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How to Use a Tilt-Shift Lens Creatively and for Perspective Control

14 Sep

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.

So why use a tilt-shift lens?

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.

How to Use a Tilt-Shift Lens Creatively and for Perspective Control

Left: Shot with the camera pointing up to capture the entire scene. Right: Lens shifted to minimize distortion.

Tilt Versus Shift

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).

Tilt-Shift Lens Uses

Architecture

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.

Landscapes

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.

Creative uses of tilt-shift lenses

Miniatures

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.

How to Use a Tilt-Shift Lens Creatively and for Perspective Control - miniature effect

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.

Portraits

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.

Bonus: The Scheimpflug Principle

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.

Conclusion

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.

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How to do Photography of a Funeral Tastefully and with Respect

14 Sep

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.

How to do Photography of a Funeral Tastefully and with Respect

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.

Photography of a funeral

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.

How to do Photography of a Funeral Tastefully and with Respect

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.

Before the funeral

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.

How to do Photography of a Funeral Tastefully and with Respect

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:

When and where will the ceremony take place? If possible, visit the place beforehand to familiarize yourself with the venue and the lighting situation.
What kind of ceremony is it? If it’s one that’s unfamiliar to you, make sure you learn all you can about it.
Which photographs are particularly important to the customer? For instance, someone might want you to focus on the sermon, the eulogy, the mourners, or the religious details.
What kind of relation does the customer have to the deceased?

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 ceremony

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.

How to do Photography of a Funeral Tastefully and with Respect

The photos you need to make sure to capture depend on the kind of ceremony in question, so these are very general points:

Mourners paying their respects.
The essential parts of the religious (if it is religious) ceremony.
The burial and final goodbyes.

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.

How to do Photography of a Funeral Tastefully and with Respect

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.

After the funeral

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.

How to do Photography of a Funeral Tastefully and with Respect

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.

How to do Photography of a Funeral Tastefully and with Respect

Conclusion

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.

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How to Photograph the Aurora Borealis – Nature’s Night Light

14 Sep

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).

How to Photograph the Aurora Borealis - Nature's Night Light

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.

How to Photograph the Aurora Borealis - Nature's Night Light

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.

Okay, I am ready to photograph my first Aurora – now what?

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.

How to Photograph the Aurora Borealis - Nature's Night Light

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?

Location, Location, Location

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.

How to Photograph the Aurora Borealis - Nature's Night Light

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.

Estote Parati (Be Prepared)

Photographing the Aurora by its very nature requires heading out at night. Here are some things to watch out for and prepare.

Be aware of your surroundings, especially if you are visiting unfamiliar territory, a foreign country, or even your own neighborhood park.
Take extreme caution when walking in deep snow, ice, and across frozen bodies of water. You may not be able to see or identify potential hazards.
Team up with someone as excited about viewing and photographing the Aurora as you are or who is just willing to sit in a nearby warm car, in case you need support. Always ensure you head out with a full tank of gas.
Conduct visual reconnaissance during the day, identify potential ground hazards, layout a destination path and test snow and ice conditions en route to your evening’s photographic destination.
Let someone know your planned photographic destination(s) and anticipated return time, especially if you are headed out on your own.
Don’t count on your mobile phone working if you are far from service towers or in a foreign country.
At all times consider your intended shooting location and ensure that you comply with all local laws regarding access to properties (private and public), lakes, bridges, etc.

How to Photograph the Aurora Borealis - Nature's Night Light

Dress for Success

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.

Wear many wicking, warm, and insulating layers and consider clothing appropriate for the local geographic and weather conditions.
Protect your entire body from exposure to what will probably be the coldest temperatures you may ever experience.
Carry a fully charged torch/flashlight (although wearing a headlamp frees up your hands).
Outfit your torch or headlamp with a red light or filter. The red light allows you to easily see where you are walking yet, preserves your night vision so you can easily and quickly operate your camera.
Pack chemical hand and foot warmers. Take more than you think you will need because you will need more than you think.
Use extra hand warmers to keep your camera batteries warm. This helps to extend their useful life in extremely cold conditions.
Invest in a really good pair of boots, e.g., affordable military surplus Bunny boots are rated to -60F (-51.11C) in cold, dry climates.
Bring a warm (non-alcoholic) drink and a snack, it may be a long night.

How to Photograph the Aurora Borealis - Nature's Night Light

Camera Equipment

You really don’t need much technical equipment to photograph the Aurora but there are some essential kit items you simply cannot do without.

Camera

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.

DPS Aurora Article Image 7

Lens

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.

DPS Aurora Article Image 8

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.

Sturdy Tripod

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:

Product Review: Polaroid Carbon-Fiber Travel Tripod and Varipod
Benro FGP18C SystemGo Plus Travel Tripod with B2 Ball Head – Review
Induro PHQ-3 Head and CT-214 Tripod [REVIEW]
Review of the K&F Concept TC2534 Lightweight Carbon Fiber Tripod

Remote Shutter Release

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.

Memory Cards

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.

DPS Aurora Article Image 10

Spare Batteries

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.

Airtight Waterproof Dry-bag

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.

DPS Aurora Article Image 11

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.

Taking that Memorable Aurora Picture

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.

DPS Aurora Article Image 12

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.

DPS Aurora Article Image 13

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.

DPS Aurora Article Image 14

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.

DPS Aurora Article Image 15

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.

DPS Aurora Article Image 16

Ah…The Amazing Aurora

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.

DPS Aurora Article Image 19

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.

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3 Ways Luminar May Cure Some of Your Post-Processing Headaches

13 Sep

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.

Processing is a chore

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.

Lately, I’ve been playing around with Luminar by Macphun. I’ve found that this program reduces the number of my editing headaches.

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.

1) Finding a starting point for processing the image

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.

3 Ways Macphun's Luminar Cures Some of My Post-Processing Headaches

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.

Luminar helps with ideas and possibilities

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.

2) Soooo many buttons to manage and remember

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.

3) Layers can get complicated and confusing

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.

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.

I really like how the program displays all the masks and layers I’ve created. I found it easy to manage.

In conclusion

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.

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5 Top Value Lenses for Getting Started in Wildlife Photography

12 Sep

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.

wildlife photography lenses

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.

1 – The Telephoto Zoom 70-200mm

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.

5 Top Value Lenses for Getting Started in Wildlife Photography

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.

2 – The Prime Option 300mm F/4

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.

wildlife photography lenses

3 – Ultra Telephoto Zoom 100-400mm

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.

4 – Wide Angle 10-20mm

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.

5 – Macro Lens 100/105mm

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.

Conclusion

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.

wildlife photography lenses

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.

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Tips for Dealing with Your Frustrations as a Photographer

12 Sep

Feel stuck? Frustrated? Feel like you want to hang up the camera, or that you’ll never make it as a photographer? Those feelings are terrible I know, you feel like you’re in a prison from which you will never break out. But take heart, here are a few things to help you when dealing with your frustrations as a photographer.

Tips for Dealing with Your Frustrations as a Photographer

The thing you most need to hear – it’s normal

The thing you probably need understand the most if you are frustrated as a photographer is not that it is going to be okay (it probably will), it’s that it is NORMAL. It’s always useful to remember that every artist/photographer had these feelings before you and others will have them after you. It’s just a normal part of the creative process. Doubts, frustrations, those “what’s the point?” feelings are all normal stuff.

So you just need to understand that it’s okay. If you want to have a dog, you’ll have to deal with feeding it, cleaning it, dealing with the brown stuff. If you want to be a photographer, you’ll have to deal with feelings of self-doubt, frustrations, and all. It’s all part of the deal.

Tips for Dealing with Your Frustrations as a Photographer

Can you imagine that one of the greatest artists of all time, Michelangelo, wrote in his diary, “I am no painter”? He did, and let’s face it if someone like him could be frustrated with his art, it makes it pretty normal for you and I to have those feelings too.

But why am I telling you this? Because sometimes you may feel bad for feeling frustrated while it is a normal part of the creative process. Don’t worry though, it’s not quite your fault if you have felt that way. It is because you’ve been fed a lie.

The lie you’ve been fed

One of the biggest reasons for frustrations is because expectations do not match reality. And most of our expectations are pretty much warped because we’ve been fed a lie. So it’s not quite your fault.

Tips for Dealing with Your Frustrations as a Photographer

What lie am I talking about? You see it everywhere on TV, movies, newspapers, pretty much everywhere. It’s the lie of the edit, and it destroys anyone who believes it.

What is it exactly? You are fed selective pieces of life and believe them as true, warping your expectations, completely dismissing the process behind everything. Take this famous example:

A middle aged woman walked onto the stage of Britain’s got talent. She looked like your typical next door old lady that bakes cakes. She’s about to sing. The cameras zoom in on smirks, one of the judges tries not to laugh at the contestant. She opens her mouth and you can hear gasps. That woman has a stunning voice, the world was introduced to Susan Boyle. An instant star, an overnight success.

Tips for Dealing with Your Frustrations as a Photographer

Boy oh boy do we love those stories. But they are not true. Susan Boyle has been practicing most of her life. You can’t just take her 5-minute viral video and call that an overnight success when she’s been putting in the work since she was little.

The process is part of the story

The reason why the lie of the edit is destructive is that it bypasses the most important part of all – the process.

Look, I’m not saying that it’s a media conspiracy or anything, but the fact is that everywhere we turn, we see the edit of someone’s life. Then when we start looking at our life, and how can we not feel frustrated with where we are?

Say you want to be a travel photographer. You check out Instagram and you see that this couple quit their job and now travel the world full-time. That’s the edited version. Then you look at poor old you and the only travel you can afford is to your job every day. How can you not feel frustrated?

But what was the process that couple had to through to get there? They scrubbed 150 toilets, spread 250 kilos of cow dung, among other things. That is a true story by the way.

I’m not suggesting that to travel the world you need to scrub toilets, but always remember that everything that you see has been edited. It’s only the tip of the iceberg. What you don’t see – and the only way to get where you want to be – is whole the process.

Tips for Dealing with Your Frustrations as a Photographer

Know the whole story and don’t compare yourself to others

It’s my numero uno critique of certain photography gurus by the way. They sell you the edit. Quit your job, become a photographer, live the dream. They never tell you about the process of finding clients, being worried you can’t pay your bills, etc.

What I am saying is this: It’s okay to be frustrated. What you see out there of everyone living the photography dream you want to live is an EDIT. Don’t compare your life with someone else’s edit of their life. It warps your expectations, and when expectations don’t match reality, that’s a recipe for frustration.

Harnessing your frustrations

So far I’ve said it’s okay to feel frustrated, and it’s usually because your expectations have been warped by unrealistic expectations (thanks, media!). But what if you are *still* frustrated? Good news, you can use your frustrations as fuel. How so? Just realize one thing:

Tips for Dealing with Your Frustrations as a Photographer

The universe works a certain way, and the system is rigged so that only the most dedicated people get through. If it was easy, everyone would do it. So things like frustration, self-doubt, discouragement are good because it’s trying to weed out those who will press on from those who simply don’t want to do so. Once you realize that it’s a built-in obstacle to weed out those who are not committed enough, it can empower you to press on.

I’ve been around for a few years now. A month or so ago I started to click on the sites of photographers that I knew started around the same time as I. All I got was 404 errors, meaning their sites and their presence are not there anymore. They’ve been weeded out by the system.

Tips for Dealing with Your Frustrations as a Photographer

All those frustrations and feelings are like fuel that can either block your vision or you can use them as fire to get you going. Whatever you want out of your photography, it’s a game that only the determined and steadfast win. Let those frustrations knock others out while you know it’s just an obstacle to go through to test your own resolve.

The resolve

I interviewed a photojournalist once for my magazine, and one part stood out to me. He went to see an editor, and after some brutal comments went home and put his camera up for sale the next day. He was done with photography. Was that the end? No. He went on to be the photojournalist he wanted to be and to make some jaw-dropping images.

The moral of the story is that you as a photographer need to have resolve, the resolve to continue the path of photography until success. Whatever that may be or mean for you. Because every photographer you look up to, they had all of the same frustrations you have, but they are where they are because they pressed on.

Tips for Dealing with Your Frustrations as a Photographer

Name any feeling you have, they had it too, but they just continued. Because it’s only failure when you give up. I’m glad the photojournalist got back in the game, but how many photographer’s careers were ruined that way? Resolve to do the work needed to achieve your photography goals. Keep your eye on the prize, but put in the work.

For Micheal Phelps, the most decorated Olympian, that meant going to the pool 7 days a week. What does it mean for you? Read interviews every day, shoot as much as you can, learn as much as you can. It’s different for everyone but the principle is still to focus more on the process, the very thing that is always edited out in the media.

Conclusion

There you have it, folks. Because I have a lot of experience with this stuff, it’s pretty much ingrained in my mind. But thinking about these points mentally always leave me with a state of renewed empowerment and I hope it will do the same for you. Be yourself, stay focused and keep on shooting.

The post Tips for Dealing with Your Frustrations as a Photographer by Olivier Duong appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Lighting 103: How Designers Gel Live Performances

09 Sep

Abstract: A dynamic, 3-D scene and hundreds of sources—a talk with a theatrical lighting designer

Today in Lighting 103, a little side trip. Fair warning: we are taking a bit of a deep dive. For some of you this will make your eyes glaze over. But for others, it'll be a very cool look into the way live performance lighting designers think with respect to color.

No worries; we'll be back in the center of the bell curve in the next installment.

A Chat with Lucas Krech

New York-based Lucas Krech is a lighting designer who works with operas, dances, plays and performance pieces. He is also is a photographer, which is how we originally intersected via Twitter.

A ways back, I wrote to him to find out a little more about how people approach the process of lighting live performances. What I got back was basically a firehose/brain dump that gave me a fascinating look into how he thinks. Read more »
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More Lessons from the Photography Masters: David Burnett and Vivian Maier

06 Sep

The more you can learn about photography the better off you will be. Find out everything you can even if it doesn’t seem important to you at the time. The best way to do this is to have a close look at the masters, photographers who molded the photography world as we know it today.

Some of these shooters are still with us and some of them have passed. Whatever the case may be, their legacy remains here to teach us through their experiences. In this installment of the Master’s Series, we’re going to look at two of my personal favorites – David Burnett and Vivian Maier.

David Burnett

Image By Eric Smith (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons

“He’s been everywhere but only for an hour.” – American Photographer Magazine

David Burnett’s photojournalism career and creative output place him high in the ranking of some of the most influential camera jockeys of the late 20th century. Named one of the 100 most important people in photography by American Photographer Magazine, Dave has photographed it all. From the Vietnam War to the Olympics, from Obama to Bob Marley, his iconic images quite literally empower the viewer’s world to be seen from a different point of view.

Tips from the career of David Burnett

After shooting the world’s beautiful (and sometimes dark) moments of history for the larger part of a half century, Burnett shows us so many ways to improve ourselves as image makers, photographers, and general human beings. Here are a few things you can glean from the career of David Burnett that can help you develop (photo jokes never die) as a photographer no matter what type of photos you make.

See David’s work on his website here.

Go with your gut

So many times we get sidetracked by what is considered normal. As photographers, we rely heavily on the visual influence of other photographers which in turn shapes our own work. That doesn’t mean that we should replicate their work to the letter. Don’t always go with the photographic flow just because that’s what other photographers may be doing.

More Lessons from the Photography Masters: David Burnett and Vivian Maier

So many times you will see David Burnett at sporting events completely separated from the rest of the photo press herd. He shoots what feels right to him, as you should as well. Learn to trust your own artistic instinct. Make your image representations of a mixture of the moment and your own vision regardless of the current photo trends. Don’t be afraid to shoot a scene differently than it has been photographed before. Lay down. Stand on a chair. Shoot weird reflections. Do whatever you have to do to reach that lofty height called individualism. No memorable work has ever been ordinary.

Shun the worship of gear

I’m guilty of this at times. No matter what I do or even how much I might write about not allowing yourself to throw away money on the latest and greatest camera or lens, there’s still a little part of me that loves to read about new cameras and really eyeball that “one lens that could change everything”.

Then there’s Dave – one of the most celebrated photographers of all time, hauling around a 60-year-old Speed Graphic 4×5 with a lens ripped from an aerial reconnaissance camera and a plastic Holga 35mm (considered a toy). While he does shoot digital as well, a large chunk of Burnett’s most enduring photographs was made using film cameras that are essentially antiques and not considered tools of a modern photographic professional.

More Lessons from the Photography Masters: David Burnett and Vivian Maier

The takeaway here is that your gear is just an extension of yourself. Your camera, lens, tripod, are all just tools that perform a job. Don’t let them become something more than they are or even worse, begin to believe you are nothing without the newest piece of camera tech.

Focus (jokes again!) on cultivating your basic skills and creativity using whatever gear you may have and when it’s time, you’ll know when to upgrade. Or in the case of David Burnett, downgrade. Whatever the case may be, use the tools that allow you to produce your work in the way that suits you best.

Give back

It almost feels as if I’ve undersold the importance of David Burnett’s contribution to the world of photography and photojournalism. While his career speaks for itself, there’s one thing that usually isn’t mentioned. That is just how down to Earth, human, and unpretentious Dave has remained despite his success. I’ve been oddly fortunate enough to correspond with him personally on a few occasions over matters photo-related and otherwise (onions?). Each time, I’ve talked to a person and fellow photographer – not David Burnett: Preeminent Photojournalist.

More Lessons from the Photography Masters: David Burnett and Vivian Maier

No matter where your journey takes you as a photographer, always remember that awards or accolades may make you an authority on the photographic medium but they should not make you an elitist. Don’t shy away from sharing your knowledge when it can help someone make better pictures. It can mean a lot. I know it did for me.

Vivian Maier

Vivian, oh dear Vivian. Where to begin? Vivian Maier is something of a paradox. Even now, I’m unsure what personal information about her is fact and what is not. What I do know about is her work and the way it was serendipitously introduced to the world. Vivian Maier was a nanny, an eccentric, and one of the most prolific street photographers of the 20th century. As a child in 1930, she and her mother briefly lived with Jeanne Bertrand, who was an award winning portrait photographer of the early 1900’s. Whether Vivian was taught the craft by Jeanne isn’t certain but it’s quite possible.

Tips from the career of Vivian Maier

Her work was literally stumbled across in a storage unit in 2007. Vivian passed away in near obscurity in 2009 but her photographs continue to inspire and teach us even today. I first learned of Maier’s images through John Maloof’s excellent documentary “Finding Vivian Maier” which is currently on Netflix and really merits a watch if you want to learn more about Vivian Maier and her unbelievable life. Here are some things I learned from one of the best street photographers you’ve never heard of.

There is beauty everywhere

One of the wonderful things about photography is its revealing nature. A photo can portray an otherwise mundane or common scene in a way that shows that there truly is beauty in all things. Some of those things might even be tragic and sad, but the soulful connection and wonderment are there, too. Vivian’s photographs showed not only the scenes of the streets of New York and Chicago, but the unseen emotion to be found there.

More Lessons from the Photography Masters: David Burnett and Vivian Maier

The key to producing a strong photograph anywhere is to learn that there is in fact, meaning in everything. Look for interesting light, interesting people, anything that can bring out the hidden. It’s your job as a photographer to be able to capture those hidden gems into images that can be shared with others. So, if you find yourself in a slump or there seems to just not be anything to shoot, look closer. Find the beauty and make a photo.

Recognize the moment

This echos back to some teachings by the photographic titan, Henri Cartier-Bresson. You can see in some of Maier’s photographs that she waited. She waited until the instant the shutter should be released in order to capture the moment best. This is one of things that makes her photos so powerful.

Whether it was the exact instant the subject’s eyes met hers or when their footsteps were perfectly in sync, the opportune moment was patiently awaited. Also worth mentioning is the unobtrusiveness of Vivian’s technique. Lot’s of her images were made with a 120 Rolleiflex (among others). This type of camera isn’t held up to the photographer’s face but rather cradled below. This made her blend into the scene more and she was able to capture images which were less intruded upon by her presence.

More Lessons from the Photography Masters: David Burnett and Vivian Maier

Work to anticipate photographic moments before they happen. I know, it sounds extremely difficult. But the truth is that the more you practice, the more you shoot, the better you will become at “getting lucky.” You can train yourself to be present in the scene and intuitively recognize when photos will happen. The hard part? Putting in the shooting time to make this kind of skill manifest itself.

It’s okay to be weird

If there’s one thing you can learn about Vivian it’s that she was, for the lack of a better word, weird. Vivian Maier was a weirdo by the common views of her time. She dressed differently, acted differently, and made images that we’re different. In fact, it’s one of the very reasons she’s still being talked about today.

More Lessons from the Photography Masters: David Burnett and Vivian Maier

Even if she didn’t know at the time, her uniqueness would set her apart and lend a fresh perspective to her work and methodology. So, don’t try and hide your weirdness when you photograph things. Be different and celebrate all the little quirks that might make your images completely fresh. Much like the lessons learned from David Burnett, the real breakthroughs in your photography never come from falling into line with accepted norms. Relax, be different.

See her work on the official Vivian Maier Photography site.

Final thoughts

Knowledge is the cornerstone of most anything you will ever undertake. How do you gain knowledge? Well, usually it comes through experience (often mistakes) and it can take a while for us to learn our lessons. As photographers, those giants who came before us offer incredibly valuable teachings. Their lessons are here for us to scoop up if we just take the time to listen. Don’t just study the photographs of the masters but learn how and why they made them.

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Is Shooting RAW+JPEG the Best of Both Worlds?

06 Sep

For a long time in photography, there has been somewhat of a debate between shooting in RAW versus JPEG. Well, maybe debate is the wrong word. Usually, it is a matter of experienced photographers encouraging beginners to start shooting in RAW and stop shooting JPEG. There isn’t much question that RAW files are superior. Those who don’t edit their files probably don’t really see the point of RAW files though. Therefore, there are plenty of people who shoot both RAW+JPEG

RAW+JPG - The Best of Both Worlds?

Usually, this question gets presented as an either/or proposition. In other words, you have to make a decision, looking at the pros and cons of shooting RAW files and JPEGs. But if you could have the advantages of both, however, wouldn’t that be the way to go? You can, actually!

Take a look at your camera’s Quality or Image Quality setting in the menu. Most cameras will allow you to set you to put that setting on both RAW and JPEG. By doing so, aren’t you getting the best of both worlds?

Let’s take a look. But first, let’s review the advantages of RAW files versus JPEGs.

RAW+JPEG settings on Canon system.

JPEGs

When you take a picture, your camera is actually taking the data that it receives from the image sensor and creating a file. In the early days of digital, a group of experts got together and agreed on a file format everyone could use. It is called JPEG and stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group. The idea is that everyone would use the same format and thus it would be easily shareable. And you know what? That has worked out pretty well. JPEGs are more or less ubiquitous. If you just pick up your camera and start shooting, you are creating JPEGs. It is the default of virtually every camera. It is also the format of virtually every picture you see online.

But when your camera creates a JPEG, a few things happen. The first is that the camera compresses the picture data so that the file size is smaller. A JPEG will only use about a quarter of the data that your camera captures. That means that a large chunk of data is actually discarded. Some of that is color data, which is done by reducing the number of available colors (there are still a lot of colors available in JPEGs though). Where you’ll see the biggest impact is in the highlights and shadows, where some detail may be lost.

In addition, the camera will add some processing to the picture. The camera manufacturers know that you want your pictures coming out of the camera looking sharp and colorful. Therefore, they will add some effects, like sharpness, contrast, and saturation to them at the same time that the JPEG file is being created. That is nice in that the pictures generally do look at little better, but the downside is that you aren’t in control of the process.

And that brings us to RAW files.

RAW+JPG - The Best of Both Worlds?

The RAW advantage

In most cameras, you can go into the menu and change the file format to something called RAW. No, there isn’t really some sort of universal file format called RAW. Rather, each camera has its own way of bundling the data that it receives from the image sensor when you take the picture and creating its own proprietary file (NEF for Nikon, CRW or CR2 for Canon, RAF for Fuji, etc.), which is called a RAW file. Right away, you can see an issue with this, in that these files are not easily shareable. In addition, these files are huge, typically 3-4 times the size of JPEGs.

So why does nearly everyone recommend shooting RAW then? Because they are simply superior files. Whereas JPEGs discard data in order to create a smaller file size, RAW files preserve all of that data. That means you keep all the color data, and you preserve everything you can in the way of highlight and shadow detail.

In addition, whereas the camera adds processing when it creates JPEGs, that doesn’t happen when you create RAW files. That means you are in control of the process. You can add whatever level of sharpness, contrast, and saturation (and other controls) you want. The camera isn’t making those decisions for you.

Sure, these files are bigger, but they are way better. Further, you can always create a JPEG from your RAW file later, which you can use to share online while still preserving all the underlying data of the RAW file.

RAW+JPEG in the Sony system.

Shooting both RAW files and JPEGs

So RAW files are the way to go, right? I mean, you are preserving all that color data and highlight and shadow detail. And you are in full control of the processing of your picture. But what about if you are not going to process your photos at all? Wouldn’t it make sense to then shoot JPEG since it is the file that looks best coming out of the camera? Or what if you need to send the photo from your camera right away?

Why not take both? Your camera will likely have a setting allowing you to do both so that every time you take a picture the camera is creating a RAW file and a JPEG. That would allow you to have all the advantages of both file types. How might that benefit you? Here are a few ways I see:

You can use a JPEG immediately: First of all, you can use JPEGs immediately. Let’s say you have Wifi in your camera or want to otherwise share the photo immediately. JPEGs make sense for this. RAW files don’t. They aren’t easily shareable and they don’t look the best coming out of the camera anyway.
Future-proofs the photo: What if you are creating RAW files with your Canon camera and in 10 years Canon goes out of business? Will your RAW files lose support over time? This seems unlikely, but it is enough of an issue that Adobe has been pushing its own cross-platform solution called DNG (digital negative). However, if you have a JPEG, this will never be an issue. Everyone is shooting JPEGs and they aren’t going anywhere.
You can see how the camera processes: If you have a JPEG sitting next to your RAW file on your computer, you can see how your camera decided to process your photo. In other words, you can see how much sharpening, contrast, and saturation was added and, if you like it, mimic that effect when you do your own processing. This can be helpful when you are just starting out and trying to decide how much processing to add to your photos.
LCD preview: When you look at a photo on your LCD, you are seeing the JPEG version of your photo. You can add different processing via the Pictures Styles. That includes things like Black and White. So if you want to see effects while maintaining the integrity of the RAW file, then taking both can be beneficial.

Why not shoot only RAW?

But wait a second, you might think. Surely these are really minor advantages. Why bother with all that? Why not just use the RAW file?

Yes, these are really minor advantages, but at the same time, what is the cost? Virtually nothing. Over time, data has gotten cheaper and cheaper. Adding a JPEG costs virtually nothing. Memory cards these days hold hundreds or even thousands of pictures, and they are now pretty cheap. You can now get a 64GB card for about $ 35. You can get hard drives that store terabytes of data for under $ 100. These prices continue to come down as well. Compared to the RAW files you are shooting, the JPEG just takes up a tiny bit of data. So while I agree that adding the JPEG doesn’t add a lot, it also doesn’t cost a lot.

There is one other aspect I haven’t mentioned though and that is speed. Remember that your camera has to write all this data to your card. If you are just taking a few pictures at a time (or one at a time), this will not be a factor. But if you are someone shooting sports or wildlife with a serious need for the maximum frames per second, then there will be an additional cost. The time to write the additional file will slow you down a little bit. In that context, I could definitely see foregoing the extra file. But for most of us, this won’t apply.

RAW+JPG - The Best of Both Worlds?

Why not shoot just JPEG?

At the same time, there are some photographers who will think to themselves, “Well, I don’t process my pictures, so I might as well just shoot JPEGs to get the best looking file I can straight out of the camera.” To those that don’t process their pictures, I would first say, “You should be.” You don’t need to make dramatic changes or make them look surreal, but you can do wonders with some tweaks.

In any case, just because you don’t do any processing of your pictures now doesn’t mean you won’t ever process your pictures. In a year or two, you might change your mind. When that happens, you don’t want to be kicking yourself for not having obtained the best files possible.

Best of both worlds

I have been shooting RAW+JPEG for several years now. Do I actually use the JPEGs? Admittedly, almost never. I always edit the RAW files and usually don’t touch the JPEGs. As mentioned, however, the JPEGs don’t cost me anything so I am sticking with this setting. In addition, there were few times when I was on the road and wanted to send photos straight from my camera so having the JPEG turned out to be useful.

So that’s how it works for me. But ultimately the decision on what type of files you want to create is up to you. What do you think? Is shooting RAW+JPEG the best of both worlds of a waste of space?

The post Is Shooting RAW+JPEG the Best of Both Worlds? by Jim Hamel appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Video – How to Use Light for Depth and Drama in Your Landscape Photos

06 Sep

If you enjoy landscape photography, here is a short video with photographer Andrew Marr as he explores a gorgeous location in Glencoe Scotland. Learn how he looks for light to add depth and more drama to his landscape photos, and see how you apply these tips to your photography.

If you want more landscape tips, check out these dPS articles:

6 of the Best Smartphone Apps for Travel and Landscape Photography
How a Short Versus Long Exposure Will Affect Your Landscape Images
How to Find the Best Locations for Landscape Photography
How to Plan and Prepare for Landscape Photography
How to Create Glass Ball Landscapes – 6 Techniques

Do you have other landscape tips you’d like to share? Please do so in the comments below.

The post Video – How to Use Light for Depth and Drama in Your Landscape Photos by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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