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7 Non-Photography Items Which No Travel Photographer Should Leave Home Without

27 Aug

It’s fair to say that as a travel photographer you can never be 100% prepared for everything. There are so many different scenarios and variables that can affect your photography and your journey that you simply can’t predict. But over time you will begin to learn techniques that will help you be able to tackle the issues you’ll encounter.

Part of this is your list of equipment. While the obvious photographic equipment might seem straightforward, there are also a number of non-photographic items that will begin to make it on your list. As you will discover over time they can also be invaluable. Here are seven of my must-have items that might also help you along the way.

7 Non-Photography Items Which No Travel Photographer Should Leave Home Without

#1 – Plastic Bag and a Rubber Band

It doesn’t matter how well you prepare and how many times you check the weather forecast, at some point every travel photographer will get caught in the rain. Most times you can avoid you and your camera equipment getting wet by trying to wait it out under some shelter. But sometimes you can’t or more importantly, you still want to photograph. After all, rain can provide wonderful reflections on the surface of pavements and roads not to mention people with umbrellas that can really help tell a story.

So to avoid getting your camera wet, simply take an ordinary plastic bag and cut a hole big enough for your lens hood to fit through. You want roughly half of the lens hood sticking out and the hole in the bag should be a tight fit. Put your camera in from the top of the bag (as if you were putting shopping in it) and stick the lens with the hood attached through the hole. Put the elastic band around the bag near the hole to keep it in place and voila you have created a bag to keep the rain off your camera.

When you want to shoot with your camera simply put your hand in the bag and hold the camera inside. Sure you can probably find an expensive version that you can buy, but why waste money when you can make it yourself?

7 Non-Photography Items Which No Travel Photographer Should Leave Home Without

DIY rain cover.

#2 – A Face Towel

If you ask me what is the one non-photographic item that I always carry with me, it’ll be a small face towel. I have lost count of the number of times that I have used a towel in different scenarios. Whether it’s to wipe my camera dry after getting water, mud, or anything else on it, or wiping my face when I’m hot and sweaty (it’s amazing how much better you feel when you can simply wipe your face with a clean towel when you are out and about all day), wiping my finger when I have cut myself, or even just wiping a bench dry after rain so I could sit down while waiting instead of standing up (or getting my trousers wet by sitting on a wet bench). The number of times that a simple towel will come in handy will astound you.

The number of times that a simple towel will come in handy will astound you.

7 Non-Photography Items Which No Travel Photographer Should Leave Home Without

#3 – Smartphone

Okay, so technically speaking a Smartphone isn’t a “non-photographic” item but ignoring the camera element, it has become a must these days for travel photographers. Whether it’s to check sun direction, weather forecast, maps, making notes about potential shoot locations and metadata details, to simply having access to pass the time by reading the news while waiting for sunset, a Smartphone has become an essential tool for every travel photographer.

7 Non-Photography Items Which No Travel Photographer Should Leave Home Without

#4 – Compass

For the majority of photographers, a Smartphone has replaced the trusted compass. But it’s still worth having a small one in your bag just in case your phone runs out of power or you can’t get a signal. Besides being able to bail you out when you get lost, a compass can help you determine sunrise/sunset direction where the light will move, which is essential for any travel photographer.

7 Non-Photography Items Which No Travel Photographer Should Leave Home Without

#5 – Gloves

Travel photography usually means early starts and late finishes as the soft light in and around sunrise and sunset is great for photography. This usually means you’ll be out and about when it’s colder than during the day and trying to work your camera dials with cold hands or even carrying a tripod is not an enjoyable experience.

During the daytime depending on the time of year, it can be pretty cold for your hands and even in the summer months it can get much colder in the evenings and early mornings. So do yourself (and your hands) a favor and keep a pair of gloves in your camera bag.

7 Non-Photography Items Which No Travel Photographer Should Leave Home Without

#6 – Pen and Paper

Sometimes you simply can’t beat pen and paper. It might be to take notes, to jot down ideas for shoots, to sketch a composition that you want to try and create later, or it might simply be to take the email address of the person who’s photo you have just taken so that you can email them a copy. Whatever the reason, a pen and paper is always useful to have in your camera bag.

#7 – Sunscreen and a Hat

It’s easy to forget sunscreen and a hat among all of the other things above, in addition to your photographic equipment, but they are essentials for anyone working outdoors. As a travel photographer, you will be spending most of your days out and about and it’s easy to get distracted and not notice a few hours going by. The last thing you need on a photo trip is to get sun burned.

Conclusion

Over the years, I have found that these small items have become invaluable. I will, of course, adapt this list as I go and add or remove things for certain destinations. For example, if I’m out in the wilderness I would carry a first aid kit, an emergency kit with things like a whistle, blanket, etc., a torch, and the relevant maps of the areas I’m planning to explore. But my basic list of items accompanies me on any trip even a short city break.

Over time you will build up your own set of items. But for the time being, I hope this list is useful for you.

Anything else you can think of? What non-photographic item do you always carry with you and why? Please tell us in the comments below.

The post 7 Non-Photography Items Which No Travel Photographer Should Leave Home Without by Kav Dadfar appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Why You Might Want to Consider Keeping a Visual Diary

27 Aug

Maintaining creativity can be difficult for artists at the best of times. Fortunately, there are ways to combat the dreaded artist’s-block. Carried around in the crook of many an artist’s arms, the visual diary has developed alongside the very beginnings of art history.

Famous artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Frida Kahlo, Vincent van Gogh and Kurt Cobain all kept detailed visual journals for their thoughts and creative progress. Cecil Beaton, famous for his portraits of Marilyn Monroe, religiously kept scrapbooks of drawings, newspaper clippings, paintings, and copious amounts of photographs. Art school curricular also relies heavily on the use of a personal visual diary to detail a student’s thoughts and processes.

Why You Might Want to Consider Keeping a Visual Diary

Materials in a visual diary aren’t limited to just pieces of paper. Here I’ve fixed a piece of plastic that I wanted to use later into my visual diary for safe keeping.

Keeping track of different film I’ve used is easy with a visual diary – I simply stow the flattened box for later reference.

What is a visual diary?

As the name suggests, visual diaries are a collection of visual references compiled by an artist. Made up of notes, diagrams, collage, photography, images, and detritus, a visual diary can contain any number of materials compiled into a series of books or folders.

The purpose of a visual diary is to provide space for an artist to work within visually. By documenting your own progress and inspiration in a physical diary, you can build important skills and identify trends to further your creative skill. A visual diary also provides a cathartic space to record ideas and personal observations. You can combine private journal entries with test-prints and swatches, or you can keep a strictly photo-based body of work. You can even use separate books for separate media or projects. It doesn’t have to be pretty, as long as it works for you.

Proof sheets of negatives are most useful when stored in a visual diary for easy reference.

What diary should I use?

One of the most popular formats of visual diaries is spiral-bound booklets. These booklets can be laid flat on a surface and have thick paper for sketching. Plus, you can stick a pen down the spiral joint so you’ll always have a marker at hand.

A4 and A5 booklets are generally the most popular sizes for visual journals. Larger journals are harder to transport and a very small booklet may be too little to stick cut-outs in. Lined and unlined booklets are another consideration. I personally prefer an unlined book – every sheet is like a blank canvas as it holds nothing but potential! Having said that, grid books can be useful for structured lighting diagrams and geometrical drawings.

An alternative to keeping a booklet as a visual diary, mood boards are another great way to maintain inspiration and direction. Having a mood board to look over and update frequently can be just as beneficial as having a visual diary, only it’s a little less portable. All you need is a good cork board, a few pins and a choice selection of images and notes. You can even use several mood boards, each sectioned off for different moods or projects.

Keeping a mood or cork board full of artistic material can be a great source of inspiration for projects.

Why keep a visual diary?

There are many benefits to keeping a visual diary.

Organizationally speaking, having a visual diary keeps all your artistic detritus in one place. I’m definitely guilty of spreading my materials out, scribbling notes on bits of paper and losing them shortly after. Writing notes in your journal or taping pieces of paper with notes into your diary will keep them together so you can easily refer back to them later. Visual diaries are also great for unexpected flashes of inspiration – try keeping one next to your bed for those breakthroughs in the middle of the night.

Your visual diary is your own personal work space. Recording your artistic progress now will create a timeline of your personal development to refer back to later. This can help maintain your focus or realign your artistic direction. Once you get into the habit of filling in your visual diary, you will develop a pattern of creativity, training your photographic eye. Plus, if you aren’t keen on posting personal thoughts in an online blog, paper-based visual diaries are a safe space for your own creativity.

Visual journaling is good for your health too. Cutting images out and doodling in your visual diary can be a very meditative process, increasing mindfulness and reducing stress. Simple tasks like cutting and pasting photographs clear your mind of negative thoughts with repetitive motion and critical thinking.

Negatives and digital proof sheets that need to be close at hand for projects are easy to find and revise in a visual diary.

Conclusion

Keeping a visual diary is a great way to boost inspiration, consolidate thoughts and even improve your mental health. As a placeholder for ideas and reference material, keeping a visual journal will quickly become an invaluable tool for developing your photography. Think of it as an artistic space, created and curated by you!

Visual diaries are not only great for storing inspirational material but for recording things like photography expenses or even your wish list.

The post Why You Might Want to Consider Keeping a Visual Diary by Megan Kennedy appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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How to Create a Successful Local Marketing Strategy for your Photography Business

26 Aug

The internet has taken over most aspects of our daily lives. We can talk to the world at a moments notice, promote our services instantly, and sell anything we want day or night. However, in the quest to grow as many followers and fans as we can, it can become easy to forget about one of the most important opportunities that exist for your photography business. There is so much potential right outside your front door.

Think local

No photography business can afford to forget about their local community – so you need to create a complete marketing plan that addresses both the internet and your own local community.

Photography Business Marketing

You don’t need to reach an audience around the globe to receive a job from your neighbor down the street. How many people cross your path in a given day? How many of them know what you do or could potentially use your services? How many of them might be interested in what you have to offer?

Through local marketing, you want to create a daily strategy for your local connections to grow consistently.

Photography Business Marketing

Be informative not intrusive

You do not have to be overly intrusive about it. You do not have to sell to your friends, colleagues, or acquaintances directly. Have you ever had a friend that you haven’t seen in years suddenly contact you out of the blue asking to talk or to get together? Then you speak to them and realize that they have just gotten a job as a financial planner (or some other such thing) and are trying to sign you up as a client.

This is not what I mean by local marketing, but you do have to be effective at making people aware of what you do, whenever the situation presents itself. You want to intrigue people. When people ask what you do, help them understand your photography business. You are in a creative field, so make it sound as exciting as possible.

Photography Business Marketing

Just let people know what you do

If there is a crossover that might help the person, mention it. For instance, what type of photographer are you? What are the specific services that you provide? Depending on who the person is, tailor what you say to them or their situation.

Send out an official announcement letting everyone know about your photography business. Briefly, explain what your services are and how you might provide potential customers with assistance. When done correctly, this will not be intrusive but informative. People will congratulate you and celebrate your endeavor.

If you are trying to grow your family portrait or corporate business, the people you know will be a huge help. How many of your friends work for businesses or have families? I am assuming most of them. Why would these friends want to seek out a stranger to provide these services when they could work with someone they know? You can be that person.

Photography Business Marketing

Build relationships with other businesses

How many businesses do you frequent on a daily basis? From restaurants to law firms to local shops, there is a wealth of opportunity right under your nose. It is simple but can seem so daunting at the same time. Smile, talk to that business owner you have seen for years and tell them about your services and how they might benefit from them. Bring a brochure of your work.

For businesses that you do not have a prior relationship with, try to locate the person in the company who would be in charge of hiring out the type of work that you want to do. It can be much less effective to just walk in the door blind with the aim of speaking to the first person you see. Your prospective chances will improve significantly if you can make a pointed and direct contact with an influential person within a business.

Exhibit your work

Seek out gathering spaces, such as a coffee shop, a bar, or an event space to hold a show. This is good for their business as it provides art on their walls and a reason for people to enter their establishment. For you, it provides a fun space to show your work. If you live in a smaller community, where a lot of people who know you will come across the work, then this can be a great strategy. If you can draw people to the space to help show and sell your work, then that is a good thing. Many gallerists hold pop-up galleries in addition to their permanent spaces for just this purpose. Consider doing similar pop-up events of your work.

If you live in a smaller community, where a lot of people who know you will come across the work, then this can be a great strategy. If you can draw people to the space to help show and sell your work, that is a good thing. Many gallerists hold pop-up galleries in addition to their permanent spaces for just this purpose. Consider doing similar pop-up events of your work.

Photography Business Marketing

Make sure it’s on your terms

However, there are some pitfalls to this strategy. Providing your work to a business for an open-ended period of time at no cost doesn’t necessarily mean that your work will sell or that it will help you get noticed. I see artwork covering the walls of coffee shops all over New York, and most of it never moves. This is just giving the establishment free art with little or no benefit to you.

You need to select the correct establishment and have a way to draw people there with the specific purpose of seeing your art and hopefully purchasing it. Without that, this strategy can be as much of a drain on your time and resources as it can be a success. If these benefits are not there for you, the establishment should pay you for your work (or pay a rental fee) since you are providing a service to them. You are giving them an ambiance and improving the experience for their customers.

Photograph students at a local school

Another thing you could consider is contacting an acting or music teacher at a local school and offering to photograph the student’s headshots. If you do well, it will help build your portfolio and both the students and the teachers alike will tell others of your services. Hang an advertisement in a local business, do work for a local website, sell your work at a local fair; there are many creative ways to integrate what you do into your community.

Photography Business Marketing

There is an infamous and successful example of this type of strategy employed by a guitar teacher named Dan Smith in New York City. Beginning in the 1990s, Dan hung small ads in doorways and vestibules in businesses all over Manhattan. You could not walk into a diner or coffee shop without seeing one, and these ads persist today. He has built a business out of this single marketing strategy, and it lead him to be so ubiquitous that even The New York Times ran a profile of him.

The repetition is what worked for him, and it was not annoying; it was almost humorous and became a defining characteristic of growing up in the city. This is an example of the 80/20 rule, where 80 percent of your income can come from 20 percent of your marketing. Dan found a strategy that worked and pushed it to the extreme. It only worked because of the extreme measures that he took in plastering so much of the city with his ads. Other music teachers pasted their ads around the city, but none did it like Dan.

Conclusion

By working on a variety of local marketing strategies, these endeavors will combine to create an overall awareness of your business in the community. Some of the individual pieces might seem small, and all of this may seem tedious at first, but all together they can be very powerful.

For even more business help – join the Focus Summit 2017 Online Business and Marketing Conference for Photographers on Sept 26-28th 2017. We will cover marketing, business development, law, SEO, branding, blogging, and much more. Use the code “DPS” for a $ 50 discount.

The post How to Create a Successful Local Marketing Strategy for your Photography Business by James Maher appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Non-Technical Guide to Buying a Computer for Photographers

26 Aug

In this age of digital photography (and other imagery) it is pretty much necessary to interface with your camera via a computer. It will store your image files, allow you to edit them, and upload to various platforms. However, like your camera, your computer is an expensive piece of technology that needs to be understood in order to be used properly.

On Facebook photography groups, you will see a lot of questions about what hardware specifications people need when buying a new computer. Should they go with PC or Mac? Laptop or desktop? What do all the words and numbers mean? Do I need an SSD or an EHD or both?

Non-Technical Guide to Buying a Computer for Photographers

Andyone

Some caveats

For simplicity sake, the term PC (personal computer) will be used in this article to cover the generic concept of a computer – regardless of brand or operating system. Whether you buy a PC or a Mac the hardware inside is the same.

This is also a beginner’s guide to hardware terminology for people without IT experience and backgrounds. For the technical readers, yes there may be some oversimplification of terminology. Unless it is genuinely incorrect, please reserve any comments about that. The non-technical people really don’t care about the details.

Non-Technical Guide to Buying a Computer for Photographers

Consider your own needs

Photographers working with very large image files can often need a more powerful machine than normal. If you are doing editing in Photoshop with lots of layers, then the technical demand on the hardware is even higher.

As with everything, the faster and more powerful you want the hardware to be, the more expensive it will be as well. So being able to make decisions and choices to suit your budget and requirements is important.

The needles on the inside of a spinning disk SATA drive – I disassembled it for parts.

What does it all mean?

SFF Tower
i7-7700
16GB Memory
256GB SSD
DVD-RW
GeForce GTX 1080 Graphics card
HDMI, VGA, 6 x USB, 1 x USB-C
24″ Monitor

Above is a standard description of the usual components found in a PC or laptops these days. In general, the list of specifications is done in a consistent order, listing the important features and functionality of the machine. Let’s break it down individually:

#1 – Size and Shape

By TJStamp

If the computer is a desktop PC then the first definition will be the form factor or type of case. Desktop PC cases come in several different tower sizes – full tower, micro, small form factor (SFF), and mini. Does it matter which you choose? Yes, if you want to put lots of hard drives in, or a really grunty graphics card, then you will need a bigger case. A powerful graphics card needs a bigger power supply to run it and is also a full sized card (usually) so will need a full sized tower case.

If the computer is a laptop then the description in the first line will usually define the screen size and type; e.g. 14″ FHD 1920×1080. Small, sleek, thin, and light is fashionable with laptops at the moment, however the sacrifice you make is that limits the options for upgrading your hardware over time. Laptops in general are not easily expandable and often have a shorter useable lifespan than desktops as a result. However, laptops are portable which is an added bonus.

Non-Technical Guide to Buying a Computer for Photographers

Smaller cases also limit the choices you have to make in relation to the hardware options. With a mini case, it will only fit the smallest components, like an SSD (solid state drive) and that can often drive the price up as well.

So the choice of the form factor matters. Laptop versus desktop is a key decision, and then the size of the chassis makes a difference as to what you can put in it.

#2 – CPU

CPU stand for Central Processing Unit, and is essentially the brain of the PC. This does all the calculations and thinking and can affect the speed and performance capability of the computer. CPUs are classed by performance capability so an i7 is top of the range, i5 middle of the range, and i3 is entry level.

For standard everyday use an i5 is sufficient. For many photographers on a budget, an i5 with enough memory and an SSD will still be powerful enough to edit in Lightroom (or your program of choice). Those who edit really big files, especially in Photoshop will probably want to look at an i7 option.

Within each family there are several choices, again relating to speed and performance. This is defined as the number of cores they have and the clock speed. As is typical with technology, the faster and more powerful, the more expensive the option will be. Here is where it can get tricky because the software you are running on the computer may have been designed with certain requirements as to the hardware specifications. It may prefer to run on a single core, or need multiple cores or even multiple CPUs (i.e. it has more than one processor in the machine).

So you also need to know what requirements your specific software might need to run at optimum efficiency.

Pins on the bottom of a CPU.

3. Memory

If we think of the computer in vehicle terms, the form factor is the style and shape of the vehicle (2-seater, coupe, sedan, SUV, etc.), the CPU is the engine, and that means the memory is the fuel tank. Fuel limits how fast and how far a vehicle can travel, and memory does a similar thing for a computer. The more memory it has, the more capacity the computer has to process and run lots of operations at once. Memory provides the resources the CPU needs to do the computing.

Memory (RAM – Random Access Memory, or essentially the working memory) is available in 4, 8, 16 and 32 GB sticks. Most consumer PCs and laptops only have capacity for a maximum of 32GB with usually two slots available for memory. At least 8GB should be the minimum purchase in 2017. For anyone intending to use Photoshop heavily I would recommend at least one 16GB stick initially. That allows you a second slot to upgrade into if you have performance issues – if you buy two 8GB and want to upgrade, you will have to throw one away.

Memory stick (this has been snapped in half).

4. Hard Drive

If CPU is the engine, and memory is the fuel, then the hard drive is the storage capacity. So how much stuff can you fit into your PC? Is it a snazzy 2-seater, a roomy sedan, a people mover, a van, or a long-haul truck as far as storage capacity of your data.

Data isn’t just your image files either. Everything you load onto a PC takes up storage space, the operating system, all the programs, games, videos, music, emails, etc. Everything that somehow gets downloaded onto the computer needs a place to be stored. Over time, that can take up a lot of space. Add in large file formats like RAW files being downloaded by the hundreds or thousands on a regular basis, and suddenly you need a LOT more storage than you thought.

Patrick Lindenberg

Today there is the added complexity of two different technology choices for hard drives in consumer PC devices. Traditional spinning disc drives that connect via SATA (usually referred to as SATA drives for short) or SSD drives (solid state drives) are available. SATA drives have come in very large capacity options 4, 6 and 8TB at the top end, but they are a slower performance option. Due to having lots of moving parts, they are prone to breaking but they are the most cost effective option.

SSD drives are a newer technology that stores data in a different way without any moving parts. Hence they are physically more reliable, but have smaller storage capacity options and are quite expensive compared to the SATA option. Some of the newer slimline tablets and PCs only offer the choice of SSD.

Spinning disk out of a Toshiba laptop.

5. Data Input Options

How do you get data onto your computer? Does it come with a DVD drive? Most of the modern notebooks and tablets are so slim in design there is no room for such a device. You can get external DVD drives that plug in via USB if you need one to install software that comes in disk format.

If you have a PC tower you can install a fitted memory card reader which is faster than an external one for importing your image files.

External USB card reader to input your camera files.

6. Graphics Cards

Every motherboard comes with some graphics capabilities. Essentially, this is the bit that generates what you see on the screen. For basic image editing an onboard option is sufficient. However, if you are using Photoshop or Lightroom you may want to consider a specialized card that comes with dedicated graphics memory to boost the performance. Most low-mid range gaming cards will suffice. An added benefit is they will also offer support for multiple monitors, generally at least two. People wanting to process and edit video files may want to consider a dedicated specialized card for that purpose, they generally will only fit into a large PC case and can be quite expensive.

This is an additional option which will only fit into a tower case option – the bigger chassis have space to fit these. Extra graphics is not an option for laptops and similar form factor devices (unless you purchase a high-end mobile workstation or gaming laptop which are expensive). I would recommend getting a silent card as they can be quite noisy, generally the more powerful the card the bigger the fan it requires (too cool it down) and the noisier the card.

Graphics card that fits into a PCIe slot.

Monitor ports on a graphics card, the blue one is VGA and the white one is DVI.

Conclusion and Summary

So designing your computer means taking into account all the technical requirements of the software versus the capabilities of the hardware and your available budget. If you’re not interested in technology this might be a bit frustrating. However, investing some time in learning about what the components of your computer do, and how it relates to your specific requirements may be useful for making strategic computer purchases.

If you have the budget to purchase a more powerful machine, with the idea of hanging on to it for 3-4 years, instead of 1-2, that might be a better return on investment. Buying a larger PC tower case allows you to upgrade all of the components, depending on technology changes. You might even stretch out use of the PC to 4-5 years for a small outlay on upgrades – perhaps some extra memory, and maybe some SSD to boost performance.

Radek Grzybowski

Conversely, if your requirements are low and your budget is limited, being able to make an educated choice around what compromises you might have to make (i.e. maybe get a PC instead of a laptop as it’s often cheaper) can be helpful as well.

Do a bit of reading or research, or find a technical friend and offer to buy them lunch if they will assist you with your next computer purchase, that is always a viable option.

The post Non-Technical Guide to Buying a Computer for Photographers by Stacey Hill appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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How to Use a Small Softbox With Your Flash to Transform Your Portraits

26 Aug

Typically I prefer to carry minimal photographic equipment when I am out to make a series of photos or portraits. If I’m on assignment for a client or creating new stock photos I will take more gear with me so as to better cover any challenging situations that may arise. One of my favorite accessories I have come to rely on is a small collapsible softbox for my flash.

How to Use a Small Softbox With Your Flash to Transform Your Portraits

Day time use of a small softbox can help to even out shadows on your model’s face.

Unmodified flash tends to be pretty harsh. A strong burst from a small light source produces some ugly shadows and extreme highlights. Whether your flash is on or off camera if the light is direct and unfiltered the results you see will be unnatural looking. I’ve experimented some with various small flash modifiers and not found any that produce pleasing light, mostly because of their size. They are too small to produce a reasonably even, soft light.

Pop-up Softbox

My pop-up softbox is just 60cm (about 2 feet) square, lightweight, and very portable. Having someone to assist with it is helpful, so it can be easily positioned just where you want, but I have often used it on location mounted on a light stand. Placing the flash in the mouth of the softbox effectively increases the output size of the light and softens it with two nylon diffusers. The light from your flash will be scattered, resulting in softer shadows and reduced highlights.

Night Portraits

Adding a soft light to night time portraits can create evenly lit photographs.

Photographing portraits at night can be challenging, especially if you have to rely on available light. Adding a light source you have some control over, will make night portraiture a much more enjoyable experience. Often at night, available light sources will not provide a pleasant, even light for your subject and direct flash will produce unflattering results. Using a softbox to spread and soften the light will avoid hard edged shadows and blown out highlights.

Often at night, available light sources will not provide a pleasant, even light for your subject and direct flash will produce unflattering results. Using a softbox to spread and soften the light will avoid hard edged shadows and blown out highlights.

Indoor Portraits

Looking down at a woman standing next to traditional northern Thai sausages at a market. How To Use A Small Soft Box With Your Flash To Transform Your Portraiture

Adding a soft light to one side of my model has helped brighten up the scene.

Likewise, when photographing indoors and relying on available light, it can be challenging to achieve pleasing results. By adding a soft light to your subject you are able to create natural looking images.

The slightly larger surface of the softbox throws light over a wider area so more of your subject is affected and also some of the surroundings will benefit from a little more illumination.

Careful flash output and exposure setting have enabled me to capture this traditional Thai new year blessing activity effectively.

Outdoor Daytime Portraits

Outdoors, during the day, is when I enjoy using this softbox the most. Having an additional light source that’s powerful enough without being too harsh can help you make portraits that look natural. Being able to reduce shadows by adding a soft fill light will produce a much more flattering result than if you are using an unmodified flash or relying only on available light.

Balance is the Key

I have found manually setting my flash output gives more consistent results than setting it on TTL or other automatic settings. Being in control of the output will allow you to balance the nice soft light from the softbox with the available light. This is important if you want to produce natural looking photos. If your flash produces too much or too little light it will overpower the ambient light or have little to no effect.

I used to use an external light meter to measure the ambient light and then set my flash so it was producing an equivalent output. Now it’s easy enough to just use the information your digital camera provides on the screen, the histogram and blinkies. With a little trial and error, it does not take long to find a setting that gives you a good exposure.

Asian woman taking a photograph - How To Use A Small Soft Box With Your Flash To Transform Your Portraiture

Using the flash and softbox to balance the back lit subject with just the right amount of filtered light.

Light Position and Background

At times you might want to balance the flash so that the background remains very bright and your subject is still pleasantly lit. Dialing in the flash output to slightly less than the value of the background illumination will achieve this when your camera’s exposure is set for your model’s skin, (which is being lit by your flash).

Think of your softened flash as a second light source. Position your model so the brightest ambient light source is behind them and place your softbox to one side in front of them. This can result in studio-like portraits. Again, in this situation, balance is the key. Too much or too little output from your flash will create an unbalanced light and an unnatural looking photograph.

Filling in with a strong, soft light when the light behind your subject is strong can provide very natural looking portraits.

The softbox was positioned to camera left for this shot.

Modify for Success!

Many of our students avoid using their flash, mostly because they have failed to achieve good results in the past. A small, direct light source is rarely going to provide pleasing light. Using a small softbox to modify the light from your flash and learning to balance that with the ambient light, will help transform your portraits.

As always, when you are trying some new technique with unfamiliar equipment make sure you can afford to make mistakes. Making mistakes is a great way to learn, but you don’t want to do that when you have someone relying on you for the photos. Practice when the only consequence of messing up is that you’ll learn from your experience and not let someone else down.

The post How to Use a Small Softbox With Your Flash to Transform Your Portraits by Kevin Landwer-Johan appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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7,000 Free Photography Tutorials – Here’s our Best 20!

26 Aug

This week on dPS we published our 7,000th post here on the Digital Photography School blog.

7000 photography tutorials

I started this site back in April 2006 because my friends – who had all just bought new DSLRs – kept asking me the same questions about how to use their new gear to its potential.

Instead of answering them one by one I decided to write down my answers on a blog – not really knowing that 11 years later I’d have created a resource that:

is read by millions of people every month!
employs a team of writers, editors, developers, producers, customer service reps, marketers from around the world
has millions of social media followers on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest
has published over 20 eBooks, 6 courses and 3 Lightroom Presets Packs
has close to 1,000,000 newsletter subscribers.

The mind boggles a little at the crazy journey we’ve had here at dPS and we’re excited about the future.

To celebrate the milestone today I thought it’d be fun to dig into our analytics and take a look at which posts got the most traffic. As I looked over the list I realised many are deep in our archives and may not have been seen by our newer readers and so I thought it’d be useful to some of you to list them here.

Our 15 Most Popular Posts

Each of these most popular 15 posts has been read by millions of people since they were published. Some were published quite a few years ago but most have been updated and are still 100% relevant today.

10 Ways to Take Stunning Portraits
Understanding ISO in Digital Photography
Long Exposure Photography – 15 Stunning Examples
The Rule of Thirds
Wedding Photography – 21 Tips for Amateur Wedding Photographers
An Introduction to Aperture in Photography
Popular Digital Cameras and Gear (regularly updated)
An Introduction to Shutter Speed
DIY: How to Make an Inexpensive Light Tent
Posing Guide: 21 Sample Poses to Get You Started Photographing Women (plus 7 more posing guides for photographing kids, men, couples etc)
7 Photography Projects to Jumpstart your Creativity
How to Photograph Fireworks
11 Surefire Landscape Photography Tips
21 Settings, Techniques and Rules all New Camera Owners Should Know
The Ultimate Guide to Learning How to Use Your First DSLR

5 More Ultimate Guides

Over the last year we’ve been rolling out a new type of blog post – our ‘Ultimate Guides’. These are longer, deeper and more comprehensive tutorials that we offer both as a blog post but also as a free downloadable guide.

While these are not in our most popular of all time (because they’re new) we’re very proud of these guides and are excited to have plans for numerous more in the coming months.

Here are our first 5 Ultimate Photography Guides:

The Ultimate Guide to Photography for Beginners
The Ultimate Guide to Landscape Photography
The Ultimate Guide to Street Photography
The Ultimate Guide for Getting Started in Lightroom
The Ultimate Guide to Photography Terms

Thanks!

7,000 free blog based tutorials would not have been possible without an amazing team – particularly our editorial team led by Darlene and with over 100 writers over the 11 years. So thank you to our team.

Also a massive thank you to our readers, followers and customers. Your support helps us keep this site running and inspires us to keep creating the best tutorials we can.

If you’re new to dPS, there’s so much more to see than what I’ve listed above. Dig around in our archives and you’ll find some amazing free content. We also regularly share posts from our archives on our Facebook Page so follow us there to see more of our older posts.

Lastly, make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter to get notified weekly of the 14 new articles we publish each week.

The post 7,000 Free Photography Tutorials – Here’s our Best 20! by Darren Rowse appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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5 Ways to Promote Your Photography Business

25 Aug

You worked really hard to learn the skills that you need to be a fantastic photographer and you worked even harder to build your business. But, for your business to succeed long-term, you need to have a solid marketing plan in place. Courtesy of Pixabay.com Check out the five tips below for effectively marketing your photography company to the masses. Continue Reading

The post 5 Ways to Promote Your Photography Business appeared first on Photodoto.

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Major Updates to Strobist Lighting Kits

23 Aug

Strobist lighting kits are the modern day version of the basic speedlight-based setup I carried on my daily newspaper assigments for the better part of 20 years.

Over the past ten years, the recommended kit has gone through several evolutions. But recently there have been significant updates to several of the components (and a cool addition) making the kit better now than at any other time. I thought the updates merited a shoutout.

The kits are built around the idea of strong value with thoughtfully chosen components, many with unique features. All components carry best-in-class warranties, and can be expected to give you good service for years. If I was talking to myself as a 20-year-old, I’d advise me to get this before even buying a second lens.

The lighting kits come in several variations: Single with flash, single without flash, two-light version (two of everthing; but one remote) and add-a flash (one of everything, no remote).

Current components are as follows, with updates/additions noted:

Flash: LP180

The LumoPro LP180 is basically a bullet-proof (not literally, but relatively) manual flash that comes with the stuff you need, without the bells and whistles that you don’t.

Notable features include four-way sync, 1/1 – 1/128 manual power, variable slave, selectable ready tone, smart thermal protection, power equal to or greater than OEM flagship flashes, 1/4″x20 side mount and built-in gel clips. (It also includes a gel kit that covers the most commonly used CC and theatrical colors.)

Build quality of the LP180 borders on ridiculous. (One was famously destroyed in the field by a leopard. It was replaced.)

Warranty: twice as long as OEM flagships.

Price: one-third of OEM flagships.

Remote: Phottix Ares Original Model

A legit remote trigger for not much more than the cost of a sync cord. Features include: AA-powered (no weird batteries to find) 8 channels, hot-shoe based mount and excellent reliability. Backed by a two-year warranty.

I have been teaching with (and using) these remotes for several years now. They are solid.

Stand: LP605S

Recently updated; best in class. The LP605S is the classic, 5-section compact stand — except beefier build, and with a couple of unique added features.

One, it comes with folding ground spikes that will add to stability when used outside. Un-sandbagged umbrellas are always a risk in wind. But you can at least spike this stand and use bare flashes outdoors in a stiff breeze.

Two, the LP605S come predrilled for a strap, and includes the strap. This is somethng I DIY’d for many years, and the idea has now found its way to what was already the best compact stand on the market.

Umbrella: LumoPro 3-in-1 Double Fold

Recently swapped; best in class. Functionally similar to my older Westcotts, but with better build quality, more durability and added features.

The LP version gives you the choice of the best umbrella surface for any given job. It converts from white shoot-thru, to white reflective (black-backed) and silver reflective.

Unlike most double-folds, LP 3-in-1 umbrellas do not feel like fragile little flowers right out of the box. They are more substantial, and have lasted far longer than other models in daily use.

They also come with a slip case the does not make it feel like your umbrella is trying to squeeze into skinny jeans every time you try to case it.

Swivel: LP679-v2

Olympus Tough TG-5 Waterproof Paddling Camera – First Impressions

23 Aug

A few weeks ago I upgraded my paddling camera to waterproof and rugged Olympus Stylus TG-5 . It’s the follow-up to the Olympus STYLUS Tough TG-4 and features a new sensor and processor (but reduced resolution), advanced tracking capabilities, 4K […]
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Review of the Polaroid Pro Studio Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit

22 Aug

One of the biggest challenges for amateur photographers is getting comfortable with shooting with off-camera flash. Not only does the technique take much time to master, but lighting equipment is expensive! This is where Polaroid is aiming to help out. The new Polaroid Pro Studio Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit might be a mouthful to say, but it is exactly what it says: a portable umbrella lighting kit. What it doesn’t mention is that it is also very affordably priced for the amateur photographer (under $ 65!). Find out more details about the new Polaroid lighting kit below!

Review of the Polaroid Pro Studio Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit

What’s Included

Altogether, this lighting kit weighs a total of 8.5 lbs and runs $ 64.99 USD. According to the product description, the “Polaroid Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit includes all of the essential lighting equipment you will need.” These items include:

1) Two Light Stands

These Polaroid brand light stands are three-sectioned twist locks AND they are air cushioned. They fold down to 26 inches and can extend as high as six feet and hold up to 15 lbs. The weight of the light stands isn’t stated, but they’re not heavy at all. This means they travel very easy, but you’ll have to compromise some stability and support.

Review of the Polaroid Pro Studio Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit

2) Two Umbrellas

Umbrellas are one of the simplest, most compact ways to beautifully diffuse light. Polaroid smartly includes two white satin umbrellas with this lighting kit. Both umbrellas have a removable black backing, allowing you to use it as a bounce or shoot through umbrella. Best of all is the fact that the removable backing is stiffer, with sturdier end caps than competing (even higher-end) umbrella brands like Westcott. This makes it much easier to put the backing back on the umbrella.

These octagonal umbrellas are about 33 inches in diameter, which might be a miss for those who need a larger size. But based on the sturdiness of the light stands, you probably don’t want to stick overly large and heavy umbrellas on those stands anyway.

Review of the Polaroid Pro Studio Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit

3) Two Cold-Shoe Mount Umbrella Adapters

The last components of this lighting kit are the cold-shoe mount adapters. These allow you to attach the umbrella to the light stand, and mount a speedlight flash. Polaroid’s own adapters each have a swivel, umbrella socket, and a cold-shoe mount that should fit most standard speedlight flashes. The adapters are adjustable, allowing you to shift the angle of the whole setup.

Review of the Polaroid Pro Studio Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit

4) A Carrying Case

One of the best parts about the Polaroid Pro Lighting Kit is that all of the above items come delivered in a perfectly sized carrying case. The bag is about 29 inches long, 8 inches wide, and 7 inches high. It’s also very lightweight and holds all of the lighting kit components, with room to spare. The inclusion of the carrying case is a really nice touch, as many other lighting stand providers almost never include a case.

Polaroid Pro Studio Light Kit

What’s Not Included

You may have noticed that a few critical lighting kit items were omitted: a camera, flash units, and flash triggers. Thus, this does not include all of your “essential lighting equipment you will need,” so note the need to purchase these additional items. On the bright side, there are some affordable flashes and triggers on the market that you can add to keep your overall lighting kit inexpensive.

Instead of Canon or Nikon brand flashes, consider the Polaroid PL-190 TTL Flash.
Instead of Pocket Wizards, consider Yongnuo RF-603 Flash Triggers.

Review of the Polaroid Pro Studio Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit

Note: Flash unit and flash triggers are not included.

This kit is for you if…

If you’re just getting started with off-camera flash and studio lighting equipment, the Polaroid Pro Kit is a great way to start out. The kit is affordable while providing you what you need. It may not hold up in the long run, but at this price, buying a second kit doesn’t hurt. Also, if you’re a pro photographer needing a lightweight, portable lighting kit for on-the-go shoots, this may meet your needs as well.

For photographers needing extremely durable lighting stands or umbrellas bigger than 33 inches, this kit probably isn’t for you. It costs $ 64.99, and you get what you pay for. If you’re needing equipment for a pro studio for daily use, spend more money on heavier-duty gear.

Verdict

After testing out the Polaroid Pro Studio Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit, I fell head over heels in love with it. The kit isn’t much different from my current setup (two Manfrotto 5001B Nano light stands with Westcott umbrellas). While my Manfrottos feel sturdier than the Polaroid light stands, the price of one Manfrotto stand is nearly equal that of the entire Polaroid Pro kit. Not so terrible.

I used this lighting kit on a couple of on-location food photography photo shoots and was pleased with the results, plus the kit’s extreme portability. Sample photos taken with the Polaroid Pro kit are shown below. All images were shot with a Canon 5D Mark III with 24-70mm f/2.8 lens and Canon 580 EXII Speedlight Flashes.

For simple professional jobs where I’d use a 33-inch umbrella, the Polaroid Pro kit is ace. However, if I were planning to work with bigger, heavier lighting units or modifiers, I’d definitely turn to a heavier duty option.

The post Review of the Polaroid Pro Studio Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit by Suzi Pratt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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