Would you like to be able to view and save thermal images using your smartphone, whether for work or just for fun? Thanks to technological advances, it is possible today to do this without buying a very expensive dedicated camera. Read on to learn all the options you have to get thermal imaging on your cell phone. To Continue Reading
The post How Can You Get Thermal Imaging On A Cell Phone? appeared first on Photodoto.
There are plenty of features present in iOS, or Apple devices in general that make the experience “magical,” and AirDrop is one of them. First introduced with iOS7, the file-sharing technology has made life so much simpler with regards to sharing files. As a photographer, AirDrop is invaluable! Not having to rely on cables, dongles, or even an Internet connection Continue Reading
The post Do Photos Lose Quality When Airdropped? appeared first on Photodoto.
The post 5 Things You Can Do in Capture One You Can’t Do in Lightroom appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
If you’re a Lightroom user, you may be wondering:
Are there any Lightroom alternatives that can take your editing to the next level? Are there any editing programs that can offer you something more?
The answer is a resounding yes:
Capture One Pro.
You see, Capture One is a step above Lightroom in several key respects. While Capture One isn’t for everyone, if you’re looking to expand your post-processing capabilities, Capture One may be the way to go.
So in this article, you’re going to discover five things you can do in Capture One that you can’t do in Lightroom. It’s certainly not an exhaustive list, but it should give you a sense of Capture One’s power, and why you might consider it as a RAW editor.
Let’s get started.
I’m a big fan of Lightroom’s catalog-based editor. I like Lightroom’s method of quickly organizing photos with Collections and Albums.
But Capture One’s session-based workflow option is well thought out and amazingly useful.
Here’s how it works:
First, you have a photography outing or a photo shoot of some kind, then you head into Capture One and create a session.
Now, every session involves a parent folder. And within that parent folder, Capture One creates four additional folders:
So when you begin your session, you can import all of your photos from the day into the Capture Folder. This is where all of your photos can reside until you go through them. When you do, you can move the best shots into the Selects Folder and the worst shots into the Trash Folder.
Once you’ve edited all of your Selects Folder photos, you can create JPEG or TIFF files, which you export into the Output Location folder.
Note that you can create a new session whenever you do a new photoshoot. That way, you can use the same session-based process on every single photography outing.
And your photography workflow will stay quick and efficient.
Plus, you can access every session from within Capture One, as part of the Library.
Cool, right?
One of the biggest things missing from Lightroom that you can find in other post-processing programs?
Layers.
Now, Adobe has found some nice workarounds; the Graduated Filter, Radial Filter, and Adjustment Brush tools are very powerful and give enough fine-tuned control to satisfy plenty of users.
However, if you really want to selectively edit your photos, layers (and the masking functions that go with them) can’t be beaten.
With Capture One’s layer options, you can apply masks using a brush, a gradient, and more. You can make any basic global Capture One adjustment via a layer, then quickly turn it into a local adjustment.
Plus, layers are useful for compartmentalizing different edits. If you’d like to keep your exposure adjustments separate from your color adjustments, put them in separate layers. If you’re like to make multiple exposure adjustments, but aren’t sure which ones you’ll end up using, put them in separate layers. Then quickly toggle on and off layers to see how the adjustments affect the final image.
Of course, you don’t have to use layers in Capture One. If you’re more a fan of Lightroom’s sliders, then there are some options for more selective editing compared to Lightroom, including the enhanced color adjustments I talk about in the next section:
Color toning is one of the most important adjustments I make to my own images, and it’s one of the simpler tweaks you can make to really improve your photos.
So it’s pretty important that you’re able to control color as much as possible.
And while Lightroom offers its (extremely useful) HSL sliders and split toning tool, the Color Balance tool is one of my favorite things about Capture One, from its interface to its control to its power:
You see, with the Capture One Color Balance tool, you can alter the Highlight, Midtone, and Shadow colors. You can do basic split toning by pushing blues into the shadows and golds into the highlights. Or you can go for a more advanced three-toned color grade using the Capture One color wheels.
Plus, color toning in Capture One is very intuitive!
Instead of doing toning while referencing an external color wheel, you can quickly select complementary colors off the wheel and see how they look. And if you don’t like those, well, you can switch to a different pair or harmonious colors, or a color triad, all within the Color Balance interface.
It’s a lot of power in a very simple tool.
Lightroom is known for its preset-creation capabilities.
But did you know that Capture One lets you create presets for individual tools?
If you hit upon a set of values that you like, simply tap the hamburger icon in the right-hand corner of any tool:
And select Save User Preset:
Then, the next time you get stuck using that tool, you can scroll through your saved presets and see if anything sticks out at you.
Capture One also provides you with a number of already-uploaded presets, so you’re free to check those out, as well:
By the way:
While Capture One user presets are nice to use, they’re certainly not a substitute for broader preset editing. Which is why Capture One includes preset functions just like Lightroom (but called Styles).
So you get the best of both worlds:
Tool-specific presets, and image-focused Capture One styles.
Here’s one more great feature that Capture One offers:
You can arrange your editing interface – and I’m not talking about toggling on and off a few editing panels.
Instead, with Capture One, you can remove tools completely from the editing interface. You can bring them out so that they float in the main editing window, or you can stick them back into entirely different sections of Capture One.
This is especially useful if you have a particular editing workflow that you tend to follow. Instead of hunting around for each tool every time you edit a photo, you can arrange your editing tools in a neat stack. Then, when it’s time to edit your photos, you can go straight down the sequence, doing one edit after another until you’ve finished.
Being able to rearrange the editing interface is also nice if there are certain tools that you never use, and just want to get rid of.
Hate the Levels tool? You can remove it in seconds.
And you’re also free to remove entire tabs. If you never want to use a Capture One style, you can delete the whole Adjustments tab.
Note that Capture One even has several tool tabs that you can add into the Capture One interface, such as a Composition tab and a Black and White tab.
Really, the options are endless!
Now that you’ve finished this article, you know all about the power of Capture One, and what it offers compared to Lightroom.
Bottom line:
Capture One is an impressive RAW image editor and one that packs a lot of punch.
So if you’re looking to increase your editing power, testing out Capture One is a good decision!
For those of you who have tried Capture One, what are your thoughts? What did you like or dislike compared to Lightroom? Share your thoughts in the comments!
The post 5 Things You Can Do in Capture One You Can’t Do in Lightroom appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
The post Creative Water Photography – A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Water Monsters appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ramakant Sharda.
Have you ever watched an alien movie and wondered how they created those monsters? You’d need a very powerful computer, animation software, and some special skills to create an animated or moving monster. However, you can easily create a series of still monsters by using water. I’ll show you how some creative water photography can enable you to create your own water monsters. It’s simple to do, with great effect!
So let’s get started!
To do your creative water photography, you will (obviously) need a camera. You can use any DSLR or Mirrorless camera. In fact, you can use a point-and-shoot camera if it is capable of firing an external flash.
A standard lens, like a 24-70 mm, is good, as you don’t want your splash to go out of the frame. You also don’t want water splashes on your camera.
In addition to a camera, you will need an external flash and a cable or wireless trigger to fire the flash. Then you’ll need a large diffuser. You can use the translucent part of a five-in-one reflector, or you can use a butter paper sheet and paste it on a wooden frame. A reflector is a better choice here, as you don’t need to make a wooden frame, and it also won’t get damaged if some water spills on it.
You’ll need a light stand to affix the flash and a tripod for the camera.
If you have a portable water tub, you can do this shoot in a room. However, if you don’t have one, you’ll have to do it outside.
Also, you’ll need to wait until night, as you can’t do this shoot in daylight.
You’ll also need an assistant to throw the water so you can click the beautiful water monsters.
The setup is pretty simple.
If you are shooting your water monsters indoors, place your water tub in the room and hang the diffuser behind it.
Set the flash a little bit farther away from the diffuser. If you have a round studio light reflector, use it. It’ll give you a nice, round light effect. If you don’t have one, that’s okay. You can just use the flash.
Fix your camera on the tripod and place it far from the water tub. You don’t want water splashes on your expensive camera, so you’re going to use it on full zoom. If you don’t have a 24-70mm lens, you can use a 100mm lens and place the camera farther.
See the image below to view the setup.
Now you have done that, let’s talk about settings.
Place a stick at the center of the water tub and manually focus on it. Don’t forget to set your camera on manual focus after that.
Now you need to finish your camera settings and flash settings. First, we’ll do flash settings.
Change your flash to manual mode and set the power to 1/32. We’re doing this because when the flash is on lower power, it produces the shortest burst of light, which helps to freeze the subject. You can’t go above 1/32 power, as then you’ll start getting motion blur.
Now set the camera to manual mode.
Set your ISO to 100, aperture to f/16, and shutter speed to 1/200 sec or whatever your camera sync speed is. These are the settings I used in all my shots, and they’ll work for you, too.
An aperture of f/16 will give you enough depth of field, and the entire splash will be in focus. Make sure you’re shooting in RAW, too, as this will help in post-processing later.
If you are firing your flash using a radio trigger, set it up. Or if you are using a cable to fire it, attach the cable.
Now your setup is ready, so let’s talk about the workflow and start creating these beautiful water monsters.
Earlier, you placed a stick in the tub of water. Now remove it and replace it with something like a glass so that your assistant knows where the focus point is and throws the water accordingly. Also, tell your assistant about the area where your frame is so they won’t throw the water outside the frame.
Now all you need to do is press the shutter when your assistant throws the water.
They can throw the water in different ways. For example, they can fill both hands with water and throw it upside. Just make sure their hands don’t enter the frame.
Your assistant can use a mug or glass to throw the water, or they can throw it using two or three cups together.
Different methods of throwing water will give you different results.
Even if you use the same method of throwing, you’ll get different pictures every time.
Take at least 100 photos – the more, the better.
Post-processing is quite simple.
First, select good photos from the pictures you’ve taken. If you have clicked 100 pictures, you’ll get 10-12 good photos.
Now open the RAW files in “Camera Raw” and change the white balance to 3000. It’ll convert your gray picture to a blue tone.
If you’re an advanced photographer and you can set custom white balance settings in your camera, set it to 3000 kelvin before the shoot. Then you won’t need to do it in post-processing.
Now you just need to clean up some extra water droplets, crop if needed, and sharpen it. Your water monsters will be ready.
When you’ve finished editing the photos, check out the other images one more time. You’ll find some images that you can merge and use to make something unique. For example, I made this butterfly using three images.
So, let’s do some creative water photography and make these amazing water monsters!
We’d love to see your results, too, so please sharing them in the comments.
Also, if you run into any problems, just comment on this post, and I’ll help you solve them.
The post Creative Water Photography – A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Water Monsters appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ramakant Sharda.
The post The Fujifilm X-T4 to be Announced in Early February (With IBIS) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
It might come as a bit of a surprise, but it looks like we’re getting a Fujifilm X-T3 successor earlier than expected:
The Fujifilm X-T4.
(While the “X-T4” moniker isn’t official, we’re definitely talking about a successor to the X-T3.)
According to Fuji Rumors, the X-T4 will drop in March, with an official announcement on February 4th. This breaks the common two-year upgrade cycle that Fujifilm generally follows; the Fujifilm X-T3 was released in late September 2018, and the Fujifilm X-T2 was released just over two years prior, in early September 2016.
It’s possible that this faster upgrade indicates only minor changes between the two cameras. But I find this unlikely, given the high expectations Fujifilm has created for itself after producing the phenomenal X-T3.
So while the details are sparse, let’s talk about what we know (or suspect) will be present in the Fujifilm X-T4.
First, the most persistent rumor addresses what might be the biggest complaint regarding the X-T3:
In-body image stabilization.
The Fujifilm X-T4 will have IBIS, according to Fuji Rumors. To date, the only Fujifilm camera with IBIS is the Fujifilm X-H1, which sacrificed a compact build in order to include the IBIS tech. Hold the Fujifilm X-H1 and you get a DSLR-like experience, compared to the compact, travel-ready build of the X-T3.
Fortunately, it seems that we won’t see a Fujifilm X-H1 build for the X-T4. Instead, Fuji engineers have likely compacted the IBIS tech, so the X-T4 will feature IBIS will little-to-no increase of size.
As for other Fujifilm X-T4 features, while nothing has been confirmed, we can predict a modest upgrade in resolution (perhaps from the current 26 MP to a 28 MP or even 30 MP sensor). And we can expect at least equivalent continuous shooting speeds (30 fps with 1.25x crop, 20 fps with the electronic shutter uncropped, 11 fps with the mechanical shutter) to the X-T3, as well as dual card slots, impressive autofocus, and (maybe) a fully-articulating touchscreen.
There’s also a possibility of 6K/60p video, which would be a clear step up from the 4K/60p offered by the X-T3.
Regardless, we don’t have long to wait.
So keep your eye out for further updates on the X-T4, which is bound to be an incredible addition to Fujifilm’s already-formidable APS-C mirrorless lineup.
The post The Fujifilm X-T4 to be Announced in Early February (With IBIS) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
The post DIY Photography: How to Make Your Own DIY Lightstick for Cool Photos! appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.
In this article, you’ll learn how to make your own DIY lightstick.
You’ll be able to use this to create fascinating light paintings, and the best thing is, you can do it on a budget!
The simple DIY lightstick is made with easily available household objects and a set of fairy lights. Once it’s made, you’ll be able to create beautiful light patterns during long exposure photos.
Using a light stick for light painting can transform a scene.
Light painting is a long exposure technique.
To achieve this kind of photo, you’ll need a camera on a tripod, and usually, the photo will be taken at night. The exception to this would be a studio that is completely dark – this too can be used for light painting.
Most people will know light painting as simply spelling something in the sky with a torch.
There are two main forms of light painting, kinetic light painting, and regular light painting. In this article, you’ll learn about using a light stick to create regular light paintings.
There are light sticks out there you can buy. This photo was taken using a pixelstick.
You can buy a ready-made lightstick.
Indeed, some of these are already quite cheap and will give you the chance to practice some of the ideas presented in this article. There are also those sticks that are more expensive.
It’s worth keeping the more expensive sticks in mind, as they will give you more options when compared to a stick like the one you’ll be shown how to make in this article.
You’ll use tie straps to attach the wire to the tube.
There are some very good cheap options when it comes to light sticks, and you might decide to pursue one of those instead of making a DIY lightstick. If you want a little challenge, then read on and see what you can make.
First of all, let’s gather the supplies you’ll need. You can find most at home, however, you may need to visit your local DIY store or look online for some too.
The battery pack needs to be glued onto the stick as well.
Now you have everything you need, take the following steps to put it all together.
The task is fairly simple. It’s really just attaching some fairy lights to a stick. Why the plumbing tube? That’s so you can break it down to a stick that’s half of its size in an easy way.
This stick divides into two. This makes it easier to carry around and gives you the option of using the stick at half its full length.
The stick is now ready, it just needs the bungee cord put through the middle.
Now you have a DIY lightstick you can use to create interesting light paintings.
Lightsticks work because of the repetition factor – lots of lights moving altogether in a uniform pattern. It’s best to keep your light paintings relatively simple. Use defined movements, like spinning around, to create light cones. Spin the stick around to create circles, or simply walking along with the stick to create light ribbons.
What you do creatively with the stick is now up to you, but enjoy experimenting!
It’s usually a good idea to keep light paintings simple, with a defined message.
It’s always fun to make something for your photography. Have you ever tried to make an accessory yourself? Maybe it was for flash photography, something like a snoot?
Here at digital photography school, we love to hear from you, so please share your experiences. If you have any light painting photos taken with a light stick that you would like to share, that would also be great!
The post DIY Photography: How to Make Your Own DIY Lightstick for Cool Photos! appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.
The post 5 Tips to Get Out of a Photographic Rut so You Can Get Back to Doing What You Love! appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.
Creative ruts happens to the best of us. Fortunately, there are many ways to combat the dreaded photographer’s block. Here are 5 tips to get out of a photographic rut and back into doing what you love!
Canon 5D MK II 50mm lens with Kenko extension tubes, f/1.8 at 1/80th of a second ISO 800
Canon 5D MK II Canon 50mm lens with Kenko extension tubes, f/8 at 1/40th of a second ISO 200
Getting stuck into some artistic research is one of my first tips for getting out of a photographic rut. Whether it’s online or in-print, checking out what other photographers have done can stimulate fresh photographic approaches.
Having a look at contemporary photography can inform your practice with new perspectives. In addition, brushing up on your photo history can give you the motivation to expand on tried-and-true photographic methods.
Don’t limit yourself to researching one area of photography either. Branch out into different genres you are curious about. And don’t forget to explore other types of artistic practice. A lot can be gleaned from disciplines like painting and sculpture – practices that rely just as heavily on light and composition as photography does.
Canon 5D MK II Canon 50mm lens f/5.6 at 1/40th of a second ISO 100
Often, writers find that putting ideas on paper helps stimulate creative thought. It’s the same for photographers too.
A great way to organize your favorite research discoveries is to create a visual diary. Visual diaries (or art diaries) have been kept by artists for centuries as a way to consolidate ideas and cultivate inspiration.
Grab a blank visual diary (a portable size works best) and start to add prints, drawings, paintings, notes, journal entries, rubbings, whatever! The idea is that your visual diary is your own physical expression of the creative process. When organized into a visual diary, your photographic trajectory becomes clearer. It can be as neat or messy as you like, don’t overthink it and have fun!
Canon 5D MK II Canon 50mm lens with Kenko extension tubes, f/2.2 at 1/320th of a second ISO 100
Another tip to get out of a photographic rut is to choose a single theme to photograph. Pick any theme; abstraction, the seasons, portraits…anything that you find interesting or challenging.
Selecting a specific theme focuses your creativity. Having a theme also simplifies your photographic process, defining a clear goal for you to work on. Furthermore, when you work within a theme, you start to uncover interesting perspectives about a subject you may never have considered before. This feeds your creative momentum, helping to lever you out of photographer’s block.
Canon 5D MK II Canon 50mm, f/2.5 at 1 second ISO 100
Photography is made up of an endless amount of techniques and approaches. This provides photographers with many great tools to get out of a photographic rut. Trying something new can be exciting, and it can re-frame your whole photographic practice, kick-starting your creative flow and getting you back in the game.
Investing in new equipment is one way to change-up your photography, but simpler (cheaper) ideas work well too. For example, trying out portraiture or getting into black and white photography can help just as much. You could try photographing a new location or embark on a 365 project. You could also try camera tossing or set your sights on street photography – the choice is yours.
Canon 5D MK II Canon 50mm lens with Kenko extension tubes, f/1.8 at 1/80th of a second ISO 200
Creativity can be fickle, and inspiration can strike at unexpected times. If you are in a photographic rut, capitalizing on these bolts of inspiration is important. The last tip to get out of a photographic rut is to keep a camera with you, ready for action.
Today, many people have a camera constantly within reach on their phones. Concepts like composition and settings on a camera phone are similar to a dedicated camera. This means that taking photos with a camera phone can, in itself, flex your photographic muscles. In addition, you can also record interesting subjects on your phone to return to later with a dedicated camera.
For me, I try to keep a small, plastic camera with me in my pocket or bag. There’s something about having a camera that inspires me to keep a lookout for new photographic opportunities. The whimsical nature of a plastic camera adds an element of surprise to photography too.
Photographic ruts are a stubborn burden suffered by many photographers. Luckily, taking active steps can alleviate the symptoms of a creative dry-spell.
While these tips are drawn from my own experiences, it is by no means an exhaustive list.
Have you been stuck with photographers block? Let me know your tips to get out of a photographic rut in the comments.
The post 5 Tips to Get Out of a Photographic Rut so You Can Get Back to Doing What You Love! appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.
The post Review: 2 K&F Concept Carbon Tripods Put to the Test appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.
Recently, I was given 2 new K&F Concept Carbon tripods to test out.
Founded in 2011, K&F Concept is not a new player in the photographic industry, but they have wasted no time forging a name for themselves into a very niche market. Like most things coming out of China, their products are well designed, innovative and offer great value, so I was excited to get my hands on these tripods.
First up is the K&F Concept TC2834L Explorer Series carbon tripod with a CL40 ball head.
The tripod comes in a really nice carry bag with all the necessary Allen keys to maintain it. There are also a set of three screw spikes in the accessory bag that I wasn’t expecting.
My first thoughts were correct, and these were to replace the rubber grips on each leg for those times when you need a little more traction. Simply screw off the rubber pads and screw in the spikes. It’s super easy and a very nice addition that you won’t get with many other tripods.
K&F Concept has used twist-leg locks to reduce weight and folded size rather than the more traditional lever lock. Aside from the weight and size, the other advantage of the twist legs is their slick design. I have always found that levers tend to snag on the straps of my camera bag when trying to remove the tripod. Whilst, not a huge inconvenience, it generally results in me having a little wrestle with my camera bag.
With the twist-lock, you eliminate this issue.
The primary leg join is a very unique and innovative design that allows the photographer to get the camera as close to the ground as possible. You simply pull the red leaver out and tilt the legs up to one of the other two notches before pushing it back in to securely lock the legs in place.
The tripod is made up of four carbon fiber sections to keep the weight to a minimum and keep it to a compact height.
One of the most notable aspects of the TC2834L is the lack of center column attached to the tripod. Instead, this comes as a separate section that needs to be screwed onto the tripod when needed. Whilst this achieves its goal of a more compact size tripod, it does mean an extra piece to carry as the column doesn’t attach to the tripod (something that would have been nice to be able to do).
However, I haven’t found this to be a huge problem as the standard height of the tripod is 1235mm, which is more than an adequate hight. Plus, generally having a center column raised on a tripod, is not a great idea as it can mean camera shake through any sort of movement.
I never use this, so actually not having the center column means less weight to carry.
After feeling how light the tripod is, I was a little concerned that it may struggle to support a camera and a 70-200mm lens in anything less than perfect conditions.
Thankfully, I was proved wrong. It proved to be very steady and held up as well as any other travel tripod I have used even in blustery conditions.
The tripod is made up of four carbon fiber sections to keep the weight to a minimum and keep it to a compact height.
One of the most notable aspects of the TC2834L is the lack of center column attached to the tripod. Instead, this comes as a separate section that needs to be screwed onto the tripod when needed. Whilst this achieves its goal of a more compact size tripod, it does mean an extra piece to carry as the column doesn’t attach to the tripod (something that would have been nice to be able to do).
However, I haven’t found this to be a huge problem as the standard height of the tripod is 1235mm, which is more than an adequate hight. Plus, generally having a center column raised on a tripod, is not a great idea as it can mean camera shake through any sort of movement.
I never use this, so actually not having the center column means less weight to carry.
After feeling how light the tripod is, I was a little concerned that it may struggle to support a camera and a 70-200mm lens in anything less than perfect conditions.
Thankfully, I was proved wrong. It proved to be very steady and held up as well as any other travel tripod I have used even in blustery conditions.
Sold separately to the tripod, the KF-LC40 ball head may just be the best ball head I have ever used! Beautifully designed for ease of use, the ball head has a slick feel.
It uses the Arca Swiss locking system, which is great as this has now become the universally preferred locking method. This means all your old accessories and L-brackets will work seamlessly with this ball head.
The cleverly designed locking lever is placed a little behind the nodal point, making it much easier to adjust when a camera is attached. It does make the ball head a little bigger, but it’s not an issue, and it allows extra space for more substantial support in the ball head.
However, it’s important to remember that the ball head is sold separately.
This is a fantastic sturdy, lightweight, pro-level compact tripod that is a joy to use and even easier to carry.
With a price of just $ 299.99 (remember, ball head sold separately) and 30 days, no-questions-asked return policy, there isn’t much to not love about this tripod.
Next up is the TC2634 (Blue) carbon fiber lightweight travel tripod;
Like its bigger brother, this tripod also comes in a nice bag with all the same accessories. However, no spikes this time.
It’s amazingly lightweight and compact but still incredibly sturdy. This all makes this tripod perfect for a travel photographer.
You could easily carry this tripod around with you all day without any problem. This is a huge benefit for someone like me who leaves the hotel very early in the morning and ends up having to carry their tripod all day.
This tripod also has a great little trick up its sleeve. One of the legs detaches to become a stand-alone monopod. Just unscrew the ball head and attach the newly removed leg, and you are ready to shoot.
Monopods are great for busy cities and festivals, so it’s nice to have one as easily accessible as this is.
Like the TC2834L, the TC2634 uses a twist leg lock, which is great for all the reasons mentioned above. But what this tripod does differently is its 180-degree locking system that makes the tripod even smaller when packed away. It is a little fiddly to get the ball head in the correct spot to make sure all the legs lock closed to be as compact as possible, but you get used to the method after a few uses. This makes the folded up tripod just 430 mm in height!
Given the compact size of this tripod, you could be mistaken for thinking it is going to be pretty small and not sturdy. This is certainly not the case. Whilst it is not as sturdy as the larger TC2834L, it held up fantastically well in all conditions except a fairly fast flowing river where there was some noticeable shake.
However, I expected that, as this tripod is not designed for that purpose. You can’t have super compact and lightweight without some sacrifices. To help avoid any shake issues, the center column has a hook that can be weighted down to add extra stability.
With the 180-degree leg locking system, it means you can get your camera as low to the floor as you wish. The camera will be upside down, but that’s nothing a rotate tool won’t fix in post-production.
This is a very sturdy and well-designed Arca Swiss 360-degree ball head. It’s a little smaller than I would normally like, but this doesn’t affect performance in any way. Unlike the previous tripod, the ball head is included with this tripod, making this an even more attractive option.
This tripod is quite a lot smaller than what I normally work with, so I was a little skeptical beforehand. But it turned out to be great, and I really enjoy using it. So much so that I will be adding it to my own photography kit.
It’s a great option for a city break and offers more than enough support for the DSLR or mirrorless systems.
I have had my existing tripod for almost 15 years, and I never thought that I would replace it with anything other than just a newer model when it was time.
But having tested these tripods, I must confess that I am now using them instead of my existing tripod.
Note: The author was given these tripods and ball heads free of charge to test and was offered no incentives. This review is an unbiased opinion of his experience in using the products provided.
The post Review: 2 K&F Concept Carbon Tripods Put to the Test appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.
The post Portable Portrait Studio in a Bag: Now You Can Take Portraits While on the Road appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.
It is wonderful having a permanent studio to work in. But imagine being able to pack that studio into your camera bag and take it with you anywhere you want. You can do this by creating a portable portrait studio.
The problem is, portable studios tend to take up a lot of space.
I traveled from school to school with a portable studio. But it would take up my entire car, leaving no room for a passenger!
Half the fun of being a photographer is embracing constraints. So I decided to see how minimal I could get with a portable studio. Could I create a studio that fits into one small camera bag?
This is an important project because when you are confident that you can make nice portraits with minimal gear, you can take your studio down any road and into any situation. Your limits fade away, and the whole world becomes your studio.
This is my portable portrait studio. One camera, one lens, two speedlights, a rainbow of colored gels, one light stand, one umbrella, one reflector, and one piece of white fabric.
A studio is a place to study. By making your studio small and portable, you can study anywhere you desire.
The person you’re photographing is more important than your gear, your schedule, or anything else. Put all your focus on the person you’re photographing in order to achieve a good portrait. I tested out my new studio with a person, but if you don’t have a model you can practice with toy figures.
When you need to make a portrait, look for a good light source.
A larger light source creates softer shadows and a smaller light source creates crisp shadows. Often, softer shadows are pleasing for a portrait.
The first thing I look for is a large window for my light source. If I can find a large window, then I don’t even need to use the lights in my bag. In that case, my portable portrait studio whittles down to a camera and a reflector.
But if I need to create my own light source, then I use a speed light and umbrella or softbox. By itself, the speedlight is a small light source. But the umbrella converts it into a larger light source and softens the shadows.
You don’t want distractions in the background of your photo. Either keep the background clean and simple or make it part of the story. There isn’t much in your portable portrait studio, so you’ll have to work with the backgrounds you find on location.
The goal for all of these photos is a simple portrait with nice light and a clean background.
Let’s begin with a simple scenario using a large window as the light source.
When you place your subject near the window, and you expose properly for their skin tone, much of the background will fall into darkness.
This is not a pleasing environment for a portrait. However, don’t be concerned with what the whole room looks like, only how your final portrait will look. Notice where the girl is positioned in relation to the window.
The large window has created soft shadows on her face. The catchlights bring her eyes to life. There are some distractions in the background that could have been taken care of with a slightly different composition. 50mm, ISO 1600, f/4.0, 1/400 sec.
Smaller windows can produce harsh shadows. The secret is to keep your subject as close to the window as possible. The closer they are to the window, the larger the light source becomes in relation to your subject.
She is placed extremely close to the window.
The light on her face is quite nice but the background is distracting. 50mm, ISO 1600, f/4.0, 1/400 sec.
I moved her to the other side of the window.
I used the wall as the background for the portrait. 50mm, ISO 1600, f/4.0, 1/320 sec.
I found a really good bit of neutral-colored wall but it was not near a window. This is when you need to set up your speedlight and umbrella.
This patch of grey wall will be perfect as a background.
The umbrella illuminated both her face and the wall but didn’t cast any harsh shadows. 50mm, ISO 100, f/8.0, 1/200 sec.
You can create a white background by using a white wall or a white piece of fabric in your portable portrait studio. Make sure to illuminate the white background with the second speedlight in your bag.
The white piece of fabric will be taped to the wall to use as a background. The second speedlight will light up the fabric so that it turns pure white instead of grey.
You can turn any background black with two simple steps.
The background is about 20 feet away
You may need to darken the background a tiny bit more in post-processing. 50mm, ISO 100, f/9.0, 1/200 sec.
You can turn that neutral wall a different color using gels on your speedlight.
Place the colored gel over the speedlight to transform the color of the wall.
There comes a moment in every session when you just have to try something completely different.
Being a fan of backlight, I put both speedlights with colored gels in the background and pointed them right toward the camera.
Don’t settle for the same old photos every session. Always try at least one new thing. This was her favorite photo.
It’s good to have a permanent studio as a home base, but even a full-scale studio can become a limiting place. Figure out the minimal amount of gear that you need to make a portrait, pack it into one bag and then go and explore your world with your portable portrait studio.
Here are more tips for portrait lighting as you travel:
The post Portable Portrait Studio in a Bag: Now You Can Take Portraits While on the Road appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.
The post Irfanview – The Free Program You Need in Your Photo Editing Toolbox appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.
You would typically expect an article on a photo editing/utility program to be about the new latest-greatest thing to come out. Instead, this article will tell you why Irfanview, a program that has been around since almost the dawn of digital photography, is still as useful as ever and, as a photographer, it’s something you’ll want in your toolbox.
This is the main screen that will greet you on the Irfanview.com site.
You no doubt have heard of Swiss Army knives, those pocket multi-tools that have all manner of flip-out gadgets to perform whatever task you might require. Need a knife, a corkscrew, scissors, screwdriver, bottle opener, saw, tweezers, you-name-it? You can get all those things in one pocketable tool.
The largest such knife made by the company Wegner is the model 16999, and it has 87 tools that can perform over 141 functions. It’s hardly pocketable, but probably more of a demo of what is achievable. More typical Swiss Army knives have about 15-30 functions and are very pocketable.
Sure, a dedicated screwdriver or saw might do a better job, but the idea of having an entire toolkit in your pocket is the attraction.
Irfanview is like a Swiss Army Knife – Lots of tools in one compact package.
Such is the case with the utility program Irfanview.
This little do-all program is the brainchild of student Irfan Škiljan, from Jajce, Bosnia/Herzegovina, who first introduced the program in 1996. To put that into perspective, the first commercially successful consumer digital camera, the Apple Quicktake 100, was introduced in 1994. I would venture that some of the readers of this article weren’t yet born.
Not only has Irfanview been around for 23 years, like the Swiss Army knife, but it also is small, compact, can fit on, and even be run from a thumb drive and performs more functions than I’ll even be able to cover here.
If you could only have one digital photography tool to work with, I daresay this might be the one you’d want. (Providing you work on a PC, sorry Mac users, this one’s not available for you unless perhaps you use a Windows emulator).
If you have been involved in digital photography for a long time, you may already be familiar with Irfanview. (Especially considering that since 2003 it’s been downloaded over a million times each month.)
It could be that you’ve used it in the past, but have forgotten about it. If so, you might learn some new tricks it can do now that you didn’t know about.
If you’ve never heard of it, it’s time you did. Either way, the list of Irfanview tools, features, functions, and tricks is impressive.
And did I mention it’s all free?
Yes, Irfanview has always been free, though Irfan Škiljan does accept donations and sells the product when used for commercial use. He has pretty much been able to live off the program.
The Kodak-made Apple Quicktake, released in 1995 was the first consumer digital camera.
I bought my first personal digital camera in 1999, a Nikon Coolpix 950. One of the first tools I used to work with my photos was, yup, Irfanview.
Over the years, new features and functions have been added, many of those created by other contributors who’ve created “plugins.” Adding to the already impressive list of functions the native program can perform, there are now over 70 plugins for Irfanview, expanding its capabilities even further.
It might be easier to list what the program can’t do rather than what it can do, but I will attempt to give you an overview of its basic functions. This will not be a “how-to-use” Irfanview article. One of the great things is the program is very easy to learn, and there’s no end of support available.
32 or 64-bit versions of Irfanview are available. Pick the version (and the plug-ins) for your particular computer.
The official site for Irfanview is what you’d expect, Irfanview.com. Once there, you will see there are now two main versions, one for 64-bit and the other for 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows. It will run on Windows XP, 7,8, and 10. If for some reason, you need older versions, those are available too.
Pick the version suitable for your computer. I suggest downloading the versions with the installers build in (these will be .EXE files).
Once downloaded, just double-click the file, tell it where you want it installed, and let it do its thing. (I also mentioned if you want a “portable” program, you can download and install it to a flash drive. It can be handy to have the program with you when you may want to use it on someone else’s computer and not have to install it to their machine.)
The installation menu for Irfanview.
You don’t have to install the plug-ins, but I don’t know why you wouldn’t, as they greatly expand the list of what Irfanview can do.
The easiest way to do this is to download and install the All Plug-Ins Installer. Be sure to pick the one that matches the version of the main program you downloaded and installed, 32 or 64-bit.
Run the .EXE file just as you did the main program. It will find Irfanview on your machine (install that first) and then put the plugin-ins where they need to go. The whole process is very easy and straightforward.
You can configure Irfanview as the default view for whatever filetypes you choose.
With so much capability, I think the easiest way to give you an overview of the features is to look at the kinds of tasks you might want to accomplish and how Irfanview can handle those. I’ll briefly describe common tasks, though this will not be an in-depth instruction on how to perform the functions.
You might find this website a good resource for that purpose. The beauty of Irfanview is it’s very easy to learn and quite intuitive.
As a photographer, you will likely be working with image file types like JPG, TIF, PNG, GIF, or possibly raw files like Canon CR2 or Nikon NEF. What’s great is Irfanview opens dozens of different file types, even things you probably haven’t even heard of. Here’s a link to a full list.
You can learn lots about your image when you open it and use the Information option in Irfanview.
To open a file/image, go to the File dropdown, pick Open and use the next menu to browse to where your file is located.
Click it once and, with the Preview Active box checked, you will see a thumbnail below. There will also be information on the width and height of the image in pixels, the color depth, the size in RAM, and the file size.
Click Open or double-click the image and it will open in Irfanview. If you want to go to the next image in the same folder, just click the spacebar on the keyboard or use the arrows on the top menu bar.
Open one image type and convert it to something else. Irfanview excels at this. Here a .tif is converted to a ,jpg.
A powerful feature of Irfanview is the ability to convert one file type to another. For example, open a TIF file and save it as a PDF file or maybe a JPG. It’s as easy as opening the file and then saving it as whatever else you like.
If you like keyboard shortcuts, Irfanview has many. For example, an open image, click the “S” key to Save and then use the menu to tell Irfanview the file name, type, and location you wish to save it.
Irfanview can run video files too, like this MP4 video file.
Not just for image files, Irfanview can play MP3 and other audio files.
Irfanview goes beyond just opening photos. It can also load and play audio and video files. Want to play an MP3 music file or maybe an AVI video file? Irfanview can do!
Setting up external editors allows you to send an image from Irfanview to another editor, Photoshop in this example.
If Irfanview can’t do what you need, you can have it send the image to an external editor of your choosing. You can specify up to three different editors in the Properties/Setting Menu.
The Thumbnails menu is Irfanview gives you many ways to look at your image files in a folder.
This is a useful option. (The “T” key is the shortcut). Pick this, a submenu will open, and you can then browse all the folders on your drives. Find the image you want, double-click it, and it will open in Irfanview. The Thumbnails feature is very robust, offering many ways to view your files and see information about them.
Irfanview is a great program for making slideshows.
This is one of my favorite features of Irfanview.
You can create an impromptu slideshow from images on any drive – even a plugged-in flashdrive. You can have the images automatically or manually advance, set timings, add music, show text such as file name, or even complete EXIF data.
If you want to save and take your finished slideshow elsewhere, you can save it to a self-contained EXE file, burn it to a CD or DVD, or even create a Screensaver file (SCR). With your computer connected to a projector, Irfanview makes a great presentation program, even allowing you to do things on the fly.
A top feature of Irfanview is its powerful batch conversion-rename utility. I’ve found none better.
I have not found a better program for this kind of work than Irfanview. Say I need to convert 200 TIF images to JPG, resize them to 1200 on the long side, sharpen them slightly, and rename them all to the same name but with sequential numbering. Irfanview has many of these options. You can tell it exactly what to do, how to do it, and where to save the results.
Once set up, it can work with as many files as necessary and, when set in motion (Start Batch), will quite quickly perform the assigned task.
Yes, the menus are quite extensive in this portion of the program, and taking the time to prepare your batch command carefully is important. What’s great, however, is the extensive options giving you very precise control of what you want.
There’s only one caution I’d give (and the default settings will usually protect you from doing this); if you convert or rename your files, be sure to set Irfanview to make a copy of those instead of overwriting the originals. You don’t want an “oh no!” moment if you discover you made a mistake and overwritten your originals.
It’s not Photoshop, but Irfanview is a reasonably capable image editor.
I won’t suggest that Irfanview will replace your dedicated photo editors like Lightroom, Photoshop, or whatever editing tool you use. That would be like saying the saw on a Swiss Army knife is a fine substitute for a chainsaw when felling trees.
However, in a variation of the saying about the “best camera,” let me say that the best editor is… the one you have with you.
Since Irfanview can work from a thumb drive, if necessary, without even installing it to the host computer, it’s easy to have it with you.
It’s installed on my desktop and notebook computers, and I carry a copy on a thumb drive on my keychain. Don’t leave home without it!
So what can you do with Irfanview as an editor? Here’s a quick list:
Use Irfanview to create multi-image montages.
Irfan has other great tricks it can perform. Need to create a contact sheet? Make a montage image? Yes, Irfanview can do these things.
While it also has a “Panorama” creation function, this is not a stitching program that can detect and seamlessly merge multiple images. It works better for making horizontal montages with multiple images where the edges need not match.
For stitching panoramas, I would instead suggest another free program, Microsoft ICE, on which I wrote this previous article.
Irfanview can control your scanner, bringing the scanned image into the program for further work.
Irfanview can connect to scanners and other TWAIN devices to bring images directly into the program. Point Irfanview to the device, and it will allow you to scan single or multiple images.
If you need to make a quick copy of something and have both a scanner and printer connected to your computer, Irfanview has a Copy Shop feature that scans the image and immediately sends it to the printer.
You will want to explore Irfanview on your own as there are more possibilities than I can possibly write about here. As with many things, the best way to learn is to experiment and get some hands-on experience.
Here a few other things you may wish to try:
Need a screenshot to save or send someone? Use the Print Screen function on your keyboard to capture the screen. Then open Irfanview and Edit->Paste the captured image. Crop it as desired and save the image for attachment to your email, further editing, or printing.
Want to have your exposure data show on your photo? Irfanview can do! Display any Exif or IPTC data you like.
There could be times you might want to display Exposure data or other text on your photo. Here’s a simple way to do it in Irfanview:
Plug-ins offer many more options in Irfanview like this Effects option.
When you really want to dig deep into what Irfanview can do, you can explore the plug-ins and filters option. Here you can do such things as OCR (Optical Character Recognition), which will allow you to scan in a page of text and then convert it to editable text.
There is Facial Recognition (which I’m still deciphering), and there are the Image Effects (with an image open in Irfanview, click Image->Effects->Effects Browser, to get an overview of the various looks you can achieve.
Want even more? There are plug-ins under the Effects Menu like Filter Sandbox or Filter Factory. Irfanview can also use any Adobe-compatible 8BF filters.
The Swiss Army Knife analogy is a perfect description of the way I use Irfanview. It may not be the tool I use routinely, and certainly isn’t my primary photo editor, but, like carrying a utility tool in my pocket, it is oh, so handy when I need it. It’s also easy to always have around.
For a few tasks, it even does things commercial programs can’t or does them in a simpler, better way.
I have used the program for over 20 years, and I can say even as I prepared this article, I learned some new things I’d not yet discovered. If you try it, you, too, will find a place in your photo-editing-toolkit for Irfanview.
Let me know in the comments how you found it useful in your work.
The post Irfanview – The Free Program You Need in Your Photo Editing Toolbox appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.
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