Category: Photography

5 Ways to Develop Your Photography Style

Finding your photography style can be a somewhat daunting task especially when you are just starting out. But let me assure you that this also is a problem some of the veterans face from time to time. Do you know why? Because we are human and our likes, dislike, and attitudes do change over time. This is only natural.

While you may think that if you have a good thing going in terms of an established style, why rock the boat? But sometimes not listening to that inner voice can have negative effects in terms of creating work that you are really proud of!

This bridal shoot reflects my style, my branding and the visual aesthetics of my business.

So regardless of where you are in your photographic journey, there are a few things you can do to find your style and creative voice – be it in terms of photographing or editing your photos.

One thing to keep in mind as you are going through this process is that less is often more than enough. So don’t feel like you need hundreds of images to create a successful collection of photographs! Here are 5 tips to get you started on finding or defining your photography style.

#1 – Determine your goals (this is your why)

The first thing to understand in defining your style is to ask yourself what are you looking to accomplish with your photography. Are you looking to photograph for leisure or pleasure? Do you want to sell your work in terms of print or stock? Do you want to use your images for your portfolio to attract a certain type of clients?

There are many different genres of photography and there are many different types of clients for each genre. It’s typically best to start the process of defining your style by focusing on one collection of work at a time, so set your goals on what you want to accomplish for each individual series of work.

I want to create images that really reflect the personality of my clients – the people they are and not the people I want them to be! My client, the couple in this wedding, is really a fun loving bunch with a great set of friends they share lots of laughs and joy with on a daily basis! So this goofy photo was one of their favorites.

#2 – Seek inspiration

Research, research, research. In other words, look around you to see what everyone else is doing and creating. It is very important to be aware of what other photographers are creating in your industry. I am not telling you this with the intention of you copying or following what everyone else is doing. But with the intention of educating yourself on what all is out there in the market space.

When you are defining a unique style for yourself, you can certainly use their work for inspiration, but do make your images different so they speak to you and your own aesthetic sensibilities. Your photographs are a visual representation of your brand, so try to think of ways to be true to yourself while still adding a unique edge to your work.

You can use visual tools like Pinterest and fill it with images that represent the look and feel you are trying to achieve – not just with the photographic style but also the editing style.

This is one of my favorite go-to poses. It was an inspiration from a magazine – it has been used many times over but is still a favorite for both my clients and myself.

#3 – Be your own critic

This may be the most difficult thing to wrap your head and mindset around, but it will definitely help you in the long run. Take a step back and really analyze your work. Pick 10-20 of your favorite images that speak to what you want to focus on (your goals) and really ask yourself what is it about them that you like or dislike. Analyze the images in terms of emotions they convey, tone and mood they set, and even how they look from a distance as well as from up close.

The idea is that you want to bring yourself to a point where you feel you can recognize your style from wherever you look. Look for similarities in subject matter, composition, depth of field, lenses used, tones, colors, and any unique patterns your eye may catch. No matter which genre of photography you are pursuing, you are still the artist behind the camera and you are creating these images.

I love photographing on clear bright sunny days as it really helps me photograph with intention and keep my style in mind.

#4 – Define your rules of engagement

This process is important because it will really help you set guidelines for yourself so you can start to be consciously consistent. Note what makes all of the images unique to your brand and your style of photography, and how you are going to make them better. Maybe even print out your favorite images so you can compare and contrast any new work you produce to fit within the framework of your style.

For example, my work is very light, bright and airy because that is how I like my images. I constantly compare new work to see if it fits within that style. In order for me to photograph in that style, I need a few things to be aligned – bright sun, elements that are pastel toned, and scenes that are less busy. This is not to say that I will not photograph dramatic skies or colorful market scenes – it is just not what my eyes naturally gravitate towards. This is just one of the rules I have given myself permission to maintain in order to stay true to my style.

I love using Instagram as a visual media to showcase my style and my brand. It is a very curated look at how I photograph, what colors I gravitate towards, and how my images look and feel. Instagram is also a way to attract potential customers so I view this platform as an extension of my portfolio.

#5 – Make mistakes intentionally

After all the hard work you have put into defining your style, I am going to do a complete 360 turn and tell you to go ahead and break some of the rules and make mistakes. Why? Because that is the best way to learn what to do and what not to do.

By experimenting and trying out new things, you might find inspiration for a new genre of work. Like I said earlier in the article, your photographic style does not have to stay consistent for the rest of your life. If something else really motivates you and gets your creative juices flowing in spite of having a set style of photography, go ahead and experiment and see where that leads you, based on your why and your goals.

One accidental shutter click or new editing technique can often spark something new that’ll make your work better, or lead you into an entirely new collection of work.

Every once in awhile I find myself walking over to the dark side and I quite like that creative freedom. A photo shoot where the light and shadows were so extreme it opened my eyes to the possibilities of dark and moody images. I love giving myself the freedom to experiment with this style.

Over to you

I hope these simple yet powerful steps help direct you towards finding and experimenting with your own photography style until you find something that is a reflection of you, your mindset, and your brand.

The post 5 Ways to Develop Your Photography Style by Karthika Gupta appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

February 2, 2018
Aperture Versus Shutter Priority – Which Shooting Mode to Use and When

I too was once a beginner and I completely understand that how difficult it is to move into using Manual Mode directly from shooting Automatic. Thankfully camera manufacturers have also thoughtfully provided us with Aperture and Shutter Priority modes. These two camera shooting modes are possibly the best ways you can understand the nature and role of aperture and shutter speed.

Aperture and Shutter Priority are semi-automatic, or we can call them semi-manual camera modes. These two modes can help you get away from the fully automatic modes (P, Auto) and at the same time get you a step closer to using Manual Mode.

What is Aperture Priority Mode?

The Aperture Priority shooting mode allows you to take control of the aperture, whereas the shutter speed and ISO (if you are set on Auto-ISO) are still controlled by your camera. This means that you can adjust the amount of light entering into the camera through the lens. So using Aperture Priority you can set the aperture value as per your need and control the depth of field.

Unlike the automatic modes, this mode gives you the freedom to adjust the aperture value and set the amount of blur effect that you want in your photo.

When should you use the Aperture Priority Mode?

As we discussed, Aperture Priority mode allows you to control the aperture value, which ultimately affects the depth of field. This shooting mode is ideal if you wish to adjust the depth of field as per your desire, whereas leaving the shutter speed and ISO value selection up to the camera.

Situation 1: Portraits

While taking portrait or close-up shots, I am sure you would want to keep the subject in focus and blur out the background by choosing a large aperture (small aperture value). Using Aperture Priority Mode you can manually choose the required aperture value such as f/1.8 or f/2.8 to achieve a shallow depth of field.

Situation 2: Landscapes

While shooting landscapes or cityscapes, you might want to have both the foreground and the background very much in focus. This is only possible if you manually choose a small aperture (high aperture value). Aperture Priority Mode gives you the freedom to select desired aperture value such as f/16 or f/22 to get deep depth of field, while your camera takes care of the shutter speed and ISO value.

Situation 3: Low lighting

Suppose you are in a dim lighting condition and your photos are coming out underexposed. By increasing the size of the aperture opening (selecting a smaller aperture value like f/1.8), you can allow more light into the camera and capture a better-exposed photo. Read: 6 Tips for Getting Consistent Results Shooting in Low Light

Situation 4: Midday bright sunlight

If you are shooting in broad daylight and are getting overexposed photos while shooting in automatic mode, you can close the aperture opening. This means that by using a higher aperture number (like f/16), you can minimize the amount of light entering the camera through the lens.

What is Shutter Priority Mode?

As the name suggests, Shutter Priority mode allows you to take charge of the shutter speed. Just to brainstorm, shutter speed is the duration for which the camera shutter remains open for the light to enter the camera and ht the sensor. The slower the shutter speed is set on the camera, the more the light is received by the image sensor. Similarly, the faster the shutter speed the less light would hit the image sensor.

While you are shooting in Shutter Priority mode, you have the freedom to adjust the shutter speed as per your requirement while the camera chooses the aperture and ISO value on its own.

When should you use Shutter Priority Mode?

As we just discussed, if you want to take full control of the shutter speed and experiment with your camera then this is the ideal camera mode. Let’s look at two situations when you are most likely to shoot in Shutter Priority mode.

Situation 1: Freeze a moving subject

If you want to freeze a fast moving bird, animal, or car in your photo, using Shutter Priority mode will allow you to do so by setting a fast shutter speed. A shutter speed of anything faster than 1/500th of a second is considered ideal for freezing an object, but this may vary depending on the speed of the subject. Your camera will judge the required aperture and ISO values as per the available light.

Situation 2: Showing movement

If you are out and planning to capture star trails, light trails, or blue hour photos, you would have to select a slow shutter speed so that the subject’s movement is well captured in the single photo. To capture long exposure photos, you must carry a tripod along to avoid any kind of shake.

Situation 3: Dim lighting

If you are in dim lighting conditions you might get underexposed photos while shooting in automatic mode. By simply reducing the shutter speed (e.g. from 1/200th to 1/50th), you can allow more light into the camera and capture a well-exposed photo.

Note: Watch out for the shutter speed going too slow as to introduce camera shake into your image;

Situation 4: Broad daylight

Let’s suppose you are shooting in broad daylight and your camera is capturing overexposed photos while shooting in automatic mode. Here you can increase the shutter speed. This means that by using a faster shutter speed (e.g. from 1/200thh 1/1000th), you can minimize the amount of light entering the camera sensor.

Conclusion

Using Aperture and Shutter Priority camera modes enables you to get familiar with how the lens’s aperture and the camera shutter works. These modes ensure that you get well-exposed photos with your desired selection of aperture value or shutter speed, unlike automatic mode (where the camera makes all the choices for you).

So if your utmost priority is to manually choose the desired aperture value in order to get a particular depth of field, then you must shoot in Aperture Priority Mode. Otherwise, if your priority is to choose a specific shutter speed to capture something creative with the available light (freeze or blur motion), then you must go with Shutter Priority camera mode.

The post Aperture Versus Shutter Priority – Which Shooting Mode to Use and When by Kunal Malhotra appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

February 1, 2018
3 Bad Habits You Need to Break to Improve Your Photography

Teaching our photography workshops over the years, my wife and I have come to recognize there are three things many people do habitually which do not help the advancement of their photography experience. Here are three bad habits for you to break in order to improve your photography.

1. Don’t always stand when you take photos

Most beginner photographers do this. They stand at their full height to take a photo. It’s very natural to stand upright and take photos, but it is incredibly limiting. Sure, you see the world from a standing position most of the time, but it’s not always, (or even often,) the most interesting point of view from which to photograph something.

Climbing up on a chair or lying down on the ground will often give you a far more interesting perspective. Getting low or getting up high will afford you a different view of your subject which may be far more interesting because it is not how your subject is typically seen.

Squat down to make eye contact with your smaller subjects.

Look around you for opportunities

I am always looking around for opportunities to get above my subject to make photographs. But you don’t have to go to extremes. Just squatting down or even bending your waist slightly and you will see your subject differently than when you’re standing upright – as will the viewers of your images (that is the key to standing out from the pack).

Getting up higher, above your subject can create a more interesting photo.

Think about it each time you go to make a new photo. Consider getting lower or higher up than your subject. If you can, make a series of photos at each position and compare them all later on your computer. If you do this, pretty soon it will become a new habit.

A lower perspective and using the man’s arm in the foreground created this interesting portrait.

2. Research and understand your subject

Starting to photograph something new and not knowing anything much about your subject is limiting. If you don’t have some understanding of what you are creating photos of they will be more likely to look like anyone else’s photos of the same subject. Getting to know and understand your subject, even a little, before you take any photos will help improve your photography.

I am often surprised when we begin a day photography workshop here in Chiang Mai, Thailand, how little our customers know about the location. We don’t spend a lot of time teaching about the history or the economy. But some essentials about culture and way of life are so beneficial to help people have some understanding of what they are photographing.

For example, knowing that it’s okay to politely photograph monks, knowing a few phrases in the local language, knowing which direction the traffic moves on the road, etc. These are all simple things that can help you have a richer photography experience if you know about them in advance.

Monks in a morning market in Myanmar.

Connect with people

Getting to know a person before you photograph them will help you relate to one another and certainly alter the type of images you will make compared to having no communication with them beforehand. Photographing someone you already know is often easier, unless they are adverse to having their picture taken. But when you meet a stranger and want to photograph them it’s often best to connect with them first, even on some level (a smile can work too).

It does not often take much to encourage a smile.

A smile and saying “Hello”, (preferably in their language) are the best icebreakers most of the time. Often when I am photographing in the streets or markets I will just smile, say hello, and nod at my camera. If the person smiles back I go ahead and make a few pictures. I will then show them the back of my camera so they can see their photos. If I get a favorable response I will turn the camera around and continue to make some more photos.

When I find a person who enjoys the interaction and the experience I will spend more time. This relationship is valuable. Taking the time to relate to and get to know your subject even a little, will help you to make more creative photographs of them because they will be more relaxed and happy that you are showing an interest in them.

A quick internet search on anything you are want to photograph will provide you with more reading than you’re willing to do in a single sitting. You don’t have to go overboard with it, but do spend some time finding the essential information about your chosen subject so you are more informed and more interested in the location and/or person.

3. Use Manual Mode

Learning to use Manual Mode consistently when you are photographing will help your photography more than anything. Having your camera set to any of the Automatic or semi-automatic modes means your camera is in control of the exposure.

Photography is so much about light. The word “photography” literally means drawing with light. If you have no light you cannot make a photograph. The more you can appreciate and understand light, the better you can learn to control the exposure settings on your camera, and the more you will develop as a photographer.

Learn to master your camera

I know there are a lot of hard-core photographers who prefer using auto modes, but it’s really not that difficult to learn to master your camera in Manual Mode and gain the maximum amount of control and creativity with your exposures.

Your camera is incredibly intelligent and capable of making even exposures in many situations. But your camera is not creative. You are!

Taking the time to study a little about how cameras function to capture an image will help you to control your camera more precisely. It doesn’t matter that much which camera you study as they have not essentially changed how they make an exposure since they were first invented.

Practicing in Manual Mode, (and not cutting corners and slipping back into an auto mode,) will help you build your confidence and speed every time you come to make photographs.

Conclusion

Stepping out of your comfort zones and breaking some (bad) habits will help you to develop your style and you will come to enjoy your photography experience more and more.

Move around, look for alternative locations to make your photos. Learn about your subject. The more interested you are and the more knowledge you have will enhance your experience and you will therefore also produce more interesting photographs. Take the time and practice in Manual Mode. You may be frustrated at first because it is more difficult, but the results you will achieve will be well worth your effort.

The post 3 Bad Habits You Need to Break to Improve Your Photography by Kevin Landwer-Johan appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

January 31, 2018
How to Make 5 Different Looks using Aurora HDR 2018

Aurora HDR 2018 has plenty of tricks up its sleeve, and one of those is versatility. It’s not a one-trick pony when it comes to creating your HDR look. The range of different tools really allows you to create a huge variety of looks really easily. Part of that is knowing what your available tools do. The other part is just playing around and exploring your own creative side!

In this article, you’ll see five different looks in HDR and how you can recreate them – but on top of that, you’ll also get them in preset form to use yourself. You’ll also get to see some of the new Lens and Transform options inside Aurora HDR 2018.

Plug it in

Aurora HDR 2018 doesn’t have a way to manage files, but can easily be used from other applications including Lightroom. In fact, you’ll even be able to process the files using Aurora’s built-in HDR processor, so you’re not trying to combine three already rendered files. To run Aurora HDR 2018 from inside Lightroom, you’ll need to run the standalone version first. From the Edit menu on PC or the Aurora HDR Menu on Mac, choose the Install Plugins.. menu item.

From the dialog that appears, choose the host applications that you want to use.

Back in Lightroom, once you’ve selected the bracketed exposures you want to edit, go to the File menu and from the Plug-In Extras menu, choose Transfer to Aurora HDR 2018.

Getting Started in Aurora

Aurora HDR 2018 will load up with your selected bracketed sequence. I’ve chosen these photos specifically because they have lens distortion and a crooked horizon, which you’ll see how to correct shortly.

Once the files have loaded, you can set about working with alignment and ghosting settings. You’ll see the sequence and the bracketing interval in the photos. To align the photos if you’re not on a tripod, click Alignment. To access the other settings, click the cog you see on the bottom left (see below).

If you’ve got photos with moving objects in them, such as waves, trees in the wind or moving people, turn Ghost Reduction on. Choose your preferred reference image, and how strong you want the reduction to be. Color Denoise helps remove noise but increases the time your HDR takes to render. Finally, turn on Chromatic Aberration Removal to automatically get rid of color fringing on your photo.

Lens and Perspective Corrections

In the Filters header, you’ll see two icons. The first is for Perspective corrections or Transform (including rotation) and the second for Lens corrections.

The little odd looking shape is for Perspective and the round one is Lens Corrections.

You can fix rotation here (or using Crop as well) by clicking the Perspective icon. Rotation of 24 and Scale of 50 correct this image nicely.

Transform sliders correcting perspective.

Your penultimate step before going to the individual HDR looks is to fix the bow in the horizon caused by the wide-angle lens. A setting of 18 looks good for this photo. It also reveals that 24 was too much in the previous step, which you can always fix by going back to Perspective correction. 19 looked better zoomed in.

Lens Correction fixing distortion caused by wide lenses.

As the photo is a little underexposed, boosting the Exposure before going to create your looks is probably a good idea. While you may need to change this for each look, an additional stop is a good start here.

#1 Photo-Realistic

For your first look, something photo-realistic is the best approach. You’re not trying to get anything gritty, or super desaturated, or over saturated here. We’ll get to that later.

For this look, use HDR Basic, Color, and HDR Denoise. In HDR Basic, smooth out the dynamic range by reducing Highlights and increasing Shadows. Smart Tone of 44 also helps it along. HDR Enhance (formerly Clarity) brings up some nice detail, 50 is looking well here. Your aim is to get the best looking photo you can before tweaking the look – this will be true of all looks.

The color is a little flat so in the Color panel, you can boost both Saturation and Vibrance to +20. Color contrast, which controls the contrast between the primary and secondary colors looks good around 20 as well. You’re not aiming for extremes here, just to get a good looking photo.

You’ve probably noticed the noise in the clouds at this point. This is where HDR Noise comes in. Setting this to around 25 softens up the noise.

And that makes your first look, a photorealistic HDR photo.

#2 Gritty HDR

With the basic look out of the way, it’s time for the more surrealistic to take over.

Start by using the History Panel to reset everything to your original starting point AFTER increasing the Exposure +1 and applying your Perspective and Lens Corrections. The History Panel records every action you take in Aurora HDR in chronological order, so simply select the last action after the ones you’d like to save, then begin the next edits. The History Panel will begin recording any edits from there leading to your Gritty HDR look!

Now it’s pretty flat and bleak, so you’re going to take it even further in that direction.

Set your HDR Enhance to +100 to get the bleak and gritty ball rolling. Smart Tone of -50 darkens the photo as well, and a hint of Vibrance (+15) gives color to the sky, while leaving the rest of the photo muted.

To complete your gritty look, go to the HDR Structure panel. In the top section, set Amount to 25 to begin to increase detail in the photo. Increasing Softness (+80) makes the detail more realistic, while Boost accentuates it (+75). The latter two sliders might seem at odds, but a quick play shows they complement each other rather than compete.

HDR Microstructure boosts micro contrast, while Softness makes it more realistic. By increasing Amount to 71 and Softness to 28, you’ll get even more detail. You may even like the noise that this processing adds to the photo. I think it’s a big part of the look.

And now you have your classic gritty HDR look!

#3 Warm Ethereal

At the opposite end of the spectrum is a soft and ethereal look. There are two different variations you can have on this, and they depend on using Image Radiance or Glow (and combinations of each). So with a reset to your basic corrected photo, let’s begin again!

A good beginning would be for a warmer look, so set your Temperature in HDR Basic to 10. While Image Radiance does have a Warmth slider, Temperature is much more effective. This look is all about Image Radiance. Set your Amount to 75 to really give the image a glow. Smoothness affects the softness of the image, and in this case, you’ll probably agree, it’s a little too soft, so set it to -50.

Overall at this point, the photo is too bright, so a reduction in Brightness to -76 helps. Darkening Shadows also helps. Finally, for Image Radiance, an addition of +61 Vividness to boost the saturation, while Warmth just adds another hint of yellow tones in a more controllable way than with Temperature.

There’s a lot of warmth in the photo (in a good way), but you may want to add a little contrast of color into it. By using the Polarizing Filter, you can add more blue to sky, emulating a real circular polarizer.

The final thing for this look is for you to introduce a little global detail using HDR Detail Boost. As you can guess Small affects the fine detail, Large affects the global contours of the photo, while Medium controls the details between Small and Large.

To sharpen the global edges, you can push Large. This firms up the edges while retaining the softness that Image Radiance has created. Protection protects fine detail while Masking controls where the effect is applied with 30-70 being optimal.

So that’s your first ethereal look.

Warm Ethereal

#4 Soft Glow

Your second ethereal look uses Glow. Reset your photo again to the settings at the start of the looks. Because Glow works on the Highlights, it’s probably a good idea to reduce your Exposure down to 0.60. Now, go to Glow and set the Amount to 50. A fog settles over the photo. This would work better on a dark evening scene that a sunny day, but you get what it does.

Now that you know what Glow looks like, it’s time to get a little wacky. Start by setting your Smart Tone to -100, and HDR Enhance to 56. This reduces some of the Glow, so set that Amount to 94. You probably want to go a bit wilder with Color, so set Saturation at 50 and Vibrance much higher, at 70. A hint of Color Contrast gives even more of a boost at 30.

For the final part of this look, add +30 Amount from Image Radiance to enhance the glow.

And that’s look #4.

Soft Glow

#5 Nitty Gritty Black & White

And now for something completely different – a nice gritty Black & White. Again, begin with a reset. Now, in Color, turn the Saturation down to -100.

Before going for grit, you’ll need to get contrast right. A few tweaks will get it to a workable point. It’s not set in stone at this point though.

And now you get to go for grit! You can use all the tools from previous looks that gave more detail, so HDR Enhance, HDR Structure, and HDR Details Boost apply. Go wild. This is definitely one for your own taste. The settings used here were HDR Enhance 40, HDR Structure Amount 40, Softness 20 and Boost 50. HDR Microstructure is Amount 47 and Softness 50. HDR Details Boost has Small 31 and Large 50.

Here’s the final look.

Nitty Gritty Black & White

Presets

And here are the five presets for you to use: HDR-5-Looks-Presets. Download the file and unzip it, then save it on your hard drive.

To install the Presets, open the standalone version of Aurora HDR 2018. From the File menu select Show Presets Folder. Drag the new presets folder (you must unzip it first) into that one. Restart the program to have the presets show up in Aurora HDR 2018 (look under User Presets).

Go out there and have a bit of fun with your HDR images, and post your results in the comments below.

Disclaimer: Macphun, soon to be Skylum, is a dPS advertising partner.

The post How to Make 5 Different Looks using Aurora HDR 2018 by Sean McCormack appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

January 31, 2018
Why a Nikon Shooter Bought a Fuji X100F as a Second Camera

In this article (I don’t want to call it a review because) I’ll share my thoughts on why I picked up a Fuji X100F as a second camera alongside all my Nikon gear. And why I love this little camera!

My journey into serious digital photography began in the spring of 2012 when I realized my little pocket camera wasn’t cutting it anymore. After consulting with some friends, my wife and I picked up a Nikon D200 and 50mm prime lens and the rest, as they say, is history.

Over the years our collection of gear has grown to include three Nikon bodies, several lenses, and a host of accessories all of which have come in handy with our family/child/high school senior photography hobby we run on the side. However, after much research and soul-searching (or perhaps you might say goal-searching), I recently added a Fuji X100F to my collection of gear and I thought I’d share some of my reasons why in case you might be going through the same thought process we did.

The Fuji X100F might just be my favorite camera of all time. (Note the camera also comes in retro silver)

Know your needs

Almost any time a club, business, or other organization sets out to improve a particular aspect of its operation the key stakeholders involved perform what’s known as a needs assessment. This is a formal process that aims to help organizations understand gaps or areas of deficiency which can be addressed. They help to guide the improvement so that it is done in a way that matters most. In similar fashion, a needs assessment can make all the difference in the world to photographers as well.

When my wife and I bought that D200 years ago we weren’t exactly sure what our needs were, other than that we wanted better pictures of our newborn son. That camera and lens worked beautifully for a while but soon we started to realize that it had some issues which were hard to overlook.

We learned that the 50mm lens was too restrictive indoors and images that were taken at ISO 800 and above were quite noisy which limited our ability to use this set of gear in challenging lighting conditions. These deficiencies led us to buy a Nikon D7100 and a 35mm lens which enabled us to take pictures at wider angles and in lower-light conditions, and once again our needs were met. For a while.

The Nikon D200 + 50mm lens worked fine, but before too long its limitations started becoming much more apparent and I wanted something more. And as this photo shows, I also needed to work on my photography skills such as composition and light!

Know when to upgrade

As time went on and we became more invested in the Nikon system, I started to once again see some significant limitations of our camera gear. My wife and I were doing more portrait sessions which necessitated the purchase of an 85mm lens and external flash. But at the same time, we felt as though we didn’t quite have the right gear to take the type of pictures of our kids with which we were really happy.

The 35mm lens was nice, but on a crop-sensor body like the D7100 or D200 it wasn’t wide enough for everyday casual use and I often found myself in low-light situations where the high ISO performance of the D7100 just didn’t cut it. Enter the full-frame Nikon D750.

Bear with me, I’m getting to the Fuji X100F!

As we examined our own particular photographic needs we realized that the D750 ticked all the boxes that we had at the time: great low-light performance, superb image quality for portraits, tougher build quality, a larger image buffer, and the list goes on. The D750 seemed like a good logical choice and over time it has only grown more useful. Even my 35mm lens specifically designed for crop-sensor Nikon DX cameras works fine as long as I shoot at about f/4 and don’t mind a bit of vignetting in the corners.

The D750 and a 70-200 lens make family portraits like this possible.

More gear, more problems

Ironically, despite getting more gear, the more limited I still felt in terms of taking everyday photos of our kids – which was the whole reason my wife and I got into digital photography in the first place!

My favorite camera/lens combination quickly became the D750 + 35mm and I found myself using that particular setup almost every time I wanted to just go out and shoot candid pictures of my wife and kids. I took that camera and lens whether we were on vacation, in the backyard, or even on a visit to the park.

The problem was that it is so big and heavy I often found myself leaving it at home and using my iPhone instead, which works fine as long as there’s plenty of light. As soon as the sun goes down or you move indoors, the quality difference between a mobile phone and a larger camera quickly becomes apparent.

The Fuji X100F with 23mm lens is almost exactly the same as a Nikon D750 and 35mm lens, but the sheer size and weight of the Nikon meant I often left it at home. The Fuji gives me almost the same image quality and I can literally take it almost anywhere.

Is yet more Nikon gear the answer?

Professionally, our growing collection of gear brought with it some headaches too. I found myself using the D750 + 70-200mm f/2.8 lens on most of my paid client shoots, but it is really heavy and not at all conducive to close-up shots in small spaces. I had other cameras and lenses but nothing that gave me really good shots with a wider field of view, so for a while, I contemplated getting another D750 and a true full-frame 35mm lens.

However the idea of adding even more gear to my bag, while still not really having a good all-purpose camera I could use with my family, threw me into a bit of a mental slump. I had a clear need that was unmet, but I didn’t want the Nikon gear required to solve the problem.

And then I found the Fuji X100F!

The D750 and a 35mm lens are great for more intimate shots like this, but the size and even the clack-clack-clack sound of the shutter make it somewhat conspicuous.

Form following function

The more I looked at my needs as a photographer the more I realized I was going about things all wrong. Instead of asking myself, “What needs to I have and how can I meet them?” I was stuck in the mindset that I had to stay with Nikon gear because that’s what I already had. I was putting form (i.e. Nikon) over function (what I wanted my gear to do).

Professionally, I had the midrange and telephoto focal lengths covered but I didn’t have anything on the wider end. Personally, I knew I didn’t have a truly portable go-anywhere camera. I was looking for a way to solve these issues with my mind firmly planted in Nikon’s pastures, all the while not realizing that other camera systems might have a much better answer.

Look outside the box

When I discovered the Fuji X100F I realized that it ticked off every single box on my list. Professionally it allowed me to get the kind of close, wide-angle, intimate pictures I couldn’t get with any of my other gear. It was also small and light enough that I could be discrete at events and even carry it as a second body with my heavy D750 and 70-200mm lens doing the heavy-lifting.

The 23mm lens paired with an APS-C sensor meant I would have almost the exact same field of view as shooting at 35mm on a full-frame camera. The wide f/2.0 lens aperture meant that I could get great shots in low light, and even the price was right since the cost of the X100F was less than another Nikon D750 and full-frame 35mm lens.

Finally – the answer was the Fuji X100F

Personally, the Fuji X100F became my go-to camera for almost any situation I found myself in with my family: birthday parties, playing in the yard, going to friends’ houses, taking trips to visit family, and even going on vacations. Prior to getting the X100F, my D750 and 35mm lens were what I used in almost all of those situations. Not only was it heavy and cumbersome, I also felt highly conspicuous taking pictures in casual settings. It’s hard to ignore someone who is wielding a giant DSLR and pointing it in your face!

As an added bonus the leaf shutter in the X100F is almost silent which makes picture-taking in quiet situations much less worrisome. Further, if you want to be really quiet you can enable a fully electronic shutter which lets you take pictures in complete silence. No DSLR can do that, even in Live View, and it’s something I have really come to appreciate about the X100F and other mirrorless systems.

Shot using the X100F’s built-in ACROS black and white simulation mode.

Finally, the wealth of manual buttons and dials on the X100F has been nothing short of a revelation for someone like me who cut his photography teeth long after digital cameras had supplanted most film cameras. Being able to look at my camera and see separate dials for shutter speed, aperture, and ISO means that I no longer have to hunt through menus or assign functions to control dials to get the shots I want.

Add to this the film simulations like Classic Chrome and ACROS, tough-as-a-tank build quality, and the choice to use either an LCD screen or electronic viewfinder and you end up with a camera small enough to take anywhere yet versatile enough to excel in almost any situation.

Finding your solution

I often read articles online about switching from DSLR to mirrorless or vice versa, and there seems to be a persistent debate about which one system better. After my experience with adding a Fuji mirrorless camera to my Nikon DSLR kit, I’ve come to the realization that it’s not about which is better but what gear can meet your needs.

I think the problem that some photographers have, myself included, is that we aren’t good at honestly identifying what problems or needs we have and then working from there to find our answers.

There’s no bad choice – only the right choice for you

Cameras today are so good it’s almost impossible to not get one that doesn’t have great image quality, autofocus, high ISO performance, dynamic range, and so on. What’s much more difficult is finding a camera, lens, or another piece of gear that solves whatever problem you currently have.

There are a time and place for big DSLR cameras, small mirrorless systems, micro-four-thirds models, even mobile phones and computational photography. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks, and each can meet different needs and work fine for you as long as you take the time to find out what your needs really are.

High ISO performance of the X100F isn’t quite as good as a full-frame camera, but it’s not too shabby either.

Conclusion

Going forward I see myself using my Nikon gear for more professional shoots and the Fuji camera as a daily driver that will be more for casual shooting, but it’s not an either/or situation. My old crop-sensor D7100 paired with the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is fantastic for getting pictures of my kids playing sports, while the Fuji X00F is ideal for indoor family sessions or times when I just don’t want the heft of a DSLR.

Who knows, my next camera might be something totally different or it might not be a camera at all and instead be some lessons or even just a trip to see and photograph different places.

Shot using the Fuji X100F’s built-in Classic Chrome film simulation mode.

After hearing my story I’d love to get your input too. What kind of gear do you use, why do you use it, and what steps are you planning to take next to address any issues you might have? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

The post Why a Nikon Shooter Bought a Fuji X100F as a Second Camera by Simon Ringsmuth appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

January 31, 2018
Super Simple Introduction to Manual Mode and How it Will Transform Your Photos
“There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.” Ernst Haas

Do you ever ask yourself why the images you capture are not like the ones you see in your mind’s eye?

Do you ever wonder why your photos don’t look as good as a professional’s? What makes theirs look so great?

The answer is – probably because you are shooting in Auto!

5 seconds, f/8.0, ISO 100

Get more creative with Manual Mode

A professional takes full creative control over every aspect of the photo and makes creative choices in the image creation process. Aperture, shutter speed and ISO are the base. If you don’t control these then you will be unable to create the best possible image.

Digital cameras nowadays make exposure so easy. There doesn’t seem to be a good reason to shoot on manual. But there is – it’s creativity. Specifically, creative exposures.

1/200th, f/2.2, ISO 500

Take control of the process

If you want awesome photos, then shooting with control is the most important part of the creative journey with photography. With Manual Mode, you get full control. Total creativity.

I know a lot of people feel intimidated trying Manual, but I have taught hundreds of people to feel comfortable and confident with it so I know it’s totally possible for anyone to learn.

Even if you aren’t tech-minded, you can do this! All you need is the basic understanding of the process – and practice.

30 seconds, f/10, ISO 200

The camera cannot (at least at the moment) make creative choices in the way that you can. You’ll often end up with un-dynamic exposures when the camera chooses for you.

How many well-exposed photos do you see on Facebook? The majority are shot using some Automatic Mode or another. They are all the same base density. Sure, they are properly exposed, but that base exposure is just the beginning when shooting with intent.

All those exposures start from the same base, zero. Many photographers just leave it there because it looks good, it looks “correct”. That is Auto.

1.6 seconds, f/10, ISO 50

Exposure is part of photographic artistry. Don’t pass on it just because your photos look good….they can be so much better!

Here is the simple method I use to explain the process of shooting in Manual Mode.

The Exposure Triangle

Shooting in Manual Mode means controlling three fundamental settings in photography:
1. ISO
2. Aperture
3. Shutter Speed
Together they are collectively known as “The Exposure Triangle”.

13 seconds, f/9, ISO 250

What do these three controls do?
- ISO is the camera’s sensitivity to light. Think of it this way – do you want the sensor to absorb light quickly, sacrificing detail and contrast (high ISO), or do you want to let the light in slowly absorbing every color, capturing every juicy detail (low ISO)?
- Aperture controls the INTENSITY of the light flowing onto the sensor. Think of coming out of a Saturday afternoon matinee and how intense the light is after being in the dark for a few hours. You’re practically blinded for a moment (until your pupils adjust to the light and become smaller – the aperture opens and closes much the same way). That’s intensity!
- Shutter Speed (SS) is a time value – in other words, how long is the exposure. The time is combined with the intensity of the light from your Aperture setting. Shutter speed is represented as 1/250th of a second, for example.
These three settings are all you need to know about making a manual exposure. That’s it. Now let talk about how to approach it.

1/30th, f/2.2, ISO 3200

Think ISO first

When making a manual exposure ISO should always be your first consideration!

There are two questions you have to ask yourself before you start making exposures.
1. How much light is on the subject?
  This is essentially a technical decision. (ISO)
2. How can I make my subject look its best?
  This is essentially a creative decision. (Shutter speed and Aperture combination)
The answers to these questions are the key to the whole process. Once you have the answers, you can set your exposure.

1/125, f/13, ISO 400

This is how I shoot in Manual Mode, explained in three easy steps.

Step #1 – How much light is on the subject?

Do I have:
- Full daylight
- A gloomy interior
- A heavily shaded area between buildings
- And so on…
2 seconds, f/10, ISO 320

First off, I’ll set my ISO accordingly. I usually go for the lowest ISO I can get away with shooting handheld. If I have a tripod I’ll go even lower. You can go almost a whole day without needing to change your ISO much.

It’s the easiest thing to set and forget. But if you need to move it you can. This is not a big deal on modern cameras where image quality is amazing at almost any ISO.

TIP #1

Set your ISO and don’t think about it unless the light level changes a lot – like you go indoors, the sun sets, or you walk into a heavily shaded area, etc. You get the point.

TIP #2

Look at the light! Photography is a study of light, after all, so your first step is to learn to really see it, to observe what it is doing, its strength and quality. When you have a deep familiarity with light from willfully observing it, you grow to know it.

Being aware of light levels makes shooting in manual much easier. When you are out, be tuned in to the light.

Step #2 – I ask myself “What is my priority?”

How do I decide what is the priority for my shot?

10 seconds, f/11, ISO 50

It all comes down to what I’m shooting – prioritizing shutter speed or aperture to whatever I think will make my subject look its best.
- Am I shooting landscapes and want a wide depth of field? (select a small aperture like f/16).
- Am I shooting portraits and so want a shallow depth of field? (aperture again, this time a wide setting like f/2.8).
- Perhaps I am shooting sports or action, and want pin-sharp images of fast-moving subjects? (shutter speed this time – choose a fast one to freeze the subject like 1/2000th).
I’ll make my choice of shutter speed or aperture as my top priority. Now I have two points of the exposure triangle set. For the last setting, I adjust the exposure on the light meter scale.

1/15th, f/4.5, ISO 12,800

Step #3 – Adjusting the exposure

Now is the time to look at the camera meter.

Use the light meter scale – get the marker near the center or thereabouts with the one remaining dial (in other words if you chose the aperture in step #2, the last one being set here is the shutter speed). On this -2 to +2 scale, where you place the exposure matters a lot! This is the essence of creative exposures. It dictates the mood of the photograph.

Being in the centre or “0” position is rarely the right exposure for me.

Light Meter Scale

Remember, each point of the exposure triangle is NOT fixed. Each click or interval (usually in 1/3 increments) are equal, so 2 (+) clicks of ISO is equal to 2 (-) clicks of aperture or shutter speed. These are called reciprocating exposures and they are the key to shooting creatively.

So, if you find yourself in a situation where you would like a little faster shutter speed, then do it. But compensate with an equal but opposite amount of another setting. What choice you make at this point is completely creative, not technical.

3.2 seconds, f/4.5, ISO 100

TIP # 3

Let’s say you are shooting a landscape with a good foreground, a large tree perhaps, You set your aperture to f/16 for good depth of field (priority), ISO is at 100 and you have a shutter speed of 1/60th. This is a classic landscape exposure – with a lot of Depth of Field.

For an alternative image of the same scene, you could think of the tree as a portrait photo and open up the aperture to f/4 (+4 stops) and adjust the shutter speed to 1/1000th (-4 stops) keeping the ISO at 100 and the exposure the same.

You would lose most of the Depth of Field, but gain a nice bokeh making the tree isolated, like a good portrait. Now you’ve created a different feel to a classic landscape using a reciprocating exposure. But wait, there is still more you can do!

2.5 seconds @ f/4.0 ISO 100

Now, how about underexposing this scene by 1-1.5 stops to create a more low-key moody image. If the tree was in bright sun and the background shaded, I would instinctively underexpose to emphasize that contrast.

Putting it all into practice

You will miss a few exposures now and then. Everyone does, but don’t let it discourage you. I think a big part of the fear of shooting in Manual Mode is the, “I will miss the shot”echoing in people’s heads. Like I say, it happens to everyone.

Losing a few shots is still worth the wealth of knowledge and creativity you get from sticking with it and totally controlling your photography. Those missed shots will appear less and less as you improve, and your new found skill shooting in manual will reflect in your photos.

2 seconds @ f/5.0 ISO 50

I recommend you shoot at least 1,000 images in your practice. If you really focus, you could nail Manual Mode over a weekend. There is no substitute for practice.

Slow down and have fun! It will be worth every bad shot you take.

Study your images in post-production

Once you have taken your images, it is a really good idea to study your images in post-processing. All of the information about exposure is stored in the metadata which you access in a program like Lightroom (you can filter and sort your images by ISO, Aperture, etc.).

1/30th, f/8, ISO 50

A few more final words – and action steps!

Did you know that two of the best ways to fully learn something is to:
1. Practice it
2. Explain it or teach it to someone else
By practicing it over and over you are teaching it into your body, almost like muscle memory. You do it so many times you’ll end up with it being automatic like it is for me (and those with years of experience who make it look effortless).

1/400th @ f/4.0 ISO 200

By explaining it, preferably a few times, to someone else, your brain starts to build new neural networks (which happens anytime you learn anything). So if you want to remember anything, you need to keep the neural networks alive, and by repeating it, explaining it, and practicing it over and over you’ll make that a solid memory in your brain.

So the short term work of repetition leads to remembering it long term. How cool is that?

I really, really hope this has helped you “get” Manual Mode. I love the creative possibilities of photography, and it makes all the difference when you feel comfortable with your tools. I would love to know if this has helped you – and if you’ll take the leap to practice shooting in manual.

The post Super Simple Introduction to Manual Mode and How it Will Transform Your Photos by Anthony Epes appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
January 30, 2018
9 Water Photography Ideas to Make a Splash
So you want to make a splash in photography, well photographing with water is a great place to start. This is a broad area of photography, with many creative possibilities. In this article, you’ll see a selection of ideas for water photography, and how you can try those out yourself.

Will you want to turn your home into a lab to create stunning droplet photos, or prefer the serene calm of long exposure landscape photography? Let’s dive into water photography, and makes some great photos!

You can photograph drops of water mid-air using a strobe.

1 – Water drop photography

This is a popular technique you can experiment with at home, and there are lots of YouTube guides available on how to do this. This is a form of macro photography where you’ll photograph water drops falling into a tub of water. The best results are achieved when combining the technique with off-camera flash.

When combined with an interesting background you can use this as a form of refraction photography, with the background refracted inside the droplet of water. Do you want to push this to another level more? Then look no further than the dripkit, which produces amazing results!

Read this dPS article for more on water droplet photography: Beginner’s Guide to Water Droplet Photography

2 – Long exposure landscapes

Long exposure photography has been one of the most popular forms of photography among landscape photographers for a long time. Head out to the coast, or perhaps to your nearest local river and see what you can do! A tripod is mandatory if you want to try this, and a good ND filter is a great idea as well.
- Capture motion – Exposures of around 1/2 to one second in length will capture the movement of water. For example, waves moving in and out along the coast.
- Silk water – Water cascading down a waterfall can be made to look like silk with exposures between one and two seconds.
- Flat seascapes – Those wishing to make the ocean flat need to expose for 10-seconds or longer.
This coastal scene is captured using a shutter speed of a third of a second.

This is a great way to get amazing photos, especially when you are photographing a rocky coastline. Take care of yourself and your camera gear in these areas though, as accidents can happen. Along the coast, find out what the tide times are so you don’t get caught by the rising water.

Another tip is to watch the waves for around 30 minutes before you start photographing. Waves always come in cycles, with a sequence of much larger waves present in this cycle. You need to know where the force of these larger waves will land before you get too close to the water’s edge.

3 – Freezing objects

Freezing objects is an interesting way to take still life photos, and present an inanimate object in a creative way. As ice is transparent you will be able to see your object inside the ice, although good lighting is needed to make the photo come to life.

Once you have your object frozen in ice use a light source such as a spotlight, or a strobe to backlight it. This works well for many objects, but things you’d find in the sea like fish or seashells would be most interesting. In the winter, of course, you can go out and photograph ice in nature; icicles and ice waterfalls all look amazing.

Freezing fish in ice is a great way to photograph them as a still life. These fish were bought from a local market prior to freezing.

4 – Photographing in the rain

Most photographers will avoid photographing in the rain, concerned that it can damage their camera. This is a valid concern, although with the right precautions there are some amazing photos to be taken. There are several options for protecting your camera from the rain, which you can buy, or you can use a simple plastic bag and a rubber band.

Rain can add a lot of mood to the scene, and shots of people with umbrellas are classic images. In order to pick up the rain itself try photographing against the light, and the rain falling from the sky will give your photo more impact.

The rain shows up well in this scene because it is lit up by a nearby street light.

5 – Mixing oil and water

Back in your home laboratory, it’s time to mix some opposites together. Adding oil to water is a great way for you to make interesting texture photos. In order to create a series of photos of oil and water, follow these steps.
- Add water and oil to a glass container, one with a clear transparent base.
- Bridge the container over a surface, you could use two piles of books to create the supports.
- The oil will make a large bubble, and not mix with the water. To create smaller oil bubbles add liquid soap and mix the solution.
- Below the glass container add your background image, this will add color to your photo.
- Use a macro lens to focus on an area of oil, the more circular shapes the better.
- Either use a strong spotlight, or a strobe linked by radio trigger to your camera. This will be used to light your photo.
Oil and water don’t mix, which can make some nice colorful texture photos.

6 – Water droplets on glass

A similar approach to mixing oil with water is to photograph water droplets on glass. This form of water photography uses refraction to create its effect. The following steps are a guide for creating this style of photo.
- Use a clear piece of glass, one from a picture frame would work well.
- Create two piles of books, and place the glass over the piles. Make sure there is a gap to photograph through in the middle.
- For better results, smear some windscreen rain repellent onto the glass. This hydrophobic substance will make the water droplets form more circular drops. Once you have added the repellent allow it to dry for a few minutes.
- Add the water to the glass surface. To be more precise use a water dropper, or alternatively use a water spray bottle.
- Add a background image behind the glass, choose one that will create an interesting refraction inside the droplets.
- Use a macro lens, and focus on an area of glass that has some interesting water drops. Focus the camera on the water drops.
- Use an externally triggered strobe to light up the image behind the glass, and expose your photograph. As a guide or starting point, an aperture of f/9, a shutter speed of 1/60th and an ISO of 200 were the settings I used for these images.
In this photo the South Korean flag is refracted inside water drops on a glass surface.

7 – Water photography with reflections

Water photography can provide some of the best reflections out there. Pick a nice calm day and head to your nearest reflection pool! A few tips that will help enhance your photos are listed below.
- After the rain – Immediately after it’s stopped raining is one of the best times to photograph. Puddles offer some of the best reflection pools you can find, and they only form after the rain.
- Calm days – Larger bodies of water such as ponds or lakes will also reflect, though these need to be visited on days when there is no wind at all so the lake is perfectly still and calm.
- Get the angle – Getting closer to the body of water will improve the reflection. The angle of incident light is equal to the angle of the reflected light, so get low to the surface of the water.
- Polarize the light – To really bring out the reflection using a circular polarizing filter will make the reflection much stronger (just be careful to turn it the right direction otherwise it will eliminate the reflection).
Rice paddy fields form amazing reflection pools. The calm of dawn was the perfect time to photograph this location.

8 – Making a splash with water photography

Water can of course look incredible when it impacts something, or something impacts it. The splash this creates needs a fast shutter speed to capture and freeze it in motion. There are a few popular methods that you can try with splash water photography.
- Drop an object – Dropping objects into water is another twist on still life photography. The moment of capture is made using a strobe, with objects often dropped into a fish tank or perhaps a wine glass.
- Throw your hair – This can be great fun to play with on the beach. The idea is to put your head in the water, then throw your hair back (or get a model to do so for you). The water droplets this creates can now be photographed, they’ll be picked up better against the light (with backlighting).
- Throw water at an object – Here you pick an object, or even a person and throw water at it or them. Catch the moment of impact, and you could have a good photo. This works best when done with strobes to light up the water.
Dropping objects into water can make a real splash!

9 – Underwater photography

This niche area of photography allows you to fully immerse! Underwater photography is not cheap though, and to get professional results you’ll need expensive housing for your dSLR, which will also house a light source that can be taken down to the ocean floor.

Photographing with a model can also be fun underwater, once again providing you have the equipment!

Underwater photography is fun and challenging. With better equipment the results can be very impressive.

Now it’s your turn!

With so many possibilities for water photography projects, which one will you choose? When you’ve had a chance to try one of more of these ideas come and share your experience, and of course your photos.

Already tried taking photos like this? Then share your work in the comments section below, we love to see your photos.

The post 9 Water Photography Ideas to Make a Splash by Simon Bond appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
January 30, 2018
How to Know if You Should Upgrade Your Equipment or if You Just Have Gear Lust

Gear lust – it’s out there and is bound to bite you sooner or later. Whether photography is a business or a hobby for you, gear lust is a natural part of the consumer cycle. But there is a sane way to approach your desires and check if they are ruling you or you are ruling them. So here are some tips to help you know if you should upgrade or it’s just gear lust.

New Photo Equipment Flowchart

Follow this flowchart to see where you land. Only if you end up at a green bubble should you consider upgrading or buying more camera gear.

Click to view the chart in a new tab or print it out.

Do you shoot for profit?

The first question on the chart is the most defining, “Are you going to make money from this lens?” Whether photography is a hobby or profession for you makes a big difference in the purchase decision. I believe both groups should look at the choice through different eyes, so let’s start down the hobby side of things first.

Skip down to below the hobby section to find the questions for profitable shooters.

Hobby: What can’t you currently do with your gear?

If you can’t answer this question truthfully, then you have textbook gear lust. If you answer it and that answer is, “Nothing,” you too have gear lust. That’s not a bad thing! I just want to help you recognize it so you can make your choice with a little more clarity.

But, if there is a technique or style you have tried to replicate over and over again with your current equipment, such as parallel lines in architectural photography or a ten-minute exposure when your camera has no Blub mode, you’re one step closer to justifying an outlay of cash. So let’s take a look at your next question.

Hobby: Should you buy pro equipment?

This question is usually related to lenses but can be adapted to camera bodies, lighting equipment, printers, and more.

If you’re in this photography game for the long haul, it’s in your best interest to purchase higher quality equipment. Lenses specifically will last through a number of camera bodies over the years, while camera bodies tend to make reasonable improvements every 3-5 years.

I usually suggest intermediate or pro-quality equipment to anyone who has been using their gear for a couple of years and continually hits the limit for its abilities. Then we need to ask the next critical question…

Hobby: Can you afford it?

If you can’t afford the higher quality equipment, and you can still justify the need to upgrade, I would suggest looking for used equipment in the style you want or possibly renting it for a short-term project. This is an excellent idea for trips abroad, for instance.

If you have come this far and can afford the purchase without going broke, hungry or breaking up a relationship to do so, I say go for it! It might be wise to do a quick cost/benefit analysis (e.g. I’d rather spend $ 1500 on travel than on a new lens). That might point you to a cheaper option to balance the scales, which tends to be a wise choice for hobbies. Or you might find bliss in your Gear Lust (this time) and will revel in the joy of new shooting opportunities.

Profit: Should you get pro equipment?

If you are making a profit or looking to do so with your equipment, you’re going to want to look at this decision through money-making glasses. That equipment won’t do you any good if it just sits on a shelf. It needs to be making you money!

To answer the pro equipment question for profit-seekers, let’s look at how this lens will be used. Make no mistake; it’s easy for pros to justify business-related purchases right away when they are really just gear lust in disguise.

Real Life Lesson: I bought a drone on the chance that I’d get a gig where I’d use it heavily. The client ended up canceling the project, but I bought the drone before the contract was signed, because of my gear lust. I made up a reason to justify it when I had no concrete payback schedule. Now I use the drone mostly as a hobby and it dented my pocketbook unnecessarily.

Should you get pro equipment? Let’s ask first if the photos are mission critical.

Profit: Are your photos mission critical?

Relating another analogy from my recent past, I bought a nice Sigma 150-600mm Sport Lens because I recently got into birding. I ‘”needed” (heavy emphasis on the quotes) a longer lens to capture those small or far away birds. That’s bad, expensive gear lust and I didn’t ask myself the “Mission Critical” question.

On the other side of the coin, I also shoot weddings and portraits, so buying a new 24-105mm lens would easily be justified, because the lens will pay for itself over time. Those photos are mission critical and pay my bills. Photos of bird, currently, do not. “Maybe I’ll sell some photos in the future,” is not the best business decision to make and the purchase of said item should be put off until it can be afforded as a hobby.

Profit: Will the equipment increase profits?

These new photos you will take with this new equipment, will those photos increase your profits? Really?

Dig deep with this one, because you need to look at this as a business decision. Do you have work lined up that will pay for most, if not all, of the new equipment purchase? If so, skip to the last question. If not, continue.

Profit: Is the new equipment replacing old equipment?

If you’ve answered no this far, this no is your last. It’s gear lust, plain and simple.

If you are replacing old gear, the purchase can likely be justified. Especially if you can offload your old equipment or use it as a much-needed backup. But I have one last question for you before you click the “Buy Now” button.

Profit: Can your old equipment be repaired?

I felt gear lust strong and clear when my 28-300mm L lens started having problems. A new one, not all scratched up, would be so nice. Then I asked Canon about fixing it. They said it would cost me $ 300. Once I compared that to the $ 2700 cost of buying a new lens, my decision was clear.

This choice can be made more difficult if the manufacturer has upgraded your camera or lens to a Mark II or III version. If your old equipment is simply aged beyond your capabilities, or it can’t be repaired, it’s time to buy new gear. But if it can be repaired and you can get a few more years of use out of it, then save your profits for expanding your business rather than giving in to gear lust.

Profit: At what photo business stage are you?

You’ve made your way through the chart and are going to buy that new piece of equipment. Congratulations on being clearheaded!

There is one last thing to consider: What stage are you at in your business development?

Beginner

If you’re just beginning, I would consider some lower cost options for equipment. This might mean getting a mid-level camera body instead of the $ 8000 pro-version that gear lust is drawing you toward. Spending $ 6500 more than you need to on a camera body won’t make you that much more profit. Investing it in advertising has a better chance of bringing in more clients and hence more profits.

If you have a specific project to shoot for a client and you’re not sure if you’ll use that equipment afterward, renting can be a viable option to keep your profits up.

You’re getting some paid gigs

If the money is coming in steady enough, but it’s not your main source of income yet, then it’s likely a good time to upgrade to better gear. Especially if you have made a case for how you can increase profits or ease workflow (e.g. replacing a 6-year old computer will vastly improve your editing speed and leave more time for finding and shooting new gigs).

Be honest with yourself here. If paid work is sporadic and you can do other types of jobs to make cash, hold off on spending profits until the volume is up and more regular.

Also, I highly suggest upgrading your lenses before your bodies, all things being equal. While getting a new body that has GPS or one extra frame per second in high-speed mode might seem tempting, a faster and sharper lens will improve your end product in a more profitable way.

You make regular income with photography

If the dough is rolling in regularly and you can see the next three years being this way, pull the trigger and buy that new gear. You’re in this for the long-haul and can write off the new equipment as a business expense over its useful life.

Hint: If a new purchase would put your balance sheet far into the red for the year, you’re not making enough regular income.

Conclusion

Gear lust happens to us all and it can be a struggle. I’ve suffered from it more than once and made bad choices more than once – thus the reason for this flowchart.

I hope it helps you find your way to photo-taking bliss. Remember, that’s why we own all this stuff: to take amazing photos. Don’t let the gear lust pull you away from that goal.

The post How to Know if You Should Upgrade Your Equipment or if You Just Have Gear Lust by Peter West Carey appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

January 29, 2018
8 Ideas of What To Do With Your Vacation Photos
Going on vacation is one of the best opportunities to practice travel photography. But the problem persists that more often than not, those boatloads of vacation photos that you snapped end up going nowhere other than maybe scattered about on Facebook.

Sound familiar? You’re definitely not alone! If you’re looking for ways to actually use your vacation photos, here are 8 ideas to get you started.

1. Make a blog post

One of the best ways to recap your vacation is to make a blog post, combining photos with stories and words to give it more context. Don’t have a blog? No worries! It’s very easy to create a free blog on sites like WordPress. If making a blog sounds like too much, Adobe Spark offers a free, very intuitive format for quickly creating a travel blog of words and photos.

Creating a quick, easy, and free “blog” on Adobe Spark. This is s snapshot from the one I created for our trip to Italy ad our wedding.

2. Create an online slideshow

If you’d rather not go through the hassle of putting a blog together, an online slideshow is another way to make a digital presentation of your photos. Simply upload your photos to an online slideshow maker such as Pholody, select background music, and share or download the slideshow.

Alternatively, you can also turn your favorite vacation photos into screensaver slideshows or desktop backgrounds for your laptop or cell phone. How to Create a Simple Slideshow in Lightroom is another way to do it.

3. Strategically post to social media for the most traction

This is probably the most obvious use of vacation photos that may not seem worthy of even being mentioned, but hear me out.

If you aspire to have your photos viewed by more than just your current followers, you’ll have to be more strategic in how you post your images. This means adding hashtags and tagging tourism-related businesses that relate to your photos. Think airlines, tourism boards, local Instagram communities…the list goes on.

Research hashtags and businesses ahead of time and keep a list handy in Evernote so you can easily copy and paste them into your Instagram posts.

4. Print a photo book, scrapbook, or photo album

Some photos simply pop and look better when they’re physically printed in book form. Consider putting together your top vacation photos and getting them printed via a service.

I recently used Zno and was impressed with their high-quality printing and the fact that the images lay flat without the book gutter running through them. Another service called ChatBooks is a little more automated and can sync your Instagram or Facebook photos into a book design for printing. If you’re more DIY-inclined, you can also opt for making batch photo prints and sticking them in an album or scrapbook.

See also: How to Create a Simple Blurb Photo Book in Lightroom

A Lay Flat photo book by Zno.

5. Make postcards or thank you cards

More often than not, your vacation will fall between occasions when you might receive gifts from friends or family. This is the perfect opportunity to create unique thank you cards using your own vacation photos. Also, consider creating fun postcards to send to friends and family as a recap of your trip.

If you’re a professional or aspiring photographer, you can even use these postcards as a form of a business card, handing them out to curious passersby who want to know where to find more of your work.

6. Create your own custom postage stamps

Before you send off that custom postcard or thank you card, make sure you include a custom postage stamp. You can use any of your own photos or use a pre-made design. These postage stamps are real and are licensed for use by the United States Postal Service.

7. Transform your photos into wall art

It’s not unusual to capture some of your very best travel photos while on vacation. Whether it’s a great family photo or a stunning landscape, there’s almost always a photo or two in your albums that are print-worthy. So why not turn them into actual photo prints?

Making prints is incredibly easy to do via online ordering. You also have a plethora of print material options including traditional photo prints, canvas, metal prints, and even wood.

For more on printing, see these dPS articles:
- Digital Photography – Is it the Death of Prints?
- How to Size and Export Images from Lightroom for Facebook and Print
- How to Prepare Your Images for Print and Display
- 5 Steps to Creating a Printed Photo Collection as Wall Art
- 5 Tips for Going from Pixels to Print Quality
8. Print your photos on…just about anything!

Thanks to printing companies such as Zazzle, you can print your photos on a wide range of objects. T-shirts, magnets, and mugs might seem like traditional items on which you tend to find custom printed photos. But did you know that your photo can be printed on an iPhone case, blanket, pillow, bath mat, Zippo lighter, playing cards, and even a skateboard?

Over to You

What are some creative ways that you have utilized your vacation photos? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below. And show us the photos!

The post 8 Ideas of What To Do With Your Vacation Photos by Suzi Pratt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
January 29, 2018
How to Make and Fold a Little Photographic Zine
Basically, a zine (pronounced “zeen”) is a low-budget DIY booklet. The word stems from the shortening of the word magazine and was developed as a rejection of commercialism and mainstream publications. In stark contrast to the mass media industry, zine artists don’t seek to make a profit. Instead, they are designed to share ideas, stories, and artistic work.

Due to the fact that they haven’t gained much of a corporate backing, creators of zines pay homage to their own creative roots, carving an organic niche in visual arts for themselves. Originally churned out by hand, the prospect of a potential zine is an exciting one, with an endless amount of technology, media, and materials readily available.

The constant evolution of technology mixed with older, more traditional techniques means that zines continue to intrigue with highly individual and versatile methodology.

The contemporary zine emerged alongside technology like the photocopier. The interest and creation of zines grew in popularity during the punk movement of the 70’s and quickly spread from the United Kingdom to Australia and America. Marginalized creatives sought a medium that wouldn’t leave them broke. Graffiti was one solution to the problem, and one of the others was zine-making.

Authors of zines soon developed the DIY magazines to incorporate new ideas, personal observations, poetry, concepts, and artworks within their limited pages. Let’s have a look at one of the predominant zine styles today – and how you can make simple and effective photography books with a printer and a bit of low-grade origami!

How to create your own zine

You will need
- A few blank pieces of A4 paper
- Photo editing and printing technology
- A craft knife
- A marker, pen, or pencil
Method

Zines are designed as a simple, accessible and low-cost project. With a couple of folds, a simple piece of paper can become a comprehensive creative space.

First, we’ll build a scaffold to get a hold on the zine’s layout. It’s important to visualize the construction of a zine to understand the folding process. The layout will also guide your images later. Practicing the process will allow you to create work quicker, but also with greater efficacy.

For this project, I’ll be using a blank, A4 sheet of paper – but different sizes and colors work well too! Let’s get started.

Folding the paper

Step 1 – Folding

Fold your original paper (1) so the short edges touch and press down on the crease with a finger to create a neat line in the center of the page (2). Always fold the two smaller edges of paper together. Folding length-ways results in a paper fan instead. Fold 2 in half so that the shorter sides of the folded paper intersect. Press down along the center line to make a crisp edge on stage three. The next stage is…you guessed it! Double stage three over and crease at the fold to make stage four.

Unfold the paper.

Now, open your paper. You’ll see 8 evenly divided rectangles.

Labeling each of the sections of the paper.

Step 2 – Labeling

The next step is labeling each of the sections of your paper. Looking at the image above, you’ll notice that half of the pages are marked upside down. Folding the final stages of the zine can be tricky. Each image needs to be oriented in a specific way. The end result of the zine will be made up of different orientations of your paper, due to the final folding process. If you want all your images to be one size and right-side up, mapping our the zine’s final orientation like this is invaluable.

Mark one line and make a cut.

Step 3 – Cutting

Next, you’ll need to put a neat horizontal line in the inner two pages of the layout. Mark a continuous line between page 1 and page 4 and between page 5 and the front cover (as shown above). With a sharp craft knife, cut along the mark you made. Just be sure the knife is sharp, otherwise, it will leave nasty edges all the way up and down your cut.

Once you have finished cutting the marked horizontal line, you will have a result like this. with a pointed gap in the center of your paper.

Step 4 – Refolding into the zine

Hold onto the outer layers of the paper with your fingers and gently push the outer pages toward the middle slit, so that the slice opens up to accommodate the pages (see below).

As you push the push the outside layers of the paper, it will form together like a star.

As you press the ends together, the other pages will form around the folded slit. Be sure to check that the front and back pages are in the right place with a little bit of fiddling.

Your complete layout has folded down into a neat zine. So what’s next?

Photographic Zines

Photographic books are one of the best ways to share your photography. But producing professional-grade art books is a seriously costly undertaking. They may be small, but zines are a powerful and fun way to present your work and build networks.

The DIY nature of zines adds an extra layer of physicality to a body of work. They emphasize tactility, size, and detail. As they are handmade, each zine is a personal, tailored body of work, with the care that can only be imbued by hand. Because they take on an informal appearance, people will be much more inclined to touch and interact with your work. The price of the copies doesn’t hurt the viewer’s hip pocket either. They can take your work and revisit it again later – at minimal cost to creator and viewer.

Making a photographic zine

Because we will be working on the computer, grab a template like the one below and open it in a new document in Photoshop. You can copy mine if you like. Open up a new document and paste the layout onto the page.

Carefully transpose each of your images to the corresponding page on the layout. Refer to your test dummy zine to visualize each page in the booklet. Remember, each image has to be orientated in the same way as the layout. Otherwise, you will end up with upside down images on your final zine.

For the cover of this zine, I’ve decided to use a joint image that spans over both the back and front page so that the pages will correspond.

Here is the final layout before I print my zine. I took the time to experiment before sending it off to the printer. Then, printed in a matter of seconds, I have my zine layout ready for folding!

Following through the folding instructions above, you’ll have your finished product! Now that you’ve made one, are you tempted to get started on a few more?

Here are a few examples of some recent zines I’ve made.

This little character is a blood mascot tasked with recruiting more blood donors in Japan. I took a photo of her one day, and it was so cute I upped the contrast and used her as the front cover of a zine.

To create this zine, I simply recycled an image I printed by mistake

I printed this photo which is a scan of an inky painting. I also added a blank white square to the back page section, for a little message to a reader.

To make this zine I incorporated a few film photographs I took one night. Film makes great material for zines. Note that there is a white strip in the layout, due to a film end. I decided to leave it in the design as a testament to the original image.

Conclusion

Zines are all about sharing art and creativity, founding trades and friendships across the world. Please share your photographic zines below, I would love to see them. Perhaps we could set up a trade!

The post How to Make and Fold a Little Photographic Zine by Megan Kennedy appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
January 28, 2018