Category: Photography

Lens Review: Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens

In my opinion, one of the best developments to happen in photography recently is the stepped-up offerings of third party lens manufacturers. Early in my photography career, third party lenses were decent alternatives for a lower cost option, but my own experience was that the cost savings also came at a cost in performance. Those lenses weren’t as sharp, focused slower, and weren’t built to the same quality of similar lenses by Nikon and Canon (and other camera brands).

The Sigma 20mm lens allows for capturing expansive views when photographing landscapes.

Enter Sigma’s Art lineup of lenses. When the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens was introduced in 2012, it ushered in a new era of third party lenses, giving users lower cost options while maintaining high image quality and performance. As Sigma has continued to build out their Art lineup, adding a 50mm f/1.4, a mind-boggling 50-100mm f/1.8 zoom for APS-C cameras, and others – photographers are gaining new respect for Sigma as a lens maker. Recently, Sigma announced a new entry, the 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens, and I was thrilled to have an opportunity to try it out.

First Impressions: Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art Lens

Image courtesy of Sigma

When the lens first showed up on my doorstep, I immediately unpacked it to see what Sigma has done. It is impressive. An ultra-wide angle lens with an ultra-fast maximum aperture, the 20mm f/1.4 Art lens is one with quite a few applications including; photojournalism, wedding photography, street photography, and landscapes, to name a few. If the image quality for this lens lives up to the reputation of previous Art lenses, it’s going to be an incredible lens to work with.

A quick glance at the major manufacturers’ websites reveals that no other lens maker builds a 20mm lens with a maximum aperture as large as the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art lens. That fast aperture allows a lot of room for use of shallow depth of field, or for working in low light conditions. It also makes applications such as astrophotography a bit easier as well. The minimum aperture is only f/16, as opposed to f/22 on lenses such as the Canon Ef 24mm f/1.4. While that is not a huge issue, it does mean that when you’re trying to use slow shutter speeds on sunny days, a filter may be necessary.

The bulbous front element of the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens. Photo courtesy of Sigma.

Out of the box, the lens is fairly sizable (90.7mm x 129.8mm / 3.6 x 5.1 inches) and is a bit heavy (950 g / 33.5 oz.). It is considerably larger than my Nikon 24mm f/1.4 G or the Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II. The outer barrel does have a bit of plastic feel to it, but the brass mount and considerable heft, assuage any fears of cheap build quality. Constructed of 15 elements in 11 groups, including F Low Dispersion, Special Low Dispersion, and aspherical elements, Sigma claimed class-leading image quality. I found minimal distortion and chromatic aberration in images I shot with this lens, and what I did find was easily corrected in Lightroom or Photoshop. The lens features a 9-blade rounded diaphragm aperture, excellent for soft rounded bokeh in out of focus areas of the image. Minimum focusing distance is 27.6 cm or 10.9 in.

My one disappointment with the lens is the bulbous front element, which eliminates the ability to use either screw-in filters such as polarizers, or the smaller 100mm drop-in filters. While I have a set of 150mm filters, my adapter would not fit the lens, and other manufacturers had yet to build an adapter that works. I am told by several filter manufacturers that they are working on a suitable adapter for the 150mm filter kits on the market.

The Sigma 20mm in the field

Being a landscape photographer, the first thing I wanted to do was take this lens for a spin at one or two of my favorite local spots. While the lack of filters meant I had some difficult choices to make when photographing the sunset, I was anxious to use the wide angle lens to accentuate the foreground and the sky.

The Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art gave me no issues and focused smoothly on my subject. The 94.5° field of view on a full frame sensor provides a nice panoramic image, allowing you to emphasize the immediate foreground while creating context in showing the background. The necessity of filters will be more dictated by your camera sensor’s dynamic range, but I found on my Nikon D810, I was able to expose for the highlights and recover the shadows in post-production. Sharpness throughout the scene was excellent, with minimal distortion and loss of resolution at the corners. Color and contrast are excellent as well.

My next test was to try the lens at a wedding. I will often employ a wide angle lens for capturing action on the dance floor, and occasionally for environmental portraits of the bride and groom like the image above. I found the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art lens excelled in both instances.

On the dance floor, even in low light, I found the lens to focus quickly and accurately. The fast aperture allowed me to minimize my use of flash in the reception hall (below), and use the ambient lighting for a more natural, festive look. In addition, for the formal portraits I used the lens outdoors at sunset for some bridal portraits, and was impressed with the image quality in a high contrast situation. I used an external strobe to light the bride and groom (image above), with the sunset in the background, and stopped all the way down to f/16 for a starburst effect on the sun.

My final test was to do some astrophotography with the lens. In the past, I’ve used both the Nikon 24mm f/1.4 and the Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II lenses, and while both were satisfactory, each has a tendency to produce some comatic aberration, especially in the corners.

While I did find some coma using the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art, I found it to be less noticeable than either the Nikon or the Canon. The fast f/1.4 aperture allowed me to capture the stars, while using an ISO of 800 and a 15 second exposure time. If nothing else, this lens is an astrophotographer’s dream, being wider than any other f/1.4 lens currently on the market, which allows for capturing expansive sections of the night sky.

Summary

In the 20mm f/1.4 Art lens, Sigma has managed to build an exceptional, wide aperture, wide angle lens that will suit a variety of photographers, from photojournalists, to landscape artists, street photographers and wedding photographers. Priced at $ 899, it’s less than half the price of the equivalent Nikon or Canon 24mm lenses, and provides a wider angle. Nikon’s 20mm f/1.8G is as close as the major manufacturers get to this lens, at a cost of $ 100 less than the Sigma. The Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is available in Canon, Nikon, and Sigma mounts.

I highly recommend this lens to anyone in the market for an ultra-wide, ultra-fast lens. My one caveat is that if you’re not already invested in a 150mm filter system, you will need to do so if you want to use filters with this beast.

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The post Lens Review: Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens by Rick Berk appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

August 10, 2016
5 Ways Travel Can Inspire Your Wedding Photography

If you’ve shot a wedding you’ve likely had that moment where some obscure family tradition threw you off balance, you struggled to attach the right lens in time, and missed that once-in-a-lifetime shot. You can shoot a thousand weddings, but without knowing what to look for, you just might miss the biggest moments of the couple’s wedding day. But, if Continue Reading

The post 5 Ways Travel Can Inspire Your Wedding Photography appeared first on Photodoto.

Photodoto

August 9, 2016
Tips for Learning How to See Photographically
Open your eyes: learn to appreciate the wonder that is all around you

The camera is definitely a tool that can be used to capture moments in time, and record memories for posterity. However, the potential is there for so much more than that. If you think of the assembly of plastic, metal, and electronic gadgetry you hold in your hands as a paintbrush, and the world around you as paint, then untold possibilities await.

Look at ordinary objects in a new way

One way to investigate this idea is to use your camera as an instrument, to turn the ordinary and mundane aspects of life into something unique. For example, when you take your vehicle to the car wash and sit inside while the machines do their work on the vehicle’s exterior, what do you do? Sit and wait patiently? If you’ve got your camera with you, why not turn those few minutes into an opportunity to look through your window and consider the colours, details, and shapes that the lights, water, soap and wax make as they go through their different cycles.

While there is certainly a whole world of possibilities when considering the abstract, sometimes a scene will present itself that simply stops you in your tracks. The subject and its background are arranged in such a way, that all you have to do is look through the camera’s viewfinder and press the shutter release.

Slow down and take notice

Of course if you go about your day in a hurried manner, if you’re rushing here and there, so focused on the task at hand that you don’t notice your surroundings, then your chances of appreciating the beauty around you will be dramatically decreased. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of some ideas (and examples) to help guide your photography adventures:
- Slow down – when you’re rushed, you will be less likely to notice interesting details.
- Look for juxtapositions, such as the motion of water against the solidity of a rock.
- Look for lines and shapes – like standing on a railway track, you could photograph the tracks as they converge towards the horizon.
- Look around in all directions – if you go for a walk on a path, stop every once and a while and look back at what you’ve passed, look down at what you are walking on, or look up to the sky.
- Photograph ordinary items in non-traditional ways – try and photograph a stream of water falling on an inflated balloon.
- Photograph the same subject in different light and seasons – if you have a favourite tree, photograph it from the same perspective at different times of the day, or do a seasonal series.
- Look for things that shouldn’t be there but are – a leaf poking it’s way through the snow in the middle of winter, for example.
- Use both standalone images, and image sequences to tell a story – ski tracks in the snow leading their way up to a mountain.
Practice and practice some more

In time, and with much practice, you will most certainly develop your own style and discover what appeals to you. At first, there may be a temptation to make several exposures, which is fine. When you look at the photos later you can use the many different images to compare them with each other. This practical exercise of discovering what you like, and don’t like, is a great way to learn. Try different techniques on the same scene and compare the results later.

With practice, you’ll be able to consider a scene and learn how it speaks to you, even before you make a single exposure. Then use the knowledge you’ve gained to minimize the number of images you make, until you end up with a photograph you’re ultimately happy with.

Do you take photos, or make images?

Lastly, consider the words make and take. One suggests theft and aggression (take), the other, contemplation and creation (make). Perhaps it’s only a minor thing, but when talking about your own photography, how do you describe your method? Are you a taker or a maker?

Ultimately, photography is about how you respond to a scene, and with the idea of being an image maker in mind, you’ll be in a better position to creatively express your feelings. Case in point, the following photograph of some snowflakes.

It was a very cold day on the ski hill when I stopped on a trail to consider some snowdrifts on my left. The bright sun was illuminating the snow in a brilliant way, and after half an hour or so, I left with a handful of images. This particular one stands out because of the visible details in the snowflakes. It’s a testimony to the power of something so tiny and delicate, for without it and untold billions of its friends, no ski hill would exist.

Time to go apply and get shooting

Homework time. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go out and have fun. In the words of a former photography tour leader, go and play. I’d love to see the results!

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The post Tips for Learning How to See Photographically by Curtis Cunningham appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
August 9, 2016
A Simple Explanation of the Camera Mode Dial

If you have a more advanced camera like a DSLR or mirrorless, or even a high-end pocket model, it’s a good bet that somewhere on the top of the camera body you will find a circular dial (the camera mode dial) with a whole lot of strange letters like: M, Tv (or S), Av (or A), P, and maybe even a U1 or U2 (or C1, C2) thrown in for good measure. There is also a friendly safe green option, that may say Auto, or depending on the type of camera you have, is just represented by a green rectangle.

Most beginners know this option the best, since it essentially puts your camera in the driver’s seat, and forces it to do all the heavy lifting of figuring out the exposure, while all you need to do is point your camera in the right direction. If you like shooting in Auto and you are happy with your pictures, then don’t let anyone tell you that you need to change, or that you aren’t a good photographer.

However, if you would like to branch out a little bit, and learn to make your camera do what you want in order to make the photos you desire, then the mode dial is your key to a whole new world of photographic creativity. It can be somewhat daunting, and those strange letters don’t inspire much confidence for beginners who already feel overwhelmed. So I’ll walk you through the basic functions of the mode dial one by one, and give you the information you need to start experimenting with some of your camera’s more advanced settings.

Auto Mode

This one might seem fairly self-explanatory, but I’d like to offer some detail about what Auto mode actually does. In most situations, your camera is going to do whatever it can to make sure the pictures you take are properly exposed (in other words, not too dark nor too bright). There are three main things that govern exposure (Aperture, Shutter, and ISO – otherwise known as the Exposure Triangle) and Auto mode takes care of setting the values of all three of these elements for you. If your camera has a flash, it may decide to fire it, order to brighten up a scene that is quite dark, which often happens indoors or at night. Auto generally does a good job at allowing you to take decent photos in a variety of situations.

Sometimes Auto mode is all you need to get the pictures you want.

P: Program Auto Mode

When you want to branch out from Auto mode, this is a good place to start. Program Auto does exactly the same thing as the familiar, comfortable green Auto mode, but with a twist – you can change a few settings if you want. Using Program Auto allows you to do things like decide whether you want the flash to automatically pop-up or turn off altogether, as well as change the ISO and the White Balance.

It really gets interesting when you turn the rotating circular dial (called a control wheel) on the top or back of your camera, which lets you take some degree of control back from your camera. In Program Auto your camera will always try to maintain a properly-exposed picture, but you can use the dial to change the aperture and shutter speed at the same time. It’s a fun way to experiment with your camera while being reasonably certain that you will still get good pictures, and also start to notice some of the effects that changing the aperture and shutter speed has on your final images.

Program Auto can be a great way to help you get the shot you want by changing the shutter speed and aperture with a simple flick of your thumb.

Av (or A): Aperture Priority Mode

When you want to have full control over the aperture in your lens (and thus also control the depth of field), this is the mode to use. It lets you turn the control wheel on your camera in order to adjust the aperture alone, while the camera decides what ISO (if you use auto ISO) and shutter speed to use.

If you have plenty of available light this is a fantastic mode to be in, because you can choose whether you want a wide depth of field (i.e. everything in focus) or a shallow depth of field (just your subject in focus, with foreground/background elements blurry) and know that the shutter speed and ISO will be set automatically to get the shot you want. However if you are shooting in low light, you might end up in a situation where you set the aperture you want, but your camera chooses a shutter speed that is too slow, or an ISO (again only if you are using Auto ISO, if you are manually setting the ISO you will still have to adjust that yourself) that is too high for your liking.

My personal favorite mode to shoot in is Aperture Priority with Auto-ISO, which means my camera won’t use a shutter speed that’s too slow (you can usually set the parameters for minimum shutter speed in your camera’s settings via the menu options – consult your user manual if you aren’t sure), and will instead raise the ISO.

I knew I wanted a shallow depth of field for this shot, so I used Aperture Priority mode to select a wide aperture, and let my camera figure out the rest.

Tv (or S): Shutter Priority Mode

You may have already guessed what this mode does, based on the explanation of Aperture Priority above. Shutter Priority Mode is essentially the opposite. In this mode you tell the camera what shutter speed to use, and let it calculate the aperture and ISO (when using Auto ISO). It is particularly useful if you are shooting fast action like a race or sporting event, because you can set your shutter speed to be fast enough to freeze the motion of the subjects, and know that your camera will select whatever aperture and ISO values are needed to get the shot. Most cameras can shoot as fast as 1/4000th of a second which is plenty for freezing motion, or as slow as 30 seconds, which can be fun for nighttime photography and capturing light trails.

I used Shutter Priority with a value of 30 seconds to get this shot of the Seattle skyline, from the Columbia Tower Observation Deck.

M: Manual Mode

This is the granddaddy of all camera modes, because you have to choose all three settings: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO. Shooting in manual can be a little scary at first, but the trick here is to learn to use your camera’s light meter, which will tell you if your picture will be over, or under-exposed. When you put your camera in Manual ode, the control wheel will only change one parameter of the three aforementioned settings at a time, so you may need to press another button while turning the wheel, or navigate to one of your camera’s menus in order to select a different value. With enough practice you will easily get the hang of it.

Shooting in Manual can be challenging, but intensely rewarding, as you learn exactly how to control your camera to get precisely the picture you want. Any situation can be good for Manual, provided you are well acquainted with your camera and how it operates.

Learning to shoot in Manual mode may seem daunting at first, but it’s incredibly liberating when you learn how to take full control over every element of exposure.

U1 (or C1): Storing custom user settings

Not all cameras have these options, but if yours has the ability to save custom user settings, you may want to investigate it a little more to start taking advantage of how this can help you. These custom settings allow you to specify a set of parameters, not just for exposure, but for other options like: shooting in JPG or RAW, shooting mode, White balance, enabling Auto ISO, and others – then instantly switch to those settings with just a click of your dial.

One thing I find these user storage banks useful is for having U1 (may be called C1 or something else on your camera) store a set of parameters that is a good starting point for indoor photography, such as a wider aperture and higher ISO, and then using U2 for outdoor pictures. The values and parameters can all be changed once you click over to a U1 or U2 storage bank, but it’s an incredibly handy to instantly change to a specific custom baseline for shooting different types of scenes.

Other things you could use it for are: saving settings for panning, bracketing for HDR shots, low light photography, portrait settings, landscape settings, etc. Use them for the types of things you do most often, or need to access quickly.

I have U1 configured to be ideal for outdoor portraits, so no matter what I’m doing I can instantly switch over to those settings to get the shot I want.

Preset Program Modes

Think of these as custom Auto settings, each one suited for a different type of photography (look for the mountain, flower, person or sports figure on your mode dial). If you are perfectly happy shooting in Auto mode, but get frustrated when it doesn’t always give you the results you want, you might want to try using one of these instead.

Each option includes a specific set of parameters, kind of like the U1/U2 storage banks, that is ideal for taking pictures in certain types of settings. If you like going outdoors and taking shots of landscapes, twist the dial away from Auto, and over to the mountain icon, which will force your camera to use smaller apertures and lower ISO values that are suited for this type of photography. If you are watching your kids play football or run around at the park, use the icon with a person running, which will make your camera use faster shutter speeds and higher ISO values, if necessary, to freeze the action.

Each one of these icons is calculated and calibrated by your camera’s manufacturer to deliver good results in various types of situations, and they often deliver better images than just shooting in Auto mode.

Using the icons on your camera can help you get the specific type of picture you want; the Portrait mode worked here because it forced the camera to choose a wider aperture, resulting in a blurry background behind the subjects.

Other Common Modes

There are plenty of other modes you might find on any given camera, and each manufacturer includes a slightly different set of options, so it’s difficult to make a list that includes an explanation of all available functions. Here are just a few more that you might find, along with brief explanations. If your camera has something that’s not on this list, it may well be worth your time to open up your user manual and investigate. You may find some very useful modes for helping you take better pictures that were hidden in plain sight all along!

A-Dep: A fully automatic mode that lets you pick two points (in the foreground and background) that you want to be in focus, and your camera selects the aperture needed to get everything between those two points in sharp focus. The abbreviation stands for Automatic Depth of Field and it’s fun to play with, but doesn’t always work out so well in practice.

Box with Lightning Symbol Crossed Out: Another automatic mode that also disables the flash. It’s good if you want to shoot in low-light situations and only use available light, but your pictures may come out grainy or blurry.

Flower (macro): This is useful for shooting subjects at close range, such as flowers, or other small objects. It doesn’t affect the properties of your lens, which are far more important when shooting close-up subjects, but merely tells your camera to set the focus priority on things that are closer instead of farther away.

SCN/SCENE: Similar to the icons you may find on a mode dial, this lets you choose from several built-in scene examples, in order to help your camera figure out the appropriate shooting parameters to use.

Though I shot this in the day, the nighttime scene mode worked well because it forces the camera to use a slow shutter speed, which resulted in a nice blurry fountain.

Do you like using the mode dial on your camera, or do you prefer to leave it in just one position for all your shooting needs? Do you have any other tips or tricks you have learned from using the various functions on your mode dial? Did I leave out any critical information you think might be useful to someone learning to use the mode dial? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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The post A Simple Explanation of the Camera Mode Dial by Simon Ringsmuth appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

August 9, 2016
10 Things Nobody Tells Photography Newbies

Every time you read an article or a book, a blog post, or a tutorial, there is always something new to learn about photography. Technology is always moving forward, software being improved, new features and functionality released. Someone has a new technique or tip to share. So many things to learn, yet it is one of the joys of photography as well. Your boundaries are in many ways limitless, it is an artform you can take and develop and make it your own.

Still there were many things on my journey that had to be learned the hard way, as is often the case. There are some fundamental things it took a while to understand, mostly because no one shared these nuggets of information. Maybe they just thought it was so obvious, that everyone would figure it out?

Hopefully these tips from my experiences will help you in your photography journey.

1. Photography is hard to learn

Your camera is a marvel of modern technology and science, with lots of buttons and dials, and all sorts of fancy features. To have control over how it creates your images, you need to learn how to use it with some level of skill. Then there is the art side of the equation; composition, framing, mood, telling a story. So, many new concepts and ideas to learn, both technical and creative.

Dropping $ 3500 on a fancy new DLSR and lens doesn’t make you a capable photographer, any more than buying a set of chef knives makes you a Michelin starred chef. Your camera is a tool, which needs thousands of hours of time invested into learning how to use it. If you aren’t prepared to read books, watch videos, and go out again and again to shoot, then your rate of improvement will be minimal.

2. Photography is an expensive exercise

It starts with the really expensive bits, the camera body and the lens. Before long you will want more lenses. A camera bag is necessary to carry it all. A tripod to hold it still. Filters for long exposure shots. Wireless remotes, flash or other lighting gear, the list goes on. There is always something new and shiny to spend money on.

Don’t forget things like decent footwear and outdoor clothes. Gas and accommodation costs for travelling locally, plus fees to get into parks also need to be accounted for. Travelling overseas is a luxury for many people. Don’t forget insurance too. It all adds up to a lot of money.

3. Camera gear is heavy

Good quality lenses are full of optical quality glass, and as a result they can be quite heavy. By the time you have two or three of them, and a DLSR body and other accessories, your kit can easily weigh 5kg (11 lbs.) or more. The more gear you have, the more you have to carry with you. This is one of the reasons the four thirds (mirrorless) technology is becoming so popular, the cameras (and lenses) are much smaller, and therefore lighter.

4. Having the right gear matters

Long lenses are necessary for wildlife and bird photography. Special gear is needed for astrophotography. For that super close-up shot, a macro lens (or filters) are a must. Studio portrait work means soft-boxes and professional lighting gear. Tripods, filters, wireless remotes etc., it all makes a difference, and having the right gear for the job is important.

5. Gear doesn’t matter at all

Composition, framing, creative or artistic imagery, all elements that you, the photographer, bring to the image. It could be shot with your phone or the latest DSLR on the market, but without the creative input, your image may be missing that critical ingredient. Being in the right place at the right time (e.g. sunrise or sunset) or travelling to exotic locations, climbing a mountain, driving for hours to be in just the right spot, these are all things you have to do to capture the image.

Sunrise

Climb a mountain

6. It takes a long time to get competent

When you first get your camera gear it’s exciting and fun, so you take lots of pictures. Eventually you may get frustrated at how your images look, compared to those seen online, and one of two things will happen. The most likely outcome is that you give up because it’s too hard. The alternative option is you work even harder at learning your craft, you read more books, maybe join a club, or attend some workshops.

Someone clever (quote attributed to Malcolm Gladwell) worked out that it takes 10,000 hours of effort to master a new skill. Ten thousand hours! That’s over a whole year! You have to fit that in around work, sleep, and time with friends or family. That means it could take you years to get good at this.

7. Social Media is not your friend

When you first start sharing your images, your friends and family will like them. That’s because they like you and want good things for you. Getting likes is an instant form of gratification that can be addictive.

The problem with social media is that most of the people viewing your images are not photographers. They cannot give you useful technical advice or critique on your images, the kind to help you improve. If all you want is to get the most likes, then that will have an impact on how you learn and grow as a photographer.

There are groups and forums online, full of photographers who are often willing to give feedback. But accepting criticism is not something most people are comfortable with, and it can be really challenging. Some people are nicer about it than others too, so you might have to spend some time finding a place that you feel comfortable.

8. If you want a sunrise, you have to get up before the sun does

Yeah it’s easy to read it and nod your head, and go, “Sure, I can do that”. It’s a different story at 4am when your bed is nice and warm, but outside it’s cold and dark. Plus you might have already gotten up 10 times in the last couple of months to go shoot, and none of those mornings paid off.

Want to travel to exotic destinations? You have to save up to be able to afford it, take time off work, maybe travel with non-photographers and have to make some compromises when you travel. That incredible shot in a remote location means you have to hike in, carrying your camera gear, a tent, food, and everything else as well.

Exotic destinations

Photography requires a lot of commitment to your craft, learning it, and then going to the places you need, to capture the images you want.

9. Post-processing is just another tool

Little is more divisive in the photography world than the question of post-processing. If you shoot in RAW then it’s necessary to edit the files with some form of software. There are many options available – Photoshop, Lightroom, OnOne, DXO, and the list goes on. Some people prefer the “get it right in camera” and shoot JPG approach instead.

If you do choose to shoot RAW and want to edit your images, that means learning to use the software. Like everything in photography, it isn’t quick or easy to figure out, but once you do learn it, the value it brings to working on your images is valuable. It’s not necessary to spend hours on every image either, with some handy presets or actions, it might only take a couple of minutes for most of them.

10. Are you a follower of fashion?

There are noticeable trends and styles in photography, which are in fashion at any given point in time. Astrophotography, long exposure, HDR, silky waterfalls, light painting, and other special effects are all styles seen a lot at the moment. By all means learn from them, there will be valuable skills to obtain, but be careful to keep within aesthetically pleasing limits.

Long exposure

It can be easy to do the same as everyone else, which limits your ability to learn and express yourself. Do you want to travel to an amazing location and stand at the usual viewpoint and capture the same image already taken by thousands of other photographers? If you have time, and there are options for other viewpoints, and it’s safe for you to explore them, consider doing so.

Don’t be afraid to try something different, and whatever you do, make sure it gives you images that you are happy to have in your portfolio.

Summary

Some of this will seem perfectly obvious, and some of it you may well disagree with. There may be some uncomfortable ideas in here, or some other things you would have included instead – feel free to share your thoughts in the comment below, as others may well agree with you.

The one thing you can be sure of is that learning anything new is hard work, and the longer you do it, the more there is to learn. There is one more secret to share with you though. If you do the work and keep learning and pushing yourself, it does get better. Once you master the basics and understand your tools, you have a whole new opportunity to have fun and try creative things, experiment with the really cool concepts.

One last final tip – Everybody starts at exactly the same place – at the beginning.

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The post 10 Things Nobody Tells Photography Newbies by Stacey Hill appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

August 8, 2016
How to Buy Camera Gear Wisely and Save Money

Many photographers have experienced lens-lust or gear envy, and know the thrill of playing with a new piece of camera gear. But gear can be expensive, and choosing the wrong equipment can be a costly mistake. So how do you know you are purchasing the correct gear, and ensuring that it won’t end up in a cupboard collecting dust?

Here are five tips to help you choose and buy camera gear wisely, and maybe save a little bit of money at the same time.

1. What do you really need?

If you often photograph in tight spaces, or want to explore landscape or architecture photography, a wide angle lens is perfect.

I always advocate working with your current gear until you start to feel its limitations. This way you will have a clearer idea of what specifications or items will help you grow further as a photographer.

If you feel that you’ve reached these limits, but are still confused about which piece of equipment you should buy as your first priority, try taking a few notes during your next shoot. Where do you get stuck? What frustrates you? What would make your photography life easier? What will you be photographing? And what is your next goal? Asking yourself these questions will help refine exactly what you need from your next purchase.

For example, do you wish that your lens would shoot wider, or zoom in closer? Perhaps you really want to try macro photography, or need a tripod to try slow shutter speed waterscapes?

A zoom lens can be really useful, allowing you to use it across numerous photography genres from portraiture, events, and even landscapes.

If you shoot a lot of landscapes or architecture, a wide angle lens will be more useful than a telephoto lens. Alternatively, if you photograph families, children, or events, a zoom lens may make it easier to respond quicker to impromptu moments, rather than a prime fixed-focal length lens.

Also, will you fully understand and use all the wonderful aspects of the new equipment? Will it be beneficial to your photography, or will it be so complex that it will frustrate you?

For example, should you spend a lot of money on a professional level lens that shoots at f/2.8 if you do not know anything about depth of field? Do you like the effect of f/2.8? Will you use it regularly? Or would a less expensive lens that goes to f/5.6 do everything you need it to?

A macro lens won’t help with room interior photographs, but is perfect for capturing close up shots of flowers and insects.

Similarly, if you’ve only been shooting on auto-modes, purchasing a camera that has mostly manual options may not be the best choice. Instead, consider a mid-range camera that offers both auto and manual modes, so you can try more advanced techniques, as well as take it out just for fun.

Make a decision about what you really need from your gear, and remember – it’s okay to stick with the equipment you currently own until you are 100% sure of your choice.

2. Know your budget

Unfortunately we do not all have limitless bank accounts, and will have to make decision on how much we can spend. It is a balancing act between deciding on your budget, and researching the actual cost of items. You could choose to spend a bit more now on one item that will fulfil your needs for the long term, or spend less on an entry-level option to build up your experience.

It is important to stick within your budget. If you can’t stretch to afford your ideal gear, consider other options such as buying second-hand, less expensive options, renting, or waiting for the next sale.

Sometimes however what you really want is simply too expensive, so you can choose to wait for the next big sale or look at alternatives, and that’s perfectly okay too. Another option would be to buy the absolute necessities now, while saving for the next items. If you discover you need it sooner, and have not saved enough yet, you can choose to rent gear as needed.

Many stores now also offer payment plans that allow you to take the gear home and pay it off in weekly instalments. This can certainly help with cash flow, but always read the small print, and check the interest rate to see if it will suit your situation.

3. Do your research

The images above were shot with two different 50mm lenses, using their largest apertures. Do you think you would notice the difference in your own shots? Is it worth the price difference? Flickr can also be a great way to see examples of images taken using specific equipment.

There are so many opinions and reviews posted online that it is easier than ever to do your research. Read personal opinions, website reviews, as well as manufacturers’ specifications, to give you a well rounded opinion and compare them to what you are looking at purchasing. YouTube is a great resource for tutorials, reviews, and box openings. Flickr is also be a good place to find images that have been tagged as being shot with a specific lens or camera – it is a great way to see real-life results.

Your local camera store should not be overlooked either. Go in for a browse, play with the items, listen to advice, and go back a few times if you’re unsure and want to become more familiar with the item before buying it. You want to ensure you are comfortable with the gear you are purchasing, and that it does exactly what you want it to.

Here are two different Canon 50mm lenses – one with a maximum aperture of f/1.2 on the left, and the other f/1.8 on the right. Both offer a shallow depth of field, but the prices are vastly different.

Editor’s note: Canon has three 50mm lenses: The f/1.8 version at $ 125 (shown above right), the f/1.4 version at about $ 349 (not pictured), and the f/1.2 monster (above left) which will run you a whopping $ 1349.

If you’re trying out new lenses or a flash, take your camera into the store with a fresh battery and memory card, attach the lens/flash and take a few photos. Test it out in store, see how it works, then go home and review the images. If you’re looking at a new camera body, take your favourite lens and a memory card and do the same. All gear has an adjustment period for becoming familiar with settings and button locations, so this will give you a head start, and an idea of the weight and shape of the item, something you can’t experience by online shopping.

Helpful and knowledgeable salespeople are also invaluable. Many camera store staff on a commission-based pay structure can often be motivated to make a higher-priced sale, so may push you toward the more expensive option. There are those, however, who will provide good advice and non-pushy service, with the hope you will come back to them when you’re ready to buy. If the price is right, it is always good to support your friendly local camera store, as they can be an invaluable resource, especially if something goes wrong.

4. Consider renting

Many camera stores and online services offer the opportunity to rent higher priced and specialist equipment. This can be a great way to try before you buy, or to hire gear for one-off assignments.

Did you know you can rent equipment such as lenses and camera bodies, as well as studio flash kits? Many professional photography stores offer this service, and there are several online camera rental services as well.

This option is great for when you are considering professional level gear, or something for a special technical application. You have the opportunity to rent the gear for a day, weekend, or a week, which is a great way to try before you buy.

It is not only a good option for researching a new purchase, but you can hire specialist equipment needed for one-off jobs (like a macro or tilt-shift lens for example), without the cost of purchasing it outright, and with the added advantage of claiming the hire expense as a business expense. A security bond is usually charged, so be sure to read the fine print for the rental terms and conditions.

5. Look for the less expensive option

The price difference between a close-up filter set and a dedicated macro lens is over $ 1,000. Each has its own effects, but both are capable of producing quality, and interesting photographs.

If you cannot afford your preferred brand or wish-list item, try searching for a less expensive option. This could mean waiting for a camera sale, purchasing second-hand, a lesser-known brand, or even an alternative method to achieve the same result. These options can be a great way to expand the gear in your camera bag and try new techniques, without spending quite as much money.

For example, we all agree that an f/1.2 lens is drool-worthy, but would the f/1.4 version do almost as good a job? Or instead of purchasing a special macro lens, would close-up filters work instead? Generic, or lesser known brands, are another less expensive option, although they may not have the same quality or life expectancy as the branded versions.

Purchasing second hand equipment may be risky, but with some research, and by asking the right questions, you can often find a bargain. Always consider how much wear and tear the item has had, who has owned it before, and how much life is still left in it. A wedding photographer, for example, will often upgrade their gear and sell off their old cameras. While it might look like a great deal, it’s worth keeping in mind that their gear may have been subject to a lot of wear and tear.

The same subject, photographed using two different systems – a close-up filter, and a macro lens. Both images were photographed at f/2.8. Filters often create softer images, but are an inexpensive way to enter the world of macro photography.

Scratches and marks can be forgiven, provided they do not affect proper function, while some items have a limited lifetime. When considering a second-hand camera, ask about its shutter actuation, or shutter count, and then compare it to the camera’s life expectancy. This will give you an idea of how many more photos the camera can capture, before the shutter may fail. If photography is your hobby it may take you years to reach this limit, whereas if you’re shooting weddings every week you will reach this number sooner. Shutters are replaceable but it can be expensive, and often camera replacement is more cost effective.

Many of these alternative options are available to purchase in your local camera store, or online. In regards purchasing of second hand equipment, it is worth being cautious: ask lots of questions, request photographs, ask about any return policy, and if you do go ahead, purchasing insurance on postage.

Summary

Hopefully these tips will assist you in choosing your next purchase wisely, one that suits your needs perfectly, and may even help you save a little bit of money too – who knows, maybe just enough to afford that other item you want?

The most important thing, however, is that you use your new gear and enjoy your continuing journey in photography.

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The post How to Buy Camera Gear Wisely and Save Money by Erinna Ford appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

August 7, 2016
Solving the Biggest Newbie Confusions with Lightroom by Phil Steele
Photography educator Phil Steele has taught Lightroom to tens of thousands of people. In this video tutorial he helps clear up the biggest confusion around using Lightroom that most beginners have – understanding how Lightroom and the catalogue work.

Watch this video to get a better understanding of how Lightroom works behind the scenes. If you’ve been using it for a while you can either confirm that you’ve got it right, or clear up some things that you may still not be 100% clear on.

Learn about several common sources of confusion when using Lightroom including:
- The Lightroom database or catalog, what it is and how the “mind” of Lightroom works
- Where Lightroom stores your images
- How to get the edited versions out of Lightroom
If you enjoyed that video, and want to learn even more about Lightroom you can check out Phil’s course: Lightroom Made Easy.

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The post Solving the Biggest Newbie Confusions with Lightroom by Phil Steele by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
August 7, 2016
Tips and Tricks to Help You Take Better Youth Sports Photos

A favorite photography subject of any parent is their child’s sporting activities. But, sports photography can be challenging for the beginning photographer. It requires a robust understanding of camera settings and how they relate to one another. It can also be hugely rewarding to capture exhilarating moments that will be cherished for years to come.

Here are a few tips and Tricks I’ve learned for getting awesome sports photos.

1 – Know the Sport

Every sport has the picture perfect moment. You know the one – the horse with its leg tucked just so, or the peak of the handstand. The moments captured on trading cards, or those that appear on the front covers of sporting magazines are good examples.

Chances are that because you’ve sat on the same bleachers week after week, that you know your child’s sport inside-out. A good sports photographer can anticipate the play, and is ready to capture the shot. For sports that are routine based – gymnastics, figure skating, equestrian, and the like – be sure to watch the practice so you’ll know when and where the picture perfect moments will occur, and where you need to position yourself to capture them.

Capturing the passion of the athlete. The flare from the flash in the background was a happy accident. Exposure info: 85mm, f/6.3, 1/160th, ISO 500.

2 – Be Courteous

Before the game, have a chat with your child’s coach and make sure it’s okay for you to photograph the game – some sporting organizations have special rules for photographers which you’ll need to be aware of beforehand. During the game, be courteous to the other parents who are watching their own children. Please don’t be “that guy”, taking up half the bleachers with mountains of gear, or the one standing at the front, blocking the view of others.

3 – Choose your Lens

Generally speaking, longer lenses are better for sports photography, as the action is occurring some distance from you (and it’s uncool for a parent photographer to be on the field during play). A lens around 200mm is a good place to start. If you’ve just won the lotto, I’m well informed that professional 400mm and 600mm lenses are awesome (they can also be rented if you really want to try them out, and don’t have a winning lotto ticket in your back pocket).

Exposure info on above images: 200mm lens, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/320th of a second.

4 – Get the Camera off Auto

Yes, I know your camera has a sports/action mode. It might even have a cute little picture of someone running. But shooting sports in manual mode (or at least shutter priority) is a perfect way for you to learn how the exposure triangle works. It will also be a lesson in compromise because I can pretty much guarantee that unless you’re shooting in bright sunlight, something will have to give. Do you accept high ISO noise but stop the action, or do you accept some motion blur for less noise?

Shooting the pause moments. Note the ridiculously high ISO needed for this dimly lit indoor venue. Exposure info: 105mm, f/4, 1/160th, ISO 10,000.

Shutter Speed – Sports shooting is one occasion where the age old adage of “minimum shutter speed = 1/focal length” doesn’t work. In reality, you’ll need to go much faster if you want blur-free images. To stop action at walking speed, try at least 1/250th of a second. For running, you’ll need 1/500th or faster. If these shutter speeds aren’t possible (most likely due to low light), try to anticipate and shoot the posed moments – those times when the athlete pauses for a microsecond (image above). It might be landing a trick, a look before throwing the ball, the moment before throwing a punch.

Exposure info on above images: 200mm lens, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/320th of a second.

Aperture – Shoot with the largest aperture your lens allows. Professional lenses will generally open up to f/2.8. This will have two benefits – you’ll minimize depth of field (throwing the background out of focus and drawing more attention to your subject), plus you’ll be letting more light in (thus allowing a faster shutter speed).

Exposure info on above images: 200mm lens, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/320th of a second.

ISO – You’ll often have to shoot at a high ISO to get enough light, especially if you’re shooting indoors. Trial and error will tell you how high your camera can go while still achieving an acceptable image. If you end up having to shoot at ISO 6400 and end up with a noisy image, just turn it black and white and tell people (in your best British accent), “It’s art, dah’ling!”

Focus mode – Check that your focusing mode is set to Continuous or Servo mode. This will ensure that the camera is constantly recalculating focus as you track a moving subject in your viewfinder. Every camera will handle this slightly differently, so it’s worth thumbing through your camera manual to understand how your particular model works.

5 – Get Down Low

Many beginner photographers make the mistake of shooting from a standing position. For youth sports, this means that they are generally shooting down on the athlete – not a very flattering angle. Instead, try kneeling on the ground for a better perspective.

These two images, taken from different camera angles, really show how shooting from a lower angle can make all the difference. Notice you can see more of her face in the image on the right, taken from a lower camera position.

Exposure info on above images: 200mm lens, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/320th of a second.

6 – Practice

As with all genres of photography, practice makes perfect. Try different angles or shooting from different positions around the field to see what works best. I guarantee you’ll see improvement as you keep shooting.

7 – Beware the Light Cycle

If your sport is being played in a large indoor venue (or outdoors at night), more than likely it will be lit by cyclic lights (mercury vapor, sodium vapor, fluorescent, etc). These cheap and efficient lights are a sports photographer’s worst nightmare. Unlike natural sources, these lights emit certain frequencies, and completely miss others, resulting in a unique color temperature that is difficult, if not impossible, to properly white balance in camera.

In addition – and completely undetectable to the naked eye – these lights have distinctive cyclic patterns, varying in both light intensity, and color temperature, multiple times per second. Shooting under them can be very much a hit-and-miss affair. Sometimes you’ll catch the light in a blue phase of the cycle; a millisecond later you’ll get magenta. You might get slightly darker, or brighter. Sometimes neighboring lights will be on different cycles, so part of your photograph will be dark and part will be light, each with a different color temperature. (Don’t believe me? Try this test: under a fluorescent light, set your camera to manual with a fast shutter speed like 1/250th, take a series of identical images in rapid succession, then compare the frames. The faster the shutter speed you pick, the more the effect will be visible.)

This image was shot under sodium vapor lights and shows the intense yellow frequencies emitted by this type of light, even with the camera color balanced for the white uniforms. Exposure info: 150mm, f/3.2, 1/320, ISO 5000.

Commercial architecture photographers combat this problem by lowering the shutter speed to allow more than one full cycle of light to be read by the sensor. However as we’ve already discussed, slow speed doesn’t usually work for action sports photography. Worse, many sports in these type of venues (equestrian, figure skating, gymnastics) don’t allow flash for player safety reasons, so you’re stuck using available light.

There is nothing you can really do about cyclic lights, other than to simply take more photos, and pray that you hit the cycle right. For odd colors, you could play with the individual channels in Photoshop, or convert the entire thing to black and white (this will be the only time you’ll ever hear me say “fix it in post-production”). Regardless, it is something that you should be aware of so you don’t make yourself crazy trying to figure out why you got the results you did.

8 – Have Fun

Exposure info on above images: 200mm lens, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/320th of a second.

Youth sports are all about participating and having fun. Photographing them is no different. If your cherub is playing in the sand or picking her nose instead of chasing the ball, capture it! These are the memories you’ll treasure one day (or so they tell me). And remember that it’s okay to put the camera down sometimes and just enjoy the game too.

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The post Tips and Tricks to Help You Take Better Youth Sports Photos by Rebecca Olsen appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

August 7, 2016
Weekly Photography Challenge – Roads

Paths and roadways make great photographic subjects. This is your chance to go find some and photograph them.

By Moyan Brenn

Weekly Photography Challenge – Roads

What draws you to a road to photograph it? Look deeper than just the road. Check out the scenery around the road, where does it lead, what’s in the distance? How can you photograph the road to make it interesting?

How about a low camera angle? Or a motorbike or car on the road? This week it’s your challenge to photograph roads.

By HD_Vision

By CONCAVO WHEELS

By Murat Livaneli

Share your images below:

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

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

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

By Geoffrey Froment

By Billy Woodford

By Taylor Robinson

By Kevin Dooley

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The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Roads by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

August 6, 2016
21 Enjoyable Images of Long and Winding Roads

Using lines and in particular, leading lines, in photography is a popular method of composition to create more interesting and dynamic images.

Roads, pathways, and trails can give you a great opportunity to photograph such leading lines. Let’s look at these images of long and winding roads and see where they lead us:

By Thomas Hawk

By Carl Jones

By Ozzy Delaney

By joshuadelaughter

By Anthony Wright

By C.C. Chapman

By Dom Crossley

By Kylie_Jaxxon

By Terry Chapman

By Ed Suominen

By paul bica

By Del Brown

By cushmok

By Diana Robinson

By Geee Kay

By Jon Noel

By nrg_crisis

By David Menidrey

By Todd Martin

By UnShuttered Soul~ Good to be busy!

By Andrés Nieto Porras

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The post 21 Enjoyable Images of Long and Winding Roads by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

August 5, 2016