Category: Photography

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 for Sony Review

The post Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 for Sony Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

From the moment the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art lens for Sony was announced in December 2019, it’s been in hot demand. Fast forward to May 2020, and the lens is still back-ordered and difficult to get ahold of. It’s not hard to see why, as this lens is half the price of the Sony 24-70mm f2/.8 G Master. This Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 for Sony review highlights some key specs of the new Sigma Art lens and contemplates why it’s such a sought after lens.

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 for Sony Review — Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 100mm f2/.8 – 1/160 sec, f/7.1, ISO 400

Specs

Focal Length	24 to 70mm
Maximum Aperture	f/2.8
Minimum Aperture	f/22
Lens Mount	Sony E
Format Compatibility	Full-Frame
Angle of View	84.1° to 34.3°
Minimum Focus Distance	7.09″ / 18 cm
Maximum Magnification	0.34x
Optical Design	19 Elements in 15 Groups
Diaphragm Blades	11, Rounded
Focus Type	Autofocus
Image Stabilization	No
Filter Size	82 mm (Front)
Dimensions (ø x L)	3.46 x 4.84″ / 87.8 x 122.9 mm
Weight	1.84 lb / 835 g

24-70mm: the desert island lens

Ask any photographer what single lens they would rather have if marooned on a desert island. I’ll bet a good chunk of the answers would be the “24-70mm.” This is a classic mid-range lens that covers a useful and versatile focal length. 24mm is just wide enough to capture vast landscapes without much distortion, while 70mm offers just the right amount of zoom to capture shots from a distance.

Most camera brands, including Sony, offer two versions of the 24-70mm: one at f/4, and another at f/2.8. The Sony 24-70mm f/4 is of fantastic quality at a semi-reasonable price point of $ 898.00. There are often used ones to be had for several hundreds of dollars cheaper. But the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 stands at a whopping $ 2,198.00. See why there’s been a clamor for a half-price Sigma version?

Let’s not forget the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8, another lower-priced challenger at $ 879.00. This lens is a bit smaller and lighter than the Sigma version. It also has a smaller filter size of 67mm compared to the Sigma lens’ 82mm filter thread size. However, you sacrifice 4mm on the wide end, which may matter if you need maximum wilderness.

Back to the Sigma.

Build and construction

Sigma Art lenses are known for their superior bodies, and the 24-70mm f/2.8 is no exception. This lens was made in Japan, and it shows in the craftsmanship. It feels solid in the hands and is even a hair lighter than the Sony version. The lens has two rubber rings: one for focusing and another for zooming. There is also an Af/MF switch, a button for AF-Lock, and a locking mechanism.

The locking switch is a bit unusual. Enabling the lock prevents the lens from accidentally extending. On most lenses, the lock is rock solid. But on the Sigma, the lock can easily be overridden by simply twisting the zoom barrel. That makes it easier to run and gun shoot, but on the other hand, it’s a little too easy to accidentally unlock your lens in the field. I didn’t mind this feature, but some photographers may not like it.

The zoom is equipped with internal sealing against dust and moisture. There is also fluorine coating on the front of the lens to repel water and oil. Overall, this lens held up like a champ while shooting in a light rainstorm.

Image quality

Testing of the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 was done on a Sony a7riii. In terms of sharpness and overall image quality, the lens was fantastic in almost every way. The only problem is the hint of distortion and vignetting that you see at 24mm. But both of these can be easily corrected in post-production software such as Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

Bokeh quality at f/2.8 on the lens was smooth and creamy for a zoom lens.

Image stabilization

The main feature that this lens lacks is image stabilization (IS). That means this isn’t the optimal lens for shooting video. However, this lens works well with Sony’s in-body image stabilization (IBIS), so that gives you some form of stabilization. For non-video shooters, image stabilization in the lens would certainly help for capturing stills handheld at low shutter speeds, but then again, that’s something IBIS can help with.

So at the end of the day, we can’t fault Sigma for not including IS in this lens. The Sony version doesn’t have it either, and the inclusion of IS generally increases the overall price of a lens.

Ease of use in the field

I took the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 on a road trip with me. It took the place of my much more compact lens choice, the Sony 24-70mm f/4. My main photo subject was landscape and lifestyle photography, much of it done on cloudy days with even, filtered light. The lens performed beautifully and was a joy to shoot with. The autofocus was snappy and accurate, although the native Sony 24-70mm that I normally use still has the overall autofocus advantage.

The main thing that bugged me about the Sigma lens was its weight and size. Admittedly, I’ve learned to be okay with sacrificing a faster f-stop by using a smaller lens while traveling. This lens felt like it weighed the camera down when I wasn’t holding it in my hands and actively shooting with it. But then again, a larger and heavier lens is the yet another price to pay for using an f/2.8 lens.

Sigma 24-70mm at Lake Lenore Caves, Washington — Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm – 1/250 sec, f/9, ISO 160

Warranty

Besides a lower price, third-party lens companies such as Sigma are one-upping Sony by offering extended warranties. In the case of Sigma, each lens comes with a 1-year warranty, with an extended 3-year warranty in the USA. On the other hand, Sony offers just a 1-year warranty. However, you may be eligible to join the Sony Pro program, which offers discounted repairs.

In conclusion

The Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 is a solidly built, high performance lens that is a steal at $ 1,099.00. You won’t find a better 24-70mm at this price point. If you’re a stills photographer, you want this in your bag if you don’t already have the Sony version. However, video folks may want to look at another midrange option that includes image stabilization in the lens.

Sigma 24-70mm at Dry Falls, Washington — Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm – 1/160 sec, f/8, ISO 160

The post Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 for Sony Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

Digital Photography School

June 18, 2020

A Photographer’s Guide to Selling

Before you invest in an expensive degree in Photography or a related program, read this guide. There are countless methods for lucrative photography sales. That’s because today, more people are purchasing art and printed photography than ever before. Continue reading for a comprehensive guide on selling photography. A photographer’s guide to selling will cover: Why You Should Sell Your Photography Continue Reading

The post A Photographer’s Guide to Selling appeared first on Photodoto.

Photodoto

June 18, 2020
8 Tips for Editing Stock Photos so they Pass Inspection
The post 8 Tips for Editing Stock Photos so they Pass Inspection appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Editing stock photos requires a little more attention to detail than you otherwise might give your photos. Stock photo agencies have standards to meet and rules to follow. If you want your photos accepted into their libraries, you must adhere to them.

You may have applied to a stock photo agency in the past and had your imaged rejected because they were not up to scratch. Each stock photo agency has its guidelines for what is acceptable and what is not. Learning what these are can save you a lot of wasted effort and time.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D700, 105mm, 1/20 sec, f/4, ISO 200, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering..

It’s easier than ever to upload to stock photo agencies

Over the years micro-stock photography requirements for image editing have shifted somewhat.

Camera technology has improved, so there are fewer imperfections caused in images when you take them. With the increase in megapixels and image quality, there’s less need for as much post-processing now.

With more and more stock photography sites coming online over the years, standards are not so tough as they used to be. Newer, smaller agencies want to attract photographers. Not being so strict on image quality makes it easier to meet requirements. Image libraries are populated more quickly because there are fewer rejections.

As stock photo libraries contain millions of photos, the parameters for what style of photo is accepted has changed. Many photo sales sites will accept photos for editorial licensing, whereas in the past most did not.

From one agency to another, the quality and style of photos they accept differ. In this article, I’ll go over some of the most common things to look for in your photos that might hinder them from being accepted.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D200, 70mm, 1/125 sec, f/3.2, ISO 200, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering.

Common requirements for editing stock photos

When I started learning about stock photography, there were fewer agencies, and their quality standards were much higher. It was more challenging to have your photos accepted into the best agencies. And, when you had been welcomed as a contributor, you could not let your standards drop.

Each submitted photograph gets thoroughly checked. The team of inspectors works with a list of parameters and standards. Every photo must meet these before it’s included in the stock library. In some cases, inspectors will offer you feedback. There can be a provision made to resubmit rejected photos once they are fixed. But not all stock agencies do this. Sometimes if your photos are rejected, there is no opportunity to fix them and resubmit.

Learning to meet the standards will help you improve your image editing skills. The bar may not be so high anymore, but it’s always best to aim to present the highest quality possible.

Some of the most common things stock photography inspectors look for in photos that will get them rejected are:
1. Incorrect exposure
2. Excessive noise
3. Chromatic aberration
4. Artifacting
5. Sensor spots, dust, and other blemishes
6. Poor cropping and alignment
7. Incorrect white balance
8. Copyright infringement
© Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D700, 55mm f/1.4, 1/30 sec, f/3.5, ISO 500, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering.

Editing stock photos so they pass inspection

Before you start editing, you can do a lot to ensure your photos will get accepted. For more of your photos to pass inspection, you need to think like a stock photographer as you are taking your photos.

1. Set your exposure well

Keep in mind the importance of attaining a good exposure. This is far more desirable than correcting your exposure during post-production. Start editing stock photos that are poorly exposed and you’ll run into other problems.

When your exposure is poor, correcting it during post-production can result in artifacts in your image. This is when the digital integrity of the image starts to break down. Stock agency photo inspectors usually reject photos with artifacts.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D700, 55mm f/1.4, 1/15 sec, f/32, ISO 200, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering.

2. Clean the noise up

Modern cameras have an incredible capacity to take photos in low light. Raising your ISO too high can create an unacceptable amount of digital noise.

Cleaning up the noise is often not at all difficult. With the correct balance of noise reduction slider, you can eliminate it.

When you’ve used a high ISO setting, make sure you zoom into 100% and take a look at the level of digital noise. You may not see it clearly unless you enlarge your photo. Using the appropriate sliders, you will be able to reduce it significantly.

This image contained a lot of digital noise that I removed in Lightroom. © Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D700, 35mm f/1.4, 1/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering.

3. Remove chromatic aberration

Chromatic aberration is sometimes called purple fringing. It’s a fault in digital images caused by contrast in a scene. When you’re editing stock photos, you must look carefully for this problem.

Check along the edges of objects in your photos where there’s a contrast with the background. When you notice a band of color along the edge you will need to correct this. The color is usually magenta or green. Sometimes it can be blue or yellow.

Most popular image processing software now has dedicated tools for eliminating this problem.

4. Clone out sensor spots and other blemishes

Sensor spots look ugly in photos. It’s best to keep your camera sensor clean, but this is not always possible. Other dust and blemishes also need to be removed so you can upload the cleanest photos possible.

Using clone tools is often the best way to clean these blemishes from your photos. Again, zoom into 100% so you can see these spots easily. Work methodically over the whole photo to make sure you don’t miss any.

Sensor spots are usually visible against a clear space in your photos. They are likely to show up in large areas of sky, snow, or other similar elements containing little or no detail.

This type of image with lots of sky needs to be checked well for sensor spots. © Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D700, 85mm f/1.4, 1/5000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering.

5. Straighten your photos

Buildings, lamp posts, horizons, and other elements must look properly aligned. If you’ve taken your photo with your camera on a bit of an angle, the vertical and horizontal lines will not appear natural.

Cropping your photos, so elements in them are aligned correctly, will help them pass inspection.

6. Correct your white balance

Most of the time, I have my camera set to auto white balance. This produces the correct color in my photos most of the time. When the color in your photos looks odd, it must be tweaked so it looks natural.

Having your camera set to save RAW files makes all aspects of post-processing easier, especially color correction. If you have photos where the color looks too cool or too warm, use the eyedropper tool or color correction sliders to help you achieve the natural color.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D700, 50mm f/1.4, 1/200 sec, f/4, ISO 200, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering.

7. Remove all copyrighted elements when you are editing stock photos

This is the most frustrating aspect of stock photography for many people. So many things are copyrighted and branded. It’s best to avoid anything with a logo or branding when you are taking your photos. Sometimes you can’t, so you need to remove any instances of copyrighted material from your images.

If you are only uploading your images to sell under an editorial license, the requirements for copyright are different. You’ll need to check the terms and conditions for each stock photo agency as they differ from one to another.

Sometimes copyrighted material is in plain sight. Branding on a coffee cup. An outdoor advertising banner. Logos on shoes and clothing. All these are unacceptable when submitting photos to royalty-free microstock photo agencies.

Some of the more elusive things that contain copyrighted material are:
- Zips with branding
- Clips on bags with branding
- Buttons with branding
- Watches
- Phones
- Artworks
Text written in a language the inspector does not read will also often be rejected as they have no way of knowing if it’s copyrighted.

Cloning out any logos or branding can take a long time, so it’s best to avoid including these things in your photos when you can.

I had to clone out a lot of branding from the jet ski. © Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D700, 35mm f/1.4, 1/160 sec, f/6.3, ISO 200, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering.

8. Post-processing editorial stock photos

What’s allowed and what is not allowed is different for regular and for editorial licensing.

Images submitted for sale under a standard royalty-free license can be edited freely. Editorial stock images must meet higher standards. The most important thing to know is you cannot generally make use of the clone tool.

Any alteration to the content, other than sensor spots is not allowed. You must check the rules for each stock agency you submit editorial images to.

Conclusion

Become familiar with the requirements of each stock photo agency you want to upload to. Understand what is acceptable and what is not. This can take some time but ultimately will save you time and stress.

Take your time when you are editing stock photos. Look carefully at each one. Zoom into 100% to ensure your image quality meets the standards required.

I hope you find these tips useful. Do you have any other tips for editing stock photos you’d like to share? Please do so in the comments!

The post 8 Tips for Editing Stock Photos so they Pass Inspection appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Digital Photography School
June 17, 2020
How to Choose the Perfect Focus Mode For Every Situation
The post How to Choose the Perfect Focus Mode For Every Situation appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Do you struggle with choosing a focus mode? Do you want to know how to choose the perfect focus mode, every single time you pick up your camera?

You’ve come to the right place.

Because while it may seem to difficult to choose the best focus mode for the situation, there are a few guidelines you can use to ensure you nail focus, consistently.

Let’s dive right in.

Canon EF 400mm f5.6L USM lens | 400mm | f/6.3 | 1/1000s | ISO 200

The three key focus modes

Most cameras are equipped with three key focus modes:

AF-S, also known as One Shot.

AF-C, also known as Continuous, also known as AI Servo.

Manual (sometimes abbreviated as M).

Note that some cameras include an additional focus mode, known as AI Focus, also known as AF-A. But it’s a mode that I never use, and I certainly don’t recommend to others (it’s frequently finicky, and not very effective).

Instead, I suggest learning how to use the modes listed above, and you’ll do just fine!

So how do each of these key focus modes work?

Assuming that you use the shutter button to activate focusing:

When set to AF-S, your camera will acquire focus as soon as you half-press the shutter button. And that point of focus will lock until you let go of the shutter.

When set to AF-C, your camera will begin to acquire focus when you half-press the shutter button. But it will continue to refocus as your subject moves (or as your camera moves).

AF-C is very helpful for tracking moving subjects, like the leaping girl in this image.
Canon EF-S 24mm f2.8 STM Lens | 24mm | f/5.6 | 1/800s | ISO 320

Note that you can tell a camera in AF-C to track a subject as it moves through the frame, or to continuously acquire focus at the center of the image, etc.

When set to manually focus, your camera won’t focus at all. You have to do all the focusing work via the focus ring on your lens.

Make sense?

So, to recap:

AF-S focuses and locks.

AF-C focuses and keeps focusing, potentially even tracking a subject as they move.

And manual leaves control over focus to you, the photographer.

But when should you use each of these focus modes?

Read on to find out!

When should you use your AF-S focus mode?

AF-S focus mode is my go-to, and the mode I use most frequently. When choosing a focus mode, AF-S is my first thought. And if you’re more of a still photographer (i.e., not an action/sports/wildlife shooter), I recommend you use AF-S mode all the time.

This is because it has so many applications, from landscape to street to portrait and more.

I used AF-S to capture this simple image of a bike tire.
Canon EF 50mm f1.8 Lens | 50mm | f/1.8 | 1/320s | ISO 200

Basically, whenever you’re shooting a non-moving subject, AF-S is the way to go. You can set the focus point to the center of the frame, half-press the shutter button to lock focus, and then compose the shot however you like.

(This is often referred to as the focus and recompose technique.)

For instance, if you’re photographing a street scene, you can focus on a prominent element, such as an interesting poster. Then you can carefully compose the scene. And, as soon as all the elements come together (e.g., a person walks through in just the right place), you can take the shot!

I’m also a fan of using AF-S for handheld landscape photography. I’ll often find myself wanting to put elements off-center, so I’ll lock focus in AF-S, then shift the composition slightly.

I used the focus and recompose method to capture this landscape shot at sunset.
Canon EF 100mm Macro f2.8L Lens | 100mm | f/8 | 1/1250s | ISO 200

And then, when I take the shot, it looks exactly the way I envisioned.

Really, AF-S is an extremely useful mode and the one I recommend you use it whenever you’re shooting a motionless scene.

When should you use your AF-C focus mode?

You should use AF-C focus mode whenever you’re shooting action.

An action shot like this is a lot easier in AF-C!
400mm | f/7.1 | 1/1250s | ISO 200

You see, AF-C mode allows you to focus and refocus, or focus and track a subject as it moves throughout the frame.

This is invaluable when shooting sports, where players rarely stay still long enough to allow for easy focusing.

AF-C mode is also great for wildlife and bird photography because you’re frequently faced with fast-moving subjects at high magnifications.

And if you’re an insect photographer, you’ll also want to use AF-C mode, assuming you’re shooting an active subject such as a butterfly.

Even pet and street photographers can profit from using AF-C a lot of the time (though I recommend switching between AF-C and AF-S, depending on the situation).

Animals tend to move fast, so AF-C can be a big benefit.
50mm | f/2.8 | 1/640s | ISO 200

You should also be aware that AF-C often offers quite a few useful AF Area Modes (which are mostly used for tracking). These allow you to specify whether a subject should be tracked at a single autofocus point, by a single point and nearby surrounding points, or across the entire frame.

So, bottom line:

If you’re choosing a focus mode when shooting action, pick AF-C.

400mm | f/7.1 | 1/1600s | ISO 200

When should you use your manual focus mode?

100mm | f/3.5 | 1/320s | ISO 200

Manual focus is often a mode of last resort, and the one that you go to when AF-S and AF-C fail.

Manual focus is very, very slow. It can also be frustrating if you’ve not had much practice with it before. But it’s the only mode that is consistently accurate, no matter the lighting, and no matter the size or color of your subject.

You see, there are some situations where AF-C and AF-S just don’t work well.
- When the light is low
- When your subject is heavily backlit
- When your subject includes very little contrast
- When you’re working at very high magnifications
The backlighting was causing my camera to struggle, so I switched to manual focus for this image!
50mm | f/2.8 | 1/1000s | ISO 200

Whenever you’re confronted by these situations, your autofocus will hunt like crazy.

Until you switch to manual, that is!

For instance, I do all of my macro photography in manual focus mode. My lenses just can’t handle focusing at such close distances.

Shots like this require manual focus; otherwise, I’d be there all day waiting for my lens to lock onto a petal!
100mm | f/2.8 | 1/250s | ISO 200

I also do still life photography while focusing manually, because I often work in dim light (with a couple of flashes).

I’ve also used manual focus when photographing birds, because my AF-S and AF-C modes struggle when shooting backlit silhouettes.

Note that manual can also be used for finer control over your point of focus. Many landscape photographers use manual focus mode for this very reason. It allows you to choose a point of focus that maximizes your depth of field, and it even allows you to do precise focus-stacking with ease.

If you’re trying to maximize depth of field throughout your frame, then manual focus is a great choice.
24mm | f/11 | 1/4s | ISO 200

So don’t think that manual focus is only for a few specialized genres of photography. It can be useful in a number of different situations, and it pays to practice frequently.

That way, next time you’re in a situation where your autofocus isn’t working, you can quickly switch over to manual and nail the shot.

How to choose the perfect focus mode: Conclusion

50mm | f/4 | 1/250s | ISO 200

Now that you’ve finished this article, you know that choosing a focus mode doesn’t have to be hard.

Because you know about AF-S (which is great for still subjects).

You know about AF-C (which is perfect for action photography).

And you know about manual focus, which is useful in quite a few scenarios (including macro, landscape, and still life).

Now over to you:

Which focus mode is your favorite? And how do you go about choosing a focus mode? Let me know in the comments!

The post How to Choose the Perfect Focus Mode For Every Situation appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Digital Photography School
June 16, 2020
Tamron Announces First Mirrorless All-In-One f/2.8 Zoom
The post Tamron Announces First Mirrorless All-In-One f/2.8 Zoom appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Earlier this week, Tamron announced its brand new 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 lens designed for Sony mirrorless cameras.

In addition to its massive range, the lens boasts a maximum aperture of f/2.8 at its widest focal length, making it officially the first all-in-one zoom lens to begin at f/2.8.

While the lens ultimately tops out at f/5.6 at the 200mm end, the wide-angle f/2.8 maximum aperture offers low-light shooters the opportunity to work with a fast, lightweight, compact zoom, one that also features significant reach on the long end.

In terms of weight and dimensions:

The Tamron 28-200mm clocks in at just 20.3 oz (575 g), while measuring 4.6 in (117 mm). This positions the lens as a comprehensive option for travel photographers, landscape photographers, and more; just slip the Tamron 28-200mm plus a Sony camera in your backpack, and you’ll be ready for anything.

Of course, none of this matters if the lens can’t deliver on image quality, and all-in-one zooms are known for their lackluster optics, especially at focal length extremes.

While we can’t definitively comment on sharpness, Tamron promises “liberal use of special lens elements…to greatly suppress chromatic aberrations, making it possible to achieve high image quality from edge to edge.”

Tamron also claims to have “concentrated all its all-in-one zoom technologies into achieving optical performance that sets a new standard among existing all-in-one zoom lenses.”

While we’ll have to wait a few weeks to confirm Tamron’s claims, the company’s other all-in-one zooms have been mediocre-to-great. If Tamron has taken this one a step further, then the rewards could be great.

The new lens also offers:
- An impressive minimum focusing distance of 7.5 in (0.19 m) on the wide end and 31.5 (0.8m) on the long end, making for a close-up magnification ratio of 1:3.8
- A fast, quiet AF motor
- Moisture resistance
- A reasonable price of US$ 729
Assuming the optics are good, this lens will be a steal for almost any shooter, but especially photographers looking to reduce the size of their kit for travel, outdoors, or walkaround photography.

At the time of writing, the lens will launch on June 25, though Tamron warns of potential COVID-related delays.

So if you’re interested in an all-in-one zoom for Sony with tremendous low-light capabilities, great optical potential, and much more, check out the new Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD.

Now over to you:

What do you think of this new lens from Tamron? Do you expect it will separate itself from other all-in-one zooms in terms of optics? And if so, will you purchase it? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Tamron Announces First Mirrorless All-In-One f/2.8 Zoom appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Digital Photography School
June 15, 2020
Lightroom Moon Editing Tips for Awesome Moon Photos
The post Lightroom Moon Editing Tips for Awesome Moon Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

One of the most fascinating photos you can take is a crystal-clear shot of the full moon. Pictures like this don’t require a lot of fancy gear, but you do have to be in the right place at the right time. To make matters even more tricky, you only have a handful of opportunities each year to even attempt a moon shot. Getting a picture is just the beginning, though. If you want to make your shot stand out, it helps to follow these simple Lightroom moon editing tips.

Nikon D500, Nikon 70-200mm f2.8, 200mm, 1/200 second, f/4.8, ISO 640.

Shoot in RAW

The benefits of RAW over lossy formats like JPG are well documented. While there are certainly times where JPG is useful, RAW is essential when taking shots of the moon. You need all the editing leeway you can get to adjust colors, exposure, and other parameters.

For example, the photo below might not look like much, but it’s fairly typical of the types of moon shots most people would get with some basic camera gear. I shot this with a crop-sensor camera, which is much more common than expensive full-frame models. I also only zoomed to 200mm, and a lot of kit zoom lenses can easily reach this far.

This is straight out the camera with no postprocessing applied. Nikon D500, Nikon 70-200mm f2.8, 200mm, 1/200 second, f/5.6, ISO 720.

At first glance, it probably looks like there’s not much that I can do here. The moon is overexposed and a little blurry. It’s way too small, and the power lines cut right through the frame. Also, the sky has a weird blue tint to it that’s a bit unnatural.

However, hope is not lost! Thanks to the power of RAW files, and a little bit of editing prowess in Lightroom, this photo can be turned into a frame-worthy image.

Crop

Back in the early days of digital photography, people often debated the importance of megapixels. A common, though incorrect perception was that more megapixels equal better photos. While that is not necessarily true, having a higher megapixel count does allow you to have significant room for cropping, which is great when your subject is far away – 239,000 miles, to be exact.

Most cameras today have upwards of 20 megapixels, which gives you a huge amount of freedom to crop your photos. If you don’t have a huge telephoto zoom lens to zoom into individual moon craters, use Lightroom instead. Crop your image until it’s nice and tight with the moon right in the center.

Go ahead and crop your photo. If you have a modern camera you have plenty of leeway.

In this example, I cropped the image tight enough to get rid of everything but the moon and the sky. Gone are the power lines and trees, and what’s left is just the moon in all its glory. Even cropped in this much, the resulting image is 4.3 megapixels – more than enough to get an 8×10″ print made.

There’s still a lot of work to do, but cropping already helped a great deal.

White Balance

At this point the picture is better, but still has a long way to go.

The next step is to adjust the white balance. The reason I recommend doing this after you crop your moon photo is that it helps you focus on just the important part of the image. If you adjust the white balance before cropping, you might be focusing your edits on parts of the image that you discard after cropping.

There’s no right or wrong way to adjust the white balance on a moon photo. It all depends on how you want the final image to look and what you want your viewers to feel when they see it. If you want a starting point, here are two options I recommend.
1. Use the Daylight preset
2. Use the Eyedropper and click on the moon.
Both of these produce vastly different results. You can also play around with the sliders until you get a look that you like. One thing to remember is that the moon itself produces no light. It’s just a ball of rock falling through the sky. The light you see is sunlight reflecting off the surface, which is why some people prefer to use a white balance suited for sunlight. The choice is yours, though, and you can set the white balance however you want.

Another option is to combine the best of both worlds. Click the eyedropper tool on the moon, but then use the Brush tool to change the white balance of the moon. This will give you rich, deep blues for the sky but a yellow tint for the moon. However, this can be a little tricky. If not done right, you will see a weird color halo around the moon. So just make sure to use the Brush tool as precisely as possible.

You can use the Brush tool to change the white balance of the moon, but not the rest of the image if you choose.

Exposure adjustments

Nailing the exposure when shooting the moon is tricky. It’s a giant bright ball against a dark sky, which means a lot of the conventional rules don’t apply. I usually prefer to under-expose the moon and then adjust it in Lightroom. That way you preserve your highlights, but even if your picture is a little overexposed you can still salvage it if you shoot in RAW.

In this example, my shot is overexposed by about one stop. To fix it, I entered a -0.75 value in the Exposure slider in the Basic panel. This darkens everything: the moon and the sky. If you want the sky to stay the same level of brightness but just adjust the moon, use the Highlights slider. Drag it left to lower the exposure of the brightest portions of your image – in this case, the moon.

Raise or lowering the exposure in Lightroom to get just the right appearance.

Adjusting the exposure isn’t one of the most mind-blowing moon editing tips, but it’s an essential step in the process of getting your final shot to look good.

Texture and Sharpening

When you take a picture of the moon, you have to contend with all sorts of variables that can lead to a soft or fuzzy appearance. From earth, we see the moon through miles of atmosphere, which often contains dust and other particles. Your lens might not be tack-sharp either, especially if you got your zoom lens as part of a camera kit. Lightroom can help fix these issues with a few simple sliders.

Normally, I would recommend starting with the Sharpening slider, but not when shooting the moon. In this case, you want to bring out the moon’s texture and surface details, so the texture slider is a great place to start. You can find it at the bottom of the Basic panel. Alternatively, you can use the Brush tool to adjust the texture if you want a little more precision in your editing.

Raising the texture slider makes the surface look clear and crisp. I used a value of +80 which is a bit extreme, but I wanted to illustrate the impact of the Texture slider.

The Sharpening slider is great for fine-tuning your image after adjusting the texture. However, I do not recommend using the Clarity slider. That will result in a false, unnatural look with moon shots and can show some unwanted noise in the sky as well.

Final touches

At this point, you have several options to polish your image. While you can use any number of editing tools, some that I recommend trying are:
- Adding a vignette
- Use the Brush tool to reduce noise in the sky
- Adjust the tone curve to have a very slight S-shape
- Raise and lower the blue saturation
- Convert your picture to Black and White. Click “Black and White” in the top-right corner of the Basic panel
Final moon shot. I added a vignette and brushed some noise reduction in the sky.

When it comes to moon editing tips, the sky is quite literally the limit. These should be enough to get you started, but I recommend spending time just experimenting with some of the sliders in Lightroom to see what you can do.

Nikon D7100, 200mm, f/8, 1/180 second, ISO 640. I used the editing tips in this article to process this shot.

What about you? DO you have any other moon editing tips you’d like to share? Do you have any favorite shots of the moon? Share your favorites in the comments below!

The post Lightroom Moon Editing Tips for Awesome Moon Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Digital Photography School
June 14, 2020
How to Create a Photogram Effect with a Digital Process
The post How to Create a Photogram Effect with a Digital Process appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

One of the first photographic processes I learned was how to make a photogram. Since then, I’ve often wondered if a digital process could adequately mimic the appearance of the finished photogram aesthetic. The difference between the original and digital processes means that the results of any digital technique can’t really be called a photogram as such (I’ll call it a photogram effect). Nevertheless, there are digital processes that do hearken back to the appearance of the photogram.

In this article, I’ll walk you through my method to make a photogram effect with a digital camera, a laptop/tablet, a bit of Photoshopping, and a handful of objects.

What is a Photogram?

A photogram is a photographic image made without the use of a camera. The photogram process usually involves placing objects directly onto a photosensitive medium like photo-paper and exposing the arrangement to light. The result is a negative rendering of the objects, creating delicate studies of the interplay between light and various degrees of transparency.

The photogram technique was famously used by Man Ray in his explorations of rayographs. Other artists like László Moholy-Nagy, Pablo Picasso and Imogen Cunningham also experimented with the distinctive photogram format.

How to Create a Digital Photogram Effect

To create your photogram effect, there are a few things you will need.

You will need a:
- dark(ish) room
- tablet or laptop
- digital camera
- piece of white paper (A4 approx)
- selection of objects of different transparencies
- tripod (optional)
Setting up

Creating a photogram effect requires a little preparation. On the laptop or tablet, open a plain white image and display it full-screen. You can make a plain white image by saving an unedited white canvas from Photoshop or Paint etc and viewing it full-screen in a photo-viewer. For greater impact, turn up the brightness of your laptop or tablet screen too.

Once your laptop or tablet is displaying a plain white background, position the screen so that it lies flat and face-up on a level surface. Place the sheet of white paper over the screen.

Position an object or a selection of objects on the paper. You can arrange them as neatly or as randomly as you like – there is no hard-and-fast rule!

Once your have arranged your objects, turn off the lights, close the curtains, do what you can to darken your surroundings. You don’t need complete darkness to create a photogram effect, but working in darker conditions does make the effect a little more pronounced.

Taking the shot

Next, it’s time to start taking photographs. If you want to use a tripod, get set up so the camera is positioned squarely over the laptop or tablet.

In terms of camera settings, I set my camera to manual at f/4 at around 1/80th of a second. For this project, I set my ISO to 1600 and I also adjusted the exposure compensation to +2. These settings may differ depending on your setup. To mimic the photogram effect, you want detail in the transparent areas of an object and considerable shadows in opaque areas. It can be difficult to get the balance right first go, so don’t be afraid to experiment with your camera settings.

If you are hand-holding, aim your camera so it is square with the dimensions of the laptop or tablet screen. Set your focus and take a shot (don’t worry if some areas are out of focus, this can add to the effect).

The intriguing part about this process is that the results may not immediately grab you. The paper may look blotchy, the shadows blocky, the edges of the computer/tablet screen might be visible etc…but don’t give up! Just aim to capture detail in the transparent areas. It’s in the post-production that the photogram effect really comes to life.

A close up of one of my images before post-production. The blotchy paper, flat lighting, and blocky shadows will transform in the next step.

Post-production

Once you have shot a range of images, its time to Photoshop them. First, open an image and click on the Exposure Adjustment Layer. Set the exposure so that the background in the image is completely white. This will brighten your subject too. You can also do some cropping to eliminate any remnants of the laptop/tablet screen etc.

Next, click on the Invert Adjustment Layer to invert your image. Then, select the Black and White Adjustment Layer. The result will look something like this…

You can experiment further with your image by adjusting the Black and White Adjustment Layer settings and/or presets, or experimenting with a Curves Adjustment Layer to increase or decrease contrast.

Here are a few more examples I made by collecting plants around the local area, photographing them on my laptop screen and processing them with Photoshop:

The soft focus in this image is an effect often encountered in genuine photogram imagery

To get a blockier photogram effect, I increased the contrast of these images with the Curves Adjustment Layer

Conclusion

And there you have it! While it isn’t a genuine photogram, this photogram effect sure is reminiscent of the old analog processes I did in the darkroom.

Show us your photogram effects in the comments!

The post How to Create a Photogram Effect with a Digital Process appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

Digital Photography School
June 13, 2020
Weekly Photography Challenge – Birds

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Birds appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

This week’s weekly photography challenge – BIRDS!

Image by David Shaw

With some lockdown restrictions being eased around the world at this time, I have chosen Birds as this week’s theme.

Capture them in flight, or sitting still. Do close ups or wider shots. Make them color or black and white! The choice is yours. I look forward to seeing your shots

Photo by Jaymes Dempsey

Photo by Jaymes Dempsey

Photo by Prathap DK

Tips for photographing BIRDS

10 Must-Use Bird Photography Camera Settings for Beginners

5 Camera Settings Every Bird Photographer Should Know

A Quick Guide to Amazing Bird Photography Compositions

A Guide to Photographing Birds and Wildlife in a Wetland Area

5 Ways to Photograph Birds

How to Photograph Hummingbirds

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.

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 #DPSbirds2020 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 – Birds appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

Digital Photography School

June 13, 2020
How to Make Exciting Flash Action Photos with Second-Curtain Sync
The post How to Make Exciting Flash Action Photos with Second-Curtain Sync appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.

In still photography, we can choose to blur or freeze motion. Or… we can do both! Read on to learn how.

All the excitement surrounding the latest cameras seems to center around their video capabilities. Fine, I guess. But, maybe you’re like me, a dedicated still photo shooter with no desire to make videos? I don’t need to make things move in my photos, but I do want to illustrate movement.

My options?

1) Use a long exposure/slow shutter speed causing moving things to blur creating the suggestion of movement, or

Panning with the subject, and using a slower shutter speed blurs the background, giving a sense of motion. Canon D30 with Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens. 1/60th sec. f/4 ISO 400.

2) Use a short shutter duration to freeze the action, capturing a moment of motion that could not have been seen with the human eye, or

A very short shutter speed will freeze action in many cases. This was lit with bright sunlight only, no flash. Canon 50D with Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens. 1/8000th sec. f/3.5 ISO 400.

3) Use the very short duration of a flash to capture an even thinner slice of time freezing very fast-moving objects.

But have you considered the fourth option? How might you make flash action photos that combine the motion blur of a long shutter speed with the freezing power of flash in the same shot? Let’s explore how that works.

Motion blur + Frozen action = Flash action photos. Combining slow shutter speeds with the freezing power of a flash. Canon D30 with Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens. 1/20th sec. f/4 ISO 400. Canon 500EX flash – Second-curtain sync.

An exposure within an exposure

When you make a flash photo, you are really making two exposures in one. Open the shutter and whatever available ambient light is there streams in through the camera iris onto the sensor. How much light is controlled by two things; the size of the aperture (measured using f/stop terminology), and the duration of the exposure (controlled by the shutter speed.)

When we use a flash, the burst of light happens during that same shutter duration. Flash duration is typically much shorter than the total shutter duration and happens “within” the total exposure. Thus, an “exposure within an exposure.”

There are two exposures in one here – The ambient light creates the blur using a longer shutter speed while the flash freezes the action at the end. Canon 50D with Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens. 1-second, f/13 ISO 100. Second curtain sync flash – Canon 500EX.

Open the curtain and let the show begin

Unless you’re using a camera with a leaf shutter (rather rare anymore), your camera probably uses a focal-plane shutter. There are two “curtains” (and that’s what they are called), between the rear of the lens and the sensor.

Watch this slow-motion video of what happens during an exposure.

When the shutter button is pressed: 1) With a DSLR, the mirror swings up out of the way. 2) The first curtain goes down, exposing the sensor to light. 3) The second curtain then comes down, again blocking light from the sensor.

The total exposure duration, the time between the opening of the first curtain and the closing of the second, that is the amount of time the sensor is exposed to light and is what we control with the shutter speed setting.

Back in the outside world

Outside the camera in the real world, life goes on. If the subject or the camera moves during the exposure, the relative distance it moves during the exposure duration will be recorded as a blur.

Subjects that don’t move at all won’t blur even during a long exposure.

Fast-moving objects could move quite a bit and thus blur more unless the shutter speed is fast, the exposure duration short, and the amount of motion imperceptible during that brief period.

Enter the flash

The above describes what happens when a photo is made using only ambient light. It doesn’t matter the light source; it could be the sun, the moon, candlelight, continuous man-made lighting sources like incandescent, fluorescent, LED, flashlights, whatever. For our purposes, ambient light is whatever light exists during the entire duration of the exposure.

The flash, however, will be comparably short and happen within the duration of the exposure. Depending on output power and the type of flash used, flash duration can be very short. Take a look at the chart below illustrating the flash duration of a typical Speedlight (here a Canon 580EX).

The lower the power, the shorter the flash duration. However, less power also means less working distance.

At a 1/128th power setting, the flash duration can be as short as 1/20,000th of a second! Even fast-moving objects won’t move far during such a thin sliver of time, so they will be frozen by the flash.

Flash did the freezing here – The room was dark, so no ambient light. The shutter speed not that fast – 1/60th sec. f/25 ISO 100 (but the flash at 1/16th power had a duration of just 1/16,000 sec. so everything is totally frozen with no motion blur.

Ambient + Flash = Flash action photos

Since a photo using flash is an exposure-in-an-exposure, what if we harness the power of both ambient light and the flash to use the advantages of each?

What might we get if we used a long exposure to capture the ambient light and thus blur the moving subject and then a burst of flash to freeze it? We could get a photo that combined both motion blur and a frozen subject! We could call that a flash action photo.

Combine a long shutter speed for the blur with a 2nd-curtain sync flash to freeze the action. Canon 50D with Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 lens. 1 Second, f/5.6, ISO 100

First versus Second-Curtain Sync

The flash will be fired within the total duration of the exposure. If, say, the shutter speed is 1/125th second and the flash duration at 1/64th power is 1/14,000 second, when during that 1/125th second does the flash fire?

The default for most cameras and flashes is to have the flash fire as soon as the first curtain drops to expose the sensor. This is what is termed “first curtain” (aka front curtain) sync.” The timeline below illustrates how that works.

In a standard flash photo with the flash in ETTL mode, this will be the sequence with the default first-curtain sync:
- Shutter is pressed.
- Pre-Flash fires (Omitted if Flash is in Manual Mode).
- Camera calculates necessary flash output power needed (Only in ETTL Mode).
- First curtain drops exposing the sensor to ambient light.
- Flash fires.
- Ambient light continues for the duration of the exposure.
- Second (aka “rear”) curtain drops, covering the sensor and the exposure ends.
With most flash photos, especially things like portraits and such, the total exposure will be short enough there won’t be a noticeable difference between the portion of the exposure made with ambient light and that made with the flash. To best capture the moment, having the flash immediately fire is usually a good thing and probably one reason manufacturers make first-curtain sync the default.

So why use second-curtain sync?

We started out talking about photos that combine the blurred motion caused by a slow shutter speed with the freezing power of a flash. The problem with the default first-curtain sync that triggers the flash at the beginning of the exposure is that the frozen portion of the image happens immediately, and the blurred portion made with the remaining ambient light happens after. As the subject moves, the recorded blur will be in front of the frozen portion of the shot.

Assuming we want to make the car look like it’s traveling forward, the top shot done with second-curtain sync flash looks more natural. All settings were the same and the toy car was pushed from right to left in both cases. The top shot is second-curtain sync, the bottom shot the default, first-curtain sync.

But that looks weird

Standard convention is to see the blurred portion of action behind, not in front of the moving object. Illustrators and cartoonists know this and use motion lines (also called “sphericasia”) to help depict motion. (They also use Quimps, Plewds, Grawlixes, and a bunch of other cartoonist marks. Check out this fun read).

Sometimes as photographers, we will pan with a moving object, use a longer shutter speed, and if we pace our pan correctly, get a photo with a blurred background and the subject relatively frozen. The blur will be behind the subject, and that looks natural. But use a long shutter speed combined with a default first-curtain sync flash and…nope…that just looks weird.

Though flying at hundreds of miles per hour, this U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds jet can be made to look motionless with a very fast shutter speed. Canon 6D with Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens. 1/2000th sec. f/5.6 ISO 200.

This is how an illustrator or cartoonist might depict motion using “sphericasia” or motion lines.

Activate second-curtain sync

So let’s make it look right and create some flash action photos that look correct. You will need to activate second (rear) curtain sync. In some cases, this will be done on your camera. In others, you will do it on your flash. There are too many variables of camera/flash combinations for me to tell you just how to do it with your equipment, so you’ll need to get out your manuals. Look for second (sometimes called rear) curtain sync.

Left to right – This is the symbol that indicates second-curtain sync on my Canon 550EX flash. Center and right – Setting up second-curtain sync on my Canon 6D camera. Every camera/flash combination will differ, so you may need to consult your manual on how to get into second-curtain sync flash.

This is usually pretty easy. In the combo I used for this article, a Canon 6D camera with a Canon 550EX flash, it was done on the flash. Once set, I was good to go.

The same action, swinging the hatchet down into the log. was performed in both photos. All the settings were the same except, the left shot used first-curtain sync flash, while the one on the right used second-curtain sync flash.

Other considerations

You will need to experiment to determine exactly what your settings should be given the variables of amount of ambient light, distance to the subject, speed of the moving subject, and exactly the look you’re going for. There is no precise “recipe” here.

However, here are a few things that may help you get great flash action photos:
- Going full-manual with both the camera and flash will give you the most control.
- Going manual with the flash should prevent a pre-flash, which you don’t want.
- Determine what ISO and aperture you need to expose for the given ambient lighting conditions.
- Shutter speed will vary depending on the speed of your moving subject, how much blur you want, and whether you’ll be panning with the movement of the subject.
Which uses first and which second curtain sync flash? It’s hard to tell with objects like this ball. Here’s a clue – The ball was rolling away from the camera in both shots.
- You will need sufficient light on your subject to properly expose the ambient portion of the exposure. Take some test shots without the flash to see how things look.
- You will likely want to manually adjust the flash output power depending on how close you are to the subject and how much “freezing” power you want for that part of the photo. Use the aperture and ISO to control the ambient portion of the image, the shutter speed to control the amount of blur, and the flash power to control the frozen part of the image.
Another test… In both shots the ball was rolling right to left. So which uses first and which second curtain sync flash?

If you will be controlling the motion of your subject and also the camera, a remote trigger is handy. Here, I used a Yongnuo RF602 radio trigger.
- The blurred portion of your moving subject made with the ambient part of the exposure will have a translucent, “see-through” look. You will need some contrast between it and the background to help it show up. Shooting a brighter subject on a darker background helps a lot, especially as you learn the technique.
Canon 50D with Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens. 1/6th sec. f/ 4.5 ISO 100 w/ second-curtain sync flash.

The key – practice!

As with so much of photography, there is no substitute for practice. Getting your camera/flash into second-curtain sync mode is the easy part.

After that, do some simple experiments such as I show, rolling a bright ball across a dark floor. That should help you grasp the concepts.

You will find that timing can be the tricky part. Know that the flash will fire at the end of the exposure, so experiment to determine where the object will be when that happens as it won’t be when you first click the shutter.

Illustrate the fast and furious action of cycle racing but still get the expression on the rider’s face with a 1/8th second shutter speed combined with second-curtain sync flash. Canon 6D with Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. 1/8th second, f/8 ISO 800.

Move up to something like the hatchet photos I show here, or maybe someone swinging a golf club or baseball bat. When you have the concepts down, head out to a sporting event or something where there’s some action, to depict like the bicycle races I show or recruit some dancers or other performers.

Canon 50D with Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens. 2 seconds, f/5.6 ISO 100. Second-curtain sync flash with Canon 550EX flash.

Flash action photos that combine blur and a frozen subject all in one shot, will teach you the principals of ambient and flash lighting. Best of all, you can make some really cool and unique images! Gotta scoot now…have fun!

Canon 6D with Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens. 1.7 seconds, f/8 ISO 100.

The post How to Make Exciting Flash Action Photos with Second-Curtain Sync appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.

Digital Photography School
June 12, 2020
SLC-2L-12: Two-Light Bike for the Bucks

Have you tried to buy a new bike lately? Or even a used bike?

The coronavirus pandemic has made them very tough to find. Between homebound people snapping them up and all of the various broken supply chains, most of the bike inventory — other than very pricey specialty bikes — has pretty much vanished.

Which means that if you have a functional bike in your garage that you don't need, it will likely never be worth more than it is right now.

My daughter Emily has an unneeded bike in the garage. It's a Trek 7100, which is decent hybrid. She rode it to middle school. But she's just graduated college and won't be bringing it to her new job.

But right now it should fetch a nice price in the Craigslist Bicycle Hunger Games. Especially if it is photographed and presented well.

So that's exactly what we are going to do today: photograph a bike with a basic two speedlight kit.Read more »
Strobist

June 12, 2020