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How to Make Fake Shallow Depth of Field Using Photoshop

11 Apr

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.

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Choosing the Right Camera Bag for Outdoor and Wildlife Photography

11 Apr

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.

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!

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Tips for Doing Photography On Gray Gloomy Days

10 Apr

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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6 Travel Photography Secrets That You May Not Have Tried

10 Apr

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.

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10 Photography Lessons I’ve Learned Over 10 Years

09 Apr

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?

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How to Choose the Right ISO for Landscape Photography

08 Apr

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!

How to Choose the Right ISO for Landscape Photography

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.

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3 Techniques and Tips for Photographing the Moon in the Landscape

08 Apr

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.

Moonrise over Shack Island - 3 Techniques and Tips for Photographing the Moon in the Landscape

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.

Moonrise over the ocean in Sidney, British Columbia - 3 Techniques and Tips for Photographing the Moon in the Landscape

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.

3 Techniques and Tips for Photographing the Moon in the Landscape - two exposures 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.

Blue, blood, super moon in Ajo, Arizona, 3 Techniques and Tips for Photographing the Moon in the Landscape

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.

Super Moon in Ajo, Arizona by Anne McKinnell

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.

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

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Upgrading Your Camera – New Camera Body or a New Lens?

07 Apr

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.

Upgrading Your Camera - New Camera Body or a New Lens? featured image

dogs 2 - Upgrading Your Camera - New Camera Body or a New Lens?

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.

Upgrading Your Camera - New Camera Body or a New Lens? - photo of a dog

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.

people in dark clothes - Upgrading Your Camera - New Camera Body or a New Lens?

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.

Upgrading Your Camera - New Camera Body or a New Lens? - portrait of a guy

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!

dog running - Upgrading Your Camera - New Camera Body or a New Lens?

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.

Which is the Better Investment When Upgrading - a New Camera Body or a New 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.

Which is the Better Investment When Upgrading - a New Camera Body or a New Lens?

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.

Which is the Better Investment When Upgrading - a New Camera Body or a New Lens?

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.

Which is the Better Investment When Upgrading - a New Camera Body or a New Lens?

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Quick Video Review – What is the Best Camera Bag or Way to Carry Your Gear?

07 Apr

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.

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

Video Quick Review - What is the Best Camera Bag or Way to Carry Your Gear?

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.

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The Winners of the Three NYIP Photography Courses Are . . .

07 Apr

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.

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