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2 Important Skills All Photographers Need

11 Mar

The post 2 Important Skills All Photographers Need appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Do you know what are two of the most important skills all photographers need? Since photographers don’t usually apply for jobs with a traditional CV, we’re not really used to thinking about things like soft skills. Yet, we really should.

As a photographer, you are very conscious of technical skills and you ‘sell’ them to the client. But what about soft skills? Usually, everything falls into the creative category, but learning to recognize individual soft skills can help you to improve as a photographer and grow your list of clients.

What are soft skills?

Soft skills are a list of personal competencies or attributes that impact the way you do your job. Because they come from a personal level, they are not necessarily job-specific. However, some are more important than others for each professional profile. Two important skills all photographers need are resourcefulness and flexibility.

A streak of bad luck during the shoot, or a slip of memory that made you forget some equipment, can happen to anyone. This is where soft skills kick in – how do you solve the problem? I’ll give you two examples where simple things can go wrong, and why these are important skills all photographers need.

Example 1: a broken tripod

You have a photoshoot where the composition was laid out considering a high point of view looking down on the subject. Unfortunately, the quick-release plate of the tripod brakes, what would you do? Problem-solving may lead you to change the settings to do the photo handheld, but sometimes you can’t.

Let’s explore some other ways to deal with it.

Resourcefulness

It means that you’re able to face a difficult and unexpected situation by using any resource you have at hand. In this case, you’ll need to find a steady support for your camera. Look around and find any stable thing that you can use considering the height you need to reach. You can use your equipment cases, or some boxes for example.

Next, think about the angle you need to give your camera and find something malleable to put on top of the boxes. Most photographers have a sandbag to put weight on the tripod, you can use that. Otherwise, you can find a cushion, a bag of sugar, or anything you can find. This would potentially solve your problem with resourcefulness.

Flexibility

If there weren’t any resources available to solve the problem, or not in an acceptable way, then you need flexibility. This means that you have the ability and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances. For example, being open to change the aesthetics of the image by rearranging the composition and reframing it.

If you’re working with still life, products or food, you can even place the camera on the same surface as the subject. If it’s a portrait or a landscape, try placing your camera on the tripod without having to angle it.

Example 2: no flash trigger

A wireless flash trigger is a device that allows your camera to communicate with your flash so you can fire it in sync. Usually, it’s two pieces of equipment – the transmitter and the receiver. If you forget one of the pieces, run out of batteries, or it breaks, what can you do to trigger the flash?

Resourcefulness

Even if your set-up involves several flashes, you can use most speed lights and strobes in slave mode. This means that you only need to fire one flash and the others will react to it. So, which flash can fore without extra devices or cables? The one from your camera (if your camera has an onboard flash).

Normally, you don’t want to use that flash to illuminate your scene, as it tends to be quite unflattering, but you can use it to trigger your other lights. Using a piece of cardboard, or a small box, block the front (and at least one of the sides) of the flash so that it won’t spill any light into your scene.

Leave open one side so that the light triggers the slave flashes.

Flexibility

Another possible solution is to fire the flash manually. In order to do this, you’ll need a longer shutter speed so you can react and fire it on time.

The last time I faced something like this, I started processing whatever I had shot before the trigger broke, this way the client didn’t feel we were just waiting around doing nothing and I used the time productively. If not, you’ll need to be open to reschedule or run to buy a new trigger (or batteries, depending on what happened). In any case, flexibility is key.

Conclusion

As you can see, soft skills are small things that you probably already have but never considered an extra asset. The important thing about identifying your soft skills is that you can improve on them.

Also, now that you know them, don’t be shy about letting your clients know about it. In the end, they want a photographer that gets the job done, no matter what. This is why resourcefulness and flexibility are important skills all photographers need.

Have you faced any scenarios where you had to think quick on your feet to get the job done? Share with us in the comments!

The post 2 Important Skills All Photographers Need appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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How to Use Photoshop and Capture One Pro Together

11 Mar

The post How to Use Photoshop and Capture One Pro Together appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

using-photoshop-and-capture-one-together

Capture One Pro is a RAW processor with incredible performance and functionality, but it doesn’t completely replace Photoshop.

In order to get the most out of your RAW file, you might want to do as much of your post-processing as possible in Capture One (COP). However, you’ll still need Photoshop for retouching.

COP offers fantastic color management and adjustment tools, but Photoshop allows you to work on the individual pixels in a file via cleaning techniques, cloning, and layers. Photoshop also allows you to create composites.

The process of using Photoshop and Capture One together has been automated since version 10, just like it is between Lightroom and Photoshop.

Instead of having to manually open an exported file into Photoshop and then reimport it back into the Catalog or Session, your file can quickly and easily make a “round-trip”, starting in Capture One.

How to Use Photoshop and Capture One Pro Together

How do Capture One Pro and Photoshop differ?

There is a lot of conversation around which program is better – Capture One or Photoshop? But there’s not much point in comparing the two programs in this way because they’re very different. They’re meant to do different things, as Lightroom and Photoshop are also meant to do different things.

Photoshop is the standard for image manipulation across various disciplines, such as graphic design, graphic art, and, of course, photography. It’s a powerful program for retouching, composting, creating website mockups, and adding effects to images.

On the other hand, Capture One is a RAW editor and asset management tool, such as Lightroom and Camera RAW. It is made by Phase One, manufacturers of medium format cameras.

Because Photoshop and Capture One have their strengths in different areas, you’ll get the most functionality out of using them together. Some photographers and retouchers prefer to focus on Photoshop alone, which is certainly a viable choice. However, there are benefits to using Capture One as an additional software program. It has powerful masking, layer, and color tools.

One of these benefits of using Capture One is the advanced tethering capabilities that the software offers.

If you’re a studio photographer, or otherwise find shooting tethered to a computer indispensable to your workflow, you’ll find Capture One outstanding in this regard.

It allows you to use Live View, artwork overlays, and also offers stability and lightning speed. Capture One technology uses direct access to the camera, which enables Live View and advanced controls. Other tethering programs copy files such as camera proprietary programs save the captures to an SD card and call it “tethered capture.” However, it’s actually a “file copy.”

The steps for using Capture One and Photoshop together

Your photo can make a “round trip” in Capture One and Photoshop.

You can open the image in Photoshop via Capture One, retouch it, and then send it back to Capture One. Lightroom and Photoshop work in tandem the same way.

With Capture One, you can finalize your image within the program and send it to an external editor, like Photoshop.

Capture One is an asset manager, so you’ll probably want to put it back alongside your original file in the Catalog or Session where it’s stored.

You can then refine it further, or create Variants (like Virtual Copies) in black & white, color grading, etc. if you choose.

To initiate the round-trip process, follow these steps:

1. Start with the Basic Tab:

Right-click on the image itself or on the thumbnail. This will initiate a dropdown menu. Choose >Edit With. This will bring up a Dialog Box.

Do not choose >Open With. This function is just for opening up the image in another program, while >Edit With will create a new file and place it next to the RAW file.

If you don’t see Photoshop as an option in the dropdown, just click on >Other and navigate to Photoshop in your applications and click on it.

In the Dialog box, choose >PSD and your desired bit depth – 8-bit or 16-bit.

Choose the desired color profile – sRGB for web use only, or Adobe RGB.

Choose 100% for Scale to the image is full-sized.

2. Under the Adjustment Tab:

Choose to ignore crop, if desired.

Add additional sharpening if you want to do so at this stage.

3. Under the Metadata tab:

Check off any metadata parameters you want included in the file.

Click on >Edit Variants. The image will open up in Photoshop.

“Edit Variants” refers to a single file, instead of batch processing.

Once your image is open in Photoshop, do your retouching as you normally would.

When you’re ready to take your image back into Capture One, close the file and hit >Save.

Note that Maximize Compatibility must be checked to work properly.

Now when you go back to Capture One, you’ll see your PSD file in the filmstrip.

From here, you can make new variants, which work similarly to Lightroom Virtual Copies. You can convert your image to black & white or make variations with different color grading, such as warmer or cooler shadows. This can be handy for showing a client some variations on your work to find out what they would prefer.

Conclusion

Users of Lightroom are often hesitant about making the switch to Capture One or other RAW processors outside of the Adobe suite because of the learning curve associated with a new piece of software. They also worry about having to alter a workflow they may have spent years refining.

If this describes you, never fear. As you can see, your images can make the round trip through Capture One and Photoshop just as seamlessly as they do using Lightroom.

And If this is one of the major reasons you’ve been holding off on a change, you may want to download the free 30-day trial to Capture One and test it for yourself. The best RAW processor is the one that is best for your needs.

Have you tried using Photoshop and Capture One together? What are your experiences and thoughts on it? Share them with us in the comments!

The post How to Use Photoshop and Capture One Pro Together appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

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5 Ways to Capture More Diverse Landscape Photos

11 Mar

The post 5 Ways to Capture More Diverse Landscape Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

One of the most challenging things with landscape photography is to capture images that stand out. Planning to get to a destination at the right time is the easy part, and usually requires minimal effort. So when you have arrived at your location, how do you go about capturing more diverse landscape photos?

Well, there are several ways to represent greater diversity in your landscape images. Read on to discover how to make your landscape photos more interesting.

1. Minimalist scene

diverse landscape photos 01 — 1/400 sec at f/11, Canon 5D Mark IV, 70-200mm f/2.8 lens

The first thing to consider when you are out in nature doing landscape photography is to decide what you are going to capture.

You may decide to photograph the entire view of the beautiful scenery in front of you. However, while executing a wide-angle shot of everything in the scene is a great way to start, why not try simplifying a scene to make it stand out.

Take a moment to think about what is actually appealing about the landscape. Are there any interesting features on show? What elements help to make the landscape look stunning? Is there an attractive outbuilding or a tree, for example?

I find limiting the number of components in a scene helps to convey the spirit of a place more fluently. Try adopting a “less is more approach” and bring certain elements together, such as a visually enticing cloud formation or evocative mist floating over an alluring landscape. The natural light and components within a scene can play an important part in the overall composition and look of your final image.

2. Extract patterns

diverse landscape photos 02 — 1/100 sec at f/11, Canon 5D Mark IV, 70-200mm f/2.8 lens

Have you ever felt your landscape images are overly complicated or lack impact?

Another great technique to capture more diverse landscape photos that depict a location in a better way is to draw out patterns or details within the environment.

One method to do this is to shoot with a long lens from afar and compress the perspective to reduce the sense of space. A long lens helps to focus on capturing a certain part of the landscape, bringing near and far objects closer together and emphasizing shapes and patterns more effectively. An example of this may be to capture an attractive building with a field.

3. Aerial views

When looking to capture diverse landscape photos, a great way to alter the perspective of your shots is to vary your viewpoint. Shooting from a high viewpoint provides a great way to capture scenes from an angle that people may not normally see. This can be a good strategy to photograph something new and develop some creative landscape photography.

Elevated views can help to flatten the perspective of your image as it eliminates distance indicators. You can reduce the amount of sky in your photos and concentrate on creating images with interesting shapes. You can achieve aerial views by walking up to a higher vantage point, or shooting from a plane or hot-air balloon, for example.

4. Shoot in overcast conditions

Don’t limit your landscape photography to sunny days or only wait for perfect light to appear, you can achieve diverse landscape photos in all weathers.

Capturing a scene in overcast conditions can lead to particularly striking results. The flat lighting will remove shadows and help to simplify a scene. Also, the reduced contrast will help to provide a simpler and more minimalist composition.

Overcast skies provide beautiful diffused light that can be really appealing for landscape photography.

5. Shoot fleeting light

Working with light can be a great way to capture remarkable images. With the right amount of light and cloud, you can convert a dull scene into a special scene, taking your photos to the next level.

For example, after a storm has passed, interesting light can transform a photo of the landscape into something incredible. This is especially so where the sun paints the land with magical pockets of light.

The precise combination of light, sky, and atmosphere can be blended to create an incomparable beauty within a frame.

Following a rain shower, keep a lookout for rainbows, as they provide an extraordinary addition to your pictures and help them to stand out. Remember to ensure your gear is kept dry during any rain too. That way, your camera will work well when capturing these great lighting moments after the rain has stopped.

Conclusion

In summary, you can capture more diverse landscape photos by applying a few important techniques. Go for a minimalist look by focussing on attractive elements within the landscape, and extract patterns by using a long lens to compress the perspective.

Shoot from above, shoot in overcast conditions, and capture momentary light and rainbows for more varied landscape images.

Apply these techniques next time you are out with your camera photographing the landscape and share your pictures with us below.

Do you have any other tips for capturing more diverse landscape photos? Share them with us also.

The post 5 Ways to Capture More Diverse Landscape Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

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5 Reasons You Should Use Mirrorless in 2020

10 Mar

The post 5 Reasons You Should Use Mirrorless in 2020 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Are you struggling to decide between DSLRs and mirrorless cameras? Do you want to know which is best for your needs? You’ve come to the right place. In this article, I’m going to give you the main reasons you may want to use mirrorless in 2020 over DSLRs.

And, if at the end of this article, some (or all) of those reasons speak to you, then mirrorless is probably the way to go.

If not, then I recommend you stick with DSLRs, because they really can produce amazing images.

Make sense?

Let’s get started.

1. Mirrorless cameras offer a live exposure preview

For me, this is the absolute best thing about mirrorless photography and the main reason why I bought my first mirrorless body.

You see, on a DSLR, when you look through the viewfinder, you see the actual scene before you (through your camera’s lens).

But if you look through the electronic viewfinder of mirrorless cameras, then you don’t see the scene in real life. Instead, you get a feed from the camera’s sensor, which incorporates exposure information.

See the area where you look through on the camera below? There’s a small OLED or LCD screen, which allows you to see a preview of the shot.

The feed isn’t perfect. It doesn’t always show you an accurate representation of the final image, especially if you’re shooting long exposure with changing light.

But it’s really, really good. And it’s extremely useful for those situations where you need to capture shots on the fly, because you have an immediate understanding of where your camera’s exposure is and where it needs to be. Just a few twists of your camera’s dial and – voila! – you’ve got a good exposure.

Note that there are also downsides to using these electronic viewfinders. They vary a lot in terms of quality, and even the best EVFs are nowhere near optical (DSLR) viewfinders in terms of clarity.

Plus, there will be some situations where you’ll want to work without exposure simulation, and this often means diving into your camera’s menu in order to figure out how to turn the feature off.

But if you’re the type of person who wants to know the resulting exposure before you hit the shutter button, then mirrorless is a great choice.

2. You can fit a mirrorless body in your pocket

I’m serious.

With some of the smaller mirrorless cameras, you can mount the lens on the body and stick it in your pocket, no problem.

You do need to use a small lens, but it’s still pretty impressive, and it’s another reason to use mirrorless in 2020.

In other words:

Mirrorless cameras tend to be much smaller than their DSLR counterparts.

In fact, the small size was considered the original groundbreaking advantage of mirrorless, and is still pretty great, even though DSLRs like the Canon SL3 and Nikon D3500 are really quite small.

That’s why mirrorless cameras are great for travel and casual shooting. Plus, you can take them into events without anybody noticing you’ve got a high-powered camera. This is also key for street photography, where you generally want to avoid attention.

Oh, and if you really want to take the small form factor to the next level, check out Micro Four Thirds cameras and lenses. Their compact size will blow you away.

Here’s an example of the size variation you can find with mirrorless bodies, from the large Olympus OM-D E-M1X, all the way down to the compact E-M10 Mark III:

3. You can see in black and white as you shoot

Another reason to use mirrorless in 2020 is black and white photography. If you’ve ever wanted to shoot in black and white, but you felt it’d be too hard a medium to master…

…get a mirrorless camera.

Because if you use a mirrorless body with a viewfinder, you’ll be able to program it to display in black and white.

And, as long as you’ve got the viewfinder to your eye, you’ll see in black and white.

This means that you have an immediate boost in your black and white potential. Instead of struggling to see in black and white (which is half the battle of the b&w genre), you’ll be able to understand the black and white medium straight out of the gate.

You’ll see how different colors are rendered in black and white. You’ll see how black and white photos change as the light changes.

And you’ll become a much better black and white photographer.

In fact, even if you switch back to a DSLR, you’ll retain your black and white skills. Because your understanding of black and white will exist on a much deeper level.

Cool, right?

4. Mirrorless cameras offer true silent shooting modes

If you’re a street photographer or an event photographer, then I’m guessing that you’d love the opportunity to shoot without making a sound.

It prevents you from disturbing the silence in a wedding ceremony. And it prevents people from noticing that you’re photographing them on the streets.

Now, DSLRs often offer silent shooting modes.

But if you’ve ever tried one of these, they’re just…bad.

Sure, they make things quieter than the “thunk, thunk, thunk” you get from normal shooting. But they still leave the shutter quite audible, and I certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable using them in a quiet room.

Enter mirrorless silent modes.

See, mirrorless cameras generally offer two broad types of shooting:

Shooting with the mechanical shutter (which is what causes the loud noise you get from a DSLR).
And shooting with the electronic shutter.

Fortunately, shooting with an electronic shutter is literally silent. You can hit the shutter button and no one (probably not even you) will hear it.

It’s perfect for street photography, and it’s amazing for event photography.

So that once you’ve used a true silent shutter, you’ll struggle to ever go back to a DSLR!

5. Mirrorless cameras come with all sorts of cool bonus features

When I got my first mirrorless camera, here’s one of the things I was most excited about:

The extra features that came with it. This is another reason to use mirrorless in 2020.

Sure, I was happy with the smaller size and the live preview, and those were the main reasons that I bought it in the first place.

But the extra features…

…well, I couldn’t wait to try them out.

I’m talking about things like focus peaking, which allows you to see, in advance, which areas of your shot are going to be in focus. It’s not perfect, but it gives you an approximation of the necessary depth of field, plus it’s just really cool.

I’m also talking about the manual focusing guide, which lets you select an autofocus point, then tells you when you’ve nailed it with manual focus.

This last feature has been a huge help for ensuring I get my point of focus right; it acts as a check on my manual focusing in landscape, architectural, and macro photography.

Now, not all mirrorless cameras offer these features. And there are some bonuses, such as Olympus’s Pro Capture option, that you’ll only find in a select few mirrorless bodies.

(Pro Capture, by the way, causes the camera to start firing at up to 60 frames per second when you press the shutter button halfway down, but then saves around a dozen shots from before you finally hit the shutter button, as well as dozens of frames after you hit the shutter.)

So before you buy a DSLR, check out the features hidden in different mirrorless camera menus. I bet there are some awesome ones that are worth a look.

5 Reasons You Should Use a Mirrorless in 2020: Conclusion

Now that you’ve finished this article, you should know all about mirrorless cameras, and whether you should think about purchasing one.

Because here’s the thing:

Mirrorless systems aren’t for everyone. There are reasons to use mirrorless in 2020, and there are reasons to shoot with DSLRs (and there are even reasons to shoot film!).

Now I’d like to know your opinion:

Why do you shoot mirrorless? Are there any reasons for shooting mirrorless that I missed? And if you shoot with a DSLR, why? Let us know in the comments!

The post 5 Reasons You Should Use Mirrorless in 2020 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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Camera Industry Hit Hard by Coronavirus, Causing Production Delays

09 Mar

The post Camera Industry Hit Hard by Coronavirus, Causing Production Delays appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Over the past month, the coronavirus outbreak has rocked the world.

And now it’s making its way into the camera industry.

The three biggest imaging companies, Canon, Nikon, and Sony, have found themselves affected by coronavirus outbreaks.

First, Sony Alpha Rumors published a tip from an unnamed source, which said:

“We can expect product [launches] to be very delayed along with much lower capacity in production volumes for many of [Sony’s] current imaging products.”

While we can’t know exactly what product launches Sony Alpha is referring to, fans have been eagerly anticipating the announcement of the Sony a7s III, as well as the Sony a7 IV.

Around the same time, the CP+2020 expo, which was due to be hosted in Japan, was canceled, with the organizers citing “no effective treatment or containment measures to deal with the novel coronavirus.” Organizers went on to explain that the “event attracts around 70,000 unspecified visitors and therefore we cannot completely eliminate the risk of infection.”

Then, only weeks later, Canon Rumors says this:

“Canon…will suspend operations at its five offices in Kyushu, which produce cameras and related products, for about two weeks from March 2 to 13. The supply of parts from China may become unstable due to the effects of the new coronavirus.”

While Canon Rumors goes on to say that, “At the moment, no employees have been infected,” the message is clear: Coronavirus, directly or indirectly, is taking its toll on Canon’s camera business.

And finally, a report by Nikon Rumors, and further corroborated by PetaPixel, indicates that Nikon’s new AF-S 120-300mm f/2.8 lens would not ship as initially announced. Instead, you can expect the lens in late March, at least according to Amazon’s shipping date.

As explained in a statement from Nikon, “The U.S. availability for the AF-S NIKKOR 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR will be announced at a later date as we determine the global impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak. We will communicate updates on timing as they become available.”

At present, it’s difficult to say what all this means; will Canon, Sony, and Nikon recover swiftly from the effects of the coronavirus? Or will the virus’s impact be more long-lasting? These closures may be just the beginning.

Here’s one concern: Nikon hasn’t reported good financial numbers in recent months. If the coronavirus continues to affect production, Nikon may see a significant drop in sales, something that could further impact the imaging company over the next year (and beyond).

And similar worries are undoubtedly plaguing companies such as Olympus, which recently weathered rumors of a camera division shutdown.

What do you think? How will things play out regarding the coronavirus and the camera industry? Is this as bad as it will get, or will things become worse?

Let me know in the comments!

The post Camera Industry Hit Hard by Coronavirus, Causing Production Delays appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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6 Reasons Why Dedicated Cameras are Better than Smartphones for Photography

09 Mar

The post 6 Reasons Why Dedicated Cameras are Better than Smartphones for Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Modern smartphone cameras are amazing! They have facilitated an explosion in photography that shows no signs of stopping. Mobile phone cameras, apps, editing, and sharing have given people access to creative outlets that were unthinkable a mere 15 years ago. If the best camera is the one you have with you, then 9 times out of 10, the best camera is right in your pocket! Despite the advances in smartphone cameras, there are still few things smartphone cameras lack. So, in this article, we’ll explore why dedicated cameras are better than smartphones for photography. In other words, there are some photos you just can’t get with a smartphone.

Reasons why dedicated cameras are better than smartphones for photography

why dedicated cameras are better than smartphones-butterfly — Nikon D7100, 85mm, f/2.8, 1/1000 second, ISO 100

1. Software vs. Physics

The first of the 5 reasons why dedicated cameras are better than smartphones for photography, is software vs physics.

I don’t want to sound like an old man yelling at clouds, decrying all modern technologies that might make my life better. Smartphone cameras and computational photography are incredible! They can use software and artificial intelligence to capture incredible images of night skies and portrait-style images with blurry backgrounds.

But digital trickery and software manipulations are no match for a mastery of light and physics, and this is where dedicated cameras still have an edge.

Most smartphones have lenses that approximate roughly a 28mm field of view on a full-frame camera. Some have second lenses that go a bit wider, usually about 15mm. It’s also not uncommon for higher-end phones to have a telephoto lens as well, which is roughly equivalent to a 50mm lens.

Nearly all smartphone cameras are stuck at a single aperture value as well, which gives you limited control over a key element of exposure. While there is much that can be done in software to overcome the inherent limitations of these lenses and focal lengths, sometimes you just need a separate camera to get the shot.

2. Foreground Blur

why dedicated cameras are better than smartphones-flower-bokeh — Nikon D7100, 50mm, f/1.8, 1/2000 second, ISO 100

Any smartphone can take pictures of flowers. This particular image shows a backlit flower whose petals are glowing with sunlight streaking in from above and behind, and a mobile phone could capture that just fine. However, there is one key element of this image that’s impossible on a smartphone – the foreground blur.

Smartphones have come a long way with so-called portrait-style photography. Portrait mode involves software combined with depth data that allows a smartphone to blur the background.

But not the foreground.

This is one of the things smartphone cameras lack. Try it for yourself!

Take a portrait-style photo with your smartphone but include objects in the foreground that you would like to blur. The background will get blurry, but the foreground will remain in focus.

Blurring both the foreground and background is a time-honored technique to add a sense of depth and perspective to your photos. Perhaps one day the software and AI techniques used on mobile phones will be able to replicate this. But, for now, if you’re using a smartphone, you’re stuck with just background blur.

3. Telephoto Zoom

While smartphone cameras have had pinch-to-zoom capabilities for over a decade, it amounts to little more than just cropping your pictures. Modern smartphones do a better job of interpolating data between pixels and adjusting exposure values on the fly, but at the end of the day, you’re still just cropping.

In the process, you lose a lot of detail. And even then, you just can’t zoom in very far. It’s definitely one of the things smartphone cameras lack, despite some recent advances.

One classic example of this is a picture of the moon.

Smartphone lenses, and the laws of physics, make pictures like this impossible. You have probably noticed if you have ever tried to do a pinch-and-zoom photo of our nearest celestial neighbor.

You’ll need a dedicated camera if you want to get crisp, detailed photos of faraway objects. And this is just another reason dedicated cameras are better than smartphones.

why dedicated cameras are better than smartphones-horse — Nikon D500, 200mm, f/2.8, 1/3000 second, ISO 100

Smartphones aren’t great for most long-distance shooting scenarios, such as this picture of a horse in the pasture.

While pinch-and-zoom can make it seem like you’re getting closer, you won’t get a tack-sharp, high-resolution image suitable for printing and framing.

Like everything tech-related, this is getting better and will improve with time. Some phones now are using stacked periscope-style lenses combined with software and AI processing to mimic 10x or even 100x zoom lenses. Right now, these make interesting tech demos, but the results don’t have the same level of clarity, color, and fidelity as you would get from a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a zoom lens attached.

4. Background compression

why dedicated cameras are better than smartphones-walking — Nikon D7100, 200mm, f/2.8, 1/1500 second, ISO 100

Another reason dedicated cameras are better than smartphones is background compression.

Something interesting happens when you shoot photos with a telephoto zoom: the background appears to move closer to your subject.

It’s called background compression and is a time-honored compositional technique to make your subjects stand out and take your images up to another level. It’s also impossible to do on a smartphone.

In the picture above, the building is very far away from the woman walking in the foreground. Shooting with a telephoto lens compresses the background and makes it seem much closer.

-family-forest — Nikon D750, 200mm, f/4, 1/400 second, ISO 3200

In this family photo, you can see the trees and leaves in the background, which are very far away. However, they appear closer as a result of background compression.

While some smartphone cameras do have some limited zoom capability, their smaller lenses and image sensors simply do not allow for these types of pictures.

5. Fast action

Before I get too far in this section, I want to point out that smartphones are good at capturing some types of fast action. These conditions are fairly limited, though.

You have to be close to your subject, which isn’t possible in a lot of action situations. It also helps if you can lock focus on a specific area where you know the subject will be, or else have a smartphone with amazing autofocus capabilities. And if you can meet those challenges, then your phone could produce some good results.

For a lot of fast action, though, you need a DSLR or mirrorless camera. It helps to have a good lens attached too.

This will let you stand on the sidelines while getting up close and personal with your subjects. It helps to shoot with a wide aperture too, which will let you get a fast shutter speed and freeze the action.

action photo — Nikon D750, 185mm, f/4, 1/500 second, ISO 100

These types of action shots are impossible on smartphones because pinch-to-zoom just can’t get the job done. You’ll get pictures that are pixellated, blurry, or out of focus because smartphones are not able to match the speed and capability of a dedicated camera.

In the picture below, I was sitting in the stern of a boat zoomed in to 200mm. I had to use tracking autofocus to keep the picture sharp. My brother was also in the boat with his smartphone, and he didn’t like any of the shots he got.

why dedicated cameras are better than smartphones- action photo of tubing — Nikon D7100, 200mm, f/2.8, 1/2000 second, ISO 100

6. Portraits

The last of my reasons that dedicated cameras are better than smartphones relates to portrait photography.

This one might ruffle some feathers because phones have gotten so much better at portraits in recent years. In fact, some people can’t even tell the difference between portrait-style images shot on mobile phones and actual portraits taken with a dedicated camera. I have trouble sometimes too. In the coming years, mobile phones are going to keep getting better and better.

For now, and into the foreseeable future, dedicated cameras still have a significant advantage.

Software and AI, and computational horsepower can do a lot, but they can’t keep up with a good lens and physics.

In the picture below, the girl’s eyes are tack sharp but there is a subtle falloff as you look towards the edge of her face. Her hair goes from sharp to blurry in a smooth, even fashion.

The background isn’t just blurry – it’s obliterated. Mobile phones can’t do that.

girl-red-shirt — Nikon D750, 170mm, f/2.8, 1/180 second, ISO 100

You don’t need expensive gear to take great portraits either.

In fact, you can spend far less on a used DSLR or Mirrorless camera than you would on a mobile phone with portrait mode.

The shot below was taken on a Nikon D200, which came out in 2006, and can be found today for about $ 150.

The lens is a cheap 50mm f/1.8. And the results blow away anything you can get from a mobile phone.

All the subtle details, like the way her eye is in focus but her ears are slightly blurry, to her hair slowly fading away, to the bokeh in the background, make this image a cut above what you could get from a smartphone. Just another reason that dedicated cameras are better than smartphones for photography.

why dedicated cameras are better than smartphones-girl-park — Nikon D200, 50mm, f/1.8, 1/250 second, ISO 400

Conclusion

Before anyone gets out a bucket of tar and some feathers, please understand that I think smartphone cameras are amazing!

Despite the things smartphone cameras lack, they can take incredible pictures and technology will only make them better with time. I just think it’s important to understand their limitations and have a sense of some of the pictures they can’t yet achieve.

What about you?

I’m curious what your experience has been with smartphone pictures. Does your smartphone take the kinds of shots you want, or have you found that it can’t yet replace your DSLR or mirrorless camera?

I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share your thoughts and example images in the comments below.

The post 6 Reasons Why Dedicated Cameras are Better than Smartphones for Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

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How to Use the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter for Better Photo Editing

09 Mar

The post How to Use the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter for Better Photo Editing appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

How to Use the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter for Better Photo Editing Feature Image

Inside Photoshop, there are an awful lot of tools for you to use to get the very most out of your images. Some of these tools (while not simple) have very specific functions that you use for specific tasks (Unsharp Mask for example). The Photoshop Camera Raw Filter is different.

This filter opens up the use of the (almost) full functionality of Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) anywhere in your Photoshop workflow. If you’ve ever used ACR (or Lightroom) to process a raw file, you know exactly how feature-packed this tool is.

Using the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter. — The Camera Raw Filter is a powerful tool that allows you access to the features of ACR anytime in your workflow.

In normal cases, you would use ACR to process your photos at the beginning of your workflow during raw processing, but the Camera Raw Filter opens up these tools to you anytime you may want them.

This article will outline how to use the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter, show you some instances where you might want to use it, and give you some tips to get the most out of it.

What is the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter?

How to Use the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter for Better Photo Editing — Lightroom is great for processing your raw files (so is ACR), but what if you could use these tools inside Photoshop?

At its most basic, the Photoshop Camera Raw filter allows you to use the functions of the ACR interface at any time within Photoshop. This allows you to make any adjustments within ACR at any time during your workflow instead of just limiting its usage to the raw processing stage.

While it would be possible to import your working file into Lightroom to make the same sets of adjustments, doing this in Photoshop saves you from that cumbersome step. It allows you the use of these tools without any extra effort.

Finding the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter. — You can find the Camera Raw Filter under the filter menu.

To find the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter, simply choose Filter->Camera Raw Filter and the dialog box will pop up.

Before you do this, you may want to stamp all layers by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Alt+e (Cmd+Shift+Alt+e). This will combine all of your layers into a new layer from which you can work.

What it doesn’t allow

White Balance – Because you are not working from a raw file, you lose a lot of the functionality of the white balance setting in ACR. You will still be able to make drastic changes to the coloring of your images with this tool. It will be the same, for example, as adjusting a JPG in Lightroom.

Crop tool – You also lose the crop and rotate tools that you would have access to when working on RAW files.

There are others, but these are the most important to take note of.

Missing options in the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter. — In the various menus of the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter, you will find there are a few options missing that you would see in ACR.

It’s also important to realize that because you are not working with a raw file at this stage, you won’t have the same versatility that you would with a raw file in ACR.

Instead, the process will be more akin to working on a JPG file in Lightroom or ACR. This means you will have less information to work with, such as, dynamic range.

This is all fine and to be expected. However, it illustrates the importance of getting things as close to right as possible while in the raw stage of post-processing.

How can it be used?

With all of the power of ACR behind the Photoshop Camera Raw filter, there is no way to make anything resembling a complete list of what you could do with it. But here are a few potential uses that I find myself using often.

Fine-tune adjustments after raw
Make certain adjustments easier than in Photoshop
Make quick, extreme adjustments for certain parts of your image
Quick and easy vignetting
Final tweaks before finishing your image

1. Fine-tuning adjustments after raw

Fine tuning adjustments with the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter. — Once in Photoshop, and after a bit of healing work, I decided that I wanted to make the image a touch cooler and reduce the vibrancy as well. To not lose the healing work, I used the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter to make a quick adjustment.

If you’re like me, you mostly make decisions about adjustments on the spot. This is fine when you process your raw file and move it into Photoshop immediately. However, if you leave it for a day or two before you come to it, you might find that you no longer like the decisions you made.

Of course, you could always go back into Lightroom and start again, but what happens if you have already started making adjustments to your image?

Chances are, you don’t want to lose those. A quick and easy solution is to stamp the layers to a new layer and run the Camera Raw Filter. Once there, you can make any adjustments you might want and click Okay.

This works great if you want to make quick adjustments to things like the overall exposure, contrast or vibrancy in an image. I will often come back to a file after a few days to find that I want to reduce the highlights and whites before I get started properly.

2. Make trickier adjustments

Clarity slider with the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter. — I find the Clarity tool in ACR tricky to replicate in Photoshop. Here, I darkened the background and cranked up the clarity with the Camera Raw Filter. I also used a Layer Mask to keep the changes off of the subject.

Photoshop might be all-powerful on its own, but ACR (and Lightroom by extension) do make a few things easier. For example, the Clarity slider is a tricky tool to replicate in Photoshop. Using the Photoshop camera raw filter to make these adjustments is easier and can save you a lot of time.

Another example is the use of the Highlights, Whites, Darks, and Blacks sliders to make quick, intuitive global contrast adjustments. Using these tools in this way is useful if you’re not yet fully familiar or comfortable with options like curves adjustments.

3. Local adjustments

Radial filter in the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter. — Here, the shirt sleeve was still to bright for my taste, so I used the radial filter as a local adjustment to bring it down a bit

A common way I use the Photoshop camera raw filter is to make adjustments specific to a target area (such as a background).

After the adjustments are made, you can then use a layer mask to ensure that the adjustments are only affecting the areas that you want.

This method suits textured backdrops well because you can adjust the clarity and contrast to your heart’s content knowing that your subject won’t be affected once you make the layer mask.

4. Vignettes

The vignette tool in the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter — ACR’s vignette tool is easy, fast and intuitive and hard to beat in Photoshop unless you need absolute control.

There are tonnes of ways to create a vignette in Photoshop, but in my opinion, the vignette tool within the ACR is by far the easiest, fastest and most intuitive to use. By doing it this way, you can create a subtle (or extreme if you prefer) vignette in just a few seconds. It is also easy to mask out (as per the previous section) any part of the vignette that might be interfering with your subject.

5. Final tweaks

Another useful trick for the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter is to use it to make a set of final tweaks to your finished images.

Once you’ve completed your image, you can run the filter and see if there’s any further small adjustments you’d like to make. Tiny adjustments to exposure, contrast (via all the sliders) clarity and vibrance can all help to give your finished images just a little more polish.

At this point, your images should be good to go, so do try to keep any adjustments at this stage small and subtle.

Just the beginning

Finishing an image using the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter — With the exception of a bit of skin work (maybe five minutes) and some sharpening at the end, this image’s Photoshop workflow was completed otherwise entirely with the Camera Raw Filter. Hopefully you can see just how useful a tool it is.

With a tool like the Photoshop camera raw filter, there are so, so many options for you to use in your images.

If you can do it in ACR (with a few minor exceptions), you can do it with this filter inside Photoshop. Feel free to use it in any way that you need to that gets the results that you want.

Smart objects

Depending on your workflow and your style of post-processing, using the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter as a Smart Object might be a good choice for you.

Smart Objects allow you to come back to any adjustment you have made (with certain tools) and tweak them.

To work with Smart Objects, right-click the layer that you will run the Camera Raw Filter on and click Convert to Smart Object.

Now run the Camera Raw Filter and make any adjustments that you want to and press okay.

In the Layers Palette, and under the layer that you are working on, you will now see the name of the filter below the box titled Smart Filters. If you double click this, you will be taken back to the Camera Raw Filter dialog box where you can adjust any of the settings that you have tweaked.

This is a useful technique for any time you think you might second guess your decisions a bit later on.

Having said that, Smart Objects won’t suit every photographer’s workflow.

For example, I like to use a lot of stamped layers in my workflow and by the time I might see something I want to modify, I’ve already created and worked on a new stamped layer above it.

Any adjustments made to a Smart Object in this situation, would not be visible.

Overall

I will admit, that the way that the Camera Raw Filter was used in this example was extreme and bit over the top, but by using it in this manner, I hope you can see just how powerful an option it is for various adjustments in Photoshop.

The Photoshop camera raw filter is a very powerful tool that you can use while post processing your images for a great many different effects. Add to that the fact that anyone who shoots in raw format is already familiar with the interface, it makes using the filter quick and painless to make any number of adjustments. I have discussed only a few ways that you can use this filter in your images, but if you have any other suggestions on how you use it, please leave it in the comments below for other readers to benefit from.

The post How to Use the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter for Better Photo Editing appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

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Images and Text: The Untapped Power of Photography Blogs

09 Mar

The post Images and Text: The Untapped Power of Photography Blogs appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

The untapped power of photography blogs featured image

There is a lot of advice online about blogging for photographers. It’s often extremely good advice, and applicable to most photographers. But the advice is often more about the technical aspect of setting up a blog, or how to grow a blog to support a photographic business. Very rarely are they about the power of photography blogs for creative development.

There’s nothing wrong with creating a photography blog if you’re in business, of course. But what about if you want to use a blog to help you develop creatively? Or to explore different aspects of an ongoing photography project?

Blogs can be a great tool for inspiring creativity in photographers. For this reason, I think you should consider the idea of writing alongside your documentary or fine art photography practice.

Writing to develop your creativity

The most basic way to think about blogging for your photography is as an archival tool. By posting images and commentary regularly and then looking back through your archives, you will be able to see the journey that you have been on.

If you make your blog public, it also allows others to see the work that you’ve done – something a documentary photographer might find particularly useful.

By understanding your journey, you can plan a path for the future of your photography. You’ll be able to more easily see what worked and what didn’t.

Being able to look at your entire body of work in a timeline format can be very beneficial.

Sometimes, because you see your own work all the time, it can feel like you aren’t making progress. There can be a real feeling that you aren’t creating anything new and exciting photographically.

But a blog can help with that by reminding you of pictures that you took months, or even years ago. The power of photography blogs comes from being able to compare your current pictures with this older work you will surely see an inspirational improvement.

A picture can paint a thousand words – but should it have to?

I always remember being told when I was learning photography, that if you had to explain a photograph beyond a title, it failed as an image. I suppose in a way that was good for me – it certainly made me work harder with my storytelling.

But I never understood why it should be the case that photographs should not be accompanied by words.

Images and Text: The Untapped Power of Photography Blogs — Is a title enough to explain a photo?

I wonder if this comes from a desire to imitate grand historical paintings that were full of signs and symbols.

Back then, the educated audience would have largely understood the visual language used. But it would also have been common for the owner of the painting to show off his knowledge by explaining it to his friends.

You’ll find that these paintings did often have long accompanying explanations – they just weren’t written down.

Of course, there will always be images that stand without words and tell a great story. But these images and series are comparatively rare – most images are at least helped out by the inclusion of a title.

A Japanese tradition

It’s often observed that the favored publishing medium for the greats of Japanese photography has been the photobook.

The book format allows photographers to write texts to accompany their images, and these texts are often quite lengthy. Certainly, they amount to more than a mere caption or title.

Publishing texts alongside their photographs in books and magazines means that their words can be every bit as influential as their images. This kind of approach is rarely seen in Western photographic traditions. I can’t help but wonder if blogs had been invented many years earlier if Japanese photographers would have harnessed the power of photography blogs alongside photobooks and magazine publishing.

The result of this writing that accompanies their photographs is often the feeling of a more intimate relationship with the photographer and their work. The viewed can gain more of a sense of why the photographer took the images and a deeper connection with the photographs.

It also gives the photographer a chance to link their work more closely to current affairs or politics. These themes are often reflected in the images and writing of the early pioneers of Japanese photography who lived through the Second World War.

How to write about photography

There are lots of different ways that you could write about your work on a blog and being able to mix and match styles is a power of photography blogs.

In the past, I have favored blog posts reflecting on how and why I took and photo. I like to also speculate about what I might do differently if I was to approach the same subject again.

Other photographers have taken a more reflective approach, considering their thoughts and feelings at the time they shot the image. This incredibly personal approach to writing about photographs is understandably too intimate for some. But when it works, it can help a photographer develop creatively, while bringing the audience on their journey with them.

One way to retain flexibility when blogging about your work might be to approach it like a diary. That way you can vary your approach on any given day. Let your mood and the photograph dictate how personal you want your words to be.

Alternatively, you could take an altogether more academic approach. Looking at aesthetics or even the technical aspects of photography and how it applies to your work could be another route.

This would be a different way to create a body of work made up of both images and text. Throughout history, artists have tried to formulate their own ideas of what constitutes good art. There is no reason that you shouldn’t do the same!

Beyond the blog

While a blog is a great format for text and images, there is always the possibility of transferring your work into a different medium. One option could be to publish your own book – collecting your photos alongside the words that you wrote about them.

You could choose to put everything you write and shoot into a series of books or pick pieces based on theme or location. If you think you might want to do thematic books in the future, this would be a good use of the tagging feature in your blog software!

Alternatively, you could experiment with exhibiting your work. I worked on a project some time ago about the idea of showing work in a gallery space and using QR codes on the labels to link to digital content, such as long texts. This kind of thinking outside the box could really make a gallery show stand out!

Of course, if you don’t feel like telling the world about your photos you could simply keep a traditional paper journal with your thoughts and feelings alongside your photographs.

Printing the images and then pasting them into notebooks is a relaxing and creative process that can inspire all kinds of thoughts to write down. You can harness the power of photography blogs both in digital and analog formats.

Do you have anything else you’d like to add about the power of photography blogs? If so, please share them with us in the comments.

The post Images and Text: The Untapped Power of Photography Blogs appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

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8 Important Composition Tips for Better Photos (video)

07 Mar

The post 8 Important Composition Tips for Better Photos (video) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In this video from Jamie Windsor, he explores composition tips for better photos.

As Jamie states in his video, sometimes a new photographer can be overwhelmed by all the so-called “rules” of photography. Those, such as the rule of thirds, Fibonacci spiral, and the phi grid. Jamie breaks it down for you, using some classic images by renowned photographers, such as Annie Leibovitz, Sally Mann, Steve McCurry, and Bruce Gilden as examples. While this helps to visualize the points that he is making, it is also great to see many of these fantastic images.

Get your position right
Use your phone to practice composition
Beware the Rule of Thirds
Squint or blur your eyes
Think conceptually as well as aesthetically
Keep it simple
Keep the edges clean
Work in post-processing

Tips for Shooting the color BLUE

Mastering Color Series – The Psychology and Evolution of the Color BLUE and its use in Photography

5 Tips for Shooting Waterfront Cityscapes at Blue Hour

How to Create Colorful Artistic Images Using Oil and Water

Creative Water Photography – A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Water Monsters

5 Quick Tips for Better Blue Hour Photography

How to Make Interesting Abstract Smoke Photos

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPSblue to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Blue appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

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Archive for the ‘Photography’ Category

What are soft skills?

Example 1: a broken tripod

Resourcefulness

Flexibility

Example 2: no flash trigger

Resourcefulness

Flexibility

Conclusion

How do Capture One Pro and Photoshop differ?

The steps for using Capture One and Photoshop together

1. Start with the Basic Tab:

2. Under the Adjustment Tab:

3. Under the Metadata tab:

Conclusion

1. Minimalist scene

2. Extract patterns

3. Aerial views

4. Shoot in overcast conditions

5. Shoot fleeting light

Conclusion

1. Mirrorless cameras offer a live exposure preview

2. You can fit a mirrorless body in your pocket

3. You can see in black and white as you shoot

4. Mirrorless cameras offer true silent shooting modes

5. Mirrorless cameras come with all sorts of cool bonus features

5 Reasons You Should Use a Mirrorless in 2020: Conclusion

Reasons why dedicated cameras are better than smartphones for photography

1. Software vs. Physics

2. Foreground Blur

3. Telephoto Zoom

4. Background compression

5. Fast action

6. Portraits

Conclusion

What is the Photoshop Camera Raw Filter?

What it doesn’t allow

How can it be used?

1. Fine-tuning adjustments after raw

2. Make trickier adjustments

3. Local adjustments

4. Vignettes

5. Final tweaks

Just the beginning

Smart objects

Overall

Writing to develop your creativity

A picture can paint a thousand words – but should it have to?

A Japanese tradition

How to write about photography

Beyond the blog

You may also like:

Tips for Shooting the color BLUE

Share in the dPS Facebook Group