This Sunday 8/4/2010 at 9pm EST (6pm pacific) Don Giannatti has been kind enough to do a live portfolio review with me on the air. We’ll be talking about making the final cut of images, and finalizing a portfolio. Maybe a bit about design and branding and style as well. Should be fun – tune in at:
http://www.vokle.com/events/4284-editing-a-portfolio-with-don-giannatti-and-ed-zawadzki
see y’all there!
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The post Flat Lay Photography – How to Make Yours Stand Out from the Rest appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.
If you’re on social media, you may have come across flat lay photographs. They have become very popular over recent years and can be successful scroll-stoppers on sites such as Instagram when done properly.
Simply defined, flay lay photography means a photograph where the subject/s are arranged on a flat surface and photographed from above. It is also sometimes called the bird’s eye view.
The surface and the lens are positioned parallel to each other from a vertical distance apart, and therefore, no angles are visible. The surface is flat, and the image shows a singular dimension taken from a parallel position above the surface.
However, this does not mean that your image should look flat. This article will discuss factors that contribute to achieving interesting flat lay photographs without the image looking necessarily flat, especially if that is not your intention.
f/2.8 ISO 1000 SS 1/125
Because flat lay photography is a style or a format, you can shoot just about anything! The only consideration is the size of the subject.
If you had a drone camera, for example, then you can shoot landscapes and mansions in a flat lay fashion, much like aerial photography.
However, drone photography is not only limited to aerial photography. You can use a drone to capture normal objects in flat lay format. What is generally available to us are mobile phones and digital cameras, which are small. So they can limit the size of what we can shoot given the vertical distance requirements.
You can photograph people lying down on the grass or on the bed from above, and that would be considered flat lay.
Newborns are easier to photograph from this angle because they are small. You can capture their entire bodies plus a background from a short distance, such as the newborn images below.
f/4 ISO 1000 SS 1/125 Off-camera flash in a strip softbox to the side and a reflector on the opposite side
You can photograph just about any object in the flat lay style. Smaller objects grouped into a space together is the simplest way of doing this.
The photo below required very little styling, and I photographed it in a bright and evenly-lit space; hence there are no dominant shadows in the photo.
f/1.8 ISO 400 SS 1/160
One of the most common subjects photographed in this style is food. A plateful of food is small enough to snap a picture of so quickly. It often requires minimum styling, especially if you are dining in a restaurant, as often the food is already presented well on the plates.
Instagram is peppered with food photos, both styled and unstyled, and flat lay can add the wow factor without much effort.
The photos below are unstyled and are quick snaps of the food served at a reception. I photographed these indoors with directional on-camera flash as the rooms had little light.
f/4 ISO 2000 SS 1/125
I love photographing flowers. They are packed with texture and color and offer limitless styling possibilities. The top photo below, I shot on the floor in a hotel room. I wanted to capture the invitations styled with the flowers and needed more distance, so I used a wide-angle lens 24-70 at around 35mm.
Below is a photo of two bouquets taken from the bird’s eye view. These bouquets are fairly big, so I had to stand up and take the shot with the bouquets on the floor.
When taking flat lay photos using a DSLR and a heavy lens, it is quite difficult to keep all the gear steady while shooting straight down without a tripod. This is the reason why I rarely go below 1/125 sec shutter speed when doing so.
f/2.8 ISO 1000 SS 1/160
Another one of my favorite subjects to use when photographing flat lay style is jewelry. I love juxtaposing jewels and metallic textures next to soft fabrics of various kinds. The layering of textures injects lots of interest in an image.
This brings us to some tips on how to enhance flat lay images, so they don’t look boring and too flat.
f/2.8 ISO 400 SS 1/160
In my opinion, the handiest and easiest equipment to use when doing flay lay photography is your mobile phone. It’s light, has a versatile lens (which also has a fairly wide-angle), and you don’t even have to set the settings yourself! It’s super easy.
However, some phone cameras are better than others, so you can’t guarantee how good your photos turn out – especially when available light is fairly low.
Whatever camera you use, the first, and in my opinion, the most important consideration to take is lighting. Make sure there is ample light, so your subject is well lit. You can opt for a bright and airy look with hardly any shadows, or choose a moodier look using shadows.
I like having directional light that casts some shadows because I feel they add another dimension to an image. The easiest way to check where your dominant light is coming from is to look at where the shadows fall.
On the baby photo below, the room was bright and airy. I positioned the baby on the bed, away from the window. However, the main light comes from a huge window on the left. As you can see, the shadows fall on the right. However, because it is quite a large light source, the shadows are subtle.
f/4 ISO 800 SS 1/160
I snapped the photos below using natural light coming from a window, but a smaller window this time to achieve a dark moody look.
f/2.8 ISO 400 SS 1/160
If you want to eliminate shadows altogether, you can use a reflector opposite the main light to counteract the shadows. Alternatively, use a lightbox to light the space evenly.
The photo below is a social media advert for a brand. I shot it with a mobile phone that has a mediocre camera. While I have applied a filter to it, both resulted in rather grainy photos. However, they were clear enough for the brand to be happy with them.
In terms of lighting, ample light came from a side window and a velux window above. However, I wanted more of an impact, so I created layers of color and objects.
There’s the dark blue background as the first bottom layer, the fairy lights and decorations on the table as the second layer, the product as the third layer, and finally, hands as the fourth and top layer.
Layering increases the dynamic in a photo and makes it more interesting.
mobile phone photo
Another way of creating layers is to use a very shallow depth of field. This creates an illusion of infinity for the background.
The below photo is of a rose on a vase with centrally-positioned rings to be the topmost layer of the image. However, you can’t see the surface where the vase sits because of the shallow depth of field and the use of a macro lens. In this case, I used the 60mm and shot at close range, which when using a macro lens, produces background compression and bokeh.
f/7.1 ISO 1000 SS/ 1/125
Composition is of utmost importance as it can make or break a photo.
Every photo has a certain type of composition used in them, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Well-executed composition elevates the level of success of a photo because composition plays a significant role in engaging and connecting with the viewer.
The photo below uses the rule of thirds – one of the simplest yet strongest compositional structures there is. Alternatively, the photo below it shows a centered composition.
f/1.8 ISO 400 SS 1/200
It is easier to play around with composition when you have a variety of objects to use. Take the photos below where the labels and invitations were used along with the flowers to create different compositions.
f/2.8 ISO 200 SS 1/250
The key to creating successful visual images when you are limited to a flat lay dimension is color and contrast.
A darker background creates a strong contrast against lighter or brighter objects, thereby allowing enough separation to give an illusion of multi-dimensionality, as shown in the photos below.
f/4 ISO 1000 SS 1/200
Where color might be too subtle to create a bold pop, utilize contrast with a variety of textures instead.
As shown in the photos below, delicate flowers lay against a weathered wood grain and pastel-colored invites against rough concrete.
f/2.8 ISO 200 SS 1/200
There are a plethora of styles you can use when photographing flat lay. Illustrated in the photos below are two opposite styles: elegant and minimalist (top two photos) and homely and maximalist (bottom photo).
f/5.6 ISO 800 SS 1/200
f/ 5.6 ISO 2000 SS 1/160
For website purposes, I shot the photos below as a clean branding style against a seamless white background.
f/5.6 ISO 400 SS 1/125 using off camera flashes
I hope this article has given you ideas on the different ways you can capture an image using the flat lay photography style. Flay lay photography is a super-creative medium – the possibilities are endless. You can achieve some high impact photos if done successfully.
Do you have any other flat lay photography tips you’d like to share? Alternatively, do you have some flat lay photographs you’d like to share? If so, please share them with us in the comments section.
The post Flat Lay Photography – How to Make Yours Stand Out from the Rest appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.
As you prepare for a photo session with clients you probably run through a checklist to make sure you don’t forget anything. Cameras? Check. Lenses? Check. Lighting modifiers? Good to go. Props, stepstools, spare batteries? Got ’em.
But one thing that often gets left behind, so to speak, is a set of expectations that you and your client might have for the photo session. You might have something in mind for the session based on your experience, your work with previous clients, or the particular set of gear you are bringing along. But if your clients have a different set of expectations it can spell big trouble and will require a lot more than a few batteries and extra memory cards to fix.
These clients hired me for a maternity session and it went smoothly thanks to a very clear set of expectations that we discussed beforehand.
Think of the many ways in which your expectations influence your perception of the services and products you buy. When you go out to eat you will expect a certain level of service based on previous visits. If you go on vacation you will probably look for reviews online and base your satisfaction of the accommodations on how well those expectations were met.
If you hire a contractor to remodel your kitchen you will make sure to have lengthy discussions with them to make sure the work they perform is precisely what you want. It’s fair to say that as a consumer you probably base many of your buying decisions on expectations that have been set for you.
And yet, as a photographer, how often have you worked to set expectations for potential clients? Your website might proudly proclaim that you do weddings and formal events, but there are probably two dozen other photographers in your area who offer similar services. The same goes for most types of photography: families, youth sports, products, high school seniors, or even aerial drone images.
You’re good at what you do but what makes you stand out from the rest, and what can your clients expect when you show up to take pictures?
One of the first things I learned when I started doing portraits for clients was that the things which I thought were the most important were not at the top of my clients’ priority lists. I spent so much time thinking about pricing and choosing a template for my website that I neglected to properly craft a message letting clients know what they could really expect out of me.
A few dozen sample images of portraits in parks along with a testimonial or two are a great way to market yourself. But these don’t really tell clients much about your approach to a photo session or what you will do to get the shots they are looking for.
Think about the many ways in which you can set expectations in advance to let clients know how things will go. This goes well beyond simply telling your clients how much you charge, how many prints or images you will deliver, and whether you take checks or credit cards.
For a session to go smoothly think about the more esoteric expectations and do your best to manage them before a single click of your camera shutter. Some items to ponder would be…
This picture was not my idea; my clients suggested it on the day of the shoot, and we made it happen. I told them that I was open to their ideas so they offered some, and the results were great.
I was asked by some friends to take pictures at a funeral for their loved one. The key to the whole experience was a crystal-clear understanding of what the clients wanted and what my role was as the photographer.
This is just a starting point. You are going to have other things that are unique to yourself and your photography. And even though some of these might be clearly spelled out in your contract, it’s a good idea to set and manage expectations clearly and without room for misinterpretation. A contract may cover you in legal terms, but don’t assume your clients have meticulously read and understand every single word.
In my experience, one of the best ways to set these expectations is to have some kind of real-time back-and-forth dialog with your clients. Exchanging information over email and social media is fine, but when it comes to hashing out the details of a photo session nothing beats a phone call or in-person meeting.
If the latter isn’t all that practical, then, by all means, talk with your clients on the phone or via video chat. This can help you set a positive tone for the session, ease their minds about any concerns they might have, and give you a chance to explain what they can expect. Reassure them that you have their best interests in mind.
There’s a flip side to setting expectations and it’s one that sometimes gets overlooked when planning or executing a photo session. You might have bent over backward to let your clients know what to expect from you, but what have you done to let your clients know what you expect from them?
Just as every photographer is different, each client is also unique. They have an attitude and approach that separates them from everyone else. In order to make sure things run smoothly, think about ways to communicate your expectations of them with your clients. Otherwise you, and they could end up knee-deep in frustration with no easy way out.
When this family arrived I spent a few minutes explaining how I was going to conduct the session and listened to their ideas as well. It set a positive tone that resulted in some images that they really liked.
When working with kids, especially infants, things are never going to go how you expect! But discussing things with the parents beforehand is a good way to help deal with issues as they crop up.
As before, these are only some of the things to consider when setting client expectations and the best way to go about doing that is with a phone call or other type of back-and-forth conversation. This information might be on your website, but it’s incumbent on you as the photographer to do everything you can to make sure your clients know what you expect of them. Don’t simply just assume they have read through every page of your site.
This family was a joy to work with, largely because of clear expectations from both parties (the family and myself).
Finally, one tip that might be useful to you is to make a checklist of these items so you have it handy during conversations with the client. This way you can update it over time as new issues come to light, and you can make sure to properly address all the most pressing expectation issues that could come into play before, during, and after a session.
The goal here is to make every session a positive experience for your clients as well as yourself, and the more work you do to manage expectations for all parties involved, the happier everyone will be.
The post Why You Need to Manage Expectations – Both Yours and Your Client’s appeared first on Digital Photography School.
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As if $ 13,950 wasn’t enough to pay for a special edition lens, the Leica Store in San Francisco is offering a prototype of the Noctilux-M f/0.95 ASPH ‘Edition 0.95’ for $ 24,995. The Edition 0.95 is already a limited run version of the ‘standard’ $ 11,000 version of the lens, that comes finished in Leica’s new anodized high-gloss black instead of black paint.
There are only 95 of the ‘Edition 0.95’ lenses worldwide, which have unpainted engravings, but it isn’t clear how many Prototype B models exist. Needless to say, we’d hope there are fewer than 95.
The store’s website says that this specific model has the words ‘Prototype B’ in white paint on its underside, and that it will come with a matte black lens cap instead of the usual glossy one. Despite the store only having one example of this lens, thrill seekers can still add ten or more to their virtual shopping basket.
For more information see the San Francisco Leica Store website.
Store information
The Noctilux 0.95 Edition is one of the most unique noctilux lenses ever to roll off Leica’s production lines in Wetzlar. Built to resolve past the capabilities that are known in any other fast primes or even the faculties of human vision, the Noctilux is a legendary benchmark of photographic optical engineering. This special “0.95 Edition” is limited, respectively, to 95 units world wide and stands visual representation of the elegantly unique images the Noctilux creates. Featuring the same optical design as the regular Noctilux 50mm 0.95 ASPH this special edition has an added bit of elegance. The exterior of the “0.95 Edition” features Leica’s newly developed high-gloss anodized aluminum surface. The markings on the lens are left unpainted except one, the 0.95 f-stop mark.
This lens will be available in extremely limited quantities worldwide, and Leica Store SF/Camera West Boutiques will have very limited stock. If you have any questions concerning the availability of this lens please feel free to contact us directly at sales@leicastoresf.com or call 415.801.5066.
This specific lens is a prototype of this already rare blend of Leica and S.T. Dupont craftsmanship. This could very well be one of the most collectible 0.95 Noctilux’s on the market today. The Prototype reads “prototyp B” the the back side of the barrel, and features a matte black cap instead of the glossy cap that comes with other 0.95 edition lenses.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
[ By Steph in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]
Maybe you wouldn’t grumble about going back to work on Mondays if your office had putting greens and slides, meetings were held in tree houses, and you could work from ski lift pods or ball pits. Some of the perks at the world’s most fun workplaces – mostly made up of tech companies, natch – include three free meals a day, nap areas, fish tank relaxation rooms, full bars, arcades, skate ramps and spiraling slides worthy of theme parks.
Based in San Francisco, the world’s largest games-only technology platform worked with Blitz Architecture to create a fun, interactive environment for employees and visitors alike. Chartboost’s headquarters include a ‘photo op’ wall with an 11-foot-tall dinosaur, a game room with a ball pit and a giant LEGO wall, and five conference rooms with classic game themes like Donkey Kong, Super Mario and the Legend of Zelda.
Red Bull’s Mexico City office boasts a grassy hangout spot full of swings for meetings, while the Santa Monica location features an incredible skate ramp that runs through the entire interior.
South Africa’s Missing Link, a presentation strategy company, sourced salvage materials to put together a fun and imaginative office in just six weeks. The results include a treehouse, fire pole, playground slide, shooting range and caravan.
YouTube’s main headquarters in San Bruno, California mixes work and play with a massive red slide, a putting green, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, nap pods and bicycles and scooters to get around the sizable complex.
Google is renowned for having not only an enviable range of employee perks, but also some incredibly creative work environments at their offices around the world. The Zurich location is particularly noteworthy with its fish tank relaxation room, ski lift work pods, slides, karaoke room and multiple game rooms.
These 14 modern detached offices and studios are compact, self-contained and easy to assemble, making them perfect for serene backyard work spaces.
Click Here to Read More »»
Unless you happen to work at Google, your conventional office space is going to seem awfully boring compared to the slides, disappearing desks, …
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Reader beware! These offices will make anyone jealous. Break down your cubicle walls and flee to one of these creative businesses – you won’t regret it!
Click Here to Read More »»
[ By Steph in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]
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It is day 2 in our 12 Days of Christmas and if you like $ 7 eBooks (and the popularity of yesterdays deal says you do) you’re going to LOVE this one.
It’s our very own Essential Guide to Black and White Photography for just $ 7
It’s normally $ 20 so that’s a discount of 65%… but that’s not all. We’re going to throw in a bonus eBook ’10 Recipes for Amazing Black And White Photography’ which is worth $ 10!
This eBook from renowned photographer David Nightingale launched earlier in 2014 and got some fantastic reviews.
The Essential Guide to Black and White Photography will walk you through:
This eBook has it all covered and has helped thousands of dPS readers to improve their black and white photography.
Here’s the table of contents of the main guide:
The bonus guide (pictured right) shows you exactly how 10 black and white images were created – a fantastic companion to the main guide to show you how to put the theory into action!
Ready to take the quality of your black and white photography to a whole new level?
Grab this amazing deal in before our 24 offer expires here.
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The post 2 B&W Photography eBooks Worth $ 30… Yours Today for $ 7 by Darren Rowse appeared first on Digital Photography School.
This is an experimental 2d to 3d conversion of I’ll B Yours by The Raw I’s (a music video of mine) from a few years back. The style of the video itself doesn’t really lend itself to this subtle conversion but I thought I’d share it anyway. FREE 3D Glasses,Stereoscopic 3D Birthday Cards, 3D Stock Video and more can be downloaded from enhanced-dimensions.com/wordpress For more info on Enhanced Dimensions: Contact us on 3d@enhanced-dimensions.com +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Stereoscopic 3D Channel on Vimeo vimeo.com/channels/stereoscopic3d The Stereoscopic 3D Channel TESTBED on Vimeo vimeo.com/groups/steroscopic3dchanneltestbed +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Built and tested in Adobe After Effects to be viewed with Red Cyan 3D Glasses (Red Blue 3D Glasses). A 3D Stereoscopic Production for Enhanced Dimensions by Andrew Murchie. For details of our FREE 3D Glasses offer please visit our website.
3D stereoscopic anaglyph night time lapse movie showing a complete night at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) Paranal Observatory in Chile. The four 8m telescope and four 1.8m telescope are observing at the same time. Note that the ISS (International Space Station)is corssing the sky during the first seconds of the movie. This movie has to be watched with a red (left)/Cyan (right) pair of glasses for 3D effects. Copyright Stephane Guisard, www.astrosurf.com/sguisard Better version here : www.astrosurf.com/sguisard/Pagim/P41
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