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Tamron 35mm f/2.8 Lens for Sony Review

14 Feb

The post Tamron 35mm f/2.8 Lens for Sony Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

Hot on the heels of Tamron’s widely successful f/2.8 zoom lenses comes a trio of f/2.8 prime lenses, specifically a Tamron 20mm, 24mm, and 35mm. I recently tested the Tamron 35mm f/2.8 and found it to be a surprisingly fun little lens.

Why surprising? Well, the 35mm f/2.8 may seem like an odd lens at first glance. There are faster versions of this focal length, such as the 35mm f/1.8 and 35mm f/1.4. And for those who shoot with a 16-35mm f/2.8 or 24-70mm f/2.8, this lens might seem unnecessary. However, there are a few clever tricks that the Tamron 35mm f/2.8 lens has up its sleeve to set it apart from the competition.

Tamron 35mm f/2.8 Lens for Sony Review

Tech specs

The official name of this lens is the Tamron 35mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2 Lens. It is made for Sony E-mount mirrorless full-frame cameras. Affordably priced at $ 349 USD, this is among the cheapest 35mm FE E-mount lens options.

Only Samyang makes a cheaper version.

All other FE 35mm options are over double the price of this Tamron. However, most of them have apertures of f/1.8 or faster.

Maximum Aperture: f/2.8
Minimum Aperture: f/22
Lens Mount: Sony E
Format Compatibility: Full-Frame
Angle of View: 63° 26′
Minimum Focus Distance: 5.9″ / 14.99 cm
Maximum Magnification: 0.5x
Macro Reproduction Ratio: 1:2
Optical Design: 9 Elements in 8 Groups
Diaphragm Blades: 7, Rounded
Focus Type: Autofocus
Image Stabilization: No
Filter Size: 67 mm (Front)
Dimensions (ø x L): 2.87 x 2.5″ / 73 x 63.5 mm
Weight: 7.4 oz / 210 g
Price: $ 349 USD

Compact size

Coming in at just 3oz, the Tamron 35mm 2/.8 lens is so lightweight, it may feel as though you forgot to attach a lens to your camera. Its size makes it a great lens for travel or street photography.

Since it isn’t terribly heavy, the lens does have a mostly plastic feel to it. However, the lens is still weather-sealed and even comes with a gasket in the bayonet to prevent moisture and dust from building up.

Tamron also offers a 5-year warranty with all of its products, which should help put your mind that ease.

Fun macro capabilities

Despite its light weight, the Tamron 35mm f/2.8 is a bit chunky – it’s definitely not a pancake lens.

But part of the reason for the lens’ size is its macro capabilities. As noted in the tech specs above, this lens has a minimum focusing distance of 5.9 inches (15 cm) and a macro reproduction ratio of 1:2. This means that you can get really close to your photo subjects for some macro photography fun.

When focusing at a close distance, the bokeh looks amazing, making up for this lens’ f/2.8 aperture.

Sony a7r iii with Tamron 35mm f/2.8. Focal length 35mm, 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400, Aperture Priority

Excellent image quality

I paired the Tamron 35mm f/2.8 lens with a Sony A7riii and found the resulting images to be pleasing. The images were sharp with excellent contrast, good bokeh, and just a small amount of vignetting.

The lens also performed well while shooting video. However, there is no image stabilization in the lens, so it is not an optimal choice for video shooters.

Laggy autofocus

After listing several high points of this lens, it’s time to talk about its downfall – autofocus.

Given Sony’s reputation for having fast and accurate autofocus in its cameras, this lens’ autofocus performance was disappointing.

When paired with my Sony A7riii, the Tamron often struggled to focus on both macro and non-macro shots. The autofocus problem worsened in low lighting. As someone with lots of experience with macro photography, I suspect that the slow autofocus is due to the lens’ macro capabilities. So in a way, it’s a trade-off – you can shoot macro with this lens but at the cost of slow autofocus.

In Conclusion

Should you get this lens?

If you are a beginner photographer looking for a compact prime lens to experiment with, the Tamron 35mm f/2.8 would be a great choice. It has a great price point and will help you develop an eye for photography, as the 35mm focal length is often recommended as the best lens for beginners.

Even experienced photographers may prefer this compact lens with macro capabilities for travel or street photography. However, if you often shoot fast-paced subjects or in low light environments, save up for the more expensive, faster versions of this lens.

Have you tried the Tamron 35mm f/2.8 lens? Share with us your thought in the comments section.

Shot with the Sony a7r iii and the Tamron 35mm f/2.8. Focal length 35mm, 1/1600 sec, f/9, ISO 500, Aperture Priority

Sony a7r iii with Tamron 35mm f/2.8. Focal length 35mm, 1/500 sec, f/9, ISO 500, Aperture Priority

Sony a7r iii with Tamron 35mm f/2.8. Focal length 35mm, 1/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 4000, Aperture Priority

Sony a7r iii with Tamron 35mm f/2.8. Focal length 35mm, 1/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200, Aperture Priority

Sony a7r iii with Tamron 35mm f/2.8. Focal length 35mm, 1/50 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800, Aperture Priority

Image: Sony a7r iii with Tamron 35mm f/2.8. Focal length 35mm, 1/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200, Aperture...

Sony a7r iii with Tamron 35mm f/2.8. Focal length 35mm, 1/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200, Aperture Priority

Image: Sony a7r iii with Tamron 35mm f/2.8. Focal length 35mm, 1/160 sec, f/10, ISO 400, Aperture Pr...

Sony a7r iii with Tamron 35mm f/2.8. Focal length 35mm, 1/160 sec, f/10, ISO 400, Aperture Priority

Image: Sony a7r iii with Tamron 35mm f/2.8. Focal length 35mm, 1/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400, Aperture P...

Sony a7r iii with Tamron 35mm f/2.8. Focal length 35mm, 1/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400, Aperture Priority

Image: Sony a7r iii with Tamron 35mm f/2.8. Focal length 35mm, 1/640 sec, f/6.3, ISO 400, Aperture P...

Sony a7r iii with Tamron 35mm f/2.8. Focal length 35mm, 1/640 sec, f/6.3, ISO 400, Aperture Priority

The post Tamron 35mm f/2.8 Lens for Sony Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

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Everything You Need To Know For a Fashion Shoot

13 Feb

Preparing for a fashion shoot sounds easy on paper, but in reality requires a lot of thought out planning – namely for the equipment you’ll need. There’s flexibility within this, but there are certain elements that are necessities (such as your camera and lighting). Luckily, we’ve written up the perfect guide to help you, and to make your own fashion Continue Reading

The post Everything You Need To Know For a Fashion Shoot appeared first on Photodoto.

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Photograph Your Commute, See the World Differently

13 Feb

The post Photograph Your Commute, See the World Differently appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

It doesn’t take long for our commute to become familiar and mundane. We make our way through the world on autopilot, not seeing the details that surround us. By taking the time to photograph your commute, you both improve your photography and start an exciting personal project.

As photographers, we should be learning to see the details around us even when we’ve seen them a thousand times before. Our eye needs continuous training to keep it in good shape, just like an athlete needs to train at their sport regularly. And a commute to work on foot or by public transport is an ideal time to flex your visual muscles.

Here are some reasons why leaving ten minutes early for your commute in the morning with your camera can help you train your eye and eventually become a better photographer.

Plan out your project

All of the images in this article came from a single challenge – to photograph my walk to work and to try and spot small details and moments I might ordinarily miss. Each day I was walking from King’s Cross to Camden in London, a journey of no more than a mile. It took me primarily through industrial areas, and I wanted to try and capture something interesting.

All the images in this article were part of a project to photograph my London commute. These images: ISO100, 100mm, f2.8, 1/250th sec

You don’t have to plan your project in-depth, but it does help to have a general idea of where you want to go with it. In my case, I knew that I wanted to produce a series of black and white images that focussed on the architecture of the area.

It doesn’t have to be architecture photography. You might choose to shoot people going about their day. Or perhaps the urban wildlife that you see in the mornings if you get up extra early. Maybe you walk through a park with particularly lovely trees and landscapes.

The sky is your limit, but jot down a few ideas of how to photograph your commute to help you get started.

Choose the right kit

You don’t want to be lugging a huge camera bag to work every day on top of everything else you take, so figure out where you can slim things down when you photograph your commute.

ISO100, 100mm, f2.8, 1/250th sec

Most of the time, I chuck my camera and a single lens straight into my handbag protected by a simple wrap. It’s easy and does the job of keeping the camera scratch-free. It also doesn’t take up too much space.

If you want a bit more protection, you could look at once of the camera bag inserts that are purpose-made to fit inside any handbag or rucksack. They’ll allow you to organize your camera gear a bit more, and it’ll offer more peace of mind if you get jostled on your commute, or you drop your bag accidentally.

Don’t forget to consider your accessories too – an everyday carry kit in a small container might be just the thing to put together.

Practice makes perfect

Logic dictates that if you practice a skill regularly, you will improve over time. So practicing photography each day, even for a little bit, is a way to improve your photographic eye by leaps and bounds in a short space of time.

Left image: ISO100, 100mm, f2.8, 1/400th sec Right image: ISO200, 100mm, f2.8, 1/200th sec

You don’t have to have your camera out and round your neck the whole time either. Just thinking ahead to a place where you can stop on your route and get your camera out for ten minutes would work.

If each day you pick a different place to stop and shoot, you’ll soon find yourself improving.

The key when you stop is to try and pick out a new detail to shoot. You could even try to shoot ten photos without moving your feet in a different location each day.

Pick a technique to improve

Without focus, you might find it harder to make significant improvements in your photography. So when you’re planning to photograph your commute, perhaps pick a technique to improve as well as a subject. Or maybe you could choose a technique to focus on per week or even per day.

Every commute will lend itself to a different set of techniques that you can practice to improve. But you might like to focus on some of the following areas:

Focussing accurately
Composition
Introducing motion blur
Capturing light and shadow
Experimenting with depth of field

Present your work

At the end of your project, or when you feel like you’ve exhausted everything your commute has to offer photographically, be sure to do something with the photos. Many of us are guilty of letting images languish on our hard drives without ever seeing the light of day.

At the very least, you could think about putting your pictures on social media.

Perhaps talk in the captions about the sights and sounds that were around you when you captured the image, or how you were feeling that day. You might be surprised to find that the kinds of photos you shoot relate to your emotional wellbeing and the way the environment makes you feel.

ISO100, 100mm, f4, 1/1250th sec

You could also put together a book. It isn’t expensive any more to get a single book made of your photos, and there are lots of companies that offer this service. Consider if you want to include short pieces of writing alongside your photographs, just like you might on social media.

Lastly, you might want to consider an exhibition full of beautiful prints.

If you’ve never had a show before, this might feel both terrifying and unachievable. Every significant achievement starts with a small step.

Start by exploring local gallery spaces and seeing how you get your work in them. Some have open shows that you can submit work for consideration.

Others will want to show a whole series from a single artist and will tell you how they want to see your work. There are also some gallery spaces that you can hire for a week or two to show your work.

The choice is yours!

What about a 365 project?

It might be tempting to turn a daily practice into a 365 project. But I would like you to think hard before you commit to doing that. It sounds easy at first – just a single photo a day! And if you’re committing to taking your camera to work each day, then that might look easy.

ISO100, 100mm, f4, 1/800th sec

But 365 projects can suck the fun out of photography if you’re not the kind of person who is really, really into them. If you want to do this kind of project, then perhaps consider a ’52’ version – just one image per week. That allows you to have bad days, and sick days, and days where you don’t want to look at your photos in the evening!

But whatever you do, and wherever you take this project, make sure it’s fun. It should be an enjoyable highlight in your day, not a daily slog. Spending a little bit of time every day with your camera should be something that brings you joy.

Have you ever taken the time to photograph your commute? Please show us the images in the comments!

The post Photograph Your Commute, See the World Differently appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

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10 Tips for Switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro

12 Feb

The post 10 Tips for Switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

Capture One Pro 20 was launched recently, with improvements to the Basic Color Editor, noise reduction, and other tools and features. It offers improved DNG support and has added functionality with several cameras. If you’ve been thinking of switching from Adobe Lightroom to Capture One Pro, now may be the time.

Capture One Pro color grading tools are unparalleled and the ability to work in Layers gives you more options in your workflow.

If you’re nervous about the learning curve associated with yet another piece of software, don’t worry – knowing Lightroom will give you a great foundation for learning Capture One Pro.

Switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro

The two programs basically work the same in that they allow you to make edits non-destructively by saving them in a database and keeping track where the images are stored.

Here are ten tips that will help you when switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro.

10 Tips for Switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro

1. Import your Lightroom Catalog

The fact that you can migrate your Lightroom catalog into Capture One Pro is a great nudge to make the switch. It’s a simple process that involves only a few quick steps.

Migrating will not have an impact on your Lightroom catalog, and you can continue to use it as you normally would.

One thing to note is that while edits such as Exposure, Highlights, Shadows, White Balance and Rotation will be imported seamlessly, every single adjustment might not translate. This is often the case with some color settings.

For a step-by-step guide on how to migrate your Lightroom Catalog into COP, go here.

Capture )ne pro-Tips for Switching from Lightroom

2. Familiarize yourself with the Capture One interface

There is a big difference between the Lightroom and Capture One Pro interface.

While Lightroom has separate tabs for the various workspaces such as the Library and Develop modules, Capture One has an all-in-one workspace. Instead of jumping around from module to module for specific functions, all of the tools in Capture One (COP) are at your fingertips.

The various panels in COP are called Tools. They are organized under various Tabs.

10 Tips for Switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro

One awesome feature is that you can actually mimic the Lightroom workspace until you familiarize yourself with the program and decide how you want your workspace to look.

To do this, simply go to Window->Workspace->Migration.

switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro

3. Customize your tools

The key to getting the most out of Capture One Pro’s awesome functionality is to customize your tools. The tools in COP are highly customizable, which is another bonus to switching from Lightroom.

You can move the tools around and you can set up a Tab containing only the tools you regularly use.

For example, you can move your White Balance Tool to the Exposure panel, similar to how it’s set up in Lightroom.

Right-click on the Tab to add a tool or remove it. You can also float your tools by dragging them onto the image itself.

switching from lightroom to capture one pro

4. Catalogs and Sessions

Capture One offers two management systems: Catalogs and Sessions. Both have their pros and cons.

As far as organization goes, a COP Catalog is similar to a Lightroom Catalog. Think of Sessions as being similar to Lightroom Collections, but with additional functionality.

Catalogs are most suitable for organizing large volumes of images, whereas Sessions are used for individual shoots.

Sessions provide a simple, folder-based workflow. They give you the ability to browse any folder on your computer without having to import images. Your adjustments are placed in a subfolder next to the images.

switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro

Sessions are great for on-set workflow and tethered shooting, and are generally seen as the more efficient option. Sessions allow you to store all the files from a single project together.

Once you have migrated your Lightroom Catalog into COP, you can build and structure your photos into sessions if you choose.

When you create a new Session, Capture One creates five folders on your hard drive. It creates a main folder with the name of your session. This folder contains the following:

Capture: contains the RAW files
Output: contains converted JPEGS, TIFFS, etc
Selects: images you’ve marked as a “select”
Trash: images you’ve deleted during capture.

Any images that you delete during your COP session will go into Trash, but won’t be deleted from your disk until you physically delete them from this folder.

I use both Catalogs and Sessions. My recommendation is to use Catalogs based on genre.

Or if you shoot only in one or two genres like I do, you might want to separate commercial work form editorial work, stock photography, or personal photos, for example. Create an organizational system that works for you.

5. Get to know the Color Editor

Many photographers who make the switch from Lightroom to Capture One Pro say that the color quality is unparalleled by any RAW editor out there, especially when it comes to natural-looking skin tones. In fact, it has its own editor for skin tones.

If you’re used to the HSL sliders in Lightroom, the color tools are an area that will feel very new to you and may require some getting used to.

Color Editor – Tool Icon

10 Tips for Switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro

You can use the Color Editor with masks. It’s split into three tabs: Basic, Advanced, and Skin Tone.

The Basic Tab is divided into eight color ranges, represented by a color wheel, and one that encompasses the whole spectrum. Here you can use sliders that affect Hue, Saturation, and Lightness.

To work on a certain color, click on the Eyedropper Tool and then click on the color in your image you want to edit. Sliding vertically on the area will affect the Saturation. Sliding horizontally affects the Hue.

In my image below, I worked individually on the oranges without altering anything else. This comes in handy when you’re working on a photo with various hues of the same color, by helping you target only those colors you want to alter.

10 Tips for Switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro

6. Practice working with Layers

One of the best features that Capture One Pro has to offer is the ability to work in Layers.

These layers are similar to the layers in Photoshop in that they work with masks, but they function like targeted adjustments in Lightroom.

Masks determine where on the layer your adjustments will be applied. You can create masks in multiple ways. For example, you can brush them in, just like with the Adjustment Brush in Lightroom.

Click on the brush and paint over the area you want to work on. By default, the area will be indicated in red. It will only show up when you’re painting unless you hit the shortcut “M” to keep it on permanently.

You can use the shortcut key “E” to erase any areas that you want to subtract.

You can make changes to exposure, contrast, clarity, saturation etc.

10 Tips for Switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro

Be sure to name each layer when working with multiple layers to keep track of the various edits you’ve made to your image.

To do this double-click on the Layer name and type in a new name.

10 Tips for Switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro

7. Play around with creating style

Are you used to working with Presets? Capture One Pro offers the same capability – another reason not to hesitate about switching from Lightroom.

What you know as a Preset in Lightroom is called a Style in Capture One Pro.

Capture One Pro also has “presets,” but they include only one Tool and are accessible from within that Tool. Styles contains several Tools to create a pre-determined look.

The same way you can purchase presets from various third-parties, you can also purchase Styles from Capture One Pro/Phase One.

To test out some free sample Styles, go to this link from Capture One Pro.

8. Copy your adjustments

You can copy your adjustments from one image to another, just like you can in Lightroom.

Go to the upper-right-hand corner of the interface and click on the arrow up icon.

Click the arrow down icon to paste them to your images.

switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro

9. Try Process Recipes

Process Recipes are similar to Export presets, but you can select several at one time. Once you set them up, they can make your workflow a lot quicker and more efficient. No more tinkering with dialog boxes!

Each recipe includes the output file format information and location information. There are also options for watermarking, metadata, and sharpening, etc.

You can create a specific process recipe for images that you want to export for social media use, with lower resolution and optimal pixel dimensions for social sharing.

Or you can create a recipe for printing your images for your portfolio or for postcards to send as promotional pieces. You can even export multiple recipes at the same time by checking off their respective checkboxes.

You can find Process Recipes under the Output Tool Tab noted with green in the screenshot below.

switching from lightroom to Capture One Pro

Note that COP has created some Process recipes to get you started.

10 Tips for Switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro

To create a new Process Recipe, click on the arrow in the lower right-hand side of the panel. Rename it with any name you like – for example, “Instagram.”

It will give you all the options for exporting the photo, as seen in the first picture, including the Output Location and Output Naming conventions.

10. Try shooting tethered

One of the best things about switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro is the outstanding tethering ability.

Although Lightroom has improved its tethering capabilities in the last couple of years, it’s still buggy and has a tendency to crash. COP leads the way in tethering in the photographic industry with its instant tethered capture technology.

With tethered capture in Lightroom, your camera also goes to sleep when you’re not using it. This is a massive pain if you’re working in a studio with a client. COP stays open as long as you keep the tethering session open.

You can also use Live View and Layout Overlays. This is really handy if you’re shooting a magazine cover or product packaging where you have to work around the placement of text.

Lightroom doesn’t have Live View functionality unless it’s paired with camera proprietary software, such as Canon EOS Utility. Capture One Pro, on the other hand, allows you to use Live View with natural light or strobes at the click of a button.

Conclusion

Hopefully, these tips have given you a better idea of how easy it is to make the switch from Lightroom to Capture One pro.

Only you can decide which RAW editor is for you. However, with its reputation for color quality, all-in-one workspace, and tons of ways to keep you organized and make an efficient workflow, Capture One Pro is totally worth checking out.

You can try a 30-day free trial to help you decide.

The post 10 Tips for Switching from Lightroom to Capture One Pro appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

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5 Benefits of Using Photography Filters when Taking Photos

12 Feb

The post 5 Benefits of Using Photography Filters when Taking Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

Filters are optical attachments that attach to the front of the lens. They can be made of glass or resin and are used to restrict the light coming into the camera. Filters are a great piece of kit to consider carrying with you in your camera bag, particularly when you have been doing photography for a while and are more up to speed with how to use your camera. Described below are several key reasons and benefits to using filters as well as how to use them and the different types of filters available.

Image: Filters, like this kit from NISI, are a great addition to your photography kit, particularly...

Filters, like this kit from NISI, are a great addition to your photography kit, particularly if you do a lot of landscape photography.

1. Add color and contrast

Filters are a great way to improve your landscape photos. One of the most popular types of filters available on the market today is a polarizing filter.

There are a few reasons why it is beneficial to use polarizers.

Polarizing filters reduce reflections such as those found on glass or water. They can also help to restore natural color saturation and improve the contrast in your images. An example where a polarizer can be beneficial is when photographing woodlands, waterfalls or greenery to bring out more color in the vegetation.

using photography filters 01

You can vary the intensity of the polarization effect by rotating the filter until you achieve the desired effect. For the optimum effect, you are best to point your camera at around a 45-degree angle to the sun.

There are two types of polarizers available: a square and a circular version. You can use them as part of a square or round filter system.

You can place a square type of polarizing filter into one of the slots of the filter holder system that is attached to the camera lens via an adaptor ring.

The circular polarizer option either screws onto the front of the lens directly or attaches to the front of the square filter system by a ring. The front dial of the filter is then turned to polarize the light on the scene you photograph.

2. Create movement

5 Benefits of Using Photography Filters when Taking Photos

Another great advantage of using photography filters is to create some motion in your pictures.

Have you ever wanted to create more movement to a static looking scene?

Well, by using a Neutral Density (ND) filter, you can.

The way an ND filter works is by reducing the level of light that passes through the camera lens. If you haven’t used them before, they are quite straightforward to operate. You simply slot the ND filter into a filter holder attached to the camera lens. It then blocks some of the light that enters the camera sensor so that you can still use slower shutter speeds in bright daylight.

They come in a range of different densities varying from one, two, three, or even 10 or 16-stops of exposure. The darker the filter, the more significant the loss of light and the stronger the effect they can generate.

You may be wondering, do you really need one? Well, that depends on what you are photographing.

The 10-stop and 6-stop ND filters are specifically designed for long exposure photography. The 10-stop works very well for extending exposure times and blurring moving subjects in your images. It is great for capturing the motion of foliage, clouds, or water.

In comparison, the 6-stop can be beneficial for low-light conditions at dawn and dusk.

They are both advantageous. You can use them to accentuate cloud movement, create cloud patterns, or make running water appear smooth.

3. More balanced exposure

You can use filters to help capture a scene accurately. The fundamental reason for using a Neutral Density (ND) graduated filter is to reduce the amount of light entering the camera across the shaded gray part of the filter and correctly record the scene.

ND graduated filters are very popular for landscape photography as they help to provide more balanced exposures.

As great as modern cameras are you will often find with high-contrast landscape scenes, your pictures will either have a burnt-out sky or a dark, underexposed foreground. This is where the Neutral Density (ND) graduated filter works its magic.

using photography filters 02

In these high contrast scenes, when there are two different very unevenly lit subject areas, an ND graduated filter can be an appropriate solution.

For example, when shooting bright skies or sunsets, the exposure between the sky and the foreground varies significantly. Hence, an ND filter helps to capture the entire tonal range from the brightest to the darkest parts of an image, thus achieving a balanced exposure.

Start by placing the ND filter in the filter holder and position the dark section of the filter over the bright sky. This reduces the amount of light transferred to the sky part of the image whilst allowing the foreground to expose correctly.

This way, you capture detail in both parts of the image without the sky washing out due to too much light.

5 Benefits of Using Photography Filters when Taking Photos

In terms of the different types of ND grads available, they will either have a hard or soft edge where the gradation line gives a stronger or smoother transition from color to clear, respectively.

Hard ND grads are better suited to scenes with straight horizons, while soft grads are favorable when objects like buildings and trees cross the horizon.

ND graduated filters come in different strengths from 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2 gradations. A 0.9 ND filter reduces the exposure by 3 stops of light. ND graduated filters alter the transition from dark to light, with 0.3 being a weaker gradation, and 1.2 being a stronger gradation.

4. Enhance images

Using photography filters can help to enhance your photography and different types of images, especially when using special effects filters.

You can get specific special effect filters that slot into your filter holder, such as infrared or black and white filters. Other filters you can use to develop wonderful in-camera effects include sunset and sunrise filters. These provide warm colors for dawn and sunrise.

using photography filters 03

Mist and fog filters are another popular type of special effect filter. They are used to imitate the effects of mist by carefully positioning the filter in the holder. You can also use these filters to clean up images by the removal of distracting backgrounds to create minimal compositions.

Other various filters can enhance effects in your photos. If you love to capture vivid, saturated shots, investing in color intensifiers is of benefit.

The intensifier filters broaden and enhance specific colors without affecting the other tones in your photograph.

Alternatively, there are sky filters available to enhance the colors in the sky, as well as autumn tint filters designed to accentuate golds, reds, and browns.

5. Change white balance

5 Benefits of Using Photography Filters when Taking Photos

When you are out capturing landscapes, you may want to alter the color temperature of the scene. Using specialist color temperature filters can be great for changing color tones with no added color cast.

Consider using photography filters that help to brighten up or cool down the white balance and give accurate color temperature corrections.

Coral filters are a great way to warm up a scene by adding pinks and reds.

Conclusion

In summary, popular filters, particularly amongst landscape photographers, include polarizers, graduated and neutral density graduated filters, and special effects filters.

Consider using photography filters as a way to add color to your images, manage variations in contrast, and to create more dynamic movement such as with clouds or water.

Filters are also a wonderful accessory to help protect your lenses and balance your exposures where tones are significantly different.

Do you use filters? What benefits do you find they provide? Share your comments with us below.

The post 5 Benefits of Using Photography Filters when Taking Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

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How to Create Beautiful, Artistic Photos Using a Book

11 Feb

The post How to Create Beautiful, Artistic Photos Using a Book appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ramakant Sharda.

Photography is an art, and every photographer is an artist who uses his or her imagination to create a beautiful work of art. A real artist can take anything and convert it into breathtaking artwork. In this tutorial, we are going to do the same thing. We’ll create beautiful, artistic photos using a book and an LED light.

how-to-create-beautiful-artistic-photos-using-a-book

What you need to create beautiful, artistic photos using a book:

To create beautiful, artistic photos using a book, you need a camera. Any camera, including your mobile camera, will work. A tripod is a “must” to hold the camera. A shutter release cable is also required. You’ll also need an LED torch. Again, the LED light of your mobile will work perfectly for this shoot. You may also use a torch, a bulb, or any other light source – even flash.

Of course, you also need a book. It should be big and have thick, glossy pages so that it will reflect the light well. I used Guinness World Records; if you have this book, you can do the same.

You need a dark room, so it’s better to do this shoot at nighttime.

Setup:

This shoot doesn’t require a complicated setup. Simply open your book from the center and fold over 10 pages, like in the following picture.

How to Create Beautiful, Artistic Photos Using a Book

To find the center, divide the total number of pages by 2; whatever figure comes up, open to that page number.

Now place the book at the edge of a table. Put a light behind the book at a lower angle so that it won’t show in the photo.

You can put a black glass below the book to show the book’s reflection.

Camera settings:

To create beautiful, artistic photos using a book, set your camera on Aperture Priority mode. Set your ISO to 100 and aperture to f/11 or f/16. With these settings and a mobile LED light, you’ll get a shutter speed of between one and two seconds. Because our subject is still, you won’t have any problems.

Fix your camera on the tripod. Set the frame, focus manually, and leave it. Your aperture is too narrow, so you’ll get a deeper depth of field, and the entire book will be in focus.

Don’t forget to switch your camera to manual focus mode.

Workflow:

Now you need to throw light from the back and take the shot.

Play with different angles of light to get different shots, but remember that the light will always be at a lower angle.

Once you get enough shots, change the camera position. Set it a bit lower or higher to get different results.

How to Create Beautiful, Artistic Photos Using a Book

Method two

We have created pictures using LED light. Now we are going to create some different kinds of shots.

For this, you need a big monitor or TV and some abstract images. This method is quite simple. Display abstract images on your monitor or TV and place the book in front of it. There should be some distance between the book and the abstract images so that the abstract images become blurred in the picture.

You’ll need to widen the aperture, so set it to f/4 or f/5.6.

how-to-create-beautiful-artistic-photos-using-a-book

Method three – multicolor book

This method is a little hard and requires some post-processing work, but it’ll give you wonderful results. You should have a basic knowledge of Photoshop and an idea about layer masks.

It requires the same LED light setup.

You are going to take a series of pictures with different-colored lights and merge them in post-processing. You’ll need to use gels or colored gelatin paper to get colorful light.

Take five shots with different-colored lights like white, orange, red, blue, and green. Make sure that you don’t move your camera in between the shot.

Now you’ll use these photos to create a multicolor picture.

how-to-create-beautiful-artistic-photos-using-a-book

Putting it together in Photoshop

Open all five photos in Photoshop and stack them into layers.
Now select one layer.
Press ‘Alt’ and add a layer mask. This will add a black layer mask and hide everything. Do the same with all five layers.
Now take a soft brush and make sure that the foreground color is white. Set both brush opacity and flow to 50%.
Paint on the layer masks randomly. Change the brush size randomly. Increase and decrease the brush opacity randomly. You can also use special-effect brushes to get different results.

After some time and practice, you’ll get a photo like this.

how-to-create-beautiful-artistic-photos-using-a-book

So, postpone all the programs for tonight and create these artistic photos using a book to get some masterpieces. Then, share them here. If you have any problems, just comment on this post, and I’ll help you solve them.

The post How to Create Beautiful, Artistic Photos Using a Book appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ramakant Sharda.

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News: Fujifilm X100V Promotional Video Disturbs Fans, Gets Deleted

11 Feb

The post News: Fujifilm X100V Promotional Video Disturbs Fans, Gets Deleted appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Last week Fujifilm launched its X100V, an update to the popular X100 compact camera lineup. It includes a 23mm f/2 lens, a 26.1 BSI sensor, and fast autofocus for professional-quality images.

It also includes both an electronic viewfinder and an optical viewfinder, which you can toggle between by way of a switch on the camera body. You’re also free to view both the EVF and OVF at once, by working with an electronic viewfinder that appears as part of the optical viewfinder display.

With the X100V launch came a series of promotional videos, including one that featured the work of Tatsuo Suzuki, a street photographer who uses…unusual methods.

The promotional video shows Suzuki approaching people while out in public, then shoving his X100V in their faces in order to capture a photo.

Nearly all of Suzuki’s subjects look uncomfortable with the encounter, with many of them holding up their hands or ducking to the side to avoid his camera.

View this post on Instagram

Tokyo

A post shared by Tatsuo Suzuki / ?? ?? (@tatsuo_suzuki_001) on Feb 3, 2020 at 6:21am PST

View this post on Instagram

Tokyo

A post shared by Tatsuo Suzuki / ?? ?? (@tatsuo_suzuki_001) on Jan 27, 2020 at 6:04am PST

After this promo video dropped, many viewers became disturbed and angry, which culminated in Fujifilm deleting the video from their YouTube channel.

Note that Fujifilm seems to have done more than just delete the video. Recent reports suggest that the company has removed Suzuki as an ambassador, presumably as a response to protests.

But while some have expressed deep offense at Suzuki’s methods, others find his work impressive or even inspiring.

Many have compared Suzuki to the celebrated American street photographer, Bruce Gilden, who is known for his forceful approach; Gilden’s shooting style involves marching straight up to a subject and shoving a camera, as well as an off-camera flash, in their face.

Which begs the question:

Are Suzuki’s methods acceptable?

On the one hand, Suzuki’s photos are undeniably powerful. His style is intimate and unique.

On the other hand, if Suzuki is causing such discomfort, are the shots really worth the cost? Do the ends justify the means?

There are also other costs to consider. For instance, the more unpleasant experiences the public has with street photographers, the less likely they are to engage with street photographers in the future, potentially ruining opportunities for the rest of the community.

In truth, I find it curious that Fujifilm didn’t recognize this problem with their footage from the beginning. Even if the company doesn’t have a problem with Suzuki’s style of shooting, it was inevitable that not all viewers would appreciate his approach.

What do you think? Do you have an issue with Suzuki’s methods? And should Fujifilm have dropped him as an ambassador?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post News: Fujifilm X100V Promotional Video Disturbs Fans, Gets Deleted appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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Godox TT685 Thinklite TTL Flash Real-World Review

10 Feb

The post Godox TT685 Thinklite TTL Flash Real-World Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

One of the only things I missed when I moved from Nikon to Fujifilm a few years ago was the quality of speedlights available for X-Series cameras. I never truly appreciated how good the Nikon Creative Lighting System was until I couldn’t use it anymore!

This is no longer a problem though: in the last couple of years, we’ve seen feature-packed speedlights introduced by manufacturers such as Godox.

In this review, I test out the Godox TT685F speedlight flash on my Fujifilm X-Series gear. If you’re not a Fujifilm shooter, keep reading anyway, as Godox makes a version of the TT685 for every camera system.

Image: Many Fujifilm shooters are happy that there’s finally a third-party flash with both TTL and H...

Many Fujifilm shooters are happy that there’s finally a third-party flash with both TTL and HSS (high-speed sync). Fujifilm X-T3 with XF 56mm f1.2 R lens with Godox TT685F on-camera. 1/300s at f/2.2 ISO 200.

Why Godox?

There’s a wide range of third-party flashes available for different camera systems on the market today. Ten years ago, I would only ever buy a flash made by my camera manufacturer and would generally avoid any third-party flash made in China.

How times have changed – the quality and range of features on third-party flashes these days are outstanding, and prices have fallen significantly.

I first heard about Godox flashes through word of mouth in Fujifilm Facebook groups. Godox is based in Shenzen, China, and has been around since 1993. They make photographic lighting products under their own Godox brand, and also under other names such as Flashpoint.

Introducing the Godox TT685

The Godox TT685F

The Godox TT685 is a powerful, feature-packed speedlight at a very attractive price point, around $ 110USD.

It’s available for all major systems. If you’re looking at buying one, make sure you grab the right one for your camera. The last letter in the model number gives it away: TT685F is for Fujiilm, TT685C is for Canon, TT685S is for Sony, TT685O is for Olympus/Panasonic, and TT685N is for Nikon.

What’s in the box

The flash comes attractively packed in a sturdy cardboard box with key details of its specifications. Inside the box, you’ll find the flash, a small black mini stand for attaching the flash to light stands, a black protective case, and an instruction manual in Chinese and English. The manual is also available on the Godox website.

Unboxing the contents of TT5685F

TT685 specs

The specifications of the Godox TT685 are truly impressive. Here’s a summary:

Runs on 4 x AA batteries. Each set will give you about 230 flashes.
Recycle time varies between 0.1 and 2.6 seconds.
It can be used as an on-camera flash, as an on-camera master to trigger other off-camera flashes, and as a slave flash off-camera.
The flash head tilts between -7 degrees (slightly backward) to a 90-degree angle.
The flash head rotates 360 degrees.
Allows high-speed sync up to 1/1800 second.
Full TTL (through the lens) mode for Fujifilm X-Series cameras.
Manual flash can be adjusted from 1/1 to 1/256 power in third-stop increments.
Runs on a 2.4Ghz radio connection – very impressive given more expensive flashes in the market run on optical line-of-sight only.
Capable of firmware updates via a USB port.

Build quality

The build quality of the Godox TT685 is very good. It looks and feels a lot like my old Nikon speedlights, especially the slightly larger SB-900. With batteries in, it weighs around 500g, a little on the heavy side on a mirrorless camera, but not too bad.

The TT685 has a familiar dot matrix LCD screen on the back, which displays all the settings and information you’ll need when using the flash. As well as the on/off switch, there’s a middle dial, which is useful in manual mode to dial settings up and down. It also has a number of buttons, including one for changing the flash mode, one for putting the flash into slave mode, and another that lights up red. This serves as both the test flash button and also an indicator that the flash is ready to fire.

The red button on the bottom left shows the TT685 is ready to fire.

Near the flash head, there’s the standard catch light panel and wide-angle diffuser panel.

Catchlight panel (top) and wide-angle diffuser panel (over flash head)

Ease of use

Setting the Godox TT685 up is easy. Pop the batteries in and attach it to your camera by sliding it on the hot shoe with the dot matrix panel facing you. Rotate the circular lock ring on the base of the flash until it locks up. You’re ready to go!

It’s easy to move the flash up and down from an upright position to facing your subject head-on, but I found it a lot more difficult to rotate the flash 360 degrees. It’s not hard to do; it was just a bit stiff and felt like it wasn’t meant to rotate at first. I had to check that it did rotate in the camera manual as I didn’t want to break it.

Using the flash in all modes is pretty easy. It turns off after 90 seconds of idle use, but pressing your camera shutter halfway or pressing any of the buttons on the flash wakes it up.

Image: It was quite dark here, but I’m really happy with the way this image came out. Fujifilm X-T3...

It was quite dark here, but I’m really happy with the way this image came out. Fujifilm X-T3 with XF 56mm f1.2 R lens with Godox TT685F on-camera. 1/600s at f/4 ISO 200.

Three modes

The Godox TT685 has three modes: TTL, Manual and Multi. You can easily cycle through these by pressing the mode button on the flash.

Having a third-party flash that supports TTL on Fujifilm is wonderful; many other third party speedlights in the past did not.

TTL stands for “through the lens.” This is a way that the flash can work with the camera to determine the best flash output for any given scene and, therefore, the best exposure.

The TT685F mounted on the Fujifilm X-T3.

You can adjust this with the flash exposure compensation feature. This is similar to how you may shoot in full auto mode or aperture priority mode in your camera (allowing it to make exposure decisions) but then adding exposure compensation to suit the scene.

The TT685 range of speedlights also supports high-speed sync (HSS) up to 1/8000s, which is the fastest mechanical shutter speed on many X-Series cameras, including the X-T3.

HSS can be very useful in bright conditions outside, especially if you want to shoot shallow depth of field. Many flashes don’t support HSS, so their sync speed is typically only 1/200 or 1/250 second, which can be limiting.

In TTL mode, you can also select second curtain sync, where the flash fires at the end during longer exposures instead of at the start. This can be useful in night scenes to expose traffic trails or lights in the background while the flash lights up your subject in the foreground right at the end.

Image: The Godox TT685F was fired by the X1T-F wireless trigger for some off-camera flash. It was po...

The Godox TT685F was fired by the X1T-F wireless trigger for some off-camera flash. It was positioned on a lighting stand, firing backward into an umbrella with a softbox attached. Fujifilm X-T3, XF 56mm f1.2 R lens, 1/120s, f/4, ISO 200.

In manual flash mode, you are selecting how powerful the flash fires, from 1/1 full power to 1/128 power. You can use the dial to move up and down in 1/3 stop increments. This mode is very useful when you want more precise control over your lighting. It was also the way flashes were used for years before TTL.

You can also use stroboscopic flash in Multi mode. Use it to illuminate a moving subject against a dark background: each time the flash fires in rapid succession, the subject is shown moving across the frame.

Although I didn’t test this feature of the TT685, I’m looking forward to trying it out one day.

Using the flash in slave mode for off-camera flash

Off-camera flash (OCF) is something that beginning to intermediate photographers often want to learn. The good news is that it’s never been so easy.

The TT685 in slave mode- note the color of the LCD panel has changed to orange.

Putting a flash in slave mode used to be a nightmare.

I remember being on a Nikon training course in London in 2006 with my brand new D200 camera and SB800 speedlight. At the first break, the trainer asked if we had any general Nikon questions. Before he could finish the sentence, three or four people asked if he could teach us how to set our speedlight up in slave mode!

Image: The Godox TT685 in slave mode shown with my Fujifilm X-T3 with the XT1-F wireless trigger att...

The Godox TT685 in slave mode shown with my Fujifilm X-T3 with the XT1-F wireless trigger attached.

We all wanted to trigger our flashes off-camera by the built-in pop-up flash, but the interface of the flash and user manual left us all scratching our heads. As he explained the process, we wrote detailed notes so we wouldn’t forget. It was a question I was then asked by a number of photographers over the next couple of years, as it was not easy to work out.

What a contrast we have to the Godox speedlights!

To trigger the TT685 off-camera, you’ll need to use another Godox flash or the Godox X1T wireless trigger.

Image: My son illuminated by natural light, backlit by the Godox TT685F in manual mode (1/64 power)...

My son illuminated by natural light, backlit by the Godox TT685F in manual mode (1/64 power) mounted on a lighting stand. Fujifilm X-T3 with XF 50-140mm f2.8 R LM OIS WR lens. 1/150s at f/4 ISO 200.

The X1T is a small, light, wireless trigger made from plastic that sits on the hotshoe of your camera, triggering Godox flashes set up in slave mode. Like the flashes, there’s a different version for each camera system, denoted by a letter at the end of each model.

It’s so easy to use the X1T-F wireless transmitter. The first time I ever tried it with a smaller Godox flash, the TT350F, I spent about one minute reading the manual, and within another 30 seconds, I had the flash set up in slave mode. Voila!

The wireless trigger is excellent – you can fire Godox flashes from up to 100 meters away, which is quite amazing. In my test, I fired it from 50 meters away with no problems.

Image: In this shot, I’m about 50 meters away from my son with my Fujifilm X-T3 and the XF50-140mm f...

In this shot, I’m about 50 meters away from my son with my Fujifilm X-T3 and the XF50-140mm f2.8 R LM OIS WR lens (zoomed all the way in). The flash fired with no problems!

Usability

Using the flash for basic on-camera/off-camera TTL and manual mode firing is all pretty straightforward. You can easily cycle between modes, vary the intensity of the flash in manual mode, change groups and channels without having to work too much out.

For some of the more advanced functionality of the flash, you’ll definitely need to read the manual. I’ve played around with it by randomly pressing some of the other buttons, and I got lost a couple of times.

Quality

I’m very happy with the quality of the images I’ve taken with the Godox TT685. It certainly feels like it could compete with the best flashes on the market quite comfortably. I’m not sure it has the best recycle time on the market, but other features, such as its use of wireless technology, make up for it.

Value for money

Around $ 110 USD, the TT685 is excellent value for money. The range of features you get with this speedlight, notably high-speed sync, the ability to use it as an off-camera flash, and the fact it runs on a wireless signal, are all winners in my book.

Alternatives

Godox makes a range of flashes to suit different needs and budgets. Two alternatives to the TT685 are the TT350 and the V860II.

The TT350 is a smaller, lighter flash that runs on two AA batteries. This was the first Godox flash I bought, and at first, I was impressed by the small size and good price point. However, over time, it proved not to be as powerful as bigger flashes, and the recycle times between flashes seemed quite poor.

Image: In this shot, I used the Fujifilm X100F with the Godox X1T-F wireless trigger to fire an off-...

In this shot, I used the Fujifilm X100F with the Godox X1T-F wireless trigger to fire an off-camera Godox TT350F speedlight.

The V860II is practically identical, except it runs on a rechargeable lithium ION battery, allowing faster recycle times. I chose the TT685 due to the cheaper cost, but also because I prefer using multiple sets of rechargeable AA batteries.

Conclusion

The Godox TT685 is a must-have piece of kit for photographers wishing to use a flash on-camera or experiment with off-camera flash. It has an excellent range of features, good build quality, and has a competitive price point.

Usability is good too, only with more complex operations will you need to read the user manual. Turning the TT685 into a slave for off-camera use is straightforward and done with a press of a button.

The TT685F mounted on a lighting stand.

Using wireless technology, Godox flashes all talk to each other seamlessly, and you can trigger flashes in slave mode up to 100 meters away. This is vastly superior to much more expensive speedlights that rely on line-of-sight transmission.

If you’ve never used a flash or a speedlight in your photography, there’s probably never been a better time to throw yourself in the deep end. I highly recommend the Godox TT685F.

Have you tried out the Godox TT685F flash? If so, share with us your thoughts in the comments.

The post Godox TT685 Thinklite TTL Flash Real-World Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

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Street Portraits vs Street Photography: What is the Difference?

10 Feb

The post Street Portraits vs Street Photography: What is the Difference? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

One of the most popular and accessible forms of photography you can practice is street photography. In this article, you’ll learn about one of the key questions that get asked in this area of photography. That is when do you ask a person’s permission to take their photo? The answer to that question divides street portraits vs street photography.

Read on to find out about both areas of street photography, and how they relate to each other.

What is street photography?

This can be a difficult area of photography to define because street portraits can easily be mistaken for street photography.

It’s also true that it’s possible to practice street photography and still have permission from your subjects.

So what sets this area of photography apart?

Well, the simple answer is that street photos should be natural and not staged. So what does it take to get a good street photo?

Image: YOu can even use a fisheye lens for street photography. People’s faces aren’t rea...

YOu can even use a fisheye lens for street photography. People’s faces aren’t really shown here, yet there is a story.

The equipment

The camera body you use here is important for street photography that occurs in low light situations, where you’ll want to use a higher ISO.

The choice between DSLRs or mirrorless cameras is a personal one. However, the smaller size of mirrorless cameras is an advantage.

You really want to keep to one lens, so you can keep things lightweight while you’re on the move. There is an understandable desire to use different focal lengths, though, so consider returning to the same location twice, and with different lenses.

So which is the ideal lens for street photography?

A lens of 135mm means you need to stand quite far away to include the context in your scene.

50mm – This is many street photographers’ lens of choice. That’s because it has a similar field of view to a person’s eye. That field of view is also wide enough to give your scene context, and you have a large enough aperture with a prime lens to photograph in low light. Keep in mind the crop factor for DSLR cameras that have a crop sensor, as it will change the effective focal distance of your 50mm lens.
Wide-angle – Then there are those photographers who like to have even more stories in their scene and will look to use even wider lenses. That might even mean a wide-angle zoom lens. You’ll now be getting very close to the people you photograph, making it harder to avoid them noticing you.
Telephoto – On the other end of the spectrum are those who prefer to photograph from a distance. This allows you to photograph the scene without the chance of people posing, as they’re much less likely to see you. On the other hand, you’ll compress the scene. If you don’t stand even further back, you won’t show very much context in your photo.

Image: Market’s make great locations for street photography. They are even better at night, wh...

Market’s make great locations for street photography. They are even better at night, when there is more atmosphere.

The location

Street photography is the exploration of your urban environment, so it needs to happen in this setting. The photo might happen away from the street itself, for instance, in an indoor market, but this would still be considered street photography.

The best place to practice this will be a place that allows for plenty of moments of capture. With that in mind, locations like markets, train stations, or high streets would work.

The subject

Now you know the location for street photography, the next thing to think about is the subject. There are plenty of photos you can take from the location suggested above that aren’t street photos.

A photo that shows only fruit is more of a food detail photo than a street photo. That said, does every street photo need to include a person’s face? The answer to that is, no, it doesn’t. But there does need to be a narrative element to it.

A photo that just shows people’s feet can certainly still contain a story. However, in most cases, you’ll want to see a person going about their daily life, and that means including their face.

A street portrait will see your subject fully engaging with the camera.

What is a street portrait?

A street portrait is one that shows the person’s face. It’s almost certainly posed, and it will be taken on the street. There is an authentic element to it. You’re not taking a model out with you, and you never know if the person you ask will give you permission to take their photo.

Once granted permission, you’ll be able to control many elements of the photo. You might be able to ask your subject to stand in front of an interesting background, turn their face towards a light source, or control their facial expression.

The equipment

This type of photo, once again, will be taken with a good quality mirrorless or DSLR camera. The lens should be a prime lens with a large aperture to give you the choice of blurring the background. However, you don’t have to use bokeh when you can control where your subject stands.

The type of lens you could use would be the same ones portrait photographers use with a model. So a 50mm, 85mm, or 135mm prime lens is ideal.

You might even consider using off-camera flash to have further control over your photo – this is, after all, a posed photo now.

The location

This will be a location where people congregate and go about their daily lives. It’s likely you’ll take a mixture of street portraits and street photos in the same location. With that in mind, refer to the advice given above for locations for street photography, since this is broadly the same for street portraits.

In this photo I asked the man to move to a better position for the light.

The subject

Now you’re looking for people who have personality in their appearance. Look for people who really tell the story of the place they are in. Do this through the clothes they’re wearing, the imperfections on their face, and the backgrounds you can find to place behind them.

One crucial aspect of this type of photo is gaining permission.

You’ll need to decide which types of personality are most likely to give you a positive response. You’ll also need to adapt the way you approach people, as different people may respond differently to varying ways you could break the ice. However you do this, always remain professional, and courteous. Perhaps bring a portfolio of your work and a business card with you to give yourself added weight.

Model releases

It’s worth mentioning model releases when it comes to photographing people. While it’s true that in many countries you’re allowed to photograph people in public places, you can then only use those photos for editorial and personal use. There may come a time you wish to use your photos more commercially.

If that’s the case, then you’ll need a model release. Even if you don’t use the photos for commercial reasons, getting a model release is always good practice.

In the case of street portraits, this should be easier to do since you’ll already be in conversation with the person in question.

You can use the background for a street portrait, so it adds context to the rest of the photo.

Street portraits vs street photography, time to decide.

Now you know your street portraits vs street photography.

Which form of photography do you prefer, both as a photographer and a viewer? How often do you ask people on the street for their permission before taking the photo?

Do you have a favorite set of equipment for either of these photography genres?

Here at digital photography school, we like hearing your opinions, so please share them in the comments.

Likewise, please share your photos that show street photography or street portraits in the comments section.

The post Street Portraits vs Street Photography: What is the Difference? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

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How to Create a Portfolio Template in Photoshop and Profit from Layer Types

10 Feb

The post How to Create a Portfolio Template in Photoshop and Profit from Layer Types appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Your portfolio is your presentation card. It should always be current with your latest works, coherent with your style and accessible to your clients. Perhaps there’s one on your website, another one printed, and one for pitch presentations. All of them need to be up to date. So, how do you keep up with that? Create a portfolio template that is easy to update that you can scale to different formats.

Keep reading to learn how to create a portfolio template in Photoshop.

Create a Portfolio template examples

While Photoshop is a fantastic photo editing software, it does have some tools that are useful for graphics work too. This will relieve you of the task of having to learn another program like Illustrator. One of the best things for creating a portfolio template is profiting from the characteristics that each type of layer can offer. You can use Vector Layers for your design and logos, Text Layers for all the information, and Smart Objects for your images.

Let’s go through it step by step.

The fundamentals

First of all, what is a Layer?

When you open a new project, whether this is a blank canvas or a photograph, it opens as an image layer by default. This is the base that you build upon. You can then add as many layers as you need.

Imagine that the Layers are paper sheets that you can stack. Each one will then modify, add or block the content of the ones below. The properties of each layer depend on the type of layer it is.

Photoshop Layers in Perspective

Layers are one of the most versatile and useful tools in Photoshop.

There are many types of layers, some are stand-alone layers like images or vectors. Others work only in combination, as Adjustment Layers.

The important thing to understand is that each one has different characteristics that can be used to simplify your life. Here I’ll discuss the ones I find most useful to create a portfolio template.

The template

Designing your template

The first thing you’ll need is to draw the design of the template. Here, you can decide the elements and colors you want to use. Because this is a template, it should be able to fit most images and situations. So, you might want to keep it simple, but this is up to you.

In any case, every element that you design is best drawn with the Shape tool. Doing this creates a vector layer by default. To make sure of this, check that the menu in the options bar is set to Shape.

Create a Portfolio Template with Shapes

This is important because, unlike images, vectors are independent of resolution. This gives you the advantage of modifying the elements without losing quality, as you would do with pixels. This is why most graphic programs, like Illustrator, work with vectors. Shapes and vector layers are also great for creating your logo.

Adding a logo

If your logo consists of many shapes, select all of them and turn them into a Smart Object by right-clicking on top and then choosing Convert to Smart Object from the menu.

This is a different type of layer, not only can you scale it as many times as you want – just like the vectors – but you also retain the source data so that you can work non-destructively.

Because of this, every time you open your Smart Object, you’ll still find all the original shape layers to work on them independently.

Create a portfolio template with smart objects

Another cool feature from smart objects is the possibility to link one or more copies.

This means that every time you modify your logo, it will automatically apply the changes to all the copies. This is useful if your design includes more than one logo. To do this, create a copy of the layer by dragging it to the Duplicate Layer button at the bottom of the panel.

Create a logo with smart objects

If you want to keep your copies working independently from each other, you can create a copy of the smart object that it’s not linked. Do this by using New Smart Object via Copy. You can find it in the menu that pops up when you right-click on the layer.

Create a portfolio template with logo

Adding text

This is as straightforward as it sounds. When you use the Text tool, it creates a Text Layer. Keep in mind that because it’s a different kind of layer, not all the tools are available for use. For example, you can’t use the filters.

If you want to use them, you will get a prompt asking you to “rasterize the layer.” This will turn it into an image (a pixel layer). You shouldn’t do this if you want to be able to edit the text in the future. If you do want to rasterize your layer, make a copy of it first and turn off the original by clicking on the “eye” next to the layer in the Layers panel.

Create a Portfolio Template Rasterize Layers

Another useful tip when designing your template is to confine the space for your text, so it doesn’t ruin your design if you change or add content later.

Instead of just clicking and typing, click and drag a rectangle text box where you want the text to be. That way, whatever you type adjusts to that space. I usually put one next to the image to add all the information like title, technique, and project. Then I can update it for every image.

Create a portfolio template

Adding images

The photos are the stars of your project, so you want to make sure to work non-destructively on them. The best choice for this is the Smart Object.

To add your photo as a Smart Object layer, you have to go to Menu->File->Place. Because in my design, I added a rectangle to serve as a frame for my images, I can now add a Layer Mask to fit it inside without losing any information.

create a portfolio template for your photography

You can do this by placing the smart object directly on top of the rectangle shape designed at the beginning. Now create a Clipping Mask by pressing Cmd+Alt+g (Ctrl+Alt+g on PC). The Mask will reveal the image through the frame without cutting it or changing any of it.

Create a portfolio template

To update the images, you can open the Smart Object and place the new one there so that you don’t change the Layers or Masks of the template.

Save and close

Because you used Vectors, Texts, and Smart Objects, you can change the resolution from web to printing as many times as you want while keeping the quality of it. Just be sure to save each page of the portfolio separately, so you don’t overwrite your template.

Conclusion

I hope that you have found How to Create a Portfolio Template in Photoshop and Profit from Layer Types useful for creating your own portfolio templates.

Remember, save each template as a PSD file so that you can go back and utilize them again when you want to update your photos or text. Saving as a PSD file retains all of your layers so that you can access them and change them easily. If you save it as a JPG or another lossy format that flattens the layers, you will no longer have the ability to edit them.

If you have any other tips for creating a portfolio template, please share them with us in the comments below.

The post How to Create a Portfolio Template in Photoshop and Profit from Layer Types appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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