

Switch on the 10-second timer on your digital camera so that you have enough time to position yourself in the frame and get ready for the photo. If you have one, you can also use a wired/wireless shutter release remote to click photos once you are ready and in position.

That’s it, now you are ready to take as many photos you as want to by positioning yourself at different spots in the frame.

How to Clone Yourself - Step by Step Tutorial

Here you can see the four shots I took. It’s important to take one of just the scene without you in it as well as you’ll need it for the next stage.

Note: It’s important to take one of just the scene without you in it as well as you’ll need it for the next stage!

Part Two – How to Clone Yourself – Post-Processing

Now comes the interesting part of this tutorial where you get to learn how you can clone yourself multiple times in a photo using software such as Adobe Photoshop. Let me take you through a step-by-step explanation of how I achieved this photo.

Note: you need an image editing software that works with layers to do this. Lightroom cannot do this.

Step 1:

Import all the photos into Adobe Photoshop and get them to a single workspace by going to individual photos, pressing CTRL/CMD + A (select all) and again pressing CTRL/CMD + C (copy). Now go to the photo where you want all other photos to be brought together and press CTRL/CMD + V (paste). Do this for all the other photos until you have all the photos in one workspace as layers.

Make sure the image without you is the bottom layer. If it is not, drag it there now.

Note: Alternatively you can open Adobe Bridge and find your images. Select all the ones you want to use (CMD+click on each to select more than one) and go to Tools > Photoshop > Load files into Photoshop layers. This will achieve the same thing as copy and pasting each image. If you work in Lightroom you can select them all, right-click and select Open as Layers in PS as well.

How to Clone Yourself - Step by Step Tutorial

Step 2:

Now add a black layer mask (press and hold ALT and then click on Add vector mask icon as shown in the photo below) in order to start the editing process. Select the Paintbrush tool and make sure that black is selected as the foreground color, and then click once on the mask of the layer you want to work on first.

Note: Make sure the mask is selected not the layer. See the white bracket corners on the mask? That means it is selected.

How to Clone Yourself - Step by Step Tutorial

Step 3:

Layer by layer, start painting (at 100% brush opacity)_ over the area where you are located in that frame to make yourself visible in the photo. Do this with all the layers in order to make yourself appear in the photo at multiple spots as shown in the image below.

How to Clone Yourself - Step by Step Tutorial

While bringing back one of yourself in the frame, if by mistake you erase your previous photo (your clone) you can bring it back by selecting the foreground color as white and painting back over it on the mask. So basically, painting with black lets you make the elements of the current layer visible, and the white color erases the elements of that current layer if you by mistake overdo it.

Black reveals – white conceals

How to Clone Yourself - Step by Step Tutorial

Finish up

Once you are done cloning all your photos proof check the final photo carefully, there is a chance that you might have erased a part of one of your clones by accident. Make sure you aren’t missing any toes or limbs.

So once you are satisfied with the final result, export it and start flaunting it on your social media channels and please share in the comments below.

The post How to Clone Yourself – Step by Step Tutorial by Kunal Malhotra appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Multi step equations practice pdf

29 Aug

If the two accounts end up exactly the same amount of money in them — are copyrights of their respective multi step equations practice pdf. I know how to solve multi, this would be the number 6. To solve a multi, To solve an equation with fractions, this free worksheet contains 10 assignments each with […]
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How to use google classroom step by step pdf

27 Aug

I tested a new strategy and wanted my students’ opinion how to use google classroom step by step pdf. Using specific examples from a primary source document; any of the virtual tours listed will supply hours of lessons. it is essential to first brainstorm without judgment and then to push yourself to expand your imagination. […]
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