Category: Photography

9 of the Best Apps to Help You Do Awesome Mobile Phone Photography

They say the best camera is the one that you have with you. Even though I love my digital SLR, quite frequently, I shoot with my smartphone. This is why mobile phone photography is so popular.

There is a collection of stunning oak trees near where I live. Each time I go there, the trees look different based on the weather and time of year. Did I need an expensive $ 5,000 camera to get these pictures? No, because I know some tricks for shooting with my smartphone.

For these types of images, it doesn’t matter what type of camera you have. If you’ve got a camera, the inspiration, and the time, you can create some great images with your smartphone. Great images come from a good eye and a basic knowledge of composition and light. If you practice with these elements, you can take awesome pictures with any device even if it’s a phone camera. In this article, I will give you some of my favorite apps that will inspire you to have some fun with the camera that is always with you.

Is the era of the compact camera coming to a close?

Either people shoot with their smartphones or they use an advanced digital SLR. There’s not much in between. Why is this happening?

For the general public, smartphones have more capacity and are easier to use than the current lower-end point and shoot cameras on the market. People are getting better results with less effort. When someone asks for a recommendation on a camera and they only have a couple hundred dollars to spend, I usually recommend that they use their cellphone.

As a photography educator, I find my iPhone to be easier to use and more consistent across multiple models. Some Android models work differently and don’t have the same capabilities as other phones. Some apps don’t work on all Androids, so please take that into account when trying out the apps mentioned in this article.

The current compact cameras are more menu-driven than most people can handle. And if their photography skills are not up to snuff, it is hard to get past the automatic modes on those cameras. I have had clients in my classes with these lower-end compact cameras where the manual modes do not work at all. These little gadgets are almost as complicated as the advanced digital SLRs, but without the quality results. The only things that are of benefit are their size and price point, but even then it means a smaller lens, a smaller sensor and diminished results.

Smartphone photography

I discovered smartphone photography after attending a professional photographic trade show. I took a little seminar on an app called Hipstamatic for iPhone and I was hooked. I was no longer a photo snob! All of a sudden, I realized I could create stunning photos in moments that would take hours in Photoshop.

Over the next year or so, I shot thousands of pictures on my smartphone and I got really familiar with the ins and outs of this type of photography.

I also realized this was the future of social media and photography for the general public. You could create little masterpieces that were appreciated online. They were not high resolution and the use of these images was limited, but that works just fine for most people. As a photographer, you don’t want to post images that can be stolen and easily used somewhere else, so the smartphone low-resolution image size is perfect.

I knew then there was a huge future in this art form for the general public. I continued to research new apps, reading everything I could and staying updated. Here are some of my favorite apps for mobile phone photography.

Shooting apps

Camera+ for IOS

This app allows you to control separate focus and exposure points, one of the secrets to good mobile phone photography. You can also use additional features such as selective focus, exposure compensation, and exposure lock. I use Camera+ on every picture I take.

Unfortunately, Camera+ is not available for Android.

ProShot – for IOS and Android

This app has all of the auto, program and manual modes that Camera+ has and is available for both IOS and Android (as well as Windows phones). With ProShot you have full manual control over exposure, ISO, and shutter speed. The most important aspect here is the ability to separate focus and exposure like you can with the Camera+ app.

My go-to editing app

Snapseed

This app is a must for both IOS and Android users! Snapseed is a go-to app for processing photos. It has such an easy interface, that you can make it part of your normal workflow and literally do your editing in seconds when taking a shot with your mobile phone. There are so many options in this app, but my favorite is the selective contrast and exposure settings. It allows you to go into the image and change exposure, contrast, and saturation in specific parts of your picture. Other settings such as grunge, HDR and Retroux let you create a variety of special effects.

Snapseed is available for both iPhone and Android.

Graphic Apps

Wordswag – for IOS and Android

Are you looking for a simple text app where you can create text overlay or a watermark? Wordswag will help you create professional looking graphics like this in just seconds!

Retro Apps

Hipstamatic – for IOS

This app allows you to select “film” and “lenses” in the “classic mode” before you shoot to create the perfect effect. Hipstamatic also added a modern interface with the ability to change your “lenses” and “filters” after you have taken the shot. Find one combination you like to create your own shooting style.

Retro Camera – for Android

With Retro Camera you can take Hipstamatic-style images with five cameras, five sets of vintage vignetting, film scratch and cross-processing options.

Creative art apps

Prisma – for IOS and Android

Here’s a fun app that will turn your images into works of art in seconds. Lots of different options to create in this app. Each option in Prisma is preset and instant with very little custom editing needed.

Diana – for IOS and Android

This app is an easy way to create double-exposure images in seconds. You can create images by selecting specific photos to combine, or you can randomly let Diana select for you. It works better if you have a vision in mind before working with this app, but sometimes a random selection works as well!

Waterlogue – for IOS and Windows 10 devices

Create beautiful watercolor style images with Waterlogue. Select from a number of different styles to create your own masterpiece!

Conclusion

The beautiful thing about photography with the smartphone is that it expands your creativity and can even help with your Digital SLR photography. You can use more than one app to create even more customized effects. Take each image through a series of apps before getting the final look you want. You never know where you’re going to end up, and you might just like that.

What are your favorite Smartphone apps? Has it changed the way you shoot with your Digital SLR? Which of these apps is going to become a regular part of your smartphone photography workflow?

The post 9 of the Best Apps to Help You Do Awesome Mobile Phone Photography by Holly Higbee-Jansen appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 5, 2017
Why it’s a Good Idea to Take Lots of Photos

Take lots of photos. Lots and lots of photos. Make mistakes. Lots of them. The more photos you take and the more mistakes you make, the better the photographer you will become.

I’m not encouraging you to blaze away with your camera like you’ve got a machine gun and are an actor in a B-grade action movie, you won’t improve your photography doing that. You need to carefully consider many aspects of what you are doing and make sure every frame you shoot is different than the previous one.

Increase your odds

Whether you’re photographing your kid’s birthday party, a street protest, graduation portrait or studio product shot for your website, there’s always a multitude of variables. Taking minimal photos is going to reduce your chances of success.

Varying the composition, timing, and exposure for each picture you take will give you more options when you come to edit your photos and choose the best of them.

Vary the composition and move around

Even the slightest changes in composition can produce significantly different photos. So if you only take one or two frames without moving your camera you might be missing the best angle.

Small variations in composition can make a significant difference.

Moving your position from side to side and up and down, even just slightly, or adjusting the focal length when you are shooting a static subject will provide you with a series of different images.

Then later, when you’re editing, you will have the benefit of multiple different photos to choose from.

Moving subjects

Taking a series of photos when one or more elements in your composition are moving gives different results.

When photographing a moving subject it’s always best to take lots of photos. As the location of your subject changes the dynamic of the photo can be varied in many ways. The relationship of your subject to the background will alter, for better or for worse.

The distance between your subject and your camera may change, possibly resulting in an out of focus photo. When your subject is moving, their position within your frame will be different from moment to moment. So it makes good sense to take a series of images, rather than just one or two.

Timing the moments you choose to make an exposure has a major impact on the outcome of your photo, especially when you have more than one element in your composition that’s moving. If you limit the number of photos you make you will risk the missing the best opportunity.

Continuous shooting mode

In many situations, holding the shutter release button down with your camera set to continuous shooting (burst) mode will not often give you the best results unless you carefully consider your actions.

If you are observant and know your subject, taking time to track the action and choosing the moments you make your exposures will give you better results. Use continuous shooting mode carefully when you need it, otherwise, you will be trying to choose your best photos later from a myriad of exposures with insignificant differences.

Exposure variations

Experiment with exposure settings.

Experimenting with different exposure setting is another good way to produce an interesting variety of images of the same subject, especially if the contrast range in your composition is broad.

If you prefer making photos using one of your camera’s auto modes, make a few exposures like that, then switch to Manual mode. Make more photos, adjusting the exposure slightly for each one.

By taking exposure meter readings from different locations with your camera’s spot meter and adjusting your settings accordingly, it can give you a range of more diverse photos than you would have if you only use an automatic exposure mode.

It’s all in the details

Recomposing slightly avoided the bright line connecting with the flower.

Paying attention to detail when you are photographing can make the biggest difference in achieving fabulous photos or just mediocre ones. Taking your time to carefully observe the elements within your frame as you line up your camera to take a photo is essential.

Watch for changes to the light that will affect your exposure. Watch for movement and make deliberate adjustments to your composition. These are all ways that will add depth and an extra dynamic to your photography. However, if you are simply not taking enough photos you are truly limiting your opportunities to be making your best photographs.

Oftentimes the first angle you think of and photograph will not be the best. And, if you only make one or two exposures, you will not get the best photograph. The second composition you choose may be smarter, but all the smart people will do the same. The third step you make with your camera angle, composition, timing, etc., will likely give you a more pleasing, unique result and even lead to more inspired choices for subsequent frames.

Over to you

By taking your time, observing carefully, and considering the various options of how you can set your exposure and frame your subject – it will give you an opportunity to get a diverse range of photos.

Time your exposures so the action is at its peak and your composition works. Then making variations on your choices will return you considerably more options of good photos to choose from. If you just make one or two exposures without making any changes it’s highly possible you will be missing out on making the best photographs possible. So always take lots of photos.

The post Why it’s a Good Idea to Take Lots of Photos by Kevin Landwer-Johan appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 5, 2017
How to Create a Beautiful Online Gallery with Lightroom Classic CC and Adobe Portfolio in 15 Minutes
One of the common questions I hear from photographers is regarding a way to link Lightroom to a photography portfolio website. It usually comes from photographers who don’t like the design options in the LR Web module. The perfect solution doesn’t exist, perhaps the closest (until recently) is Koken, a free plugin that I wrote about some time ago that uses Lightroom’s Publish Collections to update your online portfolio.

But, the good news is that Adobe has just made creating a portfolio website a whole lot easier with its latest update to Adobe Portfolio.

What is Adobe Portfolio?

Adobe Portfolio is exactly what it sounds like – an online gallery of photos. The benefit of using Adobe Portfolio is that it’s very easy (no web design or coding skills required). It also integrates with your Lightroom Collections (this is the update I just referenced).

That means all you have to do is set up some Collections containing the photos you want to include in your gallery and synchronize them with Adobe Portfolio. Then it’s just a matter of choosing a layout, tweaking the design, and making the website live. You can do all of this in less than 15 minutes.

The only caveat is that you need to be an Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan subscriber. Just like Lightroom mobile and Lightroom web, it isn’t available to photographers who use a standalone (purchased) version of Lightroom.

Curious? You can check out a portfolio website I created for myself using Adobe Portfolio here to see what it’s capable of.

Step-by-Step Guide to Adobe Portfolio

The first step – and probably the hardest – is to decide what photos you want to include in your portfolio. Once you’ve made your mind up about that, the rest is easy.
1. Create a Collection Set in the Library module called Portfolio.
2. Create several Collections inside this Collection Set, one for each gallery you want to include on your portfolio website.
3. Add photos to the Collections.
4. Arrange the photos in the order in which they are to be displayed online.
5. Synchronize the photos in the Collections by ticking the boxes to the left of the Collection name (marked below).
My portfolio website (link above) has four galleries; Black & White, Portraits, Spain, and Devon. Each gallery corresponds to a Collection in Lightroom with the same name (seen below).

Register

Go to www.myportfolio.com and sign in with your Adobe ID. If you haven’t created a portfolio yet click the button that says Get Started Free. Otherwise, click the button that says Edit Your Portfolio.

Choose a design for your gallery

Now it’s time to choose a layout. Start by clicking the Switch layouts icon (marked below).

Adobe Portfolio gives you eight layouts from which to choose. All the layouts are fully mobile responsive, which means they work and look professional on mobile phones and tablets as well as desktop computers. Decide which one you want to use and click the Use this layout button.

It may be difficult to visualize which one works best when populated with your photos. Don’t worry about that at this stage – you can change the layout afterward if you want to.

Settings

Next, click the Edit your settings icon (marked below).

Go to Site Options and click the Lightbox for Images tab. Tick the “Enable lightbox for images on my pages” box and click Done (see below). This is important as it lets people view the photos on your portfolio website. If you don’t tick it all they will be able to see are thumbnails.

Add images to your gallery

Click the Manage content icon (marked below).

Go to the Integrations tab and Click the Add Collections button. The website opens a window that displays all your synchronized Lightroom Collections. Pick the ones you want to include in your portfolio and click the Import Selected button (see button below lower-right).

Go to Adobe Portfolio, click on the Manage content icon again and go to the Website Pages tab. Make sure the switch is set to the On position for each Collection you want to display on your portfolio website.

Choose cover photos

Now it’s time to tidy up the gallery cover photos. You’ll need to do this once for each gallery. Start by clicking the pencil icon next to the gallery cover photo (see below).

Pick Edit Cover Image from the menu to edit the cover photo. At the moment this feature is a little limited – the website automatically picks the photo that appears on the cover and it’s not easy to change it.

The only way currently is to click Upload a new image and upload a photo you’ve exported from Lightroom – there’s no way to select another photo from the Collection. But you can zoom the photo and adjust the crop. Click Done when you’re finished and repeat for the other gallery cover photos.

Setup the domain name

Click the Edit your settings icon again and click Domain Name. You can select a URL for your portfolio in the form yourname.portfolio.com. This is the easiest option. Alternatively, if you have a domain or a subdomain you can follow the instructions to use that.

Preview your portfolio gallery

Click the gray Preview button to see a preview of your portfolio website. Happy with what you see? Click Update Live Site to publish your portfolio to your chosen URL. Congratulations – your brand new portfolio website is now live!

Customizing the design

So far I’ve shown you how to get your portfolio website online as quickly as possible. The hardest part, as I said, is deciding which photos to include in your gallery. That can take hours, days, or even weeks. But, once the decision is made, you can get your portfolio online in under 15 minutes. It really is that quick.

If you’re happy with the default settings of your layout you can stop there, your job is done. But it’s worth spending some time looking at both the page and global settings. You can customize things such as fonts, colors and the number of columns on your front page. There is an option to add pages (for instance an About page) and links to other websites. You have a lot of options and it’s worth exploring them to see how you can individualize your portfolio website.

You can even change the layout by clicking on the Switch layouts icon. Adobe portfolio remembers your customizations, which gives you peace of mind as it means you won’t lose your customizations when you switch from one layout to another.

When you are finished, remember to click the green Update Live Site button. None of your customizations are published until you click that button.

How to update the photos

Portfolios are fluid and as time goes by you will add and remove photos from the Collections you created. You may also add more Collections as your photo collection grows. There are two steps to updating your portfolio website.

1. Update your Lightroom Collections and make sure Lightroom has had time to synchronize the changes.

2. Go to Adobe Portfolio, click on the Manage content icon and go to the Website Pages tab. Click on the Cog icon next to the Collection that you want to update and select Reset from Lightroom to update your portfolio gallery.

3. Finish by clicking the green Update Live Site button to publish the updates to your portfolio website.

Next steps

With the recent update that lets you integrate Lightroom Collections, Adobe Portfolio has become the easiest way to create a portfolio website using Lightroom Collections. The only downside, as mentioned earlier, is that you need to be a Creative Photography Plan subscriber to use this feature.

If you are not, then look at Koken as an alternative. Don’t dismiss the Web module out of hand either, it has some very useful features and doesn’t require a CC subscription to use.

You can learn more about all aspects of Lightroom with my bestselling Mastering Lightroom ebooks.

The post How to Create a Beautiful Online Gallery with Lightroom Classic CC and Adobe Portfolio in 15 Minutes by Andrew S. Gibson appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 4, 2017
Weekly Photography Challenge – Play with Your Food
Your mother may have told you not to play with your food, but this week you have our permission.

Shot I did in New Orleans – very famous coffee and donuts.

I recently shared some video tutorials with food photography tips – check those out if you need help.

Here are some other dPS articles on the topic if you want more tips and ideas:
- 4 Tips for Beginners to Food Photography
- The Secret to Finding the Hero Angle in Food Photography
- 8 Tips for Food Photography Newbies
- How to Take Cool Food Photos in Your Refrigerator
- Household Items to Bring to Your Next Food Photography Shoot
- 5 Tips for More Professional-Looking Food Photography
- 5 Tips That Will Make Your Food Photos Stand out from the Crowd
- Using Focus Creatively with Food Photography
I used to do food photography commercially – a long, long, time ago! Here are some of my tips:

Don’t forget your fruit and veggies – even still in the tree or on the vine.

Food in its raw form including still on the tree works!

Not quite on the tree. I added the hands here to add interest and show scale, as well as the inside of this nut.

Add a human element or photograph the preparation of the food as well as the finished product.

The making of the iced coffee.

Add a human element for interest. Yes I did drink it and yes it was amazing!

Get the light right. The most common placement or direction of light with food photography is to have the light actually coming from behind the food. It makes it look shiny and more appetizing that way. Like this Colombian ajiaco soup.

Play with angles, light, and composition. Don’t just take one shot.

I wanted to show how full the table was here so I used this overhead angle. This is shot I did for a hotel in Nicaragua showcasing the breakfast they serve.

I took a lower camera angle here to show the setting of where the breakfast is served.

Here I added the human element and motion with the juice pour.

Now it’s your turn!

Weekly Photography Challenge – Food

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images on the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Play with Your Food by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 4, 2017
Video Tips for Better Food Photography
Food photography has become more and more popular. In fact, many restaurants complain that their patrons don’t eat the food before it starts to get cold because they’re too busy taking photos of it for Instagram and Facebook.

Whatever you’re eating, and wherever you’re sharing your food photos – here are some tips to help you take better, more appetizing food shots.

#1 – Lighting tips with Andrew Scrivani

In this video, you will get some really good tips for creating good lighting for food photography. Then see how he applies it in an example photo shoot.

#2 – 5 tips for better food photography composition

Composition is just as important in food photography as lighting. In this video, see 5 different ways to do food composition. Notice his first tip is to use a tripod!

#3 – Tips from a food blogger

Food blogger and author, Izy, has some really practical tips you can use for your food photography in this short video.

Learn about:
- Light: Using natural light for food and diffusion
- Camera angles: Which are the best for food
- Styling: Tips for props and how to make the photo interesting
- Camera settings: What are the optimal settings for food and why
- Editing: Why you want to shoot raw file format
Give those a try when you’re doing your next food photography shoot.

The post Video Tips for Better Food Photography by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 3, 2017
Improve Your Composition by Changing Your Point of View
There are many rules, guidelines, suggestions, and ideas around what makes a good photographic composition. Every person has their own particular aesthetic and way of seeing, and it can be difficult to find your way through all the information to a concept that works for you.

However, there is one simple tip that may be the easiest and quickest way for you to improve your images. It’s free and doesn’t usually require you to buy anything. All you need to do is stop, think, and make a different choice. What is that choice? The choice of changing your point of view.

The vast majority of images are taken from a standing position, looking out at, or down onto the subject. So, instead of doing what everyone else does, why not try something different?

Change Your Point of View

#1 – Go Low

Get down on the ground as low as you can get (depending on your physical capabilities or what might be in the way). This can give you a much more intimate connection with any creature you might be shooting – being at eye level with the subject is always ideal.

Being on the same plane as a ground-based subject is unexpected. Too often we view the world from a standing position so this viewpoint challenges us.

I crouched as low as I could get without scaring this curious bandicoot.

Lying flat on the damp sand at 6 am on a tropical island isn’t a bad way to start the day.

I spent a couple of hours crawling around on my hands and knees on the edge of a cemetery, capturing these Fly Agaric in full bloom.

2. Go High

Climb onto a fence, up some stairs, a tree, or a ladder and use that height to better effect. Looking straight down on your subject is a very alien view for most people. This is a big part of why drone photography is so popular, it allows us to see our world in an entirely different way.

3. See from a different angle

How many times do you point the camera straight or straight down? Most people rarely look immediately up above themselves, so that is quite a different image. If you combine adding height with looking down you can be very creative as it is unexpected by viewers who normally have their feet planted firmly on the ground.

Vertical flat lay overhead still life shot.

Pointing the camera directly down the stairwell from the top floor provides a unique angle.

Stalactites in a limestone cave right above my head.

4. Make a Different Lens Choice

Changing from your standard lens to a different one can also make a big difference.

Try using a macro lens, or an ultra wide-angle. Even better, don’t use them conservatively. Use the ultra-wide to take macro shots, and use the macro lens to take portraits.

Get a cheap vintage lens, one that has all sorts of interesting visual effects inside the glass (they usually need to be focused manually). Play with a Lensbaby or another specialty type lens. Don’t be afraid to experiment. After all, whats the worst that could happen?

The only way to fit this really wide piece of farm equipment into the frame was to shoot up close with an ultra-wide-angle lens. It also allowed the creative choice of including all the wonderful clouds in the sky as well.

Macro lenses offer a window into a world we cannot normally see with standard eyesight. Fascinating tiny details become visible.

Shot with an antique Russian lens, it has a lot of circular distortion around the edges, which when used creatively can be effective. The bonus is that these lenses are very cheap and easy to find in antique shops. Usually manual to operate though.

5. Shoot Tight

Stick that lens right up close to your subject, get in tight. Fill the frame with the subject, as much as you can. Go completely abstract if you like, but push yourself out of your comfort zone. Get in as close as you can, and then go closer still.

6. Take Your Time

Long exposures can be a lot of fun and give you a very different image. Soft flowing water effects are nice, but what about a really long exposure where the water looks like smoke and mist? Night shots of fire dancers making patterns in the darkness? Playing with light painting? ICM or Intentional Camera Movement? Slowing down the action and capturing it can offer a lot of creative fun.

Low light or night time photography offers lots of opportunities for using long exposures in creative ways. Astrophotography is very popular at the moment and requires you to use a tripod and take often several long exposure frames. Light trails from traffic on busy city streets or a car climbing its way up a mountain road in the distance.

These kinds of images take time to make, which requires you to think about and plan it in advance. It can be frustrating to have to wait to achieve them but the pay off for creating an image under difficult conditions is very rewarding.

Fire dancers on the beach

Fire dancer using a colored light bar and taken with a longer exposure to capture the spinning movement

A tree draped in strands of lights becomes a very different image when Intentional Camera Movement is applied. Just a slightly longer exposure time and a wiggle of the wrist and you get this.

7. Be Abstract

Going really close to a subject or selecting just a part of it to include in the frame is a great way to bring abstract concepts into your work. You tease the viewer with just enough of the subject that they wonder what it is. This often makes them engage longer with the image as they think more about what it could be.

There is a fine line between enough and too abstract, depending on your subject. Of course, you may want to go all the way into very abstract which is perfectly valid, although might challenge your audience and lose engagement.

This is the very battered toes of a pair of ballet pointe shoes

Summary

Putting some effort and thought into the way you use your camera gear is one of the most effective ways to improve your images in my opinion. Strong and eye-catching compositions can be achieved with any kind of camera provided you put some thought and time into making it.

Yes, for some kinds of shots you might need special gear, like a macro lens for those really good close-ups. In general, though, you can still see a noticeable improvement in your images by just taking the time to stop and think BEFORE you shoot. Ask yourself the following questions before you press the button:
- What is the obvious angle here?
- What other options could I use instead?
- Do I have time to experiment?
- Is there space and opportunity for me to physically move to a different viewpoint?
- Is it safe/legal?
- Will I do any damage to property or environment by changing position?
Learning to see in a different way was a critical step in my photography path. By expanding my options and developing new styles, my work was noticed and commented on much more. This prompted me to experiment even more and really challenge my own preconceived boundaries.

Having the ability to shoot in many different ways adds flexibility and depth to your skillset. Cold rainy day? Break out the macro lens and raid the pantry for something different to shoot. Pick a flower from the garden and bring it inside. Wander the city streets looking for the small interesting details and focus on them. Be abstract, tell a story from your point of view. Get shots of people’s feet crossing a zebra crossing or panning shots of a cyclist dodging traffic.

Your turn

Take your time to look and see what is around you, then think about how you can frame it up. Be creative. Don’t be afraid to try something new. It might take a few goes to get the hang of it or you might fall in love with seeing the world around you in an entirely different way immediately.

Challenge yourself to grow and improve. And please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

The post Improve Your Composition by Changing Your Point of View by Stacey Hill appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 3, 2017
7 Ideas for Low-Cost Printing and Framing Options for Your Images

Photography has changed an awful lot over the last 100 years. Heck, it’s changed immensely over the last 20 years. Who am I kidding? With the rise of the cell phone, digital photography and social media have changed the industry in countless ways.

Images matter

I would argue that one thing in photography hasn’t changed. Everyone loves looking at pictures whether it’s scanning images on Instagram or flipping through old photo albums, something is mesmerizing about viewing an image. This simple fact will never change. Everyone loves looking at pictures.

My kids will sit for an hour and check out an old photo album. They learn about their family and their history from those images. They like to share their lives through images on social media. Humans are obsessed with the visual.

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” — Aaron Siskind

If this image had not been printed I would have forgotten just how much my son has grown in 9 years. It doesn’t matter that it’s a little soft. It’s the memories involved that matter.

So let’s get them off the computer

What could be better than a visual record or our lives? So why then are people so hesitant to print those images and display them? In the days of film, people used to take photos and leave the rolls lying around for years. Today we take photos on our phone and leave them there. Sure they get shared on Facebook or Instagram, but then we forget about them. Why? Why do we do this?

One excuse I’ve heard is, “It’s expensive to print and frame images.” Well okay, that’s valid. It can be pricey, I agree, but with a little ingenuity you can print out those images and share them easily. There’s something wonderful about handling a printed photograph. We shouldn’t lose that part of the industry. We should always print our photographs.

So without further ado here are some tips and tricks for printing and framing photographs in a way that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

1) Print in bulk

Every print company gives discounts for mass amounts of printing. Save up a whole bunch of images and print them all at once. You can drag and drop your favorite images into a folder and then when you have enough to meet their bulk prices you can upload and save (try Shutterfly). Just remember to print all the images at the same size. Even for large art prints, you can find savings by printing in bulk.

If you use an online lab, the shipping can be a real burden, but you can save money on shipping by ordering a lot at once. The larger the package, the cheaper it can be to get it shipped. A lot of companies also offer free shipping over a certain price. Take advantage of these offers and get your prints delivered in a cost-efficient manner.

2) Buy frames in bulk

If you’re like me and you love to fill your walls with images of your family, then it’s time you started buying frames in bulk. Go to your local framing store and talk to them about purchasing large quantities. Most stores will give a discount if you buy five frames of the same size.

Even for custom built frames, you can get a good discount by ordering several of the same size and style at one time. I use this strategy for framing art for galleries. I will print five images the same size and then frame them in the same way. It saves me a great deal of money, and the work looks very cohesive hanging on the gallery wall.

You can also check out online framing supply stores. Sites like Matshop offer great prices on frames, free shipping on orders over a specific amount and the ability to buy frames in bulk. You can also purchase bulk mat kits which are very useful. Purchase frames from your local framing store or pick them up at flea markets and add your mats and images.

Here’s a collection of the frames and mats I purchased through bulk ordering.

3) Recycle old frames

For that crafty look visit garage sales or flea markets and pick up some old frames. Pop your matted images into these frames, and you’ve got a truly unique look for your work. It’s easy to find old frames for a few dollars if you know where to look.

4) Create magazines or photo books

It’s easy to upload your photos and use online printing services like Blurb to make photo books. Lightroom comes equipped with an interface for creating photo books and ordering from Blurb. It’s not very hard to create them and it’s very cost-effective. Plus you get to maintain some of the nostalgia of flipping through photo albums. Remember those days?

A printed book to show off family pictures from a trip to Iceland. My boys take it off the shelf and read it occasionally.

5) Buy a cork board

No seriously, purchase a few cork boards and pin prints to them. When you get tired of the images you’ve displayed, print out a few more and pin them up. You’ll get lots of comments from friends and family. They often stop to look at my corkboard. Sometimes I get comments like, “You know this is a cheap way of showing off pics. I need to do something like this.”

I usually switch up my images every season. The prints might be curled a little at the end of four months, but I put them in a labeled box, and I will recycle images pulling a few from an old box each season. It’s completely random which images end up on the corkboard.

This cork board sits in my kitchen. I change the images up every few weeks.

6) Subscribe to printing company newsletters

I know it’s annoying to receive promotional emails, but honestly, most companies send out promo codes in their newsletters, and these codes can save you loads of money. Take advantage of 40% off codes to print out large canvases of your travel images.

Sites like Posterjack and 44 Wide often have sales that reduce the cost of printing. It means you can get a 100$ canvas for 60$ . That makes for a cost-effective gift idea for a family member.

7) Turn them into coloring pages

My kids love it when I take their photos and turn them into something they can contribute to. There’s a very simple process using Photoshop that allows you to create outlines of your images. If you own Topaz you can use that plugin to create line drawings. There are lots of options available, give the process a try.

Print them out and let your kids decorate the fridge. You will always have the digital print you can use for more serious purposes. So let your kids go crazy, they can give Grandma orange hair or make your dress polka dotted. The images will become stronger memories when they can be seen on a daily basis.

It only takes a few minutes to turn photos into coloring pages and then print them out at 8.5 x 11 size. Perfect for artistic renditions.

Conclusion

There are lots of amazing and cost-effective ways to print and display your photographs. Be creative, think a little outside the box and try a few ways to incorporate your images into your daily life.

It doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. If you’ve got little kids, you can even find fun ways to create an art project involving photographs. We’d love to hear your tips and tricks for printing images. Please share your ideas with us in the comments below.

Let’s all get into the habit of putting photographs on our walls not just our Facebook page.

The post 7 Ideas for Low-Cost Printing and Framing Options for Your Images by Erin Fitzgibbon appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 3, 2017
7 Benefits of Printing Photographs

Digital sharing of photos may have reduced the urge to print a photograph after taking a shot with your digital camera. But printing photos offers you a lot of benefits as a photographer. Here are some of the reasons why you should consider buying a photo printer and start enjoying the benefits of photo printing. 1. Improve Your Photography Skills Continue Reading

The post 7 Benefits of Printing Photographs appeared first on Photodoto.

Photodoto

November 2, 2017
7 Tips to Get More Creative Photos of Well-Known Landmarks
Photographing landmark buildings when you visit a new place, or even places closer to home is a great way to get stand out photos. Often the architectural beauty of the natural or man-made landmark will make the image dramatic, you simply need to compose the photo well.

In this article, you’re going to see the standard photo, and then how to make more creative images of well-known landmarks. You’ll see a case study of how to shoot one particular landmark in many different ways.

This photo was taken from the Trader’s Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. It shows the Petronas Twin Towers.

1 – The standard photo

Ahead of photographing more creative images of landmarks the aim is to make the best standard photograph you can. Chances are that a quick search on a photo sharing site like 500px.com will reveal this, so there is no need to re-invent the wheel here.

Once you know which landmark you want to photograph, the next step is to find out where that photo was taken from, if the same image has been taken many times there will likely be a viewing platform.

Once you are in position it’s time to compose your photo. It’s better if you can use a slightly different composition to those used before, perhaps try a vertical shot.

The last step is to ensure you have good images to process once you return home. Bracketing your images when the sky is brighter than the foreground will allow you to use creative post-processing techniques like digital blending. Alternatively, you can use graduated neutral density filters, and get your photograph exposed correctly in camera, with a single frame.

2 – Paint with light for creative images of landmarks

This photo shows how light painting can be used to create your own image.

One of the most creative things you can do in photography is light painting. There are several forms of this technique and each can give you dramatic results.

This is innovative in that the results will be your own, and difficult for someone else to replicate. Let’s take a look at the different forms of light painting that you could try.
- Light painting – Most people know light painting as writing their name with a torch (flashlight) in front of the camera. How about light painting around a landmark to add a creative edge? Those really interested in should look into buying the pixelstick.
- Kinetic light painting – This refers to moving the camera, as opposed to moving the light source. Examples of kinetic light painting are camera rotation and zoom bursts.
- Lighting up an object – You can light up a landmark using a strong flashlight, providing it’s not too far away. Using lights to brighten a landmark can make it stand out even more in the frame.
Camera rotation is a good way to make a creative image of a landmark.

3 – Infrared photos of landmarks

Make creative images of landmarks by using infrared photography! There are several avenues to achieving this look, and you have a choice of in-camera or post-processing.

The classic infrared photos show lots of foliage, sky, and usually a water element. The effect creates a dreamscape image by turning the sky black, and the foliage white. Infrared photography is best done on a clear sunny day, with a few clouds to create more interest.

The following are the three avenues open to you to create these photos when shooting with a digital camera.
- Take a normal photo, and use post-processing to give the image the look of an infrared photo.
- Add an infrared filter to the front of your lens. To get the infrared look you will need to take your file and process it on the computer.
- Convert your camera body so that it’s usable for infrared photography, again further processing will be required.
Though this photo uses the same composition of a previous one above, the mood is changed by using an infrared technique.

4 – Get those detail photos!

It’s always a good idea to take some detail photos of a landmark, these are texture images that often use repeating patterns. When photographing a landmark building, whether it’s old or new, you can use bricks or glass windows to create these texture photos.

Photos of natural formations will also have good details. Cliff faces may, for instance, have good lines and textures in them. The aim with this type of photo is to show detail, but at the same time make it obvious which landmark you are photographing. This could be structures that are unique to that particular landmark.

When shooting glass windows, is there a reflection in those windows that will give the photo context? When photographing landmarks always try to get detail photos to add more variety to the set of photos.

Creative images of landscapes can be achieved using detail photos. The metallic structure of the tower and the Malaysian flag lend context.

5 – See another world with refraction

An alternative way of producing a unique landscape image is through using refraction. A transparent spherical object will be needed for this, there are several options available. The best objects for producing this effect are a wine glass filled with water, a crystal ball, or perhaps a clear marble.

This is a great way of capturing a large area of your scene, with the effect in the refracting object being similar to a fish-eye lens. The image inside the ball will be upside down, so managing this aspect of the photo is important. This technique is a lot of fun, though the need to carry around a heavy glass ball can be taxing.

Refraction is a great method of producing a unique image, this one also shows a reflection.

6 – Long exposure for artistic effect

A great way to produce creative images of landmarks is to play around with long exposures. This is a variable that can be used in different ways to great artistic effect. It’s more common to carry out long exposure at dusk, or during the night; however using an ND filter will allow you to take long exposures during the day.

Here are three ways you can use long exposures:
- Car light trails – This is a form of light painting. In this case, the car headlights will paint their way through your frame, along the road you’re photographing.
- Cloud movement – If there are clouds in the sky, and they’re moving fast enough, you can use a long exposure to capture this motion.
- Moving water – Similar to the above cloud movement, but with water! The main subject is, of course, your landmark, but if that landmark has water near it, then use that to your advantage.
All good landscape photographers carry a tripod, and anyone planning this type of photo will need one. Your exposures will be anywhere from one second to several minutes long.

Long exposure photos of car light trails are a staple of photography. Here the road leads up to the Petronas towers on the horizon.

7 – Change your vantage point

The angle that you photograph a landmark at can have a dramatic effect on the type of photo taken. Today the sky literally is the limit, as drones allow for the overhead photos that were previously out of reach.

But a drone is not the only way to achieve a good photo by changing your vantage point. The standard photo is that at street (eye) level, so any variant on that changes the type of photo.
- Bird’s eye view – This type of photo is taken from a high vantage point, where you will photograph downwards. The most extreme example would be a drone, or perhaps an airplane.
- Worm’s eye view – The opposite of a bird’s eye view, this is taken from street level looking upwards. You will need to be close to the landmark you are photographing.
The challenge with this is finding a good location that allows a view of your landmark. In the city, this will mean getting access to a rooftop, or viewing platform. In a more rural setting, it means climbing a mountain!

A worm’s eye view can give you a different style of photo.

How will you make creative images of landmarks?

There are many ways to photograph a famous landmark in your own unique way. How do you go about putting your own stamp on a location that has been photographed many times before?

Have you tried any of the above suggestions? Can you revisit one of your previous photo locations, and photograph it totally differently? We’d love to see the results of your work past and present, please share with the community in the comments area below.

The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur has been photographed many times. It can be a challenge to find a unique photo.

The post 7 Tips to Get More Creative Photos of Well-Known Landmarks by Simon Bond appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 2, 2017
How to Show a Sense of Scale in Your Photography
Picture this: You’re standing in front of an awe-inspiring natural wonder, a giant mountain or an extraordinary monument. Eagerly, you raise your camera to your eye and *click* you snap a shot.

There, on the LCD screen on the back of your camera, you see that all the majesty of the scene has disappeared.

A photo of Skogafoss waterfall in Iceland, taken to show the scale and majesty of the scene.

In its transition from reality to the screen on your camera, your subject has lost its grandeur and sense of scale – there’s no true representation of how impressive the scene is. Has this happened to you?

Photography works with only two dimensions, for the most part. The world, on the other hand, is viewed in three dimensions. Missing that extra dimension can be a big deal.

Without giving a bit of thought to your composition, you can lose a lot of the sense of scale – making even the most remarkable subject matter look completely unremarkable on camera.

Understanding lens distortion

A camera doesn’t necessarily see the same thing our eyes do. Depending on your type of lens, and how much zoom you are using, there can be quite a difference between the image and reality.

Wide-angle lenses can make a real mess of perspective, making objects close to the camera seem significantly bigger than ones farther off. This can be used to your advantage for creative shots, but it will completely ruin the sense of scale.

From up close and seen with a wide-angle lens of 17mm, this gigantic-looking gnome looms over the fence it is sitting on.

A gnome photographed from a distance to show how lens distortion influences scale.

At a focal length of 55mm, the sense of scale is restored and we can see that the gnome is actually quite small compared to the fence.

The more you zoom in (use a longer focal length), the less distorted your object will appear. Unfortunately, if you are taking pictures of large buildings or natural wonders, this has fairly limited application. It isn’t always possible to jog several hundred meters down the road in order to have room to zoom into 200mm when photography a tall building.

If we want to get the entire object in the frame, we’ll need to make some compromises with lens distortion, which leads us to our next trick for properly showing scale.

Provide a reference

So how can we tell if something is big?

Well, it’s not usually a problem in real life to know if an object is big or not. But in photography, we don’t always have the same opportunity to glance around and get a sense of proportion. This bothersome little detail can mean that even a huge, incredible wonder in real life can look insignificant.

A photo of a mountain, with a reference point of a village below to show scale.

So how can we make sure that immense size is properly appreciated? Provide a familiar reference point to define scale. By including people or common objects in a scene, the viewer can quickly understand the scale.

Skip giving that reference point and your mighty mountains could just as well be macro shots of pebbles, for all your viewer knows.

This is the incredible Gullfoss in Iceland, but without a clear point of reference, we don’t have a strong idea of its scale.

Use of a longer lens helps us to see that those tiny specks on the rock are actually hikers – and helps us to understand that this waterfall is massive!

Showing Distance

How can we tell if something is far away?

Again, it isn’t difficult to recognize distance in real life. Once again, two-dimensional pictures have a habit of looking extremely flat without paying a bit of attention to what is included in the frame.

Well, for starters, you can use depth-of-field to provide a sense of depth. When the background drops off into a blur, it helps the viewer to more easily recognize distance.

Depth-of-field refers to the amount of area that is in focus in a picture. You can make sure that the background falls out of focus by using one or combining multiple of the following methods:
- Selecting a wide lens aperture
- Zooming in on your subject
- By having a significant distance to the background behind your subject
A man exploring the mountain photographed to show a narrow depth of field.

But you’ll need to do more than just shoot with a wide aperture if you want a mountain range to look imposing.

Another good technique you can use is to layer your background elements. This is easiest to recognize with mountains.

Including the whole scene

Sometimes showing the true scale of a scene requires a bit of give and take – you need to make a few compromises.

Zooming in and capturing expressions or the human element can cause you to lose the sense of scale. On the other hand, zooming out can cause your image to lose any interaction or interest.

The hiker is sitting on the edge of a cliff – but without zooming back the viewer has no idea how big the drop is.

The best way to account for this is to simply be aware of it as you set up your shot. Balance the objects in the frame and decide what is the priority and purpose of the shot. If you want to show the scale of a scene, you probably won’t be able to take a tight shot that shows reactions or emotions.

By pulling back a bit, we can see the entire cliff – but now we can’t see the hiker’s expression!

Changing up your perspective

Sometimes capturing the majesty of a scene requires a creative perspective. Many photographers forget to explore the potential that comes from mixing up the camera’s point of view.

Taking a low shot can help add emphasis or might to a scene.

A low angle shot of a waterfall, showing its grandeur

Using a drone to cruise overhead and look down over an area can also be a fun way to show scale. The bird’s eye view perspective can be used to discover new angles of looking at otherwise familiar landscapes.

Drone – image by dPS author Suzi Pratt.

Using Lines

Lines have always been an important element of any composition. They give an image a sense of movement and can direct the viewer’s eye around a shot, especially when they all tend towards a single vanishing point on the horizon.

The strong lines in this image help us to understand the size of this mountain trip.

Using leading lines is also a way to provide a sense of depth and show distance. You get a quick comparison of the distance between objects in the frame, giving you a quick point of reference to work with for the rest of the picture.

Recognizing and using natural lines in a scene is a surefire way to create a dynamic and interesting composition.

A deliberate approach to photography

By having the different techniques that can be used to show a sense of scale top of mind when you are out exploring with your camera, you can increase your chance of coming back with some real keepers.

It’s a common complaint of beginner or casual photographers that they can’t quite seem to make their pictures look as impressive as real life. But with a bit of practice, you can shoot pictures that leave your audience in awe!

The post How to Show a Sense of Scale in Your Photography by Frank Myrland appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 2, 2017