Category: Photography

5 Creative Uses for a Fisheye Lens in Photography
The post 5 Creative Uses for a Fisheye Lens in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

The search for that unique angle that sets your photography apart from the rest is a common aspiration for most photographers. In today’s article, you’ll learn creative uses for a fisheye lens that will give your photos the wow factor.

A fisheye lens is a unique lens with niche qualities that set it apart from other kinds of lenses. Read on and discover what you can do with this type of lens.

Kinetic light painting is one of the examples of creative uses for a fisheye lens.

What is a fisheye lens?

A fisheye lens is essentially a super wide-angle lens. However, it has more properties than this. This type of lens will cause distortion in your photo which, when correctly applied to your image, will enhance the photo. One of the key characteristics of this lens is the curved shape of the optic at the front of the lens. This means that you won’t be able to use a regular lens cap for this lens. It’s possible to get a fisheye as a prime lens or a zoom lens.
- Prime lens: The majority of fisheye lenses are prime lenses. They come with a typical aperture of f/2.8 and a focal length of 8mm or 15mm, depending on whether you have a full-frame sensor or a crop sensor camera.
- Zoom lens: Zoom lens fisheyes have a smaller aperture at f/4, but allow you to change the focal length. This can give you even more creative options, as at the widest focal length your photo will be circular with a black frame.
1. Create distortion on the horizon line

One of the obvious creative uses for a fisheye lens is to create distortion on the horizon line. You can use the lens to make the horizon line curve upward or downward.

In order to make the horizon line bend downward, you’ll need to aim the camera down toward the ground. This means a large portion of the photo will feature the ground, so make sure the foreground contains enough interest to do that.

Then, as you may have guessed:

To make the horizon line bend upward, you’ll need to aim the camera up and toward the sky. If you’re aiming at the sky, try to do this when the sky is dramatic as it will fill the frame.

This photo makes use of a textured foreground with the wave. You can see the horizon line is clearly bending.

2. Use a fisheye for an ultra-wide perspective

It’s possible to use your fisheye lens as a regular wide-angle lens, but even wider. This is best achieved by aiming your camera at the horizon line and keeping the angle of your camera flat.

Look to avoid objects on the edge of the frame, as they’ll still distort and aim inwards unless you use post-processing to correct this. Locations with a minimalist feel like coastlines or deserts will work best for this kind of photo.

In this photo the horizon line is kept flat, and the entire pond is captured.

3. Take photos of architecture

The fisheye lens is a real gift for architectural photographers. Its distortion can be used for creative effect to frame the scene you’re photographing. You’ll often be able to incorporate elements that are behind you, because the focal length is that wide. This all means you’ll really be able to emphasis the lines in your composition to create powerful architecture photos.

There are lots of great lines in this photo, with the person adding perspective.

4. Use intentional camera movement

Intentional camera movement means moving the camera during the course of an exposure. The exposure length will need to be long enough for the camera movement to be obvious in your final image. An exposure of 1/15s during the day will work, and even longer exposures can be tried at night when using a tripod. Whether you’re photographing during the day or at night will lead to two distinct types of photography.
- Radial blur: This effect is produced handheld, and involves rotating the camera around an imaginary central point. The result is best when you keep the camera steady as you rotate, and an exposure of around 1/15s is often needed.
- Kinetic light painting: This is the nighttime variant of the radial blur, but taken from a tripod. This type of photo is a form of kinetic light painting, with the camera pivoting on the head of your tripod.
This photo is an example of radial blur (taken handheld).

5. Interesting portrait photos

The fisheye lens can be a great lens for portrait photography, as well. It has some versatility, even though it’s a niche wide-angle lens. If you choose to get close to your model you can distort their appearance for an interesting effect, though make sure your results are okay with the subject!

A popular approach is to make one body part especially large, perhaps the person’s eye or a hand stretched out toward the camera. Another approach is to emphasize the architecture around the model. In this case, they’ll be smaller in the frame, with perhaps a tunnel surrounding them.

Fisheye lenses can work very well for portraits, where they capture more of the scene.

The fisheye effect in a lensball

A cheaper alternative is to buy a lensball or, as many people know it, a crystal ball. The optics of a lensball, with its spherical surface, replicate those of a fisheye lens. The effect is different, but this can be a great introduction to the perspective offered by a fisheye lens with its distortion. If the composition works for a lensball, the composition will also work for a fisheye lens.

A lensball is the nearest you’ll get to the fisheye effect without buying a fisheye lens.

Try out creative uses for a fisheye lens!

There are lots of creative uses for a fisheye lens; have you tried any of the methods mentioned in this article?

If you have any thoughts on fisheye photography, then please leave them in the comments section! As always, we encourage you to get out and practice your photography. So if you have examples of creative fisheye photos, then go ahead and share those in the comments section, too!

The post 5 Creative Uses for a Fisheye Lens in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

Digital Photography School
August 14, 2020
5 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Photography

The post 5 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta.

Photography is an art form that just gets better and better as technology improves and people invest in themselves. Like any other craft out there, the more you commit to working on your skills, the better you will become. There are lots of simple and easy ways for you to improve your photography. Here are a few you can try today to help you become a better artist tomorrow!

You can never miss the opportunity to photography a yellow house.

1. Start a daily practice and set up unique challenges

One of the best things I did for my photography and my mindset when I was just starting out was set up a daily practice.

Oftentimes, we are our biggest critic. We feel that the lighting has to be perfect, the subject has to be perfect, and the situation has to be perfect for us to create art. But that is far from the truth. In order to improve your photography, or anything for that matter, all you have to do is practice. Practice regularly and consistently.

If daily practice is not possible, that’s okay. Don’t let that stop you from creating consistently. Find a schedule that works for you and stick to it. Give yourself challenges like photographing food, photographing pets, macro photography, and more to get out and simply create. This will also help you train your eye to see images before you even take them.

An exercise in capturing my spring-blooming trees ended up an exercise in still life photography.

2. Shoot in Manual mode

When I first started my business, I photographed in Auto mode for the first six to eight months. The whole process of interacting with clients, photographing, editing, delivering images, and marketing a business was intimidating enough; the last thing I needed was to figure out my gear on the fly. So I pushed that button on my camera to Auto and happily clicked along.

But once I gave myself the permission to fail, learn, and try Manual mode, I never looked back. Manual mode is more than just a button on your camera. It is a chance for you to really understand how exposure works by controlling shutter speed, f-stop, and ISO.

The more you play around with these elements, the more you will learn about your own style of photography. I realized that I loved images that were clean and crisp. The images that were light and airy spoke to my style; they were the kind of images that I wanted to create. I realized that I needed to shoot wide open with a low ISO to get the look that I wanted. This meant I only had my shutter speed to play with.

I also learned the lowest shutter speed I could use while handholding my camera to get a crisp image in any situation. None of these would have been possible if I had let the camera dictate the settings for each scene (i.e., by shooting in Auto mode).

This image was actually taken from a train window. It would have been nearly impossible to photograph in Auto mode. The camera would have underexposed this image and the golden light would have been lost.

3. Experiment with different editing styles

Earlier I mentioned that I love light bright and airy style images. But that does not mean I don’t like moody images or those with a lot of contrast. I think there is a place for each type of image, and I encourage you to experiment and try out different editing styles.

While you might have a primary editing style, there is nothing stopping you from trying out other editing styles from time to time. This does not mean you are undecided; this just means that you like to get creative and experiment with your art. And that is a great way to learn editing software like Lightroom and Photoshop.

The image on the left is a lighter, brighter style, while the one on the right is the matte look many photographers enjoy.

4. Try creative shooting in your photography

There are many different ways to add a little creativity to your photography. Using double or triple exposures, shooting through elements, or even playing with shutter speed can be a way to deviate from the norm. All these techniques bring an element of uniqueness into your imagery and help you break up the monotony of your own work. These will help you improve your photography in the long run as you start thinking on your feet when you are out and about or even at a client shoot.

Lately, I have been loving the whole double exposure method for adding something extra to my images. This creative headshot I made for another photographer is one of my favorites.

5. Learn about light in different situations

As a photographer, you need to not only see light but also need to learn the art of reading light: the type of light, the quality of light, and also how the light will affect your final image.

For the first few years of my business, I had a very limited knowledge of light. I did not even own an external flash, and so I limited myself to photographing in bright, open, natural light conditions.

Living in Chicago, our summers are quite short, and fall is usually a mix of rain, thunderstorms and more rain. I learned very quickly that I needed to get out of my comfort zone and figure out how to photograph different lighting situations and do it confidently and creatively.

So the next time you are out and about, or even if you are in your home, pay attention to how the light changes as the day progresses. Photograph in each of these situations to understand how light affects the look and feel of your imagery.

Look at light as a subject in your images and you will find yourself starting to use light more creatively.

Conclusion

I hope these simple tips help you get confident in your photography. Perhaps you have limited access to gear, models or even places to photograph. Don’t let that stop you from doing these things to improve your photography on a day to day basis. All you need is the right mindset and the tenacity to see it through.

The post 5 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta.

Digital Photography School

August 13, 2020
Become a Better Photo Editor with the New Lightroom Mobile ‘Discover’ Feature

The post Become a Better Photo Editor with the New Lightroom Mobile ‘Discover’ Feature appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Every time you see a photo that strikes you as beautiful, brilliant, or breathtaking, you are only witnessing the tip of the iceberg. In nearly every case, the photo is the end result of dozens, even hundreds, of edits made by the photographer. From simple cropping and white balance to in-depth editing like curves and color mix, these edits are what turn an ordinary image into a work of art.

Unfortunately, such edits on a photo have been impossible to see. But, thanks to the recent addition of a ‘Share Your Edit’ feature in Lightroom Mobile, you’re now able to view the behind-the-scenes edits made to images.

Nikon D750 | AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II | 200mm | 1/4000s | f/22 | ISO 100

One of the best ways to grow as a photographer is to learn from others. Find out what works for photographers you admire and respect, and then adopt those techniques into your own workflow. This is the foundation for almost any trade, craft, or artistic pursuit. Yet, for photographers, this knowledge is often locked away behind a door. People can see the end result, but not the process.

The Discover feature in Lightroom Mobile solves this by giving you access to a worldwide community of artists who have willingly shared their editing process. There are hundreds, even thousands, of photo communities online that let you view pictures and share your own. However, none of these—not Instagram, Flickr, SmugMug, or anything else—let you see the editing process. You can only see the final image, which isn’t much use if you want to know how the photographer edited their photo to actually create the picture.

This is Lightroom Mobile’s ace in the hole: Because the Discover feature is part of the same software used to edit the images being shared, it allows for a level of freedom unmatched by any other photosharing site. In minutes, you can be learning from experts and professionals all over the world to see how they have edited their pictures, and you can adopt their techniques into your own workflow.

Discovering the Share Your Edit feature

Accessing the Discover option requires nothing more than a few taps on your mobile device. Open the Lightroom Mobile app and then tap on the icon that looks like a globe. If you hold your device vertically the icon will appear at the bottom of your screen along with the Discover label.

Tap the globe icon at the top left to access the Discover feature.

What you see next might remind you of many other photosharing apps, but dig a little deeper and you’ll see so much more. Scroll up and down to see more photos, and tap the heart icon in the lower right corner of any picture to mark it as one that you like. In the lower left corner, you will see the profile photo of the photographer who shot the picture. At the top is a list of categories for you to explore: Featured, New, Abstract, Landscape, Nature, and more.

So far so good, right? If the point of the Lightroom Mobile Discover feature is to help you find photos (or photographers) that you like, then there’s not much to distinguish this from any other photosharing app. The real fun begins when you tap on a photo to see the edit history.

Learning from the edits

When you tap on a picture it’s almost like stepping through a time machine or, more accurately, into a classroom.

Nearly every photo in the Discover feature lets you look at the edits that were made to it.

Lightroom Mobile now shows you the picture you tapped on, along with a blue bar at the bottom of your screen that fills from left to right. As the bar moves, the picture changes right before your very eyes, almost as though you’re watching it being edited in realtime. And, in a way, that’s exactly what’s happening.

Tap the Edits button at the bottom of the screen or just press and scroll upwards on the photo to load the entire editing history of the image. This is where the Lightroom Mobile Discover feature rockets into the stratosphere and becomes an amazing tool for photographers who want to learn from others, not just be inspired by their photos.

Scroll up and down through the list of edits to see them applied in real-time.

After tapping the Edits button you are presented with a scrolling list of every single edit that the photographer applied to the photo. Scroll to the top to see the initial import, and then slowly scroll down to watch the image change before your very eyes as each individual edit was applied. Lightroom Mobile shows you each particular edit along with the specific number for each individual adjustment.

This linear edit history lets you look over the shoulder of the photographer, watching every edit they made and seeing how each decision changed the image. The Discover feature lets you stand in a room with thousands of photographers, learning from each of them as you see how they arrived at their final images.

Looking through the edits to a photo is like being in the same room as the photographer while the image is being refined.

One limitation you will quickly realize is that this feature only shows you the edits. You are not allowed to change any of the editing values and, as a result, alter the image in any way. However, you can save the edits as a preset so you can use them in your own photography.

Click the three-dot icon in the top right corner and then tap Save as Preset to download the edits to your own Lightroom app. You can then apply these edits to any of your photos and adjust any of the parameters that you want.

Most edits can be shared as presets, unless the photographer sharing the edits has specifically forbidden it.

The Lightroom Mobile Discover feature has a few more tricks up its sleeve to help you get inside the mind of photographers who have shared their images. Tap the Info button to see additional details that the photographer has shared about the image. This often includes a title, written description, keywords related to the subject, EXIF data, and camera information. All this is extraordinarily useful for anyone who wants to learn more about a particular photo beyond just how it was edited.

Share your own

After diving into the Discover feature and learning more about how other photos were edited, you might be inclined to share your own images and edits. You can do this easily from Lightroom Mobile with just a few taps.

To get started with sharing your images to the Discover community, just open Lightroom Mobile and tap on any of the images in your library. Then tap the Share icon in the top right corner.

Tap the Share button on any of your images to upload the picture (and your editing history) to the Discover feature.

Then click the Share Edit option.

Note that as of this writing (July 2020) this process is still in Beta. Adobe will no doubt improve and refine it over time, and the exact steps might change.

Share Edit is still in beta as of July 2020, but it works very well.

The next screen prompts you to enter some information about the photo. This is similar to Instagram and other photosharing sites, but keep in mind that the point here is to help other photographers learn more about the photo. You aren’t competing for likes or upvotes; you’re sharing valuable information along with your edits to help a larger community of photographers learn more about their craft.

The more you write in your title and description, the more helpful other photographers will find your image.

It helps to be as descriptive as possible in your title, description, and category sections. That way, you are not only helping other people learn more about your photo; you’re helping them to discover it, as well, by using categories that are similar to hashtags on other photosharing sites.

Finally, choose whether you want your edits to be saved as presets. I always recommend enabling this option because of the sharing mentality that makes the Lightroom Mobile Discover feature so valuable. If you have benefitted from viewing edits that other photographers have made, it’s nice to respond in kind by sharing your own edits, as well.

I don’t recommend including location information, which is turned off by default.

I recommend enabling the Save as Preset option to let others save your editing process to use on their own images.

After you have all the basic information about your photo ready to go, tap the checkmark icon in the top right corner. This uploads your image, editing information, title, description, and categories to the Discover feature.

I get a kick out of heading to the Discover feature right away to see my images show up in the stream of new photos.

Tap the OK button and then head over to the Discover feature to see your image in the New section. Soon other photographers will start viewing it and learning from your edits! To see all the images you have shared with the Discover community, along with the number of likes each photo has gotten, tap your profile icon.

Keep in mind that the point of Discover is not to get likes but to learn and help others do the same. Thus, the number of likes on each of your images is almost entirely irrelevant and I recommend not paying attention to it all.

Conclusion

The Lightroom Mobile Discover feature is still in its infancy, and I’m excited to see where Adobe takes it in the coming years. Even though it’s still a bit rough around the edges in a few places, it’s an incredibly useful tool for learning more about the editing process. I hope you give it a chance and, if you learn anything from it, I’d love to have your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Become a Better Photo Editor with the New Lightroom Mobile ‘Discover’ Feature appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Digital Photography School

August 12, 2020
Photography portfolio 101 – how to create a portfolio that puts your brand on display

Everyone was there once. Fruitful inspiration. Plenty of photos, but no idea on how to create a portfolio. And if you’re just like all the other photographers, you put off this moment for as long as you could. But with no portfolio to present your work, there are no clients interested in hiring you. For a passionate photographer, the thought Continue Reading

The post Photography portfolio 101 – how to create a portfolio that puts your brand on display appeared first on Photodoto.

Photodoto

August 11, 2020
Olympus Announces the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, With 20 MP and an AF Boost

The post Olympus Announces the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, With 20 MP and an AF Boost appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Earlier this year, Olympus made news with the reveal that it will be selling off its camera division, yet it seems that the company plans to go full steam ahead (at least for now).

Because Olympus has just unveiled its latest Micro Four Thirds camera model, the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, a compact, low-cost, travel-ready option for entry-level photographers and successor to the well-received OM-D E-M10 Mark III.

Olympus cameras are known for their small size and limited weight, thanks to the compact dimensions of a Four Thirds sensor. This makes Olympus models a favorite of travel and street photographers, especially when you factor in the size of the lenses (which are some of the most compact options on the market, and will feel positively dainty in your hands).

But the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV takes portability to a new level, coming in at just 0.85 lbs (0.385 kg), which is the lightest of any Olympus mirrorless model to date. It’s perfect for anyone looking to shave off weight from their camera bag, and stays featherlight even when combined with some of Olympus’s longer zoom lenses.

The main drawback to a Micro Four Thirds system is limited resolution, which is why the OM-D E-M10 Mark III only offered a 16 MP sensor. But Olympus has finally decided to give the Mark IV a megapixel boost, up to 20 MP for added detail, which increases both cropping capabilities and printing possibilities, though you should also expect a potential hit to high ISO performance and dynamic range.

Personally, I’d like to see a 24 MP MFT sensor, but this still isn’t a spec offered by Olympus’s higher-end models, so I doubt we’ll see it on a camera like the OM-D E-M10 anytime soon. Plus, 20 MP really is enough for most purposes, including relatively large prints, so there’s not really much worth complaining about.

Moving along, Olympus offers the best in-body image stabilization in the business, which is why you can expect up to 4.5 stops of IBIS on an entry-level model like the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV. This will allow for tack-sharp images at shutter speeds far beyond what would normally be considered possible, as well as smooth video recording (and did I mention that the camera offers 4K?).

As for additional noteworthy specs, the OM-D E-M10 promises improved autofocus over the E-M10 Mark III, thanks to upgraded tracking algorithms, as well as 8.7 fps continuous shooting speeds; also relevant is an interesting flip-down LCD design, which allows you to see previews of images and footage from in front of the camera, but by tilting the LCD below the camera.

Oh, and you get Olympus’s now-standard electronic viewfinder resolution, at 2.36M dots. I didn’t expect anything better (there are only so many upgrades you can make to a camera at a sub-$ 1000 USD price), but Olympus’s EVF game is frustratingly limited, even on its higher-end models, and I’d ideally like to see a resolution boost here.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV will debut in late September, for a relatively cheap MSRP of $ 699.99 (body only). It is available for preorder here.

Now over to you:

What do you think of Olympus’s latest mirrorless model? Are you impressed? Disappointed? Are there any features that the E-M10 Mark IV is lacking but that you’d like to have seen? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Olympus Announces the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, With 20 MP and an AF Boost appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Digital Photography School

August 10, 2020
12 Tips to Help You Capture Stunning Landscape Photos

The post 12 Tips to Help You Capture Stunning Landscape Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.

Whether you are an experienced photographer or just getting started, the amazing landscape photographs you see have all got a few things in common. The reality of landscape photography is that not only are you reliant on your own ability and skill of seeing and composing an image, but also on Mother Nature. But regardless of whatever weather you encounter, there are countless opportunities to be able to capture spectacular landscape photographs.

Here are 12 tips that you can follow if you want to capture stunning landscape photos.

1. Location, location, location

Landscape photography is as much about planning as it is about the actual process of photography. You should always have a clear idea of where you are planning to go, and at what time of the day you will be able to capture the best photograph. Learn how to read maps, and understand how you can utilize them to find the perfect location. By planning your exact location, you will be able to maximize your time there, and ensure not only that you get to your location safely and in plenty of time, but also that you find your way back (usually after sunset).

2. Be patient

It’s amazing the number of times that the elements conspire to ruin a perfectly composed photograph. Landscape photography requires patience, just in case that white cloudy sky disperses just long enough to allow the sun to break through for you to take your shot. The key is to always allow yourself enough time at a location so that you are able to wait if you need to. Forward planning can also help you hugely, so make sure to check weather forecasts before leaving, maximizing your opportunity for the weather you require.

3. Don’t be lazy

One of the reasons we are often stunned by impressive landscape photos is because it is a view taken in a way that we have never seen before. A photo taken from the top of a mountain which requires a huge amount of time and effort to get to is a view that most people won’t get to see for themselves. So don’t rely on easily accessible viewpoints that everyone else can just pull up to and see. Instead, look for those unique spots (provided they are safe to get to) that offer amazing scenes, even if they require determination to get there.

4. Use the best light

Light is one of the most important factors in any photograph, but even more so in landscape photography. It really doesn’t matter how great the location, is or how you compose your photo – if the light doesn’t do the scene justice, then the image will fail. The best light for landscape photography is early in the morning or late afternoon, with the midday sun offering the harshest light.

But part of the challenge of landscape photography is about being able to adapt and cope with different lighting conditions; for example, great landscape photos can be captured even on stormy or cloudy days. The key is to use the best light as much as possible, and be able to influence the look and feel of your photos with it.

5. Carry a tripod

Simply put, if you want to capture the best photographs, at the best time of the day, at the highest quality possible, then a tripod is an essential piece of equipment. Photography in low light conditions (e.g. early morning or early evening) without a tripod would require an increase in ISO to be able to avoid camera shake, which in turn means more noise in your images. If you want to capture a scene using a slow shutter speed or long exposure (for example, to capture the movement of clouds or water) then without a tripod you simply won’t be able to hold the camera steady enough to avoid blurred images from camera shake.

6. Maximize the depth of field

Choosing your depth of field is an important part of capturing stunning landscapes. Landscape photos usually require the vast majority of the photo to be sharp (the foreground and background) so you need a deeper depth of field than if you are taking a portrait of someone. But a shallower depth of field can also be a powerful creative tool if used correctly, as it can isolate the subject by keeping it sharp, while the rest of the image is blurred. As a starting point, if you are looking to keep the majority of the photo sharp, set your camera to Aperture Priority (A or Av) mode so you can take control of the aperture. Start at around f/8 and work up (f/11 or higher) until you get the desired effect.

7. Think about the composition

As much as possible you should always aim to get your composition right when taking the photo, rather than relying on post-production. If the scene doesn’t look right when you look at it through your viewfinder, then it won’t look good in the final output. There are several techniques that you can use to help your composition (such as the rule of thirds), but ultimately you need to train yourself to be able to see a scene, and analyze it in your mind. With practice this will become second nature, but the important thing is to take your time.

8. Use neutral density and polarizing filters

Neutral Density filters and polarizers are an essential piece of kit for any landscape photographer. Often you will need to manipulate the available light, or even try to enhance the natural elements. For example, if you are taking photos which include water, you may find you get unwanted reflections from the sun, which is where a polarizing filter can help by minimizing the reflections and also enhancing the colors (greens and blues). But remember, polarizing filters often have little or no effect on a scene if you’re directly facing the sun, or it’s behind you. For best results position yourself between 45° and 90° to the sun.

One of the other big challenges of landscape photography is getting a balanced exposure between the foreground, which is usually darker, and a bright sky. Graduated ND filters help to compensate for this by darkening the sky, while keeping the foreground brighter. This can be replicated in post-production, but it is always best to try and capture the photo as perfectly as possible in-camera.

9. Use the histogram

Histograms are an essential tool in photography, which you should aim to learn how to read and utilize the findings to improve your photos. A histogram is a simple graph that shows the different tonal distribution in your image. The left side of the graph is for dark tones and the right side of the graph represents bright tones.

For instance, if you find that the majority of the graph is shifted to one side, this is an indication that your photo is too light or dark (overexposed or underexposed). This isn’t always a bad thing, and some images work perfectly well either way. However, if you find that your graph extends beyond the left or right edge, this shows that you have parts of the photo with lost detail (pure black areas if the histogram extends beyond the left edge and pure white if it extends beyond the right edge). This is something you should avoid, so by seeing the evidence in the histogram, you are able to correct it by either recomposing the image or compensating for the exposure.

10. Never settle for a good photo

This is true of any photograph that you are taking. It doesn’t matter if it is a landscape or a portrait; if you can do it better, then you should. But often because of the time and effort that landscape photography requires, people settle for a good photo, rather than waiting or coming back to take a better one. You should always aim to photograph anything at the best possible time, in the best possible way, even if that means waiting or coming back later.

11. Shoot in RAW format

Simply put, if your camera is capable of capturing photos in RAW format, then I recommend that you always capture RAW files. They contain much more detail and information, and give far greater flexibility in post-production without losing quality. Remember, you can always save RAW files in whatever other formats you require, but you will not be able to save JPEGs as RAW files, so ultimately you are limited to the quality at which the JPEG was shot.

12. Experiment

For all the techniques and rules that exist to help aid composition and the process of taking the photo, there is always room to experiment. Digital photography means that taking a photo isn’t wasting a negative (and costing money), so there is ample opportunity to break the rules and your own style sometimes. Even if the majority of the time it doesn’t work and the image doesn’t look great, every now and again you might uncover a gem.

Landscape photography is one of the most common genres that amateur and professional photographers get into. With practice, hard work, and patience you can capture stunning landscape photos that will look great in your portfolio.

So come on, show us your great landscape shots, and don’t forget to share your tips and experiences below.

The post 12 Tips to Help You Capture Stunning Landscape Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.

Digital Photography School

August 9, 2020
Weekly Photography Challenge – Darkness

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Darkness appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.

This week we’re focussing (see what I did there) on the dark areas in a photograph. Shadows, but intentional shadows. Using shadows and darkness to focus in on your subject – The three examples below are all photographed in the daylight or generally light scenes, In two cases I positioned myself so there was enough shadow around the subject that the only light was used to highlight the subject. The third is a self-portrait while I was shaving, I liked the way the shadow fell, creating some interest in the image. Happy to dig into the details of each image if you’d like, leave a comment and we can work through them

Mel Ghionis on stage

Bola Bee on a Tamron product shoot

Me, shaving haha

Shadow, darkness, lack of light is imperative in photography, it defines edges and shapes images, so get your camera out, look at things around you with a critical eye and find some interesting shadows or better still, create some!

Great! Where do I upload my photos?

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. We’re interested to see how you revisit the images that you’ve taken before now in this re-edit challenge!

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

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

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPSDarkness to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Darkness appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.

Digital Photography School

August 8, 2020
TourBox Review: A Controller to Revolutionize Your Creative Workflow?

The post TourBox Review: A Controller to Revolutionize Your Creative Workflow? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.

What is the one thing that all photographers hate? Maybe selfie sticks take the top spot. But close to the top has to be editing.

It is the one part of my workflow that I least look forward to. Like most photographers, I would much rather be spending my time taking photos than sitting in front of a monitor.

For any given assignment, I may come back with between 4000-6000 photos to edit. The quicker I can get through these, the better. So, over the years, I have looked at many ways of speeding up my workflow efficiency. I try to get my pictures as close to the final version as possible in the field. But there will always be some editing needed.

So, when I first learned about the TourBox controller, I was extremely excited to test it out.

About TourBox

TourBox is a controller for digital creators, designed so you can use creative software such as Photoshop and Lightroom more efficiently. TourBox is compatible with Mac and Windows, and works by adding the shortcuts that you might use in your workflow to dials and buttons. This makes it quicker and easier to access software tools and features, which in turn speeds up your workflow.

The company behind TourBox was founded in 2016, and they spent two years developing this console. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the first finished versions were shipped in July 2019 to 58 countries.

First impressions

The controller arrived in a stylishly-packaged box which would look at home on the shelf of a high-end department store. Inside the box was an instruction manual, a console, and a USB cable to connect the controller to a computer. There was no power cord, as the controller uses power directly from your computer.

One of the first things I noticed about the TourBox controller is how heavy it is. This is great, because it stops the controller sliding around on a desk. There are some grips underneath the console, but the weight helps. I also liked the slick, matte black finish, which is less slippery than gloss.

The controller is approximately 11 cm x 8 cm (and around 4 cm high to the top of the center knob).

Installation

TourBox is quick and easy to install. You simply to go to the TourBox website. Download the drivers and the software for the controller and follow the steps. In all, it took around four minutes for me to download and install everything needed for the console to work.

So, within a few minutes, you are ready to start using the product.

How does TourBox work?

In simple terms, the console replaces the shortcuts that you would type on a keyboard. By using the different dials and buttons, you can replace up to 42 different shortcuts. So, there are plenty of options (depending on how efficient you are with using keyboard shortcuts).

Selecting a shortcut is then a case of clicking different combinations on the controller. For example, in Lightroom, Command/Control+Alt+V is the shortcut for pasting settings from a previous photo to the one you are on. But you can achieve this with one button using the console if you wish.

Perfect for Lightroom (and Photoshop)

One of the great things about this console is that it comes with functions for Lightroom and Photoshop already programmed in. You can literally open Lightroom and start using the console as soon as it is installed.

You might be asking: Aren’t there more than 42 shortcuts in Lightroom? What the people at TourBox have cleverly done is program shortcuts for the most commonly-used functions.

Things like temperature, tint, exposure, and contrast are controlled by pressing the relevant button. You can then turn the controller dial to adjust the slider. The other nine sliders in the Lightroom Basic panel are controlled by holding a button and clicking a direction on the Dpad.

So, as an example, if you wanted to adjust the saturation, you would hold the top button and tap the “right” arrow on the Dpad. This selects the saturation slider, which you can then adjust with the dial. Once you have selected the slider, it remains selected until you choose something else. So there’s no need to keep the buttons pressed down.

But how will I remember all the combinations?

First, no need to worry. There is a handy Dpad guide that stays on the screen to show you the different functions. It will change to different combinations when you press any of the buttons on the console.

Even though the guide is on the screen, in reality, you will learn the combinations really quickly. Because let’s be honest: It is much easier to remember to click one or two buttons than four different ones.

Keep in mind that the vast majority of the editing you will do is in the basic panel. So you will be clicking these different combinations all the time. After around 15 minutes, I noticed that I began to use the console without needing the guide.

Customize TourBox to your needs

The console has plenty of space for your own shortcuts (i.e., settings that you might use often). So you can change any of the preset shortcuts to fit your most commonly used adjustments.

For me, one of the most used functions of Lightroom is copying the develop settings from the previous photo to the current one. I programmed this into the Tall button + C1. I have also programmed next photo and previous photo (normally the left and right arrow on a keyboard) as C1 and C2.

So I can use the console without even needing to take my hand off of it.

Faster and more efficient workflow

You may be thinking: What the point of all this is? After all, your mouse and keyboard can do all these things.

For me, the benefit of a console like this is three-fold. First, it makes it much easier and quicker to edit through photos. This is because you are not moving your hand from the mouse to the keyboard all the time, which cannot be avoided for shortcuts that need many keys to be pressed. Plus, the controller makes it easier to remember shortcuts; I struggle to remember any shortcuts which are more than two keys, so this is ideal.

The second benefit is that you have much more control when adjusting the sliders with the TourBox console (compared to the mouse). You can fine-tune the sliders in a way that’s difficult to do with a mouse.

The third benefit of TourBox is that you can use it in conjunction with a tablet (and pen) for editing. This makes using a tablet quicker, as you can switch between commands using the console.

TourBox is designed for left-handed use but can also be used right-handed.

Other software

99% of my editing work happens inside Lightroom. But you can also use TourBox with other creative software such as Photoshop, Capture One, Final Cut, and more. You can create different presets for each of these programs, and TourBox automatically detects the software you are using and switches to the relevant settings. So switching your editing from Lightroom to Photoshop becomes seamless and happens without interruption.

Conclusion

I often get excited about new photography gadgets. But over the course of a few days and months that enthusiasm wanes, and I usually stop using the new gadget altogether. I always revert back to the old way of doing things.

But I must confess: Having had the TourBox controller for a few days now, it might become a permanent fixture in my workflow. I am finding that I am going through my editing much quicker than usual. Either I have become considerably quicker in a few days, or it is due to the TourBox console.

The post TourBox Review: A Controller to Revolutionize Your Creative Workflow? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.

Digital Photography School

August 7, 2020
How To Take More Creative Environmental Travel Portraits

The post How To Take More Creative Environmental Travel Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Including people in your travel photos creates a stronger sense of connection for anyone who views your photos. Environmental travel portraits add depth of interest to any album, presentation or book of travel images.

Adding a person to a landscape, cultural location, or market scene will almost always add appeal to the photo. Capturing locals engrossed in what they are doing can make for a more interesting picture. Stopping to chat with them and asking if you can take their portrait means a scene takes on a whole new dynamic.

Environmental travel portraits are photos of people involved in the setting they are in. They are usually connected in some way with the location. A regular portrait will typically be cropped tighter and contain little contextual information.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D800, Lens 35mm f1.4, 1/160 sec., f/2.8, ISO 1600

This is an environmental portrait of a Karen woman cooking in her home. The composition contains visual information about her lifestyle and where she lives.

Here is a portrait of a Karen woman. We were in her village when I took this photo, but there’s no visual information to tell you this.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D800, Lens 105mm, 1/125 sec., f/8, ISO 400

Connect with your subject for better environmental travel portraits

Don’t be a shy photographer. Connecting with people will often result in more interesting environmental travel portraits. Even if you don’t have a common language, you can still relate to people. Showing an interest in someone and what they are doing, you can build a connection. Choosing the right people to photograph provides you with a better opportunity.

I saw this guy on the streets in Bangkok selling his genuine crocodile skin wallets. He demonstrated to an interested tourist that they were real. To do this, he poured some lighter fluid on the wallet and put a flame to it. I set my camera and approached him, requesting he repeat the process. He was most obliging and played up to my camera.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D800, Lens 20mm, 1/125 sec., f/4, ISO 400

When candid is a better option

When encountering people who are totally engrossed in what they are doing it’s best to not to interrupt them. This is when it’s best to remain separate and capture candid, or semi-candid photos. I rarely hide my camera, instead, I prefer to have it out in the open so people can be aware that I’m taking photos. Most people will pay no attention, especially when you’re in a touristic area.

For this photo, I wanted to capture the young boy advertising their goods at the top of his voice. He and the older man (I presumed it was his grandfather he was helping) were aware of my presence and that I was taking photos. I was able to do so without disrupting the action.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D700, Lens 120mm, 1/800 sec., f/2.8, ISO 400

Framing your subject

Environmental travel portraits need to show something of your subject’s surroundings. Where you position your subject in the frame will influence how they look in their environment. As always, aim to fill your frame only with what is relevant to the photo you’re making. Compose so your subject looks connected to their surroundings.

Photographing this Akha woman picking coffee in northern Thailand, I chose to place her near the edge of the frame. I wanted to fill most of the frame with the coffee bush she was picking from. I also placed her further back from the camera and positioned myself, so there were coffee cherries closer to my lens. This helps draw your eye to the cherries and makes them more obvious.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D700, Lens 24mm, 1/60 sec., f/5, ISO 800

Choosing the best lens for environmental travel portraits

The lens you use for environmental travel portraits will depend a lot on the location you are photographing in. Often a wider lens if more effective than a longer one because you’ll capture more of the location without being too far from your subject. Remember what Robert Capa said, “If your photos aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.”

I used my 35mm lens to make this photo of a young French horn player. He was performing in a band during the Chiang Mai Flower Festival parade. Getting fairly close to him, I was also able to show other band members in my composition without including too many other distracting details in the area.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D800, Lens 35mm, 1/5000 sec., f/1.4, ISO 400

Manage your depth of field well

A very shallow depth of field will not often show enough detail in the environment. Too much information can be excluded. Your aim is to include enough of the environment so it adds meaning to the portrait.

Too much in focus in an environmental travel portrait can mean your subject gets lost in the background. You must be aware of how sharp or how blurred your background is. Managing your depth of field well enables you to keep the person you’re photographing as the main subject. Done well, this will encompass enough background detail without it being distracting.

I made this portrait of a samlor (tricycle taxi) rider sitting in his cab. In the background is another samlor passing by. It’s blurred enough so it’s not distracting, but you can still make out what it is, so it adds to the photo.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D800, Lens 50mm, 1/1250 sec., f/1.4, ISO 100

Wait for the right moment

Careful timing can really make a difference. Watch and observe the person you are photographing and how they are interacting with their environment. Look for patterns of movement and repetition. This can often help you pick the right moment to make your portraits.

For this photo of my friend on National Elephant Day in Thailand, I waited for the elephant’s handler to give the command for the elephant to kiss her. The other elephants and tables with food for them set the scene.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D700, Lens 35mm f2, 1/100 sec., f/4.5, ISO 125

Always be aware of lighting

Light will add feeling to your environmental travel portraits when you use it well. Look at the type of lighting in the location where you’re making your portraits. Is it conducive to the style of the portrait you wish to make? Do you need to come back at another time of the day or night? Will adding some flash improve the portrait?

Often when you’re traveling, you can’t wait for the right light, so you must make the best use of available light. When the light at the location is not great, you need to get creative and add some using a flash or reflector.

For this night portrait of a Samlor rider, I was able to position him to make the most of the light in the street market behind him. I also used my flash to illuminate him and help catch a glimpse of the motorcycle passing behind him.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D800, Lens 35mm, 4 sec., f/9, ISO 100

Make use of props when you can

Be sure to look around for items that may enhance your portraits. Including appropriate props will help make more interesting environmental travel portraits.

I’d asked this man if I could photograph him sitting outside his home in a small village in northern Thailand. As he went to sit down, he put his crutches inside, thinking I did not want to include them in the photo. I asked him if it was okay to have them in the picture too.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D700, Lens 24mm, 1/125 sec., f/4.5, ISO 800

Conclusion

Be mindful of your surroundings and think about how you can make interesting pictures that tell a story. Who is this person, and how can I make a portrait that captures relevant information about their surroundings?

Please share other tips you have for creating environmental travel portraits, or some of your pictures in the comments below.

The post How To Take More Creative Environmental Travel Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Digital Photography School

August 6, 2020
7 Awesome Tips for Black and White Still Life Photography

Great black and white photography is stunning. It’s eye catching, emotive, and expressive. Usually, it’s also wonderfully simple. So is still life photography. In this article, I’ll give you seven tips on how to create stunning black and white still life photographs. Before we get into the tips I’d first like to answer a couple of foundational questions: What makes Continue Reading

The post 7 Awesome Tips for Black and White Still Life Photography appeared first on Photodoto.

Photodoto

August 6, 2020