Category: Photography

How to Use Selective Color for More Dynamic Images
Semi black and white or selective color photos are quite effective. It’s an old trick by some photographers considered a cheap trick, nevertheless, it is a quite effective one. And just because it’s an old idea it should not hold you back from experimenting with it.

A selective color photograph of the Viking ship “The Sea Stallion” in Roskilde, Denmark.

In this article, you will learn a couple of different ways to make selective color photos and you how to spot or photograph the candidates. It’s not a technique that is applicable to all photographs, but for some, it can make a big difference.

You most likely already know some famous selective color photos. A classic image is of a 7-year old boy kissing a 7-year old girl while holding a red rose, where the flower is the only thing in color. Or a photo of a red bicycle, and everything else but the bicycle is black and white.

These examples are probably part of the reason the technique is considered a cheap trick.

Background information

Before diving into the technique, you might want to know the theory. The pioneer landscape photographer Ansel Adams used a technique in his darkroom to change the exposure locally on various parts of a photo. This way he could make some areas brighter and others darker.

The human eye naturally seeks the brighter parts of a photo and by using this knowledge, Ansel Adams could emphasize what he wanted and guide the viewer around in his photos. This technique is called dodging and burning.

You can use a similar technique with colors. Just as the human eye is attracted to bright areas in an image, it is also attracted to more saturated areas. In this way, it is very similar to dodging and burning. You can use this as a tool to guide the viewer’s eye around a photo.

Just to be clear: It is the difference in saturation that the eye can spot not just high saturation. If you have even saturation all over your photo, you can’t control the eye through color. Increasing or decreasing the overall saturation will not change that situation and if everything gets too saturated it often becomes painful to look at.

If you only turn up the saturation on certain objects of interest in your photo, the eye will seek those out. This way you will be able to guide the viewer to the important objects in your photo.

You can achieve the same effect by decreasing the saturation from everything else but the subject. If you go to the extreme end and completely remove all color, except a few elements, you will have a semi-black and white or selective color photo.

By using this technique you will create stronger photos.

The classic technique to create selective color photos

You can create the classic “boy kisses girl” or “red bike” photographs, but you can also go searching for something else. This example is from the famous Nyhavn in Copenhagen. These old houses are very colorful, which can look great, but also can be quite an eyeful of colors.

By removing colors from all houses except the two yellow ones, the attention is strong on those two houses. Any house or two houses picked to be saturated, would attract attention, but the two picked are good candidates, because:
1. They are both the same color, which creates balance.
2. They are approximately the same size, which also adds to creating balance.
3. Most importantly, they have symmetrical placement in the photo.
Composition

Notice that the houses are placed the same distance from the edge of the frame. That emphasizes the composition and makes it a stronger photo than most other available choices.

Notice also that the windows between the two yellow houses have some color. That is a spice that allows the viewer to discover more subtle details, making the image more interesting to look at.

You can use the selective color approach to create a different kind of composition within your photo. You can plan this when you are photographing. Or, as I did in this case, you can discover it when you post-process the photos. It is the final result that counts, not the path you chose to get there.

The next photo is a similar example from a metro station. Again you can see the clearly separated colored stairs. Just like before, you can also find a little spice in the blue color added to the stairs. You can do that kind of trick to make the image more intriguing.

If you want to create photographs like these, search for something that you can make stand out. Then frame it, like it was more or less the only object within the frame. You have to think of it as a very simple composition, even if it is a busy scene.

When you desaturate the rest of the image, the balance will change. The colored elements will be the primary focus points, regardless of everything else in the photo.

How to make a classic selective color photo

There are several ways to do this, in this example, you will learn an easy-to-learn approach in Adobe Lightroom. First, you have to find the photo that you want to work on and then follow these steps.

Step 1 – Go to the Development Module

Step 2 – Pick the Adjustment Brush tool

Step 3 – Set brush settings

At first, make sure you have edge detection (Auto Mask) disabled and the brush is at 100% flow and 100% density. Then reset all settings (double-click on the word Effect) except Saturation, which you will then set to -100.

Step 4 – Paint everything black and white

Step 5 – Switch to the Erase brush

Step 6 – Paint in the objects you want to have color

Set the size of the brush to something that is fitting for your subject and paint roughly over it. The Erase Brush will remove the black and white, and you will get a colored object.

Step 7 – Zoom in and make sure you have the edges right

Next Zoom in (press Z) and switch between the Brush and the Erase Brush to make a perfect edge.

Depending on your photo, you may have to use either Feather at 0 or you may be able to use Auto Mask, which is the automatic edge detection. In this case, the Auto Mask cannot figure out the edge and I had to use a brush at 0 Feather (hard edge brush).

Remove some colors

You can also use a different approach. Instead of limiting the colors to a specific object, you can remove certain colors. This approach works well on photos that have unwanted colors or a color cast.

In the example below of the Vikingship, the photograph was shot during the blue hour. Because the blue light reflects in the snow it becomes too much and it is not flattering. By removing the Blues and the Cyan/Aquas the photo changes and becomes a piece of fine art. Use the HSL panel to do this.

Just by removing blue and cyan/aqua a photo can become a piece of fine art.

This technique gives photos that have a much more complex separation between the black and white and the colored elements and the viewer can go searching for details. In the photo above, you can find a second Viking ship with Christmas lights on in the background.

Here’s another example from The Scoop in London. There was a light drizzle, which was enough for the blue light to shine and appear to glow into the air. By removing all other colors than blue and purple the photo is changed dramatically.

This third photograph below is from a train station in Geneva.

If you study the photos you can see the colored selections are much more complex and not something you can do by hand.

The photograph from London is about the shape of The Scoop. The original photograph had an orange sky, which did not work well with the blue light of The Scoop. By using the selective color black and white technique, the focus is on The Scoop.

How to remove individual colors

You can very easily remove specific colors in Adobe Lightroom. Find the photo you want to work with.

Step 1 – Go to the Develop Module

Step 2 – Go to the HSL module

Play with pulling some of the sliders to zero and leaving some at 100. You may have to dial several of the sliders to zero to achieve the desired effect.

The post How to Use Selective Color for More Dynamic Images appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
August 27, 2018
Mirrorless Cameras and Wedding Photography – A Match Made in Heaven?

Can you use mirrorless cameras for wedding photography? My answer is yes you can, absolutely. Why not?

That doesn’t mean mirrorless is for every photographer. I will preface this discussion by saying that your camera is a tool, and it’s all personal taste. No camera is perfect, neither is any photographer. It’s about using what fits.

I can promise you that many professional wedding photographers will shun the idea of trusting a mirrorless camera for the job of photographing weddings. Some of the best in the world will say that. In turn, some of the best wedding photographers in the world use mirrorless cameras. Some of the naysayers’ concerns are valid, some are ignorant.

Switching over to mirrorless

I will share my experiences and you can use that to help you make an informed decision. I’ve used Fuji mirrorless cameras as my exclusive platform since July of 2014. It started with me needing to upgrade my 7 and 9-year-old Canon 1D series SLRs and being rather unexcited with my upgrade options.

My friend at my local camera shop had recently switched from Nikon to Fuji mirrorless and let me play with his camera. It was a rangefinder design and had a lot of resemblance to retro film cameras. It was fun to use and due to its smaller size, it wasn’t a daunting task to take it everywhere. So I picked up a Fuji XT-1 of my own.

This was 2014 when mirrorless technology was still in its infancy and didn’t have the capabilities it does today. It was a rocky 3-4 month learning curve, and some of it was frustrating, especially as I tried to incorporate the Fuji into my professional work.

Something was different about my work so I stuck with it. When getting used to a different platform, logic should prevail that you have to learn that system, not expect it to work as you think it should. That principle is a hard one to swallow for many. It requires you to think differently, it requires you to change. Sometimes that can do wonders for your inspiration and overall work.

What is different?

When I was getting used to the Fuji system, it seemed that few photographers really understood the system, and we would just learn it together. The image goes straight from the lens to the sensor, there is no mirror inside the camera body. It also uses a contrast phase detection autofocus.

In the early days before improved sensors, firmware updates, and faster lenses, the camera hunting for focus was a huge issue. Particularly in low light and in points of lower contrast.

Today, the technology is greatly improved, but there are still advantages an SLR has over mirrorless, particularly for sports and rapid-fire shooters. But anyone who loves the mirrorless system can use it for any kind of professional work. If you learn the system.

What really changed?

For me, getting used to the mirrorless system changed how I worked and shifted many things about my whole approach. The biggest was using all prime lenses, where before I was using all zoom lenses.

The primes are faster to focus and have better depth of field control from the available Fuji lens lineup. That made me move my feet and become more strategic with my composition. It’s been easier to rely on fewer focal lengths and pick my most versatile lenses.

I’ve worked closely with the subjects and have become more deliberate with my work. More negative space in my composition and more watching and waiting for the shot, less rapid fire. The tack sharp glass and amazing Fuji color, the electronic viewfinder, and compact size made the system a joy to use.

The things that at first seem to be shortcomings can actually help us become stronger artists through patience and adaptability. My whole point of discussing these past issues is it emphasizes the transition that was required then, and many didn’t make it through. Which is neither right or wrong. The point is that anyone who wants to learn the system has better tools to do so in the present day.

Why or why not to use mirrorless cameras for wedding photography

No one can address the future of photography as far as SLR, mirrorless, etc. Nor should that matter. Here are some key facts that may help offer an inside perspective.

Battery life isn’t as long as SLR cameras so spares are needed. You can disable the live electronic viewfinder and switch to optical which helps.

Most mirrorless wedding photographers use two active bodies. You can use a harness or wear one around your neck with your most used lens, and have another camera at your hip with a side holster – just as an example. There’s something more deliberate about primes, and less of a clinical look.

There are limitations with TTL flash and mirrorless cameras. The options are to work with that and use manual, which I always have anyway, or not use flash. Which is not always an option.

Pixel peeping and stressing over crop sensor (APS-C)

NOTE: Sony does make full-frame mirrorless bodies if it bothers you that much, or you can stick with your DSLR.

Those people stressing over the smaller sensor make no sense to me. Only other photographers notice noise or will pick an image apart for technical imperfections.

What about capturing a decisive moment full of emotion? If the images well-composed and exposed, no client will notice or care about things pixel peepers do. Most who insist they need full frame can’t give a proper explanation why. “Oh, the pictures are better.” Pffft.

Use the tool you feel comfortable with. If the good outweighs the quirks you’ve gotten used to, it’s a win. There are many large prints out there shot on crop sensors and mirrorless cameras.

Clients might think you look unprofessional with a mirrorless camera

Two guys walk into a bar, flex their muscles back and forth, and the only lady in the place starts talking to a simple businessman minding his own business.

If it takes the biggest, loudest, or camera with a specific image to command respect as a photographer, they’re lacking something. Never once has a wedding guest or couple cared about my gear. It’s all about what you can do with it. This would be a ridiculous reason not to go mirrorless. Be secure in who you are as a pro.

You can be less intrusive or conspicuous

Being less intrusive – that has value for me. You can blend in with guests and not be a spectacle.

With a documentary approach, that helps me maintain a low profile, and I’m seldom noticed. Being able to work closer gives you an advantage in that regard. With the smaller camera, it feels less clumsy and doesn’t stand out as much to guests and the couple.

When you work closer to the subjects, you feel in your soul what is going on at that moment, and it’s less likely that you’ll have your shot blocked. Again, it is less a clinical feeling.

It’s also easier on the body, particularly the shoulders or neck, your back, etc. When you hear about other wedding photographers being sore the day after a wedding, and all you can do is shrug your shoulders, you might be a mirrorless shooter.

Getting used to the mirrorless platform before using it for a wedding

It’s only responsible to be well versed with your equipment, and know its strengths and weaknesses in different areas before using it for a no do-over occasional like a wedding.

The best way to get used to a new platform, body, or lens is to do some street photography. It’s a very psychological thing to have confidence in your equipment and know its operation well enough to fully trust it. Not doing so sets you up for failure and the clients stand to suffer.

Weddings are demanding and fast-paced, full of decisive moments, and you have to deal with constant lighting and setting changes. It pays to think and act swiftly and keep calm. Street photography is great field training as it is also decisive and fast-paced, and you have to look for the mood or setting you want within time constraints.

Plus, you’re also dealing with textures, colors, depth, dimensions, all the things that help make a great photo. Street photography is a great way for you to become one with your gear.

Conclusion

Whether or not mirrorless cameras are for you is a personal choice. But, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t use them for weddings, or worry about the wrong things.

The post Mirrorless Cameras and Wedding Photography – A Match Made in Heaven? appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

August 26, 2018
6 Types of Portrait Backgrounds for Creative Images

There are many options when choosing backgrounds for your portraits. You can pretty much do anything you want. The key to remember though is lighting and positioning your subjects in relation to that background.

Whether that be natural or artificial lighting, outdoors or indoors, it is vitally important to understand how light also affects your background and not just the subject of your portrait.

#1 Busy or patterned background

Before you look at various types of backgrounds, I’d encourage you to experiment. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes or to try your ideas out. That was what I did with the portraits above. I wanted to see how a portrait could look using a busy background in my own home. I decided to use LED lights for these and moved either the subject or the light around depending on how I wanted the background to look.

Backgrounds can either strengthen your portraits by directing focus toward your subject or vice versa. If the background is too busy such as the one above right, (I feel there is a weaker focus on the girl) make sure your light draws focus towards the subject rather than the lighting the background too much.

I didn’t want the background to be completely dark, however, as I wanted to capture the fairy lights in the fireplace as well as the detail of the wallpaper and other decors. To achieve this, I shot with a small aperture for greater depth of field and put my subject closer to the background. All of these required balancing the exposures in post-processing.

The photo on the left also has a very busy background – a patterned wallpaper. However, unlike the busy photo of the right, I didn’t want to emphasize the pattern but planned to use it as a blurry background. In order to achieve this effect, I shot with a shallow aperture and positioned my subject away from the wall.

#2 Dark textured background

The above set is another one of my experiments. This time I wanted to use textured fabrics in a natural way as a backdrop.

The lighting I used for these portraits was a simple window light coming from the side. The choice of dark fabrics was because I wanted to draw attention to the face and keep everything else rather minimal but rich in texture.

In contrast to the busy patterned background, I reigned in the color palette here to just browns and skin tones. They are simple portraits but are very rich in texture.

#3 Bright background

When I do outdoor family shots, this is one of my go-to-backgrounds. I look for bright spaces which are not the sky but are brighter than the subject such as foliage, trees, and leaves showing the bright sky behind it.

As long as it’s bright but is not the sky, it’s fine to use. The most important thing to remember is to put your subject in front of the bright background and expose for their face. This means the background gets brighter and the face is properly exposed. Use a flash to light the face if you want but as long as you properly expose the face, the image looks right.

Another thing to remember is to avoid having any dappled light on your subject’s face. The background can be dappled such as the trees with the light coming through on these the images above but never on the faces. That would more often than not, ruin your image unless you are intentionally doing so in an artistic shot, for example.

#4 Plain dark or light background

Plain backgrounds whether they be light or dark or mid-tone in color, make for classic portrait shots. You can’t go wrong with them as long as you know what you are doing with your lighting.

In the portraits above, I simply used a dark wall and window light for the main light. I put a reflector on camera right to bounce some of the light. That’s it.

The portraits above were shot in the client’s kitchen where they had a bench by the wall. It was perfect for some quick natural and fun portraits of the children for as long as they sat still! The lighting here was merely the window and skylight on the far right and a weak bounced fill flash behind me on camera left.

My main tip when shooting plain backgrounds is to match the lighting to the background so that if the background is light, then the subjects tend to be lit in the same strength. Similarly, when the background is dark, then I tend to light the subject with a moodier tone.

Although this is a personal preference, technically I prefer an even contrast between the subject and the background.

#5 White seamless background

Contrary to what many people believe, a pure white background is not so easy to achieve. What I mean by that is that you can’t just set up a white background and your subject, take a picture, and you have your nice clean white seamless background. If you do this, you’ll end up with a light grey or off-white, rather muddy background.

Actually, in order to get that bright white background, you have to light the background and light your subject as well.

If you want to learn how to do this properly, read this article I have written and it will show you a step-by-step process of achieving a clean white seamless background – 3 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid When Shooting on a White Background.

#6 Fake background

Yes, you can fake a background in Photoshop!

The photos above were shot on a plain dark wall similar to #4 and then I added textures in Photoshop afterward. You do need a separate image of a texture to overlay on the dark wall.

You can see how this is done on this article here I have written on adding overlays: Basic Photoshop Tutorial – How to Add Creative Overlays to Your Portraits

Another way of faking it in Photoshop is by adding a sun flare. The background here was just a plain white wall but it was shot in a windowless room with very little ambient light. I used a flash at camera-left to mimic window light. In post-production, I added sun flares so it looks like the girl is sitting next to a window.

Here is an article where you can learn ways on how to add sun flares to your photos in post-production; 2 Quick Ways to Add a Sunflare in Photoshop

I hope this article has helped you in choosing backgrounds for your portraits. If you have any other ideas you wish to share, please do so in the comments below.

The post 6 Types of Portrait Backgrounds for Creative Images appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

August 26, 2018
How to Merge Multiple Lightroom Catalogs Into One

In Lightroom, a catalog is a database that tracks the location of your photos and information about them. When you edit your photos and add metadata or keywords to them in Lightroom, all of these changes are stored in the catalog. The photo files themselves are not touched.

There is fierce debate about on how to best approach catalogs in Lightroom. Some photographers say that it’s best to have one master catalog. Others say it’s best to have multiple catalogs, organized by client or shoot or date (like one per year).

There are pros and cons to each approach.

When you’re opening and closing the same catalog all the time, there is a greater chance for your files to become corrupted. On the other hand, having more than one catalog can become complicated when you want to access different photographs from different folders, as you can’t search through multiple catalogs without opening each one.

Also, Lightroom’s mobile sync only works with one catalog.

So what can you do if you have several catalogs now but just want to have one main one? You can do a database merge of all your catalogs in Lightroom. The important thing is that you do so correctly.

You must import your actual catalogs, rather than your photos, or your virtual copies and collections won’t be imported.

Let’s take a look at the steps that you need to take to merge all of your catalogs into one master catalog.

Identifying Your Catalogs

The first step is to identify the catalog you would like to function as your master catalog. Go to the Lightroom menu (Mac) or Edit menu (Windows) > Catalog Settings and choose the General tab. This will tell you the name of the catalog you are currently working in.

Use Spotlight (Mac) or Search (Windows) to search for additional catalogs with an “.lrcat” file extension that you want to include in your master catalog. Make note of their names and locations.

You will likely have a lot of results from this search. Notice how I have several .zip files. These are backup catalogs. I also have some ending with -2, -3. -4. These number extensions are due to upgrading the catalogs with Lightroom updates.

Look for a .lrcat file with the same name but without the number extension. Check the date it was modified. If the two files were modified on the same date, you can ignore the file with the number extension.

Be aware that you can import a catalog from an earlier version of Lightroom Classic CC into a more recent version. The new, updated catalog contains all of the metadata associated with the previous catalog and photos.

Do a Bit of Cleanup

At this point, you may want to open the catalogs that you think you’ll want to import and go through them to see what’s in there. Now is a good time to track down and relink any missing files.

If you look at the Lightroom film strip pictured below, you will see a box with an exclamation mark in the upper right-hand corner of the images. If you click on it, you will get a message stating that the original file cannot be found. This happens when you move the files around on the hard drive without doing inside Lightroom or relinking so Lightroom can find them.

For example, this may happen if you move your files from your computer’s hard drive to an external drive.

This is the popup message you get if you click the exclamation mark. Click “Locate” and find the file on your hard drive to relink it.

If you want the missing images to show up in your library, take the time to link them now. If a lot of photos are missing, you may want to just link the images you have worked on and remove the unedited photos.

Merging Your Catalogs

If you don’t already have a Master Catalog to important your other catalogs into, you will have to create one.

In my case, I had one main catalog that I’d used for several years before deciding to switch to having several catalogs. When I realized a multi-catalog workflow wasn’t ideal for me, I simply renamed this larger catalog “Master Catalog” and imported the other smaller catalogs into it.

However, if you do not have one main catalog, you can start one and use it for all of your catalogs. If you have numerous catalogs, this will take some time, as you have to merge each catalog individually.

To create a new Master Catalog, go to the File menu and choose New Catalog. A box will pop up that says Create Folder with New Catalog. Type in “Master Catalog” where it says Save As and then hit Create.

To import a catalog, go to File > Import from Another Catalog.

Choose the catalog you would like to import into the Master Catalog.

Under File Handling, choose; Add new photos to catalog without moving. Whether your photos are on an internal or external hard drive, you will likely not want to change their location when creating a Master catalog.

It also asks you about “Changed Existing Photos”. You will only need to make a selection here if you have the same sets of files in numerous catalogs. This is not likely to be the case, as you usually important your photos from a given shoot into one specific catalog, rather than several.

Repeat this step with each of your other catalogs until you’ve imported them all into the Master Catalog.

Once all of the photos are all in a single catalog, you can do some organization, such as tidying up your folder structure, removing duplicates, or unwanted photos, etc.

Backing Up

Each time you import a catalog, be sure to back up your Master Catalog. This way, you will have a backup of each step you took. If you make a mistake or end up with an unexpected merge result, you don’t have to start all over again, just revert to the last backup.

Once you have finished importing all of your catalogs, I recommend setting up a back up schedule.

Choose Catalog Settings under the Lightroom tab. Under Back Up Catalog, choose how often you want to back up. I personally back up every time Lightroom exists. I’ve had my catalog become corrupted a couple of times. By having backed it up every day, I was easily able to restore my files from the most recent backup without losing any of my work.

In Conclusion

Essentially, these are the steps you need to take when merging numerous Lightroom catalogs. Of course, in doing so, you might encounter scenarios or issues beyond what a single article can cover.

However, if you have been relatively organized with importing your images and know where to find your various catalogs, you should easily be able to create one Master Catalog from all the catalogs you have on your hard drives.

The post How to Merge Multiple Lightroom Catalogs Into One appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

August 25, 2018
Photography Challenge – Stunning Smartphone Pics
You don’t need the latest greatest top of the line full frame DSLR to take good photos. But you do need to have a camera with you and to make use of good lighting and composition principles.

This week it’s time to practice your Smartphone photography and share your images with us for the weekly challenge. But let’s take it up a notch, shall we?

Image by Beth Ringsmuth Stolpan

The image above is a macro shot done with a Smartphone, read more on how to do that here: How to Get Stunning Macro Photos with Your Mobile Phone.

Need more ideas? How about these:
- Tips for Better Smartphone Photography
- 9 More Great Apps You Need for Your Smartphone
- 8 Ways to Use Your Smartphone for Photography
Weekly Photography Challenge – Stunning Smartphone Pics

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. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

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.

The post Photography Challenge – Stunning Smartphone Pics appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
August 25, 2018
Mirrorless Cameras are Going to Change Photography Forever

According to Jared Polin from Fro Knows Photo, the photography world is about to “explode.” With mirrorless technology making its way to the forefront of the industry, albeit slowly, it seems that things are about to get very interesting. Is it time to drop your DSLR camera for a new mirrorless body?

In the next two months, Nikon and Canon are both about to release “at least one mirrorless camera.” In Polin’s opinion, the two DSLR giants are looking to compete specifically with the Sony A7R III. That means we can expect cameras around the $ 2,000 price region, piled up to the brim with exciting new features.

?

Nikon and Canon have been around for a long time, and experience is on their side when it comes to producing cameras. As Polin points out, they have “millions and millions” of lenses out in the wild already, meaning there are a huge number of options to pair with a new mirrorless camera from either of these two manufacturers.

Polin believes that the upcoming Nikon mirrorless camera is going to need an impressive autofocus system to work well with video, alongside 4K video resolution and faster frame-rates for stills.

“The whole world is going to change,” says Polin. “You’re going to see high megapixel versions, and maybe a sports version from both.”

Check out the full video above to see all of Polin’s thoughts on this exciting change coming to the photography industry. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

Have you gone mirrorless already? Read: DSLR or Mirrorless Cameras Which is Right for You?

The post Mirrorless Cameras are Going to Change Photography Forever appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

August 24, 2018
Five Tips for Creative Pet Photography
Creative Pet Photography

How do you capture beautiful and unique photographs of your pets? While social media is littered with average snapshots of dogs and cats, it is possible to take your pet photography to the next level. In fact, it’s very simple.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn five ways to create incredible, unique photographs of your pets. These tips will allow you to capture unforgettable images of your beloved cat or dog, while at the same time preserving priceless memories.

Tip #1: Get down to your pet’s level

When doing pet photography, it’s important that your camera is eye-level with your pet.

All too often, pet photographers shoot from an upright position, looking down. While this can sometimes work (we’ll discuss one example in Tip #3 below), it generally results in an unflattering pet portrait. This is because the ground makes for an unpleasant background.

Instead, crouch, kneel or lie down in front of your pet.

I got down on my knees to photograph this dog (named Cookie Monster).

Notice the way the background changes from hard ground to a softer bokeh. You might even get a beautiful image of your pet’s head lying in the grass.

This is exactly what you want. It will make people stop and look twice. It will make your pet pop off the page.

So, when photographing your pet, get down low.

I photographed this husky mix, Penny, from a low angle.

Tip #2: Use a wide-angle lens

You can capture beautiful images of your pet no matter your equipment. However, it’s pretty standard to use a portrait lens, somewhere in the 50-85mm range, to photograph pets.

If you want a unique image, switch it up and pull out your wide-angle lens.

With such a lens, the opportunities are endless. You can take an environmental portrait, one that shows off your pet in a stunning environment.

Or you can show your pet from a more intimate perspective by getting in close.

Regardless, you won’t go wrong using a wide-angle lens. You’ll capture beautiful pet portraits that will make your friends jealous.

Tip #3: Use the cute pose

The cute pose is my name for the pose that dogs often show. You know the one: in a sitting position, big eyes, looking up. The sort of pose that makes your heart melt.

Lincoln exhibiting the cute pose.

How do you actually capture the cute pose?

I like to hold a treat just above my camera and tell my dog to sit. That way, he strikes the pose without any other prompting. His head points up to follow the treat. His eyes plead.

If you want a special image of your pet, the cute pose is an excellent way to go.

Tip #4: Get close

Do you want intimate pet portraits? I know I do.

One of my favorite ways to do this is to get close.

I focused on the eye of this beautiful dog.

Many pet photographers often aim to capture the whole of their pet. But for a different image, try zooming in, getting close. Focus on a small part of your pet: their head, eyes, nose, or teeth.

The resulting image will be both intimate and unique. You’ll capture the details of your beautiful pet. And you’ll make more artistic, aesthetically pleasing images.

I wanted to focus on the colorful fur of this dog, Hamilton.

To create intimacy in your pet photography, get close.

Tip #5: Capture the tongue

My final tip for unique pet photography is one of my favorites: capture your pet’s tongue in action.

People often strive to create static, formal images of their pets. These are nice, but sometimes you want to loosen up a little. You want to portray not just the physical features of your pet, but their personality.

That’s where the tongue comes in.

This involves a lot of waiting and watching. Some pets do more with their tongue than others. I like to wait for my dog to yawn. When his mouth is open, tongue lolling out, that’s when I press the shutter.

If you can capture your dog or cat with their tongue out, I guarantee you’ll love the resulting image. First of all, you’ll feel a connection to your pet, one that a formal portrait doesn’t really provide.

Second, viewers will feel a connection to your pet. They’ll start to understand his or her quirks better. They’ll start to appreciate your pet the way that you do.

To sum up: To capture unique images of your pets, make sure you photograph their tongue.

Conclusion

With so many photographs of pets in the world, it may seem impossible to distinguish yourself from the pack. It may feel like you’re getting the same photographs over and over again. Like you’re capturing photographs that aren’t intimate, photographs that don’t really give a window into the life of your pet.

However, if you follow the five tips above, your images will look beautiful, and they’ll also be more unique.

Capturing these unique pet portraits is simple.
1. Start by getting low.
2. Then whip out that wide-angle lens.
3. Next, experiment with the cute pose.
4. Fourth, get close. Really, really close.
5. Finally, capture your pet’s personality by showing their tongue.
Once you get more experienced, you can mix and match different tips. You might photograph your dog in the cute pose with her tongue out. You might get low while using a wide-angle lens.

The possibilities for unique and stunning pet portraits are endless. So just get out there with your best friend, and start shooting. Do you have any other tips for unique pet portraits? Please share them in the comments below.

The post Five Tips for Creative Pet Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
August 24, 2018
Adobe Portfolio – This Unsung Hero of Creative Cloud Could Save You Money

I have used Adobe Lightroom since version 4 in 2012. After upgrading to version 5 and 6 in the following years, have really grown to appreciate its workflow, comprehensive suite of editing tools and the digital asset management.

When Adobe switched to a subscription model for Lightroom and announced they would no longer offer the product as a standalone license, I started looking at other options because I didn’t want to be locked into a perpetual pricing model. I was already paying nearly $ 100/year for a website and as a hobbyist photographer with a family and a full-time job, the thought of paying another $ 120/year for Lightroom seemed crazy.

That is until I discovered Adobe Portfolio and had a complete change of heart.

A bit of background

In 2015 I got serious about doing photography work for clients. At that time, I recognized the need to have a professional easy-to-use website to attract clients and showcase my work. I tried a number of options before settling on Squarespace.

Their $ 96/year fee was entirely reasonable to me because it provided access to dozens of templates as well as a worry-free website I did not have to update or maintain like a self-hosted WordPress installation requires. I appreciated how easy Squarespace was to use as well as its rich set of features including blogging, podcasting, and even tools for buying and selling goods and services.

A few years later as I was investigating software options to replace Lightroom, I stumbled across Adobe Portfolio entirely by accident. I certainly never intended this barely-mentioned service to be the fulcrum on which my decision to subscribe to the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan would rest!

The more I examined what Portfolio had to offer the more I realized that the subscription which includes Portfolio along with Lightroom and Photoshop would be ideal for my needs as a part-time photographer.

This is the homepage for my own Adobe Portfolio site. When users hover over one of the sections with their cursor it shows the name of that particular photo gallery.

While Squarespace handled all my website needs with aplomb, it also offered many things I did not use at all. Portfolio, on the other hand, is almost anemic by comparison but uniquely suited to fit the basic needs of most photographers.

It does not have all the options, tools, integrations, and flexibility of other platforms including Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, and WordPress. But as a photographer who just wanted a simple way to showcase my work, it fit the bill perfectly.

For me the choice was clear. I could sign up for the Creative Cloud Photography plan for only a few dollars more than what I was paying for my Squarespace website and get Lightroom, Photoshop, and a beautiful website that did everything I needed. I canceled my Squarespace account, signed up for Creative Cloud, and couldn’t be any more pleased with how things have worked out.

Start with a theme

If you have a Creative Cloud plan you already have access to Portfolio and you can get started by visiting myportfolio.com and entering your Adobe ID. After that, you begin the process of building your website by selecting a theme. Right away you may notice one of the significant shortcomings of Portfolio compared to other website services. There are only eight themes from which to choose. This dearth of options can be a source of frustration if you’re used to a myriad of themes on other platforms.

Some photographers might balk in horror at the idea of only having eight template options but I saw it as a way of streamlining my design approach. I couldn’t spend hours poring over different templates if I only had eight to choose from, so it only took me a few minutes to select one that suited my tastes just fine.

The templates do allow for some editing and customization but you are limited to the basic look and feel of how they are laid out. This approach is similar to how many mainstream website platforms operate and is well suited to photographers who would rather spend their time taking and editing pictures instead of poring over lines of HTML code.

It’s also worth noting that you can change templates at any time. So if you are not sure where to start you can just pick one that you like and begin editing with the freedom to change it later. I settled on the Mathias template but any of the eight options would work well for photographers who want a simple, pleasing, and functional website.

Lightroom Integration

The ace in the hole for Portfolio and a standout feature that allows it to really shine despite its lean feature set is the way that it integrates seamlessly with Lightroom. This is a huge boon for photographers who rely on Lightroom for their editing and digital asset management, and one of the big reasons it makes sense to consider Portfolio as a worthwhile website platform.

On the editing screen, there is a giant blue Add Content button which gives you access to four different options: Page, Lightroom Album, Gallery, and Link. Any photo collections in Lightroom CC, or those you have synced with Lightroom CC from Lightroom Classic CC, will show up as options when you click Lightroom Album. There is no need to export images and upload them individually. Choose Lightroom Album and the full Lightroom Web interface will load which will let you select any of the albums to be automatically displayed on your website.

You can also manually upload pictures via drag-and-drop interface but I found it much easier to manage images by loading them from Lightroom.

Editing Website Content

In addition to loading images directly from Lightroom, you can create content right from within Portfolio. This is useful if you want a few image galleries to showcase your work while also having elements like an About Me and pricing pages. Individual pages can contain blocks of text and images with captions, and elements can be re-ordered using a simple drag-and-drop interface. There’s even an option for inserting a Contact page which can contain many different fields that you are free to customize.

After creating a Page, Lightroom Album, or Gallery the ever-present floating menu lets you edit the unique characteristics of the element you just created. This floating menu took me a little while to get used to but now I don’t mind it at all.

My contact page using Portfolio.

It never really goes away but you can expand and collapse the panes and use the three horizontal lines at the top to move it around so it’s not in your way. While you can’t go so far as editing the actual CSS code you can make changes to things like background color, page header, and fonts.

It won’t take you long to get the hang of this workflow but you also may get frustrated at what initially feels like a criminal lack of options. As you poke around with the tools available you will likely hit some brick walls, just as I did, when you find out you can’t insert pull-quote text boxes, customize the appearance of individual blocks of text, or embed elements such as a blog feed. Slideshow options are limited as well, and this is where some people might hang their head in frustration and run back to WordPress with open arms.

However, keep in mind that the purpose of Adobe Portfolio is to offer a simple way for photographers to showcase their work. It’s not supposed to be a comprehensive all-in-one web publishing platform, and within the context of that framework, the limitations in terms of choices and options make a little more sense. You can add a custom logo, change the appearance of your pages, embed dozens of web elements, and even password-protect your site if you so choose.

Portfolio lets you use a custom domain name as well, and though this process is fairly straightforward it does add a little extra to the cost of the service. Portfolio nor Adobe cannot actually register your domain so you will need to go to a third-party site like Dreamhost, Hover, or Register to set it up. Most domain names cost about $ 15/year which isn’t much but it does bring the total cost to around $ 135/year when you add that to a Creative Cloud subscription.

The Happy Middle Ground

The entire idea of a website might seem like somewhat of an anachronism in today’s social media-saturated internet. Many photographers have elected to forego a traditional web presence entirely in favor of building a brand and following on social media.

The downside of this approach is that your audience experience can be tainted by design decisions and embedded advertising entirely beyond your control, and there are always going to be a subset of potential clients who choose not to engage on social media at all and will, therefore, miss out on the chance to view your work.

My family portrait gallery.

Websites might not have the shine and excitement that they once did but there are still plenty of good reasons to build and maintain your own presence on the internet. To that end, Adobe Portfolio offers a compelling set of features for literally no cost at all if you already subscribe to any of Adobe’s Creative Cloud plans.

If you don’t currently subscribe to Creative Cloud but do pay a third-party provider to host your website you might want to give Portfolio a second look. Think of it as paying about the same as you are now for a website, but with the added bonus of world-class photography software like Lightroom and Photoshop thrown in at no extra charge.

Your opinion of Adobe Portfolio will likely depend on your needs for a website and your expectations of what Portfolio can offer. If you want an extensive do-everything website solution, Portfolio is going to fall short in many respects and you’d be better off with something like Squarespace.

But if you want a simple platform that lets you display your work for the world to see, in a manner that you choose, without any intrusive third-party advertising or corporate mining of your personal data, I can’t recommend Portfolio highly enough.

Rating: 5/5

The post Adobe Portfolio – This Unsung Hero of Creative Cloud Could Save You Money appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

August 24, 2018
Cameras for Real Estate Photography

As a photographer, you need to invest in the right gear for your business. Your cameras are your tools for capturing the photos that your clients will love. These are also going to be your partners in making money throughout your career. The goal is investment in gear that will allow you to capture great quality photos while making sure Continue Reading

The post Cameras for Real Estate Photography appeared first on Photodoto.

Photodoto

August 23, 2018
SLC-OE-03: How to Choose a Softbox for your Speedlights

Umbrellas are a great first light mod: cheap, easy to use, easy to transport. But softboxes can give you more control, both in the beam's edge and with reduced light leakage. The photo above was shot with a single speedlight and a small softbox.

Today we'll look at how to choose a softbox that will marry well with your speedlight, and do so without spending a lot of money.

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Strobist

August 23, 2018