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5 Tips for Better Forest Bird Photography

25 Feb

The post 5 Tips for Better Forest Bird Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Samuel Bloch.

Birds are a delight for the eye, and it’s natural you want to capture them with your camera. However, when you start shooting more and more, you’ll realize that each environment offers challenges, and therefore each requires a unique approach.

Red-Crowned Parakeet © Samuel Bloch

Birds are often found in good numbers in the forest, but you’ll find them moving fast into dark places, making photography there truly difficult. Here are a few tips I gathered during my time in the woods; I hope they can help you make the most of your trips there.

1. Wait for cloudy days

Light is everything in photography, and bird photography is no exception. Ideally, you’ll want to shoot birds during the golden hour (at sunrise or sunset). However, you’ll face two main obstacles shooting at this time. Firstly, sunrise and sunset may not reach inside the forest, especially if you are in a valley that opens to the north or south. By the time the morning light reaches the bottom, it may be harsh and unflattering. Secondly, forest birds might not be as predictable as, say, waterfowl, and you’ll need much luck to find a bird in the right spot at the right time before light becomes harsh.

On the other hand, shooting during a sunny day creates too much contrast: leaves catching sunlight turn into bright spots, branches cast ugly shadows on your subject, and in general, all the generic issues with shooting during the day apply in the forest as well…unless you go on an overcast day.

If it’s a cloudy day, contrast reduces, light softens, and the overall atmosphere will be much more flattering for your subject.

As an example, here are two pictures of the same bird; a New Zealand Bellbird. The first one was taken on a sunny day and exemplifies all the issues described above. Notice the branch’s shadow over the bird’s face and the bright spots on the tree to the right. I photographed the second image on a cloudy day when the light was softer and more homogenous.

New Zealand Bellbird on a sunny day © Samuel Bloch

New Zealand Bellbird on a cloudy day © Samuel Bloch

2. Embrace high iso

Under the canopy, it’s darker than in an open area. If you’re shooting on an overcast day, it will be darker than on a sunny day. Therefore, as in every situation, you’ll have to adapt your camera settings.

The first thing to mention is that you don’t need as high a shutter speed as you think, especially if you have a stabilized lens. If you shoot handheld, the general guideline is to use a shutter speed no lower than the inverse of your focal (i.e., if you’re shooting with a 400 mm focal length, you shouldn’t go below 1/400s). While this is good to keep in mind, you can go down to 1/250s or even 1/200s and still make great photographs! This requires practice, as you need to be very stable, but it’s possible. Birds move fast, but when they perch on a branch, they stay still for only a short time; trigger a burst of shots at the right moment, and you should come up with good frames.

The other aspect I’d like to focus on is ISO. Again, you can push your ISO much further than you think. I’ve found that if your bird is well in focus, grain is a problem only in the background, where you can easily remove it (with Photoshop for instance).

As an example, I shoot with a cropped-sensor camera (Canon 7DII), and I’ve heard people with the same equipment tell me they won’t go over ISO800. In the forest, I’m happy to go as high as ISO3200. Of course, you should not expect the image quality to be the same as ISO100, but you can still produce images you’ll like. Full-frame users have more flexibility in that regard.

Stitchbird shot at ISO3200 with a Canon 7DII © Samuel Bloch

3. Shoot Aperture Priority with auto ISO

Birds, especially songbirds, move quickly. You won’t have time to use Manual mode.

I make the majority of my bird photography with Manual mode, but there’s no shame in using a semi-automatic mode if it helps you create amazing shots! However, you’ll need to help your camera. Let it decide what ISO it wants to use (Auto ISO), but if you can, set a maximum ISO number that the camera won’t overrun (I use ISO3200 on a Canon 7DII). You can also set a minimum shutter speed, to prevent your camera from going too low there.

The aperture is the only thing you need to decide. Personally, with a Canon 100-400mm II, I prefer to shoot at f/6.3 because I find it sharper than when it’s wide open. However, in very dark conditions, I go down to f/5.6 (the minimum at 400mm). Remember the wider, the brighter.

North Island Saddleback © Samuel Bloch

North Island Robin © Samuel Bloch

Once you’re set up, start shooting and keep an eye on your screen. You can play with Exposure compensation to adjust your exposure; I often like to underexpose by one or two-thirds of a stop, but it depends on the conditions.

4. Mind your background

Because you’re shooting in Aperture priority mode, you have more time to work on composition. Your image has more impact if you can draw the viewer’s eye directly to your subject (the bird), so it is good to limit distracting elements. A clean, smooth background is one way to achieve that. It doesn’t have to be uniform. Some color patterns can be pretty, but branches and foliage should not be recognizable (at least, not too much!) The best way to create such a background is to be close to your subject while the background is far away. The further the bird, the harder it will be to obtain this clean background.

New Zealand Bellbird © Samuel Bloch

The other trick you can use for composition is framing: use out-of-focus branches and leaves to surround the bird and direct your viewer’s eye. Again, on an overcast day, these elements look soft and pleasant, while they can be harsh and distracting on a sunny day, as they catch the sunlight.

Juvenile New Zealand Bellbird © Samuel Bloch

5. Anticipate

Forest birds move fast. You can’t expect them to stay on a perch for ten seconds for you to fine-tune your shot. One second, maybe two, and they are gone.

Therefore, you need to anticipate. Keep your camera up, at the ready. When you spot a bird, try to guess in which direction it will move next, and position yourself to maximize opportunities there. Study the possible perches, and choose those with the most favorable background. Prepare yourself to shoot when the bird lands on these perches.

The approach above can be a gamble, especially if you don’t know the birds. It pays to regularly watch birds to learn their habits. It also pays to visit a place time and again, to learn it, to know where to find each bird, what area they like, and what perches they favor.

Rifleman © Samuel Bloch

You may want to set up a hide, but it is also valuable to stay mobile. Forest birds are not necessarily shy. Move slowly, and they may grace you with fantastic encounters. Then, it’s up to you to make the great pictures happen! Good luck!

Conclusion

If you can’t find birds at sunrise or sunset, elect to shoot on a cloudy day. It will be dark, so you have to adjust your settings – don’t fear high ISO! Aperture Priority mode gives you more time to work on your composition (mind the background!), and if you take time to observe the birds, you will be rewarded with fantastic photo opportunities.

The post 5 Tips for Better Forest Bird Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Samuel Bloch.

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SLC-OE-06 Chocolate Box Studio

25 Feb

I am happy to announce my brand new studio. It features hardwood floors and a seamless, backlit ceiling as its primary light source.

Sadly, like many studios, this one is a little on the small side: it measures exactly one cubic foot. But that's fine, as this workspace was designed specifically for one subject: chocolates.

Today, we'll be harkening back to the roots of this website, namely working with cardboard and glue to solve a problem for next to nothing. Read more »
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15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

24 Feb

The post 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Creating portraits is challenging for many photographers, for many different reasons. There can be so much involved in making a portrait of someone that it’s easy to make mistakes.

To make great portraits you need to be concentrating on more than just your camera settings. (I believe this is true for all photography.) You have to make sure the lighting is right, the background is suitable and wardrobe and props are on hand if needed. Most of all, you must give your attention to the person you are photographing.

Cleaning Dispute 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

Juggling all this is not easy, especially when you have little or no experience.

Practising taking portraits of someone you know, who enjoys being photographed, is a fabulous way to gain experience. Working with the same person for more than one or two portrait sessions will help you develop the skills you need.

As you begin you will most likely make some or all of these common portrait mistakes. Being aware of them can help you avoid making them.

1. Poor composition

The most common portrait mistake I see people on our workshops making with portraits is leaving too much space above the subjects head. Emptiness above someone usually does nothing for the look and feel of the photo.

Unless there’s significant information above a person, crop in more tightly to the top of their head.

Red Head Scarf 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

2. Distracting background

Having too much detail in focus behind your subject can draw attention away from them. Be careful about how you position your subject.

Also, make your lens choice thoughtfully. Using a longer lens will reduce the amount of background in your frame.

Woman Buying Chilli Peppers 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

3. Subject too close to the background

Don’t get your subject to sit or stand right up against the background. If it’s a busy scene your subject may be overwhelmed and end up not being the main focus. Even with a fairly plain background, it’s often best if you separate your subject from it.

Smart Phone Photo 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

4. Not enough in focus

You may be tempted to open your aperture to the widest setting so you can blur out a distracting background. Be careful doing this that you maintain enough in focus on your subject.

Blurring the background may also mean blurring your subject more than what really looks good.

Market Porter 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

5. Out of focus eyes

If your subject has eyes, focus on them. This is one photography rule I stick to, most of the time. It’s not often a portrait with the eyes out of focus looks great.

When your subject is facing directly at the camera it’s easy to get both eyes in focus. If their head is turned to one side you need to focus on the eye closest to the camera.

Akha Friends 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

6. Slow shutter speed

People move. You need to choose a fast enough shutter speed to freeze your subject. Even if they make a slight movement it can result in a blurred photo if your shutter speed is too slow.

1/250th of a second is usually fast enough. Slower than this and you may have problems.

Dreadlocks 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

7. Poor lighting

Modern cameras can take photos when there’s next to no light, so it’s easy to get it wrong.

With portraits, it’s most important to have the right lighting for the mood you want to create in your photos. Hard, high contrast lighting is not good when you want a soft, romantic looking portrait. Equally, soft light will not help you create drama in a photo of a person.

Muddy Ceramic artist 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

8. Bad timing

Capturing the right expression will flatter your subject. If you don’t, they may be reluctant to let you photograph them again.

Careful timing can make or break a portrait. Waiting and watching a person’s face for the right time to press the shutter button is vital. Most people will not stare into your camera without changing their expression. You need to be ready when they look their best.

If you’re photographing someone who is blinking a lot you need to time your photos in between blinks.

Buddhist Monk Yard Work 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

9. Not taking enough photos

You need to take plenty of photos. Not taking enough photos will frustrate you when you are editing, because you will have too few to choose from.

Try to capture a range of expressions. Don’t just sit with your camera on burst mode filling your card up with nearly identical images. Aim to create a good variety. This will please your subject as it will allow them to make their selections more easily.

Man Studio Portrait 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

10. Taking too many photos

Finding the balance between not enough and too many photos can be difficult. This will depend a lot on your subject.

Some people will be more comfortable being photographed for a longer period of time than others. You need to be aware of this. If your subject is getting bored or agitated because you are taking too long or taking too many photos, this will show in their face. Your results will suffer for it.

11. Failing to connect with your subject

Connecting well with the person you are photographing is one of the most important aspects of portraiture. So many photographers spend more time and attention connecting with their cameras. This is a big mistake during a portrait session.

Building a rapport with your subject, even if you only have a few minutes, can make the biggest impact on your resulting photos.

When your subject is relaxed with you and happy, you will get better pictures of them. Your manner and the way you interact with them is vital.

Vege Vendor 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

12. Not giving your subject enough direction

Communicate clearly what your intention for the portrait session is. What type of picture does your subject want? What kind of image do they want to portray?

When you know what they want, you will know what you have to achieve. If they do not understand what you are asking them to do, show them. Put your body, hands, face, just how you want them to look and they can mimic you.

Rag Doll Girl 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

13. Feeling like you are imposing

This is common with photographing strangers. Many street photographers prefer candid portraits because they do not want to impose on people.

Standing back with a long lens on will not often produce an intimate portrait. You need to change your thinking and consider that what you are doing when you take someone’s photo has got the potential to bless them.

Akha Woman Laughing 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

14. Not being confident

If you are self-conscious and not confident this will generally be reflected back to you by your subject.

Having a calm, confident manner when you are making portraits will enhance both their experience and yours.

You don’t need to put on a show, but just be relaxed and assured that you are creating good photographs.

Pretty Asian Karaoke Singer 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

15. Rushing to get finished

Take your time. It’s not a race.

Give yourself space to concentrate well on what you are doing. Make sure you are getting what you want and your subject is more likely to be pleased with your pictures.

Boy With A Note Book 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid

Conclusion

It takes practice. Like learning to do anything well, it takes concentrated perseverance to succeed. This is why it’s good to practice making portraits with someone you know who is willing to be photographed.

Know your camera, be confident with it and with your subject and you will learn to make wonderful portraits.

When I started out as a photographer I found it incredibly difficult to photograph people. I was shy and lacked confidence. It was hard work, but over the years I have come to really enjoy the art of portraiture.

Do you have any other tips or portraits you’d like to share? If so, do so in the comments below.

The post 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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Have Digital Filters Replaced the Need for Physical Lens Filters?

24 Feb

The post Have Digital Filters Replaced the Need for Physical Lens Filters? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mark C Hughes.

Do you need filters for beautiful pictures?

If you are old enough to have used a film camera, you know why people needed lens filters in order to accomplish visual effects in their images. Back in the film days, you had limited control over white balance or ISO. Once you selected your film from the available film stock, and put it in your camera, you were stuck with a roll (24 or 36 exposures) of single ISO negative or slide film that was probably daylight balanced. In order to not waste money, you did everything you could to carefully mete out your images and make the most of them.

Most film was daylight balanced so getting it right in-camera was critical

Back in the day

To help you make great images in the film days, you needed certain filters to help fix your white balance, and neutral density (ND) filters to allow you to slow your shutter speeds down. That was then, this is now. With the advent of digital cameras and the high-powered abilities of most image editing software, you can accomplish digitally much of the work that filters used to do. Is there still a place in modern digital photography for optical lens filters?

The answer is yes, but only for a few specific types of filters. In fact, you may find it difficult to get many filters in your local camera store that would have been readily available in the film camera days. Most bricks and mortar camera stores carry few filters. The more unusual filters might be found in the bargain bin section, next to the books on how to use your new Canon 5D mark 1 (hint: that is an old digital camera).

Some filters have to be really large to accommodate wide angle lenses

Types of Optical Lens Filters

I find that optical lens filters break down into six general types: UV/skylight filters, color modifiers, special effects, specialty filters, ND filters (including graduated), and circular polarizers. Most optical filters can be replaced by digital processes, either in the camera itself or in post-production. Some optical filters are really big and all take up space in your bag.

Ultraviolet (UV) or Skylight filters

Let’s consider UV or skylight filters. Film stock was often sensitive to UV light so it was important to protect your film by using a filter so that UV light wouldn’t make the images hazy. Modern digital cameras are not susceptible to UV light interfering with their sensors as there are already UV and IR filters built into the cameras (we will discuss the importance of this later). Today, UV or skylight filters serve a completely different purpose: many photographers use them to protect the front element of their lenses.

A UV or Skylight Filter will protect your lens front element

UV/Skylight filters as lens protection

As an aside, there are two schools of thought regarding UV or skylight filters. Some argue that putting a cheap filter in front of a really expensive lens significantly degrades the optical properties of your lens and that most good quality lenses have great coatings and are quite robust. Alternatively, others would prefer to replace a $ 100 filter than replace a $ 2000 lens. While I agree you should never use cheap filters, I do tend to think that if you use good filters they do protect your investment in much more expensive lenses. I have replaced lots of filters that were shattered from an impact. In all of those cases, the front lens elements were protected from contact by the filter. I am not sure that would have occurred without the sacrificial filters.

Regardless, since these UV/skylight filters don’t cause any significant changes to your image, they really are only useful for physical lens protection.

A warming filter to adjust white balance

Color filters

Color filters were another common filter used with film cameras for simple color correction. Back in the film days, the film stock was mostly daylight balanced so if your images were taken in non-daylight conditions, you would need to use a color filter to correct your white balance. Although film processors had some ability to adjust the white balance in the lab, back then – today too, for that matter – it was always easier when you got things right in camera. Color filters are still available but are more of a novelty item, used for a specific effect, often in concert with gelled flashes and strobes. They are also still used for film cameras, instant cameras, and for specific applications like underwater photography.

Special effects filters

Once upon a time, there were lots of special effects filters that would produce in-camera special effects like grids, streaks, and starbursts. These all still work on digital cameras, however, most of these effects can be digitally produced, reducing the need for the optical filter. Many film shooters will take their images and then scan them to edit them, so the extra effort and cost of using special effects filters seem unnecessary. They are also difficult to find.

Rectangular Graduated Neutral Density Filter

Neutral Density Filters – Graduated

The next filter type to consider is the neutral density filters, commonly used by landscape photographers (both film and digital). These divide into two groups: graduated neutral density filters and overall neutral density filters. Acting like sunglasses for your camera, graduated neutral density filters are all neutral colored – they should impart little color change – and darken only part of the image. Graduated filters help deal with the dynamic range of your sensors, particularly when shooting into scenes that are very bright and very dark in the same view. Most modern digital cameras have a dynamic range of about 10 – 14 stops whereas your eyes are more like 20 stops. Keep in mind that this is not really a fair comparison because our eyes work quite differently from camera sensors. Graduated neutral density filters can usually be applied in post-processing. Although, if the dynamic range is really huge, it often means you can take one image rather than multiple images that need to be composited (this is what HDR images really are).

The left shows the image normally processed with the right having a digital neutral density filter

Neutral Density Filters – Non-Graduated

A neutral density filter (non-graduated) is the first optical filter type that does things that cannot be easily duplicated, either in camera or in post-production. At least not all of its functions. While it is certainly possible to darken your images digitally in post, a non-graduated neutral density filter allows you to take images that your camera would not allow you to take in full sunlight. In full sun, it may be so bright that you may not be able to stop your lens down and slow your shutter down sufficiently to get motion to blur. Non-graduated neutral density filters allow you to slow your shutter speed down in the field when conditions are bright. You will be able to take images of moving subjects in bright locales and blur the motion to create interesting effects. For example, waterfalls are often shot using a non-graduated neutral density filter. Neutral density filters are often measured in stops to indicate the number of stops you can slow things down. At the extreme end of the non-graduated neutral density filters are the specialty filters used for photographing solar eclipses. Without these strong filters, the sun can permanently damage camera sensors.

Neutral Density Filters on the front element of the lens

Smooth water motion with a non-graduated neutral density filter for longer exposures

Specialty filters

The second optical filter type that cannot be duplicated in post-processing or in-camera are specialty filters related to UV and IR light. By default, cameras have filters on their sensors that cut UV and IR light out so that only visible light is recorded. However, it is possible to get these filters removed (you have to send your camera body away) to allow you to shoot UV-only, full spectrum (which includes UV, visible and IR), or IR-only images. Once this is done, your modified camera is generally limited to that particular use, but the images it produces can be quite interesting. By using specialty filters on a modified camera body that allows for full spectrum, you can control what portion of the spectrum is visible in your images. There are cut filters that allow full spectrum sensors to only see UV, visible light or IR spectrum. These filters cannot be duplicated in post-processing.

Slight neutral density cast for a circular polarizer

Circular Polarizers

The final optical filter type that cannot be duplicated in post-processing is a circular polarizer. There are actually two types of polarizers, linear and circular. They both cut the same light out but circular polarizers can rotate an allow you to find the optimal orientation whereas linear polarizers are fixed (you should only use circular polarizers unless you know what you are doing). Circular polarizers do two things: cut down reflections and increase contrast. Some also act as a weak neutral density filter. When light hits a metallic or watery surface, the reflected light tends to be polarized (all the light is vibrating in the same direction). The circular polarizer lets you filter out this polarized light. You do this by turning the filter. The change can be quite dramatic, and it cannot be achieved in any practical sense through post-processing. In addition, because there is always some polarized light in the atmosphere, the filter will make the colors in your images punchier. This is a secondary feature of polarizers but adds to their use. Colors just pop more. Different brands and types alter how much this occurs. In general, you can’t go wrong using a circular polarizer, particularly for landscape photography.

Circular Polarizers help control reflections

Conclusion

Many filters that were used with film cameras are not really required anymore because of the ability to control white balance and ISO. Other filters created effects that can easily be duplicated using image editing software like Photoshop. Despite this there are a few filter types that cannot be replaced by processes applied in post, thus they remain vital tools in your photographer’s toolbox.

Do you use filters? Share with us in the comments below.

The post Have Digital Filters Replaced the Need for Physical Lens Filters? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mark C Hughes.

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Review: Alien Skin Exposure X4 Software

24 Feb

The post Review: Alien Skin Exposure X4 Software appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Peter West Carey.

Alien Skin Exposure X4 is a photo editor providing direct competition to Adobe Lightroom, but with a few extra tricks up its sleeve. While it is a cataloging software, it doesn’t require a catalog like Lightroom. There is no importing to be done. It has a host of features and over 500 presets to help get you started with edits.

Who is it for?

Exposure X4 is aimed at a wide variety of users. From novices just getting started who want a little help via presets, to advanced photographers possibly tired of the subscription model Adobe keeps pushing for its programs.

As a professional myself, I don’t find any show-stopping limits within the program as I’ve seen from Lightroom competitors in the past. You’ll notice the word “robust” used a number of times in this article and I don’t use it without warrant. It’s a very serious competitor to Lightroom.

Highlighted Features

No catalog

At its core, Exposure X4 is built to edit photos quickly, dynamically and then to help you get the finished product out to the world, be it in print or online. Exposure X4 uses non-destructive edits, much like Lightroom, and does this without a catalog. Instead, Exposure X4 drops another folder inside of any folder you are editing as in the screenshot below.

Some may like this system because without a catalog there is no catalog to corrupt. While not a widespread problem in Lightroom, it can happen if you don’t close the program properly or if your computer crashes. Uniquely, it also allows for a limited amount of shared editing.

As the program only looks to individual edit information files (those ending in .exposurex4 in the screenshot above), it is conceivable to run the program on two computers sharing the same files, such as with a Network Attached Storage or other file sharing services (Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive, etc…). There’s also no need to pack up or export a catalog before moving files as the folder with edits will travel with the master folder.

File copy from cards

Instead of importing files, Exposure X4 uses a simple copy and bookmark feature to handle raw images.

The copy feature lets you copy from a card, or from a hard drive or network resource if you want to move files. This is a separate process than simply bookmarking an existing folder to bring its contents into Exposure X4.

The copy feature is pretty robust, with the ability to change file names, make backup copies, add metadata, including keywords and copyright. It can also apply presets (from the over 500 included or ones you create yourself).

The file naming convention is also robust with all kinds of variables you would expect. Below is an example of all the date related options you have.

As a long time Lightroom user, I was happy with the selections included.

Bookmarks instead of Imports

Lightroom requires you to run an import function to bring any images you want to edit into its catalog. Exposure X4 accomplishes this, in my opinion, in a more elegant way.

Simply click the plus sign on the Folders pane and select which folder you want including in the program.

The program also has the ability to monitor folders, so when new images show up (if you are importing with another program, for instance, or shooting tethered) the program will automatically bring those images in.

Layers

For those familiar with Photoshop, the Layers technique of editing will see standard practice. Using features like Brushes (for masks) and gradients will create a new layer for each desired effect.

In this case, I added some clarity to the mountains and a slight gradient. The array of presets is decent and you can modify any mask/edit to your liking.

Each layer can be turned on or off, which is very helpful when you want to see what effect each has without having to step back through the History.

Lastly, as you would expect, layers can be copied, named and deleted.

All the other edits

Exposure X4 has a vast array of editing options as you can see from this collapsed panel below.

While featuring every single item is beyond the scope of this review, I will mention the IR (infrared) and Focus.

For instance, take this shot of photographers in front of Cho Oyu, the 6th highest mountain in the world, shot from the Nepal side.

With a quick swipe of the adjustment brush on a new layer mask then a few slider moves as such:

Bingo! We have selective focus.

Further editing needs to be done, but this is a nice start to helping the photographers stand out.

Presets galore

If you love presets, you’re going to love what Exposure X4 packs into its programming. Here’s a quick screenshot of the categories:

If you want to see what is behind each of those headings, take a look at their website.

One downside I can see is there aren’t many third parties making presets for this program, at least not that I was able to find.

However, you are able to create your own with no limits.

Lightroom Migration Tool

Now the crux of it!

When you install Exposure X4 on a computer with Lightroom, it will add a Migration Tool as an add-on within Lightroom.

So what does it do?

It’s fairly basic and, for the most part, tells Exposure X4 where to find all your files from the Lightroom catalog as well as bring over keywords and collections.

Does it work?

Yes and no. You need to know what to expect.

First off, it’s not going to bring over the entire history for a photo with all your edits just as they are in Lightroom.

You have two options: 1) Simply point Exposure X4 to the RAW file and then start from scratch or 2) Export each file that you have edited as either a JPG, TIFF or PSD file.

The second option works well when I had it create new PSD files. Keywords, star ratings, color coding, and all the metadata came right along into Exposure X4. The one annoying thing is it renames each file and appends it with “_migrated.psd”. This can easily be cleaned up with Exposure X4’s renaming feature.

Here’s an example of a small catalog brought into Exposure X4.

More info on the tool can be found on their site.

Show me more

There really is way too much to talk about in this one post. Luckily they have a great Features page that lists the plethora of features you may be looking for.

What Could Use Work

I found a few issues with the program while testing it. I left out the items I would describe as “That’s not the same as Lightroom!” where I blurted out that phrase because it’s not exactly the same.

No preview on import

I admit that import is the wrong name for it. Mentioned above, I’m talking about the “Copy From Card” feature to move items from a card to a local hard drive and also include them in Exposure X4.

When running this feature, there’s no ability to preview the images. This also means there is no ability to choose individual images when copying from a card.

Hopefully, this will be addressed in a future version. But I can see why they left it this way; because Exposure X4 is supposed to look at all images in a folder. If you don’t want to see them, they shouldn’t be there! It does cut down on the need to synchronize things as Lightroom can.

Not all profiles are present

The camera profile for my drone, a Mavic 2 Pro, was not included. At least that’s what I thought.

While it did have the profile for the Mavic Pro, it was not automatically recognized and applied in the Lens Correction pane. This may be a temporary thing, but the Mavic 2 Pro has been out since last summer.

Two finger rotation

This will seems like a little thing, but it really annoyed me. Rotating images is accomplished by holding down Command/Ctrl and the left and right arrow keys. Using the arrow keys make sense, because they point the way of rotation, but I want it quick and easy, not with the added Command key.

I know, it’s a little thing.

Lack of Add-Ons and Plug-Ins

Because it is not Adobe, Alien Skins doesn’t have a huge pile of developers pumping out plug-ins and add-ons for Exposure X4. It tries to make up for this fact by offering a robust program from the start, but I use the Lightroom tethering abilities often and not having that feature in Exposure X4 is hampering.

Conclusion

Alien Skin Exposure X4 can do almost all of what Lightroom can do. It’s worthy competition that deserves a close look if you are getting fed up with Lightroom and Adobe’s current path.

It offers a number of creative features you won’t find in Lightroom, like the adding sun streaks or other lighting effects to your photos.

It’s a fun and different approach than Lightroom. It can export to Photoshop and has a decent migration tool if you are already using Lightroom.

It’s not compatible with Lightroom, though. Using both programs on the same images will not work, so you need to choose one or the other. In my mind, it’s worth giving it a try and really diving into the keyboard shortcuts (“-” is used to reject a photo and “+” is used to flag it, while either shortcut can be used to toggle off the flag. No more trying to find “U” (to unmark!) to see if it is the right program for you.

Have you used this software? What are your thoughts?

The post Review: Alien Skin Exposure X4 Software appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Peter West Carey.

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How to Make Dramatic Photos with Backlight

24 Feb

The post How to Make Dramatic Photos with Backlight appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

Most people don’t notice light. But visual artists do. Light is one of the essential ingredients in your photographs.

Light can be tricky to deal with until you understand camera settings. But once you’re familiar with your camera, light is wonderful to play with in your photos.

Personally, I love backlight. It adds a sense of drama and beauty to your photography.

I’ll show you examples of backlight with food, landscape, and portrait photography (studio and outdoors).

In order to achieve backlight in your photo, have the main light source behind your subject coming toward your camera. In this photo, you can actually see the warm setting sun as the source of backlight.

What is backlight good for?

I love backlight because it adds depth and drama to an otherwise flat, two-dimensional photo.

Backlight helps to bring out the texture of objects that you photograph (sidelight is good for this as well). Texture is created through a combination of highlights and shadows. Since photographs are two dimensional, texture adds depth to your photo.

A strong burst of backlight adds drama to your photo. Think about the bursts of light at a rock concert or other performances. The temperature of the backlight (warm or cool) adds to the drama of the photo.

The backlight source might be in your photo along with your subject (as with the sunset photo above). Or the light source can be outside of the frame (as long as it illuminates your subject).

Any source of backlight can be used creatively, but sunlight, windows, and strobes are among the most popular.

The principals of backlight are the same no matter what camera you’re using, even your phone.

This ice-covered tree is backlit by the sun. Without backlight shining through the branches, this tree would not have stood out so much.

Food

It’s great to begin practicing backlight with food. Backlight can be used to illuminate steam and bring out the texture of the food.

While any light source will work, many photographers love using window light to illuminate food.

The light source is not visible in this photo, but there is a window backlighting the food and making the steam visible.

This food was photographed while still in the oven. The warm backlight is coming from the oven light.

This is an example of soft backlight produced by a large window. I wanted to bring out the texture in the cookies. An iPhone 4s was used to capture the image and Lightroom was used to process it.

Your food photos will be less flat and have more pop to them when you use back (or side) light. Just look for a window or any other light source. Get creative and use the light from fridges, stoves, and lamps.

The great thing about practicing backlight with food is that if you can’t reposition the light source, you can easily reposition yourself and the food.

Landscape and Nature

Once you get the hang of backlight with food, use it to add drama to your landscape photos. In most cases, you won’t be able to reposition your backlight source since it will likely be the sun. However, you can always reposition yourself in relation to the sun and your subject.

I saw this scene as I looked in the rearview mirror. I couldn’t resist pulling over to take a photo. The setting sun is the light source for this scene. You can’t see it in the frame but it’s behind the trees to the left. Notice how the electricity wires are shining and standing out from the dark trees in the background.

The setting sun behind this crab apple tree caught my eye during a walk. I came back with my camera and found a perspective where the sun was visible filtering through the tree. An aperture of f/11 was used to create the starburst effect.

A combination of backlight and water droplets on the lens created this special effect. I don’t recommend letting your lens get wet, I was using a waterproof case. The case was still wet from using my camera underwater.

Portraits

I love to incorporate backlight into portraits to accent the emotion. Beautiful or intense moments are brought out even more with the use of backlight.

Studio

The best part about backlight in a studio is that you can position your light source any way you like.

Two off camera flashes were used to produce this dramatic backlight.

Superheros are dramatic characters by nature. Using harsh backlight instead of soft front light is better for bringing out the nature of the subject.

Natural light

When using natural light, you’ll have to position yourself and your subject according to the light source.

This little guy is backlit by the setting sun, while the big open sky in front of him illuminates his face.

Troubleshooting

One of the biggest problems about backlight is that your photo may turn out as a silhouette when you don’t want it to.

You’re likely using a semi-automatic setting such as aperture or shutter priority. Your camera sees the bright backlight and meters itself accordingly. You can use exposure compensation to help you avoid unwanted silhouettes. Try setting your exposure compensation to +1 or +2. You’ll need to experiment according to the light conditions.

If you’re experienced then manual mode might be the best option for you.

The main light source is the sky in the background. The sun has not risen over the horizon yet.

Practice backlight with everything

Once you get the hang of it, you can introduce backlight into all sorts of situations. Use it to bring out texture and to heighten dramatic moments.

Concerts are a wonderful place to have fun with backlight. The rapidly changing lights will create a challenge for you. Take lots of photos and be happy with the few that work out.

I love how golden hour can add a nostalgic feel to photos.

Use a combination of low angles and backlight to make your photo more exciting.

I always wait until evening to visit the beach. That way the sun isn’t shining straight down onto the sand. Instead it shines down at a lower angle, creating texture through shadow and highlight.

I love my little guy’s hair. There is a window just above him as the source of backlight.

The post How to Make Dramatic Photos with Backlight appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

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Weekly Photography Challenge – Transport

23 Feb

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

This week’s photography challenge topic is TRANSPORT!

Tuktuk Panning Using a Slow Shutter Speed to a Create Sense of Motion

Your photos can include anything includes transport. It could be old decaying transport, trains, buses, scooters, bikes, cars etc. You may want to do some panning or long exposures. They can be color, black and white, moody or bright. You get the picture. Have fun, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Some Inst-piration from some Instagrammers:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Covell (@covell.photos) on Feb 9, 2019 at 11:58am PST

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A post shared by Ron Mautner (@ron_mautner) on Feb 13, 2019 at 8:12am PST

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rust Never Sleeps (@jerrylofarorust) on Jan 6, 2019 at 7:14am PST

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Leif Egil Olsen (@leo2048) on Feb 13, 2019 at 2:14pm PST

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ricardo Heir (@heir_richard) on Feb 13, 2019 at 12:54pm PST

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ENO (@eeeeeeeno) on Dec 31, 2018 at 2:58am PST

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ENO (@eeeeeeeno) on Oct 4, 2018 at 5:40am PDT

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Battles (@argosyodyssey) on Feb 13, 2019 at 1:51pm PST

Check out some of the articles below that give you tips on this week’s challenge.

Tips for Shooting TRANSPORT

Panning and Other Tips for Adding Motion to Your Street Photography

6 Tips to Master Panning Photography

6 Tips for Shooting Long Exposure Night Photographs

10 Common Mistakes in Long Exposure photography

6 Ways to Improve your Cityscape Photography

How to Use Framing in an Urban Environment

How to Improve the Impact of Your Urban Images Using Lines

Weekly Photography Challenge – TRANSPORT

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

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

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

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

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

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How to Care for Your Beloved Camera [video]

22 Feb

The post How to Care for Your Beloved Camera appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In another great video from our friends over at COOPH, they show you how to care for your beloved camera to keep her/him in great working order.

Here’s how to care for your beloved camera

1. Proper cleaning

Use a blow brush to take off bigger particles and process both sides of the lens.
Add finish with a lens cleaning cloth.
Apply a cleaning solution to a cotton bud and clean the contact points.
Use a rocket blower to clean the camera sensor. Tilt your camera down and blow.
Still not clean enough? Put your camera into cleaning mode for a self-clean.
Take out your Gel Stamp and gently stamp the sensor. To clean the gel stamp, use a piece of sticky tape.
Lightly push the gel stamp onto the sticky tape, and the dust will transfer to the tape.
Finish the job using sensor wipes.
Shoot a long exposure against a white background, and when doing so, move the camera in a circular motion.
Then check the image on a big screen to ensure the camera lens and sensor are clean.

2. Lens Swapping

No matter how good your jacket, never change lenses in the rain. Jump in your car and take a pit stop. Change the lens then.

3. The UV Filter

The UV Filter protects your camera from UV light and helps to avoid scratches on your lens when you are shooting wildlife in your home…

4. The Hand Strap

Buckle up so you don’t drop it. Carry it in your hand. Don’t use it like a yo-yo as you walk.

5. The Lens Hood

Not the type you wear. A lens hood gives the camera a safety guard for in case you bump the camera.

6. The Dry Bag.

Ziplock bags, along with some Dry Silica packs, make a perfect DIY Dry Bag. Airtight and condensation-proof.

7. The Dust Blocker

Shower Caps are perfect for dust protection and Sahara Safe!

So, be good to your better half and clean them.

You may also find the following articles helpful:

How to Clean Your Tripod and Make it Like New

How to Clean Your Photography Gear and Keep it in Good Shape

How to Spring Clean Your Memory Cards

How to Clean Your Camera Sensor in 3 Easy Steps

How to Take Care of Your Camera in Cold Weather

The post How to Care for Your Beloved Camera appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

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Canon EOS 80D DSLR Camera- A Closer Look

22 Feb

The Canon EOS 80D DSLR Camera is the successor to the 70d with several nice improvements. This is a dSLR that has great features to showcase and provide enthusiasts a perfect platform to begin with. It is an ideal mid-range photography and video-making camera. Let us find out in detail what this small monster packs inside… Specifications of Canon EOS Continue Reading

The post Canon EOS 80D DSLR Camera- A Closer Look appeared first on Photodoto.

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How To Do Astrophotography Using DSLR And Telescope

22 Feb

Growing up, I was one of those kids running around and telling everyone that I’m going to be an astronaut. I had a room that would make you feel like Buzz Lightyear could actually live in it and forget he’s on Earth. So it was pretty obvious that somehow I’d find myself getting into astronomy. Now I never really became Continue Reading

The post How To Do Astrophotography Using DSLR And Telescope appeared first on Photodoto.

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