Family photos can be incredibly precious keepsakes. Most of us have in our possession old pictures of our parents, our grandparents, or ourselves, but unfortunately, as a result of time and poor protection, these photos often become scratched or torn, or lose their original spark. Thanks to Photoshop, we can easily restore our old photos in a fun and creative Continue Reading
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Minimalism gained traction in America in the 1960s with links to the Japanese traditional culture of Zen Philosophy. As a reaction against the whims of abstract expressionism, artists like Sol LeWitt, Frank Stella, and Mark Rothko experimented with stripped back processes and imagery, exposing the bare bones of visual art.
The history of the minimalist photography movement is not dissimilar to that of their contemporaries. The scientific photography of Bernice Abbott is referred to as a marked pivot towards minimalism. Photographers like Robert Adams and Lewis Baltz also used reductionist techniques to explore composition in the natural and urban landscape.
Like all visual art, minimalism is founded on the basic elements of design; line, shape, color, texture, form, and composition. The scope of interpretation within minimalist art is vast, with its proponents yielding a diversity of results and reasoning. Overall, however, minimalist art can be surmised within a single principle, the old adage of “keep it simple”.
Minimalism is about how little you can say without compromising meaning. Minimalist photography is a great opportunity to slow down and reevaluate your photographic process. Before taking a shot, take a breath. Think about your desired outcome. How does your knowledge of composition apply to the subject at hand? How would you like to approach exposure? Minimalism is a very meditative process, sort of like yoga, but for your photography.
Often, the utilitarian components that make up an urban landscape are the same that serve as the best minimalist subjects. Minimalist depictions of nature tend to rely on the soft flow of organic structures. However, urban minimalist photography capitalizes on the bold lines of old buildings, fresh apartments, and upturned car parks.
Intermixed with bolts of color, texture, and juxtaposition, minimalist photography can be both subtle and loud at the same time. Photographers of minimalism capitalize on strong, stripped back elements to create both subtle and high-impact imagery. That’s why moving forward in minimalist photography often requires you to steep yourself in the very basics of photographic composition first.
The rule of thirds is a trick to help determine the overall composition of a photograph. Mentally divide an image up evenly into thirds both horizontally and vertically. The lines that intersect around the central rectangle indicate the points that capture the majority of a viewer’s attention. By offsetting important points in a photograph from the center rectangle, an image will feel more naturally appealing to your audience.
Minimalist photography relies equally on what has been included and excluded from an image. Composing a visually harmonious photograph with tools like the rule of thirds maximizes the short time a viewer has to engage with a photograph.
This image is sectioned off into 9 even rectangles. The four central intersecting points indicate the focal points of the photograph.
This image is an example of the rule-of-thirds in practice. No single component of the photograph lies directly within the center, guiding the viewer’s eye around the image rather directly to the center.
Color has a language that establishes the atmosphere and emotional range of an image. Where traditional black and white highlights the form of an image, two or three highly contrasting colors can bring the facade of the urban environment to life.
Blocks of color convey vitality and hardness in an image, whereas a gradient is softer and more accommodating. Pastel color schemes depicted by many contemporary minimalist photographers deliver a surreal, dream-like quality to a photograph, while also alluding to childhood, disassociation and new-media aesthetics.
Isolated colors can add depth to an image and draw attention to details often overlooked in the urban landscape.
Strong lines in minimalist photography carry the integrity of an image. Conveying depth and presence, bold lines leading in from the perimeter of an image grab a viewer’s attention and guide their eye through the artwork. Lines delineate the boundaries of different bodies within a space and can denote unrest at sharp angles or quiet emotion with organic ripples.
Horizontal lines are used as a device to indicate the horizon, perspective, or to completely upend a viewer’s sense of space altogether! When composing an image, follow each line through with your eyes. Adjusting the integrity of a line later in post-production can be extremely time-consuming. And the success of a minimalist photograph could (and probably will) count on it being exact.
Leading lines reach the perimeter of the physical photograph and provide the viewer with a visual trail to follow into the interior of the image.
The compositional elements of line and shape often cross over in a visual plane. For example, the perimeter of a shape can be defined by its outer line, sectioning the interior of the shape off from the background of the image.
Sharp, inorganic shapes create unrest and action in an image, whereas smooth, organic shapes create a scene of peace, nature, and evenness. The urban environment consists of an inexhaustible array of sharp and smooth lines. Trying to bring the two spectra together creates a dynamic juxtaposition of design and emotion.
Pattern and texture lift the image from the page. Texture is the physicality of an image, which engages with an audience by appealing to their sense of touch. Pattern, often combined with texture, adds detail to a photograph, revealing beauty the repetition of otherwise unobserved subject matter.
Minimalism and pattern can combine to emphasize size and number, delivering a feeling of sensory overload simply by the repetition of a single design. When limited to concentrated areas in an image, a pattern can serve as a disruption to the remaining landscape or as a contrast to emphasize negative space.
Textural images often depict the wear and tear of the urban environment in delightfully intricate detail.
Negative space is what is not there which can be kind of confusing. It lends breathing room to an image. It allows the immediate subject matter to exist with little or no intrusion elsewhere in the frame.
As an example, an image of a single cloud, framed by blue sky neither intrudes nor detracts from the other, but the two exchange meaning nonetheless. The sharp contrast between vacant and overflowing environments means that urban landscapes are great for incorporating negative space into minimalist photography.
The geometric pattern on the right of this image is offset by the negative space on the left. The relationship balances out the image overall and enhances the bold yellow streak down the middle.
Minimalism has seen a considerable resurgence in recent years, especially in interior design and photography. A wealth of online curatorship means that tags like #minimal and #minimal_perfection unearth fresh, reductionist imagery by the second. Although the overwhelming volume of images may seem contrary to the principals of minimalism itself, the evolution of the modern landscape continues to create a wealth of opportunity for photographic artists looking to branch out or hone their skills in composition.
How do you use minimalist photography with your images? Please share in the comments below.
The post Tips for Minimalist Photography in an Urban Environment by Megan Kennedy appeared first on Digital Photography School.
When it comes to lighting, there is an infinite choice on how you can light your portrait subjects. That’s great and it’s addicting, but when you are starting out it can also be overwhelming. To counter the inevitable information overload that you will get researching lighting, it is a good idea to know a few basic setups that you can fall back on should you be pressed for time or should you need a backup. This article will introduce you to a basic two light setup often called clamshell lighting.
It will provide you with a beautiful soft light with faint shadows and glorious catchlights. Clamshell lighting works very well and it is very flattering for men and women of all ages and it could be a very useful technique in your toolkit.
In a nutshell, clamshell lighting is a configuration where two lights are placed facing toward your subject at a 45-degree angle. Your key light is facing downwards at a 45-degree angle and your fill light is a facing upwards at a 45-degree angle. The resulting appearance of your lights from the side somewhat resembles an open clamshell (imagination may be required).
Apologies for my stick figure skills, but here you can see just how easy clamshell lighting is to do.
If you start with your main light on axis (directly in front of your subject), raised up and pointed downward, you have a basic butterfly lighting set-up. Adding the second light from below serves as fill and eliminates any heavy shadows caused by the key light. This combination results in soft, flattering light that works well with almost any subject.
To create a clamshell lighting setup, you need two light sources. If you have modifiers to soften your light, all the better, but as long as you have two light sources you can get started with clamshell lighting.
I do recommend starting with a pair of softboxes roughly the same size. Once you’ve mastered that, you can then start experimenting with other modifiers such as beauty dishes and strip boxes.
Start with your key light (your main light source) and place it in front of your subject. Go closer for softer light and faster light fall off, or further away for a harder light. Place it above your subject, pointed directly at their nose. Meter for your desired aperture (we’ll use a hypothetical f/11 from this point) and take a test shot.
If everything is setup correctly you should have a decently lit image with deep shadows under your subject’s nose and chin.
Now, take your fill light and place it directly underneath your key light. Point it upwards toward your subject at 45-degrees and meter this light for two stops below your preferred aperture, which would result in f/5.6 for our hypothetical aperture of f/11. If the effect is too strong and your fill light is obliterating the shadows, turn the power down. If it isn’t doing enough, turn it up. The main thing to look out for is that you need to ensure that your fill light is not overpowering your key light. This would result in your image being lit from below with your shadows being filled in from above. This is not a good look to go for.
The main thing to look out for is that you need to ensure that your fill light is not overpowering your key light. This would result in your image being lit from below with your shadows being filled in from above. This is not a good look.
Now that you have two lights sharing the same vertical space, stand behind them and shoot through the gap. If there isn’t much of a gap, raise and/or lower both of your lights (change the angle of each and take another meter reading if you need to) until you have enough room to work in the middle.
That’s all there is to it. Clamshell lighting is really is easy to set up and with a bit of practice you will be able to get it up and running in a couple of minutes.
Note: The softbox at camera left is NOT on so isn’t doing anything.
Although I suggested using two evenly sized softboxes, to begin with, that is by no means a restriction of any kind. Feel free to use any kind of modifier you want and experiment liberally. Have a pair of strip boxes you want to use? Go for it. Do you want to use a beauty dish as your key light and an umbrella as fill? Sure. How about a snoot and a small soft box? Absolutely. Use what you have at hand.>
Also, you are not limited to just using two lights from the front. Feel free to add rim and hair lights and a background light as your images require.
This image included a third light serving as a background light.
If you’ve made it this far, hopefully, you can see how useful a basic clamshell lighting setup is, and how it might serve you. It’s easy, fairly compact and produces lovely, flattering light. If you’re still not sure, I urge you to try it for yourself. You may very well fall in love with it.
The post How to do Clamshell Lighting: A Reliable Two Light Setup by John McIntire appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Do you ever get under or overexposed photos when you use your camera’s light meter? Do you get frustrated that even in auto-mode you can’t get the correct exposure? That’s because there are two different type of light to deal with when taking a photo.
When you make a photograph the light is your raw material, which is why it’s important to understand how it works. It’s a very broad topic to cover, so for this article, we are just going to focus on the difference between incident and reflective light because that’s the key to getting your exposure right.
We all know this difference in a very intuitive way; let me give you an everyday example: when there is a sunny day, do you wear white clothes or black ones? Easy! You wear white or at least light colors, but why? If the sun will be the same, why wouldn’t you wear dark colors? Because you know that dark colors absorb light and therefore you’ll feel the heat more than wearing white which will reflect more light and keep you fresher. This is the same principle you need to apply when measuring the light for photography.
Incident light is that which is illuminating your scene. It falls on the subject before being altered (reflected) by it which is why it’s also a more accurate light reading.
When light hits objects it gets transformed by them and reflected out; this is what we perceive and what the camera captures and reads. This is called reflective light.
Let’s see how these two concepts apply to light metering and exposure when you take a photo. In the next examples, I always used the same light for each.
In this first shot, I metered the light once I had framed the image I wanted, so it gave me a reading making an average of the reflective light.
The settings were ISO 400, f/5.6, with a shutter speed of 1/80th.
And the resulting photograph looked like this:
However, like we said when talking about clothes, dark objects absorb light. So if I make the reading by measuring the black part of the photo, the settings that were “correct” before, now appear to be underexposed.
Even if the lighting is always the same, your camera thinks there is less. As a result, your photos will be overexposed.
Exposure: ISO 400, f/5.6, shutter speed 1/13th.
On the other hand, light objects reflect most of the light, so your camera will receive the message that it needs to reduce the exposure if you meter off something light.
And as a result, you will end up with underexposed images.
Exposure: ISO 400, f/5.6, shutter speed 1/200th.
None of these three readings gave you the correct exposure on your image because none of them were about the incident light. In order to get this accurate reading, you need to use a handheld external light meter, which can be very expensive. Fortunately, there are other ways to get the right exposure without having to spend a fortune.
Back in the 1930s, a photographer called Ansel Adams developed a technique for the optimal exposure of photographs by dividing the degrees from light to dark into 11 zones, therefore it’s called the zone system. Everything in the world has a color and lightness that correspond to a zone. All light meters, including the one integrated into your camera, are designed to give you the middle zone: Gray V that reflects 18% of the light. So, what you need in order to have a correct exposure is to measure the light reflecting off of this tone.
You’ll find gray cards on the market which are used to calibrate your exposure and white balance. They are a very practical and economical way to turn the reading of your reflective light into an incident light accuracy.
It is also very easy to use, you just have to put one in front of your subject and frame it with your camera. Once that’s the only thing in your shot, press the shutter button halfway to see the light meter and adjust your exposure accordingly. With those settings, you can have the perfect exposure regardless of the tones in your image.
Exposure: ISO 400, f/5.6, shutter speed 1/30th.
I know what you’re thinking, that was an unreal example because most of your photos will have much more colors than just black, white and gray V. That’s true, but the principle remains the same. Look at these real life examples:
Reflective reading with an exposure of ISO 400, f/5.6, shutter speed 1/80th.
Compared to the incident reading:
Incident reading with an exposure of ISO 400, f/5.6, shutter speed 1/320th.
What if you don’t want to be carrying around a gray card? Or did the perfect image catch you unprepared? No problem, everything in the visual world has its equivalent in the zone system.
For example, grass or wet cement correspond to the gray V zone so you can always look for elements like that in your photo and you will get a very accurate reading from them.
Take this composition of candle holders. When they are all white the photo is dark, sad and shows all the imperfections of the backdrop because it’s underexposed. However, when I add a gray candle holder and measure the light in it, the exposure is perfect.
Exposure: ISO 1250, f/11, shutter speed 1/125th.
Exposure: ISO 1600, f/8, shutter speed 1/125th.
Tip: So that you are never caught off guard, you can measure the palm of your hand and figure out how much lighter or darker it is than the gray card, that way you will always have the perfect reading “at hand”.
There you go, understanding the difference between reflective and incident light can transform your photo from snapshots to pro shots!
The post How to Understand Reflected Versus Incident Light and Get More Accurate Exposures by Ana Mireles appeared first on Digital Photography School.
You have just bought your new bright shiny camera and you are sure that it is just the thing that will help you create better images. You’re shooting JPG with the camera’s automatic program modes, but you’re not getting the results you wanted. You keep upgrading your cameras thinking that will do the trick, only to find that the quality of your imagery isn’t getting any better. What’s going on?
You may be missing an important part of digital photography, post-processing, with a state of the art processing program like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop.
This image of a lighthouse in Iceland was taken on a bright yet overcast day. In a matter of moments with the help of Lightroom, it became a favorite.
There are several integral parts to digital photography. The technical and creative aspect of using your camera, and the technical and creative application of post-processing your images. Each part is equally important and when all the pieces are put together, that’s when the magic starts to happen.
Unfortunately, many people are still thinking about the days of film when you took it to a lab and the post-processing was done for you. You never had to think twice about how the image was processed. Did you ever notice that different labs gave you different results? That’s because of their level of post-processing.
Now it’s time for you to understand the importance of post-processing if you are going to create better imagery. It will take some time and some dedication to learn, but it will improve your photography by ten-fold.
First of all, start shooting in RAW format and stop letting the camera make the decisions for you. When you shoot JPG format, it will automatically process your images in camera, even though you may even not be aware of it.
Have you ever taken a JPG and a RAW image and compared the two photographs? The JPG may appear bright and saturated and the RAW file looks flat. That’s because the JPG has been processed by the camera and the RAW file is an unprocessed digital negative.
That RAW file is ready for you to make your own creative adjustments and apply your photographic vision in Lightroom or Photoshop. Only then can you start to recreate that scene you saw when you first took the image.
What kind of post-processing decisions will the camera make for your JPGs? Depending on your camera, it can automatically increase saturation, sharpness, and contrast, but it will also compress your image. There are settings in your camera where you can make blanket adjustments for every JPG (Picture Styles), however, the camera is still making the decisions for you. That gives you zero creative control.
RAW files contain more information and will allow you to have a wider range of tones (called dynamic range) to work with when you bring your images into Lightroom or Photoshop. When shooting in the JPEG format, image information is compressed and lost forever. In a RAW file, no information is compressed and you’re able to produce higher quality images while correcting problem areas that would be unrecoverable if shot in the JPEG format.
Once you start shooting in RAW, it’s very important to be conscious of the histogram. You can bring up the histogram on your Live View shooting screen or after you have taken the shot in your image review screen. Check your camera’s manual for the location of the histogram.
Note: If you shoot with a mirrorless camera you may be able to see the histogram on the screen before you shoot. Check your settings this is very handy.
If used correctly while shooting, the histogram will give you the information you need to know to bring up the shadows or bring down the highlights and pop out exposure and detail in an image.
The histogram shows you the brightness of a scene and it can be measured as you are shooting, or after you have captured the image. When look at the histogram and see the bulk of the graph pushing towards the right, this means you have an image that may be overexposed (or a really light toned subject).
If the data is mostly on the left of the graph, it’s an image that might be underexposed.
If the graph spikes on either the left or right “wall” of the histogram, that means that “clipping” has occurred. Clipping happens when you have areas in your photo with no information as a result of over or underexposure. When an area has no information, it is either pure white or pure black which is often referred to “blown out”.
Generally, it is undesirable to have large areas of your image that have highlights or shadows clipping. See the image below. The red areas show highlight clipping, and the blue areas show shadow clipping.
Because of the limited dynamic range of a camera’s sensor, the area registering as clipped usually leaves the image with no information in the shadows or highlights. A spike touching the left edge of the histogram means that there is shadow clipping. A spike touching the right edge of the histogram means that there are highlights clipping.
Many photographers have frustrating results with their images because they don’t embrace digital editing and post-processing. They are doing everything right when they shoot and are good at composition. They know how to expose correctly for the scene, but don’t know where to go with the image once they get home.
For example, maybe they are in a high contrast area and have taken an image with the histogram in mind. Then they open the image on-screen and throw it out because it looks over or underexposed. They don’t know what the post-processing possibilities are even though they may have a viable image. This is where they are missing a large part of the potential in their digital photography post-processing.
Here’s a great example. This image was taken in the Eastern Sierra in California.
It is obvious that the shadows are way underexposed and it creates an interesting silhouette. But, if you look at the histogram, you can see there is space on the left side of the graph which represents the shadows. This means there is more information there, and a good possibility of bringing up the shadows to create a whole different image.
Here is the result after brightening shadows in Lightroom. This adjustment took just seconds and creates a whole new scene.
Almost every image needs post-processing. Some people think that’s “cheating”. It’s not, it’s all part of the digital artistic process.
With post-processing, you can create the image you saw when you photographed the scene. Your eyes have the capability of seeing a wider range of light and color than your camera does, so the images need help in post-processing to duplicate the full range of light and shadows. The problem with a lot of beginners, is they tend to oversaturate or over-sharpen an image. So this talent comes with time and practice, practice, practice.
Once you have mastered the basics, there is a lot more you will be able to do with your digital post-processing that will add drama and interest to your photos. The above image of Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite looks rather flat in the RAW version (left). Once you add saturation, sharpening, and a vignette to the whole picture it starts to pop. Then you can enhance the brightest areas by “painting with light”, and it now becomes a much more interesting image.
Start your post-processing journey with a full featured program like Adobe Lightroom. It is the standard in the industry for professionals, but it is also user-friendly for beginners and helps with both post-processing and image organization. Just be sure that your computer has enough memory and RAM to run these full featured programs. Check the requirements at adobe.com.
Check out our guide to LR: The dPS Ultimate Guide to Getting Started in Lightroom for Beginners
Nothing is more satisfying than when you have a catalog of 30,000 images and you’re able to find your favorites in literally seconds by entering a few keywords and star ratings. Take some time to set it up, add a class or two, and you’ll be up and running!
Photo editing or post-processing is an integral part of the digital photography puzzle. Don’t think that you can skip this part and come away with satisfying images. It’s just as important to learn photo editing as it is to learn the basic functions of your camera. Only then, will you be able to bring that intentional photographic vision into post-processing and create great images
How are you going to start your post-processing journey? Is shooting in RAW and learning Lightroom in your future? Please share your thoughts with me on this subject.
The post Don’t Fear Photo Post-Processing – Shooting is Only the First Part of the Image Creation Process by Holly Higbee-Jansen appeared first on Digital Photography School.
When you hear tilt-shift lens or tilt-shift photography, there is a probability that an image looking like a miniature model crossed your mind. That is because, over the years, tilt-shift lenses have become synonymous with this style. The miniature look is interchangeably referred to as the tilt-shift effect and you can even recreate it in post-processing. These lenses though have quite a few other strengths that are worth considering.
The miniature look that is affiliated with tilt-shift lenses.
The simple answer here is for perspective control. If you compare your regular lenses to a tilt-shift lens, you will notice they are built differently. The latter is designed to physically move (tilt, shift and rotate) independent of the camera and each other. This design feature gives you remarkable control over perspective and depth of field. In fact, a tilt-shift lens is also known as a perspective control lens.
Left: Shot with the camera pointing up to capture the entire scene. Right: Lens shifted to minimize distortion.
The tilt function gives you the ability to keep different elements of focus on different planes. Thus you can shoot two subjects at two different distances. With a regular lens if you want to shoot at a wide aperture, you usually have to make a focus choice of either the foreground or background. A tilt-shift lens allows you to have both your subjects in focus.
The shift function allows you to minimize distortion (common when using wide angle lenses) when you are shooting from a high or low angle. It also helps correct vertical line convergence (tilting buildings).
When photographing architecture, the shift function helps you maintain proper perspective. Ordinarily, when you want an entire building in your frame, you tilt your camera up. If you have ever tried this, you will be familiar with images where the buildings appear to be leaning backwards.
Church shot at 24mm with a standard lens.
This skew is caused by the sensor plane of the camera being titled in relation to the building. Ideally, you want the sensor perpendicular to the ground and pointing straight ahead/centered. With a tilt-shift lens, instead of angling your camera upward, you “shift” the lens. Since the camera stays put and only the lens physically shifts, your building will be straight. This technique is very helpful when shooting interiors with high ceilings.
Church shot at 24mm with a tilt-shift lens.
In landscape photography, one of the primary uses of a tilt-shift lens is to minimize wide angle lens distortion. Another great way to use this lens is for panoramic shots. A common challenge with panoramas is after the shots are stitched together there is still some distortion to be corrected. When this distortion is corrected in post-production, you may lose part of your scene. By using the shift function of the lens, you can create high resolution distortion free panoramas with negligible post-processing work.
The tilt function of the lens is responsible for that miniature look you are likely familiar with. A miniature effect is when you take a life-sized scene and make it appear as if it’s on a miniature scale. The lens here is used to add blur to the photo which simulates shallow depth of field. This mimics the look you get when you use a macro lens to shoot a miniature scale model.
The blur above and below creates a perception that your camera is only inches away from the scene.
To create this type of look, you need to be elevated at least 10 feet /3 meters (recommended higher if possible). Elevation gives you that same perspective as if you were looking down on a miniature model. So other than the subject, a high vantage point is key for these types of photos.
The tilt function allows you to creatively add blur (in this image the blur is on the right side).
Note: Shooting wider gives you a better sense of place.
Shooting portraits with a tilt-shift lens can be quite creative. At the very basic level, you are now able to capture in focus two subjects (or a group), even though they may be at different distances from the lens.
Another creative use is capturing someone walking towards or away from you. As you know, a moving person can quickly be out of focus. But with a tilt-shift lens, you have the ability to extend your plane of focus to the front and back of your walking subject so they stay sharp even at different distances.
The Scheimpflug Principle is where more of your subject plane is in focus (from near to far) and refers to what looks like a near-infinite depth of field. To achieve this great “depth of field”, you tilt the plane of focus in the same direction as the plane of the subject – which puts the image in focus at various points along the subject plane.
By Fil Hunter at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Jacopo Werther., Public Domain
For example, if you are shooting a field of flowers going off into the distance and you want to have all of the flowers in focus. Shooting at a small aperture will work, but may (based on your lighting) increase your shutter speed – which reduces your chance of sharp flowers. By changing the plane of focus, your tilt-shift lens allows you to shoot at a wider aperture and still get all your flowers in focus.
The perspective control that tilt-shift lenses offer will save you a lot of time in post-processing and is also a great way to correct for depth of field limitations of most lenses. These lenses also give you a lot of depth without the need to use smaller apertures. So besides straightening tall buildings, what have you used, or hope to use tilt-shift lenses for?
Here are some other creative ideas for you. Please share your tilt-shift images in the comments below.
The post How to Use a Tilt-Shift Lens Creatively and for Perspective Control by Nisha Ramroop appeared first on Digital Photography School.
For most of us, most of the time, photography is a fun and joyful activity, where we get to do something we enjoy and share it with others. Indeed, all the time and all over the world, professional photographers are asked to immortalize the happiest times of people’s lives: beginnings of families and lives, important rituals, celebrated accomplishments. Having someone ask you to photograph a funeral is obviously very different – on many levels.
Note: All the images in this article have been approved for use here by the families. No images have been used without written permission for this sensitive subject matter.
Although a funeral may not seem like the kind of event people would seek to remember, it often is. After all, it’s an important ritual, a celebration of a life, and a gathering of people who may not know each other well but who are united in their mourning. In my experience, many people find it important to have their loved one’s funeral documented, even though it’s a photography service that isn’t advertised or discussed as much or in the same way as most others.
To some extent, preparing to photograph a funeral differs little from any other photography job. There are obviously some unique considerations, though, and in this article, I’ll go through both the similarities and the important differences.
Remember, don’t photograph a funeral as your first photography job – or even your second. It’s something that calls for a professional and calm attitude, a lot of experience, and high-quality work.
The funeral is a very important event to the person asking you to photograph it. However, funeral photography isn’t discussed as much as other kinds, there are no magazines or fairs about it, and there’s little sharing in social media. So good communication with the customer is even more important than usual. Remember that the person you’re dealing with may not be able to express exactly what they want and that they will naturally be stressed and upset.
Note: If you can, taking some photos before the mourners enter the venue is a good idea. Always ask before entering, though.
The most important things you need to find out before the ceremony are:
On the day of the funeral, wear something dark and shoes that will let you move around without causing a disturbance. Naturally, be sure to be at the venue on time, greet your customer and offer your condolences.
The biggest challenge when photographing a funeral is finding the right balance between getting beautiful photos and not disturbing the ceremony. Make sure to be quiet and to avoid blocking the mourners’ view, but remember that you have been paid to capture the event. They’ve asked you to help family and friends remember a momentous day and the life of a loved one.
The photos you need to make sure to capture depend on the kind of ceremony in question, so these are very general points:
You’ve been asked to photograph a very intimate event, so remember that photographing the guests needs to be done discreetly and with respect. To many, these are some of the most important photographs: they signify different parts of the deceased person’s rich life and represent the people in whose memories the deceased will continue to live on. Some might want a group photo of all the guests.
Another important part is the details and specific parts of the ceremony, such as the flower arrangements, the lowering of the coffin, and the priest or leader of the ceremony.
When the ceremony (or the part of it you have been asked to photograph) is over, let your customer know you’re leaving, offer your condolences again, and compliment them on how beautiful the event was.
Immediately afterward, go home, and back up your photos. Then, give yourself a breather and take care of yourself. Being a part of this kind of event might affect you more than you realize.
The processing happens the way it always does. Just remember to be very respectful and create the most tasteful pictures you can.
Funerals are events of sorrow, of remembering, and of togetherness – it’s important to capture all of that, not only the darkness. What do you think?
Do you have any other tips or warnings for someone who has been asked to photograph a funeral? Please share your advice and opinions in the comments below.
The post How to do Photography of a Funeral Tastefully and with Respect by Hannele Luhtasela-el Showk appeared first on Digital Photography School.
The Valkyrior, the “Dance of the Spirits,” polar lights, Goddess of the dawn, the mythical firefoxes of Lapland, the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis. By any name, Aurora has intrigued, scared, excited, and fascinated humans since the dawn of time.
Named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas, in Northern latitudes, they are known as the Aurora Borealis (or the Northern Lights), in Southern latitudes (e.g., Antarctica, South America, New Zealand, and Australia), the Aurora Australis (or the Southern Lights).
These phenomena are commonly visible between 60 and 72 degrees north and south latitudes, which place them in a ring just within the Arctic and Antarctic polar circles. Aurora sightings, while occasionally seen at lower latitudes are not as common. Thus, making the trek to extreme Northern or Southern latitudes is a necessity if you want greater viewing opportunities along with greater success in photographing the Aurora.
If you are interested in learning more about exactly what the Aurora are, where they come from, and what produces the various colors that often accompany an Auroral display, there are countless books you can read and websites that one may search for this information.
This article will provide you with insider tips on how to successfully photograph the Aurora. Return home with lasting memories and images of one of life’s most amazing experiences.
Observing and photographing the Aurora is subject to local weather conditions, patience, geographic location, dark sky venue, patience, minimal ambient light, patience, being in the right place at the right time, patience and some luck.
You see a central theme developing here, patience. If you are not willing to spend time in the field, sometimes in extremely cold weather, your opportunity for both bragging rights and capturing that awesome image, will be severely limited.
When all is said and done, you are at the complete mercy of the Sun, Earth, solar winds, nature and space. The Aurora is not a man-made light show, the cosmos rule here.
So, beyond patience, what does it take to capture that jaw-dropping image of this wonderful phenomena?
Your first challenge is getting yourself to the right location in either the Southern or Northern hemisphere that will maximize your potential and opportunity to see the Aurora.
The best Northern hemisphere latitude is within the Auroral zone – between latitude 65 to 72 degrees. In the Northern hemisphere, you will need to head to destination cities laying on or slightly above the Auroral zone (also referred to as an Auroral oval, is centered about the magnetic poles) and north of the Arctic Circle.
You will stand a good chance of viewing the Aurora, if you head to Tromsø, Norway, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada or Bettles, Alaska. Other excellent choices are Svalbard, Norway, Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, Kakslauttanen, Finland, Kangerlussuaq, Greenland and Reykjavik, Iceland. This is only a representative list as there are many Northern latitude cities, which make good Aurora viewing destinations.
Under the right conditions, you can see the Aurora Australis from Ushuaia, Argentina, Tasmania, Australia, Stewart Island, New Zealand and the Southern tip of South Africa, all destinations more easily accessible in the Southern hemisphere.
Photographing the Aurora by its very nature requires heading out at night. Here are some things to watch out for and prepare.
Dressing for the location, season, and weather conditions are essential both for your safety and for the ability to remain outside for an extended period of time in potentially body-numbing temperatures.
You really don’t need much technical equipment to photograph the Aurora but there are some essential kit items you simply cannot do without.
A camera with interchangeable lenses will be best, but in principle, any camera can be used, even your mobile phone. Handholding your mobile phone, attempting to capture a shimmering, undulating Aurora, will not produce the same quality image that you can get with a digital camera, supported by a sturdy tripod, using a remote shutter release. This, however, should not stop you from capturing that moment and preserving the memory.
Be sure to keep your camera dry and avoid contact with snow or moisture. When walking about, it is always a smart idea to place your camera in a large zip lock plastic bag. Should you trip, slip or accidentally drop your camera (numb fingers will do that to you) in the snow, your camera body will stay dry and protected from the elements and the lens free from moisture, grime, etc.
To take in as much of the sky as possible and a bit of interesting foreground, using a wide or super wide-angle lens (focal length between 10mm and 24mm, with an aperture of f/1.2-2.8) will give the best results overall. In reality, almost any lens will work, keep in mind, however, your images will look different than those you see posted on the web, taken with wide or super wide-angle lenses.
Prior to your first shot, focus your camera at a distant point, back off slightly from the infinity setting and then turn off the autofocus feature on your lens. Given the dark sky, you don’t want your camera and lens trying to automatically focus on an ever-changing, moving Aurora. Locking in on manual focus, set slightly south of infinity, will give you well-focused images.
If the temperature warrants a brief duck into your car for a “warmup,” leave your camera and tripod safely outside. Bringing your camera into a nice warm car and then back out again into frigid arctic temps, will cause lens fogging, condensation, and other nasties to potentially damage your camera.
Read more on shooting in tough conditions here: How to Take Care of Your Camera in Cold Weather.
If you notice lint, dust or any other foreign material on your lens, NEVER blow on it. Your warm breath will instantly fog the lens. Depending on the ambient temperature outside, even small traces of moisture vapor in your breath may crystallize and freeze your lens, rendering it useless until it defrosts. Use only a lens brush pen or dry microfiber lens cleaning cloth.
To avoid blurring your picture due to camera movement, shaky hands, or unsteady footing on snow or ice, a sturdy tripod is essential. If you will be photographing in arctic conditions, be certain that your tripod is up to the task. Plastic tripod legs will snap in extremely cold temperatures.
Here are a few tripod options to check out:
A remote shutter release, designed to be used with your camera, provides important benefits in obtaining that memorable photo of the Aurora. First, it will be invaluable in its contribution to creating sharper images by reducing camera shake, which occurs naturally when you depress the shutter release. Secondly, for longer exposures, which may be necessary depending on changing atmospheric conditions and your ISO setting, you can hold the shutter open without physically touching the camera’s shutter release button.
Pack extra memory cards, having formatted them prior to going outside. Backup and clear your memory cards prior to your next outing. Extra cards are essential if you do not have a means to download each evening’s images to a backup device. Plan to use a single card each evening you head out. If you shoot all of your Aurora images on a single card, and that card fails, for whatever reason, well – enough said.
Photographing in cold temperatures drains batteries very quickly, photographing in arctic temperatures drains batteries exponentially faster. Always pack extra camera batteries. Running out of fully charged batteries when the Aurora is on full display is heartbreaking, especially when proper preparation would have prevented this situation.
Keep all extra batteries in an interior pocket of your jacket, close to your body. Trapped body heat, created by your insulated jacket and multiple layers of clothing will help keep the batteries reasonably warm, holding the charge longer.
Tough, waterproof and airtight, a dry-bag is essential. It protects your camera’s sensitive internal optics and circuitry from moisture and condensation buildup that occurs due to the extreme fluctuation in temperature when you bring your camera inside after a long evening photographing outside in sub-zero temperatures. Lens fogging and damage to your camera itself may occur if you don’t let your camera acclimatize gradually to the warm inside temperatures.
Prior to going inside for the evening, slip your camera into the dry-bag, roll and seal it tightly and then bring the bag and your camera inside. While there is no official rule as to the length of time your camera should remain in the dry-bag, a good rule-of-thumb is to let the camera sit in the bag for two to four hours. That’s plenty of time to acclimatize to the much warmer indoor temperature and for you to remove multiple layers of clothing and secure a warm beverage of choice.
Include several small bags of silica, moisture absorbing dry-packs in the dry-bag prior to sealing it. The silica protects against mildew, corrosion, fogging and condensation, which might damage your camera’s sensitive electronics.
While the mechanics of taking a picture of the Aurora are not complex, there are a few guidelines that will enhance your success of taking that amazing and memorable picture.
1. Select and shoot in the RAW format – this will provide you with the maximum amount of digital information needed to create a final image.
2. Remove the protective clear, polarizing or UV filter on your lens prior to going out to photograph the Aurora. The UV filter will likely cause concentric rings to appear in your final image.
3. Set your camera to M (manual) and turn off the camera’s flash settings.
4. Dial the lens focus ring to infinity and back off slightly.
5. Turn OFF any autofocus capabilities associated with your lens. You don’t want the autofocus feature of your lens attempting to continually refocus on the quickly moving, shifting Aurora.
6. Open up the aperture as wide as possible. This is when the f-number is as low as possible, i.e. f/1.2 – f/2.8 or lower for many prime and pro lenses, or f/3.5 or f/4 for many consumer zoom lenses.
7. Set the shutter speed to Bulb. This allows you to use the remote shutter release necessary to keep the shutter open for longer exposures. Depending on the intensity and movement of the Aurora, you may need to hold the shutter open anywhere between three and 12 seconds. Check your image using your camera’s live view function (if so equipped). Too long of an exposure time will tend to blur both the Aurora and the stars as they move across the sky.
8. Determine the proper ISO setting. This is somewhat both a technical and a personal decision. Technical as it will depend on the type of camera you have and the camera’s inherent ISO range. Personal depends on how much noise you are willing to live with in your image, again as a factor of an increasingly higher ISO setting. Start off with an initial ISO setting of 800 and adjust as your personal preferences and the photographic conditions warrant.
9. Bring and use a sturdy tripod. You want sharp Aurora images and to keep your camera as still as possible. If you don’t have a tripod, you can use a beanbag, flat rock, or another solid surface. Do not touch the camera until it is done exposing, and shield it from the wind if you can.
10. When possible, include a contrasting foreground. The Aurora by its very nature looks best when photographed to include a foreground, which provides scale, context, and perspective. A suitable foreground can be a tree, a building, fellow photographer, a car, etc.
11. Consider joining a professional tour if (a) this may be your first trip to the Arctic or (b) you are headed to a new international destination. Most professional “Aurora hunting” tour operators have many years of seasonal experience are very familiar with the local area, best viewing venues, are eager for you to see and photograph the Aurora and know where you can tread both safely and legally.
Being present during Aurora’s magical dance fills the observer with wonder, awe, and excitement and the experience often leaves one speechless. Capturing the Aurora in a photograph preserves that experience for a lifetime.
I hope that you may be fortunate enough to be at the right place, during the right months, at the right time, to observe and photograph Aurora’s magical dance.
For most of us, getting to the dance is not easy. But once there, none of the logistics, long flights, cost, or cold, make a difference. You are witness to the most spectacular light show orchestrated by Mother Nature.
The next time you gaze into the night sky, be assured that the Aurora is there dancing the night away…just waiting for you.
The post How to Photograph the Aurora Borealis – Nature’s Night Light by Al Marcella appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Lately, I’ve been playing around with Luminar by Macphun. I’ve found that this program reduces the number of my editing headaches. I’ll share a bit of my experience with it, and you can see if it can help solve some of your headaches or challenges as well.
I’m the impatient type; I hate sitting down. I spend my life trying to find ways to keep moving and being active. I love to create and build and explore. Sitting down to edit photographs is a true chore. You all know a photographer like me. They spend their time carefully composing, adjusting lighting, and building the image in the camera, so they don’t have to spend hours editing their images.
Let’s be clear I’m not criticizing those who build images using several layers and masks. Some of my favorite photographers are editing masters, and I truly appreciate the skills they use to create their work. It’s incredible. But it’s not me. Editing is a headache for me. I hate it, but I’m too possessive of my work to ever considering outsourcing my post-processing. So anything that reduces the time I spend behind a computer is a bonus for me.
I used the presets in Luminar to help process this image. I’ve been on an abstract kick lately and the blue of this painted wall drew me to photograph all the cracks in the paint.
Luminar is very quick to use. The program works as a stand-alone application, or you can install and use it as a plug-in for Lightroom and Photoshop. I chose to edit using Luminar as the standalone version. So here are three of my editing headaches that Luminar helped reduce.
Often we photographers shoot with a finished look in mind. We know we are going to convert an image to black and white or we want to create a luminous light filled look, and we shoot accordingly. However other times we struggle to picture the finished image. We can’t figure out a starting point for processing the photo. That’s where presets come in.
You can use presets as an idea bank that helps to get the creative juices flowing. The only issue is viewing these presets and finding the right starting point. In Luminar the presets are large, and you can easily scroll through each look using the slider bar. The display of presets is easily accessible at the bottom of the screen. You can click through several different looks and return to the one you like.
Here you can see the open screen and all of the presets are displayed at the bottom.
The other bonus to this method is the slider located on each preset. If the look is just a little too strong for your liking, it’s easy to dial it back. You can adjust how strongly each preset affects the image. For someone like me who tends only to make global adjustments to images, these types of features are really useful. I am able to select a preset then gently adjust the image to my liking.
This is the image I created in Lightroom. The color version is more like the picture I had in my head but when I saw the preset in Luminar it sparked some creativity.
The image you see below was pretty much a quick snap on my way out the door. I was in Cuba and waiting for my aunt to get ready before we caught the bus. I had no vision for the shot other than a quick sighting of something interesting. So when I returned home, I struggled with what to do.
I would never have thought of doing a black and white conversion for this image if it were not for one of the presets in Luminar. A headache solved, the program gave me an idea. I used the preset as a base and tweaked the image slightly. In total it took me about five minutes to edit the image.
I would never have thought of processing the image in black and white if not for the presets provided by Luminar.
For those of us who want to edit images quickly, it’s difficult to remember all those keyboard shortcuts, and it’s time-consuming to keep checking the cheat sheet by our desks.
In Luminar, the interface is very simple, and it’s quick to use with just a few simple buttons. It’s easy to crop, compare, and apply a brush or a gradient to your work. It’s easy to make both global and more isolated adjustments quickly and effectively.
As you can see I quickly added a layer to this image. I wanted to use the brush to apply some very specific adjustments just to some areas of the image. Notice the clean interface.
Here you see the simplified interface with some of the options hidden (presets and histogram). It is a workspace called Quick & Awesome which you can select from the pull-down menu.
Managing layers and masks can be confusing in Photoshop and for some of it’s a real headache. In Luminar, the layers are easy to access and utilize.
You can add filters to an image by creating another layer or apply them directly to the image. I used the filters and brushed them into the image on separate layers.
Pushing the plus (+) button adds a layer quickly in Luminar. The layers can be used to overlay a second image, like a texture or to apply filters, brushes, etc. It’s easy to apply a preset to an image, globally. Then if you want to apply a preset to just a few areas of an image you can also create another layer and brush the preset onto specific areas of the image.
To illustrate this point, I’ve quickly applied a black and white preset to an image using the brush tool. You can see how quick and easy it is to make very specific adjustments to an image by painting in the preset as a layer mask, similar to tools like Adobe Photoshop. However, Luminar can take things even one step further. Filters themselves can also be applied in the same manner. To do this, simply click on the brush tool, then click on the title bar of a filter (not a layer). When you begin painting in the mask, you’ll see a small mask preview thumbnail appears in the title bar. After creating the mask, adjust the filter sliders as desired to apply the effect to the mask. Once you get the hang of filter masks, you’ll find it’s an extremely efficient way to make selective edits to your photos.
Filters themselves can also be applied in the same manner. To do this, simply click on the brush tool, then click on the title bar of a filter (not a layer). When you begin painting in the mask, you’ll see a small mask preview thumbnail appears in the title bar. After creating the mask, adjust the filter sliders as desired to apply the effect to the mask. Once you get the hang of filter masks, you’ll find it’s an extremely efficient way to make selective edits to your photos.
I really like how the program displays all the masks and layers I’ve created. I found it easy to manage.
For some of us, editing is a chore. It depends on your personality and your style. Post-processing is an essential part of the photographic process, but it doesn’t have to ruin your love of photography.
Many of the features in Luminar help to alleviate those editing headaches from which many of us suffer. The program simplifies complicated processes and allows users to create beautiful images in a fairly short amount of time.
Here’s a finished image I completed using Luminar.
The Mac version of Luminar is available for a free trial or purchase here.. If you’re on a PC, download a free public beta version of Luminar for Windows here.
Disclaimer: Macphun is a dPS advertising partner.
The post 3 Ways Luminar May Cure Some of Your Post-Processing Headaches by Erin Fitzgibbon appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Getting started in wildlife photography is one of the more expensive genres of the photo industry. The lenses and cameras that are often in the bags of pros are more often than not in the higher tier price brackets. However, to get started you don’t need to spend a fortune to gear up with some great lenses for wildlife photography.
Lenses are the thing to invest in when starting out in wildlife or as any photographer for that matter. The glass you purchase can stay with you for many years, while often cameras are updated far more regularly. Meaning, if you spend your money wisely you won’t have to outlay again.
Now of course as you gain more experience and want to invest it into your work, you might outgrow some gear or wish for more pro features. But when you’re getting started, the lenses I’ve listed below are a great base to build on and invest in, that will not only provide excellent quality results but also hold their value within your gear bag. These lenses will cover a range of shooting situations so you can capture the natural world in all manner of ways to really follow your creative vision.
Firstly, we are going to start with the telephoto zoom. For most wildlife photographers this is one of the most used lenses in their arsenal, offering flexibility to compose portraits of wildlife to more landscape style images to put your subjects in the environment.
The 70-200mm zoom is an excellent investment.
As an investment, the 70-200mm is a key lens to get hold of as it offers so much in the way of performance and flexibility. Most people will feel that 200mm is a little shot for wildlife, but with practice and development of your stalking skills, especially when paired with an APS-C camera it’s a great place to start.
The f/2.8 is the most coveted version due to its fast aperture for gorgeous bokeh (out of focus areas) as well as its autofocus speed. The f/2.8 version is a higher cost lens retailing new at around $ 2000 but secondhand (especially a slightly older version) can be had at excellent prices. If they are still a little out of the price range, think about the f/4 version. Smaller and lighter they are also a lot cheaper, still offering top performance for getting into wildlife photography.
The 70-200mm is perfect for working with largest animals.
If you want something a little longer think about looking into a 300mm f/4 prime lens. These fixed focal length lenses don’t zoom, so you have to move your feet to get the composition correct. However, due to their nature as primes they have excellent optical performance, offering wonderful sharpness as well as a reasonably fast aperture for creating pleasing portraits with your of focus areas as well as working in less than perfect light.
300mm f/4 lens.
The 300mm f/4 is a lens that has been on the market for a long time now and both Nikon and Canon lenses can be easily found for an excellent price secondhand even from dealers with included warranties. The 300mm f/4 was the telephoto that I used when I became more serious with my photography and it helped me on the path to shooting professionally. So I can vouch for its excellent qualities.
If prime lenses aren’t your thing then the 100-400mm (or the Nikon 80-400mm) might be a better fit for your style of shooting. The excellent range makes it a very versatile lens for wildlife photography, giving you the ability to switch from close portraits to environmental shots in an instant.
80-400mm Nikon lens.
Buying new gives you the best options for getting a top spec lens, with the latest iterations having excellent sharpness, autofocus and image stabilization, whilst older models are slightly weaker in all aspects. If you are looking to invest in one of these I’d recommend trying to get hold of the latest model as it will last you a long time and really provide you with a top lens for getting some great wildlife images.
I would certainly recommend these as name brand lenses over third party manufacturers, as they are far better optically engineered. Often when starting out with wildlife photography, some people go for the longest superzoom they can find like the 150-600mm or 50-500mm. But these suffer from optical quality and often lead to frustrating results.
The 80-400mm is a great compact wildlife photography lens for travel.
When shooting wildlife photography, going wide a great way to create far more interesting images than super telephoto shots. Of course, as that isn’t always an option, spending a vast amount of money on a super wide especially if you are not focused on shooting landscapes as well can be overkill.
Canon 10-18mm lens.
Luckily both Nikon and Canon have excellent low-cost APS-C wide angle lenses that really offer great performance and functionality at decent prices. The new Nikon 10-20mm and the Canon 10-18mm are perfect candidates for wide angle wildlife shooting. Their ultra-wide view can pull the viewer into an entire landscape, while the close focuses of a mere 0.2m allow you to get up close and personal with your subjects (often wirelessly triggering) for impact filed images.
The 10-20mm is perfect for wide landscape shots or wildlife in the landscape.
Shot using the 10-20mm wide-angle lens.
These lenses cost around $ 300-500 so are brilliant options to give a wide scope to your shooting potential.
If you are interested in getting in close and looking at details as a wildlife photographer you’ll want to look into a macro lens for close up shooting. These specialist optics offer 1:1 life size reproduction ratios that are awesome for shooting insects and plants.
105mm macro lens being used in the garden.
The 100mm focal length is where you really want to invest as it offers the best in terms of performance, as well as a good working distance to help reduce the chance of your disturbing your subjects and getting in the way of your own lighting. The 100mm macro is a slightly more expensive lens but having been on the market for a while there are often many secondhand copies available offering discounts on the new price of around 30-40%.
It’s a truly great investment as these lenses are among the sharpest on the market with optical perfection that makes them a staple in many pros bags. The lenses are also great for a variety of non-macro tasks as well, with them often being used by portrait photographers for their flattering compression that makes beautiful backgrounds.
That’s a round up of a few of the top lenses to invest in if you are getting started in wildlife photography. They maybe slightly higher in price than some of the third party alternatives or lesser models, but these lenses will hold their own for many years, meaning the extra savings and investment will pay off with certainty in the long term.
If you do wildlife photography what lenses did you start off with? Which do you recommend? Please share in the comments section below.
The post 5 Top Value Lenses for Getting Started in Wildlife Photography by Tom Mason appeared first on Digital Photography School.