Category: Photography

New Lightroom CC or Lightroom Classic: Which Version is Right for You?
You may have heard that Adobe recently unveiled some pretty significant changes to Lightroom. When you consider using Lightroom, you will now have two different versions to choose from; both are aimed at different audiences. In this article we will take a look at both the new Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic, so you can choose the one that best meets your needs.

How we got here

There are a lot of letters and numbers associated with Lightroom, so it might be helpful to walk through a quick timeline of how we got here.

In the beginning, way back in 2007, there was Lightroom. At first, Adobe was content to come out with periodic new releases and number them. So we had Lightroom 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0, with each version they added some new features. If nothing else, the system was easy to understand.

After that, however, Adobe moved to a subscription model. They simply called it Lightroom CC, which stood for Creative Cloud. With the change to the subscription model, there wouldn’t be big periodic launches. Instead, new features would be rolled out periodically. That’s the world we lived in until recently.

Now, however, Adobe has essentially split Lightroom into two different applications. They are Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.

Lightroom Classic

Let’s start with the simple one, Lightroom Classic. If you are already familiar with Lightroom, then this is the easy one to understand. Lightroom Classic is basically the same Lightroom you have been using but it’s just updated a little bit. There are really only two changes.

The first is that it is faster. It uploads (imports) image faster, it moves through pictures faster, it edits faster – it seems to do everything faster. There have been a lot of complaints about speed in recent versions of Lightroom. As Adobe added more and more features, it gummed up the works so it was moving slower and slower. Adobe clearly made fixing this a priority.

So Lightroom Classic is faster – a lot faster – than previous versions of Lightroom. How much faster? I haven’t seen any numbers, but the increase in speed will be noticeable to you immediately. It is much faster.

Beyond the speed, is there anything actually different between Lightroom Classic and the prior version? Yes, but not that much. In fact, when it comes to making global changes to your pictures, there is nothing different. The features and controls are all exactly the same. There is one change that is small but is really handy if you make local adjustments to your pictures (i.e. changes to discrete portions of your pictures rather than the whole thing).

Adobe added new masking controls to the local adjustment tools – those being the Adjustment Brush, Graduated Filter, and Radial Filter. It is called the Range Mask feature, and it allows you to limit the selection you make by either the Luminance or the Color. In other words, if you make a selection with the Adjustment Brush or one of the filters, but there are things you don’t want to be included in your selection, you can remove them using these tools. This promises to make local adjustments much more doable in Lightroom.

Lightroom CC

Now comes the new part, and the one everyone is talking about (for good or for bad), Lightroom CC. This is a whole new Lightroom. It really comes down to three principles.
1. Lightroom CC is simpler to use
2. It is designed for mobile devices
3. It relies largely on cloud storage
Let’s take a look at each of these.

#1 Lightroom CC is simpler

Lightroom CC has a simpler interface. It is streamlined and more intuitive. Those new to Lightroom will find it easier to navigate and use.

Simplified Lightroom CC editing controls.

This comes at a cost though. Experienced Lightroom users will find the experience a little like switching from Photoshop to Photoshop Elements. There are entire modules of Lightroom that are missing from Lightroom CC.

There are no Print, Maps, or Books modules. There are some editing functions that are missing as well (the Tone Curve and Camera Calibration). There is no Photo Merge or HDR. In fairness, however, over 90% of the editing functions in traditional Lightroom are present in Lightroom CC.

Expanded Lightroom CC editing controls.

#2 Lightroom CC is for mobile

Lightroom CC is designed for mobile platforms. It will look and work exactly the same whether you use it on your phone, your tablet, or your desktop. You’ll be editing full resolution versions of your photos, and they will be synced to all your devices. What’s more, Lightroom CC makes it easy to share your photos to various social media channels. Because of this, however, you can only export to JPEG (no PSDs or TIFFs) and only in sRGB, which is the color space that is used for all online photos.

#3 Cloud storage

All your edits in Lightroom CC are backed up to cloud storage. Of course, this will cost you extra. More about the plans below, but the first TB of data will cost you $ 10 a month, and it goes up from there. There is also an additional element of organization added in; Lightroom CC uses Adobe’s Sensei to automatically add keywords to your photos.

The Plans

Here’s the deal, though, you don’t necessarily have to choose between the different versions of Lightroom. If you subscribe to the Photography Plan (in my opinion, most readers of this website should be doing that) you already get Lightroom CC. It has just been added to your subscription, along with a token 20 GB of cloud storage. If you aren’t already familiar with the Photography Plan, it is where you get Photoshop and Lightroom for $ 10 a month.

If you want additional cloud storage, it will cost you more. 1 TB of cloud storage costs another $ 10 a month, taking the Photography Plan plus the 1 TB of cloud storage up to $ 20 a month.

Finally, if you only want the new Lightroom CC, you can get it along with 1 TB of cloud storage for $ 10 a month. That might be a good option for those that are very mobile, store everything to the cloud, and/or are just getting started with Lightroom.

Here is a chart from Adobe showing the options:

Purchased outright version is going away

There is one more thing you need to know. If you want to purchase Lightroom outright and avoid the monthly charge, you can still do so, but Lightroom 6 is your last chance. Adobe will also stop updating that fairly soon (meaning if you buy a new camera and LR 6 can’t open the raw files there will be no update for that – you’d have to convert them all to DNG before importing). The days of being able to purchase Lightroom (as opposed to renting it) appear to be just about over.

Which version of Lightroom is right for you?

So, which one is right for you? If you are just starting out with Lightroom and your photography is based on mobile platforms, then Lightroom CC might be for you. But if you are already using Lightroom, I think Classic is the way to go.

If you are used to Lightroom, then switching to CC will probably seem like a step backward. Further, if you tend to use desktops and laptops for your editing, then Classic is clearly the way to go. For those instances when you need to do something on your phone, there is always Lightroom Mobile (not ideal, but it works in a pinch).

Of course, all this assumes that Adobe keeps updating Lightroom Classic (the use of the term “Classic” has a lot of people scared since that is often the kiss of death in the tech world). For the moment at least, Adobe is promising continued updates to it.

Poll

Fill in this quick poll and tell us what you’ll be choosing in regards to Lightroom.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

The post New Lightroom CC or Lightroom Classic: Which Version is Right for You? by Jim Hamel appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 10, 2017
Tips for Shooting Cityscapes Through a Window at Blue Hour

Shooting cityscape photos from inside a building (such as an observation deck of a tower, hotel room, etc.) pose a different set of challenges that you won’t experience shooting outdoors. Here are a few easy-to-follow tips for shooting the city at blue hour, with a focus on how to eliminate unwanted reflections from the glass.

The reflection-free shots above of Fukuoka skyline (Japan, top), Shanghai skyline (China, center) and Ho Chi Minh City skyline (Vietnam, bottom) were shot through glass windows of Fukuoka Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center Observatory and Bitexco Financial Tower respectively – following the methods described in this tutorial.

Bring a mini-tripod

In order to shoot at blue hour, a tripod is essential whether you’re shooting indoors or outdoors. But some observation decks don’t allow tripods because they are seen as a hindrance for other visitors. In that case, you may try to bring in a mini-tripod like a Gorillapod, as it’s unlikely to disturb other non-photography visitors.

Even if tripods are allowed, you may as well bring a mini tripod just in case, as it comes in handy when there is no suitable space to set up a regular tripod.

Wipe the glass with a cloth

Glass windows of an observation deck aren’t always clean. Make sure to keep a cloth in your camera bag so that you can wipe an area to shoot through if it’s dirty. Obviously, you can’t wipe the other side of the window, though, so choose an area that has no stains, etc.

How to eliminate reflections off the window

This is the biggest challenge when taking photos through a glass window. The window works much like a mirror and it’s hard to completely prevent reflections (e.g. such as yourself, room lights) from showing up.

Typical tips to follow are shooting in close and as straight as possible to the glass (i.e. leaving a little gap between the glass and the lens so as not to let indoor lights creep in) and using a polarizing filter which helps cut reflections to some extent. Aside from these tips, I’d recommend the following “tools”.

Ho Chi Minh City skyline (Vietnam) shot through the window of Bitexco Financial Tower. I tried my best by getting the lens really close to the window (almost touching it) and using a polarizing filter, but the room interior and stray lights still got reflected in the glass.

Using a DIY blackout curtain

This might be an old-school method, but I recently came across a photographer doing this on the observation deck of Shanghai World Financial Center (see below). Not advisable to use such a large curtain, though, as it blocks the view for other visitors and you’ll run the risk of being asked to leave by floor staff.

Using a black jacket

I used to rely on this method and it worked relatively well. Set up a tripod very close to the window, and cover the whole rig (camera and tripod) with a black jacket to create a closed-in area around the camera so that no indoor lights get inside the jacket. Make sure to use a “black” jacket to reduce reflections, as a lighter-colored jacket does more harm than good and causes even more reflections.

Using black neck gaiter

This used to be my favourite method, as it doesn’t really catch the unwanted attention of other visitors (compared to using the jacket, etc.). The concept here is the same as using a jacket. To block any stray lights from getting in, wrap the black neck gaiter (neck warmer or scarf) around the lens and push the whole setup (camera and tripod) onto the window to completely shade the front element of the lens.

Using a black jacket (left) and a black neck gaiter (right) to shade the front element of the lens and cut reflections from the window.

Using a lenskirt

A lenskirt is a tool specifically created to cut out reflections. This is what I’ve been using for the past few years with great success. By attaching a lenskirt to the front of your lens and the pushing suction cups onto the window, it shades the front element of the lens. This helps cut reflections from the window, leaving no chance for any stray light to get in.

With a black neck gaiter, I always had to make sure not to have vignetting (dark corners) by checking through the viewfinder (due to the edges of the neck gaiter getting too close to the lens). But the window-facing end of a lenskirt opens up like a softbox, so there is no worry of any edge vignetting being introduced.

Conclusion

I hope these tips help you take reflection-free cityscape photos through glass windows of an observation deck on your next visit.

Lastly, you may wonder why I didn’t mention a rubber lens hood (which is said to work well for shooting through glass). I’ve tried it before but found it prone to vignetting, especially at a wide angle like 18mm or wider. And, when shooting cityscape photos from high above like an observation deck, you’re very likely to shoot wide, therefore I’ve excluded it from the list.

If you have any other tips or experiences using these suggested tools in this post, please share them in the comments below.

The post Tips for Shooting Cityscapes Through a Window at Blue Hour by Joey J appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 10, 2017
How to Capture the True Nature of Indigenous Cultures with Sensitivity
This article is definitely going to be a switch from my normal contributions here on dPS, but it’s a topic that is quickly becoming relevant in today’s society. As more people travel and snap photos, it’s becoming increasingly popular to shoot photos of various indigenous cultures. Indeed many different indigenous groups offer travel packages where you can experience their culture and way of life.

Photographing Indigenous Cultures is Important

When you think of photos of indigenous people this image probably doesn’t come to mind but this is “us” too.

The additional attention is certainly not a bad thing. For far too long various indigenous groups throughout the world have suffered from racism and just plain poor treatment. As a member of an indigenous group, I see a lot of positives in the awakening and the growing awareness of the plight of these groups of people.

My mother’s side of the family is Algonquin. My ancestors and other members of the Algonquin nation inhabited a large territory that extended through the Ottawa area of Ontario, Canada into the province of Quebec. Algonquin Provincial Park (the largest Canadian Provincial Park) was established in the early 1900’s and essentially annexed my family’s traditional hunting grounds.

It’s a beautiful park, and many of my relatives were born on our family’s trap lines. After the creation of the park, my family members were considered poachers. (I only mention these facts to establish perspective.) So while the awakening of the public consciousness to the beauty of indigenous culture is definitely a positive occurrence, there are certainly some things to take into consideration.

Originally sewn by my great Aunt Helen. This is the fringe detail on a women’s dress.

We are friendly and welcoming

The first being that 100s of years of bad treatment cannot be erased in the blink of an eye. Hard feelings still exist. Canadian indigenous groups are slowly moving toward reclaiming their heritage and learning about the traditions that governments tried to erase. This holds true for so many other indigenous groups around the world. The indigenous groups of Australia have faced similar struggles to their counterparts here in Canada.

When attempting to make connections with various groups for photography, you may experience some skepticism. Sometimes people are suspicious. We are welcoming and loving people but when you’ve been beaten down as many times as most indigenous groups, you might experience some quiet reticence to requests to photograph various groups.

Photograph by Michelle Glassford Mackenzie

Educate yourself on the culture

My second recommendation would be to educate yourself about the people you wish to photograph before your visit. Become familiar with some of the language. For example, in the Algonquin language, you would say “Kwey” meaning “Hello”.

Knowing some words and showing respect for the culture may allow you to gain a more personal and friendly relationship with the people you wish to photograph. So look up the words. Ask questions of those who speak the language and try to greet people respectfully. Never just jump in and spout words without being sure you know how to use them properly. Generally, “Hello” and “Thank you” are enough.

Used for various ceremonies and during nation gatherings, my aunt also made this drum.

Get permission

Thirdly, and I make this point in very general terms, some ceremonies are very special and you always need to ensure you have permission before you photograph the event. In some cultures, photography is not allowed. There have been incidents where photographers have invaded very sacred events and angered the individuals involved.

Quite honestly, being ignorant and disrespectful just continues to create feelings of hostility and suspicion between indigenous groups and the general public. So please ask questions, be polite, and be respectful. The idea is to move on and repair the divisions created by years of colonial assimilation tactics.

Indigenous perspective

Finally, there’s just one other point I wish to make. I hope it doesn’t ruin your desire to learn about and experience an indigenous culture, but I hate to burst your bubble. We (all indigenous people) are regular people. We are not the romanticized “savages” of a bygone era. We get up in the morning and brush our teeth just like you do. Fellow indigenous photographer Nadya Kwandibens sums it up best in her mission statement.

“We, as Indigenous people, are often portrayed in history books as Nations once great; in museums as Nations frozen stoic; in the media as Nations forever troubled. These images can be despairing; however, my goal seeks to steer the positive course. If our history is a shadow, let this moment serve as a light. We are musicians, lawyers, doctors, mothers, and sons. We are activists, scholars, dreamers, fathers, and daughters. Let us claim ourselves now and see that we are, and will always be great, thriving, balanced civilizations capable of carrying ourselves into that bright new day.”

If you’re going to photograph our culture then, by all means, go ahead snap away, but please capture us as we are. We are living breathing human beings just like you. Don’t look for the past and the romantic notions of characters like Disney’s “Pocahontas”. (By the way, that whole story is so twisted the truth is buried in myth just like stories of King Arthur)

Never take that as the truth about the lives of indigenous people. Meet us, know us as humans and capture our heart and soul in the same way you would any other person you meet. Take the advice of my friend Michelle a fellow indigenous photographer.

Photography by: Michelle Glassford Mackenzie

“While photographing these public yet sacred events one must be both respectful and gracious. Despite being a public event it is best to ask permission to photograph individuals in their regalia, more than often the person will agree. For my photo of the gentleman (above), I asked if he would allow me to photograph him. He replied, only if he could return the favor and photograph me. So after I took this photo, he took my camera and photographed me. Sometimes, it is obvious when a person doesn’t want their photo taken and I will respect their wishes. Other times, you see the joy on their face, as in the female dancer. You don’t necessarily need to capture faces to tell a story, as seen in the photograph of the jingle dress. Also, during these ceremonies, there are Honour Songs and other sacred moments when Photography is not permitted….listen to the MC. Final words….Please be respectful.”

Another shot of the dress. This is a self-portrait.

Resources to help you

For those of you wishing to learn more and to explore photographing indigenous cultures, I’m leaving you with a list of resources. Ones which I hope will help you in your quest to capture amazing images and also help in capturing the true powerful nature of indigenous cultures and groups around the world.

It is my hope that this article helps to continue our journey. Indigenous people are moving towards a brighter future heading down the path towards the revitalization of our pride and our culture. Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions. If I don’t know the answer, I will find those who do and share with you. This is not just about my family history but about the lives of millions of individuals who are moving forward in a modern society. We are still here, and we are amazing.

An indigenous mother and her children.
1. The controversial book by Jimmy Nelson – I will let you decide how you feel about the photographs.
2. Diego Huerto – Same thing with these images? What do you think?
3. Aaron Huey’s Ted Talk – America’s Native Prisoners of War, a heart-wrenching account of the history of Native Americans from their perspective. Please note Aaron Huey is not an indigenous person.
4. Matika Wilbur – Compare her photographs of indigenous women to the photographs by Jimmy Nelson and Diego Huerto. I think this difference speaks volumes, especially her Project 562.
5. An example of the awakening and continued efforts to promote and reconnect with our culture from Windspeaker.
Photography by: Michelle Glassford Mackenzie

Note from the Editor

I have photographed a couple of Round Dances, which is a ceremony to celebrate the lives of those who have passed on. It is put on by a local charity organization; they provide the venue, food, and safe place. There were a few rules to doing photography such as no use of flash, and that at certain times no photos were to be taken. I was honored to capture this event and easily and happily abided by those rules. High ISO (12,800 in some cases) and a fast lens (f/1.8) did the trick. Respect is so important. Respect each other and gain understanding. I feel richer for having had these experiences and been allowed to photograph such a sacred event. Here are some of the images I captured – Darlene, dPS Managing Editor.

The post How to Capture the True Nature of Indigenous Cultures with Sensitivity by Erin Fitzgibbon appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 9, 2017
3 Tips for Experimenting with Shutter Speed Creatively

So what exactly is shutter speed? In its simplest form, shutter speed refers to the length of time that your camera sensor is exposed to light (the shutter stays open) while taking a photo. A faster shutter speed thus lets in less light and a slower shutter speed lets in more light.

You may already be aware that shutter speed is one of the three elements of the Exposure Triangle that work in tandem. Thus changing your shutter speed leads to changing one of the two other elements (aperture and ISO) to compensate for your exposure.

Of the three, shutter speed is the one that allows you the most creative versatility. If you want to use shutter speed to make more artistic choices, let’s start with some basics.

1) Freezing Motion

Freezing action or motion happens at faster shutter speeds and literally captures a moment in time. If the shutter is open for a long time and your subject is moving, it looks blurred. On the converse side, when you have a faster shutter speed, any movement (blur) is less noticeable as it’s more frozen.

Sports photographers especially, take advantage of freezing motion techniques. Capturing that moment a player strikes a ball, crossing a finish line or just as that knockout punch is delivered is important in that genre of photography.

2) Panning

Panning is a technique where your moving object appears in focus, but the background appears to be moving at a higher speed. When using this technique, pick a subject that moves across your field of vision from side to side and not coming toward or moving away from you.

Pre-focusing at the distance where the subject will be when you shoot is a good habit. This is because autofocus can easily switch your camera focus to the background, instead of keeping it on the subject.

Lastly, your follow-through is a very important aspect of panning.

For example, if you are shooting a car, pre-focus on the road or area where the car will be. Then aim your camera in the direction that the car is coming from, and when it is almost in front of you, hold down the shutter button (make sure to set it to high-speed burst mode) and move your camera with the car’s movements.

Note: Pre-focusing helps you minimize shutter lag.

This technique takes some practice but is a lot of fun. If you find that your background is still sharp, use a slower shutter speed and retry. For best results, try and match the speed at which you pan with the speed of the object.

3) Slowing it down

Slow shutter times are when you leave the camera shutter open for much longer than normal. This is a highly creative effect and helps you show motion like movement in a crowd, light trails or fast flowing water. With slower shutter speeds, a tripod is an essential asset to avoid camera shake. You can also invest in a remote trigger or cable release to minimize shake even more.

When your shutter is open for long periods of time, you risk having too much light enter your camera. To help with this, you can use a smaller aperture (higher f-number), shoot at a low ISO, or cut the amount of light using filters.

Neutral Density (ND) filters are a landscape photographer’s best friend when it comes to shooting long exposures during the day. Slower shutter shooting is more widely known as long exposure photography.

An extremely long exposure here has made the water smooth and dreamy.

A faster shutter speed here has partially frozen the crashing wave.

Bonus: light painting with the shutter opened

This technique, also called light painting, is where you make images in a dark place (usually) by moving a hand-held light source (or by moving the camera), while your shutter is open. If you are moving the light source, you need the camera to be steady.

As in the previous tip, a tripod is recommended, but nothing is wrong with embracing blur as part of your creative technique. Once you are ready, dial in a slow shutter speed and set up a timer. Now use any handheld light source (e.g. torch, flashlight, light-stick or cellphone) to “paint” in your scene. It’s a cool approach you can use when storytelling.

Conclusion

Do you have a favorite way to use shutter speed creatively? Are you a fan of freezing motion or do you prefer long exposures? Have you ever tried panning or light painting? Share some of your work with us in the comments below.

The post 3 Tips for Experimenting with Shutter Speed Creatively by Nisha Ramroop appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 8, 2017
dPS Ultimate Guide to Nature and Outdoor Photography
Introduction

High on a ridge in the Brooks Range of Northern Alaska, I had an epiphany. It had to do with photography, sort of. Really, it had to do with the world in which we live. You see, I was climbing this steep slope on a little-forgotten drainage in the western portion Gates of the Arctic National Park. There was no sign that anyone had been this way before, and really, there was no reason that anyone would have.

When I eventually topped out on the ridge, late on an August evening, the sun still shining from the northern sky, I found a pillar of stone.

The rock stood 15 or 20 feet high, a narrow obelisk that looked as though it had been planted, or perhaps grown from the earth itself. It hadn’t of course. The stone had been pushed into its delicate position by the constant slow shift of the thawing and freezing ground below.

It struck me, in that moment next to the standing stone, that I was about to be the first person to photograph these rocks. Ever.

In one fell swoop; I realized exactly what it is about photography that I love. It’s seeing things in a way that others have not. Seeing things for the first time. Not just stones on a wild mountaintop, but viewing frequently photographed scenes in a new way. The most photographed landscapes still hold potential for novelty. And creating that novelty in images is one of the great pleasures of the art of outdoor photography.

And here is the rub; good outdoor photography is about creating new images, not just copying what has already been done. If there is one message in this article to remember, that’s it.

A Note on Ethics

Below, you’ll find many of the tips I’ve learned over the years as an outdoor pro; landscape techniques, macro tips, and an introduction to wildlife photography. From exposure to composition, I’ll cover a lot. But one thing I want to note first, and it’s probably the most important thing I’ll mention is this:

Do No Harm!

Outdoor photography is extremely popular. We landscape and wildlife photographers travel across the planet to make images, and our presence is having an impact on the places we visit. It’s our job to ensure that our actions do not damage the resources we photograph.

Here are some guidelines:

Respect other users: What we are doing is no more important than the activities of others. Be respectful of other photographers and non-photographers alike. In some parts of the world, photographers are becoming disliked because of our actions. We cannot allow this to happen. Be kind to others. Your long lens does not give you the right to be a jerk.

Don’t harass wildlife: I once watched a pair of photographers, quite literally, chase a herd of caribou around the edge of a lake in the Alaska Range. The best images of wildlife are natural images, not shots of caribou fleeing across the landscape. If your presence or actions are impacting the behavior of the animals, it’s time to back off.

Note: it may also be dangerous! Animals like elk and moose may look harmless but can do a lot of damage. Likewise, too many tourists have gotten too close to bears (with no barrier) and then if the bear attacks a human it could be put down. Don’t endanger yourself or the animals – keep a safe distance.

Follow the rules: Most of the refuges, parks, and other lands we photograph have rules in place for a reason. As photographers break those for the sake of an image, it hurts the reputation and possible future access for all of us. Know the regulations and follow them.

Leave no trace: The next visitor to your location should have no idea you were they before them.
Landscape Photography

Above, I related the story of finding the bizarre standing stone in Alaska’s Brooks Range. Those kinds of photography opportunities are by far my favorite. I love shooting someplace where few if any others have been or photographed.

But mostly, I like the way a piece of dramatic topography under beautiful light looks. I like how it appears to my eye, and I like how it looks through the viewfinder of a camera. When I manage to make an image that brings back all those feelings of the experience, and when I can relive those moments of outdoor beauty over and over again, then I feel very successful indeed.

Equipment

Landscape photography does not need to be equipment heavy. On many excursions, I may carry only a single camera equipped with a wide-angle zoom lens. But when I really want to work a scene, or my sole mission is to make images, then I’ll carry a few more things. Here is my camera equipment list, and some notes on each item:
- Full frame DSLR: Though not vital, the full frame sensor is useful for taking advantage of wide-angle opportunities.
- Wide-Angle Zoom: The 17-40mm f/4 and 16-35mm f/2.8 are probably my most-used lenses for landscape photography.
- Mid-Range Telephoto Zoom: Like the 70-200mm f/2.8. I like the way this lens and those of similar focal length can isolate parts of the landscape.
- A Compact or Mirrorless Camera: In my case, this is a Panasonic Lumix GX85. This is a great second camera and when I’m traveling light, it’s my only camera.
- Wide-Angle, and Mid-Range Zoom Lenses for the Mirrorless Camera: To cover similar focal lengths as my full-frame DSLR (minus the extremely wide, sadly).
- Tripod: Rarely do I leave this behind.
- Polarizing Filter: Great for removing glare and reflections.
- Variable Neutral Density Filter: For long exposure work, a neutral density filter is great. The variable filters allow you to adjust the amount of light coming through into the camera.
Throw in a bag or backpack to carry it all, and this kit will cover about every landscape opportunity you might encounter. While I’m sure each landscape photographer has their own suggestions, additions, or subtractions, these are my necessities.

See an article I wrote recently for another approach to taking less: How to Find More Creativity Through Using Less Gear. Also read: How to Decide What Gear to Pack for a Wilderness Trip.

Composition and Exposure

I always have a difficult time writing about composition and exposure because this is where art becomes a part of the photographic process. Sure, there is a “proper” exposure, in which the highlights aren’t blown out and the shadows retain detail, but a world in which every image was “properly” exposed would be a very boring place.

Instead of what is right, it’s better to understand how your settings will impact your image. Then you can decide for yourself what is best for your situation.

Shutter Speed

The speed of your shutter indicates how long your sensor is exposed to the light coming from your scene. A fast shutter speed will halt motion, while a long one will blur moving objects.

In landscape photography, you may want to freeze the motion of a splashing river or leaves blowing in the wind. Or you may prefer them to blur, providing a sense of that motion. The important thing is to understand how your shutter speed choice will either blur or freeze the subject, so you don’t end up in that dreaded (but all too frequent) in-between.

Aperture

Your aperture plays two roles. It controls how much light is allowed into the camera, and it controls the depth of field.

At a wide aperture, say f/2.8, your lens will allow a lot of light to enter the camera, meaning you can use a faster shutter speed (see above), but it also means you have less depth of field (DOF). Which is to say, that only a narrow portion of your image, from front to back, will be in focus.

A small aperture like f/16 will mean that a longer shutter speed is required to attain the exposure you want, but more of your image will be in focus.

If you want to isolate your subject from your background or foreground then a wide aperture will help you achieve that. However, if you want your image sharp from the foreground to the background, then you need to select a narrow aperture.

Most lenses are sharpest a stop or two down from wide open, so for maximum overall sharpness, consider an aperture around f/8 to f/11.

ISO

The ISO controls the apparent sensitivity of your sensor to light (I say “apparent” because for a bunch of technical reasons that I really don’t care about, raising the ISO doesn’t actually increase the actual sensitivity, just how the camera’s algorithms report the light in the final image – blah, blah, blah). So, in practice, increasing your ISO will allow you to use shorter shutter speeds at higher apertures. Got that?

The drawback is that using a high ISO also tends to create digital noise. However, cameras are getting exceedingly good at controlling noise. With my current equipment, I regularly shoot at ISO 3200, 6400, and occasionally higher without a second thought.

Coming Together – The Exposure Triangle

Those three factors (shutter speed, aperture, and ISO) control the brightness, depth of field, and sharpness of your image. They interact with one another, and you can’t change one without adjusting at least one of the others. If you aren’t familiar with how each of these settings impacts the final shot, then go out and spend a few hours experimenting so you understand the exposure triangle.

Exercise:

Spend an hour shooting in Manual Mode. Adjust the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. Assess how each change impacts the final image. Did it get brighter? Darker? Sharper? Did moving subjects blur or freeze?

Composition

The Classic

The classic landscape shot entails an interesting foreground object that leads your eye back to a dramatic background. It’s classic because it works. But it’s also a formula that is very easy to get wrong.

In a simplistic form, a landscape image is composed of a combination of lines, layers, and planes. A line can be a visual element, like the trunk of a tree or a winding stream, or it can be implied, in a way that two interrelated elements cause your eye to move back and forth. Either way, lines are the viewer’s path through the frame.

Layers are elements that occur through the depth of the image. These can be any element in the image, grass stems, trees, rocks, rivers, mountains, etc. But they stand alone in successive layers, each a bit further back in the image.

Finally, planes are elements that provide a clear sense of depth. Say, a road disappearing into the horizon, or a river winding away up a mountain valley.

The ways these things interact are what cause an image to be pleasing to the eye, or to fail. In a classic composition, the foreground element and the dramatic background are tied together through these elements and interact in some way. Perhaps this is color, form, juxtaposition, or some other aspect of interest to the viewer.

All these aspects of an image become a pleasurable maze for photographers. With practice, you will begin to understand how to make them relate to one another in a pleasing way.

Landscape Details

Any natural view will have a number of interesting elements held within such as; a flower, a stone, a shadow, splashing water, or distant peaks. A long lens will allow you isolate those details from the surrounding clutter.

I use this technique often with mid-range telephoto lenses. Think of this technique as simplifying an image down to its most fascinating component.

A Note on Focal Length

The focal length of your lens will impact the depth of field of your image. The longer your lens, the shallower your depth of field will be. This makes it very difficult, if not impossible to keep an image sharp from foreground through the background when using a long lens.

That’s why isolating distant details is a great use of a telephoto lens. Compositions with no foreground generally won’t suffer from the compressed depth of field.

With the use of a wide-angle lens, on the other hand, it is much easier to attain a deep depth of field. An aperture that is a stop or two lower will often bring an entire image from foreground to background into focus.

Exercise:

Starting with a mid-range telephoto like a 70-200mm or similar lens, focus on the details of a landscape. Make some photos of these details, moving around to see how the light changes with your angle. Experiment with each.

Once you are comfortable with the details before you, change to a wide-angle and see if you can find pleasing compositions that incorporate the details you just photographed, but also include the surroundings. As you back up to a wide-angle view, think about the lines, planes, and layers within the image and how they interact. Is the result pleasing or chaotic? What can you do to improve it?

Macro Photography: The World Up Close

Through the 100mm f/2.8 macro lens this bright green beetle looked monstrous and surprisingly beautiful. The iridescent carapace practically glittered in the soft light of the overcast day, while the purple highlights of the antennae and around the eyes stood out from the leaf background.

It was a rainy day in the rainforest of southeast Mexico, and my fieldwork had been called off due to the weather. I spent my rare morning off gathering some of the many insects that had congregated overnight on the porch, and a menagerie of beetles, spiders, and katydids now sat beneath upturned jars on the windowsill next to me. One by one, I placed them on a clean green background of a Heliconia leaf and made images.

Equipment

Close-up and macro photography is a specialized discipline, requiring a suite of its own equipment including lenses, flashes, tripod heads, and more. For photographers that specialize in this type of photography, it is a serious investment.
Fortunately, there are a few shortcuts, which can save you from investing hundreds or thousands in macro-specific equipment.

Lenses

Macro lenses allow for a very close focusing distance and are usually equipped with some moderate magnification. 50mm, 100mm, 150mm, and even 200mm are common focal lengths of macro lenses. They tend to be fast, usually around f/2.8 and are pricey pieces of glass.

If you have the budget for it, by all means, invest in a high-end macro lens, but for those of us with more limited funds here are two alternatives:

Extension Tubes

These are exactly what they sound like, simple tubes that go between your camera and the lens. Extension tubes increase the distance between the lens and your sensor allowing a closer minimum focus (but preventing the lens from focusing on distant objects). When applied to a good quality lens, some amazing images are possible.

Lens Reversal

Have you ever turned a pair of binoculars around backward and used them as a magnifying glass? If so, this is the exact same principle.

You take an old, manual lens (focus and aperture), standard or wide-angle lens (never a telephoto), buy a cheap adapter that allows you to attach the front of the lens to your camera, and you get an instant macro. For fifty bucks at a used camera store you can often find a suitable lens, and for another $ 10 or $ 15, you can buy an adapter from Amazon that fits the filter threads on the front of the lens and allows you to click it into your camera. Bingo! Reverse-lens macro created!

Lights

Embrace natural light if you are just starting out in macro photography. Find a place with bright, diffused light, and start there. Once you have a strong grasp on working up close, you may choose to add artificial light.

From ring lights to external flashes, many macro photographers will use artificial light to cleanly illuminate their tiny subjects with studio-like lighting. If you have a flash, and either a remote cable or wireless triggers, you probably have what you need to get started.

Start off by attaching your flash near, or directly onto your lens, so the light falls just a few inches in front of the glass. Shadows are emphasized up close, so you want to minimize the distance between the flash and your lens.

Tripod Heads

A very useful accessory is the macro tripod head. These allow you to move your camera forward and backward very smoothly and precisely without having to adjust the tripod. With a simple twist of a knob, you can slide your camera forward or backward a couple of inches (or millimeters).

In the narrow depth of field world of macro photography, this allows you to focus by changing the camera position rather than the focus on the lens. If you get serious about this kind of photography, it is probably a worthwhile investment.

Read Equipment for Macro Photography – Video Tips.

Beginning Macro Field Techniques

The easiest place to begin with macro photography is a subject that doesn’t move around much, like flowers. Starting with fast-moving insects will be a very frustrating way to learn the process.

Start out in soft, natural daylight, and forget the flashes for now. Choose a cloudy day, or pick a subject you can easily move into a shady spot. Direct sunlight, just as in human portraiture, is often too harsh and contrasty, resulting in burnt-out highlights or blacked out shadows. Once you’ve figured out the process under steady, natural light, you can integrate flash.

Composition

Macro lenses, reversed lenses, and extension tubes all share one common feature: an extremely narrow depth of field. Even with the aperture stopped down, the amount of the image in focus will be measured in millimeters. Because of this limitation, you need to choose your focal point very carefully, it will, after all, be the only thing in focus on your image.

Many times I’ve made images of small subjects only to find out later find later that my focal point was off. By all means, compose creatively, but make sure the important part of your image is in focus. For insects or other small creatures, that almost always means the eye. For flowers, you’ll likely want to focus on the stamens and pistils. Be aware, and focus carefully.

Note on Post-Processing Macro Images

While a full post-processing tutorial of macro photography is outside the scope of this article, be aware there are focus-stacking techniques. Think of this like HDR for depth of field.

In essence, you create a series of images in which you steadily move the focus point through the scene so you end up with a series of photos, each with a different slice in focus. Focus stacking then brings those all together into a single image providing otherwise unattainable depth of field. There are more resources available online about this technique if you’d like to learn more.

Read A Beginner’s Guide to Focus Stacking.

Wildlife Photography

More than any other discipline of outdoor photography, wildlife is the place where we as photographers need to be responsible, cautious, and respectful. Earlier, I related the story of watching a group of photographers chase a herd of caribou.

I dearly wish that had been the only occasion I’ve had to see wildlife photographers acting stupidly, but sadly, my list goes on: a photographer purposely flushing flocks of Sandhill cranes at a wildlife refuge to get flight shots, the abuse of call-back recordings of song-birds which results in nest failures, dangerously close approaches to bears and moose, and on and on.

I just can’t write about wildlife photography without saying this: Good wildlife photography is a game of patience. You cannot make shortcuts by chasing, flushing, baiting, or otherwise harassing your subject and expect to get decent images. So please, please, three times, please! Take the time required to make the image, it will be easier on the wildlife, and I promise your results will be far, far superior.

Equipment

Though lovely images of animals can, and have been, made with every focal length (some of my favorite images are wide-angles), most wildlife photography involves long lenses. My most frequently used lenses for wildlife photography are Canon’s 500mm f4L (often with a 1.4x teleconverter), 100-400mm zoom, and the 70-200mm f/2.8. None of those are cheap, though.

Fortunately, there are a growing number of alternatives on the market. Brands like Tamron and Sigma have introduced big telephotos that, although still pricey, come in way under the prices offered by Canon and Nikon. A year or two ago, out of curiosity, I rented Sigma’s 150-600mm Sport lens and was extremely impressed.

Come to think of it, I strongly recommend you try lenses out before you buy them. Renting is a great, and reasonably priced, option to try out a variety of lenses. Or, if you don’t shoot wildlife often, you can rent a high-end piece of glass for a single trip, without having to dole out thousands on your own lens.

Anyway, back to equipment, here is my wildlife kit:
- DSLR (or 2)
- 500mm f/4 lens
- 100-400mm lens
- 70-200mm lens
- 1.4x teleconverter
- A sturdy carbon-fiber tripod with a gimbal head
Techniques

There is a saying in photography: “If your image isn’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.” This is nonsense. However, getting close to animals, either physically, or by using a long lens, is often the easiest way to create a compelling image. There are many exceptions (see composition below), but proximity does help.

Getting close requires patience. If you approach an animal on foot, your subject will almost always feel threatened and move away. Humans, after all, are predators, and for most species, nothing good happens from getting close to a predator. That leaves a few options.

Go where the animals are accustomed to people

At many wildlife refuges, back gardens, national parks, etc., the animals are used to seeing people or vehicles and will allow you to get much closer (you still need to be cautious particularly around large, or dangerous animals). In such areas, cars can make a great mobile photography blind.

Animals are also often familiar with people around popular trail systems and will pay little attention to passing walkers. You can use these areas to your advantage.

Use a blind

Many wildlife refuges are equipped with photography blinds where you are hidden from view of the wildlife. These are great, pre-established places to shoot. You may even consider building your own backyard blind for photographing your local birds and other wildlife.

Camouflage

I have a sheet of camo fabric that I’ve cut holes into for my camera lens. I sit on the ground, or a low stool, and throw this over my head and tripod. This portable blind serves well, as long as I have the patience to stay still for extended periods of time. It keeps my form obscured, and animals more willing to approach.

Patience

Most of the above techniques also require patience, but simply waiting for the right opportunity is the most straightforward approach to wildlife photography. Find a promising location with good light, and simply wait to see what happens. I bet most of my best images of wild animals have been made this way.

Exposure

I strive for the “proper” exposure in the field. Which, means (if I’m honest) that I leave it up to the camera. Capturing the action, the expression, posture, and the setting are the most important parts of wildlife photography.

I can fiddle with brightness later in the post-processing, but not if I didn’t capture the image from the start. So I recommend, particularly as a beginner, that you do what I do and let your camera do most of the work.

My settings under most conditions with a long lens are something like this: Shutter priority (see below for more on this), ISO 800 (or so), and auto everything else. If for some reason the images aren’t coming out how I want them, I’ll adjust things around, but this is my standard starting point.

Shutter Speed

As with any moving subject, you may opt to strive for sharpness, freezing the motion of the animal, or you may be aiming for a more creative motion blur. I often mix it up, shifting from sharp to blur in just a few seconds. This is why I shoot wildlife primarily in Shutter Priority mode, so I can make that change easily on the fly.

During a recent shoot of a migrating caribou herd, my workshop participants and I had a couple of thousand animals pass by in a single file line. I was constantly changing the shutter speed to get different effects as the caribou trotted past 25 yards away.

I ended up with a huge variety of shots, from crazy blurs to tack-sharp detail. Variety is important.

Composition

Get low! Next time you see a wildlife image that you like, take a look at the position from which it was made. I’ll bet you that the perspective is low, probably at eye level of the subject or below. When I’m photographing birds or small mammals, I’ll often lay flat out on my stomach.

Humans see the world most often from a standing position; it’s how we are accustomed to viewing things. Photos from that perspective, looking down on our subject, aren’t any different than how we normally see the world. In other words, boring.

When you drop down, however, you are now seeing the world in an atypical, and therefore far more interesting way. So get low!

Portraits

The simplest of images is the portrait, with a clean background and a sharp subject. Often these will be under flattering front-light. Many wildlife photographers strive for this type of image, and this type of image alone.

The secret to success in wildlife portraiture is getting close to your subject, and having a setting where the animal can be cleanly separated from its background. A large aperture, like f/4, will help blur the background cleanly. Overcast, soft light or front light is ideal.

Action and Motion

No doubt, a good, clean portrait of a wild animal is a lovely thing and a pleasure to make, but after a time, I find the formulaic view of wildlife rather boring. I like to see behavior, action, and motion in images. These tell a better story, and to me at least, are far more compelling. These kinds of images also require a lot more time in the field.

Let’s face it; wild animals spend a lot of time just chilling out. Birds perch for extended periods bears sleep or graze, and big cats climb trees and lounge. Action is uncommon, which means you have to spend a lot of time waiting for it.

I was photographing at a famous bear-watching spot in Alaska a number of years ago. It was early in the season and the salmon had not yet arrived, but there were bears about, waiting for the fish. I was standing on a viewing platform, watching a single, young Brown Bear standing below a waterfall. There were no fish, and I got the impression he was as bored as I was.

Tourists and other photographers arrived around me, watched for a few moments, took a photo, and then ambled off after a few minutes with nothing happening. I waited.

After more than an hour, another bear appeared down the river and waded up toward the falls. It was of similar age, and size, they might have even been siblings that had been separated for a time. But when the second bear appeared, the bored demeanor of the first changed completely. He grew alert, staring at the intruding bear. Then, almost without warning, the first bear charged the second, throwing sprays of river water into the air as it splashed. The second stood its ground and for a few brief seconds, the two fought. They swatted each other with powerful blows and snapped jaws down on shoulders. It was over in 20 seconds, but I was breathless. No damage had been done to either bear and afterward, the two actually stood side by side, rather companionably, for a long while as they waited for salmon to arrive.

In those 20 seconds, I captured a series of images missed by dozens of photographers who had come and gone, unwilling to be patient.

Wide Angles

When you have a cooperative or curious subject, few techniques will yield a more compelling result than getting close, and low, with a wide-angle lens. A few years ago, when I was guiding on an expedition cruise through the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, I had several such opportunities.

In the Falkland Islands, a curious Striated Caracara hopped up to have a look at me, while on South Georgia I had a great encounter with a South Polar Skua. The images I made of these two birds are some of my favorites of that journey and perhaps some of my favorite wildlife images.

Wide angles show off not only your subject but also the surroundings and can be extremely effective story-telling images.

The drawback, of course, is that such opportunities are rare indeed. You’ve got to have your subject very close, and that takes time and effort while being prepared when the right opportunity arrives.

To maximize your chances, keep a second camera with a wide-angle lens (heck, even your phone will work) available while out shooting. That way, when a critter draws close and the opportunity for these unique images arrives, you won’t have to fumble with swapping lenses.

Conclusion

As I wrote this lengthy piece on outdoor photography, I felt I could have gone on and on about every single aspect of this discipline. There is just so much to know, and to learn; so many subjects to study, understand, and practice.

It is daunting, but outdoor photography is as much about the journey as anything else. I love making images that work, don’t get me wrong, but I love even more the process of being outside. I love the way a camera makes me more aware of the play of light, and the movement of animals across a landscape.

Photography can be a tool toward a better understanding of the world, but we have to use our cameras with respect and caution. Be mindful of your actions, be careful of our impact, and make beautiful photos. Along the way, you may find your experiences, rather than the final images, to be the most rewarding part. Now go explore.

The post dPS Ultimate Guide to Nature and Outdoor Photography by David Shaw appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 8, 2017
Why Every Photographer Needs a 70-200mm Lens

As photographers, some pieces of advice are universal; the same can also be said for some camera gear. The 70-200mm lens is a staple for a reason, found in pretty much every pro’s camera bag around the world, they are trusted on location from portrait studios to the heart of the Amazon.

So here is why you need one in your kit.

Optical Performance

Let’s start with the big reason, optical performance. The 70-200mm is a professional lens and features the latest in optical design and quality.

Perfected over the last 30 years they have an excellent edge to edge sharpness, both wide open and stopped down. Featuring the ED elements and the latest lens coatings, they fend off chromatic aberrations and flare very well and produce stunning sharp, contrasty images shoot after shoot.

Focal Length

Short telephotos and wide-angle lenses are fantastic for getting up close into the action or taking the wider view, however, they can often be problematic. If you are trying to photograph wildlife, candid portraits, or anything that you can’t get close to, the 70-200mm lens will come in handy.

The reach of the 70-200mm is perfect for so many situations, allowing you to focus in on key subject areas, crop out distracting areas or elements in your frame and just get closer to the action.

The focal length allows you to also give your subject space to move without you having to be right up in their face, while still giving you the scope for those tight shots. It also allows you to be creative in new ways, giving you options to focus on small details within a composition or landscape, all the while not needing to move your feet.

Large Maximum Aperture

The 70-200mm f/2.8 is a fast lens, with the wide aperture being a key reason why so many pros love it. This gives you a number of benefits for shooting on location, once again making this a top quality lens in which to invest.

Benefits

The first benefit is the bokeh (or out of focus areas). The fast f/2.8 aperture means depth of field wide open is very limited. This results in much of the background and foreground dropping into mushy out of focus goodness, helping to keep the viewer’s attention on your main subject.

The large aperture, combined with the telephoto reach of the lens, really allows for the rendering of wonderful out of focus elements. This gives a truly dreamy quality and feeling to the images produced with the 70-200mm lens.

A second benefit of the wide open aperture is that of the low light performance. Having a fast f/2.8 aperture means the lens lets in far more light than slower alternatives. This, in turn, means the camera has more light to work with. So, when the light starts to fade you can still get sharp shots with reasonable shutter speeds without the need to stretch your ISO capabilities.

Another benefit of the fast aperture is the brightness it brings to the viewfinder. If you haven’t used fast lenses before you’ll soon fall in love with the brighter viewfinder experience that comes with the 70-200mm f/2.8. This might not sound like a big deal, but being able to see your composition better allows you to be more focused on selecting what you want in and out of the frame, helping you to hone your compositional skills for better images.

Speed

When working with fast paced action, speed is imperative, and the 70-200mm lens doesn’t disappoint. As a pro spec lens, the 70-200mm offers brilliant AF speed that is a huge benefit when working with erratic subjects on fast paced shoots.

The autofocus, aided by the fast aperture, locks onto subjects quickly and focuses through the range in the blink of an eye (something that certainly can’t be said for all telephoto lenses). The speed of the focus reduces frustration when trying to pick up moving subjects, helping you to focus on composing your shots rather than the frustration of your lens not focusing.

Size and Weight

Some people think the 70-200mm is a large lens, however, that weight and size also have their advantages. The physical length of the lens itself, being around 25cm, provides for good placement of the controls, with the large zoom and focus rings being well spaced on the lens’s barrel.

The length also allows for the inclusion of a tripod mount (collar). This is handy for working with a tripod for better balance and for lowering the stress on the bayonet mount between the camera and lens.

The size also lends itself to being comfortable for handholding. The wider barrel fits well in the hand, with the weight of the lens balancing well with medium to large camera bodies. The lens is also a little front heavy that means when attached to the camera it helps equal out the balance to a comfortable feel.

Of course, modern versions of the 70-200mm f/2.8 also include the implementation of image stabilization (VR, IS, or OS) helping to once again improve the abilities of this lens when working handheld. The optical stabilization systems help to reduce camera shake by up to 4-stops, meaning even when the light gets low you can work handheld with sharp results. That is something that can really come into its own when on location on a fast moving shoot.

Build Quality

The 70-200mmm f/2.8 is designed to be used by pros, and it’s constructed like a tank. Metal construction and weather sealing mean it’s built to last while being taken out and abused day in and day out.

My 70-200mm has been everywhere with me and is built to withstand the elements.

The 70-200mm lens is also a fantastic addition to the kit bag for those nature photographers who also have a passion for landscape photography. The focal length is excellent for giving you the reach to pick out sections of a landscape, details within a scene or for compressing layers for flattering images. The 70-200mm offers flexibility for composing, with the telephoto reach helping to compress a scene for flattering perspectives that might not work with a wider focal length.

I’ve had my 70-200mm lens for many years and worked with it in the rain, snow, freezing conditions, as well as the jungle and it’s never skipped a beat. Rugged and reliable, just as you want a working tool to be!

Teleconverters

This lens was also designed with the ability to work with teleconverters in mind. These small optical devices fit between the camera and lens, helping to magnify the image for a greater telephoto effect.

That means that the 70-200mm, when paired with a 1.4x teleconverter, becomes a 105-300mm equivalent or a 140-400mm when paired with a 2.0x converter. This can be very handy if you need some extra reach but don’t want to invest in a super telephoto or you just can’t fit it into your bag.

Shot at about 280mm using the 1.4x teleconverter.

Going the other way you can also add extension tubes to the 70-200mm to reduce the minimum focusing distance. That results in the ability to get ultra close for some semi-macro images, once again showing the scope for the versatility of this stable lens.

Conclusion

The 70-200mm lens is truly a worthy lens to be part of every photographer’s kit bag. Offering top optics, a fast aperture, excellent speed, ergonomics, and weatherproofing. They are built to last and perform day in, day out.

They are expensive, but as a long-term investment, the 70-200mm f/2.8 is certainly one that every keen photographer should think about making. You certainly won’t regret it.

The post Why Every Photographer Needs a 70-200mm Lens by Tom Mason appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 7, 2017
How to use Filter Masks in Luminar for Powerful Local Adjustments

Luminar is a powerful, full-featured photo editor, with a massive array of features and editing tools. A great deal of its workflow is built around the fairly simple concept of applying filters. It’s much like the way you might edit a photo in Instagram or other similar programs – but you get much more power and control with Luminar.. You can use Luminar to add one or more filters to a picture in order to change properties like color, brightness, saturation, or even add fog effects or convert it to black and white.

However, this is where the similarities between Luminar and simple phone-based editing tools stops. Luminar’s filters are far more than just surface-level adjustments. They can be combined, layered, and customized in infinite combinations for photo editing far beyond what you might be used to in other programs. Add to that the use of filter masks to selectively choose where the edits to a filter are applied, and you have the recipe for a program that can become a very important part of your photography workflow.

Understanding Filters

Luminar is built on a foundation of powerful editing algorithms that let you tweak every aspect of your photos. But unlike some other image editors on the market, it is extraordinarily simple to use the tools available to you. Rather than hundreds of confusing options, tiny buttons, and labyrinthine menus, many of the editing options in Luminar are available within a few clicks as Filters. Or you can access them by opening an image and clicking the “Add Filters” button on the upper-right portion of the user interface.

Clicking “Add Filters” opens a menu that allows you to select from dozens of filters such as Clarity, Color Balance, Soft Focus, Tone, Vignette, and many others. If you’re unsure as to what all these filters actually do, just hover your cursor over one. A brief description will pop up along with a small sample image illustrating the type of editing that filter will do.

The easiest way to apply one of these is to simply click it and adjust any of the parameters available for that filter. For example, if you click on Brilliance/Warmth, you can adjust two different aspects of the filter; Vividness and Warmth.

A few quick adjustments with a single filter made this bland RAW file go from ho-hum to frame-worthy.

Using Multiple Filters

You can combine as many filters as you want. You can even use layers, just as in Photoshop, to apply one or many filters. Then you can edit all of them at once with options like layer masking, which shows and hides everything on a single layer, and layer opacity.

It may sound complicated, but in actual use, the process is very simple: Load an image, add a filter, adjust the filter, and you’re done. The procedure only starts to get complicated if you want it to, at which point Luminar has a deep enough feature set to accommodate even the most highly demanding photographers.

Controlling the Effects with Filter Masks

Filters are all well and good, but the ace in Luminar’s sleeve is in the way it lets you apply them selectively with filter masks. If you have ever used a filter on Instagram you know that all your edits are applied across the entire image. That can be good but can also be quite frustrating if you only want to edit specific portions of the photo.

That’s where the simplicity and brilliance of Luminar’s approach really shine because you can control exactly where your edits are applied when you use a filter. To illustrate how this process works, I started with this photo (below) of a squirrel that was clearly in need of some editing.

I shot it in RAW in order to give myself the most amount of flexibility when editing the image, but Luminar works fine with JPG files too. Just know that you won’t have quite the same degree of control when editing JPG compared to RAW files.

Apply Global Edits First

Before I started doing selective editing with filter masks, the first thing I did was to use two filters on the entire image. I used the Brightness/Contrast filter to make the picture brighter and then used Highlights/Shadows to lower the highlights a bit.

So far so good, but I wanted to really make the squirrel stand out from the fountain in the background. Next, I added a Color Temperature filter but here I used the Brush icon in the top corner of the filter control box to apply it only to the squirrel.

Add Local Adjustments

This lets you literally paint in the filter adjustment in the same way you might use the Adjustment Brush tool in Lightroom to selectively edit an image. As you’re painting, you can use the toolbar at the top left of your screen to control the size, softness, and opacity of your brush as well as other settings that will feel right at home to most photographers.

Click the Show Mask icon in the top left corner of the Luminar interface to show where you are applying (painting) a filter to the image.

By far, the most useful option here is Show Mask which you can select by clicking the eye icon in the top left, or by pressing the / key on your keyboard. This lets you see exactly where you are applying your adjustments in real-time while you paint. It is highly useful for making sure your edits are only applied where you want them to show up.

You can use the scroll wheel on your mouse to zoom into the image while brushing your filter adjustments. This allows you to fine-tune your editing to be exactly where you want it applied.

With Show Mask enabled your filter adjustments show as red markings on the photo.

Add a Vignette on the Bottom Only

After editing the color temperature of the squirrel I used the Vignette filter. But instead of applying it to the whole picture I brushed it in just on the bottom corners (something users of Apple’s now-defunct image editing program Aperture might remember doing years ago).

The icon in the top left corner of the filter window shows a black-and-white preview of where the mask has been applied. White reveals, black conceals – just like Photoshop. So anything shown in white is where that filter will be showing.

The ability to brush on filter adjustments is a huge game-changer for anyone who is used to the limited brushing options in Lightroom or overwhelmed by the prospect of doing this type of granular editing in Photoshop. And I say this as someone who uses both Lightroom and Photoshop!

Sometimes I just need a quick and simple editing workflow and the more I use Luminar the more it has replaced much of the work I do in those and other programs. To add a bit of icing to the editing cake, Luminar ships with full plugin support for many popular image editing programs including Photoshop and Lightroom. So you can still use those for your traditional workflow while simply hopping over to Luminar if you want to make use of that program as well.

Filter Mask Options

While my favorite aspect of filter making is the ability to brush adjustments precisely where I want them. But there are two other options that can be quite useful depending on the type of editing you want to do. In addition to a brush, you also have the option of applying Luminar filters with a Radial Mask, Gradient Mask, or Luminosity Mask.

Radial Mask

This applies the filter in a circular pattern which can be rotated, expanded, and contracted. It allows you to apply a filter in an even and controlled fashion. It works almost exactly like the Radial Filter in Lightroom. But instead of only letting you adjust the basic exposure, color, sharpness, and noise you can use it to apply any of Luminar’s dozens of filters.

Think of it like the Lightroom Radial Filter but much more powerful and customizable.

The Radial Mask in Luminar can be used with any of its powerful Filters.

Gradient Mask

Similar to the Radial Mask, the Gradient Mask lets you apply a filter smoothly across an entire image while gradually changing the degree to which it is applied. Once again it works just like its Lightroom counterpart but for filters. Once you have either of the Radial or Gradient masks applied you can choose several additional options such as Disable, Invert, Density, and Feather.

Luminosity Mask

This is an option that is somewhat unique to Luminar. Even though you can re-create this type of mask in Photoshop and other programs I have never seen it implemented so easily and smoothly as it is here.

When you enable a filter and click on the brush icon you have the option of creating a mask that applies the filter only to the brightest portions of the image. This is incredibly useful if you want to make changes and edits quickly without zooming in and painstakingly brushing in your adjustments at a granular level.

This feature is especially useful for landscape photographers who frequently have images with a lot of contrast between the lightest and darkest parts of the image. They often need to edit the sky separately from the rest of the image.

Luminosity Mask in Action

As an example of how this works, I have used the following image of a sunrise that I took in Nebraska one chilly winter morning.

I wanted to make adjustments to the sky while also brightening the dark portions, but not have my edits interfere with each other.

The first step was to add a Brilliance/Warmth filter and then generate a Luminosity Mask. That would make sure any changes would be made just to the sky and not the foreground. I confirmed this by showing the Mask Overlay which gave me a clear idea of where the mask was being applied.

I edited the values of the Brightness/Warmth slider to get the sky looking just right, then added a Highlight/Shadow filter to brighten up the foreground. After that, I finished with a Color Temperature filter which I applied only to the ground by using an inverted Luminosity Mask. That ensured it would apply only to the shadows and not the highlights.

The final image gave me a result that would have been much trickier to create in Lightroom, and require a lot of complicated selection editing and layer adjustments in Photoshop.

Note: the new version of Lightroom (Classic) that Adobe just released now has the ability to add a Luminosity mask to local adjustments as well.

Simply Powerful Editing

The real advantage for me when using Luminar’s Filter Masking is that it’s a way for me to do creative, complex edits to my images in a simple and efficient manner. Some people have asked me if it’s better than Photoshop and Lightroom, and my answer is a rather vague. “it depends”.

I think there is room for all three programs in a photographer’s workflow depending on that person’s individual needs. But there certainly is a lot to be said for how Luminar gives you access to such powerful and highly customizable image filters while making the adjustment process so easy to use.

If you just want to click a few filters and save your image, as you would in Instagram, then you can be on your way in seconds. However, if you want more fine-grain control over which parts of your photos that those filters are editing, then using Filter Masks in Luminar might be the answer you’ve been looking for.

Have you tried Luminar’s filter masking feature? I’m curious to know about your experience and any tips or tricks you might have uncovered. If you have not yet given these tools a chance you might be surprised at the results you can achieve.

Disclaimer: Macphun is a dPS advertising partner.

The post How to use Filter Masks in Luminar for Powerful Local Adjustments by Simon Ringsmuth appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 7, 2017
How to Take Interesting Photos in Uninteresting Places

Having spent the past several months traveling extensively to some pretty exciting places, coming back home to small-town suburbia was a rude awakening for me to say the least. I was so used to having interesting subjects – be it people, landscapes, flora and fauna – at my doorstep everyday. I didn’t have to think much about what I wanted to photograph, I could just step outside and find something new and interesting every time.

But once I got home and settled into my routine, I started to experience PW (photographer withdrawal). There really was nothing for me to photograph, right? How many times can I photograph the same bush, the same tree, the same pond and the same ducks?

You see being smack-dab in the middle of American suburbia, this is the extent of my daily views. But then I realized that there are some simple ways to make an uninteresting location a bit more interesting! Here are six tips to help you do that.

#1 Change the way you look at things

Sometimes it’s just about changing perspective. Literally. Let’s say you have pine trees in your neighborhood. Nothing fancy – simple pine trees that are quite abundant in most areas.

Have you ever tried to look at one through a macro lens? Maybe you can capture individual blades of pine needles. How does the tree look when it snows? Can you isolate the snow on the pine needles? How do pine cones look under a macro lens? All of these things provide a potential for interesting photographs. Just change your perspective a complete 360 from what you normally do!

Get in close

Try looking at the same boring thing with a new or different lens. A macro lens or even a close-up filter is a nice way to get up close and personal to an otherwise boring subject.

The image on the left is the neighborhood pond in winter. Nothing exciting ever happens there. But this past winter we had an ice storm and the pine tree was covered in ice. It made for some interesting compositions and also very cool macro shots!

Try wide-angle

The opposite of close is to try something that encompasses the whole scene. Using a wide-angle or ultra-wide angle lens to change your perspective of the scene in front of you.

Here I used a wider angle to try and encompass the whole extent of ice on the tree. I quite like how the ice is hanging off the branches. I almost got frostbite from being outside in this cold but quite worth the shot, don’t you think?

Get the details/textures

Textures are a wonderful way to look at the details in and around an object. The play of color, age and grain make for great abstract imagery.

#2 Experiment with different light

Light is one of the most important elements in photography. Sometimes boring doesn’t have anything to do with the location, but with the quality of the light at the time that you are shooting. If you feel that what you have around you is really uninteresting, try photographing the scene or subject in lighting that is different from what you usually do.

Get your tripod out and try photographing at night with a flash or a long exposure (slow shutter speed) combined with some light painting. Try early morning or golden hour light when the light is softer and the shadows are longer. Or go completely against the norm and try photographing in the harsh midday sun and embrace the play of light and shadows.

Sometimes when the light is just right, I don’t have a model handy, so my dog is the one who poses for me. I just loved the way he was sitting in the light basking in the warmth of the setting sun.

This was a little bit more staged but she just happened to be sitting there when the setting sun entered the house from the left. I positioned her a bit so she was half in the light and half in the shade. No props needed at all – just a willing model and looking for the right or different kind of light.

Sunsets and sunrises are perfect to spruce up your boring location. You just need get outside and photograph that great light!

#3 Simple special effects

This ties into the point above. Using simple tools like a tripod, off-camera flash, gels, etc., can add an element of interest and change to your otherwise boring images.

Some other ideas to try are motion-blur with a really low shutter speed and a fast-moving subject, intentionally missing focus to create an artistic image, panning while tracking a moving object, double exposures, free-lensing, etc.

I absolutely love double exposures. When all else fails and there is nothing of interest to photograph, I try to combine nature and portraits to create some cool double exposure effect. More often than not, my pet is the only willing and able model!!

#4 Break photography composition rules

We all know the basic rules of compositions such as; the rule of thirds, filling the frame, cropping effectively without cutting body parts, using leading lines and shapes, symmetry and patterns, pay attention to the background, etc. But sometimes when you are not quite feeling motivated and inspired or when you are dealing with an uninteresting background, try breaking some or all these rules to add some interest and drama to your images.

Most food photographs are always in perfect light on perfect white backdrops. I decided to break some rules and photograph my morning smoothie in the hard afternoon light that was streaming through my kitchen window to get some shadows in the frame and also give a more imperfect look to the blackberries.

I loved the way my neighbor’s tree burst into flowers over the spring. So after much coercion and bribing, my daughter agreed to pose – but she refused to look at the camera. So I covered her eyes, cropped off her arms and create a different kind of portrait with the florals that I loved.

#5 Try some street photography

Street photography is an interesting genre of photography because it involves people and people watching is always fun and entertaining, no matter where you are.

#6 Experiment in post-processing

If none of these ideas inspire you, try to create something fun and interesting in post-processing. My post-processing software of choice is Lightroom. Perhaps you want to try HDR processing for your images, or a black and white theme. You can also use selective blur, gradient filters, and other tools to try sprucing up your images to create something interesting and fun.

If you have been following my work for a while, you know that my style is very light, bright and airy. My images are clean and give a sense of freshness even in my processing. The image on the left is more of my normal style. But for this article and also to show that experimenting with post-processing is another way to overcome boredom, I edited all the images in a more dark and moody style throughout.

Left is how I would normally process this image, and the image on the right is just experimenting with darker, moodier tones. I quite like them both and spend hours playing around with editing styles for this article.

Your turn

I hope these ideas get your creative juices flowing in terms of things to try and experiment with in your photography when you feel your location is uninteresting and boring. Remember, memorable images don’t always happen in cool, popular places – they happen when something simple or mundane tells an interesting story.

The post How to Take Interesting Photos in Uninteresting Places by Karthika Gupta appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 7, 2017
Simple Tips for Positioning Your Portrait Subject to Leverage Natural Light

When I’m on a photo shoot, I always carry two flash guns with me. However, when it’s a family outing or holiday, the flash guns are left behind in favor of kiddie stuff I need to lug around and I shoot using purely natural light, without even a reflector to help. It does help that I carry a prime lens that opens up to f/1.4 should I need or want to shoot indoors.

Here are my tips for making portraits using purely natural light.

On a sunny day, there is so much light that it makes it quite hard to take portraits, contrary to what many would think. I generally don’t like taking portraits with the sun directly hitting the face of my subject, so that makes the job even harder on such a bright day.

The first thing to be mindful of is the direction of light – is it coming from overhead, at an angle of 45 degrees or higher or lower? As you cannot physically move the sun, you are going to have to move your subject instead. Think of positioning your subject as leveraging natural light to make a pleasing portrait.

Outdoors

Here are some outdoor scenarios where you can position your subject and avoid direct bright sunlight.

In the shade

My go-to (and easiest) spot is a shaded or sheltered area. Ideally, find a large enough shaded area so that your entire subject is covered in shade. You don’t want dappled light or parts of the body overexposed by being in the sun while the rest of the person is in the shade.

Areas of shade could be under a tree or in the shadow of a tall structure such as the wall of a building as in the photo on the left below. This gives you even lighting over a large area and even exposure too with no hard shadows.

Compare the left photo to the right one where the subject is wearing a hat. I metered on her face and because she was furthered shadowed by the hat, the exposure increased a tad and the rest of the image then got brighter. This can be evened out quite easily in post-production by adding a soft vignette.

With a very bright backlight

Sometimes you find yourself at a location that doesn’t offer enough shade or there is a lack of large structures to provide shelter. You would end up shooting in a bright wide-open space and your only option is to shoot backlit or at least provide shade to your subject’s face.

The difficulty with shooting backlit is that you would need to have ample fill light to compensate for the very strong backlight. You can either use your camera’s built-in flash or use some kind of reflector. That could be a light-colored piece of cardboard or a natural reflector in the vicinity, such as a bright path or wall that reflects strong sunlight back onto your subject’s face.

Shooting in an open or semi-open space, like the black and white photo above, where the backlight is a lot stronger than the light illuminating the subject it gets complicated. Unless you are using a flash to counteract the backlight, the background will be blown out. Even if you shoot with a small aperture, the difference in the amount of light between the subject and the background will be too great to get an even exposure without using a fill flash.

Natural reflectors

In the photo below, this was not taken in a fully open space but the shade there was weaker. The hat provided more shade to her face and you can see the left side is a little darker than the right. That makes for a nice gradation of light and shadow as opposed to a flatly-lit portrait.

I leveraged a natural reflector here which was just to camera right – a light colored parasol which reflected the sun onto the girl’s face. You can also see that the background was a lot brighter and more washed out compared to the first photo above left. But it is showing some foliage compared to the photo above right, hence there is more detail rather than just a white blown out sky.

When I find myself in situations like these, I make sure my main focus is the subject’s face and I don’t mind the background being blown or washed out. After all, I am after a portrait of the subject.

Light from above

Compare the two photos below. The left photo is shot with fairly flat lighting on the face. I made sure the subject was in full shade and the light coming from both the right and left sides was even.

The photo on the right is different in that I asked her to look up a little, thus using the light coming from above and creating a slight gradation of shadow on the right side of her face. Simple positioning of the face in relation to the light source makes a big difference in how your photos look.

Indoor lighting

In comparison to outdoors, there is usually only a fraction of the amount of light indoors, even with a window present. However, this works to your advantage. The light source is usually one-directional unless you have many windows, and therefore you can use this it to sculpt your subject’s face as it were, choosing where the shadows will fall and creating a moody portrait.

The light in the photo below left was coming from a big window, high up at about 30 – 45 degrees to the subject. You can see the shadow falling on the opposite side of her nose and cheeks creating a darker, moodier feel to the image compared to the photo on the right shot outdoors. Even with just a single light source indoors, you have enough light to play with and create the ambiance you want to portray.

Over to you

Whether indoors or outdoors, it is always important to be mindful of where the light is coming from, how much light there is, and if there is any contrast of light and shade in the space. Knowing how to leverage the natural light allows you to create the type of mood you are after in your portrait.

Understanding this and practicing how to use available light will make you a better photographer.

The post Simple Tips for Positioning Your Portrait Subject to Leverage Natural Light by Lily Sawyer appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 6, 2017
5 Lighting Setups You Can Do Using an Octabox

Choosing a lighting modifier is always tough because it’s inherently limiting. Do you go for a large soft source or something with a little more contrast? Or something that plays well with the modifiers you already own? One modifier that appears limiting is the Octabox, because generally, they’re a pretty large source.

You could literally point them anywhere in the region of your subject and get an acceptable photo. I’ve even heard them referred to as “idiot lighting” because they work so well, you don’t have to be clever to use them. It’s not really an insult, it’s more of a reflection of how easy they are to use.

But that doesn’t mean that you can’t use them more subtly though. That’s what we’re going to look at in this article. Your first setup will be the default one most beginners use with lighting. This is a good thing. It gives you a good handle on what the light looks like. But before you begin, let’s talk about the quality of light.

Quality of Light

Generally, when you refer to the quality of light, you’re referring to how hard or soft is the light source.

There are two parts to it though. First, there’s the actual size of the light. A large source is softer, like your typical 4-5 foot Octabox, while a small source, like a 7″ reflector is quite hard.

Soft light

Second, you have the distance to the source. An Octabox placed far from your subject will appear as a smaller source, and become quite hard looking. It’ll also need more power to reach the subject because the light will fall off. This brings us to the concept the f relative size of the light source.

Relative Size of a Light Source

The larger the source of light is in relation to your subject (you may be lighting a still life), the softer your light will appear. A medium source close to your subject will appear softer than a large one further away. So how do you make a larger source softer? Easy, bring it as close to your subject as you can without it appearing in the frame.

Which Octabox?

I currently own three Octaboxes. An Elinchrom 135cm (53″), a Godox 120cm (47″) and an Elinchrom Deep Octa 70cm. For this article, I’m using the more expensive, but really versatile 135cm. You could use the much cheaper Godox. It’s not as soft, but still more than useable.

Setup #1: Light Position to the Front and Side

The Octabox lights both the face and the background in this position.

This is the basic one-light setup. It’s the typical light at 45º to your subject arrangement. Put the light in front of your subject and off to the side (either side, though I opted for the right side for my example).

Your subject can be straight on, or face either direction and still be lit acceptably. You could use a meter aimed towards the light to determine your aperture, but as it’s one light, you could just look at the back of the camera to determine your preferred exposure.

Depending on your preference, anywhere from f/4 to f/11 will work fine, just set the light power to match what you want. The larger aperture of f/4 will give you a softer look overall, while f/11 will have much more in focus.

It should go without saying, but you should always focus on the eye that’s nearest the camera for the most pleasing look.

A behind the scenes image, shot from the side.

Setup #2: Light Position to the Back and Side

With the octabox moved around, the light on the subject is more dramatic. Because it’s no longer aimed at the background, the background goes dark.

For this setup, you just move the light 90º towards the background. This time you have to be more careful about your subject position. They’ll need to be turned towards the light more.

This gives us a short lighting pattern, which is more dramatic. You’ve seen this look before if you’ve read my article about lighting positions. It’s a really slimming look that adds more drama to a portrait.

You’ll also notice that compared to the previous setup, the background is much darker. Because the light is now angled away from the back wall, less of it is lit by your light, rendering it much darker. In the case of these two shots, the subject hasn’t moved, just the light.

Setup #3: Lighting From Behind (Backlight)

This a little more exotic, as you’re letting the light wrap around the subject. Your subject will need to be right against the Octabox for this. Allow the light to wrap around and expose for the subject’s face.

Behind the scenes shot.

Bonus Tip:

You can also add a second light to create a high-key portrait here. Technically high-key has all tones above middle grey, so really, you’re just using the Octabox to create a white background.

Move the subject away from the Octabox a little bit. Make sure that the light from the back isn’t flaring over the shoulders to lose definition. If you use a light meter, make sure the aperture reading aimed at the Octabox is the same or lower than the one aimed at your front light.

Adding a second light will create the white background look that’s currently popular. Technically with high-key, all the elements are above zero, so the black in the dress means this isn’t actually a high key shot, though this lighting can provide that look.

Two lights and one reflector used here.

Setup #4: The Tabletop

This is a very popular look with fashion and editorial portraits. The front of the Octabox should be parallel to the floor above your subject.

The subject should be placed at the edge of the octa, even back from it slightly. This allows the light to wrap down and around the body. A reflector should be used to aim light back into the face as well to fill in shadows.

Setup #5: Lighting From the Front with No Diffuser

For a much edgier look, pull off the front diffusion panel. As I’m using an Elinchrom, I’ve swapped my inner diffusion panel for the white deflector that comes with the 135cm. You can just use the inner diffusion panel. With the Godox, just remove the diffusion panel.

Stand in front of the Octabox and make sure your body or head is blocking the center of the light to minimize any hotspots from the light. Because you’ve allowed the silver part of the Octa to be visible, you get way more contrast in the light.

It’s still a large light source, but you get more highlights on the skin from this look. It also acts like a huge ring light, so you get diffuse shadows all around the subject, for a very cool look.

Get Shooting

Even if you’re just running with a speedlight and a Godox, you’ll still be able to get more options from your light using these five setups.

Remember to keep the center of your light above the subject’s face where possible. Have fun and feel free to post your octabox shots in the comments below!

An Octabox can be used on location as well.

The post 5 Lighting Setups You Can Do Using an Octabox by Sean McCormack appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 6, 2017