Winter weddings bring a lot of photography challenges because of weather, chilly winds and dark skies even in the day time. But still, many couples decide to have a winter wedding to enjoy the special discount on venues, catering and inexpensive honeymoon. The first thing that comes to our mind with winter weddings is bad weather– snowfall, temperatures below zero Continue Reading
The post Winter Wedding Photography Tips: All You Need to Know appeared first on Photodoto.
If you are looking to take long exposure shots like this 10 second night image of downtown Marietta, Ohio, you’ll need a quality tripod to give your camera a stable base.
One of the most important pieces of equipment for a photographer to have access to is a sturdy tripod. You might be tempted to purchase just any tripod without regard to whether or not it is up to the job you are asking it to do, but a strong and stable tripod can be the difference between a great image and a blurry one.
Warning: a high-quality tripod is not cheap! If you want a really functionable tripod, be prepared to invest more than a few dollars. However, in this article we are going to look at some ways you can test the tripod you are currently using to see just how effective it is. To begin, let’s examine a couple of tips that can make any tripod a little more stable.
Many photographers can be observed with their cameras mounted to tripods extended beyond their intended specifications. You may have heard that your tripod should be strong enough to hold a bowling ball. While this sounds funny, it’s a good idea to have a tripod that is rated for more weight than the combined weight of your camera and largest lens. For example, a tripod having no movement with a mounted camera and a 28mm lens may allow unacceptable movement with the same camera and a 300mm or larger lens.
Regardless, even the best tripod will have some movement. Approximately 80% of the movement will most likely come from the head and the Quick Release mount, and very little actually from the tripod legs. There are many potential sources of vibrations, so let’s look at a series of tests that can help you determine if your tripod is up for the job you are giving it to do.
Make a test pattern similar to the one below, or download the one I used here.
Create a test pattern similar to this one.
Mount your print on a stable object with no movement. It’s important that the print has no movement at all. Mount your camera and heaviest lens combo on your tripod. Set up your tripod close enough to the target so that it fills the frame.
This setup has some problems. Can you spot them? Refer to the tips above.
First, take a series of shots with a variety of different exposure speeds ranging for 1/100th of a second down to 1/2 a second. Use a remote or cable release to start the exposures. It’s also a good idea to use your mirror lockup feature to remove any camera vibration from the process.
After completing this series of exposures, open the images in your choice of image software and check your target for any doubled or blurry lines which would indicate that your camera was moving during the exposures. If the faster shutter speeds are sharper than the slower ones, your tripod is not stable enough to use for shooting at slower shutter speeds.
If your images show that you are getting movement during your exposures, the next step is to determine what part of you tripod is causing the problem.
Shrink your tripod to its smallest height and repeat the test. If the results are not better, then your problem may be caused by your tripod head.
Your problem could also be caused by your tripod’s leg locks, so test again with legs extended to different lengths, extending one, two or three sections and taking the same series of test shots.
Repeat the process indoors, outdoors, and in windy conditions or with other camera and lens combinations.
Many digital cameras have a setting for taking multiple exposures. If yours does, set your camera to take two or three exposures. Again using the test pattern, shoot a series of different shutter speeds ranging from 1/100th down to 1/2 a second.
If your camera doesn’t have the multiple exposure feature, you can still use this method by simply taking two or three different images, then layering them over top of each other in Photoshop, and adjust the blending method of each layer so that all layers are visible. If your tripod is doing its job, all three images will be right on top of each other.
Both of these image were created with a three shot multiple exposure with a 1/2 second exposure on each. The sharp image on the left indicates that this tripod is up to the task. The image on the right was created with another tripod. If your preview looks like this, your tripod is not doing its job.
Use the same test pattern as in the ones above. Focus your camera on the center of the target. Turn on Live View and zoom the preview to show the center of the target as large as possible.
Remove your hands from the camera and tripod and see if the target remains still in your preview. If the target in your preview continues to move, your tripod is not providing a sturdy enough base for your camera to produce sharp images at a slow shutter speed.
Also in this method, try just touching and moving your camera strap. You may be surprised to see the preview move from just the slightest touch.
If your tripod did not pass these tests, it is probably time to start looking for a better one. Be sure to check that the tripod is rated to support the weight of your camera and your largest/heaviest lens. If the tests show that your problem is in your tripod head, the solution might be as simple as replacing the head. If you have any other tips to enhance your tripod’s stability, please post in the comments below.
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
tablet_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_tab-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78623” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
mobile_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_mob-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78158” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
The post Is Your Tripod Sturdy Enough? Let’s Test it by Bruce Wunderlich appeared first on Digital Photography School.
The invaluable photography assistant
Normally assistants play a key role on commercial shoots. They are integral to the team effort that is required to ensure a photo shoot goes as planned. They do a lot of the donkey work; moving lighting gear from one position to another; lugging camera gear around in general, and much more. The work of an assistant is unglamorous, tedious, and the hours are long.
Assistants salaries will vary according to their level of skill, experience and employer, and they generally work freelance.
When you are starting out in your photography career/hobby, a lot of time you are working solo trying build a nice portfolio, be it portraits, stock, etc. You don’t need to hire an assistant but an extra pair of hands is always welcome.
I’ll paint a scenario. You have enlisted a family member or friend to volunteer for some portrait shots outdoors. You’ve also got another friend to help out as you need that extra pair of hands to hold a reflector. This is great way to keep costs down.
However, such is life, your friend can’t make it on the day planned for the shoot. He/she has been struck down with a tummy bug! Blast, now what do you do? I’ve yet to work out how to hold a reflector and press the shutter button at the same time.
Here are some of your options:
The first option is probably the safest. The other two require potentially losing a friend and trusting a blank stranger is risky.
Let me introduce you to the 5-step aluminium ladder. This is by no means a replacement for an actual pair of hands. But I have found it quite useful, and anything that helps is better than nothing at all.
This 5-step aluminium ladder is very versatile and extremely lightweight.
The top rung of this ladder is quite narrow, so there is only room for a small child.
Velcro self-adhesive strips on the reflector and on one of the ladder legs.
The reflector is attached to the ladder on left of the subject. |
The reflector is attached to the ladder using three self-adhesive velcro strips. |
The design of this ladder is very stable considering how light weight it is.
I really love this Joby tripod where you pop on your flash and wrap it around the top part of the ladder. It is then easy to move the head of the flash in the direction you want.
Flash attached to the ladder using a Joby tripod.
This type of ladder can be found in most people’s garages. Even if you don’t use it for your photography, it is still a very useful item to have. At this time of year, if you buy fir trees to decorate with baubles, tinsel and fairy lights, a step ladder is handy to put that star or whatever on top. In a few weeks time, you’ll need that step-up to take it down.
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
tablet_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_tab-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78623” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
mobile_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_mob-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78158” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
The post How a Step Ladder is Useful for your Photography by Sarah Hipwell appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Our very own dPS writer Gina Milicia was recently interviewed and asked about her thoughts on how to break into the photography business.
She talks openly about how she got her break in the business and some of her struggles. I can totally relate to what she says about just wanting to do the thing you enjoy, no matter if you you get rich or make a living from it or not. Watch the video and see if you can relate to what she says too:
“Just keep showing up every day and do something.” – Gina Milicia
In this second video you can see the resulting images from some of the behind the scenes clips in the one above.
Do you have any additional tips for someone just starting in the photography business? Please tell us in the comments below.
Gina is the author of four dPS eBooks including:
You can buy one for $ 19.99 or grab the whole bundle for only $ 49.99 (save 38%) from any of the links above.
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
tablet_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_tab-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78623” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
mobile_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_mob-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78158” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
The post How to Break Into the Photography Business with dPS Writer Gina Milicia by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.
I laughed at Lightroom Mobile the first time I saw it. “Why would I ever want to use that stripped down gadget on a small screen?” And now, here I am about help you install and use it. Why is this?
It’s because I have found how totally useful the app is in sorting through hundreds or thousands of images from the world of “any time, any where”. Most notably, in a comfy chair with good light or on a weekly airplane flight. iPads also became lighter and iPhone screens larger.
Let’s start with how to set up Lightroom Mobile on your iPad or iPhone and then give some examples of how I find it useful in managing a huge library. I will be using a Collection of mine that is a work in progress to craft black and white images of the Himalayas.
The first step is to make sure you have the right version of Lightroom on your PC or Mac. You need to have version 5.4 or later, you can download the latest version from Adobe here. You also need an Adobe ID (free) for this to all work as it is the hub in the cloud that makes this all spin. If you don’t have one, sign up here.
With Lightroom open, you will notice in the upper left corner the phrase “Get started with Lightroom mobile”
Click the triangle next to the words and log in with your Adobe ID
You will then see that the top left of the screen has changed to the name you gave to Adobe upon creating your Adobe ID.
Great! Now let’s set up Collections to synchronize
Lightroom Mobile will currently only work with Collections. If you need help setting up a Collection, the free Adobe video here will help. To enable a Collection for syncronization, simply right click on the Collection and choose “Sync with Lightroom mobile”. Pretty easy!
After clicking, you will notice a double arrow appears to the left of the Collection. This indicates the Collection will be syncing when sync is turned on.
Now, up in the top left, Lightroom will let you know it is starting the sync of those images.
As a first pass, we are done! Simply repeat this process for Collections you have already created. Additionally, when creating a new Collection, there is a box that can be checked to automatically sync the new Collection. It looks like this:
This is the easy part. First, ensure your iPad/iPhone is connected to the Internet. Go to the App Store and search for Lightroom Mobile.
Install (it’s free) and then start the app.
You will be presented with an Adobe ID screen after paging through the first time introduction.
After signing in you will be taken to a page showing all the Collections you have set up to sync on the desktop version of Lightroom.
Tap the main image and you will be taken to the Collection itself. The first time you run through Lightroom Mobile it will give you helpful contextual hints.
Tap on any picture to edit it.
While there are a lot of features in Lightroom Mobile that make it useful for photographers, this post is going to concentrate on the basics to get you started.
Now that you have a Collection synced to your iPad/iPhone (note: it might take a while to fully sync a larger Collection), you can start filtering. For me, filtering is the best use of this app, currently. I enjoy being able to filter my images from the comfort of my living room or while traveling. I also do some basic edits to images but I usually leave the major edits to my desktop. To filter images, I use both the flags and stars features. You can switch between changing those features by tapping the icons in the bottom left corner.
When the flag icon is highlighted, as it is here, simply move your finger up or down on the screen to pick, unpick or reject images. These settings will then sync over to your desktop within seconds as long as Lightroom is open on the desktop.
I use these two features to sort images. Flags are images I especially like and I know I want to work on back at my desktop. I then use two stars to indicate the image should be used for my stock photography work (the scale then goes up to three stars once edits are done, four stars when title and keywords are done and five stars when completely finished).
There are a lot of editing options available in Lightroom Mobile that can be accessed from tapping the icons at the bottom of the screen on an individual image.
All of these features are best left for a future post.
One last thing; Lightroom Mobile usually needs to ‘see’ your desktop’s version of Lightroom in order to show previews the first time and make edits. Therefor, once I have a Collection fully sync’d, I will then turn on Offline Editing which allows me freedom from wifi to make edits, knowing they will sync the next time I am online.
To do this, click on the three little dots on the bottom of the Collection image:
This brings up a menu with many options.
Choose to Enable Offline Editing and Lightroom Mobile will now bring across Smart Previews of the images to your mobile device.
Lightroom Mobile has a host of other features such as automatically uploading images shot on your iPhone/iPad into Lightroom on your desktop.
What about you? What have you found useful in Adobe Lightroom Mobile?
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
tablet_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_tab-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78623” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
mobile_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_mob-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78158” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
The post Setting up Lightroom Mobile for First Time Users by Peter West Carey appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Earlier we featured 36 images of people engaged in recreational activities, things they do in their spare time.
By josh hunter
This week for your photography challenge I urge you to think about what ELSE you do in your spare time. Do you read, cook, go bowling, ride a motorcycle, play sports, draw, or walk your dog? How do you spend your free time? What sorts of recreational activities do you participate in?
Next go photograph some of these things. You could do a self-portrait or other people doing the things you enjoy doing as well. Such as:
By Elena Bobrovitzkaya
By David Yu
By Dan Bergstrom
By Luke Addison
By Andreas Hans J. Bauer
By Jonathan Haeber
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.
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
tablet_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_tab-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78623” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
mobile_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_mob-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78158” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Spare Time by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.
What to wear? It’s an age old question. One that never goes away. And what to wear for a photo shoot even gets harder. Two weeks ago, Santa brought my oldest daughter, Zoe, ten BILLION outfits from across the globe. Knit sweaters, lace sweaters, casual sweaters, fringed sweaters…if there was a sweater being made, she got it, in addition to Continue Reading
The post What to Wear for a Photo Shoot: Clothing for Portraits appeared first on Photodoto.
Some of you may be on vacation this week or have kids on school break. So what do you do in your spare time – besides photography that is? What do you do with friends or your family for fun?
Here are some fun-filled images of people doing various recreational activities. Will it inspire you to take more photos – or try something new? I hope so.
Aces in the Hole by Mark Miller on 500px
Card game in wartime (1914 -18) by de Vries eric on 500px
The Gambler Series: Image 1 by Twisty Focus on 500px
Find the lady by Ivor Sheehan on 500px
CUBA #035 by Marco Marotto on 500px
Chess Game by Konstantin Nabatnikov on 500px
Chess by Anthony Hart on 500px
Stay Pawsitive by Antoine BRUNEAU on 500px
Easy to walk the dogs? by WALL-AN on 500px
The big stick by HerzMoment Fotografie on 500px
Walk by Jin Cho on 500px
Jaws, Maui. by Anton Repponen on 500px
Irish Gold by Roger Sharp on 500px
Air Creek by Jeff Dotson on 500px
True grits by Geoff Holman on 500px
"Blue" by Jure Makovec on 500px
The natural power of reading by Lara Zanarini on 500px
Novice Monk Reading by Erik Pronske on 500px
Do Not Disturb! by Kunal Khurana on 500px
Dance Class by M.A. Cabrera Luengo on 500px
The Dance by Richard Upshur on 500px
Flamenco Dancers Photo by Ben Welsh by Ben Welsh on 500px
Tango by Stefan S. on 500px
Chef by Paul Indigo on 500px
yiayia Katina is cooking by katrin zdragka on 500px
Sunday Morning by Klas Wong on 500px
Around the Winter Campfire by David Bair on 500px
with friends by Ben Canales on 500px
The Journey – One Stroke At a Time by Mark L. Benedyczak on 500px
The red kayak by Paulo Mendonça on 500px
Cave reflection by john spies on 500px
Catch by Jessica Drossin on 500px
Baseball 6 by Doug Day on 500px
Motocross Driver by Teemu Tretjakov on 500px
A golden moment with the Honda by Daniel Kvick on 500px
A Man & His Bike by Josh Whitman on 500px
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
tablet_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_tab-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78623” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
mobile_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_mob-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78158” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
The post 36 Energizing Images of Recreational Activities by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Some of us come to photography because we want to learn how to take better pictures of our children. Some of us come to photography because we want to take better pictures for our business or blog. Many of us come to photography because we love art. For you artists, emotion is an integral part of your photography.
You don’t have to wait until you’re a big time rock star photographer to evoke emotion with your images. Evoking emotion simply means that your photos say something. They may speak about something funny, moving, sad, or thoughtful. They might capture a mood, or put your viewer in a state of contemplation. Photos that evoke emotion simply portray a feeling. So how do you create that in your photos?
This mother feels it is very important that she raise her daughter to be independent and strong. By showing them walking hand in hand standing strong and tall, you get a sense of strength and independence.
A large part of the business of photography is photographing families, and often times multiple generations. That is a perfect opportunity to play with evoking emotion. You can all do the standard sitting in the studio or standing on the beach but what if you take a few frames where you’re actually shooting with a bigger purpose? Think about framing a shot to convey a sense of strength in the women of the family. How can you show that these women are loving and encouraging toward one another? Body language, clothing, or even the setting can help you convey that message.
Think about a mother and her small child. She loves her baby with all of her heart. How can you show that emotion? I often envision a woman in a flowy dress that cascades behind her. She’s holding her young daughter’s hand and leading her into the future. Can you imagine that? Just my description evokes emotion so just imagine what the photo will do.
This young teen is coming into herself as a woman and dealing with the changes in her life. Her gaze shows that she is deep in thought.
Maybe you just want to express yourself for you. I find photography to be a great release. I love to express my emotions through self portraits. Evoking emotions based on your own personal experiences is a fantastic way to really learn this process. I recently decided to photograph myself without makeup, in the process of grooming. I did this because it speaks to those who struggle with imperfection. I often seem very put together, but I am just like every other woman. I took this sense of emotion and turned it into a photograph. You can do the same.
Think about an issue that you are dealing with. It may be a sickness, or death in the family, a social issue, or even just joy in your life. How can you translate that into a photo project for yourself? You can also use your clients’ emotions to photograph them. Imagine that you’ve talked to your client and she has expressed that she’s having a very difficult time dealing with a family issue. You can help her express herself by photographing her in a way that she will be able to relate.
Street photography is a great way to capture emotion. You can make your photos tell whatever story you wish. This couple sitting alone in an alley in Old San Juan can mean anything you wish.
You can evoke emotion through landscapes and objects around you. I started my photography career photographing the harbors, snow, and mountains of Alaska. You can evoke emotion in these types of settings by adjusting the times of day you shoot or even the conditions your shooting in. Fog is a lovely natural occurrence that creates instant mood. If your forecast is calling for fog then make sure you have your camera ready to head outside and grab some of that deliciousness.
If you’re feeling particularly down and gloomy, then wait for that rainy day. Get outside with the raindrops and photograph something. Don’t feel like venturing outside in the weather? No problem. Use your wet window to create a bit of a screen to shoot through. Make it original so that your rainy window shot is different than the rest. Do you have a book, an heirloom, or a favorite object that means something to you? That’s a great way to add uniqueness to your emotional rainy photo. The idea is to use anything to create the feeling you want to portray.
Street photography is wonderful when it comes to evoking emotion. You get to have people in their natural settings doing things that they naturally do. Your job is to frame your photos to convey the feeling you want to achieve. Are you longing for a loved one? Look for a couple that looks so in love and photograph them walking down the sidewalk. Use what you see around you to create the feeling you want to convey in your photographs.
Evoking emotion is subjective to the photographer and the viewer. Your audience might not see what you intend but they will most likely see something. Many times we fall in love with a piece of art or a photograph and have no idea why. This is evoking emotion. This is your goal. Have fun with it and practice, practice, practice.
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
tablet_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_tab-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78623” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
mobile_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_mob-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78158” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
The post How to Evoke Emotion with Your Images by Monica Day appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Have you ever hiked hours into the bush only to discover that you’ve left your tripod clip on your other camera? I confess I’ve done this and much worse. Many a choice swear word has been heard echoing in the valleys by all manner of wildlife. It’s a good thing there are no parrots where I go hiking.
I’ll admit I’m not the tidiest person, but when it comes to my camera bags, I now pack them with a microscopic fastidiousness that you’d expect from the likes of Hannibal Lector.
I’ve learned the hard way that packing everything I need for a particular shooting environment will almost guarantee success – weather permitting of course.
Let me share with you the essential gear that I usually pack into my camera bag. I think you’ll find it contains a few essential accessories you may not have considered before. I actually use three different bags for different occasions. I’ll use my largest bag for short hikes where I expect to be spending a lot of time shooting. I also use that large bag when I’m traveling internationally because I need to have ALL my stuff.
My medium sized Case Logic shown next to the Full sized Lowepro bag. This is just my own approximation of the scale comparison.
If I’m planning on a large hike, I’ll actually use a medium sized bag that I strip down to the bare essentials. There’s no point dragging your entire kit list on a grueling 10 hour hike. In those cases you’ve really got to stop and think about exactly what you’re likely to need. Water is usually the most important. This bag is used for longer hikes and has a stripped down version of the big bag. I use a Case Logic bag which is about half the size of the giant camera bag show above. My medium sized bag weighs next to nothing empty and can fit most of the essentials needed for landscape photography.
When you can get away with only the minimum of gear, this bag will save your back and shoulders. This is my standard night photography bag. To be honest it’s nothing special, not even waterfproof but I never take it out in the rain anyway.
Many years ago I hiked nine kilometres around Uluru (Ayers Rock) in scorching heat with only one little bottle of water. Not the smartest thing to do, but having learned that hard lesson, it’s absolutely vital that you plan according to your environment. Desert photography requires a different kit list to arctic photography. It’s not just about what you pack into your camera bag but also the smaller things that you carry in your pockets. Water, food, gloves, phones and ideally a SAT phone are all things that need to be considered if you plan on staying alive and getting amazing photographs when you’re out in the wilderness.
Whether it’s flash kits, ropes or umbrellas, I’d love to know what other essential accessories you’d bring on a landscape photography shoot.
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
tablet_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_tab-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78623” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
mobile_slots.push( googletag.defineSlot( “/1005424/_dPSv4_mob-all-article-bottom_(300×250)”, [300, 250], “pb-ad-78158” ).addService( googletag.pubads() ) ); } );
The post Essential Accessories for Landscape Photography by Gavin Hardcastle appeared first on Digital Photography School.