The post Canon Officially Announces Two DSLR-Crushing Options: The EOS R5 and EOS R6 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
After months of waiting, it’s finally official:
Canon is releasing two new R-series mirrorless cameras, both of which will ship before the summer is out.
The Canon EOS R5
The first of these is the highly-anticipated Canon EOS R5, a full-frame body that offers 8K video, 20 frames-per-second shooting via the electronic shutter (12 fps via the mechanical shutter), in-body image stabilization, and dual card slots (1 CF and 1 UHS-II SD).
But while we’ve reported on plenty of R5 details, it’s only now, thanks to Canon’s announcement, that we can fill in any knowledge gaps.
The Canon EOS R5 will pack a 45-megapixel sensor, which makes the R5 the highest-resolution camera in Canon’s mirrorless stable, and the second highest-resolution camera in Canon’s full-frame lineup (just after the 5DS/5DS R pair, both of which sport 50.6 megapixels). Combine this with the 20/12 fps shooting speeds, and you’ve got yourself some truly awesome capabilities, both for landscape and other high-resolution shooting, as well as for serious action photography.
The EOS R5 is also equipped with top-notch autofocus features, including Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF II technology, human and animal eye detection, and a whopping 1053 AF zones.
Much of the debate around mirrorless versus DSLRs has centered around electronic viewfinder capabilities, so we’re happy to reveal that the EOS R5 will offer a class-leading 5.76M-dot EVF, which is a significant step up from the (excellent) EVF on the EOS R, and puts the EOS R5 on par with the Sony a7R IV and the Panasonic S1R. This will ensure a better all-around shooting experience with an extremely life-like display and may satisfy even some of the more pro-OVF photographers.
Canon also notes that the EOS R5 will offer “weather, drip, and dust sealing on par with the EOS 5D series,” which suggests that the EOS R5 should be able to handle shooting in difficult weather, a requirement for landscape and wildlife photographers in particular.
Bottom line:
The EOS R5 is the best kind of generalist camera, one that suits nearly any genre of photography, from action to wildlife to landscape and more, and does it all at the highest level.
Of course, a camera this powerful doesn’t come without a significant price tag, but the EOS R5 will drop at a reasonable $ 3900 USD (body only).
The Canon EOS R6
As for the Canon EOS R6, you get a lot of the same features, but with a lower ($ 2500 USD) price tag.
This includes in-body image stabilization, identical autofocus specs, and dual card slots (albeit 2 UHS-II SD compared to the 1 SD/1 CF design on the EOS R5).
As you might expect, Canon has made several cuts compared to the EOS R6, primarily in terms of resolution. The R6’s full-frame sensor includes just 20.1 megapixels, the EVF offers a (still-respectable) 3.69M-dot resolution, and video capabilities top out at 4K/60p.
Canon also claims that weather sealing is “on par with the EOS 6D series,” which isn’t especially comforting for more serious shooters, but which is better than nothing and should be able to hold up in light rain or snow.
In many ways, the EOS R6 feels like the far more compelling option compared to the R5, at least for non-professional shooters. For nearly $ 1500 USD less, you get powerful IBIS, dual card slots, blazing-fast shooting speeds, impressive autofocus, and 4K/60p video (which is more than enough for even more serious videographers). You can also expect an excellent high-ISO performance from the EOS R6, as implied by its expansive native 100-102400 ISO range (compared to the 100-41200 ISO range on the EOS R5).
The main disappointment here is the 20 MP sensor, which feels low compared to the EOS R5, the EOS R, the EOS RP, and the 6D Mark II (all of which sit at 26 MP and above). But 20 MP is enough for most purposes, and the bigger pixels should guarantee top-notch low-light performance.
Lenses
Canon has also officially announced a Canon RF 100-500mm f/3.5-7.1L IS telephoto lens ($ 2699 USD), an RF 600mm f/11 IS STM ($ 700 USD), an RF 800mm f/11 IS STM ($ 899 USD), and an RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM ($ 600 USD).
Note that these cameras and lenses will begin shipping at various points over the next few months. You can expect the EOS R5 before July is out, however, and the EOS R6 toward the end of August.
Comparison video
So if any of these cameras or lenses interest you, go ahead and put in a preorder! You don’t want to miss out.
Now over to you:
What do you think about this announcement from Canon? Are you more interested in the EOS R5 or the EOS R6? And will you consider purchasing any of the lenses? Share your thoughts in the comments!
The post Canon Officially Announces Two DSLR-Crushing Options: The EOS R5 and EOS R6 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
The post Tips and Tricks to Achieve a Graffiti Effect in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.
Are you a fan of street art? Creating a graffiti effect is a great way to give an urban look to your designs or photos. In this article, I’ll show you some tips and tricks to get more realistic results using Photoshop.
Prep Work
You’ll need to do a little prep work to get you started on your way to making a realistic graffiti effect in your images.
Reference images
Whenever you’re recreating something that’s based on real-life, it is good practice to have a reference. Create a library from your own photographs or use online resources like Pinterest. That way, you have a visual guide to make your graffiti effect as realistic as possible.
Resources like Pinterest are great for finding graffiti resource images.
Get a photo of a wall
First, photograph the wall you want to use for your graffiti effect. (If you can’t photograph one yourself, look to stock libraries or free-use images online.) There are no specific rules to follow, but the more texture it has, the better the effect will look. For example, you can use a brick wall, a rough concrete wall, a corrugated iron fence etc.
Then you need to create a black and white version of your image that is highly contrasted. This will serve as your displacement map.
There are many ways to do this, so feel free to use your own technique. I like to add adjustment layers. Use the Hue/Saturation to make it greyscale by moving the saturation slider all the way to the left. Then add a Brightness/Contrast one to increase the contrast.
Once you’re done, save it as a PSD format for later use.
Create your graffiti
There are many types and styles of graffiti: Blockbuster, Throw up, Tag, Stencil, Piece, etc. If you want to achieve a good graffiti effect, you should pick one of them for your work. I don’t intend for you to be a street art expert, nor do I pretend to be one, that’s why you can use the reference pictures. That way, the effect will be more realistic.
1. Blockbuster
This is one of the most common text-based graffiti. In simple words, it’s the one that has colorful chunky letters with thick borders.
If you want to buy or download a specifically designed graffiti font, you’re welcome to do it. If you want to make it more unique, you can also use a default font and modify it.
Using the Text tool, you can choose your font in the Options bar. Type your text, and it will be created in a separate text layer. If you right-click on that layer, choose “Convert to Shape.”
Once it’s a shape, you can modify it using the pen tool.
In the toolbar, under the Pen tool, you’ll find the Convert Point tool. With it, you can drag any of the anchor points to modify the shape.
Select and drag any of the anchor points to change the shape of the letters to what you want.
Note: Using the pen tool, you could create the letters from scratch too, but unless you’re a painter or a graphic designer, it’s easier to have something to get you started.
Now, using Layer styles, add the colors, edges, and shadows to mimic the effect from the graffiti you chose.
2. Stencil
Another style of graffiti is Stencil. This can be as easy or complex as you want it to be. It’s often one color (but can be more) and without internal details or depth. So, a basic way to do them is by using the Shape tool. You can use predetermined shapes or create your own with the Pen tool.
Just like you did for the text, use the Convert Point tool to modify your shapes at any time.
3. Piece
The third choice you have is to use a photograph in order to create a Piece (as in masterpiece). For this, you just go to File->Place and select the image of your choice. This will open it as a Smart Object.
A graffiti piece is more of a drawing, so it will be less detailed than a photograph. To get a better result, you can turn it into a painting or a cartoon before you apply the graffiti effect.
Try using the filter’s gallery to simplify your work. Go to Filter > Filter Gallery and apply different styles until you find the one you like. Notice that you can build up many of them if you feel like experimenting.
Finishing Touches
Once you have chosen the type of graffiti effect you would like to use, there are a few more steps to make it realistic.
1. Displacement Filter
It doesn’t matter if you did a Blockbuster, a Stencil, or a Piece, you need to integrate it into the wall in order to make a graffiti out of it. This is where the displacement map you created in the prep work comes into play.
Just go to Menu->Filters->Distort->Displacement. In the pop-up window, select the values you want. I’ll use a value of “10” in both. Click “OK” and it will open a window for you to browse your files.
Choose the grayscale image of the wall you did in the prep work and apply it.
To fully incorporate this ‘distorted’ image into the wall, right-click on the empty part of the layer and choose Blending Options from the menu. Then use the “Blend If” sliders until you’re happy with the results.
2. Adding perspective
This step is completely optional, but if you want to give more depth, you need to add a vanishing point. For this, make a new layer that merges all of the other by pressing Shift+Ctrl+Alt+E for PC or Shift+Command+Option+E for Mac.
Now select it and go to Edit->Transform->Perspective. Pull one of the corners up and stop when you’re happy with the result. Apply the transformation and your Graffiti effect is ready.
The finished artwork uses Blockbuster, Stencil and Piece graffiti effects.
Conclusion
Graffiti is a very rich and complex art form that is very difficult to sum-up in just one article. However, I hope these tips and tricks will help you achieve a real graffiti effect.
There really is a lot of material to get creative in this area, so try it out, and have fun. Share your results and tips in the comments section.
The post Tips and Tricks to Achieve a Graffiti Effect in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.
The post This Drone Photography Checklist will Ensure You Never Miss Your Shots appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.
Capturing stunning images with your drone is incredibly exciting. But with so many things to think about before you take off, there can also be some nervousness wrapped up with that excitement. The first few times I flew my drone, I struggled to remember everything. Did I put a memory card in the drone? How strong would the wind be? Did I charge all the batteries? Did I need permission to launch my drone at the beach? Trying to keep track of all these issues was exhausting, but the one thing that made my life much easier was keeping a drone photography checklist with my backpack.
A drone photography checklist can help you get the most out of every flight.
The process of checking through this list the day before a planned flight – as well as just before I left home – helped me to be calmer and better prepared.
Below is my drone photography checklist to ensure that you don’t forget anything and are flying as safe as possible.
1. Before you leave the house
Planning for your flight should start before you leave the house, preferably the day before the flight. There are three things I typically check: air space, location and the weather conditions.
Make sure you have permission from the landowner to launch your drone.
a. Airspace
This is quite possibly the most important check you’ll need to do: are you legally allowed to fly your drone in the airspace above your launch location? And if so, to what height can you ascend to? Do national limits apply or is there a local restriction?
Making sure you understand the laws that govern airspace where you fly your drone is incredibly important and can potentially save you a lot of trouble.
Even if you are allowed to legally fly in the airspace, it’s important that you keep watch for other aircraft.
If you are able to fly in that airspace, you also need to check who else could be flying there too. Take a look at your proposed launch location using Google Maps – are there any helicopter pads, airports or airfields in the vicinity? Are there any model aircraft clubs or paragliding locations nearby? Is it a popular place that other drone enthusiasts might use? You need to take all these issues into consideration when planning your flight.
b. Location
As well as considering the airspace where you plan to fly, you also need to take into account what local laws govern the flying of drones in the city, state, or region you’re in. Even if you can technically fly in the airspace, local laws or rules may ban drones flying at those locations. For example, many national parks in Australia do not allow drones.
Another factor to consider is if you need the landowner’s permission to take off at your proposed launch location. Many local councils publish information on their websites regarding places you can and can’t launch your drone from. It’s always best to check beforehand well ahead of time, especially if you need to apply or seek permission before your flight.
c. Weather conditions
It’s always a good idea to check the forecasted weather conditions ahead of time. Many weather websites predict wind speeds for the next few days – this is invaluable for drone owners. If the predicted wind speeds are too high, it may be necessary to delay your flight.
Weather websites can predict wind conditions for the next few days, which invaluable for drone owners.
Also, keep an eye on other weather conditions. For example, is there any rain on the radar map? Are thunderstorms predicted? For morning flights, what are the chances of fog limiting visibility?
Also, think about the possibility of bright sunshine impairing your ability to see your drone in the sky or view the device that controls your aircraft.
2. Equipment
A drone photography checklist is also very handy for keeping track of your equipment. A checklist can help you to remember to pack everything you’ll need, as well as making sure your equipment is ready for your flight.
Your drone photography checklist can also include a list of accessories you need to take with you such as launch pads and neutral density filters.
First of all, check that all of your batteries are fully charged the day before the flight. This can take some time, so doing it half an hour before you plan to leave the house is not a good idea.
Next, check your drone over to make sure that it’s in perfect working condition. This includes making sure the propellers are not damaged or have nicks in them.
Next, check that you have all of your accessories packed and ready to go. The accessories I pack include a set of neutral density filters, a launchpad, and, of course, at least one memory card.
Make sure your memory cards have enough space on them to record multiple videos and images during your flight. Also, check that you’ve copied the contents of the memory card to your hard drive if you decide to format it beforehand.
Keep your drone software up-to-date: check for any updates 24 hours before your planned flight.
Finally, check that the device you use to control your drone (smartphone or tablet) is fully charged and that you have the latest drone software updated on it, ready to go.
3. At your launch location
When you arrive at your launch location, it’s important to have a good look around and assess the area where you’ll fly. Even after you’ve done your homework about the airspace, the location and the weather, there still can be significant risks.
Take a look around when you arrive at the location: what risks are present? Are there any power poles? Are there groups of children playing nearby? Check if there are any dogs off leash in the vicinity. Here in Australia, we also have the possibility of birds swooping you or your drone.
Make sure you keep watch around you while flying for other distractions such as children and animals.
If you have a launch pad, set it up somewhere flat away from other people. Some people also carry bright cones to mark out a small area to warn other people that a drone will be taking off and landing in the vicinity.
Start your device and your drone. Make sure you calibrate your compass before the flight and that the drone records the home point at your launch location.
Double-check your memory card is inside the drone – there is nothing more annoying than going to take a photo or a video before realizing it’s in your bag on the ground. Take a look at the lighting conditions: do you need to use an ND (neutral density) filter? If so, which one is best suited to the light today?
Before you take off, also make sure your smartphone or device is set to “do not disturb’ mode.
Take into account that bright sunshine during your flight can impair your ability to see your device effectively.
As you fly your drone, keep an eye out for other aircraft in the airspace, the weather conditions, and people or animals on the ground near your location. If it’s safe to do so, try to take a range of different shots with your drone. If you need ideas, check out my article, 7 shots to incorporate for better drone photography.
4. Post-flight
After your flight is completed, ensure everything is turned off correctly in the right order. Inspect your aircraft and propellers for damage.
Have a checklist of the items you brought with you and tick them off as you pack everything away. Drone ND filters are very small – you don’t want to leave one behind at your launch location.
When you get home, have a regular routine of how you pack your kit away. If you plan on flying again soon, put your batteries on charge again.
Copy your images and videos from your micro SD card ready for your next flight. If you have two or three verified copies of the images, at that point, you may wish to format your memory card, ready for your next flight.
Have a shot list of images you’d like to capture during your flight.
Conclusion
A drone photography checklist is a great idea to keep you prepared and to ensure you are taking reasonable steps to fly safely and legally. Instead of worrying that I have forgotten to do something while driving to my location, I now head out confident that I have taken steps to prepare for the flight.
I start working through the checklist 24 hours before any planned drone activities. This gives me plenty of time to get things sorted, as well as providing me with some reassurance that I am a responsible drone flyer. My checklist is also a big help when packing my gear before the flight, and when packing up afterward.
I’d encourage you to create your own list to print out and keep with your drone backpack, ready to check before you take to the skies. What else would you add to your drone photography checklist? Tell us in the comments below.
Drone checklist summary
You can download the PDF drone photography checklist here to keep and print out. That way, you will never miss getting your shots. Alternatively, you can just refer to the list below.
Airspace
Am I legally allowed to fly my drone in the airspace above this location?
What is the maximum height I can fly my drone at this location?
Will other aircraft be in the vicinity? (planes, helicopters, hot air balloons, drones, model aircraft, paragliders).
Location
Do I need the landowner’s permission to launch my drone at this location?
Will there be a lot of people at this location? How will I keep my drone away from other people? Will there be distractions such as dogs, children or birds?
Equipment
Are all of my drone batteries charged?
Does my memory card have enough space for images and videos for my next flight?
Is my smartphone or device fully charged? Does it have the latest version of the drone operating software on?
Is my drone in perfect working order? Are the propellers clean with no issues?
Do I have all the accessories I need? E.g. Cables, launch pad, ND filters.
Weather
What is the estimated wind speed for the time of my flight? Will I need to take any extra precautions due to the wind speed?
Are any storms or extreme weather events expected? Will bright conditions make it difficult to view my device?
Ensure all items (drone, ND filters, propellers) are accounted for.
The post This Drone Photography Checklist will Ensure You Never Miss Your Shots appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.
Go out and take some photos of historic buildings. Do exterior shots, interior shots, and close-ups of details. Get down low and shoot high for extreme angles.
So, if you are lucky enough to be somewhere you can photograph some historic buildings, capture them in any way you like. Alternatively, go through your catalog and find your best historic building photos!
Play with post-processing too – try split-toning, black and white or sepia.
Slot photos together, like I do to see how images work together as a series too.
Take them with your camera or smartphone.
The choice is yours! I look forward to seeing what you share
Check out some of the articles below that give you tips on this week’s challenge.
Tips for photographing HISTORIC BUILDINGS
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 favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge.
How to Tell Stories with Architecture Photography
6 Helpful Tips for Doing Interior Architecture Photography
Tips for Different Approaches to Architecture Photography
6 Tips to Take Your Architecture Photography to the Next Level
Architecture: Photographing Exterior Details
How to Achieve Great Black and White Photos in Editing
How to Use Color Temperature in Black and White Conversions
How to Create Silky Split Toned Black and White Photos Using Luminosity Masks
Get Low and Aim High – How to Use Low-Angle Photography to Great Effect
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 #DPShistoricBuildings 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 – Historic Buildings appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.
The post 4 Ways to Create Awesome Infrared Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.
A really interesting form of photography that can transform your images is infrared photography. This form of photography has been around for a long time, and today, you’ll discover how to make your own infrared images. Anyone can do this, and it’s possible to do with minimal or even no extra equipment at all. So read on and find out how you can enhance your photographs today.
Infrared works very well as a long exposure, especially with moving water.
1. Infrared photography with an infrared filter
The first and most accessible way for photographers with a digital camera to get into infrared photography is to buy a filter. Filters work by filtering out all light except infrared. This will lead to an infrared image rendered onto your camera sensor.
The imperfect solution
Using a filter is the quickest route into this genre of photography, but it’s not without it’s problems. The fact is your camera is built to resist infrared light, a fact that has both positive and negative results for you as a photographer. Let’s take a look at some of the factors you’ll need to consider.
Camera sensor – Different cameras will work better or worse when it comes to infrared photography with a filter. This comes down to how strong the filter that blocks infra-red light hitting your camera sensor is. A strong filter will mean you’ll need longer exposures, and the results are not always as strong.
Light leaking – With the long exposures needed it’s important to cover area’s of the camera that allow light in, other than of course the lens. If you fail to do this you’ll find light leaks in, effecting the outer area’s of your image. The most obvious area that needs covering on a dSLR camera is the viewfinder.
Camera noise – If your camera is not sensitive to infrared light you’re going to have two choices, both will lead to digital noise on your image. Those choices are upping the ISO, to allow a shorter long exposure, or exposing for several minutes in bulb mode.
In this photo the clouds in the sky work very well for infrared. There is also a lot of green leaves photosynthesizing.
The need for long exposure
As mentioned infrared photography with a filter requires long exposure, however this can often really add to your image. You’ll need a tripod, a way for triggering your shutter remotely, and you’ll need to cover your camera to prevent light leaking in. Using long exposure is often the choice of many landscape photographers anyway, so what will you gain? If you’re photographing anywhere with moving water or clouds, then you’ll capture their movement with long exposure. Coastlines and seawater are somewhat different in that it will flatten the water, again often a desirable effect.
This image shows an infrared photo without white balance adjustment.
Which filter?
There are plenty of options when it comes to filters you can buy. Obviously, as with different manufacturers, the results will vary, and you’ll need to choose a filter that suits your style. However, all of these filters will do the same thing, and that is filter out infrared light. The photos in this article were produced using the Hoya R72 filter.
The white balance
To get to your desired result with an infrared filter, you’re going to need to adjust the white balance. You’ll usually want to do this in post-processing, however, it’s also possible to do it in-camera.
The method needed to do this in-camera is as follows:
Compose your photo and aim at some grass that is well-lit by the sun – it needs to be photosynthesizing.
Use an exposure of 10 or 20 seconds – enough to correctly expose the photo.
During the exposure, which in this case can be handheld, move the camera around so you get a blurred photo.
Your image should now be red, with no sharp portions to your photo.
Now go to your camera’s white balance settings.
Select the custom white balance option.
Select the photo you have just taken, and use this to set the custom white balance. It will now set everything that is red in your image and make it white.
In this scene, I adjusted the camera’s custom white balance.
Post-processing required
If you chose not to use the camera’s custom white balance, then you’ll now need to process your image. You’ll have a RAW image that is mostly red. You can now decide whether to process for a color infrared image, or a black and white one. In both cases, you’ll need to adjust the red and blue channels to achieve this.
Post-processing is used here from the red image above, and a color infrared was produced.
2. Modify your camera to produce infrared images
Those more serious about infrared photography can look into modifying their camera. It’s important to mention that once modified, your camera will only be useful for infrared photography, so don’t get this done with your main camera.
Those that go down this road often have a second camera body, which they’re prepared to dedicate to infrared photography.
What’s involved?
Remember that most camera manufacturers produce cameras that block out infrared light? You will modify your camera to remove that infrared blocking filter in front of your camera sensor and put an infrared filter in place. That’s the process, and now your camera will be sensitive to infrared light.
What are the advantages?
You can now use this camera more like a regular camera, instead of only being able to take long exposure photos. That means techniques like panning and infrared are possible. You’ll be able to use fast exposures to capture moments. In other words, you will regain full artistic control of your camera, just now it only photographs in infrared.
Cityscapes can work well with infrared. This one has a sepia tone.
3. Film photography and infrared
Infrared images have been produced for a long time, and certainly predate digital photography. It’s possible to take beautiful infrared images with film, though you’ll need to get film that specifically for this form of photography.
An infrared filter used on a digital camera won’t be needed this time, as the film itself exposes for infrared light. However, you may well consider using filters anyway. The same filters that enhance regular black and white photos can also do the same for infrared. That means the classic yellow, orange, and red filters should be in your camera bag. Should you choose to use an infrared filter this will certainly work, but again it will block most of the light, meaning you’ll be taking a long exposure.
The technique creates a dreamscape mood for your photos.
4. Producing infrared images in post-processing
The last method to produce infrared images is post processing.
That means you can choose any of your existing photos, and process them to replicate the infrared effect. It’s worth choosing a photo that would work well if it were photographed as an infrared.
Think of a landscape photo with plenty of green foliage, and a blue sky with one or two clouds. Those wishing to learn how to process their images in this way can do so by reading this article.
Long exposure and reflection on water is a good combination.
Time to create your infrared image dreamscapes!
This article has given you all the information needed to create infrared images, or where to find that information.
Have you tried out this form of photography? If so, which of the above methods did you use, and do you have a preference?
Infrared photography is fun. If you’re waiting to get out on a sunny day, why not try the post-processing route? If you have any infrared images already, why not share them in the comments? We love to see your images!
The post 4 Ways to Create Awesome Infrared Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.
Today I got to test out the Tourbox. The company behind it claims its the “ultimate controller for creators”. The Tourbox is said to be compatible with many programs including Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator and Capture One, drawing software, like Clip Studio Paint, Comic Studio and SAI, or video and audio editing software, like Final Cut Pro, Premiere, After Effects, DaVinci, Continue Reading
The post Review of Tourbox Controller For Creators appeared first on Photodoto.
The post 4 Goals to Set for Expanding Your Photographic Creativity appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.
The new year has come and gone and we find ourselves well and truly into 2020. Traditionally, many significant goals are made around the new year mark. But setting goals is a great way to work towards achieving a desired outcome at any time of the year. So why wait? Here are some simple creativity goals you can set yourself to expand on your photographic practice right now.
Goal 1: try new subject matter
There’s nothing wrong with specialising, but branching out in photography can often reveal surprising creative opportunities.
For the first of our creativity goals, grab a pen and paper. Your task is to list at least 10 subjects that interest you but that you haven’t photographed in a while (if at all). Bugs, aviation, food, architecture… the list can be as varied as you’d like.
Once you’ve finished compiling your list, narrow your results down to the three most appealing (and doable) options. You want topics that interest you, but are also realistic and achievable.
One of my chosen subjects for this goal was insects. f/4.5 1/1600 ISO 640
Once you’ve decided on your top three, set a reasonable time frame to photograph your chosen subject matter (it can be weeks, months or even years!).
You may also need to consider what photographic equipment you require for your goal. And don’t forget to do your research. Good research into a subject and a realistic time frame will help you make an actionable plan to achieve your creativity goals.
Keep your list nearby as motivation. You could stick it on the fridge, or in your camera bag…somewhere that will remind you of your goal. You could even use the list as a check-list of sorts. The point is that you have identified topics of interest and made a commitment to work towards a corresponding goal.
By creating a list of new subject matter, doing the research, and setting an actionable goal, you’ve already created a solid foundation from which to launch into new photographic opportunities.
Goal 2: room for improvement
Goal setting is a great way to check-in with your own creative process. Grab yourself another sheet of paper and a pen (don’t worry, the whole article isn’t about list-making) and jot down two or three aspects that might be hindering your creative practice. Some ideas are:
Running low on time for creativity
Lack of photographic direction or improvement
Difficulty with the technical aspects of photography
Suffering from creative blocks
A decrease in inspiration
Next, write some actionable goals that will make a positive impact in the areas you’ve identified as needing improvement. Here’s my list:
Running short on time – dedicate 30 minutes to creativity a day – 1 week
Creative block – photograph at least one favourite subject each week – 1 month
You’ll notice I also added a time frame to complete or perform these goals – this will give you motivation, and a concrete idea of how your goal will impact your practice.
Again, choose a realistic time frame. You can always elect to tackle a goal for a week and then expand the duration from there.
Photographing a favourite subject regularly is a goal that can keep you motivated within your creative practice. f/4.0 1/100 ISO 100
Put your list on your cork board, in your organiser, as an alarm on your phone…whatever works. The list serves as a reminder for you to make time for growing your own practice.
Do your best to achieve the creativity goals you’ve set, but don’t worry if you can’t get everything done. Goal setting is about gradual growth, and every small step toward your goal is a victory. Just do your best!
Goal 3: try new tools and techniques
Not everyone has a spare camera, lens, tripod, etc laying around. But if you do, setting a dedicated goal to put some of your underused equipment to good use is a great way to expand your creativity. The same goes for testing out some new photographic techniques.
Adopting a goal to take up blurred or abstract photography is a great way to expand your creativity. f/1.8 1/320 ISO 800
You don’t have to set a terribly elaborate goal to make a difference. Committing to experimenting with an old lens can offer a completely new perspective.
Shooting with film for a month can test your photographic approach.
Setting a goal to get out of Auto Mode or tackling a new technique each week in-camera or in Photoshop will grow your practice significantly. Setting creativity goals based around new tools and techniques challenges your photographic approach, thus, building your creative repertoire.
Goal 4: taking time out for inspiration
We touched on this before, but inspiration can be a fleeting phenomenon. One minute you’re bursting at the seams with creativity and then running on empty the next.
Creativity goals inspire us to take the time to do a stock-take on our own creative levels. Everyone feels creatively drained from time to time, but making a dedicated gap in your schedule to check-in with what is going on in the artistic sphere creates more opportunities for gathering inspiration and technical knowledge.
f/2.2 1/80 ISO 200
Start by setting a goal to dedicate at least 15-30 minutes per day for a week to inspiration. Reading books, going to exhibitions, researching websites (like Digital Photography School of course!), filling up a visual diary, and even checking Instagram can all contribute to a greater grasp of photographic theory and execution.
Once your set period of inspirational activities is over, review and make adjustments to your goal so it better suits your daily regimen.
Then…start again!
Soon, you’ll be in the habit of surrounding yourself with inspirational resources that recharge your creative practice and keep you abreast of creative possibilities and solutions.
Conclusion
Goal setting may seem daunting at first. However, once you break the process down, the usefulness and accessibility of goal-making become more apparent.
Goals encourage us to take active steps towards bettering our photographic practice. By making creativity goals, we commit to expanding our creativity incrementally, bettering our theoretical knowledge and practical experience.
Have you set yourself a creative goal recently? How did it go? Share your experience in the comments!
The post 4 Goals to Set for Expanding Your Photographic Creativity appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.
The post Synology NAS – Transforming Your Workspace to be More Productive appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.
Messy People Have More Creative And Productive Minds, Science Says
While science may well say this, I’ve got to admit after deciding that I had ‘no room to swing a cat’ with my stuff everywhere, that I’ve taken some time during this COVID-19 lock-in to plan and execute my office clean-up! Along with that office clean up, I’ve reorganized my external storage, my raw image archiving, and my general day-to-day workflow, and I wanted to share that process with you.
I’ve been using a large external ‘DAS’ for a good while – a raid array (external disk) with a Thunderbolt 3 connection. Without spending a shed-load of cash on a very expensive cable, I wasn’t able to get it a suitable distance away from my workspace.
So, all of those pretty glowing blue lights and the accompanying whir of drives had to be right beside me. Not necessarily a terrible thing – it’s a very well behaved Raid array – however, it wasn’t very quiet. And, it was kinda ugly in my new small, streamlined office.
I had the idea to ‘kill the clutter’ and switch to a complete NAS (Network Attached Storage) setup with a single direct attached drive at the back of my iMac. Then I tucked the second NAS away in my “server room” (a cupboard in the corner of my office with some powerpoints and a Cat6 patch panel).
This would move the big whirring, glowing drive out of my office space and tuck my main image archiving server away, out of sight.
I also added a second monitor to my setup, a stunning 27″ EIZO. I highly recommend checking them out! It’s very easy on the eye.
So I loaded six of my regular-flavor hard disks into the Synology DS1618, the 6tb WD Red disks – the same drives I have in all of my Synology NAS gear.
Setting the NAS up using Synology’s SHR (Synology Hybrid Raid) and splitting my data across the drives for some hardware failure redundancy, is a very simple process I’ve written about here. My workflow with the second NAS has changed considerably and, after a month or so of testing, is working exactly as I’d like it to.
Now when I import from an SD card, I import directly into my external USB-C disk (Invariably, a G-Technology 4-8TB) and at the same time import to my backup location which is an identical library on the freshly installed Synology DS1618, where previously I’d import to the blue whirring beast (It was a Promise R8, an amazing unit, but just not what I wanted in my new space) and the USB-C drive. Over Cat6 the import of RAW files to my NAS doesn’t register as taking too long and hasn’t bothered me once.
Now, when I import from an SD card, I import directly into my external USB-C disk (invariably, a G-Technology 4-8TB) and to my backup location – an identical library on the freshly installed Synology DS1618. Previously I’d import to the USB-C drive and the blue whirring beast (a Promise R8. An amazing unit, but just not what I wanted in my new space). Over Cat6, the import of RAW files to my NAS doesn’t register as taking too long and hasn’t bothered me once.
Indirect benefits of the NAS running DSM as a second image storage location are, I can put any RAW files (or all of them), after conversion by the NAS, into a piece of Synology software called “PhotoStation.” This automagically creates good-looking web albums and can group and organize your photos in many ways. In this modern age of never printing anything and having dinner-table arguments discussions about ‘never seeing any of the photos we take’ is a very good thing!
The other main reason for the setup change is that I consult and, from time to time, have people into my home office to chat. Having my servers out and about, with cables hanging around to trip people over, was not a good look! Now, with everything tucked away, there’s no fear of that happening! I also spend a lot of time in my office, and I like to enjoy the space, so I am very happy with the transformation!
Since we talked last about storage, backups and NAS, my home/office internet has joined the (almost) 20th century in the form of 100Mb NBN. This means that my digital delivery to clients directly from my NAS is MUCH faster. I’m able to share albums and full-res finished images directly from my Disk Station, all from the privacy of my cupboard!
In closing, the process of de-cluttering your workspace is really very simple these days and can be quite cathartic! A small to medium-sized Synology NAS tucked away in your cupboard, and you’re good to go.
Together, Synology and WD provided the equipment for this test setup, but the opinions expressed are my own.
Have you got a storage set-up you’d like to share? Please let us know in the comments section.
The post Synology NAS – Transforming Your Workspace to be More Productive appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.
The post 5 Different Approaches to Learning Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.
There are many different approaches to learning photography. Some people would have you believe that one way is far superior to others. But the reality is, everyone learns differently. People have different lifestyles and learning methods, various time constraints, and different budgets.
You’re already on a site that offers one way of learning photography, but have you considered the other paths that you could take? Here’s a rundown of different ways that you can structure your practice and improve your photos.
1. Blogs
It doesn’t take much to find a myriad of blogs looking to help you learn photography. Anyone from the most experienced professional photographer to someone who just bought their camera can start a blog. I guarantee that you can learn something from all of these photographers.
For some people, like myself, blogs are an excellent format for learning photography. I’m the kind of person who learns well from text and pictures, so I read a lot of different blogs by many different photographers.
There are two significant advantages of blogs over other kinds of learning. The first is that anyone can create them, which leads to all sorts of ideas being shared. The second is that they’re quick to respond to new technologies and techniques. You’ll probably see articles about near gear or styles on a blog way before you see the same information in a book.
2. Books
Having just said that blogs are more likely to have new information than books, books still have some advantages. They often go into much more detail than blogs, especially where the content is unlikely to change even with new technology.
I have several books that cover scientific aspects of cameras and photography, and they’re still useful almost fifteen years after I bought them.
This solid foundation of knowledge can be where it’s helpful to use a few different approaches to learning photography, topping up your foundations with videos or blogs.
You can often pick up second-hand photography books cheap in thrift stores and on online auction sites. I have some real gems from decades back. They are fascinating to use to learn techniques that were in fashion at the time.
My particular favorites are the 70s and 80s glamour photography books I own; when I started shooting male glamour models and wanted an 80s vibe, they were the first place I looked for inspiration!
3. Videos
YouTube is a great place to find both photographic inspiration and tutorials of all kinds. And just like blogs, everyone can start a channel and upload videos to help other photographers learn.
An advantage of video is that if you’re the kind of person who learns best visually, you can get to grips with a technique much more effectively as you watch a photographer demonstrate it. Different approaches to learning photography will suit different people – everyone learns in different ways.
Some websites offer whole libraries of classes to watch, with some of the courses lasting several days! You can generally either buy the class to keep forever or take out annual or monthly subscriptions that allow you to view all the classes on the site for as long as you keep subscribing.
Many people find watching video tutorials a great way to learn. I’ve got several friends who have taught themselves photography almost entirely from YouTube. If you love watching videos, then you’re spoilt for choice. There is a video tutorial on just about every aspect of photography that you can imagine (and a few you’ve never thought of).
4. Workshops
If there’s one good thing that will come out of our global extended time at home, it’s that there are now many more workshops happening online. Participating in a photography workshop can now be as simple as firing up some video conferencing software and tuning in to listen to an instructor talk!
The advantage of live workshops over pre-recorded videos is that you can usually ask the instructor questions during the workshop. Many online video conferencing platforms have the ability for you to type our a question or virtually raise your hand. Do take advantage of this feature and ask all the questions you can think of.
Of course, workshops that happen in person are great too because you can often get hands-on with equipment that you might not have at home. Lighting workshops should give you the time to try out the gear that you’re being taught to use, and ideally, there’s scope to play around a be a bit creative while you have a go.
One type of workshop that it’s particularly helpful to keep an eye out for is when camera manufacturers release new equipment. Often they hold cheap (or even free) seminars that allow you to get hands-on with new lenses and cameras. Even if you don’t intend to buy a new camera or lens, this can be a great way to have access to a professional photography teacher who you can ask questions!
5. University
Perhaps the ultimate long-term commitment to learning about photography is going to university and doing a degree. It’s not an option for everybody, of course. But for those that can afford both the time and the money, it’s incredible to be able to immerse yourself in a single subject for three years and one of the most intense approaches to learning photography.
If this is an option that you’re considering, then do think outside of the standard photography degree. Some universities let you combine photography with subjects like marketing. This combination would be an incredible option for those wanting to go into advertising photography.
If you wanted to go into photojournalism, then you might choose to find a way to combine photography with international politics.
And don’t forget fine art as a subject either! There’s often lots of scope for photography practice on a fine art degree.
I chose to go to university to study art history as a mature student. It is genuinely the best decision that I ever made as a photographer. It has matured my work, given me a greater understanding of issues when it comes to artistic practice, and it has opened my eyes to a whole incredible history of creativity and art. I liked it so much that I’m now doing a PhD. You never know where studying photography might lead you!
Pick the right option for you
The advice that I always give when photographers ask about how best they should learn is that they should pick the route that makes the most sense for them and their photographic aspirations.
There are so many different approaches to learning photography that everyone should be able to find an option that suits their life, budget, and their dreams. And remember that if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, then try something new! You can always ask photographers that you know and see what worked for them.
Do you have anything you’d add to this? Feel free to share any other tips, or your experiences of learning photography with us in the comments section.
The post 5 Different Approaches to Learning Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.
One of the most frustrating things that can happen while editing photos is lag. Especially photoshop brush lag. Imagine, you’re right in the middle of doing some intricate touch-up edits to finalise an amazing photo for your portfolio or for a client and you cannot get the photoshop brush to do the edits in the exact place that you want Continue Reading
The post How to Fix Photoshop Brush Lag: 5 Steps appeared first on Photodoto.
