Category: Photography

Color Photography Exercises to Help You Improve Your Skills
The post Color Photography Exercises to Help You Improve Your Skills appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Learning to use color in your photographs well will help you, in many ways, to take better pictures. Many photographers tend not to practice with the aim of improving their skills. We all like to take good photos. Doing some color photography exercises will help you build awareness. You can learn how to incorporate color into your photographs with more meaning.

“The ability to see the quality of color and it’s different relationships is an art, as well as a skill that must be honed through continual exercise.” ~ Nevada Wier, travel photographer and author.

In this article, I want to encourage you to practice looking a the colors in your compositions. Understanding how colors in a picture interact will help you add more feeling to your photography.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D800, 55mm f/3.5, 4 sec, f/8, ISO 1600, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering.

Mix color theory with practical photography exercises

Understanding of color and how to use it well is a good skill to acquire. Like any skill, it takes study and practice. Getting a little theory in your head is rarely enough – you need to put it into practice to begin to comprehend it in practical ways.

These color photography exercises are designed to help you be more aware and considerate of how you use color in your photographs.

The color wheel

The color wheel has been in use by artists and scientists since Sir Isaac Newton first developed the design in 1666. There are now many variations. But the basic color wheel can provide you with enough relevant information. It will help you understand the relationships between different colors. This basic wheel is displays three types of colors:
- Primary Colors
- Secondary Colors
- Tertiary Colors
Primary Colors

Three primary colors make up the simplest color wheel. Red, yellow and blue are primary colors. These cannot be made by mixing other colors. All other colors are combinations of primary colors.

Secondary Colors

Secondary colors are green, orange and purple. They are created by mixing two primary colors together.

Tertiary Colors

Tertiary colors are created by mixing a primary and a secondary color. These are:
- Yellow-orange
- Red-orange
- Red-purple
- Blue-purple
- Blue-green
- Yellow-green
Complementary color photography exercises

Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel. Used together they produce high contrast and high impact.

They are:
- Red-Green
- Yellow-Purple
- Blue-Orange
Find or create photos using complementary colors boldly in your compositions. You might find a red flower and frame it so you can only see grass or foliage behind it. You could slice an orange or papaya and photograph it against a blue background.

You could find two objects that have complementary colors. Photograph them against a plain, non-colored background.

Have a look around your home or garden and I am sure you’ll find things of strong primary colors that you can photograph together.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D800, 500mm f/11, 1/500 sec, f/11, ISO 800, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering.

Analogous color photography exercises

Analogous colors are sets of three colors that lie next to each other on the color wheel.

Using combinations of these colors creates a harmonious feeling in photographs. These colors often occur in nature and are pleasing to the eye. Choosing one color to dominate and the others to support will help you create more relaxing images.

This exercise may be a little more challenging because you need to find things with three colors that are close to each other on the color wheel. Don’t fret if you cannot find colors that match the color wheel perfectly – close enough is good.

You might find something of a primary blue and place it in a composition with a blue-green and green. This will create a photo with a cool, harmonious feeling. Choosing warmer colors, such as orange-red combinations, produce photos with a positive feeling.

Look around. You may find these combinations happening naturally in your garden, or you may have to create some still-life setups.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D800, 105mm f/2.8, 1/320 sec, f/4.5, ISO 400, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering.

Triadic color photography exercises

A triadic color scheme is a combination of three colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel. Red, blue, and yellow together are triadic. As are orange, green, and violet and the set of three tertiary colors.

Look to use these sets of colors with one dominant and the others to accent it. You might have a red and a blue pen on a yellow background. Or a green apple and an orange on a violet background.

Try various ways to compose your photo so that one or other of the colors is more dominant in your photos. Look for different angles or, if you can, move your subjects around and arrange them alternatively.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D800, 105mm f/2.8, 1/125 sec, f/7.1, ISO 400, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering.

Monochromatic color photography exercises

Shades or tints of a single color used together can produce very interesting color photographs. Shades are colors with varying degrees of black added to the color. Tints are colors where white has been added.

Find items around your home or in your garden that you can create monochromatic compositions with. The color will all be essentially the same. The interest will be determined by the degrees of shade and tint you can include.

Green against green is the most common monochrome we see in nature. Or, depending on where you live and the season, it may be brown on brown.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D800, 105mm f/2.8, 1/320 sec, f/4.5, ISO 400, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering.

Think creatively

Think imaginatively as you look for different things to photograph. Try and create interesting photographs with color use as the main subject. The purpose is to learn and practice how colors relate to each other in a photograph.

When you practice anything enough, it becomes second nature. Doing these exercises may seem a little odd because you may not be taking great photos. Color photography exercises like this help you develop your color awareness more. Once you are well-practiced, you will ‘see’ color and color combinations more naturally.

So, try these color photography exercises and share your results with us in the comments section.

The post Color Photography Exercises to Help You Improve Your Skills appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Digital Photography School
May 8, 2020
Four Essential Beginner Photographer Tips

The post Four Essential Beginner Photographer Tips appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

If you are new to photography the possibilities can seem endless and the options almost overwhelming. Buttons, dials, apertures, shutters, flashes…where do you even start? Of course, it’s always good to learn basics like the exposure triangle, but there are some simple beginner photographer tips that will immediately elevate your picture-taking prowess.

Nikon D7100, 50mm, f/5.6, 1/250 second, ISO 100, +10 close-up filter

Look for the light

The first of the beginner photographer tips is tho look for the light.

Does your camera have a flash? Great!

Does it turn on all the time? Not so great.

This is usually a sign that your camera thinks your picture is too dark, so it tries to add a bit of light to fix things. From that perspective, the flash makes a lot of sense, but often it can end up ruining what might otherwise be a perfectly good photo. Instead of a pleasing, well-lit image, you end up with red eyes, harsh shadows, and bright spots of light reflecting off windows.

I shot this in a well-lit room with a lot of windows letting in the sunlight. Nikon D750, 50mm, f/5.6, 1/90 second, ISO 6400.

Instead of relying on the flash, look for the light that’s already available and reposition yourself accordingly. If you are indoors, put your subject in front of you and put your back to a window. If you are outdoors, look at where the sun is. Move yourself and your subject so that the light is behind you, not behind the person or object you are shooting. Better yet, re-compose your shot so your subject is in the shade and evenly lit.

Nikon D7100, 50mm, f/2.8, 1/750 second, ISO 100.

In the picture above, the light was so bright that my kids were entirely shrouded in shadow, creating a silhouette.

The only way to save the photo was to make it black-and-white in Lightroom! I could have also waited until the light was more overcast to get a more even exposure. Or I could have intentionally used the pop-up flash as a fill flash to add a touch of light to the two shadowy subjects.

This technique works for casual snapshots, formal portraits, or pretty much any style of photography.

To get this group photo of three generations of women in a park, I had to get a little creative with light and positioning. I found a spot that was in the shade of a tree, so all their faces were well lit. You can see a swath of light going across the foreground that would have wreaked havoc on the photo if everyone was two steps forward.

Nikon D750, 70-200mm f2.8, f/4, 1/200 second, ISO 360

Looking for the light is one of those beginner photography tips that sound constraining, but with practice, it will become second nature. You will automatically find yourself thinking about light and shadow and how to create the best composition without resorting to that pop-up flash. It’s also one of the most impactful things you can do to differentiate your photos and make people think twice when considering you as more than just an amateur.

Use Continuous Autofocus

Modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are outstanding when it comes to autofocus – certainly much more than their counterparts from a few years ago.

Modern focusing systems can track people, objects, and animals with ease. The latest mirrorless cameras can even lock focus on a single eye and reacquire in an instant if the person turns their head or another object momentarily blocks your view.

Nikon D750, 140mm, f/2.8, 1/3000 second, ISO 100

Action shots are almost impossible without rock-solid autofocus. Almost any camera you get is probably going to be up to the task as long as you’ve got the right lens.

There’s one mistake that a lot of beginner photographers make that can really hold back your action shots or even just everyday photos of people or pets. They use single-shot autofocus instead of continuous autofocus.

When you half-press the shutter button you probably here a sound to let you know that your shot is in focus. It might be a quick beep-beep along with a little dot or square lighting up to indicate that your picture will be tack sharp. Continue pressing your finger and you’ll get just what you expect: a crystal clear image in bright, vivid color.

Nikon D7100, 50mm, f/1.8, 1/6000 second, ISO 100

This is all well and good, but what if your subject moves in that brief moment between the time you lock focus and press the shutter button fully? Worse, what if you want to take another picture?

You have to lift your finger off the shutter button, do a half-press to acquire focus, and then push the shutter down all the way to complete the shot. It might not sound like much, but a lot can happen in that short time!

The solution is to enable your camera’s continuous autofocus setting.

Instead of focusing once, continuous autofocus means your camera will keep your subject locked no matter where your subject goes. It will be in focus as long as you never fully lift your finger from the shutter button. This technique is incredibly useful for everyday shots and almost mandatory for fast action, especially when paired with back-button focus.

This child moved around a lot! Continuous autofocus helped me make sure these images were sharp. Nikon D750, 120mm, f/4, 1/250 second, ISO 1400.

Every camera does this a little differently and you’ll find it by looking in the menus under the focus settings.

While it’s not always required, especially if you are shooting still objects or doing macro work where manual focus is preferred, I have found that I generally prefer continuous autofocus in most situations. If you are shooting with a prime lens wide open, where depth of field is razor-thin, it can really help you get better photos with minimal effort.

Use Program instead of Auto

The next of the beginner photography tips is to use Program Mode instead of Auto.

Every camera has a few different exposure modes, and if you are new to photography, you might find comfort in using the familiar green Auto setting. And there’s nothing wrong with that! Auto is great for a lot of people, and camera manufacturers have tweaked the auto setting so well that it really does produce good results.

Most of the time.

My dad shot this photo of me when I graduated with my Master’s Degree. He shoots in Program Auto all the time, and he’s able to get lots of great shots with it. Canon Rebel T4i, 270mm, f/6.3, 1/50 second, ISO 1600.

Even though there’s a lot to be said for learning Aperture or Shutter Priority, or even going all the way with Manual Mode, there’s a good middle ground that a lot of beginners don’t know about. It’s called Program Auto, and if you want a little more control than what Auto has to offer, it might very well be the solution for you.

Program Auto is kind of like regular Auto, but you get a little more control over the exposure. The camera starts by setting a value for lens aperture and shutter speed that it thinks will give you a properly-exposed image. You can see these numbers in the viewfinder or on the rear screen, but if you don’t like what the camera selects all you do is turn a dial.

Canon Rebel T4i, 270mm, f/7.1, 1/400 second, ISO 320. Shot in Program Auto mode.

You’ll see the aperture and shutter change but the exposure will remain constant.

Want a little more depth of field? Rotate the control dial on your camera until the aperture value is larger.

Want a faster shutter speed? Spin the dial until the shutter speed increases. Program usually lets you control the ISO as well. And if you still don’t like your picture, you can use exposure compensation to make it brighter or darker.

While the green Automatic mode on cameras is a great way to get started, Program is a good way for beginners to take a bit more control over their photography without getting too confusing.

Adjust your eye level

This final of the beginner photography tips applies no matter whether you have a fancy expensive DSLR or a basic mobile phone. It’s about getting yourself on the same plane as your subject or shooting your subject from a more interesting angle. It’s particularly useful when taking pictures of children, but applies in almost any photographic situation.

I had to lay on the ground to get this picture. It’s a lot more interesting than if I had stood up and shot at a downward angle. Nikon D750, 122mm, f/3.3, 1/500 second, ISO 100.

The default position for a lot of beginner photographers is to take a picture from an eye level that works for you. It’s usually standing up, sitting down, or whatever position you happen to be in when a picture opportunity presents itself.

For better photos, it’s important to move around and look for a more interesting, compelling, or exciting vantage point.

A normal flower became much more interesting when I shot it crouched down and positioned with the sunlight coming from behind. Nikon D7100, 50mm, f/1.8, 1/2000 second, ISO 100.

This a simple thing to do, but it takes repeated practice until it becomes second nature. If your subject is short, crouch (or lay) down to get a more interesting shot, and if your subject is tall, find a way to elevate yourself.

It might not be easy or even comfortable, but your pictures will be much better because you took the effort to adjust your eye level.

This young man was so tall I brought a stepladder to his photo session. I had to elevate myself about a meter off the ground to get on his eye level! He and his family were extremely pleased with the results. Nikon D750, 200mm, f/3.3, 1/250 second, ISO 110.

Conclusion

These four beginner photography tips are just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more to learn when you start down your exciting journey to learn more about photography.

Everyone has to begin somewhere and if you’re not sure where to start, give these a try. If you have any recommendations from what you have learned over the years, share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Four Essential Beginner Photographer Tips appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Digital Photography School

May 7, 2020
SLC-2L-11: The “Magic” of Medium Format

There's something about shooting medium format — especially in black and white. The look is unmistakeable: creamy highlights supported by lush, detailed shadows.

So it's perfectly understandable why many photographers shell out big bucks for pricey medium format gear. In fact, it's possible that some of you are at this very moment casually thinking about how cool it would be to shoot with a MF camera system.

And why not? I mean, don't you deserve it?

Except for, a) the photo above was shot with a small-chip Fuji, and b) those shadow gradients were made with a second, $ 69 speedlight.
Read more »
Strobist

May 7, 2020
How to Create a Pep Ventosa Inspired Still Life

The post How to Create a Pep Ventosa Inspired Still Life appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

Pep Ventosa is a Catalan artist who creates incredible images that explore the boundaries of photography. Made from multiple layers of similar photographs, they create an abstract and often surreal effect with a painterly feel. Ventosa usually creates pictures outside, but you can borrow his ideas to create a Pep Ventosa inspired still life.

This is an ideal experiment for someone new to working with layers in Photoshop who wants to try and create a fine art inspired still life. You’ll find that even the most mundane objects can create beautiful, ghostly images.

Shoot your base images

First of all, you’ll need your base images. I started with a simple tabletop set up next to a window so that I could work with natural light. You could also use studio lights or lamps for this technique, and different lighting will produce quite different results!

Once you have your camera set up and an interesting object in place to photograph, take your first image. Then rotate the object a small amount and shoot another. I like to take at least ten images, which seems to always create a good effect. If you choose to start working with lots more images, you begin to run into Photoshop’s file size limitations quite quickly!

Make sure that you place your camera on a tripod the first time you try this out. This will keep your background consistent and allow you to move the object without worrying about having your camera in the same place each time. Once you’ve mastered the technique, you can experiment with moving the camera as well as the object in a different variation of the Pep Ventosa inspired still life.

Work in Lightroom Classic

You can choose to import the images straight into Photoshop and layer them into a stack manually if that’s your preferred workflow. However, I really like the Lightroom Classic functionality that can do all this for you.

As you can see, the images are all very similar, but each one is slightly different from the last. I’ve tried not to blow out any highlights or get too much black in the shadows. Having the images quite flat in this respect can be helpful when you start to work with the layer blending modes in Photoshop.

Take this opportunity to also clean up any blemishes or marks on the backdrop. Anything left in now will be harder to tidy up later.

When you’re ready to start layering your images, select them all in Lightroom Classic and then select the “Open as Layers in Photoshop” option. This will create an image file that has all of your base photographs stacked on Photoshop layers. Now you’re ready to start the fun bit of editing your Pep Ventosa inspired still life.

Work with Photoshop blend modes

Blend modes can be intimidating if you’ve never used them before, but this experimental image can be a great time to play with them. There are 27 different blending modes in total, which gives you lots of options for your Pep Ventosa inspired still life.

At the top of the layer stack is a drop-down box that is available as long as you have a layer highlighted. This is where the blend modes are hiding. Each option allows the layers underneath to show through according to different computer algorithms.

For the image above, I set each layer to “multiply” blend mode and changed the opacity to between 25% and 50%. This results in an extremely dark image at the end (because the colors multiply together mathematically), so I also added a Curves Layer to bring the exposure back up to something normal.

Spend some time experimenting with different blending modes. In my experience, Soft Light and Overlay also give interesting results. Some of the others might, too depending on your base images.

Finishing your image

Once you’ve finished adjusting your layers, you can save the image, close Photoshop, and open Lightroom Classic back up. Now you can polish the image, adjusting the colors and tone to suit your style.

Once you’ve edited an image in Photoshop and taken it back into Lightroom Classic, you can treat it as you would any other image. That means you can apply any effects, filters, or presets to the image.

If you’ve never worked with presets in Lightroom Classic before consider buying a large set to get you started. As you experiment with them and use them more and more, you’ll get to know how the settings work, and then you can start building your own.

Changing the colors in Lightroom Classic can change the whole mood of a photo. A dark, shadowy blue image can feel quite melancholy and introspective, while a warmer-toned image can feel more hopeful and even joyous.

When you shoot a still life image, it’s not just the subject that conveys emotion, but the colors too. So while you’re finishing off the colors in Lightroom Classic, make sure that they’re helping to communicate your message.

Consider how you’ll print your image

These kinds of images are really begging to be printed quite large on beautifully textured paper. And there are plenty of labs that will do this for you. A textured paper can really enhance the fine art feel of a Pep Ventosa inspired still life, working sympathetically with the multiple layer effect that you’ve created in Photoshop.

If you don’t intend to print your image, you could try adding textures to your work instead. Open the image (again) in Photoshop and try out different textures until you get an effect that you’re happy with. Remember, textures are always best kept subtle!

Conclusion

There are so many different ways you could use this technique. You could combine it with other photographic techniques, or different post-processing. And of course, there is an infinite number of different subjects that you could photograph.

Please do try your own Pep Ventosa inspired still life. And don’t forget to post your results in the comments – I’d love to see the different ways that we all interpret this idea!

The post How to Create a Pep Ventosa Inspired Still Life appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

Digital Photography School

May 6, 2020
15 Tips for Documenting Home Life
The post 15 Tips for Documenting Home Life appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

Documenting home life and capturing family moments is what inspired many of us to pick up a camera. But upon picking up a camera, we discovered just how challenging it is to capture those moments.

These 15 tips are ones that I’ve used over the years to capture my family moments. They will help you capture your moments more creatively, overcome lighting challenges, and use simpler camera settings.

The best part is, these tips work whether you’re using a DSLR or just your phone to take pictures.

Learn to spot moments before they happen, what angles make your photos look best, and how to freeze action in dim indoor light.
ISO 6400 f3.8 1/200 sec

Moments

It’s important to capture a good moment because the moment overshadows everything else in your photo. Surprisingly, people will often overlook bad lighting and sloppy composition in your photo simply because you captured a powerful moment.

The question is, how do you capture a moment well?

Remember that these tips apply to every photo you take, even if you’re using your phone.

1. Distinguish between two major types of moments

There are two types of moments; posed and candid.

With posed moments, you are in control of the details. You decide exactly what or who is in your photo, how they’re positioned, and how everything is interacting together.

When it comes to documenting home life, most of us prefer candid moments. Candid moments are spontaneous events that just happen naturally. By definition, you can’t force these moments to happen, you just see a great moment that happens spontaneously and you want to capture it. Of course, you can easily ruin the natural moments by stepping in and interrupting them.

But candid moments have a special problem, you don’t see them coming until it’s too late!

A classic example of a posed moment. See the tips below for the use of window light. ISO 1000 f/3.5 1/500 sec

2. Learn to see the future

You’ll be able to capture better moments when you develop the technical skill of seeing the future. Don’t worry, it’s not as impossible as you think.

The key to seeing the future is spotting patterns. When you see a pattern repeating itself, you can reliably predict what is going to come next. Look for patterns as you document home life, and you’ll be ready to capture the moment before it happens.

My son spends a few minutes every day deeply engaged in picture books. As long as I don’t let him see the camera, I can sneak a few photos. I used his feet and the book as a frame around his face. This picture was backlit using a window. ISO 1600 f/4.7 1/400 sec

3. Take your camera and go looking for moments

You know that when things go strangely quiet, something interesting is happening. So pick up your camera and go see what your kids are up to. If you don’t take your camera with you, by the time you go find it, the moment will have passed. It will be too late. When the house is quiet, pick up your camera, then go looking.

I discovered him asleep, and it was the perfect time to photograph his curls before his first hair cut. ISO 1600 f/2.0 1/10 sec

4. Include action and emotion

One key to capturing better moments while documenting home life is to make sure that they include action or emotion. Again, if everything else goes wrong, the action or emotional element will make your photo stronger.

Both the kite and the girl are in action. ISO 200 f/2.8 1/500 sec
The emotion completely changes this portrait!
A window was used to light this portrait and create catchlights in his eyes.
Composition

As you improve your skill of capturing moments, you can begin to compose better photos as well.

Start with angles. They are one of the best compositional tools because they completely change the way your photo looks and feels.

5. Bug’s eye view

This angle is wildly dramatic. Get really low, look straight up and see things tower above you. When you take all your pictures from the same angle, they are boring to look at. So make 1 out of 10 a bug’s eye view.

Taken with an old iPhone. ISO 320 f/2.8 1/20 sec

6. Low angle

Low angles take your photos to a new level by adding drama to your photo. Use it when photographing action moments like the child jumping across beds in the photo above.

Taken during a wind storm. ISO 2000 f/2.8 1/200 sec

7. Face-to-face

This angle puts you eye to eye with your subject and makes your photo more captivating. This angle works especially well when combined with emotional moments.

8. High angle

High angles are great for capturing the cuteness of little kids. Partly because a higher angle can make people look a little smaller. It’s a friendly angle.

ISO 250 f2.8 1/160 sec

9. Bird’s eye view

Our last angle is the bird’s eye view. You get right up there and look straight down. You don’t have to be high up in the air for this angle, just higher than your subject.

ISO 50 f2.4 1/20 Sec

Background

10. Avoid cluttered backgrounds

A cluttered background will weaken your photo. There are two ways to deal with a cluttered background in your photo. The first is to change your angle slightly to avoid distracting elements. The second is to actually clean up your house. Of course, maybe a messy background is part of documenting home life!

Use Frames

Look for objects that will frame your subject in an interesting way. Try shooting through cracks in doorways or window frames.

This photo is symmetrical, with the door in the background framing her. The funny expression on her face breaks the order of this photo. ISO 800 f/2.8 1/250 sec

Light

12. Use natural window light

Windows are a great source of natural light. You can use them for portraits, silhouettes, and just generally good lighting. Try to capture moments close to a window.

It is window light that contributes to the contrast and depth of this photo.

13. Pay attention to the direction of light

Consider what direction the light is coming from. Front and sidelight are great for portraits, backlight is great for drama.

Sidelight skims across his face and brings out the texture of the couch.

The backlight in this photo creates a dramatic silhouette.

Think of all these elements as a stack. A couple of these elements will improve your photos, but the more of these elements you stack together, the stronger your photo will become. You don’t have to be an expert in light, moment, and composition. You only need to take small steps in each of these elements and the power is when you combine those small steps together.

Camera settings for dim light

One of the biggest problems you’ll run into indoors is dim lighting. Dim lighting can leave your photos looking dark or blurry from motion.

14. Open curtains and blinds

If it’s daytime, make sure to open curtains and blinds.

15. Help your camera see in the dark
- Try increasing your ISO to 1600, 3200, or 6400.
- Open your aperture all the way (look for a smaller number like f/1.8) to let in more light.
- Consider purchasing a 35 mm or 50 mm prime lens with an aperture of f/1.8.
- Zoom lenses usually have smaller apertures and don’t let in his much light.
These settings will help your camera let more light in and have a quicker shutter speed so that your photos are less likely to be blurry.

You’ll need to hold very steady with such a slow shutter speed. ISO 5000 f/2.0 1/15 sec

Checklist for documenting home life

Remember, you don’t have to become an expert in every single one of these areas. As you stack these elements together, a slight bit of improvement in each of these areas will give you much better photos. A bit of emotion, from the right angle, with some interesting light, just might produce a work of art.

Settings to help with dim light
- ISO 1600, 3200, 6400
- Aperture f1.8
Moments
- See moments before they happen by spotting patterns
- Include emotion or action
Composition
- Angles
- Background
- Frames
Light
- Use windows
- Direction of light
Feel free to add your ideas about documenting home life, or share your images in the comments below!

The post 15 Tips for Documenting Home Life appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

Digital Photography School
May 6, 2020
Adobe Announces $1M Community Fund to Aid Artists During Pandemic
The post Adobe Announces $ 1M Community Fund to Aid Artists During Pandemic appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Adobe has announced a new Creative Residency Community Fund, designed to “help visual creators stay on track and achieve their dreams.”

The Fund is an offshoot of Adobe’s annual Creative Residency program, which supports several artists over the course of a year. But creatives have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, leading Adobe to look for additional ways to support artists in need.

And so the Creative Residency Community Fund was born. With the support of the Fund, artists can undertake a project of their own or complete a project commissioned by Adobe.

The Fund has been given $ 1 million USD to offer creatives support through mid-2021. Several application deadlines have been established over the next year, and artists will be notified on a rolling basis of their acceptance into the program.

Successful applicants will receive a sum between $ 500 USD and $ 5000 USD to support the project. Applicants will also receive a Creative Cloud membership, in addition to “career guidance workshops.”

For those who are interested in applying, the details can be found on the Adobe website. Note that you must specify up-front whether you’d like to be considered for the personal project or the commissioned project. Your application will ultimately go before a selection committee, which will determine both the success of your application and the funds you’ll be allotted.

Creatives can apply from all over the world, though Adobe does require English proficiency (excepting Japanese applicants). Applicants must also be 18 years or older.

As for the type of project that will be successfully funded:

Adobe explains that they “always consider great projects of all types if they showcase Creative Cloud capabilities,” but will focus on:
- Video
- Photography
- Photo art
- Graphic design
- Illustration
- 3D
- Motion design
- Product or interface design
So if you’re a creative that’s looking to complete a new project, go ahead and apply! The first application deadline is June 1st, though you’ll also have an opportunity to apply in September 2020, December 2020, and March 2021.

The post Adobe Announces $ 1M Community Fund to Aid Artists During Pandemic appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Digital Photography School
May 5, 2020
Why Buy? Canon m50: A Real Review

Have you dreamed of a simple yet feature-rich portable camera? Something that’s a step up from compact cameras but still small enough to carry around in your day bag? A camera that will deliver the image quality of an entry-level DSLR without the bulk? Oh, and still be affordable? The Canon m50 mirrorless camera just might be your dream come Continue Reading

The post Why Buy? Canon m50: A Real Review appeared first on Photodoto.

Photodoto

May 5, 2020
Review: Struman Optics Cinematic Lenses for Smartphones

The post Review: Struman Optics Cinematic Lenses for Smartphones appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lee Herbet.

The argument of whether smartphones can take good photos or not has been settled – they can! In this article, we are going to have a look at a set of lenses for smartphones from an Australian company, Struman Optics. While there are many lenses for smartphones on the market, I found a manufacturer that many, including me, had not heard of. Read on to find out how they perform.

I remember Scott Bourne once said on a podcast that when he was shooting a wedding, he had an “Uncle Bob” turn up with a “nicer camera” than his DSLR. And no matter what camera “Uncle Bob” was using, Scott could use his iPhone and still take better images. This was because Scott was a professional photographer with 30 years’ experience, and “Uncle Bob” was, well, “Uncle Bob.”

I totally agree with Scott’s sentiment. It’s the skills and years of experience behind the camera, rather than the camera itself that creates a beautiful image.

Having said that, thanks to the computational power of our smartphones these days, that gap is narrowing.

So, the next stage in this photographic evolution is what accessories we use to make our images from our phones even better.

Shot on iPhone 11 Pro with Struman 18mm wide lens

What are smartphone lenses?

In this article, I want to focus on a set of smartphone lenses I have been testing from Struman Optics. I’ve been trying out various brands for years now to either give me a bit more zoom, a wider shot, or the ever-fun macro function. They were always okay, but not optically amazing.

In the last 3-4 years, that’s changed with some really great glass coming out for smartphones. Unfortunately, you always get what you pay for, so these better lenses do cost a bit more than the cheaper ones we’ve seen over the years. But they’re still not going to break the bank.

The lenses that I’ve been testing over the last two months are Struman Optic’s Cinematic Wide, Cinematic Portrait, and Cinematic Macro lenses.

Struman Optics do make more cost-effective lenses that are more suited to purely photography, but since I am primarily a filmmaker, I got the Cinematic trifecta. Of course, they are great for photos too.

The wide is an 18mm f1.8 equivalent, and the portrait lens is 70mm f1.8 equivalent.

Struman Optics 18mm Wide lens

Struman Optics 70mm portrait cinematic lens

All three lenses attach via what has become a standard screw-on back. The portrait and wide lenses also have a 37mm front, which means you could actually attach standard filters such as a Circular Polarizer or Neutral Density filter.

What’s in the box

Before I go into some of the individual features of the lenses, let’s first look at what they come with. They each come with a travel pouch, cleaning cloth, and phone adapter. Struman Optics do make phone cases that allow you to screw your lens directly on too. I went with that option, but I really like that they have the phone adapter included. That means you can use the lens with any phone or, even dare I suggest it, tablet. (Please people, use your phones as cameras before you use your tablets.)

Using the adapter, which is kind of like a clip, means you could also use the lenses on the front camera of your phone for better quality selfies. ?

Build quality

The lens cases are nicely made. They are not too thick and have a good rubber grippy feeling. The thing that stands out for me is that the screw connection that you screw the lenses into seems to be solid metal. This is good, as I’ve had lens cases from other brands made of less sturdy stuff that breaks on me when trying to attach a lens. This happened to me while I was on a trip to Hong Kong, which meant I couldn’t use those lenses for the rest of the trip. Going by the feel of the Struman cases, it’s unlikely to happen.

Struman Optics lens case

The build of all the lenses is top-notch. They feel solidly made and have an aluminum casing. I appreciate that they come with a back cap as well as a front lens cap. I am not sure about the red ring around them, which I guess is a nod to bigger lenses with red rings. But most people I’ve shown them to have really liked it, so what do I know about design?

Why use them?

One of the first things you may be thinking is, “why would I need these now that most new phone cameras come with 3 lenses: an ultra-wide, a wide and telephoto lens?”

Well, not all lenses are created equal.

For example, the ultra-wide on the iPhone 11 Pro doesn’t feature the pretty amazing low light feature that the wide and telephoto lenses have. So, if you want to take an ultra-wide shot in the dark, you could put the Struman wide on your wide, get the advantage of the low light feature and still have an ultra-wide image.

In the same way that sometimes the tele just isn’t tele enough, adding the portrait lens to the tele gives you even more reach.

One thing to note is that if your phone has an ultra-wide lens, then the lenses will most likely not cover the entire lens as it’s just too wide. You can get some interesting-looking shots with the lenses on the ultra-wide, though, so it may be worth a try!

Shot on iPhone 11 Pro with Struman 18mm wide lens

Finally, that brings us to the macro lens. This has a feature that I’ve asked Struman Optics to add to all of their Cinematic lenses. The macro lens has a focus ring!

Struman Optics 22-82mm Macro lens for smartphones has a focus ring so that you can “pull focus.”

Again, you may be asking, “what do you need a focus ring for when the autofocus on the smartphones is so good?” Well, that’s true, but your autofocus won’t always focus on the thing you want to focus on when you’re super close, such as with a macro shot.

Shot on iPhone 11 Pro with Struman Macro lens

The reason I’d love to have the focus ring on the other two lenses is for when I want to a focus pull when making videos. That’s when you adjust your focus from one subject in your shot to another.

Autofocus can do that, but you can’t tell the autofocus how fast or slow to do it, so having that focus ring would be great for that type of creative control in video.

One thing to be aware of is that if your phone has more than one lens, then you may have to use a third-party photo app to force the camera to use the phone lens that has your external lens attached. A few of these apps are Procam, Halide and Manual – all have their pros and cons.

Both the wide and portrait cinema lenses are $ 249 AUD and the macro is $ 199 AUD. Struman Optics also has a series of cheaper lenses focused more on pure photography. They are available from their website www.strumanoptics.com.au, and, yes, they ship all over the world.

Have you used these or any other lenses for smartphones? How have you found them? Let us know in the comments section!

Shot on iPhone 11 Pro with Struman zoom lens

Shot on iPhone 11 Pro with Struman 18mm wide lens

The post Review: Struman Optics Cinematic Lenses for Smartphones appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lee Herbet.

Digital Photography School

May 4, 2020
5 Post-Processing Effects to Instantly Enhance Your Photos

The post 5 Post-Processing Effects to Instantly Enhance Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Do you want some quick and easy ways to improve your images with post-processing effects?

Look no further.

Because this article will give you 5 excellent post-processing effects to take your photos to the next level, instantly. And best of all: You can use them in pretty much any editing program and on pretty much any photo!

Sound good?

Let’s dive right in.

1. Increase the contrast and saturation for more powerful photos

This effect is extremely easy, and yet sometimes easy is best:

Boost the contrast.

And then boost the saturation.

Because here’s the thing:

Most photos suffer from a lack of tonal contrast and a lack of color richness. This makes the photos look flat. They look uninteresting. They’re, well, boring.

But they can be quickly and easily spiced up…

…by doing a little work with the contrast and saturation sliders.

This image required a bit of a saturation and contrast boost before it really popped.

Note that pretty much every photo editing program offers both of these options in a basic form, though, you can choose to selectively edit tones and colors, as well. And while there’s definitely value in doing more careful tonal editing (via a curves adjustment, for instance), I like to start with the basic contrast slider. It gives me a sense of what the contrast will do to my image, and it’s a great starting point.

The same is true of the saturation slider. Sure, it’s possible to do more advanced adjustments by selecting individual colors. But it’s not necessary for this editing step. Instead, just push up the saturation slider a tad, and see how it looks.

Now, when working with the saturation slider, you do have an alternative:

Vibrance.

Vibrance is a smart saturation. It enhances colors by selectively saturating colors that are less saturated, while also leaving skin tones alone. So if you’re hoping for a more subtle look, the vibrance slider may be the way to go.

I boosted both the contrast and vibrance to make this image stand out.

(In fact, feel free to try both. There’s no reason not to experiment!)

At the end of the day, it pays to start with basic edits (such as contrast and saturation). Just a little bit of editing can go a long way!

2. Pull up the darker tones for a nice cinematic fade

This is one of my favorite editing effects, however, it’s very easy to overdo (so be careful).

It’ll give you a faded, cinematic look, like this:

Start by accessing your tone curve, and placing points at the center and toward the bottom left:

Then carefully drag up the end point, watching the darkest areas of your photo as you do.

When you do this right, the deepest blacks in your photos will lighten, giving you a beautiful fade.

You can also experiment with the amount you actually pull up the tone curve (the more you pull, the stronger the effect). And you can try pulling down the tone curve just before the leftmost edge, to create a more contrast-heavy look:

The key is to experiment and see what you can come up with. No look is necessarily better than the others, just different. So test out many possibilities; you can even create presets out of your favorites.

3. Split tone with blues in the shadows and gold in the highlights

Split toning is all the rage in photography these days, especially with more fashion and portrait-focused photography (though you can definitely use split toning in landscape, street, and most other forms of photography). The idea is that you add different colors into the highlights and the shadows, giving a more creative feel to the image.

Here’s the split-toned look:

Do you see how the shadows are slightly bluer, and the highlights are slightly gold? While this is a look that is often overused, it can be a great addition to your photos when used with restraint.

In fact, I recommend you use the split tone I’ve previewed above as a starting point:

Blue shadows, gold highlights.

From there, you can start experimenting with other split tone options: yellow shadows, green highlights, orange shadows, teal highlights, even pink highlights, blue shadows (and so much more!).

Many of the best split tones use complementary colors (colors that sit opposite one another on the color wheel). Complementary colors contrast heavily with one another, which adds impact and depth to your photos, hence the popularity of those split-tone combinations. But bear in mind that you can also use analogous colors, which sit next to one another on the color wheel and bring a sense of harmony to your photos (blue and green are a great example).

In fact, the key to split toning is to think about the mood you want to evoke, and then choose color combinations that convey that mood!

Note that split toning is offered by most editing programs, but it may be a bit difficult to find. For instance, Lightroom puts its split toning panel just above the Detail module:

Once you’ve found it, have fun experimenting!

4. Selectively saturate the blues and greens for added impact

I’m a huge fan of selective color editing.

Why?

Because it allows you to both simplify and enhance the composition, which results in better, more powerful compositions overall.

Plus, it can just look plain cool.

Generally speaking, it can pay to selectively saturate the colors of your subject, especially if your subject is struggling to stand out against a colorful backdrop.

(Note that you can also desaturate the background colors, or even do both at once for an enhanced effect.)

But for a really neat effect, I recommend you focus on two specific colors:

Blues and greens.

That’s what I did for the image below:

You see, blues and greens tend to look really, really good when saturated more deeply. They’re not close to skin tones, so you don’t have to worry about messing up portrait shots. And they’re mostly in the background, so they just add a bit of pizzazz to your photos.

Of course, saturating blues and greens won’t always look good. There are situations where it just won’t work.

But generally speaking, richer blues and greens will serve to enhance your photos.

Now, to do selective color adjustments, you’ll need to work with individual colors. In Lightroom, this requires using the HSL sliders in the Develop module.

Just remember:

Don’t saturate just to saturate. Instead, do it if it improves your photos. Saturated blues and greens are nice, but only to a point. As with any good post-processing effect, don’t get carried away!

5. Use exposure gradients to add depth to your photos

Exposure gradients aren’t difficult to pull off, but many photographers never bother to learn how to create them.

Which is absolutely a mistake, because exposure gradients can take your photo from boring to life-like in two seconds flat.

First things first:

An exposure gradient simply lightens or darkkens a part of your photo in gradient fashion. So the effect gradually dissipates as it moves across your photo. Like this:

Now, this may seem like a silly effect, but think about what you could do if you put the gradient in the corner, just below where the sun sat in the sky. You’ll get an artistic, flare-like result.

Neat, right?

You can get even better results by warming up the gradient. That way, the light is slightly golden:

Flare-like effects are cool, but my favorite thing about gradients is how they add depth to images. The gradient gives an element of three-dimensionality that’s hard to produce otherwise, and for that reason alone, gradients are worth trying out.

Here’s the bottom line:

While you won’t always end up using the exposure gradient in your final image, it’s often worth a try. Because gradients can make a huge difference to your photos.

Plus, they’re very cool!

5 post-processing effects to instantly enhance your photos: Conclusion

Hopefully, you now feel like you can do a lot with post-processing, even if editing isn’t your strong suit.

And, as I said, these effects aren’t actually hard to use. Just give yourself a bit of time to learn how to produce the effects, then start practicing.

You’ll soon be processing gorgeous photos!

Do you have any other post-processing effects tips you’d like to share? If so, please share them with us in the comments. We’d also love to see your post-processing effects results, so feel free to share those too.

If you are interested in further post-processing tips, why not try out Jim Hamel’s Lightroom course.

The post 5 Post-Processing Effects to Instantly Enhance Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Digital Photography School

May 3, 2020
Creative Photography Exercises to do at Home (video)
The post Creative Photography Exercises to do at Home (video) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

If you are stuck at home and bored, why not try some of these great creative photography exercises to get you upping your photography skills and relieving your boredom at the same time?

You can do so with this great video from our friends over at Cooph, who have gone to the effort of compiling some of their great at-home creative photography exercises into one video.

Some of the techniques include:
1. Photography with Food and drinks – using things like coffee, avocados and more.
2. Kitchen Views – inside the fridge, using your sink, dishes and cutlery. Using your cupboards as black boxes. Explore food coloring and dish soap.
3. Make funky installations – use projections from your computer onto people or objects and photograph them. Use colored gels on your camera or lighting gear.
4. Office visions – Use a lens ball and text, use office items in an unusual way. Draw your own props to photograph.
So try out some of these exercises and share your results with us in the comments below!

You may also like:
- 7 Ideas for Creative Lens Ball Photography
- Stunning Photo Ideas Using Coffee
- 6 Methods to Create Dynamic in Your Photography
- Challenge Yourself by Photographing One Object
- 5 Fun Tips for Photographing Water
- 10 Photography Projects You Can Work on From Home
- Stuck at Home? – Ways Still Life Photography Can Keep Your Skills Sharp
- 10 Things You Can Photograph in Your Home
- Exploring Your Home with Close-Up Filters
- The dPS At-Home 7-Day Photography Challenge – Week Four
The post Creative Photography Exercises to do at Home (video) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

Digital Photography School
May 3, 2020