Category: Photography

How to Choose the Right ISO for Landscape Photography
In this article, I will give you some tips on how to choose the right or best ISO for landscape photography.

The challenge as a beginner

Choosing the ideal settings in different scenarios is quite challenging as a photography beginner. We’ve all been there and I certainly know your frustration when your images don’t look as good as you want.

There’s so much to think about including; the composition, the perspective, the camera gear, do you need filters? And what about the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO? Don’t worry, though. It takes some trial and error but soon enough it will be a piece of cake!

Since my camera was mounted on a tripod I could use a low ISO of 80 for this image.

I hope to make one of these questions a little clearer through this article, though. Choosing the ideal ISO is crucial for the image quality, and it has a direct impact on both the shutter speed and aperture.

Always use the lowest possible ISO

I won’t go too much into detail regarding how the ISO works in this article, but to simplify, the ISO expresses your camera’s sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO number, the more sensitive it is to light, while a lower ISO makes the camera less sensitive to light.

Please note: This is a simplification for beginners. It is actually much more complex than this but you don’t need to understand all the science behind the scenes to use ISO correctly.

While a higher ISO is good when aiming for a quick shutter speed, it also introduces a significant amount of grain or digital noise into the image. That’s something you want to avoid, and it’s the reason that you’ll often hear that you should always use ISO100.

To achieve the longest possible exposure I could use an ISO of 64 here.

Now, I agree that you should aim to use ISO100 for most stationary landscapes, you shouldn’t make the mistake of only using that setting. It took me several years before I managed to accept that there’s not only one correct ISO in landscape photography. In fact, I was pretty much an ISO100-nazi, and except for night photography, I stuck to it.

In later years I’ve learned that this isn’t necessarily the best practice.

First of all, you aren’t always able to use ISO 100. Here are a few scenarios where you might need to bump up the ISO:
- Photographing handheld.
- When trying to freeze moving subjects.
- When photographing at night.
ISO 640 was the lowest ISO I could use here in order to achieve a quick enough shutter speed to get a sharp handheld image.

These are just some of the scenarios where ISO 100 might not be possible. However, there are other, and less talked about, times where you need to increase the ISO as well:
- When adjusting the shutter speed for capturing the perfect motion/flow in water.
- If you need to freeze elements moving in the wind (such as bushes, branches etc.).
- When you’re using a telephoto lens handheld.
In other words, you should always aim to use the lowest ISO possible but that doesn’t always mean ISO 100 (even though that’s the “ideal” ISO quality-wise).

Adjusting the ISO at night

I briefly mentioned that ISO 100 is not ideal for night photography. Let’s look a little closer at that and find the best option. Remember that a higher ISO is more sensitive to light. In other words, that means you need less time (a shorter exposure) to achieve a correct exposure when it’s increased.

Now, at night there’s not a lot of light which means that you need more time to capture a well-exposed image. However, just setting the shutter speed to 30-seconds and leaving the ISO at 100, will still result in an underexposed image.

I had to increase the ISO to 4000 to get a well-exposed shot of this night scene.

Instead, you need to sacrifice some image-quality and increase the ISO. Exactly what ISO you need depends on the moon phase and overall brightness of your scene (for example, being close to city lights or other light sources will have an impact on your choice).

The first steps in my night photography workflow are to set the Aperture and Shutter Speed I’m going to use. Next, I use my base ISO for night photography, 1600.

However, just as with ISO 100, it’s not the only one you should use. ISO 1600 works as a starting point and after taking a test shot I’ll often make small adjustments. Most of the time you’ll use an ISO between 1200 and 3200 for night photography (though a full-moon or Aurora session might allow for an ISO as low as 800).

Adjusting the Aperture or ISO for a Quicker Shutter Speed

The most difficult part of manually adjusting settings is to learn what adjustments you need to make in certain situations. Should you adjust the ISO, Aperture, or Shutter Speed? I remember this being one of my biggest frustrations when first making the switch to Manual Mode.

ISO 100 – f/10 – 0.4 seconds.

While leading photography workshops I often tell the participants to adjust the settings as they normally would before I help them. I often notice that many are photographing with an aperture of f/22 and ISO 100. However, when they need a faster shutter speed, their first instinct is to increase the ISO.

That’s when I ask the question; “Do you really need an aperture of f/22? Will an aperture of f/16, f/11 or f/8 give you similar results? If so, then leave the ISO alone.

Remember, always use the lowest ISO possible. In this scenario, the image will benefit from using a wider aperture and maintaining a low ISO.

Let’s Summarize

I hope that I haven’t made you even more confused than what you were before. Understanding the ISO and choosing the correct one is a little tricky, as there isn’t always one correct choice. However, what I hope you take away from this article is that you should aim to use the lowest ISO possible in each given scenario.

For regular daytime photography, I typically use an ISO between 64 and 400 – the latter is when I’m using a telephoto lens handheld, which requires a quicker shutter speed to keep sharp. For night photography, I typically use an ISO between 1200 and 3200.

I used ISO 400 to capture this sharp handheld shot with my 200mm.

Most DSLR cameras are able to take relatively noise-free images at ISO 400 but I recommend spending some time getting used to your camera and finding its limit.

So, as the final word, there isn’t one single correct ISO for each and every scenario but aim to use the lowest possible.

Learning how to choose the ideal settings takes some trial and error to learn. In my eBook, A Comprehensive Introduction to Landscape Photography, I teach the techniques you need to know in order to capture beautiful images, and how you easily can master them.

The post How to Choose the Right ISO for Landscape Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
April 8, 2018
3 Techniques and Tips for Photographing the Moon in the Landscape

It’s been almost 180 years since the first photograph of the full moon was made by an English scientist, chemist, and historian, John William Draper. Since then, the moon has been a subject that has captivated the attention of photographers around the world. Photographing the moon by itself is one thing, but when you want to include the moon in a landscape photo, you have some challenges to overcome.

The first problem is that the moon is exceptionally bright in the night sky. The second problem is that you want both the landscape and the moon detailed and in sharp focus.

To make a dramatic photo of the moon in a landscape, we’ll be using two techniques in the field and one in post-processing to make the final image.

1. Exposure bracketing

To make your job a bit easier, photograph the moon when it is close to the horizon. At this time the light from the moon goes through more atmosphere before it reaches our eyes, so it is not as bright as when the moon is high in the sky.

But, under normal circumstances, you’ll still need to bracket your exposures to capture detail in both the landscape and the moon.

Plan to make one exposure for the landscape and another exposure for the moon. You can either use spot metering in both cases, or you can use exposure compensation after your first image to darken the next shot by four or five stops until the moon is properly exposed.

Here is an example of two photos with different exposures: one exposed for the landscape and one exposed for the moon.

2. Focus stacking

If you are working with a landscape composition where some elements in the frame are relatively close to the camera, you’ll find that your moon is not sharp if you’ve focussed your camera on the landscape. The only way your landscape and the moon will both be in focus at the same time is if everything in the frame is far way away from the camera.

But the solution is simple. Make your first exposure in the normal way, exposing and focussing on the landscape. Then make your second exposure to not only expose for the brightness of the moon, but also focus on the moon to make sure it’s sharp.

In the two brackets shown in the image above, I not only changed the exposure to expose properly for the moon, but I also changed the focus point so that the moon would be sharp.

Sometimes you may need to use focus stacking without changing the exposure settings. For example, when I made the image below I didn’t need to bracket my exposures because the moon was a dark red color due to the eclipse. However, I still needed to use focus stacking to make both the cactus and the moon appear sharp.

3. Exposure Blending

In post-processing, you can combine your two exposures to make an image with a properly exposed and sharp foreground landscape and moon.

But it’s not quite as simple as just doing a copy and paste if you want it to look natural.

Photo 1: Clone out the moon

In the first photo, notice how the brightness of the moon has caused a strong glow in the sky beyond the moon itself. So if you just paste your properly exposed moon on top of that, the glow will look strange. My first step in post-processing is to clone out the original moon and make the color of the sky look even.

Photo 2: Select the moon

In the second photo, use the Quick Selection Tool to make a selection of the moon. You can then improve your selection by using “Refine Edge” in Photoshop Elements or “Select and Mask” in Photoshop CC. Other post-processing programs have similar tools.

Whichever program you use, the objective is the same. You want to smooth out the edge of your selection so the moon looks natural when pasted onto the first image. If the edges are abrupt, it won’t look natural.

To do this, contract your selection by about 3 pixels and then feather it by 2 pixels. When you are done, save your selection on a new layer.

Paste the moon from Photo 2 on to Photo 1

Finally, you can copy your new layer, go to the first photo and paste it in place.

If the moon doesn’t look natural, you may need to experiment with blend modes and opacity. Try using the overlay blend mode and reducing the opacity of the layer until you get the look you are after.

Conclusion

Using these techniques will help you create dramatic images of the moon in the landscape – images that more closely match what you are able to see with your own eyes.

To see exactly how I created my moon composite image using Photoshop Elements, watch the video below.

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If you have any other tips for photographing the moon in the landscape, please share in the comments below.

The post 3 Techniques and Tips for Photographing the Moon in the Landscape appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

April 8, 2018
Upgrading Your Camera – New Camera Body or a New Lens?

A point of contention amongst photographers everywhere who are budgeting for their new gear is one question, “What should I invest most in when upgrading my photography equipment, the camera body or the lens?” This can be a rather complicated answer, as it does depend on the type of photography that you’re interested in doing.

However, for the sake of a thoughtful article, we will be speaking in generalizations. To break it down, the image quality and ease comes from the lens but the capability comes from the camera body. Here is why.

The Camera Body

The body of the camera contains all of the controls necessary to record digital pictures. The camera is basically a container to house the sensor and the lens along with the electronics and controls. Camera bodies come in all shapes, sizes, and weights. The sensor can be a full-frame or a crop which affects how your images are sized and cropped.

The camera body you use will affect the dynamic range of your images, amount of noise in low light, a significant part of the autofocus, the frames-per-second, and the megapixel count (among many other things, but the aforementioned are the most commonly referenced). The camera body is what influences the number of pixels in a photograph and how fast you can shoot. It is also an integral part of the autofocus system.

From a physical standpoint, the camera body is what you’ll hold most in your hands and its comfort is very important when shooting for long hours. Higher end cameras also have better weather sealing than lower end cameras. From a logistics perspective, different camera bodies allow you to control more or fewer aspects of the picture taking process.

The Lens

In laymen’s terms, lenses gather and focus light. Light strikes the front surface of the lens and passes through the glass element. Keeping this in mind, the difference between a good lens and a bad lens is that the former does a much better job at producing properly illuminated and sharp images. Lenses vary in focal length, aperture, type of glass, and so much more.

The lens will make the biggest impact on the final outcome of an image. In regards to the artistic look of a shot, the lens will be in far more control than the camera body. This is because aperture, focal length (the perspective achieved due to the focal length), and sharpness are all dictated by the lens.

Lenses with a wide aperture are considered “fast” lenses because they can achieve the same exposure with a faster shutter speed.

Bonus question: What influences the autofocus, the camera or the lens? The electronic autofocus system is basically a motor. The motor housed inside of the lens will generally provide the greatest performance and highest accuracy. However, the focus motor in the lens is only one part of the process.

The camera body is what drives the motor. In addition to the mechanical components, the firmware in the camera body is what operates the autofocus system. The reason the lens is still the go-to even for autofocus is that it controls the accuracy, and the accuracy tends to be more important!

Which Will Last You Longer?

Everyone will outgrow their equipment eventually, whether it be due to an improvement in skill, a desire for something better, or equipment dating itself too much. Essentially, interest in upgrading equipment comes from someone’s image-quality criteria.

Keeping this in mind, on the grand scale most camera bodies won’t differ in overall image quality unless you are shooting in difficult situations such as low light (in which case higher-end cameras have lower noise levels than others, as an example). The lens will make a significant impact on the final image result.

A good example of this is pairing a high-end lens with a low-end body and a high-end body with a kit lens. You will find that the audience will gravitate towards the photograph produced with the high-end lens / low-end body combination versus the opposite because the lens will impact the shot that significantly.

You’ll likely never be able to figure out what body is used in a shot, but you can often pick out the quality of the lens.

A good lens will withstand the test of time as you try many different camera bodies (so long as it is compatible). The lens will travel with you from camera to camera. The lens will also help you create your specific style of shooting, as the aperture and perspective will mold to your personal preference.

Are you someone that prefers a shallow depth of field? Wide-angle fisheye? What about epic action shots with a tight zoom? All of the aforementioned are thanks to the lens, not the body.

The Lens is a Better Investment

In my opinion, in regard to financial investment, a good lens is the better choice because it’ll last you much longer than the body (as you’ll generally be changing camera bodies faster than lenses). The lens also opens the door for you to create the images you dream of making.

That being said, the camera does determine if you’re capable of photographing what you want to photograph – but you can work around many limitations with an excellent lens. Cheap, low-quality lenses will affect both your shooting experience and the final product far more than the camera body will. This is because cheaper lenses tend to be slow, which results in a harder time capturing low-light scenes or achieving a super shallow depth of field.

The lens will also retain more of its value (both from a monetary and photography standpoint) than the camera body when talking about resale value. This is because camera bodies are upgrading and advancing at a far faster rate, thusly, older bodies become obsolete quickly.

The same lenses, on the other hand, will likely still be used five to 10 years from now (if not even longer).

The best investment is the lens that lets you capture all of the pictures you want. You’ll find ways to work around body limitations, I guarantee it! Though when you do upgrade that camera body, you’ll appreciate the ease even more as you’ll no longer have to work around previous limits.

The post Upgrading Your Camera – New Camera Body or a New Lens? appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

April 7, 2018
Quick Video Review – What is the Best Camera Bag or Way to Carry Your Gear?
There are many ways to carry around your precious camera gear – so which is the best? Well, that is a very subjective question, that only you can answer. In this video from the Camera Store, Jordan demonstrates some of the pros and cons of the most popular options.

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Here is a list of all the camera carrying bags, straps and other options mentioned in the video and a few extras.

List of camera straps mentioned:
- Op/Tech Pro Loop Neoprene neck strap
- BlackRapid Curve Strap Ultra Padded
- Cotton Carrier Camera System
- Lowepro S&F Technical vest system
- Lowepro S&F Technical Belt
Holdfast Moneymaker dual camera strap system

Photography backpacks:
- Pro Trekker 650 AW Camera Backpack
- Manfrotto Pro Light camera backpack RedBee-210
- Lowepro Tahoe BP 150 backpack
- Lowepro Slingshot Edge 250 AW
Agua Versa 90 backpack

Other kinds of bags:
- Domke Journalist Chronicle Shoulder Bag
- Kelly Moore Luna fashion bag
- Ona makes stylish designer leather bags
- Jill-e Designs also make fashionable bags
- Filson makes stylish unisex bags
OR read this to avoid having a bag collection in your closets like I do – 5 Camera Bag Hacks to Help You Curb the Temptation of Buying More.

Others options not mentioned:
- Wrist straps
- Holster systems (like the Cotton Carrier G3 Strapshot Holster)
What do you use?

So of all those options, which do you use to carry your gear? Are their other options we’ve missed? Please tell us in the comments below.

The post Quick Video Review – What is the Best Camera Bag or Way to Carry Your Gear? appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
April 7, 2018
The Winners of the Three NYIP Photography Courses Are . . .
A BIG thank you to everyone who entered our recent competition to win one of three photography courses from our friends at New York Institute of Photography.

The response was wonderful. In fact, it was so wonderful that the team at NYIP decided to offer a special 20% discount off any of their courses (details below).

The winners of the three NYIP photography courses are…

But first – here are the three winners of the competition for Professional Photography Course – worth $ 1,199 (the winners were chosen by NYIP).
- Harry McCann
- Matt Bingaman
- Elizabeth Hollis
A message from NYIP (and a 20% discount offer)

“Congratulations to all three winners! Thank you to all the participants for your many comments. We were so excited to see how many people were interested in our Professional Photography Course. To those who did not win, we wanted to let you know that for a limited time we are offering you the chance to save 20% on the NYIP course of your choice. Learn more here. Simply use the code NY20 at sign-up. But don’t wait, because this offer is only available until April 27th, 2018 (USA time).” – The NYIP Team”

Winners will be emailed with details of how to collect their prize by the team at NYIP.

Thanks to everyone for entering and to NYIP for yet again, sponsoring another wonderful competition.

Photo by Steve Coulombe, NYIP Graduate

The winning comments

By Harry McCann – Nearing the end of my current career I have finally begun to devote more time to my love of photography. For as long as I can remember I have loved to capture the moments. I still remember the Christmas (many, many years ago) I got my Polaroid and the little note on it said: “Open me first.” Since that time I have taken 1000s of photos. However, it wasn’t until recently that I began to take the time and learn what was needed to take photographs that others would also enjoy. I have learned quite a bit in the last couple years. The biggest thing I have learned…is that I still have a lot to learn. A course from the New York Institute of Photography would provide me with the skills and technical experience to take my photography to the next level. I would be grateful for the opportunity.

By Matt Bingaman – I am nearing the end of my Air Force career. This course will help me take my photography to the next level so I can recoup some of the time I lost with my family due to my job. Thank you for the opportunity.

By Elizabeth Hollis – This is a wonderful opportunity for someone like me! I’ve been an enthusiastic amateur for many years and feel I have improved as much as I can through self-direction. I crave a comprehensive course like this to help me grow my skills and determine my focus. Feedback on my photos and goals from an actual professional would be invaluable. My ultimate dream is to become a professional photographer and own my own photography business. This course would be a big step in achieving that goal. Thank you for making this opportunity available.

Thank you all again.

You can learn more about NYIP HERE

Disclaimer: NYIP is a paid partner of dPS.

The post The Winners of the Three NYIP Photography Courses Are . . . appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
April 7, 2018
Weekly Photography Challenge – Cats
Whether you’re a cat or a dog person we’ve got you covered. Last week’s photography challenge “went to the dogs” and now it’s time for the kitties!

My girls, Munchkin (Munch) on the left and Fuzz on the right.

Need some help? Try these dPS articles:
- 9 Tips for Taking Better Photos of Cats
- Your Essential Guide to Photographing Cats and Dogs: Snapn Paws
- 6 Tips for Working with Unruly Animals in Pet Photography
- 8 Tips for Better Pet Photography
Weekly Photography Challenge – Cats

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.

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Digital Photography School
April 7, 2018
How Slow Photography Can Help You Improve Your Images

So often we are caught up in hectic schedules and checking completed items off our to-do lists that we don’t make time to truly enjoy our photographic experience. I believe slow photography can be a fabulously enjoyable, and even therapeutic experience, especially when you give yourself time to indulge.

When you have a camera in hand you can set your mind and emotions free from the troubles of the day and step into another world, one of inspiration and creative expression. But you must be mindful and make time for yourself to achieve this.

Being Patient

Patience is a virtue and should not be exclusive to bird and wildlife photographers. Maybe these genres require somewhat more patience, but street photography, sports, landscape and most other kinds of photography require you to slow down and take time to obtain the best possible images from most situations.

Some of the very best street photography is not brought about by spontaneity alone, but by careful planning, anticipation and patience. Finding a great location on the streets is one thing, but often you’ll have to wait for the best light and the most interesting action to present itself in your chosen location to capture the most impressive photographs.

Even the best sports photographers take time with their photography. The time they invest may be in studying the game more or getting to know the players and coaches of the teams they photograph the most.

Doing this will give them the knowledge and relationships which will enable them ultimately to capture more dynamic pictures in the spur of the moment. They will more easily anticipate the flow of the game than someone who’s inexperienced and knows little or nothing of the character of the team.

Observe

Taking time to observe the environment in which you are photographing will help include more sense of feeling into your photos. Rather than rushing in to get some photos as soon as you arrive at your location, leave your camera in its bag or case and just observe what’s there and what’s happening.

Use your other senses too, not just your eyes. Listen, feel, smell and even taste (when it’s appropriate) to become more aware of the environment where you want to take photos.

Give yourself space to slow down, to take a step back and observe what’s going around you. You will often discover interesting and photogenic subjects that you may not notice if you move in too quickly and start taking photos immediately.

Incorporate Photography into Your Schedule

Take your camera with you wherever you go. To work, school or university, when you exercise, when you go shopping, and when you walk the dog. By doing so you will learn to see your regular environment in different ways.

Making time to use your camera each day is one of the best ways to improve your skill and technique and to develop your own unique style. Giving yourself time within the regular context of your day might seem hard or a little strange at first. But as you commit yourself to doing this you can begin to find ways you hadn’t thought of to make interesting photos.

Think outside the box as you go about your regular routine. Make the ordinary things in your life look extraordinary in pictures.

Revisit Locations and Subjects

Visiting the same locations multiple times and photographing the same subjects more than once is often worth taking the time to do. If you go someplace just once you will never really know if you’ve gotten the best photos possible.

Reviewing the images from your first or subsequent visits to a location will help you build a more critical eye. Then when you return to that place and subject you will have a more experienced perspective than at first go around.

By making time to do this you will most likely enjoy the experience more and produce better photographs.

Be careful to opt for places you really enjoy and feel good about as this will help compel you to return and seek to make better photographs than you have done previously.

In Conclusion

By allowing yourself time to slow down and enjoy using your camera you will begin to see a progressive improvement in the quality of your images. Continuing to delve into techniques you’ve not previously mastered and experimenting with new subjects will help maintain a freshness in your pictures and you will enjoy your photography time even more.

Maybe we can make slow photography the next popular craze!

The post How Slow Photography Can Help You Improve Your Images appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

April 6, 2018
Shedding Light on the Histogram – 8 Rumors and the Real Facts About this Graph

There have been dozens of articles and many videos published about the purpose and interpretation of the histogram in post-production. It serves a purpose in both the camera capture and post-production processes.

Tons of pulp has been generated about this tiny graph clarifying the general purpose of the histogram. But there is still much to be learned about this graph. This article will clarify some issues while focusing mainly on post-production concerns.

The individual RGB values are dominant in this image. Only the cracks in the sidewalk and spots of white in the cement cause the spikes on the outside edges of the graph.

Some articles I’ve read portray the histogram as the Holy Grail of digital photography and even describe an ideal histogram shape. Others describe the histogram as an accurate revelation of image health, sort of like a digital EKG. Still, others downplay the value of the statistical feedback completely and totally miss its primary purpose. Listed below are actual quotes from tutorials and articles about the histogram.

The two histograms reveal more information than you might think. The RGB graph reveals the same solid yellow and blue colors while the Luminosity graph represents the combined RGB luminosity (effectively, the grayscale equivalent values).

I’ve been adjusting images for decades; long before the graph was publicly introduced and I’ve worked with it every day since so I’d like to weigh-in on rumors and clarify some facts. Once you understand the histogram’s primary function and limitations, you’ll find it to be a solid feedback resource.

The Histogram’s Vertical Lines Defined

RUMOR #1: The histogram is a graphic blueprint of a digital image. The horizontal span represents the image’s tonal range and the vertical lines reflect the contrast of the image; the higher the vertical lines, the more contrast the picture contains.

FACT: The horizontal axis does reflect the image’s tonal range (from the darkest tones to the lightest), though the vertical lines reveal little about its contrast. Actually, the horizontal distribution is what reveals the overall contrast. Tones located mostly on the right reveal very light (or high-key) images while tones favoring the left side are darker (low-key) images.

The extreme right side wall represents white and the extreme left wall of the graph represents solid black. The highest (vertical) peak of the graph merely indicates the highest ratio of pixels containing that particular color tone as it relates to the others. The lowest vertical level on the graph indicates the tone color with the least number of pixels in the image.

The left graph represents a high-key or light toned image. The histogram on the right represents a low-key or dark toned image.

Histogram Shape

RUMOR #2: There is a preferred “mountain” shape for a histogram. The ideal shape displays a single peak beginning at the “ground” on one side, reaching upward into a bell shape near the middle, and tapering down to the ground on the other side. An ideal histogram contains information from all channels everywhere, from the left to the right in the graph.

FACT: There are as many histogram shapes as there are images. There is no such thing as a good or bad histogram and there is no such thing as an ideal histogram. Because these graphs reflect each image’s distribution of tones, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any two alike.

Only images containing mostly middle tones will actually display a true bell (mountain) shape on the histogram as in the one top left.

Clipping

RUMOR #3: The extreme left and extreme right sides of the histogram should never hit the “sidewalls” of the graph. If the left or right side hits and travels vertically up the wall, an undesirable effect called “clipping” will occur, indicating that either solid black or solid white “no-detail” areas will be visible in the image. Utilize the warning signs (The Blinkies and triangles) and avoid clipping on either tonal extremes of the graph.

FACT: Depending on whether the image is high-key (medium contrast on a pure white background) or low-key (dramatic lighting with a black background), either side of the mountain may actually resemble a tonal cliff. Real-life lighting dynamics make these wall-climbing graphs quite acceptable. Photos captured against white seamless backdrops are purposely exposed to produce dropout white backgrounds.

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds screaming across a very bright mid-summer South Florida sky were captured against totally white clouds. The apparent clipping shown in the histogram accurately reports the totally white clouds.

Tone Distribution

RUMOR #4: Histograms that display significant gaps on either side of the graph should be adjusted to distribute the tones more evenly. A well-shaped histogram is a happy histogram.

FACT: Real life lighting doesn’t demand that every scene contain both deep shadows and bright highlights. Images are sometimes brightened or darkened unnecessarily revealing a typical rookie editing mistake. Many times these bookend extremes establish an emotional mood that would be lost if the images were over-corrected in this manner.

This low-key shaded scene contains very little highlight shades at all.

Adjusting the image destroys the rich colors of the low-key scene.

Histogram Gaps

RUMOR #5: The silhouette of the histogram mountain should remain smooth, displaying no gaps or fissures in the mountain shape. These smooth tone transitions are necessary to maintain the photo’s full visual range. Gaps in the histogram’s silhouette indicate an interruption in the gradual tones and will result in banded or posterized stages. These gaps appear because the JPEG image is only 8-bit.

FACT: There are only 256 vertical bars presented in the Histogram. Each horizontal bar represents less than one-half of one percent (0.4%) of the total tonal range (100% / 256 = 0.390625%). Even if a photo contains a very gradual change in tones across a wide area (like an unclouded sky), your eyes will only perceive “banding” if the JPEG image has been degraded by repeated Save functions.

JPEG images contain a maximum of 256 levels (8-bits) of tone between black (solid color) and white (no color). Once JPEG files have been opened and saved a number of times, the number of tone levels can become significantly reduced and tone-banding may occur.

These two histograms appear quite different though the images are very similar. As you can see, “gappy” pictures rarely interrupt the flowing tones in a photo and often clarify more detail.

Full Range Images

RUMOR #6: 8-bit images (256 levels of tone/color per Grayscale/RGB channel) are required for an image to display the full range of detail contained in a high-resolution digital image.

FACT: The human eye is designed to focus on detail in a scene or image. Detail is a product of contrast, and contrast is only noticeable when adjacent colors display significant differences. For the most part, the fewer colors that are displayed, the more obvious are the differences in those colors. This sounds bad but it is actually quite beneficial. It may fly in the face of popular logic but there is a fundamental truth to be recognized. The picture with the least colors (also known as bit depth) is many times the most detailed picture.

The top image contains 256 levels of color per RGB channel; or up to 16,800,000,000 colors. The bottom image contains only 15 levels of color per RGB channel; only 3375 possible colors. This image uses less than 5% of the tones that are used in the top image. Don’t live or die on the issue of bit depth. It is important, but like other issues in life, more isn’t necessarily better.

There is, of course, a reasonable limit to this reduced color observation. Too few levels of color will lose the smooth transitions between colors and thus will also lose detail.

Try this exercise: open a full-range photo in Photoshop and duplicate the image on another layer. Open the Histogram (Window/Histogram). Now select Image > Adjustments > Posterize, enter the number 15 and view the image as a Preview. Watch the Histogram window as you preview the image. The graph will display only 15 vertical columns instead of 256 but the image will look pretty much the same.

The point I’m making is that “gaps” in a normally smooth histogram doesn’t necessarily indicate a visual disaster. Instead, a few gaps might just inject a little more drama in your images.

Smooth Flowing Tones

RUMOR #7: Digital captures should display the highest number of tones possible in order to preserve the smooth continuous tones.

FACT: While nature provides an extreme level of dynamic range and true continuous tone gradation, there is no such thing as “continuous tone” digital images. The word “digital” affirms this statement. Virtually all digital images are comprised of square pixels displaying individual tone values. The perception of continuous tone is an illusion.

These blue pixels were captured from the sky of the Thunderbirds image above. The patch of sky appears as continuous tone in the original picture although the enlarged individual pixels vary quite a bit in value. The top histogram shows the combined channel luminance while the bottom shows individual RGB channel values. It’s complicated.

Exhaustive Reference

RUMOR #8: A Histogram is an exhaustive systematic and statistical accounting of all the internal colors and tones of an image, from dark to light (100% – 0%).

FACT: Each histogram does reveal the relative placement and distribution of all tones and colors, but due to its size, there is a serious limitation to its accuracy. Since editing software histograms are based on a horizontal graph only 256 pixels wide, each representation is a basic overview at best. If the full range of possible colors were truly represented by a single graph, the chart would occupy the wall of a good size room!

Both the top and bottom tonal adjustments were severe enough to create significant gaps in the histogram and to alter the shift of tones in each range, though there are no visible interruptions in the smoothness of each gradation.

Let me break down the numbers. This 256 pixel-wide graph portrays each image’s potential color range using an 8-bit (256 level) interpolation. This means that all 16.8 million possible colors are represented in a mere 256 horizontal point histogram. Tones change levels in 0.4% increments. The graph significantly exaggerates the difference between minor shifts in tonal value.

Human eyes barely perceive a half-percent (0.5%) difference between tones, which is why 256 levels in a JPEG image provides the illusion of continuous tone. This means the histogram uses less than two vertical columns to represent a single percent of change in value.

The two bottom patches are separated by only 1% in tone, though your eyes may have trouble seeing the difference. The top band shows a gradual change between the two values.

What does all this mean? Quite simply, the histogram delivers a good estimation of overall tone distribution but cannot be relied on for accurate measurement. A few gaps in the graph will rarely be visible to the human eye.

Wrap Up

The histogram is a valuable instrument intended to deliver a quick overview of the makeup and tonal shape of digital images. It was never intended to be a scary reference tool.

Learn to use the histogram to deliver interactive feedback as you work through your editing steps but appreciate the graph for the information it provides; mostly defining the distribution of tones, highlights, and shadows.

What the histogram does not show is whether the image requires internal adjustments to reveal hidden detail. That’s another topic altogether.

Push pixels around and stay focused.

The post Shedding Light on the Histogram – 8 Rumors and the Real Facts About this Graph appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

April 5, 2018
Avoid Blurry Long Exposure Images with Proper Tripod Setup

A tripod is an important piece of gear for all photographers, but even more so for those who are hooked on shooting long exposure photography at the blue hour like myself (I primarily shoot waterfront cityscapes). Those photos require exposures lasting for minutes with a use of neutral density (ND) filter. Therefore, a sturdy tripod is absolutely essential to keep photos sharp.

A sturdy tripod is a must for long exposure photography, as there is no chance at all of shooting sharp photos by hand-holding a camera for minutes.

Get a Best Tripod Within Your Budget

This article is not your ultimate tripod buying guide (dPS already has an excellent article on that here), but let me mention a few brief pointers first.

First of all, unlike your camera body, a tripod isn’t something you will upgrade very often. In fact, a good one could last a lifetime, so it’s advisable to get the best possible tripod within your budget. Here are a few other things to look out for when choosing your tripod.

Load Capacity:

The maximum load capacity of your tripod should be at least twice or preferably three times the maximum weight of your camera body and biggest lens combined. For example, my trusty Manfrotto MT190CXPRO3 Carbon Fiber Tripod supports up to 7kg, which is more than sufficient for my Nikon D610 (850g) and Nikon 18-35mm (f/3.5-4.5) (385g) combined (1.25kg).

Tripod Head:

Your tripod head also has a maximum load capacity, and it should at least match that of your tripod. If your tripod supports up to 7kg, but the head only supports up to 5kg, then the load capacity of the entire tripod system is to be 5kg, as the maximum load comes from the weaker component. For your information, I own the SIRUI K-20X Ballhead, which supports a whopping 25kg.

Tripod Weight:

Decent tripods are commonly made of aluminum or carbon fiber. Both are equally good, but carbon fiber tripods are lighter yet more resistant to vibration (hence they are also pricier, too). My Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Tripod weighs 1.6kg (3.5 lbs.) while its aluminum counterpart the Manfrotto MT190XPRO3 weighs 2kg (4.5 lbs.), with all the other specs being pretty much identical).

Tripod Leg Sections:

While 3-section legs provide a more stable platform, tripods with 4-section legs have a shorter closed (folded up for transportation) length and make it easier to pack into a suitcase when traveling. For example, closed length for my 3-section leg Manfrotto MT190CXPRO3 Carbon Fiber Tripod is 61 cm (24 inches), but its 4-section counterpart the Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 is only 52 cm (20.5 inches).

If you ask me, I recommend choosing nothing but 3-section tripod legs. I personally won’t compromise stability for convenience. That said, my tripod still fits into my check-in luggage (after taking out the center column). Before purchasing, I even tested it by bringing my luggage to the camera shop!

Tall Isn’t Always Cool

Having a good tripod is one thing, but using it correct way is another. I see way too many photographers fully extending tripod legs even when it’s not necessary. The rule of thumb is that the higher the tripod legs are extended, the less stable it gets, leaving more prone to high winds and undermining your chance of taking sharp photos. The photo below (at Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, with an altitude of 552m) is a good example.

To take blur-free shots here, I kept the tripod low and put the lens through the bars, rather than fully extending the tripod legs and center column to shoot from above the railing.

Instead of fully extending the tripod legs (and even the center column, which is a big NO-NO) to position the camera above the railing, I put the lens through the bars and kept the tripod as low as needed to minimize the risk of vibration.

Actually, I learned this from a previous mistake. I shot at this exact location the previous year but screwed up the opportunity by setting up the tripod too tall (over the railing by extending the center column) in high winds, and none of the photos came out sharp.

Extending the center column in high winds or when shooting long exposure photography is a recipe for a disaster. It’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to capture sharp photos this way.

Long Exposure Photographers’ Worst Nightmare

Let’s say you’re shooting waterfront cityscapes at blue hour with a few minutes of long exposure at a tourist-centric area (places like Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, The Bund in Shanghai, etc.) on your holiday. It may be your once-in-a-lifetime trip, and the weather is clear and perfect.

Such places are always crowded especially at sunset and dusk times with herds of tourists flocking to take snaps, selfies, and groupies. Extending all the tripod legs inevitably takes more space on the ground, which has a huge risk of someone accidentally kicking it during long exposure and ruining your potentially epic shot. This is long exposure photographers’ worst nightmare (and happened to me once).

At a crowded photography location like this (Merlion Park in Singapore), keep your tripod setup as low as possible so that it takes less space on the ground and reduces the risk of someone accidentally kicking your tripod legs.

Tripod Alternatives

To avoid such a nightmare, I’m also using a sort of a tripod alternative that helps stabilize my camera setup. A clamp tripod like the Manfrotto 035 Super Clamp without Stud comes in handy at places with high winds or at crowded city shooting locations where you feel worried about someone accidentally kicking your tripod legs.

It’s not that you can use a clamp tripod anywhere you want, as it needs a railing or something that it can be clamped onto. But where possible, this setup can be rock solid (with a load capacity of 15kg) and the resulting long exposure photos are appreciably sharper than those shot using a regular tripod.

A Super Clamp is like a game changer, it’s small and strong.

To mount a DSLR on a Super Clamp, first, plug a separately-sold Manfrotto 208HEX 3/8-Inch Camera Mounting Platform Adapter (or a cheaper alternative Manfrotto 037 Reversible Short Stud) into a Super Clamp socket and secure it with the double lock system. Then mount a tripod head with DSLR on the mounting platform adapter, just like you do with your regular tripod.

Conclusion

I hope these tips help you avoid making the same mistakes I did. Don’t blindly follow the mantra that says, “Extend your tripod and place the viewfinder at your eye level” (you’ve probably heard about that before!).

There’s nothing wrong with setting up your tripod low and bending down. This increases your chance of capturing sharp long exposure photos in high winds and also prevents your tripod legs from getting accidentally kicked.

If you have any other tips or experiences to share, please do so in the comments below.

The post Avoid Blurry Long Exposure Images with Proper Tripod Setup appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

April 5, 2018
Tips for Quick Photo Editing in the Field

In today’s world of fast and super fast consumption of everything, perhaps photography and photographers are an anomaly in that we obsess over editing and over-editing our photos until the cows come home (figuratively speaking of course)! But there are some situations where quick photo editing and speed are our friends.

For example, say you are traveling on an adventure of a lifetime but still want to keep your followers and/or your community engaged and up to date on all your adventures by way of images. Or if you have just come back from a client photoshoot and want to send some sneak peek images so that your clients get excited about what is to come in the next few weeks.

A quick edit of an image as I was traveling around India for 10 days.

In situations like these, having a process to edit your photos quickly yet efficiently and on-point with your photographic aesthetics is key. Luckily there are a few elements that can be adjusted to achieve a clean edited look. These sliders are universal in that they are available with almost any editing software available be it Lightroom (as seen below), Photoshop, or even smartphone editing software like Snapseed and VSCO.

Follow along with this video

In the following video, I share some quick and easy editing tips for times when you are in a crunch.

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One quick tip for a fast edit in the field is to start with an image that has good bones, to begin with. Essentially what this means is that you try to get the images as close to your vision for the final outcome, straight out of the camera.

So slow down and really think through elements like exposure, composition, tonality, etc., right as you are taking the image. This will definitely help speed up your editing even more.

A clean straight out of camera shot that was almost what I wanted to achieve.

A few minor adjustments to amplify the pink/orange hues for a quick edit.

Conclusion

I hope these editing tips were useful. Keep in mind, the whole point of this exercise is to make editing in the field easy and quick.

You can always come back and re-edit those images to perfection when you have the time to spend hours on a single image (we have likely all been guilty of doing that at some point or the other – it is called the photographer’s dilemma!!).

Do you have any other quick photo editing tips you’d like to share? Please do so in the comments below.

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Digital Photography School

April 4, 2018