Category: Photography

Viewfinder Image Blurry? You May Need to Adjust Your Camera’s Diopter – Here’s How
Have you ever looked through a camera’s viewfinder and only been able to see a blurry image even after focusing? If you are always seeing a blurred image the diopter is not set correctly for your eyes. This happens every time I pick up my wife’s camera. She is near-sighted and I am far sighted.

What your viewfinder looks like when the diopter is not set correctly for your eye.

What is a diopter?

The diopter is a small lens in your camera’s viewfinder. It allows you to match the focus of your viewfinder to your eye. So before I can see anything clearly through the viewfinder on my wife’s camera I must focus this small lens. She has to do the same when she uses my camera.

If your eyesight is good and you are using a camera that’s had the diopter adjusted, you will see a blurry image in the viewfinder. You will need to adjust the diopter to correct this so you can see a sharp image.

I am surprised by the number of people who join our workshops here in Thailand that tell me they never see anything sharp in their viewfinder. After a quick adjustment, they are often surprised by how sharp the image is appearing in their viewfinder.

When your diopter is adjusted properly you will see a sharp image and a sharp information display.

The easiest way to see if your diopter needs adjusting is to look at the information and guidelines you see in your viewfinder. If you cannot clearly see the numbers and lines sharply this means your diopter is not set correctly for your eyes.

How to Adjust the Diopter

DSLR cameras with optical viewfinders and mirrorless cameras with electronic viewfinders all have diopters.

Locate the Diopter Adjustment Control

The diopter adjustment control will most likely be a small wheel or slider close to your camera’s viewfinder. Most diopter controls are labeled with + and – signs.

Mount Your Camera

When you want to adjust the diopter it is best to have your camera mounted on a tripod or somewhere it will not move. You want to do this where you have a scene with good contrast. Something that your camera can autofocus on easily.

Focus Your Camera

Focus your camera using the autofocus. If you are using a camera or lens without autofocus you will need to look at the focus indicators in the viewfinder to ensure the lens is in focus. If your diopter is adjusted incorrectly for your eyes you will not see a sharp image in the viewfinder at this point.

Adjust Your Diopter

Start to turn the diopter wheel or move the slider. As the image comes into focus keep adjusting until you see a blurred image again. Now dial back your control so you see a sharp image (go back and forth until it’s as sharp as you can get). Now your diopter should be set correctly.

If you cannot see a sharp image in your viewfinder at any point of the adjustment you need to look at the display information. The exposure display in the viewfinder will come into focus at some point. If the display info is sharp in your viewfinder but the image is still blurry, you have a different problem.

The problem may be with the camera’s autofocus system or the lens. Here are a few suggestions for what to do in this situation:
- Try changing lenses or zooming.
- Make sure your lens is set to autofocus.
- Attempt to focus manually.
- Check focus using your camera’s LCD screen and Live View
- Take your camera for repair.
Wearing Glasses or Contacts

If you normally wear glasses or contact lenses you can adjust your diopter to suit. If you prefer wearing glasses while using your camera, adjust the diopter with your glasses on.

But if you prefer not to wear your glasses while using your camera’s viewfinder, make the adjustments while you are not wearing them. If your eyesight is quite bad you may not be able to adjust your diopter sufficiently though and may need to keep your glasses on.

Add-On Diopter Accessories

If your diopter will not adjust to give you a clear image in your viewfinder you might need an add-on accessory diopter. Not all camera models will accommodate these so you will need to check your camera manual.

Diopter adjustment is simple but can make a significant difference to your photography enjoyment. It is always good to see a sharp image when you look through your viewfinder.

The post Viewfinder Image Blurry? You May Need to Adjust Your Camera’s Diopter – Here’s How appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
July 23, 2018
Review of BlogStomp Software for Photographers

Blogging is a very important marketing tool for photographers. However, it can be quite a time-consuming task having to process the photos for each post in Photoshop or any other editing application. The BlogStomp software, in my opinion, has changed blogging for photographers.

A collage of images made with BlogStomp.

What is BlogStomp?

BlogStomp is a simple blogging software that allows you to drag and drop the files you wish to use to create photographs the exact size that you want. You can make collages, or batch process many photos for a gallery, social media, or other storage devices.

BlogStomp also lets you add your own logo to the final photos either on tabs or on the image itself.

BlogStomp interface.

There are many features for personalization so that your final photos are ready to post where you want. It cuts the blogging process by more than half the time, especially if you are creating a rather photo-heavy post or gallery. BlogStomp also creates a folder on your desktop of the photos that you have “stomped” which makes it easier to find and upload them to wherever you are posting images.

Key Features

Image Processing

The most useful feature of BlogStomp is in the “Freestyle” tab where you can choose one or more photos to create collages. Here you can preview, modify, crop, add text, and choose the best layout to suit your needs.

On the right, you can see the various layout options as well as make your own custom layout.

Settings Tab

In the “Settings” tab, you can choose the image width, how much of a border or margin between photos you’d like to have, as well as add a tab underneath the photo. In this same tab is where you would add your logo.

You can also choose the output settings where you can customize the file names, set where you want your Stomped folder to be located on your computer, and configure how much sharpening you want for the final images.

In the settings, you can change the layout size, border, margin, and select the template you want to use. In Output, you have the option of giving the files a specific name and choosing where you want the Stomped folder to be placed.

Freestyle Tab

Add a color block and place it below or next to your photo.

Double-click to switch out photos in the layout.

Hitting the “Mix it up” button will cycle through different layouts using the photos that you have chosen to give you options. You can also double-click and switch the photos.

Batch Tab

The “Batch” tab will process all of the photos that you have in the sidebar individually to the size and settings that you have previously set up. This can save you a lot of time if you are uploading a lot of photos into an online gallery for viewing.

Batch process all of your photos at once.

Media Tab

The “Media” tab allows you to “stomp” the photos onto a storage device, like a USB stick, so that they all fit. This is really helpful when dealing with huge files that you want to keep all on the same USB, or similar storage device.

You can drag and drop your photos or choose from the ones that you have already previously “stomped”.

Don’t worry about storage space, this option will fit your images onto your media device.

BlogStomp also creates a folder on your desktop of the photos that you have “stomped” which makes it easier to find and upload them to wherever you are posting.

The app will also let you know if your image is not the right size originally for the final output size. Which is helpful because this can mean the difference between publishing a pixelated image or a high-quality image.

Post Directly to a Blog or Social Media

You can stomp your photographs directly onto any of the following blog sites: WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger, ExpressionEngine, and Live Journal. Simply set up your blog details and begin writing. Use the stomped photos that you have created, add categories, and publish all from the same app.

Choose from these blog sites. Stomp Software says they will be adding more sites to the list soon.

Use BlogStomp to also post directly to Facebook or Twitter. Insert your login details and use the photos that you’ve stomped previously.

In the Freestyle tab, you also have the option of sizing the photographs for Instagram or Facebook covers (above). This comes in handy when you’re publishing to social media often or using a social media app like HootSuite which requires the photos to be square in order to post to Instagram, for example.

Posting to Twitter with BlogStomp.

Upload to Gallery services

In the “Gallery” tab, you can set up any of the following gallery/proofing services: Shoot Proof, SmugMug, Zenfolio, and Photoshelter. It’s really easy to set up and get your galleries uploaded in half the time.

Why use BlogStomp?

I think it goes without saying that editing a wedding or image-heavy blog post in Photoshop or the like can take hours. Using BlogStomp as part of your workflow can help reduce the time that you are spending at the computer by processing your photos for your blog, galleries, storage devices, and social media in one fell swoop.

I have been using this app for more than five years and it has served me well in so many ways. All of the photos in my past articles have been processed using BlogStomp. The photos that I use for social media are processed in BlogStomp.

Create marketing material in minutes with the collage layouts for both print and online. I have also used it for creating inspiration boards for future sessions.

This is a final stomped photo with a white tab below the collage and my logo added.

In addition to saving you time, it is also really simple and easy to use. Each feature is easy to navigate without any extra hoops or steps. It’s a straightforward app that helps you blog faster and share your photos with the best quality.

How much does it cost?

Finally, it’s priced reasonably for the amount of use that it will get. There are two options: Individual and Studio Pack.

The individual option includes two installs on different computers and is priced at $ 49. The studio pack includes 5 installs on different computers and is priced at $ 89. It’s a one time fee and it really is the best value for an app like this.

You can create many different collages with the features inside BlogStomp. Change the background in settings, add a stroke to the images, choose the margin size between photos, and add rounded corners all in the same app.

Other Stomp Software

BlogStomp is just one of three Stomp Software apps offered by the company.

Album Stomp is a great software for designing albums and Album Prufr is proofing albums where your clients can preview and make changes. The company offers a bundle option for all three on their website.

Not convinced? The company offers you the opportunity to download a free trial before purchasing. You can use the full version with the app logo/watermark. This is great for learning to use the app and seeing first-hand whether this is an app that could work for your workflow.

In conclusion

Blogging can be a daunting task with hours of photo processing. But thanks to BlogStomp and the Stomp Software, blogging has never been easier and faster without compromising on image quality or style.

Use this app as a part of your regular workflow and cut the time that you spend at the computer. Overall, the app is worth its value in both time and quality. Test the app for yourself before you make the decision to buy. You won’t regret it.

The post Review of BlogStomp Software for Photographers appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

July 22, 2018
An In-Depth Look at the Range Mask in Lightroom Classic CC

Lightroom is an ever-changing ever-morphing evolution of the cutting edge of digital image processing. Quite literally, it seems like Adobe releases new features and updates for their upper tier consumer photo editing software extremely frequently. Now, some of these updates and new features are loved by the photographic community and others…well, not so much.

One of these brand new features, called the “Range Mask”, came along with the v7.2 release of Lightroom Classic CC back in February (2018) and it caused quite a stir. It allows you to incorporate masking with the local adjustment tools right inside of Lightroom V7.2 and later.

As with most fresh features in Lightroom, some photographers were a little bit skeptical about its actual usefulness in their editing workflow. It’s an interesting tool to be sure and after this, you’ll know everything there is to know about the brand new range mask feature in Lightroom Classic CC.

What is the Range Mask?

Before we get too far into the conversation let’s take a moment and briefly talk about masks as they pertain to editing photographs. A mask is simply a way for you to control what areas of a photo receive the edits you want to apply. There is a huge range of mask types and they vary quite infinitely in their applications.

Usually, masks are routinely used in Photoshop. The old adage “black conceals and white reveals” was born directly from the usage of layer masking inside Photoshop. For the purposes of understanding the range mask in Lightroom, just know that masks allow selective control over edits within a photo.

The new range masking feature provides you with two different methods for applying masks: luminance and color.

Luminance Range Masking

If you’re a Photoshop user, think of luminance masking as a boiled down version of luminosity masks. Don’t sweat it if you’ve never used luminosity masking in Photoshop. Just know that the luminance mask applies local adjustments based on the brightness range you select.

This means that you can apply any edit from a local adjustment tool to only the shadows, highlights, or mid-tone luminance ranges that you choose. The luminance masking function also features a “smoothing” slider. This controls the intensity of the masking effect from hard to soft.

Color Range Masking

Conceptually, the color range mask works just as the luminance range mask except instead of basing its masking on brightness it relies on the color ranges you select with the dropper tool.

The dropper tool lets you select a large color palette by clicking and dragging the eye-dropper over an area of your photo.

Using the eye-dropper tool to select the color range.

Alternatively, you can also select up to four (five without the large area selected) highly specific color areas by shift+clicking each desired point.

Using the dropper to select up to 5 target colors for the mask range.

It’s important to note that you can not use both the luminance and color range masks within the same local adjustment tool at the same time. However, you can create a new local adjustment (or duplicate one) and “layer” the masks as many times as you see fit.

How to use the Range Mask in Lightroom Classic CC

Alright, let’s get down to business and look at an example of how the luminance and color range masks work. It’s extremely easy and can yield some impressive results once you get the hang of things.

Using the Luminance Range Mask

Here’s an image from an awesome night I spent in Death Valley a couple months ago.

Let’s say I want to use the Gradient Filter tool to brighten up that foreground and bring out a little more detail around the two people crouched by the fire.

That looks okay, but it definitely caused the highlight portions of the sky to be a little too bright for my taste. To solve this, I’ll apply a luminance range mask.

Simply select “Luminance” from the mask selection drop-down. Next, adjust the slider so that most of the highlights are excluded from the gradient filter adjustments and voila! The sky is no longer overexposed yet the foreground is now much more visible.

And since you can use the range mask with any edit in the local adjustment tool kit I went ahead and added in a little clarity and highlight boost to really make the foreground pop.

To truly demonstrate the effect of the luminance range mask I’ll tick the “show selected mask overlay” box at the bottom of the view window (the keyboard shortcut to show the overlay is O). The areas in red are the portions of the image where the gradient filter has applied its edits.

Gradient Filter applied without a mask. See how it is affecting parts of the sky as well.

Next, let’s have a look at the effect of the luminance range mask.

Gradient Filter with the Luminance Mask applied. Notice how the sky is now less affected in the bright areas.

Notice how the red masking recedes from the highlights in the skyline? It’s not overly obvious in this example but it will be incredibly apparent when we take a look at the effects of the color range mask.

Using the Color Range Mask

We’ll stick with the same photo from earlier for this example. But this time I’m going to use a Radial Filter to brighten up the fire and add some saturation to make the orange glow of the flames stand out more from that gorgeous purple of the desert night.

First, let’s see how a normal Radial Filter looks when applied to the area in question.

Radial Filter applied in Lightroom Classic CC.

Sure, it definitely brightens and adds saturation to the fire but it also added the adjustments to the entire filter area.

To remedy this, I’ll use the color range mask. I begin by using the‘shift+click and drag method to select the majority of the fire area color. Next, I set the Amount slider for the color range mask virtually to zero so that the mask really targets just those oranges and reds. This is the result:

And remember how I said you could immediately discern the effects of the color range mask? Well, look at the mask overly before the color masking was applied….

Radial Filter without masking.

…and now check out the incredible selectivity of the color mask.

Radial Filter with color range mask applied.

Final Thoughts on the Range Mask in Lightroom Classic CC

The new range mask feature borrows the power of Photoshop layer masks and brings it home to the warm safety and comfort of Lightroom. While the range mask is admittedly nowhere near as versatile and customizable as say a luminosity mask in Photoshop, it does have its own excellent merits when it comes to taking more control of your local edits.

With the luminance range mask, you can fine-tune where your edits are applied based on the brightness levels within the photo. This is hugely beneficial when working with highly contrasted scenes and works great for black and white images.

The color range mask harnesses the power of color to let you creatively select exactly which tones will receive your adjustments. As you saw in the examples above, the color range mask is an excellent way to really bring out the contrast when working with complementary colors.

If you haven’t updated to the Lightroom Classic CC v7.2 or later then I urge you to do so now. Take the new range mask feature for a spin and let us know what you think in the comments below.

The post An In-Depth Look at the Range Mask in Lightroom Classic CC appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

July 22, 2018
Weekly Photography Challenge – Simplify
It’s time once again for the weekly photography challenge. This week your job is to do LESS! Yup, that’s right we want you to put less in your photos. Simplify your images down to one easily identifiable subject with a minimalist composition and simplicity.

Simplify – you don’t need to see the whole thing to get the message here.

How else can you simplify? Perhaps get rid of all color and shoot monochrome or convert to black and white later? Here are some ideas for simplifying or getting minimalist.
- How to Simplify and Improve Composition with Normal or Long Lenses
- 4 Tips for the Minimalist Photographer
- The Minimalist Landscape Photographer: What do you really need?
- Tips for Minimalist Photography in an Urban Environment
- 5 Guidelines of Minimalist Photography to Help Improve Your Work
Here’s an example of a really busy landscape scene. Now let’s simplify it!

Get closer to the subject so it’s super obvious to viewers what you want them to look at. Less is more!

Weekly Photography Challenge – Simplify

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 Weekly Photography Challenge – Simplify appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
July 21, 2018
Tips for Using a Reflector the Right Way Outdoors
A reflector is easy to use, right? Just open it and put it under your model’s chin. WRONG!

Using a reflector may seem really simple but most new photographers make one big mistake with them. They put them in the wrong place to make flattering light on their subject.

Tips for Using a Reflector the Right Way Outdoors

In this video from Joe Edelman, see how NOT to do it, and get some tips on how to use a reflector the right way.

Items mentioned in the video:
- California Sunbounce Mini-Reflector – $ 149
- 32″ Soft white/silver reflector by Rogue – $ 29.95
Find other dPS articles about reflectors here:
- 6 Ways of Using Reflector to Take Better Portraits
- 10 Ways to Use a 5-in-1 Reflector
- Tips for Using Reflectors to Create Beautiful Portraits
- DIY How to Build and Use a Reflector to Take Better Portraits
- Choosing the Right Color Reflector for Your Photography
The post Tips for Using a Reflector the Right Way Outdoors appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
July 20, 2018
9 Tips for Aspiring Young Photographers
Photography is an amazing way to express yourself and see the world around you. It’s therefore not surprising that photography is a favorite pass time for young people. Recently I was asked to give my tips for aspiring young photographers (and those of any age!).

It’s such a great subject that sharing it with the dPS community seemed like a great idea. Even if you’re an old hand at photography, it’s always worth remembering the path you took to becoming a great photographer. We were all young and aspiring once!

Let’s look at some tips that will help you succeed whether you’re new to photography or not.

Learning to use off-camera flash is a key lesson for aspiring young photographers who want to take portraits.

1 – Be patient

In today’s world, we all want everything at once. To quote the lyrics from a song “How soon is now?”

As with anything that’s new to you, you’ll need to show patience. Learning a new vocation is a marathon, not a sprint. While it’s true some people will have a natural eye for photography, they also won’t succeed without patience and application.

You also need to figure out what success means to you. There are many who will see that as a large following through social media. While it’s a measure of success to have a large following, it’s certainly not the only measure. In fact, the approval of a huge number of likes through social media can stunt your development, as it may well blind you to some of the mistakes you make when taking photos.

So take your time, accept the fact that you’ll make some mistakes along the way, and allow your photography to grow organically.

Photographing with friends is a great way to gain experience. This is of a local music band.

2 – Look for places to get feedback

Feedback is an important part of your development. You can’t always see your blind spots, that’s why seeking out advice from others is a good idea. The type of feedback aspiring young photographers look for is important, it can have a big impact on your growth.
- Thick skin – You’ll need thick skin, or the ability to accept constructive feedback. Then you need to be able to apply it to your future work which will allow you to grow.
- Seek feedback – The choice of the word feedback over critique is important here. Critique is a negative word, where feedback is neutral. In addition to being given advice on areas a photo needs improving, the feedback giver should also be telling you the things you have done right. All too often people see the word critique and will then only look for the faults in a photo.
- Stay true – As a photographer, you will develop your own style, so you need to remain true to this style. Feedback should be fixing technical faults, not seeking to change a photographers style. Photography, after all, a creative pursuit, and the wrong feedback has the potential to stunt the growth of aspiring young photographers.
It’s always a good idea to get feedback on your work but choose your sources carefully.

3 – Choose a niche to master

Photography is a broad area, and there are so many different types or genres of photography. The old saying about being a “jack of all trades, and master of none” rings true here.

Every photographer will eventually gravitate to a particular type of photography. Of course, it’s great to try out new genres from time to time, and in the early day’s it’s worth trying out different techniques to see which is the one for you. But sooner or later though you’ll need to decide whether you’re a portrait, landscape or food photographer.

Each of those photography types has many skills you’ll need to master before your photos really stand out from the crowd. There again you may wish to be a travel photographer, in which case, you’ll need to be good at just about everything.

Crystal ball photography is one niche, will you choose this or something different?

4 – Identify a mentor

Every field of photography will have its masters. In most cases, there will be more than one person you can approach as a mentor. Once you have decided on the genre of photography you wish to become good at, find someone who is already good at that, and approach them to be your mentor.

In today’s digital world it’s much easier to do this online. Remember the photographer you approach will be a busy working professional, and you may need to pay a fee for their time. Of course, if you pay a fee you will expect results, so set some clear parameters and goals for your sessions with them.

Your mentor will teach you the ways of The Force. Well okay, the ways of the camera.

5 – Join a photography group

One of the best things aspiring young photographers can do is join a photography group. This can either be online or in person. The majority of photography groups or clubs have a mixture of levels and abilities, and it may well be you’ll find your mentor by joining such a group.

There are so many benefits to hanging out with other photographers. The ability to bounce ideas off others, gain feedback on your work, and grow as a photographer within the group are all positives to joining a group.

Joining a group is a great way to learn about photography and make new friends.

6 – Learn your craft in your locality

Now hopefully you’ve joined a photography group, and you know which style of photography you want to pursue. It’s time to really put the time into learning everything there is to know about it.

Now, of course, you might happen to live in an amazing location like New York, or you have easy access to Angkor Wat because you live in Siem Reap. Those living in less glamorous places nevertheless need to learn the techniques and tricks needed to make the best photos they can, and in turn, put the glamour in their local area. Everywhere has its point of interest, and training your photographer’s eye to see that will help you become a better photographer.
- Landscape photographers – A great technique to learn is digital blending. You can learn how to do this in your local area, and then when you visit one of the world’s iconic landmarks you’ll be ready to make the best photos you can.
- Portrait photographers – Learning how to use off-camera flash will really lift your game, you can do this with friends and family as your models. Then when the chance for that big photography gig comes along, you’ll be ready.
Practicing your photography skills close to home is a good idea.

7 – Visit locations that will help your photography shine

Having built your knowledge in photography, and picked out a style, it’s now time to pick out a location where your photography will really shine. This will involve some form of investment in you traveling to a specific place that best suits your photography.

This is obviously not something you want to rush into, the key to success here is good planning. As an aspiring young photographer looking to establish yourself, getting some amazing portfolio photos is important. These are some of the steps needed:
- Location research – Use websites like 500px as a resource to find the locations you’d like to photograph yourself. Time spent on these sites will also give you inspiration for new ideas and directions you could take your photography.
- Equipment – You’ll need the right equipment to get the best photos, so consider carefully what you’ll purchase.
- Logistics – Think about the logistics. How much will your trip cost? Are you going at the best time of year for the light and weather? Is where you’re staying going to give you easy access to places you want to photograph?
This photo is of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur is iconic. Earlier photos were taken to practice the techniques needed for this photo, such as digital blending.

8 – Invest time learning post-processing

Photography is a two-step process. First, you’ll need to take the photo, but then you’ll need to process it on a computer or perhaps even in a darkroom. There are lots of things that can add to your photography with post-processing, below are just a few areas that you should focus on for landscape or portrait photography.
- Landscape – Learning how to use digital blending, sharpen your image, and how to remove unwanted elements from your photo.
- Portraits – Learn how to soften the face, but sharpen the eyes. Learn about compositing your photos, so you can blend studio portraits with other backgrounds.
9 – Set limits

A great way to push yourself, and learn more about photography is to set limits. In the days of film photography, you’d be limited to 24 or 36 photos per roll of film, though you could, of course, carry additional rolls with you.

The point is you were limited to a finite number of photos, so you’d have to consider your shot selection carefully. This is an example of a limit or parameter that can make you grow as a photographer. The following are a few others which you could try:
- Focal length – Take photos from only one focal length.
- Aperture – Choose only one aperture for the whole day.
- One color – Take photos of only one color for the whole day.
What tips do you have for aspiring young photographers?

Are you an aspiring young photographer? Which of these tips will you follow, and have you learned anything new that you can take into your photography?

Have you ever mentored someone else who was new to photography? What was your experience with that? As always we love to hear from the dPS community, so please leave your replies in the comments section below.

The post 9 Tips for Aspiring Young Photographers appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
July 20, 2018
How to Choose Your Next Travel Photography Destination

If you’re anything like me, your love for photography is matched only by your love for travel. Your days consist of dreaming of epic landscapes, amazing cities, and unlimited air miles. Unfortunately, my friend, you have the travel photography bug, and I’m sorry to tell you that it’s incurable.

It’s easy to get down about your inability to see and photograph everything right now. There just aren’t enough hours in the day, and for most of us, not enough money in the bank. The thing that keeps me from getting down is planning my next trip.

Planning is the easy part, the hard part is choosing where to go. You might get overwhelmed by the options, so here are a few things to consider which may help you choose your next travel photography destination.

Look in Your Own Backyard

First up, your next trip doesn’t need to be an epic destination across oceans to places like Iceland or Patagonia. I’m always trying to find ways to get to big bucket-list locations that I know I would love, but sometimes looking closer to home may be a better option.

Unless you live on an island in the middle of the ocean, there’s likely somewhere nearby that you’ll be able to get to sooner to satisfy your wanderlust.

Is there anywhere within driving distance that you’ve always wanted to visit or a place that people have been saying you should check out? Somewhere in your own backyard that others spend thousands of dollars and countless hours traveling to see? It may be somewhere you’ve been before but could revisit to try to photograph better. The benefits of looking in your own backyard are many.

Make a Bucket List

You likely already have an idea of some of the places that you would like to visit and photograph. If you ask me, I can rattle off a long list of dream destinations. If you haven’t already done so, make a list and write it down. You could even make more than one list – local and international.

My bucket list has nested sub-locations within each item because I keep seeing new locations within a given country that I want to see.

I also encourage you to try and get past the big-name travel destinations. Add them for sure, I certainly have, but there’s more to the world than Iceland, New Zealand, and Yosemite. These places are insanely popular, which makes them expensive to get to and you’ll often be competing with huge crowds.

Instagram is a great place to find inspiration, but again, try to look for more than the uber-popular locations. Also, try asking people who love to travel for their recommendations. I’m always happy to make suggestions if you’re stuck for ideas.

Talk to Your Travel Buddy

Who will you be traveling with? Do you have a buddy that you go everywhere with? Share ideas with them and come up with a shared list. Do you usually travel alone? Great, that gives you some freedom to do whatever and go wherever you want. It might be worth considering a travel buddy for a change. There are many benefits to traveling with somebody else or even a group.

If your travels usually come in the form of family vacations, then your plans will need to work for them too. Maybe try asking your kids where they would like to go for your next family trip? They might suggest something you have not considered. Is there somewhere your partner has always wanted to go but never mentioned?

Multi-Task

Is there a way that you can kill two birds with one stone? Sometimes there are ways to justify travel that you may not have considered. Do you have family somewhere that you could visit? Maybe an old friend that you haven’t seen for years?

Not everyone has the ability to travel for work, but if you do – is there a way you could tack on some personal travel to the end of a work trip? If you’re crafty you might be able to get your boss to pay for you to go to a conference somewhere. If you don’t ask the answer is always “No”.

It’s worth considering photography workshops also. Although it will still be all about the photography, you’ll be investing in your craft. They can be expensive, but if you find one close to home you can keep the travel costs down. Your photography will benefit from a workshop far more than it would just by taking a trip.

Budget

The biggest barrier for most of us is cost. If money were no object, I’m sure many photographers would spend more time traveling than they do at home. Unfortunately, travel costs a lot so it needs to come into consideration.

Depending on where you live, you can use seasonal fluctuations to help you choose your next destination. Virtually everywhere in the world will have a high and a low season. These seasons affect travel costs significantly, so it’s worth doing some research into where’s the best place to visit at a given time of year. Either side of high season (shoulder season) is often cheaper, while the weather is still okay.

It’s also worth considering exchange rates as they can fluctuate a lot. If your home currency is performing well against another country’s currency, it could be worth considering traveling there while you’re able to get more for your money. I’ve planned travel at short notice a few times due to an unusually good exchange rate, and it’s saved me hundreds of dollars.

Expand Your Portfolio

It’s worth taking a look at your travel photos and asking yourself if there’s a subject or medium that you really want to add. Maybe you have loads of images of beaches and the ocean and could diversify by getting into the mountains?

Do you primarily photograph nature and could stretch yourself by spending a weekend photographing cityscapes? Always wanted to try out some astrophotography? Go spend a few moonless nights as far away from light pollution as possible.

I’ve always wanted to take my camera underwater, so next month I’m spending a few weeks in Queensland, Australia exploring the Great Barrier Reef.

As photographers, we naturally seek out subjects that we’re drawn to and are comfortable with, but it’s worth trying something different from time to time. Choosing your next destination based on the subject or medium you want to photograph is a great way to learn something new and maybe go somewhere you wouldn’t usually choose.

Available Time

I’m a big advocate of slow travel. You can see and experience a place in a completely different way when you spend a few months there rather than a couple of days or weeks. That said, not everyone wants to or can quit their job and go live somewhere new for a few months.

It’s worth considering how much time you have available for your next trip. If you only have a weekend, you’re not going to want to spend 20 hours flying in each direction. If you have a month, you probably don’t want to spend the whole time in a small town down the road. Use your time wisely.

There are places that I want to visit that I wouldn’t really enjoy if I rushed it. So I’m leaving them for when I can explore it at my own pace. There are also many places that would happily spend a couple of nights and be satisfied.

Make it a Road Trip

It’s pretty hard to beat a good road trip. You have the freedom to go where you want when you want. You’re not dependent on public transport or an itinerary.

You can even sleep in your vehicle if you like and get to obscure locations away from the crowds. Drive as far as time allows.

A road trip opens up many possibilities for travel photography destinations. It can turn one location into many. I always wanted to visit Yosemite National Park in California, so I did an epic road trip on the entire west coast of the USA.

Next, I wanted to see the Canadian Rockies, so I drove all the way from Vancouver through British Columbia, into Alberta and the Rockies, then down through northern Washington. I saw so much more on those road trips than I ever would have flying or busing between locations. Maybe a road trip should be next on your list?

Where to Next?

You probably can’t pack your bags and get on the road tomorrow, but choosing and planning your next travel photography destination can give you something to look forward to and prepare for. I hope this has helped you to consider new possibilities and narrow down your options.

If it’s helped your next trip come around sooner, even better. What’s on your travel photography bucket list? I would love to hear what you’re thinking or planning, please share in the comments area below.

The post How to Choose Your Next Travel Photography Destination appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

July 19, 2018
How to Take Clear and Creative Photos at Aquariums
Aquariums are amazing places to take your family. But it can be really hard to take good photos as aquariums.

Naturally, you want some really cool pictures. But you find out very quickly that aquariums are dark. Really dark! And that your photos turn out blurry. Really blurry!

Low light photography is one of my favorite challenges. So, in this article, I’ll show you how to get clear and creative photos at aquariums and how to apply some simple edits in Lightroom.

I’ve always been amazed by people who go diving with sharks. I knew that I wanted my aquarium photos to seem like they were taken from in the water. So as much as possible, I got right up close to the glass, blocking everything out except the creatures in the water.

1. Getting Clear Photos at Aquariums

Turn off your flash

If you set your camera to Automatic Mode, it’ll likely trigger the flash when you take a photo. The flash will make a huge reflection on the glass which will ruin your photo. So before you even enter the aquarium, make sure to disable your flash.

If you turn your flash off you’ve eliminated the biggest problem with glare. But there still might be some ambient light reflecting off the glass. Move right up to the glass so that your camera won’t pick up any of this reflected ambient light. You’ll be standing right up at the glass looking through it, rather than standing back a few feet looking at it.

Here you can see the white and orange ambient light reflected in the glass on the left side of the photo. This photo is also suffering from a slight bit of motion blur.

In this second photo, I stepped closer to the glass and angled the camera so as not to see the ambient light reflected in the glass. The main fish is also sharper now. Part of drew me to this photo was the simplicity of the scene. Very little color, good subject and a repetitive pattern of fish in the background. ISO 2500, f/2.8, 1/50th.

Turning off the flash and getting rid of reflections is the first step. Now it’s time to consider freezing the action so that your photos won’t be blurry.

Motion Blur

You may find that your aquarium photos turn out blurry at first. This is because in low light situations your shutter speed can become too slow to freeze the movement.

It’s important for you to set the shutter speed yourself, ensuring that your photos will not be blurry from camera or subject movement. There are two main ways to do this; Shutter Priority or full Manual Mode.

This is a typical aquarium photo suffering from motion blur. The camera settings were ISO 400, f/4, 1/10th. The shutter speed needs to be much quicker to freeze the movement of the fish. Increasing the ISO to 3200 would have allowed for a much faster shutter speed (1/80th).

Shutter Priority Mode

To use Shutter Priority Mode, start by setting the ISO as high as you are comfortable doing according to your camera. I have no problem going to ISO 3200. This higher ISO will help your camera absorb the dim light.

For photos in aquariums, I suggest setting your shutter speed to 1/125th to begin. Make sure you only set the shutter speed fast enough to freeze the action, but no faster than necessary. If the shutter speed is too quick you’ll end up with dark or underexposed images.

I was so excited to get this close to a shark! The settings for this image were ISO 3200, f/2.8, 1/125th.

Manual Mode

If you’re comfortable with it, you should use full manual mode. Set your ISO as high as you are comfortable doing according to your camera. Aim for ISO 3200 which will help your camera absorb the light.

Open your aperture as much as you can, or as much as you are comfortable doing creatively. If your aperture opens to f/2.8 or f/1.8 that will really help to capture the light.

With your ISO as high as you can make it and your aperture open as wide as you like, set your shutter speed to 1/125th or faster (likely somewhere between 1/60th and 1/250th – adjust as needed to get a good exposure based on the amount of light in your scene).

If you have a 50mm lens I recommend you make it your main lens for aquariums. The wider aperture will let in lots more light. It’s a good focal length too.

My typical settings for aquarium photos are as follows:
- ISO 3200
- Aperture f/2.8
- Shutter speed 1/60th
That shutter speed is actually pretty slow. But I have practiced holding the camera really steady and most of the creatures weren’t moving too quickly.

ISO 3200, f/2.8, 1/125th.

Don’t get discouraged when the first shot doesn’t turn out. Take your time as you explore the aquarium. Try to choose a day to visit when it’s less busy. Give them a call and ask them when those times occur.

2. Getting Creative Photos

Once you’ve figured out how to get clear photos, it’s time to get creative. You might be so overwhelmed by the amazing sea life that you forget to bring your own creativity to the photos, so here are some tips for you.

Angles

To me, varying your camera angle is the quickest way to make your photos more interesting. Rather than capturing everything from the same perspective, try a variety of angles. The same shark can look very different from different angles.

I chose an eye to eye camera angle for this lobster. His claws were huge and getting right down to his level made him look like a tough guy. You have to look carefully to see his eyes in the background. This part of the aquarium was actually lit with purple light.

To me, the feature that stands out the most on a shark is its teeth. A low angle is just about the only way to see those teeth in a photo.

The best way to capture this eel’s beauty was an eye to eye angle.

A low angle can add a sense of drama to the photo. When a shark decides that it’s feeding time, that’s a dramatic moment!

I would normally refer to this extremely low angle as a “bug’s eye view.” Dramatic angles such as this can really give the feeling of actually being in the water with the sharks. You’ll notice a little glare on the glass on the upper right of the photo.

Silhouettes

Silhouettes are really easy to capture in aquariums. The key to a silhouette is to have a bright background and a dark foreground and subject. If you’re comfortable using Manual Mode, then you only need to adjust your exposure until you get the desired effect.

If you’re in Auto Mode or even Shutter Priority, then your camera may naturally make the photo look like a silhouette. But you could use exposure compensation to adjust the exposure (- if you want it darker, + to lighten it) if you don’t want to shoot in Manual Mode.

Children are taken in by the sea creatures and parents are captivated watching their kids. This silhouette photo happened quite naturally because the aquarium is really bright compared to the people in the foreground. You’ll notice some unfortunate ambient light reflecting on the glass near the manta ray’s tail. That could be easily removed in Photoshop – if you have those skills.

Light

Pay attention to the light in the water and you should be able to get some interesting photos. Especially look for backlight or sidelight.

I love backlighting so I positioned myself to get the huge lights in the frame. This gives the photo a dramatic deep sea feel, as though a submarine were coming along.

Another backlit photo. I was able to get right up to the glass to photograph this school of fish.

Editing Your Photos at Aquariums in Lightroom

When the chaos of the aquarium trip is over you can relax and sift through your photos. Choose the ones that you like the best and forget about the ones that didn’t turn out. Use a program like Lightroom to put the finishing touches on your photos.

My goal is to keep my photos looking as natural as possible. My main concerns are exposure, contrast, and clarity. However, I always want my photos to look the way the moments felt. So I don’t mind exaggerating colors or exposure if need be.

So considering your images, they’re your photos so you get to make the decisions.

The adjustments here, especially clarity, allowed the shark and the fish to pop a little more.

The most important adjustment made to this photos was the White Balance. I normally use Auto White Balance and the camera gets the color pretty close. But in this case, there is a strong green tint to the photo. There are all sorts of color casts in an aquarium which can make white balance tricky. Make sure you shoot raw so you can adjust it later.

This lobster was impressive for its size and gritty crusty look. I bumped up the clarity significantly in order to portray that in the photo.

Bring it Together

Whether you’re going alone, with a friend, or with your whole family, don’t fight the crowds and choose a quiet time to visit the aquarium. When you get there, take your time and get comfortable with your camera settings.

Once you have figured out how to get clear photos, get creative with angles and interesting light.

Relive the sights as you cull, edit and print your favorite shots. And before you visit an aquarium again review your last photos and plan to make the new batch even better.

The post How to Take Clear and Creative Photos at Aquariums appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
July 19, 2018
How to Create a Luminous Look for Your Photographs
Today let’s talk about one of the final processes of creating an artful image. Let’s talk about THE LOOK. This refers to the overall feeling your images projects to a viewer. This look is often created during post-production here in the digital age, or it can be created in camera. Either way, the final look and feel of your image are just as important as all the technical requirements that went into the initial exposure.

In this case, a soft focus was added in post-processing to help lighten the image.

There are lots of different looks that you can create with your images, everything from a bleached look to something with super rich colors. There’s also the hyper-realistic style where you process your work to create a gritty look. Today though we’re going to focus on the luminous look.

Defining the Luminous Look

To fully understand the luminous look lets start with a full understanding of the characteristics of a photograph that looks and feels luminous. Dictionary.com defines the word luminous in the following way:

Adjective
1. Radiating or reflecting light; shining; bright.
2. Lighted up or illuminated; well-lighted: the luminous ballroom.
3. Brilliant intellectually; enlightened or enlightening, as a writer or a writer’s works: a luminous concept; luminous prose.
This means one of the main focuses when creating a luminous photograph is to consider the feeling the light will create in the image.

Luminous could mean the image glows. This means it feels like the light seeps from the image out towards the viewer. The best way to achieve this look is to shoot towards the light source. The goal is to make the light central to the look and feel of the image.

You will notice that there are still dark areas that contrast with all of the light. This is important. The goal is not to wash out the image but to create that feeling of all-around soft bright light.

Glowing

Let’s study the following images to understand how one creates a glowing, luminous look and feel within a photograph. Below is the initial photograph, unprocessed. The RAW image was shot in a local forest. I was attracted to the soft light coming through the forest that illuminated this tiny spring flower.

This was shot at 1/80th, f/5.6, ISO 1000.

In post-processing, several elements were slightly adjusted. In the image below the highlights were enhanced and the exposure was raised a little. The tones were also warmed. All adjustments were completed in Lightroom. The goal was to make it feel as if the light permeated the scene with warmth.

After processing – notice how much lighter and airier the image is now.

The second image was edited using the Nik Efex software from Google. I love their analog looks. I chose a preset then made some adjustments to the image, controlling the brightness and the amount of vignette in the image. A matte feel was also added to this second version.

Processing using Nik Efex.

The essential concept when creating an image that has a luminous glowing feeling is to ensure that the light softly reaches all corners of the image.

Using Fog and Mist

Another way to create a luminous look is to take advantage of fog and mist. Photographs shot in their natural conditions won’t glow in the same way but the luminous look can be achieved when shooting in foggy conditions. The fog softens the view and can make the viewer feel as if the scene is still filled with light.

In the case of the image below, the fog and the mist completely obscured our view of the countryside. The entire top of the mountain, however, glowed with a diffused light. The 2km hike straight up the side of the mountain was still worth it for the ghostly quiet we experienced while standing on one of the highest peaks in Wales.

Pen-y-Fan is one of the highest mountains in Wales and the view from the top is supposed to be spectacular. Our grueling hike to the top did not reveal expansive views but rather this eerily silence. It was still worth the effort.

The Miky Look

A third way to create a luminous look is to process an image so that it feels milky in nature. These means that post-processing produces a softer feeling image that doesn’t necessarily contain brightness or dark contrasts but rather one that feels soft and light but muted.

Here’s the original unedited image. The soft muted colors and the fog are elements that will help to achieve the milky look. Strong contrasts and bright bold colors do not lend themselves to creating this style.

The deserted beaches around Borth, Wales were a perfect spot for shooting images with soft gentle tones.

To process the image and complete the milky look I used warmer tones, adjusted the vignette, and lightened the corners of the image. I used a faded film preset and gave the whole image a light greenish tone. Then, I adjusted the haze slider in Lightroom. I wanted the whole image to feel very light but also very soft.

Processed for a milky, almost retro look.

Using Lens Flare

One final technique to consider is the use of lens flare to help create images that look and feel luminous. Lens flare is one of my favorite techniques to use in experiments. I love the effect of so much light permeating the image and also the unique shapes created as the light refracts in your camera.

The following images are all floral in nature but the light is refracted in each image in different ways. In some cases, it’s the shape of the bokeh in other cases it’s lens flare.

Perhaps this image is more about the bokeh in the background. Beautiful circular spots of light softly illuminate the flower.

There wasn’t much editing that went into the photograph of the tulip above. A touch of vibrancy was added to heighten the colors and the exposure was adjusted slightly. The focus is also a little soft which helps lend itself to the soft bright feel of this image.

You might be able to classify this image as having a glowing look but the sunlight is obscured by the flowers and the majority of the image is not in sharp focus. The light and the shallow depth of field bring this flower image into the realm of luminous abstract.

Here is an example of the classic lens flare. This image, while the same subject matter as above, was processed with more blue tones and a different depth of field. The goal was to include that star-shaped flare of light.

The Look is About Creative Interpretation

Creating a look and feel for your images is an important part of the creative process. These days the majority of our efforts are focused on creating a look in post-processing. That doesn’t have to be the case, it is possible to create a look in camera as well.

The luminous look is just one of many different creative styles you can utilize in your work. Choosing a look is about deciding how you want the image to be presented to the viewer. It’s also about the message you wish to communicate. Finally, creating a look is about your artistic interpretation of a scene. Wanting to take something like a dreary rainy day and make it feel bright and airy is just as valid as capture the reality you see before you.

So it’s time to experiment with different looks. Give the luminous look a try and show off your best work in the comments below.

The post How to Create a Luminous Look for Your Photographs appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
July 19, 2018
5 Camera Bags That Every Travel Photographer Needs At Some Point
One of the great things about being a travel photographer is that you are almost always working outside. Sometimes this might be in a city and sometimes in the wilderness. Either way, one of the main attributes you will need is to be organized. This involves everything from research and planning, to your shot list and efficiency. It also includes being organized with your equipment and what you will need on a day to day basis.

There is a fine balance between carrying too much unnecessary equipment and what you actually will need. A vital part of carrying your equipment is choosing the right bag for the scenario you are going to be photographing. Not only are camera bags important in keeping your equipment safe and dry, but a good bag will also make it easier to carry equipment.

Especially when you will potentially be walking around all day. There are so many bags to choose from, so here are the five types of bags that you may need at some point.

#1 – Day Bag

A day bag is usually the first bag that most people would purchase. It will also be the bag that gets the most usage. So it’s vital that you take into account the different options available to fit your needs. Before you rush out and buy one, consider the following factors:
- Size – What will you generally be carrying day to day? Most travel photographers will carry a telephoto lens and possibly a couple of smaller lenses. You may also carry a flash as well as memory cards, batteries and possibly a second camera.
- Tripod – The first day bag that I ever purchased, didn’t have a way to attach and carry my tripod. I quickly realized how frustrating and tiring that was. Carrying a tripod means you are constantly having to put it down every time you want to take a photo. So when fleeting moments arrive you are not ready to snap away.
- Non-photography space – Another big consideration when purchasing a day bag is how much additional space you will have to carry non-photographic items. For example, can you carry a bottle of water? Or a rain jacket? Is there somewhere safe and hidden away that you can keep your keys, mobile phone or even cash?
- Accessibility – Would you really want to take everything out of your bag to get to those plasters right at the bottom? How quickly and easily you can access the various compartments of your bag is very important. For example, some bags will allow you to get your camera out from a side zipper without having to open the whole thing up.
- Comfort – As a travel photographer you will often be out walking for hours. Being able to carry your equipment comfortably can mean the difference between going back to the hotel because you’re uncomfortable and in pain or carrying on.
- Airline carry-on – Another consideration is whether your bag complies with the carry-on regulations of airlines. I always carry my camera equipment on the plane (I put my tripod in my suitcase) rather than check it in so have to make sure that my bag isn’t too big.
All of these are factors that need to be considered before purchasing a day bag. It’s taken me a few attempts to find the perfect day bag but my choice is the Lowepro ProTactic 450 camera bag.

It has plenty of storage for two cameras as well as a couple of other lenses and things like memory cards and batteries. It has a top zip, as shown below, that makes it easy to access my camera without needing to open the whole bag. I can also carry a large tripod attached to the bag as well.

#2 – Hiking Bag

While a day bag is great for everyday use, sometimes it’s simply not big enough. For those photographers who like to hike or camp overnight, then a day bag won’t be able to hold all of your camera equipment and additional things needed like a tent, food, and water.

So the next bag up from a day bag is a hiking bag. But again it’s important to consider the factors below before purchasing your hiking bag.
- Size – The first criteria for your hiking bag is the size that you will need. This will come down to what you are planning to photograph and the duration of your hike/trek. For example, if you are planning to camp overnight you will need space for a tent and sleeping bag. But if your hikes are one day ones then you could get away with something smaller. Factor in all the items you will need such as spare clothes, a first aid kit and even cooking utensils as well as your camera gear. Then find a bag to fit what you will be carrying.
- Water reservoir – This might seem like a trivial point when considering a bag, but being able to have a drink without having to take your bag off is incredibly useful. So one thing that I would always recommend is buying a bag that either comes with a water reservoir or one that you can fit one into. You don’t want to have to constantly stop and take your bag off every time you want to have a drink.
- Waterproof – Most outdoor bags these days will be somewhat shower proof, but some bags also come with a rain cover that you can place over the bag. These sometimes sit under the bag and can easily be accessed when you need them.
- Adjustable – On any long walk or hike, comfort is vital. So look for a bag that allows you to be able to adjust the straps to fit your posture. The best thing to do is to try out your given bag for a few hours with your equipment locally before setting out on your trip.
My personal choice for a hiking bag is the Lowepro Pro Trekker 650 AW camera backpack. As I rarely camp overnight, this bag is big enough to carry my camera equipment and any additional daily items. There is also a side pocket for a water reservoir (not included) and you can strap a large tripod to it as well.

Lowepro Pro Trekker 650 AW camera backpack

#3 – Sling Bag

There are times that even a day bag is too big and cumbersome to carry around. Sometimes all you need is a small bag to carry your camera and a few additional accessories. Sling bags are useful for this purpose and also because you can get things in and out without having to take your bag off.

There may also be occasions (i.e. in busy events) where you can keep your bag in front of you thus making it less inviting to pickpockets and thieves. You won’t be able to carry a lot of equipment or strap your tripod to it, but a good sling bag should still have plenty of room for what you need.

I pack my sling bag into my suitcase (it folds flat) and will use it on occasions when I don’t need to take a lot of equipment. For example, some museums or viewing platforms don’t allow backpacks whereas you’ll be okay with a sling bag.

My sling bag of choice is an older version of the Lowepro Passport Sling III camera bag. It’s surprisingly spacious for its size and I can fit my DSLR as well as a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens inside. It also has space for memory cards and batteries as well as outside pockets which are useful for things like a water bottle.

#4 – Toploader

These small camera bags are only big enough for one camera and one lens (if you want it for a telephoto lens make sure you purchase the bigger size). The real benefit of these bags are that you can keep your camera on your hip for easy access. So rather than having to take your bag off to pack or unpack your camera you can simply place in this bag as and when you need to.

I find that this is especially beneficial on long hikes or treks when I sometimes may not take a photo for long periods of time but I still have it on hand when a moment presents itself.

The less obvious benefit of these bags, which I realized recently, is when traveling by air. Airlines can be very picky about the weight of your checked-in luggage. So if you find that you are over the limit you can place some items from your luggage into this bag and take it onboard. For example, on a recent trip I was able to place the head from my tripod and few other small but heavy items into this bag and avoid paying the excess weight charge.

I take my Lowepro Toploader Pro 70 AW II camera case with me on every trip. If I can, I pack it in my suitcase and use it where necessary. If my suitcase is full, I put my camera in it and carry it onto the plane in addition to my day bag.

#5 – Hard Case

Another option to consider for traveling are hard cases. These are suitcases which are made of a tough material which is waterproof and dustproof. They are especially designed for transporting camera equipment.

The benefit of these cases is that your equipment will be safe inside from damage. But they are generally only useful for transportation rather than day to day use. Some of the latest models are designed with a camera backpack inside which allows you to wear it like a traditional day bag. But having tested one a while ago, they are not as comfortable as the traditional day bags.

Personally I have never found a need for one to date as I carry all my equipment in my backpack. But if you are going to be traveling to harsh conditions or face the likelihood of your equipment getting wet than it would be worth investing in a hard case.

Summary

Camera bags might not be the first accessory that comes to mind when building your photography equipment inventory, but they are incredibly important. Not only will they keep your equipment safe, but they might stop you from being uncomfortable or even in pain because of the weight you are carrying.

The important thing is to not rush out and buy all of the above at once. Over the years as the need arises, you can invest in a new bag. So, think carefully about what you need and do some research into the different types of bags available.

What camera bags do you have or find useful? Please share your recommendations below.

The post 5 Camera Bags That Every Travel Photographer Needs At Some Point appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
July 18, 2018