Category: Photography

Your Guide to Photography User Agreements

The post Your Guide to Photography User Agreements appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

Copyright and image usage can be a complex and confusing arena even for experienced photographers.

When you shoot for a client, you not only need a contract outlining the deliverables, but you also need a user or licensing agreement. You also need a user agreement if a brand or organization comes across one of your images on the Internet and wants to use it in some way.

So what exactly is a user agreement and why do you need one?

A user agreement is a type of contract in which you as the photographer grant specific usage rights to a client or collaborator. They may only use the image within the bounds of this agreement.

Under most copyright laws, photography is as protected as any other artwork. In photography, you’re not “selling” your image or giving up your copyright. You’re giving someone a license to use the images for a specific purpose and time frame. In effect, you’re the “lender,” and they are the “borrower.” This is basically what happens when someone purchases stock photography.

The two types of licenses

There are two types of licenses: exclusive and non-exclusive.

An exclusive license does not allow the photographer to license the image or images to other third parties during the duration of the agreement.

A non-exclusive license allows the photographer to license the same image to other third parties under separate agreements during the same time frame.

Clients often want an exclusive license to ensure the images created for their brand don’t appear elsewhere. In some cases, so they don’t end up being used by their competitors.

However, be aware that they should be required to pay a premium for this exclusivity. This is why usage rates can go very high, depending on the client and their visibility in the marketplace.

When you give exclusivity to a client, it prohibits you from earning more income from your images by licensing it to other third parties, or through stock photography.

For example, I license my images through Offset, a division of Shutterstock. They offer high-quality stock photography for a much higher price point than microstock agencies.

I make a decent side income from being a contributor with them, without having the thousands of images required by other agencies to make stock photography worthwhile. Since most of my commissioned clients want exclusive usage, I don’t submit the images I license to them to stock also. Instead, I submit non-similar rejects from the shoot and even shoot specifically for my stock portfolio.

What should go in the user agreement?

When you’re writing up a user agreement and setting your price, it’s crucial you consider the end use of the image and the visibility of the brand using it.

Licensing an image to a nationwide restaurant chain should have a different price and terms than the mom-and-pop taco joint down the street.

One example of how the details of a user agreement can become critical is when you’re dealing with a start-up or a growing small business.

If you provide licensing for several years or in perpetuity (forever ongoing), what happens if that business suddenly takes off and gains extensive exposure? Your image will become worth a lot more, but you won’t see an extra penny if you’ve given perpetual usage away.

The rule for user agreements is the wider the audience for the image, the more the image is worth to the brand.

When faced with a client who has good prospects to grow, keep your licensing period shorter and track when it expires via a spreadsheet.

The user agreement should also specify whether the license is exclusive or non-exclusive, and describe its intended use.

I don’t recommend granting unlimited use for an image; otherwise, a brand can use it across every conceivable platform – in advertising, on billboards and for product licensing.

Be very specific about how they can use your images. More and more clients are asking for universal and unlimited rights. If this is the case, they should be prepared to pay for it.

Specify the time frame in which the licensee is allowed to use the image. If they want to use the image beyond this time frame, they will have to purchase another license from you.

Another important tip is don’t provide a user agreement until the images have been paid for in full. Let the client know this policy and state on your invoice that the images cannot be used publicly until you have received payment in full.

Educate your clients

As with other types of contracts, a user agreement protects you as the creator of an image. It also prevents misunderstandings between you and a client that can lead to bad feelings and legal hassles if someone feels their expectations haven’t been met.

Unless a client has worked with photographers before, they may not understand the ins-and-outs of copyright law or why they need to sign a user agreement. Educating the client is vital.

If someone is questioning your contracts, they likely are not understanding the process. A local small business or startup brand may need your help in understanding the transaction.

Conclusion

When negotiating a user agreement, it’s important to communicate with self-confidence and to recognize your work has value to your clients.

At the same time, remaining respectful and professional can lead to building a mutually beneficial relationship – with more opportunities and income down the line.

If you have any other licensing and user agreement info you’d like to share, please do so in the comments section.

The post Your Guide to Photography User Agreements appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

Digital Photography School

March 14, 2019
A Beginner’s Guide to Stunning Close-Up Photography

The post A Beginner’s Guide to Stunning Close-Up Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Do you want to take incredible close-up photos?

Here’s the truth: Capturing incredible close-up photos doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it can be extremely easy – if you know what to do.

In this article, you’ll discover the secrets to gorgeous close-up photography. You’ll learn about the required gear (Hint: You probably have everything you need!). You’ll learn the tips and tricks for stunning images (and you’ll love trick number 3).

Bottom line? I’ll make sure that you leave with the know-how to take truly beautiful close-up images.

Let’s get started.

Step 1: Pick any camera and lens for close-up photography

First of all, the big question: Do you need expensive, specialized gear for close-up photography?

The short answer?

No.

You can capture incredible close-up images with almost any camera & lens combination.

Because here’s what you need for stunning close-up photography:

A camera (any modern DSLR or mirrorless camera will do just fine).

A lens that allows you to focus close to your subject (more on this in a moment).

That’s it.

You don’t need a tripod. You don’t need a focusing rail. You just need a camera and a lens.

Now: What counts as a close-focusing lens?

First, for a technical answer (that you’re free to ignore): I like lenses that give the subject a magnification of (at least) 0.20-0.25.

But here’s the thing:

Most lenses will actually get you pretty close to your subject – if you give them the opportunity.

So don’t worry too much about your lens choice. Just use what you have.

If you want to make sure you’re getting as close as possible, I recommend you test out a few of your lenses. Then pick the one that focuses closest.

Now, for a brief aside:

If you want to get especially close to your subject, then you can invest in a macro lens.

A macro lens isn’t necessary for close-up photography. But it does let you focus extremely close.

A great inexpensive option is the Tokina 100mm macro (for Nikon and for Canon).

Once you have a good close-up photography set-up, it’s time for the next step…

Step 2: Start with flowers for some stunning close-up photos

Close-up photography is thrilling.

And there are tons of subjects out there, just waiting to be photographed.

But if you’re a beginner, I recommend you start with one particular subject…

Flowers.

Flowers are easy to get ahold of. They’re not a super challenging subject. And you can capture some stunning close-up flower photos.

You can shoot flowers indoors or outside.

But I recommend you start outside.

This is for two reasons:

First: Natural light is stronger than artificial light. Which means you’ll be able to get brighter, colorful photos without much difficulty.

Second: Being out in nature is a great part of the close-up photography experience.

But, if it’s winter where you live? Don’t despair.

You can still take some great close-up photos of flowers.

Just buy a bouquet of flowers at your local supermarket.

Then you’ll be ready to do some close-up photography.

Is there a particular flower that you should start with?

I’d suggest you start with some bright, colorful flowers. I’d also suggest you start with flowers that are large.

Roses are a great choice.

Tulips are another option.

Once you have your flowers, it’s time for the next step…

Step 3: Find the best light for stunning close-up photography

You need to be careful about your lighting choices.

Because amazing close-up photography requires good light.

What do I mean by good light?

You want to portray the colors of your subject. And you want to portray some beautiful details (e.g., the curves of the flower petals).

This gives you a few lighting options:

First, you could use cloudy light.

Cloudy light is soft and diffused. This means that it will capture nice, saturated colors. You’ll also be able to portray some nice detail.

Just try to shoot toward the middle of the day. Otherwise, the sky might get too dark. And you need a lot of light for close-up photography.

Second, you could shoot on a sunny day. This will give you plenty of light for stunning close-up photography.

But be careful: The light on a sunny day can be very harsh.

So if you do choose to shoot on a sunny day, take photos in the early morning or late afternoon. That’s when the light is soft and golden.

(These times are often referred to as the “golden hours.”)

If you’re shooting inside, I’d recommend you go with the same set of options. Shoot on a cloudy afternoon or on a sunny morning/evening.

But make sure you place your subject near a window. Otherwise, you won’t have enough light to capture gorgeous details!

Step 4: Follow these close-up photography secrets to get amazing photos

You know how to select the perfect gear. You know how to find the best subjects. And you know how to choose the best light.

It’s time for you to actually take some close-up photos.

But how do you get the best photos possible?

Here are a few tricks you can use…

Shoot on a level with your subject for the most compelling photos

In close-up photography, it’s important you choose a great angle.

You want to portray your subject in a way that shows off its shapes and colors. And you want to take an intimate portrait – one that brings the viewer into the subject’s world.

That’s why I recommend that you shoot on a level with your subject.

What do I mean by this?

Simply position your camera so that it’s ‘eye-to-eye’ with your subject. You want to feel like you’re looking straight at the subject.

Only then should you take the shot.

You’ll probably have to crouch down low to capture this angle. You might even have to lie on the ground.

But…

…It’ll be worth it, in the end.

Shoot toward the sky for the best backgrounds

The best close-up photos have simple, uniform backgrounds.

Simple backgrounds don’t take away from the subject. Instead, they emphasize it.

So here’s a trick for some nice, simple backgrounds:

Get down low, so that you’re on the same level as your subject.

Look through your camera.

Then scoot around the subject, paying careful attention to the background.

Does the sky appear behind your subject?

If so, then that’s the photo you should take!

If not, you can try getting even lower. But don’t go too low – you want to remain as level with your subject as possible.

This works best on cloudy days. Your subject will have a nice, white background.

But you can use the sky as a background on sunny days, too. Just be careful not to shoot into the sun (because that will cause unwanted flare effects).

Use manual focus to portray the little details

Here’s your final close-up photography secret:

Use manual focus.

Why is this?

Manual focus allows for incredible precision when focusing.

And when you’re shooting at high magnifications, you need to focus as precisely as possible.

Here’s why:

In close-up photography, your depth of field is limited.

(The depth of field is the amount of the photo that’s actually in focus).

You can get the petal of a flower in focus, but then the stem will be blurry.

Or you can get the stem of the flower in focus, but then the stem will be blurry.

So you have to ask yourself:

What do I want to get in focus? What do I want to emphasize in this photo?

And then make sure you focus on that.

Unfortunately, lenses don’t autofocus well at high magnifications.

So you need to use manual focus, instead.

Start by switching your lens from autofocus (A, AF, or M/A) to manual focus (M or MF). There will be a switch on your lens body.

Then carefully roll the focusing ring between your fingers.

When focusing manually, don’t try to rush. Slow down. Glide from focus point to focus point.

You’ll quickly get the hang of it.

And you’ll be taking incredible close-up photos in no time!

Taking stunning close-up photos: The next step…

If you’re looking to take stunning close-up photos, I have good news for you:

You’re almost there.

You have the gear.

You have the knowledge.

You know how to find good light.

You know how to find strong backgrounds.

And you know how to focus carefully.

All that’s left…

…is to get out there and start shooting.

Do you have any close-up photos that you’re proud of?

Share them in the comments!

The post A Beginner’s Guide to Stunning Close-Up Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Digital Photography School

March 14, 2019
How to Tell Stories with Architecture Photography

The post How to Tell Stories with Architecture Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

At first glance, it might seem like architecture photography is all about prestige projects, glittering corporate headquarters, and well-paid specialist photography gigs. However, there can be much more to architectural photography if you look a little deeper.

The Radcliffe Science Library, Oxford © Charlie Moss

Architecture is a vast and diverse field. It basically means the design and construction of buildings or the style in which a building is built. Styles vastly differ from country to country, even from town to town. Very local architecture that is heavily inspired by the local conditions and traditions is known as “vernacular architecture” – and that is the kind of built environment that inspires me most in my architectural photography.

On weekends, it is quite common to find me out and about with a camera in The Cotswolds – the beautiful area of England that is on my doorstep. There I seek out beautiful examples of buildings crafted from Cotswold Stone – the local building material. The stone itself varies in color from beautiful honey to a rich golden hue, and it’s these variations that tell you where you are!

Head a little further south, and you’re in the city of Oxford, famous for its prestigious university. The story of the city and the university is told through its architecture and is a vernacular architectural photographer’s dream. It’s here in Oxford that I’ve based this article on architectural photography, but hopefully, you’ll find it full of tips and tricks for shooting any of your surroundings or those you visit on a trip.

1. Do some research

Schools Quadrangle, Oxford, and a door on Parks Road, Oxford. © Charlie Moss

Before you grab your camera bag and walk out of the door, the first thing you’re going to want to do is a little research. See if you can read up on the most important buildings in the place you’re heading out to. Then see if you can work out why they’re considered the most important.

Look at images of the place that other people have already taken and see if you can pick out any themes. Other photographers might have had some smart ideas for locations – no harm in making a note to check them out while you’re there too. Is there a predominant style of architecture? A set of repeating motifs? Or perhaps a common building material? If there does seem to be patterns in the buildings, ask yourself why that might be and see if you can get to the bottom of what they could perhaps mean.

In Oxford, there is a long-running fight over which architecture styles best reflect buildings dedicated to learning and research. Are the Roman and Greek inspired Classical style buildings the most appropriate because of their obvious connection to ancient civilization? Alternatively, are the tall, soaring, pointed towers of Gothic architecture better for a university because it seems to be reaching ambitiously skywards towards God? The designers and patrons of the city have argued this backward and forwards for many centuries now, so it is the perfect place to tell stories about the architecture!

If nothing else, think of some themes that you might like to shoot while you’re out with your camera. I can never seem to resist a good photograph of a door, and nor can many other people judging from the subject’s popularity on Instagram.

2. Look for contrast

The Radcliffe Science Library, Oxford © Charlie Moss

Images that juxtapose different but related buildings or themes can be very powerful when you’re photographing architecture. Well-considered juxtapositions of images can show both positives and negatives about architecture. In the first image above of the Radcliffe Science Library, I’ve tried to capture the contrast between the ancient Headington Stone used in the original Victorian library building, and the modern glass extension.

Both materials express different ideas about what it means to study science, and so together they tell the story of what science has become over the last two hundred years. The reflection of the tree brings the two together – reminding us that science is all around us and not just found in libraries and laboratories.

If you can capture scenes like this all in the same image then that is great, but do not be afraid to place two or more images next to each other as I did above in the images of Keble College.

3. Plan to shoot a series

Keble College Chapel reflected in the Beecroft Building, Oxford, and Keble College, Oxford © Charlie Moss

Creating diptychs and triptychs in photography is as old as the medium itself. Setting out to specifically capturing two or three images that work together (and could perhaps be mounted together as prints) is a fantastic way to tell a story.

It might be that you plan these images specifically to be a series while doing your research, but often you might make connections while you’re out and about. The best tip I can give to you is to write down the connections that you’ve made while shooting in a notebook; otherwise, you’re bound to forget them while editing!

The two images above were a happy accident. I didn’t realize that there was a brand new physics building constructed in the last twelve months, and it perfectly reflects the chapel of the college across the road. This juxtaposition of science and religion is quite powerful, but also I enjoyed the way that the facade of the new building draws inspiration from the old. The tall rectangular windows of the new Beecroft building seem almost to be a modern version of the tall rectangular windows in Keble College built around a hundred and fifty years ago.

If you see an interesting image that wasn’t on your original itinerary, then stop and take a few minutes to photograph it. Don’t be so focused on your research that you miss unexpected gems – they might turn out to be some of the best photographs of your trip.

4. Bring the architecture to life

Bikes in Oxford. © Charlie Moss

Regardless of how spectacular the buildings themselves might be, it is how the inhabitants of the city use the architecture that’s important. In Oxford, the primary mode of transport is the bicycle. There simply isn’t enough room in this medieval city for cars, and so pedal-power is far more efficient.

Every street and building has space for parking bikes – and if it doesn’t – the cyclists soon find somewhere to put them! To photograph the city of Oxford without photographing the bikes would be to miss out on a large part of what makes the place come alive.

Think of how you can show the life that lives alongside the architecture in your images. It could be something as iconic as a bright yellow taxi in front of the iconic Flatiron building in New York. Alternatively, it might be as simple as a reflection of a busy city street in a brilliant local coffee shop.

Try to capture what makes the place you’re photographing unique, both in the buildings and in what is happening around them.

5. Shoot the icons

The Radcliffe Camera, Oxford, with All Souls College, Oxford in the background. © Charlie Moss

While you’re focusing on the details and the hidden stories, don’t forget to tell the big stories too! Iconic architecture is iconic for a reason, so don’t keep it off your itinerary. The important thing is, once again, to find the story that you want to tell and try to capture that.

The above image shows the Classical versus Gothic war of architecture in Oxford in a single shot. The front building is the Radcliffe Camera, an historically significant library built in the English Palladian style inspired by the classical temples of the ancient Greeks. Behind its defensive wall is the soaring tower of All Souls College built in the Gothic style. You couldn’t get two more contrasting buildings in the same shot if you tried.

These contrasts and histories are the keys in photographing architecture. If you can seek out the interesting stories to tell, you’ll have no problem shooting great images.

The post How to Tell Stories with Architecture Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

Digital Photography School

March 14, 2019
When and How Often Should You Upgrade Your Photography Equipment?
The post When and How Often Should You Upgrade Your Photography Equipment? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

We have all heard of the shiny object syndrome have we not? Perhaps you have even fallen victim to it? It’s an easy trap; especially when we are newbies. I have certainly been a victim of it when I first started and was always thinking that my photography would improve if only I had better gear. Right? Wrong! However, your photography will be better if you have the CORRECT gear.

From my experience of photographing professionally over a decade, I have realized a few things. One of which is that YOU control your gear – your gear does not control you. In other words, you can definitely produce mind-blowing images with the gear you currently have if you know how to use them correctly. Add a hint of creativity into it, and you are taking your images to the next level.

If you are a photographer, the very fundamental things you need to master would be understanding the exposure triangle, lighting (whether that be natural or artificial) and shooting in Manual mode. The first one underpins the last one. Without a solid understanding of the exposure triangle, you may struggle to shoot in Manual mode.

There is nothing wrong with shooting in semi-automatic modes like Aperture Priority or Speed Priority, but you get yourself in tricky scenarios if you rely entirely on shooting on Automatic mode. Your images will be inconsistent, and you will encounter problems in post-processing. Shooting in semi-manual mode still requires an understanding of what those modes do, so why not go the full haul and take the time to understand the exposure triangle.

With that preamble out of the way, I’d like to address the question “When and how often should you upgrade your equipment?” I offer my thoughts below which could greatly differ from other people’s opinions. That is all fine. It’s a free country, and we can exercise free speech.

Things to consider when buying equipment for the first time

1. Your budget

Sit down and think about how much you can afford without getting into debt. If you are buying gear to learn on, I would not suggest getting into debt to buy your first equipment. It is true that professional, full-frame cameras are better, but do you need them to learn how to shoot? Absolutely, not! Can you only produce good pictures with these top-of-the-range cameras and not with old second-hand models? Of course not.

2. Your subject

Think about what you want to shoot. Your lens choice depends on what subject you want to learn to shoot. For example, if you want to shoot landscapes, don’t buy a zoom lens. If you want to shoot portraits, don’t buy a super-wide-angle lens. If you want to learn both, explore your zoom options. This brings me to the issue of whether to buy the camera body and lens separately or buy a kit.

Brands often offer a kit bundle to save you money on them and have a variety of options to choose from. This isn’t necessarily a bad choice, but it could also be a big waste of money.

A bundle often has a camera, a wide to medium zoom and a longer zoom. These are fine if you want to shoot outdoors in ample light. However, you will quickly realize that if you want to do indoor portraits, these lenses perform below par. These kit lenses are generally the cheaper range with a variable aperture starting from f/3.5 going up to f/5.6 maximum aperture as you go longer on the focal length. These would be inadequate for very dim lighting or indoor ambient light without flash. Ideally, you would need apertures of f/2.8 and wider.

If you opt for buying a camera body separately, then you have more options, both new and second-hand. Just make sure you check the shutter count of the second-hand ones to ensure they have not exhausted the upper range of shutter click guaranteed by the manufacturer before the shutter mechanism starts deteriorating. Most second-hand sellers provide this information; if not, you must ask.

Buying the correct lens for your photography purpose will put you in good stead right off the bat. Why? Because if say you want to photograph portraits, buying the right lens will help you achieve beautiful portraits. Portraits I’m sure you have seen done by other people compared to if you were to shoot them with the wrong lens. You’d forever be wondering why you could not quite achieve the look you want.

3. Accessories

Don’t go all-out buying every accessory on the market. These can be quite tempting but will burn a hole in your pocket and use money up earmarked for your main equipment. You would be better off buying the best main camera and lens your budget can afford and one or two essential accessories than spreading out your budget and making compromises on everything.

If you want to be a landscape photographer, for instance, buying a tripod and a remote shutter is a must otherwise there is little point in even trying. If your interest lies in still life, get a reflector. You don’t always need a tripod for still life photography, but a reflector always comes in handy. If you want to photograph people indoors, I’d say get a flash gun, even if you only want to use natural light. There will come a time when you realize that relying solely on natural light gets you into a pickle eventually and is no longer enough.

However, you mustn’t forget to buy absolute essential accessories – no matter what you are shooting:

a. Memory cards – don’t skimp on these. You want decent ones that you would be able to entrust your images!

b. A padded bag – there’s no point in shelling out good money for equipment and not have the proper protective bag for them!

When should you upgrade your equipment?

1. Initial investment

This question kind of depends on your initial investment decisions. You see, brands often come out with new camera models every year or more to entice people to keep upgrading. However, while it is true that some of these new models have improved features, nowadays, things are being invented and improved at an alarmingly fast rate. So if you follow the trends, you’ll soon be out of pocket.

My advice would be to buy the best lens you can afford with your money and buy a camera with the remainder of the budget. New cameras keep coming out every year, but lenses stay the same for many many years! They hold their value more compared to camera bodies too. Not all good lenses are expensive. You can buy the 35mm f/1.8 (DX only) and the 50mm f/1.8, and they are excellent lenses for the money.

I have written an in-depth article on lenses which may help you decide when purchasing either as a first-time buy or an upgrade. See them here and here.

2. Upgrading

Upgrading is a good mentality to have but not to do often. Do have a plan for upgrading (which you may have to do eventually), but do not upgrade every time a new model is churned out.

Consider the following when upgrading:
1. Have you used your camera for the purpose that you have bought it for?
2. Is it now inadequate for your needs? Are you finding that you need better features now that you have mastered it? For example, you may want a camera with better noise-handling ability, silent mode or a swivel LCD to enable you to take high-up shots, or perhaps one with dual slots?
3. Are you at a point when you require another camera so you can use your first one as a back-up?
4. Is your current camera now broken or have broken parts? Then yes, now would be a good time to upgrade! However, if you really love it, you may want to opt for repair.
My first full-frame professional range camera is the Nikon D700. I have bought newer models since, but you know what? I still use the D700 for my own family photos; especially outdoors. I love the colors the sensor produces, and in my opinion, they have never been able to replicate it in the newer brands. The RAW images I get from that camera are the closest to that film-look that I love and the edits required are minimal. However, it’s poor in handling noise, it’s big and brick-heavy and only has one card slot. However, I won’t ever part with it and am happy to use it for personal shots until it breaks.

Conclusion

I hope these considerations help you in your purchasing and upgrading decisions! Comments and suggestions of more factors to consider are welcome below!

The post When and How Often Should You Upgrade Your Photography Equipment? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

Digital Photography School
March 13, 2019
How to Use Lightroom Star Ratings to Improve Your Editing Workflow

The post How to Use Lightroom Star Ratings to Improve Your Editing Workflow appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ian Johnson.

Editing photos is time-consuming! The rule of thumb that it takes an hour of editing for every hour of shooting is not an exaggeration. You may find that sorting and grading your photos right after a shoot is one of the most tedious parts of your entire workflow – I know I do. Whether you are coming in from a long weekend of shooting wildlife or a busy day shooting a wedding, it is no small task to determine which photos to keep, edit, and store for later from a batch of a 1000 or more. Adobe Lightroom has several tools allowing you to sort, grade, and attribute your work to help you efficiently edit and store a photo. I will walk you through how I use the star-rating system to sort images for my editing workflow and long term archival storage.

My basic workflow is to import my images, use stars to curate the collection, edit the collection based on their ratings, keyword the collection, and then archive it.

Hot key stars

If you are thinking of stars as those little icons you click under an image to set the rating, let me change your world! Each star rating of 1-5 you can assign directly from your keypad! These “hot keys” are what makes the star rating system so convenient.

Your first assignment:

Open up Lightroom and select an image in your catalog. Now hit the “1” key on your keyboard. Lightroom tells you the image has now been assigned a rating of 1. With values ranging from 1-5, you can assign each value to an image for different things. Below, I’ll provide examples of how you may use these different values.

As a side note, Lightroom has hotkeys for everything. Learning them speeds up your workflow significantly; no matter which set of tools you are using to develop or print.

Lightroom has a star rating system which can be accessed under the thumbnail of each image in Grid View (G hotkey) in your Lightrom Library. Each image can be assigned a star rating of 1-5 by simply pressing the corresponding number on your keyboard. Using hotkeys will help improve your speed and make editing large photo shoots easier and faster!

Sorting files for deletion and advancing images to editing

Whether you are shooting wildlife, weddings, sports, or portraits the most important question you have after your import is: what photos do I keep? When shooting wildlife, you may have dozens of the same subject in slightly different settings or poses. At a wedding, you have many of the dance, but only a select few are going to make the cut to show your client, friends, or family.

You can use the star rating system to assign images for deletion. Why I prefer this over the “rejection” flag system is you can simultaneously start choosing what files to edit and which to delete using the range of values from 1-5 rather than the binary “yes” and “no” of the flag system.

There’s a lot going on during a wedding. When the day is all said and done you need to import the photos and then choose which you’ll keep, which you’ll develop, and which you’ll delete. Lightroom Stars can help you there.

Using Lightroom Stars to sort your work is easy and efficient.

Here’s a hypothetical situation: you import your photos and determine that a value of “0” (i.e., no rating) as photos to delete. You then decide that images assigned “1” are saved, but are a low priority for editing – perhaps these are b-roll images for applying general presets. You determine images set to “2” are developed immediately and images set to “4” are your best images. This multiple tier system ensures you only have to go through the images once and ideally not more than twice. That’s a huge time saver when dealing with large quantities of images!

I would recommend you avoid using “5” in your workflow. Reserve this for only your very highest quality images (more on that in the “Archiving content/ creating smart collections” section below.)

Once you’ve assigned ratings to all of the images, you can filter the image using the “attributes” filter while in grid view. Filter for all images = 0 stars to delete the images you no longer want and filter all images = 2 to start developing your shots.

Once you’ve chosen which photos to keep (rating 4) you can filter for them using the attributes filter in the Lightroom Library. Simply click “Attribute” and then set the rating to the image set you’d like to view.

Separating image content for keywording

If you are a wildlife photographer, and in particular if you are a bird photographer, it is very typical to change subjects (species) throughout the day. This may occur as much as every other shot. Once you’ve imported those images, it can be daunting to go about keywording your work so you can find them later. The star rating system can help you sort through them quickly!

Assign each star to a species and use your hotkeys to assign the star rating to that species. Once you’ve finished coding the species with stars, filter them using the attributes filter in Grid View and complete your keywording. You can then remove the star rating by highlighting the images and pressing the “0” key. There are many photography scenarios where you can apply this!

The diversity of birds creates a diversity of shots. It is critical to keyword your collection if you ever hope to find the images again. I used the star ratings assigned to different species to help sort them and keyword them.

Once a star rating has been set for a species filter for it to see all images with that rating. In this case, Marbled Godwit were given a temporary rating of 4, keyworded, and then the stars were reset for the image.

Archiving Content / Creating Smart Collections

Undoubtedly, you will create images you are proud of and want to save for future reference, printing, or portfolio work. As I eluded to above, these images should be assigned a value of 5 in your collection. Only a small percentage of your shots should achieve a rating of 5.

You can compile a portfolio of your best shots by establishing a smart collection in Lightroom. The smart collection automatically compiles all images in your catalog with a given attribute.

To create a smart collection right click on “Smart Collections” in Lightroom. Select create a new smart collection and then add the criteria for your collection. You can create a collection set from any attribute you can assign in Lightroom (e.g., stars, flags, keywords, etc.). As you go through the years, your 5-star collection set will continue to grow and document your progress and story.

You can create a smart collection to house your best work for printing or display by giving only your best images a rating of 5.

To create a smart collection you need to right click on Smart Collections and select create a new smart collection. Assign the attribute to the collection that you’d like it to contain. Simple as that!

That is it! I hope you see the value in using Lightroom’s star rating system in your workflow.

I’ll end by saying these steps are what work for me, but what works for you? Leave your thoughts on workflows in the comments below so we can learn together.

As I always say, “pixels are cheap!”. Be sure to make lots of them and then sort through them using Lightroom Stars.

The post How to Use Lightroom Star Ratings to Improve Your Editing Workflow appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ian Johnson.

Digital Photography School

March 12, 2019
How to Photograph Frozen Bubbles in the Cold

The post How to Photograph Frozen Bubbles in the Cold appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mark C Hughes.

Bubbles in the Air

I live somewhere that gets pretty cold in the winter, and occasionally it gets super-cold. Alright, discussing cold is always a relative measure depending upon where you live, but I may be understating a bit to say it gets pretty cold, when actually, it gets freezing by pretty much anyone’s measure. Fortunately for my family and me, it only gets challenging for about a week or two in the depths of winter.

In the hardest times, temperatures reach around -30C (-22F). At these temperatures, there is very little moisture in the air, and it is just plain cold. Extra layers only help a little bit. Frostbite is a very significant risk for any exposed skin, particularly if there is any wind (times to freeze exposed skin are less than a couple of minutes). Many people here wear the temperatures they endure almost as a badge of honor.

So cold we can freeze bubbles before they pop

It gets really cold here

At these temperatures, everything freezes here – even things you probably didn’t think could freeze. The large river that goes through my city freezes for the entire winter. Starting sometime in November until breakup in April, eyelashes and beards freeze, camera lenses freeze (aperture blades and shutters won’t move) and cars require block heaters to keep the oil in the crankcase warm enough so that you can start the engines.

There are colder places on earth, but not that many. During our recent cold snap from the polar vortex (very cool name but I’m not sure its a real thing), people compared it to temperatures in Antarctica (it was slightly colder here than there).

It gets pretty cold here

So what, who cares?

Realistically, apart from complaining about the weather (a common national pastime for Canadians… look it up) you don’t want to spend much time outside at these freezing temperatures. So why tell you about crazy frigid temperatures? Because there is something that you can do at these temperatures that you can’t really do if it isn’t cold enough. You can blow bubbles and take pictures of them freezing before your eyes. The effect is remarkable, and it happens very fast. Frozen bubbles! If you can blow bubbles, you can watch them freeze before your eyes.

The process is pretty quick. The ideal temperature to do this is when temperatures dip below about -20C or -4F. At temperatures higher than that, the bubbles don’t freeze the same way. Blowing bubbles at these subzero temperatures can be challenging, but if you take the time, you can get some amazing results.

Bubbles on a bubble wand

The science of bubbles

Bubbles are common phenomena that kids love playing with. They seem very simple, but the science behind them is quite complicated. Bubbles are made up of two soap films – inside layer and outside layer – holding and trapping a layer of water between them to form the bubble. When you blow the bubbles through a wand or a straw, the air you introduce expands the inner film layer to create the bubble. As the water evaporates, the bubble eventually bursts. The bubbles stay together based upon the surface tension (the tendency to stick together) of the soap film, but the film is, in general, very thin.

In warm weather, soap and water are all you require for making lots of bubbles, but at colder temperatures, the soap film needs to be stronger. By adding glycerine or corn syrup, you make the bubbles stronger. By adding a small number of sugar crystals, the bubbles will show crystal patterns in the bubble walls as they freeze. The main ingredients you need access to are water, dish soap, glycerine, and some sugar.

Ingredients to make frozen bubble images

The 3 W’s and 1 H

In preparation for shooting bubbles, the key questions before you start are WHERE, WHAT, HOW and WHEN. Because the temperatures are so cold, you need to plan everything in advance because you can’t spend that much time in these temperatures trying to guess what you are going to do next. You need to pick a spot to set your bubble down (this is not a floating bubble exercise). This is the WHERE. Preferably it is someplace convenient, at a reasonable height and near a source of warmth (like somewhere near a door or running car to get you inside).

You then need to decide on the WHAT, is there a particular look you are going for? Is there an effect you are trying to achieve? (Night shot? Candles?)

Next, you need to think about HOW. How are you going to compose the shot? How are you going to blow the bubbles? What is the background like (this is a key aspect)? How are you going to manage both focusing, bubble making and shot taking? Are you going to need a tripod?

Finally, the WHEN is the last part to consider. You need to pick a time of day on a day that is cold enough to create the effect, that has great light and when there is little to no wind (this disrupts the bubbles). Wind will quickly destroy any efforts to blow bubbles in the cold.

Bubble frozen solid with corn syrup

The WHERE

So let’s consider the WHERE.

It will be cold, so you will need to scout a location that is easy to get to, at a reasonable height to photograph preferably from a tripod (to free up your hands) and is relatively near warmth.

These are normally close-up images, so it presents some similar challenges as macro photography. You really can be just about anywhere as long as you don’t have distracting shapes, colors or patterns in the background. Ideally, if you choose a reasonable aperture, the bokeh will have the background blurred but significant shapes, colors or patterns will be apparent.

I used the snowy railing on my back deck as a place I would set up for my shots because it was close to my house, at waist height and I can control the background.

Frozen bubble with a dark background

The WHAT

Regular bubbles don’t really work in super cold temperatures. The bubble mixtures that work in the summer struggle in super-cold temperatures and tend to just burst before freezing. In cold temperatures, bubbles can be more difficult to generate. Even if you do, they often just fall to the ground.

If you search the internet, you will get lots of clear advice but little in the way of explanation. I found and tried multiple recipes for bubbles and discovered that some of the recipes don’t work all that great. All generate bubbles, but some work better than others.

The general objective is to get bubbles with thicker films that tend to stay together. Also, by adding some sugar, you can get cool crystalline patterns as the bubbles freeze.

The recipe I settled on (as it worked fairly reliably) was 1 cup of water, 4 tablespoons of dish soap (not dishwasher soap), 3 tablespoons of glycerine and 2 tablespoons of sugar. I saw many recipes that used corn syrup, but they didn’t seem to work as well as the glycerine and made for sticky bubbles. However, corn syrup does work – just not as well. The glycerine strengthens the bubble, and the sugar helps with the crystalline patterns in the freezing bubbles.

To blow the bubbles, you will need a straw and some patience. Preferably you use a reusable straw (which I have a bunch of).

Regular Bubble solutions don’t really work for freezing bubbles

The HOW

Once you have figured out your location, you need to compose your shot. Plan on a bubble being about 3 inches in diameter (could be bigger but probably won’t be smaller). Set your camera on a tripod, pick the spot where you are placing the bubble and set your focus manually.

You can set the bubble on snow, or if you use the bottom of a cup or glass, a small amount of solution on the base helps place the bubble easier and without it popping. It is also useful to have your camera set up to take multiple shots (slow burst) without recomposing or refocusing.

Bubble with focus on the back wall rather than front wall

Once set, use a straw in the solution and slowly blow the bubbles. You will need to keep the bubble on the straw, place the bubble and slowly extract the straw from the top of the bubble. This technique worked best for me. Remember it is cold, and blowing bubbles is not that easy when it very cold.

The WHEN

Okay, you are all set…but is it cold enough? You need -20C (-4F) or the bubbles don’t freeze properly. Ideally, you want it sunny as the light hitting the bubbles really makes them pop. The good news is that generally when it is really cold, there is so little moisture in the air that it is often sunny.

Finally, you want there to be as little wind as possible. The wind will cause the bubbles to move unpredictably and cause them to burst. Try to find a location sheltered from the wind.

Using a candle to illuminate a bubble at night

The Shoot

Once all the preparation is complete, and you are ready to go, you may realize that it is difficult to blow bubbles, wear gloves, stay warm and shoot at the same time. Once the bubbles start to freeze, they freeze fast. You will want to place the bubble and then watch for it to begin to freeze and then take multiple images in a short burst.

If you can have someone blow bubbles for you, this helps because getting the bubbles to form, place them and then hope they stay together long enough for the images to turn out can be a bit of a challenge. It is a little finicky to get the bubbles to stay where you want them but if all the stars align the results are great and fun.

Mostly frozen bubble

The Results

If you get everything working, you can get pretty amazing results. Whether for still images or video, bubbles freezing are really interesting to see and photograph. If you plan out the images, you can get great results.

Not quite frozen bubble

The post How to Photograph Frozen Bubbles in the Cold appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mark C Hughes.

Digital Photography School

March 12, 2019
Essential Photography Equipment For Beginners

Every photographer is unique in their own photography style and gear preference. To get you started on your photography journey, this article will help you choose the very essential photography equipment for beginners. You will also find specific brands and explanations for why they were chosen. This photography basics bundle has everything you need to get started! I will start Continue Reading

The post Essential Photography Equipment For Beginners appeared first on Photodoto.

Photodoto

March 11, 2019
10 Common Photography Mistakes Every Beginner Should Avoid

The post 10 Common Photography Mistakes Every Beginner Should Avoid appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

You can capture incredible photos.

But there are a few common photography mistakes (often made by beginners).

And these mistakes might be holding you back.

Fortunately, they’re easy to fix.

And guess what?

Once you’ve fixed these mistakes, your photography will be better than ever.

So read on to discover the 10 common photography mistakes every beginner should avoid.

Starting with:

1. You’re not resetting your camera dials at the end of each shoot

Tell me if this sounds familiar:

You’re doing an end-of-day photo shoot.

You crank your ISO up to 1600 (to deal with the low light).

Your shoot ends. You go to put away your camera.

And…

…In all the excitement, you forget to drop your ISO back to 100.

This is such an easy mistake to make. Especially since it’s something you must remember at the end of each photo shoot –when you’re exhausted.

But…

It’s something you can’t forget.

Why?

If you do, you’re jeopardizing your next photo shoot.

Because then you’re bound to shoot with your 1600 ISO.

And then you’ll get frustratingly grainy shots.

Which is exactly what you don’t want.

So here’s what you do:

At the end of each shoot, shift all settings back to a standard value. The particular number depends on your camera and your style of photography. But make sure you choose a median value – one that will serve you in a variety of situations.

Here’s what I do:

I dial my ISO down to 100.

I dial the aperture to f/5.6.

I dial the shutter speed to 1/500.

Doing this has saved me countless times.

It’ll save you, too.

2. You’re shooting JPEG photos (instead of RAW)

This mistake is a frustrating one.

Because there’s literally nothing you can do to fix it – after the fact.

Here’s the mistake:

You’re shooting JPEGs.

But you should be shooting in RAW.

Let me explain:

Cameras can shoot images using several file formats.

JPEG is a common file format and it’s the default format on a lot of cameras.

But here’s the issue with JPEGs:

They’re compressed files. That means that they lose information.

And a loss of information? That makes for lower-quality photos.

Not to mention another issue:

Each time you edit and resave a JPEG, you’re reducing the image quality.

Fortunately, you have another option:

You can shoot in RAW.

RAW is another file format – and it’s offered by most modern cameras.

It’s a lossless file format, which means that you can edit RAW files repeatedly without reducing the image quality.

And here’s a RAW bonus:

RAW files allow for you to do more substantial editing. Because the RAW format saves more information, you’re able to recover highlights, boost shadows, and alter colors – far more than what you can do with a JPEG file.

Bottom line?

Switch to RAW.

You’ll be thankful that you did.

3. You’re shooting during the harsh midday hours

One of the things that separates great photos from mediocre photos…

…is the quality of the light.

Good light can take a photo to the next level.

Bad light can hold back an otherwise strong image.

Which brings me to mistake number three:

Shooting during the harsh midday hours.

Around midday, the sun is harsh. It causes contrasty shadows.

It’s just all-around bad for photography.

Instead of shooting during midday, try shooting during the early morning or evening hours.

That’s when the light is soft and golden.

(In fact, these times are known as the golden hours.)

Shooting during the golden hours will give your subjects a wonderful glow.

It’ll give them some soft illumination.

And it’ll give your photos a huge boost.

4. You’re using Auto mode all the time

When you first start shooting, it can be tempting to put your camera in Auto mode.

But here’s the problem:

When you shoot in Auto mode, the camera chooses all the settings for you.

And the camera does a good job 80 percent of the time.

But the other 20 percent?

That’s when your camera will mess up.

And you’ve got to be able to correct it.

Otherwise, your images will suffer.

So here’s what I’d suggest:

Start by learning the ins and outs of Aperture Priority mode.

(That’s the mode where you select the aperture and your camera will select the shutter speed.)

Then, when you’re in a non-stressful shooting situation, switch it on.

Try to use it more and more.

Eventually, you’ll be shooting in Aperture Priority all the time. You’ll love the control it gives you.

And then?

If you want even more control over your camera, you can transition to Manual mode. But this isn’t a requirement – you can do a great job with just Aperture Priority.

So that’s your call.

Just make sure you move away from Auto mode.

5. You’re forgetting about the direction of the light

You already know about the importance of good-quality lighting.

But did you know that the direction of the light matters, too?

Depending on the direction of the light, your photos can be soft, dramatic, or striking. And it’s important that you carefully choose the direction of the light.

(Because different types of light suite different subjects and styles.)

Here’s a quick guide to light:

If the light comes from in front of your subject (i.e., frontlight), you’ll get an evenly illuminated photo.

If the light comes from behind your subject (i.e., backlight), you’ll get a striking photo. The light will create a golden halo around your subject.

And if the light comes from beside your subject (i.e., sidelight), you’ll get a dramatic photo. The subject will be only partially illuminated – and partially shrouded in shadow.

Now, all these types of light have a time and place.

But frontlight is generally a very safe option.

(When in doubt, use frontlight.)

Here’s the important thing:

Each time you go out to shoot…

…look for the light.

Taken note of the light.

And position yourself so that you get the shot that you want.

6. You’re not composing deliberately

If light is the number one most important part of photography…

…then composition is number two.

Because in order to capture great shots, you’ve got to create great compositions.

That is, you’ve got to arrange the elements of your photo in a pleasing way.

It’s so easy to forget about this.

But you should deliberately compose every photo you take.

Now, composing deliberately doesn’t have to be an ordeal.

Not every photo has to be a masterpiece.

Just think about each photo you take, if only for a second.

Here’s a tip:

Try positioning your main subject in a way that emphasizes its beauty.

You could put it a third of the way into the frame…

(Following the rule of thirds.)

Over time, your composition skills will improve. You just have to practice!

7. You’re not considering the background

When you’re doing photography, it’s easy to think about your subject.

But you’ve got to think about the background, too!

The background is what frames the subject.

It’s what makes the subject stand out.

Here’s a bit tip for a stunning background:

Simplify, simplify, simplify.

The simpler the background, the better.

Try finding a uniform background. A bright sky is a great choice. So is a dark wall.

(A uniform background really does make for a gorgeous photo.)

It’s okay to settle for a less-than-uniform backdrop.

But make sure that it enhances the subject. Make sure it doesn’t detract from the overall image.

8. You’re not practicing very often

Photography is a skill.

And to improve a skill, you’ve got to practice.

Which means that you should get out and shoot as often as you can.

I know that it’s hard.

But if you shoot for fifteen minutes every day, your photography will grow by leaps and bounds.

And if you shoot for an hour a day?

You’ll be astonished by how quickly you improve.

It’s important to note:

Practicing photography isn’t just about taking photos.

You should also make sure to review your images. Consider what you like about them. Consider what you can improve.

And apply these findings the next time you go out.

If you’re really serious about photography, you should also try reviewing other people’s images.

There are tons of great photography sites out there (including this one!). Try perusing them for fifteen minutes every day.

You’ll soon develop an enhanced sense of composition and color. And this, in turn, will enhance your photography.

9. You’re shooting from standing height

When you’re doing photography, do you shoot from a standing height?

That is, do you generally take the standard shot?

Or do you move around and look for a unique perspective?

The thing is, it’s easy to just shoot from a standing height.

But if you do this, your images will never be unique.

And they won’t be very original.

You want to show the viewer something they’ve never seen before. That’s how you’ll create a stunning photo.

So what do you do?

Instead of shooting from standing height…

Change your angle.

Start by getting down low. Crouch on your knees. Get your pants dirty.

Then try moving to the side. Get a shot that nobody would ever think to take.

Next, find a nice vantage point – one that lets you capture your subject from above. Take a few shots from that angle.

Do you see what I mean?

By changing up your position, you’ll capture unexpected, original, and compelling photos.

And that’s exactly what you want.

10. You’re not processing your photos

Let’s talk about one last common photography mistake:

Taking photos.

But not processing them.

Processing is a hugely important part of photography.

Why?

Because modern cameras account for processing.

In other words, if you’re shooting in RAW, it’s expected that you’ll process your photos.

So the camera gives you unprocessed photos – photos that need processing to look good.

The photos are under-sharpened.

The photos are undersaturated.

They’re just all-around in need of some editing.

Which is what you must do.

If you’re not a fan of post-processing, that’s okay. You can take a minimalist approach to your processing.

But you should process your photos, if only a little bit.

Because processing will give them that final touch…

…that will make the viewer say “Wow.”

Common photography mistakes: What do you do now?

Now you know 10 common photography mistakes.

And if you’re making any of these mistakes, you might feel discouraged.

Don’t be.

Everyone is going to make mistakes. Especially when starting out.

The real question is…

What are you going to do about it?

If you follow the advice I’ve given you, you’re going to be in great shape.

You’ll improve at lightning speed.

And you’ll be so proud of the photos you take.

Have any other common photography mistakes that I didn’t cover? Let me know in the comments!

You may also find the following articles helpful:

12 Common Newbie Photography Mistakes to Avoid

Common Photography Mistakes Newbies Make and How to Avoid Them

10 Common Photography Mistakes and How to Overcome Them

The post 10 Common Photography Mistakes Every Beginner Should Avoid appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Digital Photography School

March 11, 2019
Your Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

The post Your Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

Engagement sessions can be really fun, but it can get a little repetitive posing the couple together again and again throughout the session. Here are great poses that work for all couples during an engagement photo session.

Begin with foundation poses

A foundation pose is a pose where you set the couple in the exact spot facing a specific direction. Foundation poses are great to lead into different variations as you begin to build upon the poses. For example, you start with both people facing the camera. From this foundation pose, you can build so that the couple holds hands, look at each other, and in the end, you can capture them walking toward each other slowly.

From each foundation pose, you can get at least five different variations without having to move the couple all that much! This is helpful especially when you find yourself in tight spaces or pressed for time.

However, you don’t always have to stay in one spot. Depending on the location, feel free to move around and use all of the interesting nooks at the location of the session.

Posing facing each other

This is probably the most comfortable pose for all couples because it’s the most natural. Have the couple face each other, and with their arms furthest from the camera, have them wrap them around each other. This leaves the pose open from the front so that you can capture them looking at each other.

From here, have them hold hands loosely or play with their hands up with interlocking fingers. You can also have one person play with the other person’s hair while you get creative angles on the pose.

Have them give each other a good squeeze to help loosen nerves and get the most natural laughs and expressions out of the couple. Have them kiss if they’re comfortable with that.

You can also give them a little space so that they are directly facing each other. Here the couple can stand with their hands at their side and then hold hands. Have them lean in to kiss each other and let them move in closer if they need to.

From this pose, you can also ask that they get really close together – tummy to tummy – and have one person lay their heads on the other person’s shoulder/chest. This pose is romantic and sweet.

The “T” pose

The “T” pose is a variation on the prom pose and gives a more romantic feel to the photo. Have the taller person stand facing 45-degrees from the camera. Ask the other person to stand with their shoulder’s perpendicular to the other person. Have them get close and wrap their arms around each other.

This pose is great for all couples because it keeps the faces at an angle where the couple can look at one another, hug, kiss, and enjoy each other at close proximity.

Try photographing this pose with a wide-angle lens, like a 35mm, and place the couple in the center. This technique makes the pose much more interesting! Especially if you’re at a breathtaking or unique location.

When your clients are in this T pose, you can ask one person to look at the camera while the other closes their eyes or looks off into the distance. Get in close to take a beautiful portrait of the person looking at the camera.

This is also a perfect pose to get a nice ring shot while the couple’s arms are wrapped around each other. Try getting more of the couple’s bodies in the frame with the rings in focus and the rest out of focus.

Prom pose with variations

While the prom pose isn’t all that popular these days, you can still use the foundation pose to build on and get great photos of the couple. One variation is to get the shorter person to stand behind the taller. Here, they can hold onto the taller person’s arm and look at the photographer.

You can also have them loosely hold hands in this position and look off into the distance. The person in the front can look back or down while the person in the back can look at the camera. This is a romantic and sweet pose that can be taken full length or from a closer angle. Take both focal lengths to get more variety from the pose.

This pose can also stay in its original form where the shorter person stands in front and arms are wrapped around the waist. However, it’s best if you change it up a bit and have the hands of the person in front caress the face of the person behind. Here the pose becomes more romantic and has more connection rather than staying in its original form.

Ask the person in the back to wrap their arms up high around their beloved. Make sure that in this pose, the heads are not directly above one another. Move the front person to either side of the neck to avoid having the pose look stiff and disconnected.

From here, move around the couple and get different angles. Have the couple look off into the distance and enjoy the moment. Perhaps tell a joke to get them to laugh a bit.

To create a little bit more movement, from this pose, ask the couple to hold hands while the person in front moves towards the camera creating some distance from the other person. It will appear like they’re walking while holding hands. It’s a more creative take on the pose and adds beautiful movement.

Action poses

Action poses are fun and a great way to loosen nerves and get the couple more comfortable with being in front of the camera. These can include the couple walking, either holding hands or at a distance, climbing, dancing, or just talking with one another.

Starting with action poses can be more comfortable for a couple that is not necessarily big on kissing or being affectionate. If you’re in a location where there are activities, like an amusement park or coffee shop, have the couple do what they usually would if you weren’t around. This could be playing games, getting a coffee, enjoying some music together, walking, dancing, and talking.

You can also have the couple walk toward the camera while you’re out photographing the engagement session. Have them walk two or three times as you get different focal lengths and angles. Ask the couple to talk with each other or smile at one another because this looks more natural as they are walking.

Facing away from the camera

Having the couple face away from the camera can create more interesting photographs and keep the mood more romantic resulting in less posed and more natural looking photographs.

For one pose, have the couple stand at a distance facing away from the camera. Have the couple take one step forward and hold it as if they were walking. Have one person look back toward the camera and the other person looking down or to the side. You could have them do this as the couple is walking away from the camera. Just make sure that there is nothing in the way that could provoke a fall.

Another pose is having the couple face away from the camera but gets in close to each other. Here they can look at one another, hold hands, or kiss the forehead all while you are photographing from behind. Try getting the couple from a high angle, so it looks like you’re looking down at them.

Allow poses to develop naturally

While you set foundation poses and build different variations, allow the poses to develop into their own naturally. What I mean by this is that let the couple take charge in some of the poses with the kissing and getting close. Allowing for the couple to feel like they can move around within a pose can create more authentic and romantic expressions.

Couples feel most uncomfortable when they can’t be themselves, so during the session let them know that they are free to move and enjoy the moment. You are there to capture their love and excitement for their wedding day.

Once they have this liberty to move about in a pose, you’ll get real emotions and might even progress naturally through poses you may have thought of doing anyway!

Make sure to go with the vibe of the couple

Some couples aren’t romantic types and feel silly or uncomfortable doing lots of kissy or huggy shots. Try and get a feel for how the couple is. Are they playful? Active? Romantic? If after a few silly poses, you find that the couple is more on the romantic side, go for those types of poses.

Here are some ideas for each type of couple:

Romantic: Go with poses where the couple is close to each other. Either facing each other or hugging. Lots of closed eyes and enjoying the quiet moments of love between them. Try and photograph with a longer lens to give them space to be intimate with one another. Have them say something they love about one another while you photograph their reactions.

Fun/silly: Here you can get the couple talking and being overall silly. Try and get them to dance, tell jokes or play around at the location of the session. For example, having the couple make silly faces at one another or have one person tell a joke and get the reaction of the other person. Pose them with a little distance while holding hands to create a connection but not too close to where they feel uncomfortable having their photo taken so intimately.

Active: This couple will appreciate a good walk or even run! Have them jump, dance, climb, or even have one person piggy-back on the other! This couple is fun and needs to move around to keep them active by having them move around.

Not all of the poses have to be active if the couple is active, or romantic if the couple is the romantic type. Usually, after the first half hour, the couple has lost their nervousness and are more open to other poses. Just make sure that you keep an eye out for their natural personalities and go along with that vibe.

Being a little intuitive to the personality of the couple helps you create more authentic photos that they will love. An important note to remember is that some couples will be easy to pose, and others will need more direction.

In any case, let the couples know that they can move around and to not worry about holding poses for too long. Remind them to enjoy the moments and do what feels natural to them as a couple. This helps to calm nerves, and you’ll get much more real expressions than forced ones.

In conclusion

The best poses for engagement sessions are where you set a foundation pose and then build upon that depending on the vibe of your clients. Aim to give them a real and fun experience and document their personalities during the session. Pose them but let them feel free to move around and be themselves. They will have a great time and love their photos after!

The post Your Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

Digital Photography School

March 11, 2019
Are Canon and Nikon the New Kodak?

The post Are Canon and Nikon the New Kodak? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.

Selling? Yes. Boring? Also yes.

Kodak. Remember them? Back in the film days, never did we think they would be an afterthought in the photography industry. But a complete mishandling of the move to digital became their downfall. At one time a top five most valuable brand in the world, now reduced to a footnote in the photography world we live in today. But are Canon and Nikon beginning to edge the same way? Are they the lumbering giants, slow to move with the times? Or, are they playing the game to perfection?

The recent announcements from Canon and Nikon about profit from their camera divisions are not exactly encouraging, but are they still the brands to beat?

Financials

I’m sure you’ve heard the news. Canon and Nikon did not meet their revenue targets for 2018 and both are rapidly revising their numbers for 2019. Predictions are that interchangeable lens camera sales will continue to fall year on year. There was even a rumour from an internal document from a camera company predicting Canon and Nikon will lose 50% of market share in the next three years. This is serious!

But why? Well there are several factors here. Firstly, there is the rise of Sony, Fuji and others in the mirrorless market. Sony have been producing amazing cameras (although not [yet] sold in the same number as Canon and Nikon), which have carved a nice piece of the pie for themselves very quickly. Add in Fuji, Panasonic, Olympus et al and you have an ever increasing number of cameras to choose from – all with amazing features and image quality

However, the more major factor for the whole industry is the ever-increasing quality of the smart phone. Whilst those of us who read Digital Photography School are generally concerned with DSLR and Mirrorless cameras, many just want a decent photo with minimum fuss, and the phone camera does this amazingly well. For all camera companies, the development of amazing quality phone cameras mean the market for those wanting to get great a “proper” camera is shrinking all the time. The latest series of phone cameras are more than good enough for most people.

The big three

According to the latest data for the year of 2018, Canon continues to dominate the world of interchangeable lens cameras with a 49.1% market share (a growth of 3.9%). Nikon stay second with 24.9% (a decline of 0.6%) and Sony are in third with 13.3% (a growth of 2.9%). All other brands made up the remainder.

Canon’s market share in photography has sat steady at around 40-50% for around the last ten years. The EOS R quickly became the best selling mirrorless camera in Japan on launch. Nikon’s Z series also stole a decent share of the market that has been dominated by Sony of late. The question is, are the people buying these existing Sony and Nikon cameras, heavily invested in a system? The answer for a large portion will no doubt be yes. It just makes financial sense.

As the market shifts and more people move to other systems such as Sony, Fuji and the L-Mount Alliance, will this continue? Existing customers are a large market, but people buying their first “Pro” camera have a choice that is now much wider than merely Canon or Nikon. You only need to look to YouTube for the number of people singing the praises of brands that are not Canon and Nikon to be able to see the beginnings of this shift.

The L-Mount Alliance is the newest kid on the block. How big will its impact be?

Canon’s video problems

I am a Canon shooter. I have been since my first SLR (I know, I’m old). But, their current business model sucks! In an age where the average photographer uses both stills and video, Canon have fallen behind in DSLRs for video. Evidence includes some questionable codecs (motion JPEG anyone?) and cropped 4K. Compared to Sony, it’s not even the same league. What happened Canon? You are the same Canon that released the classic 5D2! Remember that? A game changer that was so good that episodes of your favorite TV shows were filmed on it and Canon were hailed as heroes. Well, they dropped the ball.

Skip to 2019 and Canon release the EOS RP. A great price point of only £1300 (US$ 1299) and a decent sensor (basically taken from the 6D2). A great camera at a great price. Yes, you can argue the dynamic range of the sensor is not perfect, but it seemed like a great camera release by Canon. Then the news came that the camera was unable to shoot in 24fps in HD. Wait…what? Yep, the standard video frame rate for movies, the same one that was in the 5DMk2 over ten years ago is now absent.

I know what some of you are thinking. It’s the entry-level model; you can’t expect everything. Most people won’t care. However, to omit such a basic video feature is a sign of Canon seemingly making terrible decisions in their digital camera lineup.

Why are they doing this though? The answer seems to be in Canon’s product lines. Canon’s pro video line has a similar starting price to the EOS R. If they put full-frame 4K video, 120 frames per second at 1080P and more into their DSLR range, they would be basically killing off some of their pro video line customers in the process.

You have to question this as a business decision. Put simply, Canon’s current cameras are lagging behind Sony and Panasonic when it comes to video. Rather than move to their C-line of cameras for video though, most people are moving to Sony and the A7 III.

This move seems to be incredibly short-sighted by Canon. When I look to upgrade my trusty 5DMk4, I’m not sure Canon will be the top of my list. The video features on Sony are just too tempting. Sure, I don’t currently do much video work, but I can see my customers wanting more, and Sony cameras have better video features right now.

Canon brought DSLR video to the masses with the 5D2. A decade later and they don’t even include 24fps.

Two cards are better than one

Shouted about all over the internet, why oh why did Canon and Nikon choose to launch their first cameras in their brand new system with one card slot? This feature alone means that a large amount of working professional users will not purchase a camera with one card slot. There is no way I would risk shooting a wedding with one memory card in the camera. It is just not worth the risk.

Nikon has taken this one step further and only have on XQD card. A more expensive format right now and also a format that most existing camera owners will not own in any great amount.

If photography is a hobby rather than a way to earn your living, then it may not be so much of an issue. However, again, it just seems a little short-sighted.

Shooting without a backup is always fine until a card fails.

Where’s the excitement?

Who was honestly excited by the EOS RP? Or the EOS R for that matter? Who thought that Nikon Z6 & Z7 were ushering in a new dawn of quality? Pretty much nobody. They just seemed to be mirrorless hack jobs of the 5DMk4 and D850 respectively, albeit with limitations.

The recent products from Canon and Nikon seem boring. No style and no killer features. Just OK. Just safe. The initial move into mirrorless feels like products designed and launched quickly to try and compete with Sony. Look at the amazing video features of the Sony A7 III when compared with Canon and their disappearing histogram. Compare the autofocus on the Sony A6400 or Fuji X-T3 with the Nikon Z6. There is no contest (the Nikon may improve dramatically with the eye AF update). The question is, why are they not competing with the best in class at launch?

Are Canon and Nikon’s cameras good? Yes. Are they class leading or exciting camera releases? No.

Fuji’s retro styling, mixed with cutting edge features make for a very exciting camera system.

The Cameras do not match the glass

Leading with your best glass is an obvious decision. Both Canon and Nikon’s glass for their new mirrorless systems looks great. But it makes Canon’s decision to release the EOS RP all the more strange. Simply put, there is no budget glass for their budget full-frame camera.

There is no glass that really matches the system. The lens offered as a kit lens for this system costs over £1000. A quick Google shows the price of the EOS RP body at £1399 ($ US$ 1299), but the cheapest option with a lens (the 24-105 f4) is a staggering £2329 (US$ 2199). This is crazy! Especially when you can pick up a Sony A7 III with a 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 for £1999 (US$ 2298). The Nikon Z6 with 24-70mm is even more expensive still at £2514 (US$ 2596). Yes, you can use an adapter if you have other branded glass, but if you buy a new system, with a new mount, you surely want a native mount lens to play with.

I know the lens is not as good, but the Canon EOS RP is not in the same ballpark feature-wise as the Sony A7 III and you can have a camera and native lens for over £300 cheaper. There is no way I would spend extra to get a lesser camera. The fact that Canon has yet to release a cheaper lens seems crazy given they’re releasing more budget-friendly cameras. Maybe Nikon will launch a similar lens with the rumored upcoming EOS RP competitor?

Sony now have a great range of lenses built up. Canon and Nikon are, for the first time, playing catch up.

Where’s the flagship camera?

So why not a pro body to rival the Sony A9? With the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, my guess is that Canon and Nikon are working feverishly behind the scenes to get their new flagship cameras out for the opening ceremony. I’m sure Sony is doing the same.

Rumors are surfacing that Canon has begun testing the 1DX Mark III with a very limited number of photographers, so this prediction does seem likely. Canon is a big Olympic sponsor, and it is also a home Olympics for them. It really does make sense for big product launches on the eve of the event. Whether the new flagships will be a DSLR or mirrorless is going to be interesting to see.

But what about the meantime? What’s next up for Canon or Nikon? The EOS RP was underwhelming for many, and the next in line from Nikon is meant to be a direct competitor to the EOS RP. I feel this camera will also be met with the collective sigh the EOS RP received.

What does the future hold?

In the end, it boils down to this; mirrorless is the future of photography. It took a while to get here, but the benefits are now easy to see. Canon and Nikon were late to the party, but they are working hard to claw back ground they have lost. They seem to have learned from Kodak and their lack of acknowledgment for the digital camera.

The fact that both Canon and Nikon have fully entered the market late is currently having an impact on the quality and excitement that greets their new products. So far they appear to be playing it safe with mirrorless, which might not be enough to keep them on top moving forward.

What would be in your dream camera? As a Canon shooter (and daydreamer), I have thought long and hard while writing this article. For me, it would be a mirrorless update to the Canon 5DMk4. A new sensor. Autofocus to rival that on the Sony A9 (or even 6400) and non-crippled video. Full sensor 4K and 120 frames-per-second at 1080P in C-Log and preferably without a histogram that disappears when you press record, or at least zebra stripes. Maybe IBIS would be nice too. Oh, and two card slots. Is that too much to ask? I also would like it under £3000.

Or maybe, I’m getting tempted to move. The Sony A7III keeps tempting me to rent it. The A9 with that new autofocus update is a beast of a camera for a shade over £3000. I also want to see how Panasonic’s latest offerings play out.

I’m heading to The Photography Show in Birmingham, UK in March for an annual look at what is out there. On top of my list of stands to visit are Sony, Panasonic, and Fuji. The fact the Canon and Nikon are not even on my radar says a lot about their current appeal.

What are you looking for from Canon or Nikon? Or, have you moved to another brand and never looked back? Let me know in the comments.

The post Are Canon and Nikon the New Kodak? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.

Digital Photography School

March 10, 2019