360Photography

Category: Photography

  • Tips for Learning How to See the Light and Take Better Photos

    Your camera can’t see the light and tones as well as you can. Cameras have not yet been developed to a stage where they can record a tonal range in a single, unmanipulated image as broad as you can see with your eyes.

    Portrait of a senior woman being made by a photographer - Tips for Learning How to See the Light and Take Better Photos

    Our brains are constantly evaluating the light and making adjustments dynamically so you get to see far more detail in the brightest and darkest areas of whatever you are looking at, as well as in the mid-tones. Understanding this difference between what you see and what your camera records will help you to become a more creative photographer, (and save you time post-processing your photos.)

    Different Types of Light

    Basically light can be hard or soft, direct or diffused. Direct light, usually from a relatively small light source, creates a hard-edged shadow, like on a sunny day. Light that is diffused, like you experience when the sun is behind a cloud, makes soft shadows or virtually no shadows at all.

    Woman selling fresh fruit at a market in Chiang Mai - Tips for Learning How to See the Light and Take Better Photos

    Hard light – characterized by high contrast, hard edges, and lots of texture and detail.

    Unloading produce at a market in Chiang Mai, Tips for Learning How to See the Light and Take Better Photos

    Soft light is characterized by gentle or no shadows, lower contrast, and less texture and detail.

    Light will have various other qualities as well depending on the time of day, season, atmospheric conditions, and geographic location. Light can be warm and have a golden tone, mostly in the mornings and evenings. It can also be cold and have a bluish tone, often in city streets where buildings block the sun or on heavily overcast days.

    Different Tonal Ranges

    Typically with soft light, you have a narrower tonal range (lower contrast). In conditions with soft light, your camera will be more capable of producing images with detail in the shadows and also the highlights, if you expose your photos well.

    Tricycle Taxi Rider in Chiang Mai, Tips for Learning How to See the Light and Take Better Photos

    Soft Light

    With hard light, the tonal range between the brightest and darkest parts of an image can be far more extreme. Your camera may not be capable of recording detail in the highlights and in the darkest parts of your image, in a single frame (I am not concerned with HDR or other manipulations here).

    Street scene in Thailand with tricycle taxis and traffic - Tips for Learning How to See the Light and Take Better Photos

    Hard Light

    As you learn to see light and understand the type of light in which you are photographing, you will get a feel for it and become more creative and more precise technically with your photography.

    Using Light to Fit the Mood

    If you want to create a gentle portrait with soft, relaxing tones you will not just need your subject to be in the right mood, but you will need the lighting to fit with the mood as well. A soft, diffused light will help you reach your goal whereas trying to create this style of portrait outdoors in the middle of a bright sunny day will be far more difficult.

    Portrait of a young Kayan girl - Tips for Learning How to See the Light and Take Better Photos

    Soft light here allows for detail in all areas of the image and for a flattering portrait of the girl.

    Sometimes working with soft light can be challenging if it is just too flat and dull and offers very little tonal range in your subject. In these situations, I will look to add some alternative light source from a flash or reflector to add a more dynamic look to my photos.

    Hard light can make for more dramatic pictures. Using the contrast range so parts of your composition are isolated, either because they are too bright or too dark for your camera to record, is often an effective method towards producing more creative photographs.

    Close up of a Hmong woman hand sewing - Tips for Learning How to See the Light and Take Better Photos

    The hard light here highlights the hands making the background completely black.

    Carefully Control Your Exposures

    Taking control of your exposure so you are only rendering the detail in the highlights and allowing the shadow areas to show little or no detail, is a great technique to learn. Alternatively, in hard light situations, you can set your exposure for the dark areas of your composition and you will lose detail in the highlights.

    Photographers who are more technically oriented and believe you must have an evenly exposed image with no loss of detail may struggle with this concept.

    Buddhist monks walking in the morning, Tips for Learning How to See the Light and Take Better Photos

    When you have a concept for a photograph (or series of photographs) you want to make, creating the photos in the best lighting will have a significant impact on your results. Choosing the optimum lighting to create the feeling you want to capture in your photo brings a greater depth to your pictures and more feeling of connection with those who view them.

    Concerning yourself primarily with technical details will not have the same effect in many cases.

    Getting Creative With Light

    Lighting can be a bit of a dilemma if it does not fit the mood or scenario you are wanting to photograph. Pushing yourself to create interesting, captivating images even when you are faced with adverse lighting conditions is a great challenge to embrace and will help you grow as a photographer.

    Street festival in Mae Hong Son - Tips for Learning How to See the Light and Take Better Photos

    I used some off-camera flash here because the ambient light was very flat.

    Pay attention to the light wherever you are, even if you don’t have a camera with you, just see light. Think about it. Consider the qualities of light and how they will affect the photos you take.

    Will the light help you or hinder you in creating the style of photographs you want to make?

    Buddhist monk lighting a candle taken during a Chiang Mai Photo Workshop

    Learn to See Light

    If the light is not right for what you want to achieve in your photos you will need to make changes by adding light, from a flash or reflector or another additional light source. Sometimes even just changing your point of view in relation to your subject will have a significant influence on the mood and look of the lighting. For example, using backlighting instead of front or side lighting.

    The more you can learn to see the light and understand how it will affect your images, the more creative you can become with your camera. There are some additional tips in the video below to help you see the light.

    The post Tips for Learning How to See the Light and Take Better Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School.


    Digital Photography School

  • 10 Tips for Photographing Street Markets

    There are very few places in the world that provide the kind of visual stimulation, human interactions, and heightened sensory excitement like as street markets. No matter the size or what the market is about, there is bound to be some interesting things to photograph and experience.

    I love going to street markets and farmers markets for several reasons – it seems to be the place where most locals hang out, food and shopping are quite fun and unique and it is a great place to taste local foods.

    Tips for photographing street markets

    Here are some tips to make the most out of photographing street markets or farmers markets.

    #1 Redefine interesting

    Gorgeous flowers and yummy fruit are always interesting subjects to photograph but if these are not available, don’t walk away. People interactions, fishmongers and other nicknacks are just as interesting.

    Tips for photographing street markets - mushrooms

    #2 Include human elements

    I’ve encountered some really interesting people every time I have visited a street market – artists, artisans, creatives, as well as small-time bakers. It always helps to be friendly and ask permission before snapping a photo. Most people are really nice and willing but be respectful and ask first. And respect a “No” when you hear it and move on.

    Tips for photographing street markets - shop stall

    #3 Variety in your shots

    Add variety to your photos to give them a sense of place, people, and activity. Remember wide angle photos can help you set the scene, but you might miss some details.

    Zooming in on your subjects will give a chance to focus on the details – color, shape, and texture. To effectively tell a story make sure you have a good variety of both in your photo portfolio.

    Tips for photographing street markets - street market in India

    Tips for photographing street markets - fruit in cups for sale

    #4 Explore and plan

    Just like any photo excursion or trip, take the time to research and explore the areas prior to visiting them. Look at guidebooks, online forums or even ask your friends or people on the street – chances are that markets which the locals frequent aren’t going to be that obvious.

    The best resource might actually be the people on the street. If the market is really huge, do some preliminary research to find the most interesting stalls and map out your route so you can make the most of your time there.

    Tips for photographing street markets - man selling noodles

    #5 Master your tools

    Notice that I did not say, “master your craft”. Instead, I said, “master your tools”. In a fast paced environment like a street market, something interesting is constantly happening. Now is not the time to muddle with your camera, adjusting settings and experimenting.

    Learn where all the buttons and knobs are and how to use them for what you want to create. Markets can present real challenges with lighting. You might be shooting outdoors, indoors or both within a span of a few minutes.

    Tips for photographing street markets - man painting

    #6 Buy something

    A small purchase goes a long way toward making friends with vendors. Buy something first if possible. Establish rapport and then ask permission to take a picture. You will find your subjects more relaxed and they will to pose for you rather than doing it with an attitude of entitlement.

    Tips for photographing street markets - market vendors

    #7 Choose the right gear

    Considering that most street markets are out on the street and typically span a few blocks, chances are that you will be walking around a fair bit. So you don’t want to be carrying around a ton of gear because it is slowly going to get heavy and cumbersome.

    Additionally, if you end up buying things, you will add more to the weight factor. Personally, I prefer using a zoom lens in situations like this. Or a couple of standard prime lens like the versatile 50mm or the wide 35mm. There might not be too much opportunity to switch lenses on the fly so be deliberate with what you bring along.

    Tips for photographing street markets

    #8 Gear settings

    When arriving at a market, one of the first things you’ll notice is that they’re usually covered or indoors. This means that you will likely be photographing in low light situations. Don’t be afraid to increase your ISO here. Photographing street markets often times is best done from a documentary approach so a little grain/noise in terms of high ISO is not going to be the end of the world.

    Another thing to keep in mind is lighting. Chances are you are going to be dealing with a variety of lighting situations – sunlight, tungsten, and low light. Perhaps to make life a little easier, switch to Auto White Balance mode on your camera. That way you have one less thing to worry about and can always adjust the White Balance in post-production.

    NOTE: You can also try Auto ISO. Read more about that here. 

    Tips for photographing street markets - fruit stalls

    #9 Composition

    Try to photograph either wide-angle or close-ups. The reason behind this is because you want your images to look intentional and without many distractions.

    Also try and get shots from different angles – high up, low down or even photographing from the hip. Changing your perspective is an easy way to really create variety in your pictures.

    Tips for photographing street markets - carts

    Tips for photographing street markets

    #10 Be aware of your surroundings and stay safe

    Street markets tend to be crowded places. A photographer with some expensive gear and a fancy backpack stands out like a sore thumb. Make sure to keep an eye on your gear at all times. Keep valuables close to your person. Wallets, smartphones, etc., should be securely packed away and not at all conspicuous.

    I hope these ten tips for photographing street markets were helpful for you. If you have other tips that have worked really well for you, do share with us in the comments section below.

    The post 10 Tips for Photographing Street Markets appeared first on Digital Photography School.


    Digital Photography School

  • Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

    In this article, you will get 10 photo story ideas to help you connect with and tell the story your community including; bus stops, your community garden, and the grocery store.

    Finding a unique and extraordinary scene to photograph can take a lot of energy. Thanks to the internet, you’re bombarded daily with exotic scenes caught on camera from all around the world and suddenly your own community or neighborhood feels commonplace by comparison.

    What we often forget is that magic happens in our own backyards. What feels mundane to you, can be fascinating to people from other regions, countries, and cultures (and looking back from future decades).

    Animal - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

    To get that magic working in photographs of your community, tell a clear story with a mix of long shots, mid shots, close-ups, and extreme close-ups. You’ve already overcome the first hurdles. You know what the light is like and probably have an idea of some settings to use. Chances are, you speak the language and understand the culture.

    You know the best place to pick up a coffee, and what time the trains, boats, or sheep go past each day. With technical and communication issues sorted before you begin, you can work on breaking some (photographic) rules. Push your creativity by experimenting with composition, framing, and movement to further convey the vibe of your neighborhood.

    Need some inspiration? Here are my top ten subjects to help tell the story of your neighborhood:

    1. Bus Stop Narratives

    Bus stops speak volumes about the neighborhood. Whether your closest one is posh or plain, busy or quiet – there’s always something there to photograph.

    If the bus stop is a building, look for strong lines and shapes. If it’s busy, experiment with different shutter speeds to show the movement of vehicles and people. Perhaps it’s just a seldom-used seat overgrown with weeds.

    Use wide angle shots to convey a feeling of space and emptiness as the light fades at the end of the day. Get friends or family to pose to provide context and scale to the scene.

    Bus stop Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

    2. Animal Life

    For some, photographing animals in their neighborhood means capturing images of local domestic pets, or common birds. For others, it means finding larger, scarier animals (the rest of us are jealous).

    Even the common sparrow can be a beautiful subject to photograph, and it can help tell the story of your community. Get familiar with where local wildlife (or pets) hang out, and the times they show up. Take snacks and water for yourself, and a good zoom lens if possible.

    Using a fast shutter speed is ideal for photographing animals but reduces the amount of light entering the camera, so you might need to increase your ISO to compensate. Try a shallow depth of field for slow animals, and greater depth of field for the less predictable species.

    Animal - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

    3. Found Neighborhood Alphabet

    This subject is super fun and easy to get a bit obsessed over. The idea is to find an alphabet made entirely of shapes and forms, but not actual letters. You might come across twigs making the shape of an E, a roofline that looks like a V, or stonework in the shape of a J. This makes you look at details in quite a different way and is a great exercise for your brain.

    There’s a catch to this – you actually have 27 photographs to make. The 27th is the ampersand, which is the “&” shape (and not particularly easy to find)!


    4. The Grocery Store

    People have a love/hate relationship with grocery stores. It might be a place you associate with stress and fatigue . . . but also with ice cream! All that shelving and stacking provides fantastic lines, repetitive patterns, and colors.

    Perhaps your neighborhood store is small and full of old character, or it might feel vast with plenty of reflective surfaces and wide aisles. Keep an eye on your White Balance setting, as it might need some adjustment with fluorescent lighting.

    As with photographing any business, talk with the management first about your project, and be prepared to share your results with them.

    Grocery - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

    Grocery - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

    5. Signage

    Signs come in all shapes and forms and have a wide range of purposes. Street signs, shop signs, road works signs, lost cat signs, temporary signs – they all tell a unique narrative of your neighborhood.

    While the graphic design of some signage can be beautiful in itself, try photographing signs with some of the surroundings in the frame. Look for groups of signs, clever signs, and signage that evoke emotions. You don’t have to include the whole sign in your frame – perhaps pick out specific words or colors that have meaning.

    Combined, a series of signage photographs can tell a story figuratively or literally.

    Signage - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

    Signage - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

    6. A Year of a Community Garden

    If you’re lucky enough to live near a community garden, you’ve got a fantastic year-long photographic project ready to start. Talk with the garden organizers about access and the best times to photograph gardeners in action. Return regularly to capture the changing colors and textures.

    The photographs don’t have to all be pretty. Use a macro or zoom lens to photograph the decomposition and composting processes. Take a small ladder to photograph garden patterns from a fresh viewpoint. If it’s surrounded by buildings, celebrate the contrast of colors and shapes that the garden provides.

    Garden - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

    7. Ground-Level Series

    A lot goes on at ground level, regardless of what type of environment you live in. In our day-to-day lives, we scurry on by without noticing the details at our feet. At ground level, your neighborhood might be full of sand dunes, grasses, and bare feet. Or maybe you’re surrounded by fences, road markings, and running shoes.

    Try shooting from a standing position using a bird’s eye view angle, or you can sit or even lie down so that you’re at the same level as the subject.

    Hot tip: Take a small mat or tarpaulin to lie down on and make sure you aren’t a tripping hazard!

    Ground Level - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

    8. Street Art Story

    My favorite subject to photograph is street art. I love documenting other people’s creativity – particularly if it’s temporary artwork that is scheduled to be covered up or torn down. Every town and city has their own unique art vibe.

    If you live in a community with lots of street sculptures and paintings, find out the stories behind them. Photograph their relationship with the surrounding buildings at different times of the day. Capture people interacting with the artwork, and include some of the environment around it by using different angles.

    Street Art - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

    9. Demolition Documentary

    This won’t work for all neighborhoods, but you might live in an area where there are lots of physical changes happening. Buildings coming up and going down are fantastic to photograph. Apart from the changing lines, shapes, and angles, this is a cool way to document an interesting moment in time for your community.

    By using a shallow depth of field and/or by getting close-up to safety fencing, you may be able to get a clear shot of the subject without the fence getting in the way.

    If there’s an authorized opportunity to get onto a building or demolition site – grab it! Follow health and safety guidelines at all times, and get to know people at the site so you get a heads-up of upcoming activity to photograph.

    Demo - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

    Demo - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

    10. Doorways

    If you have great neighbors who you’re on good terms with, have a go at photographing a doorway series. The good thing about this theme is that you can stick with one lens and work to easily measurable straight-lines.

    Places of worship and heritage buildings can have beautiful doorway architecture, but don’t underestimate the aesthetics of barn doors and slick city business entrances.

    Hot tips: Photograph the doorways closed and avoid private properties unless you have permission. Watch out for reflections in glass or polished surfaces. You might need to use the distortion or upright tools in your post-production software to make sure the lines are nice and straight.

    Door - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

    Conclusion

    Exploring your neighborhood with your camera is a great way to get back to the basics of photography. You can make mistakes and test out new techniques without feeling like you’re wasting time and money. It compels you to find beauty and diversity in everyday objects and push the boundaries of your creativity close to home.

    The post Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood appeared first on Digital Photography School.


    Digital Photography School

  • How to Add or Remove a Vignette Using Lightroom

    You have likely seen photos on the internet which are well-exposed at the center, but the brightness starts reducing towards the edges. If you are not familiar with the name of this effect, it is called an edge vignette or image vignetting.

    Interestingly, a vignette is an effect which occurs naturally but can also be achieved intentionally during the post-processing stage. Not everyone likes the vignetting effect in their photos, for some, it is a useful technique and for others, it is a disaster. Honestly, a well-done vignette can help draw viewer’s attention towards the subject placed in the center. You can use it to your benefit if you are a portrait, wildlife, or a wedding photographer.

    How to Add or Remove a Vignette in Adobe Lightroom

    But vignetting could also make your photos unappealing if you are a landscape, interior, or commercial photographer, as you would not want the edges of your photos to be too dark.

    Causes of Vignetting

    There are multiple reasons why the vignetting effect gets applied to your photos when using a digital camera. One of the main causes of vignetting is the use of wide aperture openings such as f/1.4 or f/1.8. But if you increase the aperture value by 2-3 stops, you can easily eliminate the vignetting effect in your photo.

    Another cause of vignetting could be the use of a longer focal length, but as you go wider the effect starts getting less visible. Some low-end lenses are also more likely to have an edge vignette than their more expensive counterparts.

    Using multiple lens filters or mounting low-quality lens filters can also result in strong vignetting, as they can block the amount of light entering through the lens from various angles. Did you know that even a third-party lens hood can result in a vignette? So make sure you buy the correct hood compatible with your lens to avoid any vignetting in your photos.

    How to remove a Vignette using Lightroom

    If your camera has captured a photo with the vignette effect due to one of the reasons mentioned above, you can easily remove it using Adobe Lightroom. This method is very impressive and the first time I used this feature in Lightroom I was happy with the fact that I can get rid of vignetting anytime I wish in the post-processing stage.

    NOTE: You can use this technique of removing vignetting only if you are processing RAW files in Lightroom.

    How to Add or Remove a Vignette in Adobe Lightroom

    RAW file with a slight edge vignette captured in-camera.

    How to Add or Remove a Vignette in Adobe Lightroom

    Vignetting removed using “Enable Profile Corrections”.

    As you can see in the screenshots above, the RAW format file had a hard vignette as this photo was shot using 50mm lens at f/1.8. In the second image, the vignetting has almost been removed with the help of one of the Adobe Lightroom’s handy features called “Enable Profile Corrections”.

    This feature automatically detects the lens make, model, and profile, if it is available in the Adobe database. Lightroom has the lens profiles of almost every manufacturer, except for a few such as Samyang. This magical feature then corrects the vignette as well as distortion in your photo automatically. You can manually adjust them as well using the sliders. Isn’t that cool!?

    To access this feature in Lightroom, you must be in the Develop module and the Enable Profile Corrections checkbox can be found under Lens Corrections tab on the right-hand side panel.

    With just a click you can remove vignetting from your photo with Lightroom. Just make sure you are using the RAW format file only as this feature is not applicable for JPEGs.

    How to add a Vignette with Lightroom

    1) Using the Post-Crop Vignetting Feature

    How to Add or Remove a Vignette in Adobe Lightroom

    One of the easiest ways of adding a vignette to a photo is by using the Post-Crop Vignetting feature in Lightroom. You can find this tool located under the Effects drop-down menu. To keep it simple, you can start with moving the Amount slider towards the left (a negative number) in order to add the vignetting effect. Then you can adjust the Midpoint slider to define the spread of vignetting effect in the photo as per your desire.

    The Roundness slider further allows you to define the shape of the vignette on the photo and the feather slider lets you define the falloff or how gradually it fades to the edges. The Highlights slider allows you to retain the highlights from the parts of the photo where you have applied the vignetting effect.

    The only limitation of this approach is that you can not adjust the placement of the area where the vignetting effect starts. It only gets applied from the edges of the image moving towards the center (the vignette is centered).

    2) Using the Radial Filter

    How to Add or Remove a Vignette in Adobe Lightroom

    The best thing about using the Radial Filter to add a vignette is that unlike the post-crop vignetting tool, you can change the position of the area where the effect gets applied. This means that you can select a particular area which remains unchanged as shown in the image above, and the vignette effect can be applied to the rest of the image.

    As you can see in the image above, the Radial Filter tool gives you the freedom to play with much more diverse adjustments such as White Balance, Shadows, and Clarity. To start with you need to click and drag to select the area outside which you wish to apply the vignetting effect. Once that’s done you then can get started by adjusting the sliders.

    Initially, you will have to bring down the exposure to darken the area selected, then you can play with the sliders to get the desired result.

    Conclusion

    Do you have any other alternatives for adding or removing vignettes in your images? Feel free to share them in the comment section below.

    The post How to Add or Remove a Vignette Using Lightroom appeared first on Digital Photography School.


    Digital Photography School

  • New dSP Course: How to Shoot Landscapes & Nature Like a Pro

    Would you like to learn how a professional landscape photographer composes stunning landscape shots.

    Aussie Photographer Johny Spencer has shot and edited 10’s of 1000’s of landscape photos as part of his career as a professional landscape and nature photographer for the National Parks Service.

    And he’s partnered dPS to create our latest course, shot in HD video – it’s called Landscapes & Nature Like a Pro.

    You’ll take a journey with Johny from his studio to the great Aussie outback where you’ll learn how to:

    • Take long exposure shots for that beautiful silky affect with water
    • Photograph nature up close with macro focusing
    • Compose detailed landscape shots even when the light isn’t ideal
    • Shoot in the forest with dappled light
    • Create amazing panoramas
    • Use water to create stunning reflection images
    • And how to shoot sand dunes, seascapes and wildlife

    You’ll get an over the shoulder experience riding along with Johny as he shoots breathtaking scenes on location, then show you all his tips for editing in Lightroom back in the studio.

    Here’s Johny Spencer to tell you a little more about the course:

    2 Weeks Only: Special Launch Bonuses and Discount

    All up there’s over 4 hours of landscape & nature photography training that you can consume at your own pace… as well as two special launch bonuses:

  • Lightroom Preset Pack – worth $ 40
  • 60 Day Community Access (case studies, assignments and photo critiques) – worth $ 40

    • Best of all – to celebrate the release of this brand new course we’re not only offering these launch bonuses but you can also pick it up at 30% off the normal price.

    Hurry this special course launch offering is only available for 2 weeks.

    Check out the some of Johny’s amazing photos and the full course description here.

    Guaranteed to Improve Your Landscape Photography

    As with all of our courses, eBooks and presets this course comes with a 30 day money back guarantee, so if you do access the course and decide it’s not for you, we’ll refund you – no questions asked.

    The post New dSP Course: How to Shoot Landscapes & Nature Like a Pro appeared first on Digital Photography School.


    Digital Photography School

  • How to Make Fake Shallow Depth of Field Using Photoshop

    Do you see your photo and wish the subject stood out a bit more? Does your photo look somewhat flat? Or maybe the background has people or objects that are unappealing? All of these can be fixed with one simple thing: a shallow depth of field.

    In this tutorial, you will learn how to achieve this in post-production using Photoshop.

    Fake Depth of field tutorial

    Let’s start by clarifying that depth of field is the area of your photograph that is in focus, it’s also called focus range. There are three factors that affect your depth of field.

    First is the aperture or f-number. The smaller the number, the smaller the focal range and vice versa, so f/5.6 will have a shallower depth of field than f/22. The second and third factors are very linked together; the focal length and the distance to the subject.

    If you are using a telephoto lens and you can, therefore, stand farther from the subject you’ll have a shallower depth of field than standing closer with a wide-angle lens. You can learn more about this relationship and its effect on depth of field in my previous tutorial, How to Use Still-life Subjects to Understand Focal Lengths.

    However, if you didn’t manage to set up these things when you were shooting, or you still need more (blur in the background) you can also fake the effect of shallow depth of field in post-production. Here are two techniques to do it using Photoshop.

    Technique #1 – When the subject and the background are separated

    Before Focus Range Fake Depth of Field Tutorial

    Before image example.

    With your image already opened in Photoshop, start by duplicating the layer by going to Menu > Layer > Duplicate Layer, then make the canvas bigger. You can do this by going to Menu > Image > Canvas Size.

    It doesn’t matter the size of the canvas or the direction because you’ll be cropping it later. However, it’s important that there’s enough room for your main subject to be dragged into it on the next step.

    Duplicate Layer Canvas Size Blur Background Tutorial

    Then select your subject. It doesn’t have to be precise so you can simply use the Lasso tool and draw a selection around it. Now change to the Content-Aware Move tool which you’ll find hidden behind the Healing Brush on the tools panel. Next, drag your selection out of the image into the empty canvas size that you created before.

    Content Aware Move Tool Blur Background Tutorial

    Once you drag it out, Photoshop’s algorithm will fill the space you’re leaving empty with the information from the surrounding area. If you skip this step and blur the background with the subject still on it, the colors will spill out so it’s important that you do this part.

    Drag Content Aware Move Tool Blur Background Tutorial

    Now you can crop out the extra background, including the subject you dragged out and change the canvas back to its original size. Your background is now ready for you to blur it. Go to Menu > Filter > Blur > Field Blur. When the blur applies, a wheel appears in the center with a percentage on how strong the blur is. Adjust it to your liking.

    Field Blur Filter Fake DepthofField Tutorial

    With this blurred layer still selected, add a layer mask to it by clicking on the button that looks like a rectangle with a circle in the middle on the bottom of the Layers Panel. Then paint on the mask with a black brush, over the subject you want to keep sharp from the original image.

    Layer Mask Fake DepthofField Tutorial

    The part that you painted black is now transparent so the layer beneath it, which is your original image will be visible. Finally just flatten your image and you’re done!

    After Focus Range Fake Depth of Field Tutorial jpg

    Technique #2 – When the objects are closer together

    The technique you just learned is very useful if your subject is separated from the background, but what happens if you want a shallower depth of field because the objects are closer together? Or because it’s the same subject but you only want a part of it in focus?

    In these cases, you need to create an effect that is graduated (fades from one end to the other). To do this here is another technique.

    Before Shallow Depth of Field Tutorial

    First of all, you need to duplicate the layer by going to Menu > Layer > Duplicate Layer like you did in the previous example, or use the shortcut by dragging the background layer into the Duplicate layer button on the bottom of the panel (or hit Ctrl/Cmd+J).

    Then apply a Layer Mask to the new layer by clicking on the mask icon. Inside the mask, you will use the Gradient tool to mark where you want the sharp areas. In this case, I used the circular one but you can use a linear one or whichever is best for your image. I turned off the background layer so you see what I mean.

    Grading Layer Mask Fake DepthofField Tutorial

    Now go to Menu > Filters > Blur > Lens Blur and a new window will pop-up. Here you’ll see your image with the filter applied and a panel for adjustments on the right side.

    Lens Blur Filter Fake Depth of Field Tutorial

    It’s important that you set Layer Mask as the source, that way the gradient selection that you did before is what will determine how the filter gets applied.

    Once you do that, the Blur Focal Distance slider will be enabled and you can start adjusting it to your liking. I also adjusted the radius and blade curvature, but you should move all the settings to get a feeling for the effects until you’re satisfied.

    Finishing up

    Hit OK to apply and flatten the image to finalize the result. That’s it!

    Remember that every image will need a different treatment to look realistic because there are many things that determine the depth of field so keep experimenting and show us the results in the comments section.

    The post How to Make Fake Shallow Depth of Field Using Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School.


    Digital Photography School

  • Choosing the Right Camera Bag for Outdoor and Wildlife Photography

    Choosing a camera bag as a photographer can seem like a never-ending task, with no single model ever seeming to fit perfectly for all types of occasions. As wildlife and nature photographers, we are outdoor people. So predominately a backpack certainly makes the most sense in terms of getting our gear to the location, in a safe and comfortable manner, while also freeing up our hands for shooting or negotiating tough terrain.

    Of course, a decent bag is essential when carrying and transporting heavy and expensive equipment. Protection is a key consideration, not only for the expensive gear, of course, but also for your back! Poorly designed packs that lack adequate padding and harnesses can be real torture on a long hike. If fitted wrong, long term that can manifest as back problems, something none of us want to increase our risks of getting. So picking a good camera bag is certainly worth spending some time on.

    Wildlife photography camera bag

    Load Capacity

    One of the first questions you need to ask yourself when choosing a camera bag or backpack is about the load capacity. How much photographic gear will you take, how much personal stuff do you need, do you need a laptop, or other items as well as your main kit? These are all considerations to think about.

    Camera bag layout 24 wildlife

    A good way to gauge the size of bag that you need is to lay out your camera gear as if it is going to be in a bag.How would you like it to fit, what cameras would you want to kit up in which combinations? Laid out on the floor, it will give you a good representation of the size of camera bag you’re going to require and what sort of size main compartment you’ll be in need of to house your core gear.

    If you use long telephoto prime lenses, often you’ll find you need the largest of packs in order to fit them all. Especially if carrying additional lenses and back up bodies is something you require.

    Strong durable materials

    Strong durable materials.

    Customize the Inside

    Of course, for those of us who work with a variety of kits, from large lenses to smaller landscape packs, customization is also a factor. If a bag is solely focused on telephoto shooting, and maximizing on camera gear, it can seem cumbersome on days when you only require a single camera and pair of short lenses. To handle this issue, bags that have flexible inserts can be a great feature. They have the ability to swap out camera gear for personal gear, or just strip down the bag for a smaller load.

    Internal dividers help organization - camera bag

    In regards to the internal compartment’s design, most camera bags offer movable, custom dividers. These allow you to make sections within the main pack for housing and organizing your gear while protecting it from knocking and banging around while in transit.

    In some models, the dividers are thinner to maximize gear space, with others offering more protection. However, I often find that due to the fact most companies use a velcro system (hook and loop) for repositioning the dividers, you can mix and match to get that perfect setup across bags. Yes, this is because you’ll probably end up buying a few camera bags.

    Padded inserts camera bag

    Travel-Friendly

    In addition to simply considering the capacity of a new camera bag for your gear, it’s also important to consider the size for travel. If you’re planning to use the pack when flying, be sure to check that it falls within the airline’s maximum allowance for carry-on luggage. There’s nothing worse than potentially having your bag gate checked because it’s too large.

    Companies such as ThinkTank have a range of options for those who fly regularly, but for wildlife photographers, they are less practical for field work, once at your destination.

    Another great option from the F-stop range of packs is removable inserts which then allow you to check the main bag, taking out the photography gear within the insert and safely storing it on board. A great best of both worlds solution. However, in my experience, camera bags with a noted reference to airline carry-on compatibility are rarely a problem.

    Side access camera bag

    Wildlife photography camera bags 22

    Harness System

    The carrying system is one area I can’t stress the importance of enough. When you are carrying heavy loads (my pack can often be over 20kg / 44lbs) having a comfortable and supportive back system is key to aiding in comfort and protecting your back!

    With heavy loads, a padded waist belt is a must. When carrying a fully loaded kit, you’ll want the weight to be taken by your hips and not your shoulders. Waist belts can range in padding from thick to thin, with the former being great for longer hikes and heavy loads. However, the latter is better when traveling and pushing your bag into an overhead locker on a flight.

    Good systems will have a strong buckle. Some even feature pockets on the waist belt that are handy for fast-access gear, such as a compact camera, trail snack, or a spare battery.

    In regards to the shoulder straps, padding is less of a problem as long as they fit well (as the weight should be taken by the hips). Personally, I find straps that are too wide with too much padding uncomfortable. So I prefer the thinner, hiking-style designs of the more outdoor geared packs.

    Companies such as F-Stop and LowePro offer good options. However, they are still not up to the perfection of true outdoor packs such as Osprey. In addition, some packs offer the customization of the back length. That is key to getting a perfect fit, adjustable heights in the back system means less stress pulling over the shoulders, again reducing fatigue on the trail.

    If you hike a long way, these added features really make a difference. When testing the harness systems you’ll need to do it in person. So take your gear to your local camera store, load the bag up with weight, and get it fitted properly. Adjust the length of the back (if you can) to your height, so the waist belt is just above your hips and the shoulder straps come neatly over without pulling upwards, keeping tight, but not strained to your frame. Adjusting the sternum strap will keep them in position and aid in fit.

    Extras

    Pockets for accessories

    In addition to the main compartment and harness, there are also a number of extra features to look out for.

    Rain Cover

    Rain covers are great for working in the elements as they add extra protection, from rain dust and sand, as well as also being handy to pull out and use as a dry/clean place to set your bag down on the ground. I prefer the type that is sewn into the pack, as they are less likely to be lost or forgotten and also are always there when you need them!

    Camera bag rain cover

    Outer Pockets

    Of course, in addition to camera gear, we photographers also need personal supplies. External pockets are important for additions like spare layers, coats, as well as food and water to keep us going.

    Personal storage

    Tripod Carrier

    Of course, you most likely haul a tripod on location, so having a decent attachment system on your pack is extremely handy for carrying your three-legged friends any extended distances. Lots of packs have options to carry a tripod on the side or back of the bag, depending on your preference. Having this ability to free up your hands when hiking is brilliant.

    Laptop Sleeve

    If you work on your laptop or travel a lot, a compartment to store or protect a laptop is an important addition for when you’re on the road. Some bags include padded sections designed for a laptop at the front or rear of the bag. Those that have them close to the harness area can make bags seem stiff and uncomfortable for any length of hiking, so are best used only when getting through an airport.

    Hydration Pack Compatibility

    For an extended hike, a hydration bladder is extremely handy for re-hydrating on the go. Packs that feature sleeves to keep the bladders separate often have them water sealed to help protect your gear from leaks. However, I always place mine in an additional dry bag for added precaution.

    Custom Bags

    Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you just can’t find the perfect camera bag or one that suits your style, needs and fit. In that case, another option to think about is that of customizing a regular bag for use with cameras.

    Take a well-designed hiking bag with many of the features you need (good harness, lightweight, the right size, and ruggedness) and team it up with a way pod protecting your camera gear inside. This could be through the use of an insert, such as those made by F-stop bags or Tenba, or through the use of simply wrapping gear individually in padded camera wraps, to store your gear safely.

    This is a super option for when you want a high volume of personal gear for hiking, traveling, and exploring but still want to carry a DSLR with a number of lenses safely. I’d also recommend looking into a small organizer case as well for organizing any miscellaneous items such as batteries and memory cards.

    Custom bag

    Conclusion

    Overall, choosing a camera bag for wildlife photography can be tough. With so many options and requirements, in many ways, there will never be one perfect bag. However, by working through the list above, deciding on your most important and specific needs, you’ll certainly find a great option. One that suits you and keeps your gear safe on location for all your photography adventures.

    A backpack is a simple essential for wildlife and nature photography. Spending time to make the right decision choosing a camera bag will be something you’ll certainly be glad you made the effort to do!

    The post Choosing the Right Camera Bag for Outdoor and Wildlife Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School.


    Digital Photography School

  • Tips for Doing Photography On Gray Gloomy Days

    Few things dampen photo-taking spirits more than rainy and gloomy days. Especially if you are on a trip to an exciting location and the clouds and wind are conspiring to keep the sun from those beautiful, but hidden, landscapes you know exist.

    Tips for Doing Photography On Gray Gloomy Days

    Fear not, intrepid photographer, there are still many subjects for you to capture on gray, gloomy days. They may not be what you typically shoot or what you really want to be shooting. But that doesn’t mean you can’t stretch your creative muscles a little and create some memorable photos.

    Express the mood

    The first mistake is assuming that when your mood doesn’t match the mood of the weather or scene in front of you, you should pack it up and go home. Viewers connect with photos because of emotion and emotions are highly tempered by mood.

    While gray moods are not as popular to express as say, a sunny golden sunset, they are just as prevalent. I like to highlight the relative emptiness of a scene when the color has been sucked out of it and show a sense of loneliness when possible.

    Tips for Doing Photography On Gray Gloomy Days

    Washington State Ferry alone in the gray of Puget Sound.

    Add some grit

    In the days of film, the higher ISO emulsions (think ISO 1600 and more) allowed for photography in low light but was a trade off for what most of us consider image quality. The emulsion accomplished the low light performance by having larger grains of silver, which were far more visible than their ISO 50 counterparts, which tended to blend smoothly and be almost invisible. That grain didn’t do well for fine art landscape photos, but it worked wonders for conveying the grit of a scene.

    Grit is a hard thing to define. It’s not necessarily dirty, but it’s not sharp and clean, either. It’s a little muddled and it’s more real than posed. It’s more of a feeling than anything else and it is available more on gloomy days than when the sun is bright.

    Tips for Doing Photography On Gray Gloomy Days

    Lighting candles in Kathmandu to chase away the gloom.

    It can also be added to photos in post-production. Lightroom has a section to add grain back into a photo with three different sliders to show just the right amount of grit you are looking for.

    Think on the Grayscale

    With all the wonderful colors we experience in the world, I think the thing we like least about the gloomy weather is that it compresses our palate to fewer options. Or so we think. Just because the colors aren’t popping like they do in bright sunshine, doesn’t mean you don’t have a range of options.

    Enter the grayscale and zone system. For a primer, check out this article. The idea is different colors and patterns get accentuated differently when seen in just grayscale. Even composition should change a little when considering grayscale photos. Contrast can be enhanced if you like.

    I’d start by using the monochrome setting on your camera. Most cameras have a scene or profile mode to shoot images in black and white. That will give you instant feedback on your LCD screen and is an awesome gateway to shooting black and white images that don’t need blue skies and sunshine.

    Zero In

    Tips for Doing Photography On Gray Gloomy Days

    Flowers and plants are especially happy to be photographed on gloomy days.

    “Get Closer” is a common refrain in the photography world, and for good reason. It’s a tried and true method of finding more interesting subjects, or for framing subjects more interestingly.

    If the background of your subject is drab and dull, work to crop it out in-camera. It’s a bit of forced tunnel vision and it can help bring out new subjects when the skies are gray. Plants, I find, are especially happy for a nice close-up on gray days when their colors seem more saturated.

    Tips for Doing Photography On Gray Gloomy Days

    Look For Patterns and Abstracts

    You might not have that bright, sunny landscape you were looking for but that doesn’t mean you are without subjects. Besides getting closer, look for patterns and abstracts.

    For instance, yesterday the weather was threatening (and later delivered) snow. I was itching to get out and shoot something. I found some birds but they were too far off for decent photos. Then I found some old bridge pilings crossing over a lake and was instantly excited.

    Tips for Doing Photography On Gray Gloomy Days

    The gray of the sky reflected in the lake and the gray of the pilings helps the moss and grass pop out.

    Likewise, lower light makes for easy purposeful abstract blurring. I covered this before in a dPS article (6 Tips on How to Create Abstract Photos) and I love the simple technique of camera movement, coupled with low light and low ISO, to create unique images.

    Tips for Doing Photography On Gray Gloomy Days

    Streaks of gray and steel cut across a black background in striking abstract patterns.

    Conclusion

    The gray gloomy days don’t need to keep you inside feeling uninspired. They are a challenge to us all to get out there and see the world in a different light. Then express that world through photos.

    I’d love to see your gloomy day and gray work, please share in the comments area below.

    The post Tips for Doing Photography On Gray Gloomy Days appeared first on Digital Photography School.


    Digital Photography School

  • 6 Travel Photography Secrets That You May Not Have Tried

    Great travel photography has the power to take the viewer to that destination and make them feel like they are there. It can evoke memories of faraway lands and local people and culture that the viewer might have never seen.

    You may have heard the usual advice about travel photography like “getting up early” and photographing at the “golden hour”. But here are six travel photography secrets that you have probably never tried that will help you capture stunning photos.

    6 Travel Photography Secrets That You May Not Have Tried

    #1 Walk Around

    Often the biggest advice for any prospective travel photographer is to simply walk around. It’s incredible how many different photo opportunities you will find simply walking around a city rather than getting in trains, buses, and taxis. Not only will you be able to get a better understanding of the geographical side of the city, but you will also notice moments that would often get missed if using transport.

    Just get yourself a handy local map, set a route, and walk. Once you finish the route set another and walk again. Sometimes you might not see anything, and it will feel like a waste of time, but every now and again a photo opportunity will present itself that will make you glad you did walk.

    6 Travel Photography Secrets That You May Not Have Tried

    #2 Find High Vantage Spots

    Getting up high for an aerial view of a place is a wonderful way to capture great photos. But it can also help get an understanding of the layout of the city and aid you in finding potential shot locations. Often most places have well-defined lookout or viewpoints and there’s nothing wrong with going to those locations and capturing photos even though they have been done before.

    But in addition to that, when you are at the location try to figure out if there are any other places that can help you capture great elevated shots.

    The great thing these days is that you can find a ton of information online about every location. So always try to build in time at a location to capture some photos from a high viewpoint.

    6 Travel Photography Secrets That You May Not Have Tried

    #3 Change Your Hotel

    A great trick for photographing cities and being able to capture a good variety of photos is to change your hotel. So rather than staying in the same place for a week, aim to stay at two different hotels around the city.

    By choosing your hotels carefully you may be able to capture photos from a rooftop bar or even from your room of different views of the city. Often these photos can work better than those from lookout points as only those people who have stayed at the hotel will be able to capture it.

    But the other advantage of staying at a hotel in a different part of the city is that you will get to learn that area and naturally spend more time around there. This will mean rather than focusing most of your time in one location if you were staying in one hotel, you can now spend time in two.

    Clearly, if the city is small you won’t need to do this, but in a big city such as Moscow or London this could be useful and help you capture more photos.

    6 Travel Photography Secrets That You May Not Have Tried

    On a recent trip to Bangkok, I was able to my hotel room balcony to capture a cityscape shot.

    #4 Speak to a Local Photographer

    Let’s be honest, no matter how good of a photographer you are and how well you plan your trip, a local photographer will always have an edge purely because it is their home city. So why not use that to your advantage.

    Contact a local and ask them some questions or get some tips about places you are looking to photograph. Obviously, the key here is not to try to copy their photos but get advice about anything you want to capture. The great thing about doing this rather than contacting a tour guide is that as a photographer they will understand your needs and can help you capture the shots you want.

    You never know they may even tell you or show you around a few places that you never knew about. Just think of it as paying it forward, so if one day someone contacts you for information, do the same thing.

    Note from the editor: Please do your due diligence and use normal safety precautions when meeting someone you do not know over the internet or in person. Always put your safety first over getting a shot.

    6 Travel Photography Secrets That You May Not Have Tried

    #5 Hire a Translator

    Whilst not absolutely essential, sometimes having a translator can come in handy. This is especially true if you are photographing anywhere that might be sensitive such as religious buildings or even women in some cultures.

    Having a translator can mean that they can ask permission for you, speak to locals to put them at ease, and even help you get model release clauses. You could look to hire a translator just for a day or for the duration of your stay, but they can be a big help in capturing photos in a place where you don’t speak the language.

    6 Travel Photography Secrets That You May Not Have Tried

    #6 Ask Tourists

    More and more these days picture editors want photos of experiences rather than just another standard snap of the Eiffel tower. Sometimes you can capture those photos naturally with things that happen before your eyes. At other times you may need to set something up to help get that story across.

    One of the best ways to do this is by using other tourists. Firstly, if they are from your country you will be able to communicate without any problems. Second, and most importantly, they would probably love to have some great photos of themselves from their trip for their personal use.

    Just explain what you are doing and ask if they are willing to participate. Then take their email address and email them a copy of the photo when you get home. The bonus here is that you also have their email address and if one day you require a model release form, you can contact them.

    Just be aware of time. No one wants to spend half of their day on holiday posing for photos. Work quickly, take a few photos, and let them get on with their day.

    6 Travel Photography Secrets That You May Not Have Tried

    Conclusion

    Travel photography often requires a lot of “out of the box” thinking as you’ll rarely encounter exact situations over and over again. Over time you’ll build up your own arsenal of solutions to potential creative challenges. In the meantime use the tips above to help you capture great travel photos.

    Have you got any travel photography tips and tricks? Please share them below.

    The post 6 Travel Photography Secrets That You May Not Have Tried appeared first on Digital Photography School.


    Digital Photography School

  • 10 Photography Lessons I’ve Learned Over 10 Years

    When learning any new skill, it’s universally agreed that you need to put time into it to grow. There’s a popular theory by Malcolm Gladwell that it takes 10,000 hours to master any skill. That theory is pretty controversial these days, but the number of hours isn’t important. What’s important is that you must put time into learning a skill if you want to become better at it.

    Photography is no exception. Ask any of the photographers you admire how long they have been developing their photography skills, they will all tell you that it’s taken them years.

    So, how do you speed this learning process up? There are a few ways, but one of them is to learn from other’s mistakes and successes. Every photographer starts out as a beginner, so it would make sense that others have learned a few lessons along the way from which you can benefit.

    10 photography lessons 07

    I’m no photography master by any stretch, but I’ve learned a few valuable lessons in the 10 years since I picked up a camera. Here are a few of them.

    1. Great light beats a great subject every time

    If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably had the experience of visiting a gorgeous location with grand visions of the stunning photos you’re going to come home with, only to be bitterly disappointed and wonder what you did wrong. On the flip-side, you’ve likely been pleasantly surprised by the beautiful photos you’ve taken of a very ordinary scene or subject.

    So, what is the one thing that makes a great photo above anything else? Great light. This is the reason why I will often return to the same location to photograph the same scene repeatedly. The scene hasn’t changed, but the light will never be the same twice. Learn to predict, look for, and create great light.

    10 photography lessons 06

    2. Shoot for love, not likes

    Social media has changed the world we live in, which is a great thing for photographers. Of course, there are negatives to this as well. The biggest drawback, in my opinion, is the eternal quest for likes. Not a single one of us is immune to it.

    It’s flattering and gives a nice ego-boost when someone “likes” your photo on Instagram or Facebook. But it can become a dangerous obsession when you begin to shoot or edit your photos with the motivation of getting more likes.

    Sure, we all change and develop our style over time, and this is partly influenced by current trends. Just try to stay focused on shooting what you love, and don’t let the desire for validation on social media make you shoot for likes.

    3. Post-processing is part of your artistic expression – learn it well

    It’s no secret we live in a digital age. Despite Photoshop having some pretty negative connotations at times, post-processing your photos in the digital darkroom is a necessity, and the sooner you learn it, the sooner your photography will really take off.

    10 photography lessons 04

    Capturing your photos well in-camera is only half of the process. As a visual artist, what happens to those RAW images is entirely up to you. If you don’t know how to edit them well, then you’re short-changing yourself.

    You don’t need to become a professional retoucher, just start with the basics and learn them well. Post-production software is cheap these days, and you can learn how to use it for free. There’s no excuse. Your inner artist will thank you for it.

    4. Keep your gear simple

    My gear has fluctuated from a single point-and-shoot to a bag heavy enough to crush a camel, and everything in-between. When I switched from a large Nikon full frame kit to Sony mirrorless a couple years ago, I intentionally simplified my gear, and I’ve kept it that way.

    There are three reasons for this. Firstly, as a landscape and travel photographer, I don’t want or need large or heavy gear. Secondly, I’m more likely to consider a new purchase more seriously. And thirdly, simplifying your gear (especially lenses) forces you to develop your creativity.

    10 photography lessons 03

    One of the best exercises you can do for your photography is to go out with your camera and only one prime lens and shoot with just that setup. You don’t need anywhere near as much gear as you think.

    5. Make friends with other creatives

    For most of us, photography is a solitary pursuit. That’s part of the attraction. Even for an extrovert like me, getting out by myself to explore with my camera is one of my favorite things to do. However, networking with other creative people has a number of benefits that you should try to make the most of as well.

    You can do so online, but doing it in person is even better. These creatives could be photographers, but they don’t have to be. They could be filmmakers, painters, illustrators, cake decorators, or musicians. It doesn’t matter what their outlet is or how you spend your time together. Just find other people who will inspire and motivate you, and who you can do the same for. The benefits will surprise you.

    6. Hold off trying to make money as long as possible

    10 photography lessons 05

    Do a quick Google for “how to make money with photography” and you will be drowning in the sea of photo-selling tactics. There’s no question, you can make money selling photography, but that doesn’t mean you should.

    I’m not going to go into the pros and cons of trying to turn your photography into a business. I will say, however, that you should try not to rush into monetizing your passion. Turning a hobby into a business (even just a side-hustle) changes things. It can be very satisfying, but mixing art and money isn’t for everyone. Just keep enjoying your hobby as long as you can.

    7. Comparison will cripple you and steal your passion

    This is in some ways an extension of #2 above. If you spend any time at all on Instagram, you will see there is a massive amount of very talented photographers out there. It’s easy to get discouraged by comparing your photography to that of others.

    Again, nobody is immune to this. I often catch myself being overly critical of my own photography because I’m not just viewing the work of others, but comparing mine to it. Nothing good comes from this.

    10 photography lessons 02

    It’s great to be inspired by the work of others, but if it’s stealing your love for your own photos, it’s turned into something else. Comparison can be a very useful tool, but only if you’re comparing yourself to yesterday.

    8. Invest in your craft

    Unless your gear was gifted, borrowed, or stolen, then you understand that photography will cost you some of your hard-earned pesos. You can spend a little, or you can spend a LOT.

    There are some things that will give you a far better return on your investment than others, though. For example, good lenses are a far better investment than a new camera body. The thing that will give you the best return on investment, in my opinion, is photography education.

    There are a lot of great free resources out there, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. You can learn a hell of a lot from very affordable ebooks and online courses. And if you really want your photography to flourish, take a workshop with a master. You’ll never wish you hadn’t made the investment.

    10 photography lessons 08

    9. Start a blog

    You might be thinking, “The world doesn’t really need another blog”, and you’d be right. But you’re not doing this for the world are you?

    When I started my travel photography blog back in 2010, I never had any visions of millions of readers, I just wanted somewhere I could share photos of my travels and stories of my adventures. I wanted a medium other than Facebook, where I could choose how it looked. It was one of the best things I have ever done.

    It’s since grown into somewhere that I now teach travel photography, but it’s still my photo blog, and it’s been a hugely creative outlet for me. I recommend Pro Blogger’s free Start A Blog course (by dPS’s very own Darren Rowse).

    10. Your best image is yet to be made

    10 photography lessons 01

    As I mentioned in #7 above, it’s easy to get discouraged from time-to-time in photography. This happens for a number of reasons, but there’s one thing that I have learned which helps me get back on the horse when I feel like I’m wasting my time. I remember that I still haven’t made my best photo yet.

    Of course, there is no such thing as a “best photo”, because photography is an art, not a science. What I’m getting at is that if you keep going, keep learning, keep practicing, you will keep making images that you think might be your best image yet. There will be dry periods, but push through them, try something different, get out of the rut, and you’ll come out the other side and continue to make images that remind you why you do it.

    Conclusion

    I hope you can take away something to help you in these photography lessons which I’ve picked up over the years. Do you have any pearls of wisdom that you’d like to share with other dPS readers? What have you learned that has made you a better photographer?

    The post 10 Photography Lessons I’ve Learned Over 10 Years appeared first on Digital Photography School.


    Digital Photography School