RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Steps’

12 Steps to Successfully Promote Your Photography on Instagram

13 Aug

The post 12 Steps to Successfully Promote Your Photography on Instagram appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Robin Ryan.

promote your photography on Instagram

Instagram is an excellent way to attract attention, gain followers, engage with likeminded folks, and even improve your photography, but it’s all easier said than done, right? Plenty of photographers post on Instagram and get nothing out of it – no followers, likes, or even views.

So how do you use Instagram the right way? How can you promote your photography on instagram and come away with likes, followers, and comments galore, not to mention a great community?

In this article, I’m going to share my personal secrets for Instagram success. Specifically, I’ll offer techniques to get better exposure for your photography, build a community, and grow as a photographer through Instagram. I assure you, I know what I’m talking about; my personal Instagram account has 15,000 followers (and counting). So you know this advice works.

Let’s get started.

promoting photography on Instagram person on a mountain

1. Only show your best work

What’s the difference between a good artist and a great artist?

Great artists only show their best work. While nobody is expecting you to rival National Geographic photographers right away, you should pay close attention to what you’re sharing. It only takes one bad photo for people to lose interest in your photography.

In short, if a photo doesn’t make you say “Oh, yeah!” when you see it, don’t post it.

Also, don’t post too often. Unless you have a really good reason for spamming your follower’s feeds, don’t do it. I recommend sharing one or two images a week – it’ll keep people interested without getting annoying. So post the great stuff, and leave out the bad, the mediocre, and even the good.

2. Find your niche

This is key to defining your brand and to your growth as a photographer. It’s about determining what makes you different from everyone else and about using that difference to create something unique and interesting.

The amazing thing about Instagram is that it’s composed of people across the world, each of whom have a different interest. I’ve seen fantastic accounts focused on street food in Vietnam, rock climbing in Utah, and architecture in Turkey.

But despite these differences, the best accounts all have one thing in common: a focus around a central theme. And it’s this theme that captures their audience’s attention (and keeps it).

person by a fallen tree

Exploring the ancient #forests of Vancouver island, @kaitross and I found that even these giants succumb to time and the winds.

Don’t forget: the only person who should define your niche is you. Do you love paper maché and dinosaurs? Then become the best photographer making seaside portraits of paper maché Velociraptors.

I love to travel and explore nature, so my account reflects that and only that. You won’t find photos of my food or my family. If you want to share snapshots from your daily life, get a private account for your friends and your family to follow, because they’re the only ones who (might) want to see that stuff.

3. Use a dedicated camera, not just your smartphone

Your shiny new smartphone may take gorgeous snapshots, but constantly relying on a smartphone is like trying to perform a piano recital on a kid’s electronic keyboard.

Yes, smartphone cameras have come a long way in recent years, and yes, there are plenty of outstanding smartphone photographers out there. But unless you’re an experienced photographer with a lot of compositional and lighting knowledge, I highly recommend getting a “real” camera, such as a DSLR or mirrorless model.

Why? For one, it’ll force you to learn key photographic skills, such as exposure, depth of field manipulation, and proper handholding technique. Plus, it’ll give you additional focal lengths to play with, so you can shoot birds in the distance, sweeping landscapes, stunning close-up shots, and more.

snowy church

4. Take the editing process seriously

Instagram may lend itself to a snap-and-post style of photography, but producing excellent photographs doesn’t work that way. Great photographs aren’t taken – they’re created.

This means shooting in RAW, then working in your favorite image editing program (I recommend Adobe Lightroom). Learn how to manipulate light, shadow, and clarity until your final product is something you can be proud of. The Instagram app just isn’t built for this level of sophistication, so ditch all those cheesy filters and effects and do your work on the computer.

person climbing a mountain with buckets

5. Share a story with your photo

Great photography leaves an impression. So do well-written stories. But when you combine strong images with powerful words, you’ll evoke an emotional response in your viewer and help them connect with your work.

It wasn’t until I realized this and started sharing the story behind my photos that my account started getting real interaction – people writing about how the image or words affected them and their own experiences.

Nobody expects the next Hemingway to come out of Instagram, but some carefully chosen words in a thought-provoking caption will do wonders for connecting you to your fans.

beautiful mountaintop in China

After the frenzied atmosphere of Shanghai’s urban jungle, the fresh air of Huangshan’s Yellow Mountains was exhilarating. Still in the low season, March snow clung to the boughs of trees while distant clouds made it feel like the horizon could go forever. One of China’s better-developed tourist attractions, Huangshan has a long history: first recognized in 747 AD, it was said to be the place from which the Yellow Emperor ascended to heaven. This year, over 1.5 million visitors (mostly Chinese) will wander its paths. I caught it on a quiet day, and these peaceful memories linger with me still.

6. Ask questions in your captions

What’s the difference between a story and a question?

A story builds an emotional connection between the viewer and the image; a question builds a personal connection between your viewer and you.

So tell stories, but ask questions, too. Your questions should be open ended and create a space for your fans to contribute some of their own stories to the community. Remember that many Instagram users are new to digital photography and are looking for people to connect with. By asking questions, you can encourage them to engage with the community (you might even make friends along the way!).

7. Use hashtags effectively

I never understood the value of effective hashtagging until I started weaving them into my posts. You should be hashtagging important nouns and verbs – stuff people will be searching for.

And get specific, too. The difference between #fishing and #instagood is huge for obvious reasons: people who might be interested in your photo are much more likely to be searching for their favorite hobby than some meaningless, catch-all term. So don’t add a bunch of generic hashtags that say nothing about your work. Instead, use descriptive hashtags that target certain users.

landscape with green grasses

Speaking of hashtagging, do a bit of digging to find effective hashtags you might be missing. It wasn’t until I came across the hashtag #explorebc that I began connecting with a ton of great local photographers who eventually featured my work on their account (resulting in a huge boost of exposure for my photos!).

8. Post in the morning

The morning is when most Instagram users check their feed, so keep this in mind and set your posting schedule accordingly. I live on the West Coast of North America, so if I post at 8 AM, I’m already late for my East Coast followers. Aim to get your posts out early in the day for the time zone you’re targeting (of course, if your followers are worldwide, this is less useful).

Is there a best day of the week to post? Studies show that Sundays have the greatest number of interactions, which makes sense given that many users spend Sunday relaxing at home. Otherwise, stick to weekday mornings.

9. Build a community

Build a community by actively finding photographers you respect and developing relationships with them. I won’t lie – this is a long process, but it’s necessary and worthwhile.

It’s also pretty simple: Just find a hashtag that speaks to you and your work, then check it whenever you can to see who’s posting. When you find photography you like, leave a thoughtful compliment and follow the user. Chances are, if they like what you’re posting, they’ll check out your account and reciprocate.

Whatever you do, when commenting, don’t ask people to check out your account or follow you back. It’s tacky and makes you look desperate. Instead, be thoughtful, complimentary, and ask for nothing in return.

woman sitting by the sea

10. Cultivate champions

A champion is someone who genuinely engages with your work. They comment frequently, and their comments are thoughtful – not just “Nice” or “Love it,” but lengthier, meaningful content explaining what they like about the posted image.

Champions are great for both your community and your popularity, but how do you get them? What makes champions comment on your photos?

Here’s the best way to draw in champions:

Foster relationships with other users.

Of course, this is easier said than done. But if users are leaving you thoughtful comments, return the favor and respond with something more meaningful than “Thanks!” If someone cares enough about your work to awkwardly type out praise on their smartphone, they’re worth their weight in followers. These are the people who are going to follow along through your adventures and refer their friends and followers. Do enough relationship building, and these delightful unicorns will be out there promoting your work for you.

11. Bring others into the conversation

Bring others into the conversation by photographing with them or referencing them in your posts. Two amazing women from Vancouver kicked off @localwanderer several years ago, in which they document their travels around North America and feature the hidden gems in communities.

Where the @localwanderer creators really excel (in addition to their photography and writing) is in their ability to constantly bring local shops, restaurants, and people into the discussion. By doing this, @localwanderer introduces its community to someone new, who in turn will introduce their community to @localwanderer.

So think about who or what you can reference on your account. If you’re a nature photographer, you might try tagging local parks; if you’re an architectural photographer, you might try tagging the owners of local buildings/businesses. The specifics will depend on the photography you do, but as long as you’re creative and you persevere, you’re bound to make some valuable connections.

12. Don’t confuse followers with community

I’d rather have 100 fans who interact with my work than 1,000 followers who never like and comment. Your goal shouldn’t be about quantity of followers – instead, it should be about the quality of your community.

Speaking of numbers, don’t be afraid to clean up (and block) followers, especially those who are clearly inactive or fake. The last thing you need is a bunch of zombie accounts clogging up your Instagram. Also, one danger of having many inactive followers is that your account is less likely to be recommended to other users of Instagram.

How to promote your photography on Instagram: final words

There you have it: 12 tips for success on Instagram. As long as you follow these tips, your account will grow and your engagement will skyrocket.

Now over to you:

What are your tips for promoting photography on Instagram? Do you have any success (or failure) stories you’d like to share? Let’s hear them in the comments section below!

The post 12 Steps to Successfully Promote Your Photography on Instagram appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Robin Ryan.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on 12 Steps to Successfully Promote Your Photography on Instagram

Posted in Photography

 

3 Simple Steps to Make Your Skies Pop in Lightroom

09 Jun

The post 3 Simple Steps to Make Your Skies Pop in Lightroom appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jim Hamel.

3 simple steps to make your skies pop in Lightroom

You photograph a scene that includes a beautiful blue sky with puffy white clouds. You’re excited – until you look down at your LCD, only to see that the sky your camera captured is not what you see in front of you. It’s washed out. It has little or no detail. It looks overexposed, colorless, and really, really boring. So what do you do?

Here’s the good news:

You can fix this problem both quickly and easily in Lightroom. And you don’t need to be a post-processing wizard to make it happen.

In fact, there are three editing steps you can use to make your daytime skies pop. Each step is dead simple, and you can do just one of the steps, or you can do all three together.

Even if your sky already looks pretty good, these steps will help! Here’s a teaser of what it’ll do for your photos (with the unedited photo on the left and the edited photo on the right):

Photo of Big Sur: Example of sky enhancement using Lightroom

So if you’re ready to improve your skies in Lightroom, then let’s get started!

1. Darken the blues

Here’s the first step to enhancing a sky:

Darkening the blues.

This is simple to do in the HSL/Color panel in Lightroom’s Develop module. You’ll see a number of sliders that control individual colors – and you can adjust the hue, saturation, and luminance (brightness) of each color.

So find the Blue slider. Remember, the goal is to reduce the brightness of just the blue tones.

Then click on Luminance:

HSL/Color/B&W panel in Lightroom's Develop Module

And pull the Blue slider to the left.

How much should you adjust the Blue slider? Honestly, there’s no set amount or range of values for this change; it’ll just depend on each picture. But I don’t recommend making the blues too dark (otherwise, the sky will start to look unnatural).

Once you’ve made your Luminance adjustment, you may want to add more punch to the blues. So click on Saturation and push the Blue slider to the right. This will intensify the blues even further and give your luminance adjustment more bite.

By now, you should see a dramatic improvement in your sky. Sometimes, adjusting the blues is all you need to do!

Photo taken from Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys: Example of sky enhancement using Lightroom

Note: As mentioned above, be careful not to go too far. Adjusting the blues too heavily can cause banding (i.e., separation of the colors into stripes) and other forms of image degradation. 

2. Control the highlights

You may be wondering:

Why didn’t we start by toning down the highlights? After all, that would handle a lot of the washed-out areas of the sky.

The truth is that part of what makes a sky look great is deep, rich, blue tones combined with bright white clouds. If you crank down the highlights, yes, you will add detail to the clouds – but you will push the tones of the blues and whites together so that there won’t be the strong contrast you want.

That’s why we started by darkening the blue tones.

By the way, after darkening the blues, take a careful look at your photo. If there is sufficient detail in the clouds, you don’t need to recover the bright areas further. In fact, you may even want to increase the Whites or the Highlights to create more contrast between the blue sky and the white clouds.

Other times, however, your sky will still be too bright and the clouds will lack detail (even after adjusting the blues). If that’s the case for your photo, it’s time to tone down the brightest portions of the image by pulling down the highlights.

Highlights control in Basic panel of Lightroom's develop module

Here, you want to add detail to the sky, but not so much that your clouds turn gray. Let the histogram be your guide. Pull the Highlights slider to the left until there are no histogram peaks pressing up against the right-hand side of the graph.

Ideally, you’ll get an effect like this:

Photo of Lighthouse on Sanibel Island, Florida: Example of sky enhancement using Lightroom

3. Add a blue tint to the sky

At this point, your sky should be looking very good. In fact, in most cases, the two steps shared above should be all you need to make your sky pop.

If you have a particularly flat and lifeless sky, however, you may want to bring out the big guns: adding a tint.

To do this, you’ll need the Adjustment Brush. (By the way, you can use the Adjustment Brush for either of the two steps above, but you usually won’t need to.)

So click on the Adjustment Brush icon:

Adjustment brush and tint controls in Basic panel of Lightroom's develop module

Then find the Temp slider and drag it to the left. This will increase the amount of blue in the image – but only in places you paint with your brush.

Before you paint on the sky, there is one important thing you need to do:

Make sure the Auto Mask box at the bottom of the Adjustment Brush panel is checked. This will limit the brush to the sky so that it doesn’t bleed over into midground or foreground objects. Once Auto Mask is checked, go ahead and brush in the effect!

After you’ve brushed the relevant areas of the photo, you can always increase or decrease the blue tint by moving the Temp slider. You’ll end up with a beautiful blue sky!

Photo of the Portland Head Light: Example of sky enhancement using Lightroom

When should you adjust your sky with Lightroom?

You can do a lot to enhance a sky in Lightroom.

But the old adage about getting it right in-camera still applies. Try to get your sky looking as good as possible in the field with proper exposure techniques. And if you have a polarizing filter, consider using it; the effect will make a midday sky look much better. You might also work with a graduated neutral density filter to tone down the sky and help balance it with the foreground.

Sometimes, with the proper techniques, you won’t even need Lightroom to improve a sky. But there will also be times when you just can’t get it looking right, or you make a mistake in the field (e.g., you accidentally overexpose the sky).

And that’s when you’ll want to use the steps I’ve discussed above.

So the next time your sky isn’t looking its best, try using Lightroom to achieve the effect you’re after. Follow the three steps I shared – alongside your normal workflow – to create breathtaking skies!

Photo of Monument Valley: Example of sky enhancement with Lightroom.

Enhancing skies in Lightroom: final words

Lightroom offers some powerful sky enhancement tools – and now that you’ve finished this article, you know how to use them for great results.

So find some photos that include washed-out skies. And practice improving them with Lightroom! Pretty soon, you’ll be a sky-editing master.

The post 3 Simple Steps to Make Your Skies Pop in Lightroom appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jim Hamel.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on 3 Simple Steps to Make Your Skies Pop in Lightroom

Posted in Photography

 

How to Make a Photoshop Collage (in 9 Simple Steps)

19 May

The post How to Make a Photoshop Collage (in 9 Simple Steps) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Natalia Robert.

how to make a Photoshop collage

Looking to make a collage in Photoshop? You’ve come to the right place.

In this article, I’m going to give you an easy, step-by-step process for creating a stunning collage – one that looks like this:

final collage

(It’s a perfect way to share photos from an event, a real-estate shoot, or even a family photo session!)

Let’s get started.

Step 1: Choose your collage photos

Before you actually create the collage, you’ll need to pick your collage photos – and you’ll need to do this carefully.

I recommend selecting images connected by a theme (such as a location, an event, or even a concept). Include a mix of subjects at different scales; for instance, pick some wide shots that show the entire scene, as well as some detail photos that show lots of texture and personality. Without one or the other, the story won’t be complete. And it won’t carry the level of emotion that you’re after.

Speaking of storytelling: It often does help to focus on the story you’re trying to tell. Do you want to offer a narrative surrounding an event? Do you want to clearly convey a meaningful concept? Make sure to take this into account when picking photos!

One more tip: If possible, include at least three photos and no more than eight. Too few photos, and you won’t be able to tell the full story. Too many photos, and you’ll confuse the viewer with clutter (plus, it’ll be tough to show off individual details).

Step 2: Open the selected images in Photoshop

Once you’ve picked your photos, open them all in Photoshop.

To do this, you can drag and drop files directly onto the document window, or you can select File>Open and click on the relevant images.

opening your images

You should see the photos as separate tabs in the document window, like this:

the collage images open in Photoshop

Step 3: Create a new file for your Photoshop collage

Every Photoshop collage needs a background file where all the images will eventually be assembled.

While you can use an old collage template, if you’re making your first-ever collage, you’ll need to create a new document.

So select File>New in the Menu bar (or tap Ctrl/Cmd+N):

creating a new file

A New Document window should pop up, and you’ll need to dial in your file preferences.

selecting dimensions for your new file

The specifics will depend on what you plan to do with the collage as well as the sizes of your chosen photos. If you’re working with big JPEGs and you aim to print, you should probably pick a 5000+ pixel width and height. If you want to display your collage on a standard web page, however, a 1500 pixel width and height will do just fine (though you can always start big and resize later, as discussed in Step 8 below).

(I do recommend you make the file size a bit larger than the size you want in the end; that way, you can do a final crop to deal with any arrangement issues.)

Step 3: Add your images one at a time

Head to your first open photo, then select it.

To do this, you can drag with the Marquee tool:

marquee tool how to make a Photoshop collage

Or you can hit Ctrl/Cmd+A. You should see the marching ants around the border of your image:

selected image

Then choose Edit>Copy (or tap Ctrl/Cmd+C):

copying an image

Finally, head over to the new document, then choose Edit>Paste (or tap Ctrl/Cmd+V):

pasting an image

This will add the photo to the blank document, but on its own layer.

Depending on the size and resolution of the new image, you may need to make some adjustments with Edit>Free Transform (or Ctrl/Cmd+T). For instance, my first photo was way too large:

a too-large photo how to make a Photoshop collage

So I used the Free Transform option to scale it down:

using Free Transform

(Once you’ve activated Free Transform, simply drag the edge nodes until you get the result you’re after. You want an image that’s small enough to be comfortably moved around the canvas.)

Then repeat the above instructions for all the remaining collage photos.

Step 4: Arrange your photos

After you’ve added all the collage photos to your document, it’s time to do some arranging. This is where you shift the photos around until they tell your story.

After doing several collages, you’ll start to discover your preferred style; personally, I like to create symmetrical layouts as well as interlocking puzzles. But each story does have slightly different needs, so don’t be afraid to experiment!

To adjust the photo positions, you can select the Move tool (or tap V):

the Move tool

Then drag around all the images until you get a good result. If you’d like to resize any photos, use the Free Transform option discussed above.

With my pet collage example, I first tried a more symmetrical arrangement:

one version of the pet collage in Photoshop

But I settled on a puzzle-type composition:

another version of the pet collage in Photoshop

Step 5: Add image spacing

Once you’ve determined the layout and you’ve sized all the images, I recommend giving the design some space. It’s personal preference, but the effect is generally nice.

In other words, instead of a collage like this:

collage without spacing

You want one like this:

collage with spacing

It’s pretty easy to do; you simply create a thin, white border between the images. You can select each photo, then use the mouse or arrow keys to drag until you see white space. Or you can double-click on each image in the Layers panel:

selecting an image in the Layers panel

This will open the Layer Style menu, where you can select the Stroke option:

selecting Stroke

Make sure the Position is set to Inside, the Blend Mode is set to Normal, and the color is set to White:

adjusting the Stroke settings

Then increase the Size until you see a nice border appearing around your images.

changing the Stroke size

Unfortunately, this will crop the images somewhat – but depending on the look you like, it might be worth it.

Step 6: Merge all layers

At this point, you should have your collage laid out with perfect photo spacing.

Which means you’re ready to merge all the layers.

Simply select Layer>Merge Visible (or tap Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+E):

merging visible layers how to make a Photoshop collage

And the layers will merge into a single beautiful Photoshop collage!

Step 7: Crop the final image

Before you resize and export your collage, I recommend cropping any extra white space around the edges (you want the design to look even).

Just hit C or select the Crop tool:

selecting the Crop tool

Then drag at the edges of the photo to get rid of any unwanted areas:

cropping away unwanted space

Step 8: Resize

This step depends on your goals for the collage. If you want to print, you’ll need to resize based on printing requirements (which will generally involve leaving the image pretty large). If you want to post your collage on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest, however, consider sizing down to a maximum of 1500 pixels on the long end.

So select Image>Image Size (or tap Alt/Opt+Ctrl/Cmd+I):

adjusting the image size

Then dial in your preferred width and height.

Step 9: Save and export your collage

Last but not least:

Save and export!

You’ll want to select File>Save As:

saving your collage

Then choose a location and file name, make sure that Save as type is set to JPEG, and hit Save:

saving as a JPEG

And select your preferred image quality (I usually go for around 8):

JPEG options

And you’re done! Photoshop will save your collage in the specified location.

How to make a Photoshop collage: final words

Well, there you have it:

A simple process for creating a collage in Photoshop. It’s bound to look great, so don’t be shy; share it all over your social media pages!

the final collage in Photoshop

Now over to you:

Have you made any collages previously? Have any additional tips? Please share your advice (and collage photos!) in the comments below.

The post How to Make a Photoshop Collage (in 9 Simple Steps) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Natalia Robert.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on How to Make a Photoshop Collage (in 9 Simple Steps)

Posted in Photography

 

How to Photograph Silhouettes in 8 Easy Steps

28 Mar

The post How to Photograph Silhouettes in 8 Easy Steps appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

how to photograph silhouettes in 8 easy steps

In this article, I’m going to show you a step-by-step process for doing stunning silhouette photography.

I’m also going to share tips and tricks that work really, really well for silhouette shooting; that way, you can get gorgeous results as soon as possible.

So if you’re ready to discover the secrets to amazing silhouettes, let’s dive right in!

silhouette photography statue

Silhouette photography: the basics

Silhouettes are a wonderful way to convey drama, mystery, emotion, and mood. They often stand out thanks to their simplicity as well as the story that they convey.

I love silhouettes because they don’t give a clear picture of the scene. Instead, they leave part of the image up to the viewer’s imagination.

silhouettes on a beach

Now, here’s the basic strategy for doing silhouette photography:

Place your subject (the shape you want to be blacked out) in front of a light source.

Then force your camera to set its exposure based on the brightest part of your picture (i.e., the background).

In doing this, your subject will be underexposed. It should turn very dark and sometimes even black.

There are a lot of very technical discussions surrounding silhouette photography and how to get a particular exposure. But I’d like to ignore the technical details and focus on what matters:

Getting you a great result!

So without further ado, let’s take a look at the step-by-step process for stunning silhouettes:

How to Photograph Silhouettes

Before heading out to shoot silhouettes, make sure you have a camera that lets you adjust the exposure. In other words, you should be able to brighten and darken the photo at will.

(All modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have this functionality and so do most smartphones.)

Step 1: Choose a strong subject

Almost any object can be made into a silhouette. However, some objects are better than others.

Choose something with a strong and recognizable shape that will be interesting enough in its two-dimensional form to hold the viewer’s attention.

Silhouettes can’t draw on the colors, textures, and tones of subjects to make themselves appealing, so the shape needs to be distinct.

silhouette of a biker

Step 2: Turn off your flash

If you have your camera in Auto mode, it’ll probably use flash – and this will ruin the silhouette.

Basically, silhouette photography requires as little light as possible on the front of your subject.

So make sure that your flash is off!

silhouette photography man standing on a rock

Step 3: Get your light right

When it comes to lighting your subject, you’ll need to throw out a lot of what you’ve learned about normal photography and think a little backward.

Instead of lighting the front of your subject, you need to ensure that there is more light shining from the background than the foreground of your shot. Or to put it another way, you want to light the back of your subject rather than the front.

The perfect setup is to place your subject in front of a sunset or sunrise – but any bright light will do the trick.

silhouette in front of a city

Step 4: Frame your image

Frame your shot so you are shooting with your subject in front of a plain but bright background.

The best backgrounds are often a bright, cloudless sky with a setting sun.

You want to position the brightest light source behind your subject (so that it’s either hidden or somewhere in the background).

silhouetted person walking from rock to rock

Step 5: Make silhouetted shapes distinct and uncluttered

If there is more than one shape or object in the scene that you’re attempting to silhouette, try to keep them separated.

So if you’re making a silhouette from a tree plus a person, don’t position the person in front of the tree and don’t have the person lean against the tree, because this will merge the two shapes into one and cause confusion.

silhouetted boat off a beach

Also, when framing, you’ll probably want to photograph silhouetted people as profiles rather than looking straight on. That way, more of their features (nose, mouth, and eyes) are outlined, and the person becomes more recognizable.

Step 6: Feel free to start in Auto mode

Most modern digital cameras are pretty good at exposing a photo so everything is nice and bright.

The problem is that most cameras are a bit too smart; they’ll light up your main subject instead of underexposing it to get a silhouette.

So what do you do?

You trick your camera.

You see, Auto mode generally determines the exposure levels when you push the shutter button halfway down (at the same time that the camera focuses).

So point your camera at the brightest part of your scene, then press the shutter button halfway (and don’t let go!). Then move your camera back and frame your shot how you want it.

Finally, press the shutter button the rest of the way.

With most digital cameras, this will result in a silhouetted subject; by forcing your camera to expose for the brightest part of the scene, you cause it to render the main subject as a dark silhouette.

Note that some cameras also have a spot metering mode that helps with the above technique. Spot metering puts the exposure meter on the central part of your frame – so you can accurately tell your camera the exact portion of bright background you want to use to set the exposure.

silhouette of a man on a beach

Step 7: Manual mode

If the Auto mode technique doesn’t work, and if your camera has controls to allow manual exposure, you might want to adjust the settings manually.

A simple way to use Manual mode is to actually start in Auto. Point your camera at the brightest part of the sky, look at the shutter speed and aperture that your camera suggests, then switch over to Manual mode and dial in those settings.

Next, take a test shot and review it on your camera’s screen.

If your subject is too light (i.e., you need to make it darker), increase the shutter speed and see what happens. And if your subject is too dark, decrease the shutter speed to brighten up the shot.

Eventually, you’ll end up with a well-exposed silhouette!

(You can also use a bracketing technique to get a variety of shots at slightly different exposures.)

silhouette photography of a person holding a child

Step 8: Keep your subject sharp

In most cases, you’ll want your subject to be crisp and in focus.

Unfortunately, this can make the metering process – described in Step 6 – somewhat tricky. You see, pushing your shutter halfway down to get the metering right also means that you’ll focus on a spot in the background rather than your subject.

If you’ve used Manual mode, you can always focus on the background, acquire your exposure settings, dial them in, then refocus on your subject.

But if you prefer the Auto mode strategy, then you have two options.

First, if your camera has manual focusing, you can try prefocusing on your subject. Next, meter off the background (and press the shutter button halfway). Frame up your composition, then trigger the shutter.

silhouette photography of a rooftop

Second, you can try adjusting the aperture to maximize your depth of field (i.e., the amount of your image that is in focus).

For this, you’ll need to set a small aperture (i.e., a large f-number, such as f/11 or f/16) to increase the depth of field. If the f-number is large enough, and your subject isn’t too close to the camera, you’ll end up with both a sharp subject and a sharp background, even if your camera is focused on the area behind your subject.

Bonus tip: try partial silhouette photography

While a total silhouette with a nice crisp, dark subject can be powerful, also consider a partial silhouette where some detail of your subject is left, such as in the photo below:

silhouette of people on a beach

Sometimes, a touch of light makes the subject slightly more three-dimensional and real.

And if you’re not sure whether to create a full silhouette or a partial silhouette, that’s okay; just bracket your shots! That’s the beauty of bracketing: it will leave you with both total and partial silhouettes to choose from.

Silhouette photography: conclusion

Well, there you have it:

How to photograph a silhouette in eight simple steps.

So head out when the light is right – and start doing some silhouette photography of your own!

Now over to you:

Have any silhouette photos you’d like to share? Post them in the comments below! And if you need inspiration, check out these 12 amazing silhouette example shots.

The post How to Photograph Silhouettes in 8 Easy Steps appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on How to Photograph Silhouettes in 8 Easy Steps

Posted in Photography

 

How to Fix Photoshop Brush Lag: 5 Steps

07 Jul

One of the most frustrating things that can happen while editing photos is lag. Especially photoshop brush lag. Imagine, you’re right in the middle of doing some intricate touch-up edits to finalise an amazing photo for your portfolio or for a client and you cannot get the photoshop brush to do the edits in the exact place that you want Continue Reading

The post How to Fix Photoshop Brush Lag: 5 Steps appeared first on Photodoto.


Photodoto

 
Comments Off on How to Fix Photoshop Brush Lag: 5 Steps

Posted in Photography

 

World Press Photo Managing Director, Lars Boering, steps down suddenly as the foundation pivots due to COVID-19

03 Jul

The head of the World Press Photo Foundation has stepped down after five years in the role. Dutchman Lars Boering joined the foundation in 2015 but left without much explanation from either him or the WPP. In an official statement, Boering said ‘It was a tough decision to leave this beautiful organization, especially given the timing’ but doesn’t go on to give his reasons other than to say ‘it is time for me to pursue other opportunities’.

The organization only says ‘Today, the World Press Photo Foundation announces that Managing Director Lars Boering will be leaving the organization’ and goes on to say it is ‘appreciative of Lars’ leadership over the past five years. In this time, major talent programs and grants were developed, digital reach saw substantial growth, and a new format was established to announce contest nominees and winners, to further spotlight the stories that matter.’

Since the announcement, DPReview has spoken with Boering, independently, who said he left the foundation because so much of what he had planned for the future has changed since the coronavirus pandemic:

‘Some of the programs and some of the activities are on hold or will never come back in the same way. I believe we will not see many festivals or events return in the near future, and its doubtful whether many of our ideas will get funding to make them happen. COVID has changed everything and so I have brought my departure forward. My strength is in growth and re-imagining things. It is very clear to me and the Supervisory board that World Press Photo foundation will be better off with a Director that can steer it through, in a calm and steady way, the challenging landscape that Covid19 has unveiled.’

The organization says it is heading towards a ‘new phase’ that will help it to ‘future-proof the business model and ways of working’ as it explores ‘new digital avenues and establishing a new International Advisory Board’.

Boering adds a slightly clearer dimension to the part of the statement that mentions future-proofing the foundation, saying:

‘Over the next two years World Press Photo will be working carefully and steady to keep going, and we now know 2020 and 2021 will be okay for the foundation. I never intended to stay much longer than 7 or so years, and with the changing times now is the right moment to hand it over. WPP now reaches an audience of 300 million when we announce the winners and our reach on social media is growing ever faster. The challenge now is to monetize this value in the right way, in a way that is fits with the values of WPP and visual journalism. That has a great future and will be a wonderful challenge for my successor.’

Boerings departure leaves the foundation looking for a new head while an interim business director, Arnoud van Dommele, steps in for the time being. The organization will also establish an international advisory board by the end of this year, which will ‘provide strategic advice to the Supervisory Board and Executive Board of WPPF.’

Boering tells DPReview that he’s enjoyed his time at WPP and is proud of what he has achieved in his five and a half years:

‘I have steered the foundation toward becoming an organization devoted to progressive values and ethics, and one with a set of advocacy agendas. Programs like the African Photojournalism Database, the 6×6 talent program and various global workshops, are initiatives by WPP to provide more opportunities to photographers of different backgrounds. I’m taking some time off for a small sabbatical and will choose my new path carefully. Many offers and initiatives are already coming my way, and to continue my work in the creative industries will be a pleasure.’

‘The future of visual storytelling is very bright and more money is available than ever before,’ he promises.

You can read more about Lars Boering in an article on Australia’s Inside Imaging, and the statement on the matter on the World Press Photo website.

Press release:

The World Press Photo Foundation enters new phase

The World Press Photo Foundation enters new phase for connecting the world to the stories that matter

Managing Director Lars Boering leaves the organization after 5 years; establishment of an International Advisory Board announced

Today, the World Press Photo Foundation announces that Managing Director Lars Boering will be leaving the organization. As a result, the Supervisory Board will start the search for a new Executive Director. This coincides with the preparations of a broader approach for “connecting the world to the stories that matter” required for the changed world that has presented itself in recent months.

Guido van Nispen, Chairman of the Supervisory Board: “We see the pandemic having an immense impact on everyone and everything. The collateral damage is huge, and the World Press Photo Foundation has also been impacted, which depends partially on a model that organizes physical exhibitions all over the world.

The organization is appreciative of Lars’ leadership over the past five years. In this time, major talent programs and grants were developed, digital reach saw substantial growth, and a new format was established to announce contest nominees and winners, to further spotlight the stories that matter.

A new phase for World Press Photo begins. A phase that builds on a strong foundation, and also leads to opportunities to future-proof the business model and ways of working. This includes exploring new digital avenues and establishing a new International Advisory Board. Press freedom, freedom of expression and the support of visual journalism are more important than ever, and as a leading organization that plays a crucial role for visual storytellers, the World Press Photo Foundation, with the great support of its people and partners, will keep on innovating to deliver on that promise.”

Lars Boering, Managing Director: “It was a tough decision to leave this beautiful organization, especially given the timing. It has been an amazing time and I am incredibly proud of the organization and the impact it has achieved. In these interesting and challenging times the World Press Photo Foundation, and the work it does, is more relevant now than ever before. The admiration I have for visual storytellers has grown and I hope my efforts have contributed to improving their work and position. Personally, it is time for me to pursue other opportunities, but I am confident about the future path for the organization, and am sure a successor can be identified soon.”

Lars Boering will hand over his work to Arnoud van Dommele, who has served as interim business director since March, while the Supervisory Board starts the search for a new Executive Director.

The International Advisory Board will consist of approximately 12 global experts and will be established before the end of 2020. The International Advisory Board will provide strategic advice to the Supervisory Board and Executive Board of WPPF.

About the World Press Photo Foundation

Connecting the world to the stories that matter.

We are a global platform connecting professionals and audiences through trustworthy visual journalism and storytelling, founded in 1955 when a group of Dutch photographers organized a contest (“World Press Photo”) to expose their work to an international audience. Since then, the contest has grown into the world’s most prestigious photography competition, and through our successful worldwide exhibition program, we present to millions of people the stories that matter.

World Press Photo Foundation is a creative, independent, nonprofit organization, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We appreciate the support of our global partner, the Dutch Postcode Lottery, and our partners, PwC and Aegon.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on World Press Photo Managing Director, Lars Boering, steps down suddenly as the foundation pivots due to COVID-19

Posted in Uncategorized

 

How to Remove a Fence From Your Photo in Just 3 Steps in Photoshop (video)

18 Jan

The post How to Remove a Fence From Your Photo in Just 3 Steps in Photoshop (video) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In this Photoshop video tutorial from Piximperfect, you’ll learn how you can remove a fence from your photo in Photoshop – you know, those annoying fences in front of your subject.

?

How to remove a fence from your photo in just 3 steps in Photoshop

Use the following steps to remove your fence:

Step one: Painting out the fence on a layer mask

  1. Make a layer mask.
  2. Zoom in close to your fence, then choose a hard-edged brush that is just slightly larger than the edge of your fence (be sure your paintbrush color is black).
  3. To paint the fence, simply click at the beginning of the fence, then hold the shift key, move the brush to the next section of fence and click. This will create a straight line.
  4. Continue this process over every section of the fence. While this can take some time, duplicating the pattern generally won’t work as no two sections will be the same).
  5. While zoomed in, to move around the image, press the space bar to bring up the Hand and then move the image to where you need it. Then continue painting in the fence lines.
  6. Be sure to paint over all the discrepancies in the fence. If some sections of the fence aren’t straight, simply paint in two or three points.
  7. Once you have painted in all the fence lines, you can move onto the next step.

Step two: Apply the Content-Aware fill

  1. Select the background layer and turn off the fence mask layer using the eye icon next to the layer.
  2. Now hold Ctrl (PC) or Cmd (Mac) and click on the thumbnail of the fence mask layer. This will select the fence layer.
  3. Go to Edit->Content-Aware Fill (If you are using an older version of Photoshop, for to Edit->Fill and then choose Content-Aware from the dropdown section).
  4. This will open up the Content-Aware Fill settings. Leave them at the default settings. Just change the Output To: setting to New Layer. Click OK.
  5. Press Ctrl+D (PC) or Cmd+D (Mac) to deselect the fence.
  6. To see how the Content-Aware Fill tool has worked, turn off your background layer momentarily. Then turn it back on.

Step three: Making minor adjustments

  1. The image may look great while zoomed out on the full image, but when zoomed in close, some areas may not look right. This is where the minor adjustments come into play.
  2. Create a new layer.
  3. You can use the Spot Healing Brush Tool. Paint over areas that need fixing with a soft brush. Be sure that the “Sample All Layers” box is checked too. That way, it samples all the layers below the layer you are working on.
  4. For trickier sections, like eyes, select the Clone Stamp Tool.
  5. Take a sample of a similar section by clicking the Alt Key and selecting. If you need to rotate your clone (for example, around an eye). Hold down Shift+Alt+Right or Left Arrows or > (Win) and Shift+Opt+Right or Left Arrows (Mac)
  6. You can also do that by going to Window->Clone Source and then manually entering in the angle of rotation.
  7. Then use the regular Healing Brush Tool. Click the Alt (Win) or Option Key (Mac) to take your sample then paint in the areas that need fixing.
  8. If you are having difficulty fixing areas such as the eyes, consider duplicating the other eye.
  9. To do this, make a new layer. Then use the Clone Tool and make your selection from the same eye. Then repaint it onto the new layer.
  10. Then press Ctrl or Cmd+D to select it and right-click and select Flip Vertical. This then brings up the corner anchors, and you can rotate the eye as you please.
  11. Next, move the rotated eye section over the top of the original eye.
  12. Click on the Mask icon on the Layers panel to create a mask. Select your brush tool. Remember, a black fill will hide your layer (paint it out).
  13. Start painting out the sections you don’t want. You can lower the opacity of your layer so that you can get it’s positioning just right too.
  14. Next, merge your clone layers (not the background or Content-Aware Fill layers). To do this, select the first layer, then press Ctrl or Cmd and click on the next layer. Then press Ctrl or Cmd+E to merge them.
  15. Continue to look for discrepancies and fix those using the same process.

Step Four: Further adjustments

  1. Now, you can make further adjustments to your image, including selective focus.
  2. Next, create a stamp visible layer.
  3. To do this, first, create a new layer and call it “Selective Focus.” Then select Ctl+Alt+Shift+E (win) or Cmd+Opt+Shift+E (Mac). This will bring your image into the layer.
  4. Then convert the layer to a smart object. Go to Filter->Convert for Smart Filters. Click OK.
  5. Then go to Filters->Blur Gallery and choose Tilt Blur. Next, rotate it. Keep in mind that the areas in the middles are focused – they have zero blur.
  6. Adjust the blur level to whatever you like. You can also adjust the width of the blur area by pulling the lines outward.
  7. Always have your eyes in focus.
  8. You can also add other blur types if you like.
  9. You can also add some sharpness to the eyes. Create another Stamp layer as above. Then desaturate it by clicking Ctrl+Shift+U (Win) or Cmd+Shift+U (Mac). Then go to Filter->Convert for Smart Filter. Click OK.
  10. Next, go to Filter->Other->High Pass. Zoom in so you can see the detail. Decrease the radius slowly and gradually increase it. Just when you begin to see the halos, stop.
  11. Change your layer blend mode to Overlay.
  12. You will see the sharpness on the overall image, but you really only want it on the face. So, hold down the Alt Key (win) or Opt Key (Mac) and then click on the mask. This will create a negative (black) Mask.
  13. First, name it “Sharpen.” Then click the mask, select your Brush Tool, then choose a soft brush and paint on the areas you want to sharpen (Be sure your white paint palette is selected).

And that’s it!

Share your before and after results with us in the comments section!

 

The post How to Remove a Fence From Your Photo in Just 3 Steps in Photoshop (video) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on How to Remove a Fence From Your Photo in Just 3 Steps in Photoshop (video)

Posted in Photography

 

3 Basic Steps for Photographing Motion, Moving Objects and the Art of Panning

30 Sep

Photography is one of the most powerful arts of all time. It gives time a meaningful value, some might say even more valuable than memories. Photos can express deep emotional features of places, things, people, and objects. They are part of our legacy to the future generation. But it’s not all about the future, or the past. It’s about capturing Continue Reading

The post 3 Basic Steps for Photographing Motion, Moving Objects and the Art of Panning appeared first on Photodoto.


Photodoto

 
Comments Off on 3 Basic Steps for Photographing Motion, Moving Objects and the Art of Panning

Posted in Photography

 

Steps For Better Product Photography in Natural Light

18 Jul

The post Steps For Better Product Photography in Natural Light appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

Taking photos of products can seem like a daunting task. If you look at a lot of advertising, you will find yourself inundated with a lot of high-end product photography that can seem (and probably is) out of reach for a novice. The thing is, not all product photography is equal. In many cases, a much simpler approach will do the job just fine.

This article will guide you through a process that can get you started taking product photos with minimal equipment. In these examples, you don’t even need a studio, just a backyard, and decent weather. You will also see that you can replace some dedicated kit (reflectors and diffusers in this case) with some basic and cheap substitutes.

What you need

With one optional exception, you will only need some basic kit to go through the process outlined here.

Camera – There’s not much to say about this one. You will need a camera.

Lenses – To get the best results you will want to choose a lens with a close focusing distance (if your products are relatively small) and a focal length that will give you the option to fill the frame.

If the products that you are photographing are quite small, you may want to opt for a macro lens. Fast lenses aren’t much of a concern here as you will want to choose an aperture that ensures complete focus on all parts of your subject.

Tripod – Because this is still-life photography, you absolutely should use a tripod. The reason should become clear as this tutorial progresses, but it will make your life so much easier.

An outdoor space – As for the where, all you need to get started with this tutorial is an open outdoor space. Even a small backyard will do. Anywhere that will lend you a decent, clean background will do.

Tissue paper – In lieu of a dedicated diffuser, you can use tissue paper. For ease of use, you can mount this in a frame of some description with clips or a bit of tape. This allows you to control and manipulate the natural light in your photos. I did use a dedicated diffuser in this tutorial, but tissue paper will work just as well.

White and black card (foamcore works well) – Use these as reflectors and flags respectively to give you further control over the manipulation of the light.

Backgrounds (optional) – Using the environment as a background will be fine a lot of the time, but sometimes you may need something different.

Don’t want to rely on what’s there? Bring your own backgrounds, such as these purpose-made boards or use plain colored paper. The choices are endless.

Color Management – Depending on what you are photographing and whom you are creating product photography for, color management may be optional, or it may be a legal requirement.

Tools like the ColorChecker Passport are indispensable for getting accurate colors in your images.

Even if it’s not necessary for your situation, it’s still a good idea.  The word ‘product’ implies that you are selling something. Even if you’re only creating an eBay or Facebook Marketplace listing, ensure an accurate representation of what you are selling. It is a means of treating the people you are selling to with respect. If you’re providing commercial services to a paying client, then that accurate representation of the product may be a legal requirement. Do your research and find that out before you get started.

Note: While you can use tissue paper and foamcore to great effect, I still believe you should buy a 5-in-1 reflector or two. These give you access to white and silver reflectors, diffusers and flags. Godox sells one for $ 15, so there’s no excuse. You can also use 5-in-1 reflectors as a background in a pinch.

Getting started

With your gear collected, this process is relatively straightforward.

Step 1: Find a space

better-product-photography-5

Finding a space that gives you plenty of room to work and gives you a decent background may be the most important step in all of this.

As long as you are photographing small(ish) objects, where you choose to set up isn’t very important. Since the focus of your image is solely the product, other elements like the background won’t be taking up very much space in your frame in most cases. As long as you can find a space that gives you a clean background (or somewhere to place your own) and gives you plenty of room to work, you will be fine.

If you are working with small objects at a close distance to the camera, work with small apertures like f/16. If you want an out of focus background, you will want to ensure there is a good distance between your subject and the background.

Without going into the math, the closer your camera is to the subject, the shallower the depth of field becomes. When you are really close (especially with macro lenses), the focal plane reduces to a tiny sliver. To combat this, use small apertures.

In terms of lighting, as long as there is light, you will be fine. If you have all of the equipment listed at the top of this article, you will be able to manipulate the light in most situations.

Broad daylight? No problem. Shade? No problem. Any time of day will work except for the night where you would probably need to add an external light source of some description.

Step 2: Set up

better-product-photography-4

As this spot was lit by direct sunlight, I put the diffuser up before doing anything else.

Now that you are in your space, pick where you want to set up and decide where you are going to photograph your product. Place your camera on a tripod and ensure that you have a good idea of how you are going to frame your product.

You can now evaluate your lighting. If you’re in open daylight, setup the tissue paper as a diffuser over where your product is going to be. You can fine-tune this later, but any diffusion you may be using should be in place before you start anything else. Diffusion material is going to affect the color of your images. Having it in place allows you to see the light as it’s going to appear in your photos while you are working on your composition.

Step 3 – Color Management

better-product-photography-3

With the light diffused, take your steps towards color management. You want to do this before placing your subject to avoid moving it.

If you are opting to replicate accurate colors, do it now. Place your grey card (or whatever tool you’ve chosen) where your product will be under the exact lighting conditions that your final images will be created with. Take a photo of the card. If you’re setting the white balance in-camera, do it now. If you’re using a tool like the ColorChecker Passport shown in the example images, you can save it for the software later.

Step 4: Place your subject

Place your subject where you want it for your desired composition. Once that’s done, you can begin modifying the lighting. (This image is with the diffusion panel removed)

The next step is to place your product in situ for the composition that you want. Adjust the subject and the positioning of the camera until you have your desired effect. I find it is important to get this right at this stage. With this done, you are free to adjust everything else (such as the lighting) while being able to compare any test shots. It also allows you to blend multiple exposures later (providing it would be permissible to do so).

Step 5: Choose your aperture

better-product-photography-2

Details are essential when you are selling something. The image on the left is shot at f/4 and you will see many of the details are concealed by depth of field. In the right-hand image, all details are present, but the background is less obscured.

With products, most of the time, you will want to choose an aperture that provides maximum focus on the whole of the subject. Since the depth of field is most affected by the distance of the camera from the subject, small objects close to the camera (particularly with a macro lens) will lead you to use much smaller apertures than you might typically use in other situations. If you need to, take a few test shots at various aperture settings. Review the results until you have the desired effect. Depending on your camera, you may find the depth of field preview button useful here as well.

Shooting tethered is also a great way to be able to see if there is enough depth of field in your images.

Step 6: Evaluate the lighting

Here, the subject is lit with unmodified light. You can see that the contrast is high and there is missing detail in both the shadows and highlights.

With everything in place, you’re just about ready to go. Here is where you can fine-tune your lighting to your heart’s content.

Adding the diffuser above the subject helped to even out the exposure between the background and the subject. All details are now present.

Reflective

Use your white card(s) to fill in any shadows that may be providing too much contrast in your images. The beauty of using a card is you can cut it into any size and shape to match any need you have so that you are only reflecting where the extra light needs to be. For the most part, you are going to want to avoid heavy contrast in product photos, so feel free to use reflectors generously.

A bit of white mount board at camera left has filled in that side of the subject just a tiny amount. It makes the exposure evener.

Subtractive

In the event that there’s light falling on your subject where you don’t want it, use your black card as flags. For example, if the main source of light is coming from behind your subject, you can use a flag to shape that light so that it is only falling on your product where you want it. You can also use flags to darken areas around your subjects, such as the surface it is resting on, to put more emphasis on the product itself.

Introducing a flag to camera right has darkened that side of the subject. It has increased contrast just a bit and reduced the impact of the specular highlight on the droid’s head.

This step may seem optional, and to be fair, it pretty much is, but if you want your images to stand out, this is by far the most important step. The more attention to detail and effort you place into getting the lighting right, the better your photos are going to be.

It pains me to suggest that you could to move your camera at this point. However, as a last resort, if you’re having problems controlling the contrast in your images, you can set your camera to spot metering mode and evaluate where your reflectors need to be from there.

That said, if your light is suitably diffused, you shouldn’t have to resort to that. Alternatively, you could use a second body or a light meter if your subject is big enough.

Step 7: Final shot

better-product-photography-1

The final image with minimal post-processing.

With all of the prep work done, you can now take your final shot. If all has gone well, you should have a well-lit, well-exposed image in the composition of your choice. Going through all of these steps should also mean there is very little to do in terms of post-processing.

That’s it

Is this the only way to take photos of products? Absolutely not. It’s not even close to the only way to do things outdoors. This is just one easy method to help you get results with minimal gear.

Hopefully, you’ve come to the conclusion that you don’t need a fully decked out studio and a myriad of specialist and obscure equipment to achieve better product photography results. Basic equipment, basic camera craft and attention to detail can take you a long way and get you results that will help you to sell whatever it is you are trying to sell.

 

better-product-photography-natural-light

The post Steps For Better Product Photography in Natural Light appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on Steps For Better Product Photography in Natural Light

Posted in Photography

 

Five Steps To Making Better Pictures

30 Apr

The post Five Steps To Making Better Pictures appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy H. Greenberg.

If you’re reading this, you are an aspiring artist and photographer. You might be just starting out or somewhere on the amateur, hobbyist, professional spectrum. Whatever your personal or professional aspirations may be, you might agree that there is room for improvement in your work. The purpose of this article is to suggest five strategies leading to the improvement of your craft. While not an exhaustive list, any single strategy or strategies described below, when practiced regularly, will result in significant improvements in your picture making. You can use this list to establish your photographic goals for this year and beyond.

1. Study photography

There are formal and informal paths to get better at just about everything. Photography is an art form and craft just like many others. If you wanted to learn how to make clothing, paint, or work with wood, you would take classes and lessons to learn how to do those, right? Photography takes time to learn and a lot of effort to become really proficient. You may even decide to go to art school and work towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts or similar academic credential at an accredited college or university. There are many good options in many countries if this is the route for you.

Depending on your situation and other factors, you might take the path that I did that was to pursue a professional certificate in photography online. The online option works well for people who have families, full-time work in another career, or just not enough time, money, or interest to enroll in an undergraduate program in the arts.

Other ways to study may include subscribing to online blogs and newsletters like Digital Photography School and read the material each week. Weekly newsletters get pushed to your e-mail, and you can reap incredible benefits from the wealth of free information online.

Online subscriptions are usually free and so easy to use that every photographer should be exploiting these valuable resources.

2. Go to the show

Art and photography exhibits are everywhere all of the time. We are surrounded by opportunities to view real art and images by rising and established professionals. There is a terrific site called photographmag that hosts information about current photography exhibits and shows across the US and other countries. If you travel from time to time as many of us do, take advantage of the opportunities to see photographs in these places. Use the site above to plan your photography excursions around your travel plans, and check out what is going on. Go and see the show!

Often you can get access to new work closer to home. Purchasing photography books (rather than new camera or lens), attending local museums, and of course reading through the plethora of websites related to photography should be a regular part of your artistic and self-improvement diet. Any or all of these activities, when practiced regularly, should lead to significant improvements in your work.

Seek critique

Looking for and recruiting “likes” will not improve your photography. Social media should work for you rather than you working for social media (unless you are employed by Instagram). Real improvement happens when you make and share your image and then receive a proper critique on your work. What’s a proper critique? The purpose of critique in the art world in its most simple form is about two things 1) describing the work, and 2) making statements about whether or not the image works, doesn’t work, and most importantly, “why.”

Critique isn’t really about whether someone likes or does not like an image. A proper critique goes beyond the obvious and subjective statements about an image in favor of a discussion on what constitutes a photograph that works. When viewing art becomes an objective process, we all benefit and can discuss the piece using more sophisticated vocabulary. This is the purpose of critique, and the process is not only extremely beneficial to the artist, but I would also submit that critique is essential to a photographer’s growth.

Avoid asking your friends and family about your work since they will likely love almost everything that you do. Seek proper critique by accomplished and successful colleagues, or professional photographers if you have access to some. Meetup groups or local photography clubs are an excellent source for periodic critique sessions where the participants aim to provide constructive criticism and proper critique of each other’s work.

Cross train for big gain

There are many interesting genres in the field of photography, such as aerial, events, food, macro, portrait, sports, wildlife, and many more. You might be lucky enough at this point of your artistic existence to be able to say “I shoot weddings and portraits, but I don’t do macro.” Maybe you are still learning what you like and dislike. I would strongly suggest doing a Project 365 and shoot every day to learn over time what you like, dislike, and what you are good at. This helps you narrow down your genre that is the first step in developing your own style.

Somewhere along your personal journey as an artist and photographer, you should experiment. Each genre within photography has its own lessons and techniques that can benefit your work in the area of your preference. Plus, the process of shooting across multiple genres, artistic cross training so to speak, will force you out of your comfort zone. You will have the opportunity to learn new lenses, processes, and techniques. The benefits and lessons learned will benefit your work in your genre of preference. If you prefer to shoot portraits of people, shoot landscapes for a while or vice versa. Try shooting sports, wildlife, or trick photography techniques.

If you really want to mix things up, shooting film and even developing it at home yourself may be the best photography lesson you can engage in. Composing, developing, processing, and scanning images from film teach you everything about the process of making images. Plus, it’s super fun!

Shoot, process, and repeat

I’m reminded of the old adage “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”

Practice, practice, practice!

It is self-evident that to improve at anything you must do it a lot. Do you shoot everyday? Do you wear a camera? Perhaps you should. If you do embark on a Project 365, you will wear a camera every day. This provides many opportunities to make images of all types. Shoot with your smartphone if you prefer, but shoot often, and learn to edit ruthlessly. Become your own best or worst critic.

Learn post-processing. Even if you are generally opposed to post-processing images, the techniques at your fingertips these days, are far beyond those of the darkroom days. Post-processing is a terrific way to see your image making through and aids you in the development of images that match your unique artistic vision.

When you think about making images, you have a sense in your mind’s eye of the finished image. Camera, film, and gear may get us close to the final image that matches our artistic vision, but post-processing may be needed to get you there. There are many applications available to us these days, although Lightroom and Photoshop are some of the best for this sort of activity.

Conclusion

In summary, you now have five steps to making better pictures. Each of these five strategies will lead to significant improvements in your photography. If you choose one, two, or all of these strategies, and work on them regularly, your images will improve. However, this will take some time. Start small and work at it regularly. You can only get better over time.

The light is always right.

 

The post Five Steps To Making Better Pictures appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy H. Greenberg.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on Five Steps To Making Better Pictures

Posted in Photography

 
« Older Entries