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Ways Creativity Can Help in Times of Uncertainty

08 Oct

The post Ways Creativity Can Help in Times of Uncertainty appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anthony Epes.

When times are challenging for us, either individually or collectively, I find that my photography plays an important role in helping me get through intense life experiences like those we are all experiencing right now. So today I want to share some valuable ideas on ways creativity can help in times of uncertainty.

Life feels so strange when you are tootling along, maybe a bit bored or lethargic, and then something deeply unsettling happens, seemingly out of the blue.

And you are confronted with the big life questions: how to survive when you are faced with pandemics, mortality, aging, illness, financial problems, etc.

Often, when things get tough, we stop doing the things that make us relax and make us happy. We contract with fear or worry; we start focusing on the uncertainty, the pain, and the problems.

But what I would love to share with you today is that, instead of contracting when things get rocky, instead of making our lives less joyful and fun, we can actually use photography, and our love of being creative, to help us cope in tough times.

Using our creativity can help us to explore the world. It can help to take our minds away from obsessive worrying, to look beyond our challenges, to find beauty in unexpected places, and to connect with others.

There are so many opportunities to weave in moments of immense joy from this incredible medium of photography that we all love so much.

So here are my ideas on how creativity can help you in times of uncertainty.

The simple joy of making

One of my favorite writers, Neil Gaiman, is extraordinary when discussing the benefits of being creative. But a very simple idea of his is perhaps the most powerful here:

“The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.” –Neil Gaiman

I never, ever regret spending time shooting.

Even if I don’t get any shots I love, making the effort to explore and take photos makes my day better.

Of course, this is especially true when I hit those amazing moments when I capture something perfectly.

If I find some incredible light, a beautiful vista, or an interesting face, I feel fantastic when looking at those photos afterward.

Even if I get zero good shots, I know that every single time I make the effort to shoot, I am feeding my ideas, my imagination, and my creativity.

Even if I get things wrong, make something boring, or miss a shot, the effort of shooting, as well as the experience of shooting, always feels worthwhile to me.

It is a pretty basic but powerful idea to think that we humans just love to make things.

It’s part of what makes us human: to have ideas, to experience the world not just as a way to get our needs met, but as a way to add something to what is already here.

And, of course, I always regret not shooting.

Creativity can expand our vision beyond the here and now

When we are so wrapped up in our lives or the challenges we are facing, it can feel like our struggles are the only things we can think about.

This is especially true when we are fearful and worried. We see everything through the filter of our worries.

And so it is good, in fact, essential, to take our minds away into realms of other possibilities and see the world beyond what is freaking us out.

It’s important to contemplate and see the worlds other people are living, to explore the wilderness, to look at the stars and imagine their eternal timelessness.

To bring the focus of our lives away from the minutiae and worries and toward the vast incredible planet that we live in.

To remember that this is just a moment in time.

We know that life goes on. Every day is new. Challenges are overcome, eventually. Things continue to change. We can rely on that.

The photographer Diane Arbus said that being a photographer gives you a license to talk to people you wouldn’t usually approach. And this is the amazing thing that applies to all of photography, I believe.

Having a camera in hand is an incredible license (permission, even) to try and look at the world in a new way.

So use it.

Use photography to go beyond whatever is concerning you right now. Use photography to see things afresh, to look at new places, or to try and look at the same things in new ways.

Use limitation to stretch your creativity and imagination

During lockdown, I took some of the best photos I had in years. Because I didn’t have the chance to just go out and explore, I was confined to my apartment and had to squeeze my inspiration and imagination to come up with something awesome in this confining situation.

I had to dig deep and think beyond what was ordinarily possible; I had to look at the limited opportunities that I had and make the very best of them.

And I did! My creativity, because I used it daily, because I valued it and fed it, gave me some amazing ideas for great shots.

(It’s important to remember what the wonderful writer Maya Angelou said: “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”)

It’s amazing what the imagination can do when given very tight restrictions!

Creativity can help us share and connect with others in challenging times

We all face challenges. Life has times of darkness for us all.

It is not unique to hit a point in life that you believe will shatter your spirit or break you from worry.

And yet so often we hide these experiences and feelings from each other because they are strange and oddly embarrassing to share.

But we can use our craft and our creativity to bring light and to share our experiences with others. To show people that we are all human, facing many similar challenges.

This quote from the writer James Baldwin sums up the power that creative people have:

“The precise role of the artist, then, is to illuminate that darkness, blaze roads through that vast forest, so that we will not, in all our doing, lose sight of its purpose, which is, after all, to make the world a more human dwelling place.” –James Baldwin

Bringing calm to our minds and bodies

There are many studies that show being creative is good for our emotional health.

Being creative is often compared to meditation. This is because we get lost in creative tasks, and getting lost in something has a calming effect on our nervous systems.

It’s soothing to be focused on something that is concerned with something beyond the practical, which is about creating something beautiful or interesting or fun.

And, as I mentioned before, anything that moves us away from our worries, that brings us ideas and inspiration, is so valuable during times when it feels like life is sitting on quicksand.

Creativity is a way to work things out

I want to live for more than just getting by. I want to live in a way that is exciting and interesting and electrifying. And yet there is so much that brings us away from the joy.

It’s very easy as humans to get so embedded in our habits, both in how we live our lives and how we think, that it often feels like we are running on autopilot.

This can be especially true in times of uncertainty. We go over and over and over the things that are concerning us. We think of ways to help, what to change, and how to fix things. We talk about our concerns a lot and get lost in endless articles. We discuss, rationalize, and disagree.

But maybe there is no fix, and you can only live with whatever is on your path. The obsessive thinking and worrying is not going to help you at all.

I love this quote from Edward de Bono because, to me, it shows that we can use creativity to break out of old patterns and habits, and to go beyond how we see the world at the moment:

“Creativity involves breaking out of expected patterns in order to look at things in a different way.” –Edward de Bono

Creativity brings you into the present moment

This is ultimately all that we have: this present moment. We cannot escape back to the past nor rely on the future. This is what we have now. And to always be sucked into doing or planning or thinking is to miss the only real life that we have:

What is here, right now.

It is so easy to get lost in the moment. But somehow, when we are challenged with any of the things that are hard in life (grief, loss, or pain), the challenge can serve as an opportunity to wake us up.

It slams our attention into focus, and it can be a time when we break. But it can also be a time when we suddenly say: I am going to stop getting lost in the busyness of life. I am going to pay attention to what is actually here.

And by facing the feeling of uncertainty, by acknowledging that it can overtake our thoughts, can seep into our bodies, can overwhelm us, we can start to do something to transcend it.

We can use these times of uncertainty to allow all that is unnecessary and distracting to simply fall away.

And creativity can help us with the whole process. It can help us see what we aren’t seeing. It can open our eyes to all that is fascinating and meaningful and true for us.

Being creative isn’t something to save only for retirement or when you’ve got time. It isn’t to be saved for when your kids are older or for when you’ve completed all your tasks (tasks are never-ending, aren’t they?).

Creativity can help us move through dark times with more grace and understanding. It can comfort us at times when we struggle. It pays attention to that part of ourselves that is so uniquely human, that weirdly, magically, strangely, unnecessary, completely impractical side of who we are.

If we are to enjoy our lives, isn’t it because we are not just doing what is necessary, but reveling in the pleasures and beauty and joy of it all?

Otherwise, what is the point of all of our hard efforts, all of the work, all of the struggles and challenges we face?

What is the point if there isn’t a little bit of stardust to delight our spirits at least once every day?

I hope these ideas have been helpful to you and have ignited your imagination. I hope these ideas have shown you how creativity can help in these times of uncertainty. I would love to know if they have, so please share your thoughts in a comment below.

The post Ways Creativity Can Help in Times of Uncertainty appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anthony Epes.

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Camera Color Guide – Why Cameras Are Black

08 Oct

What color is your camera? Have you ever paid attention to the color of DSLR cameras? Peek in a wedding photographer’s bag, or check out the sea of photographers at a press conference or sporting event and you’ll notice that most (or all of) their cameras are one color — black. Keep looking and you’ll notice that most of their Continue Reading

The post Camera Color Guide – Why Cameras Are Black appeared first on Photodoto.

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An Introduction to Working with Layers in Affinity Photo

07 Oct

The post An Introduction to Working with Layers in Affinity Photo appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Working with layers in Affinity Photo is very similar to how you work with layers in Adobe Photoshop. So if you are used to Photoshop, the transition to using layers in Affinity Photo is relatively easy.

Are you new to post-processing your photos with software that allows you to use layers? You’re sure to learn some cool new editing tips and tricks as you read through this article.

Being able to stack images, text, shapes, etc., with layers in Affinity Photo provides unlimited scope for creativity. As with any serious image-processing program, the learning curve is steep. There is always more than one series of steps you can take to achieve the same results.

In this article, I’ll introduce you to using layers in Affinity Photo. I’ll show you some of the cool ways you can edit your photos and create graphics that would not be possible without using layers.

Layer basics

When you open an image in Affinity Photo, a new layer is created. This shows in the Layers Panel on the left of your monitor. When you have one layer, you can add new layers and also move them up and down in the Layers Panel.

Any image, shape, or text can be added in a layer. You can continue to stack layers one on top of the other. Layers in Affinity Photo can be resized and cropped so they are different dimensions than the original layer.

The top layer is visible and may hide the layers underneath it, depending on the settings you choose for it. The opacity of the layer can be reduced so that the layer below is revealed.

There are also options to change the blend modes of layers. This means that the layer will interact differently with the layers below it. So if you add a text layer, you can alter how the text looks by changing the blend mode.

affinity photo sample with text and blend modes

Soft light blend mode with text layers in affinity photo

This works very much the same way as it does in Photoshop. But if you are new to this, you’ll have fun as you experiment with the different blend modes and the effects you can create with them.

Adjustment layers in Affinity Photo

With the Layers Panel, there is also a panel labeled Adjustments. This contains 22 items that, when clicked, will add a new adjustment layer to the file you are working on.

Adding an adjustment layer affects the layers underneath. You can create a layer group and include the adjustment layer with the layers you want it to affect.

Here I have added a Channel Mixer adjustment at the top of the layer hierarchy:

The adjustment layer is affecting both the text and the photo.

Here I moved the adjustment layer to group it with the text layer:

To do this, click the adjustment layer and drag it onto the layer you want it to affect.

Adjustment layers are non-destructive. This means that you can turn them on and off and they will not alter your original image. This gives you a lot of room to experiment without permanently editing the photo or other artwork you are working on.

You can use adjustment layers in Affinity Photo to create an unlimited number of effects in your photos. Each layer you add interacts with the layers beneath it. You can also change the blend mode of each adjustment layer independently.

Layer masks

You can mask out a layer or parts of a layer using layer masks. To add a layer mask, click on the icon that looks like a rectangle with a circle in it at the bottom of the Layers Panel. This will add a layer mask to the layer you currently have selected.

Here, I have duplicated my layer with the photo and painted with a black brush to erase the bottom part of the photo. If you make a mistake when you’re painting, you can switch the brush color to white. Then you can simply paint over the area you want to restore and the image will re-appear.

Once you’ve added a mask, you can alter the blend mode and even add further adjustment masks to it.

Here I have changed the blend mode to Multiply and then further darkened the sky by adding a Curves adjustment:

Notice that these changes only affect the layer they are grouped with. So only the sky, which I did not mask out, is altered.

Text layers in Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo enables you to do some innovative and pretty cool things with text layers.

To add a text layer, click on the text icon in the toolbar. By clicking and dragging on your canvas, you can set the size of the text. Once you release the mouse button, you can type and the text will appear at the size you set it to.

By clicking and holding the text icon in the toolbar, you can choose another option. This brings up the Frame Text tool. With this, you can click and drag on your canvas to make a bounding box to add your text inside. You can right-click in the box and select Insert Filler Text to fill your new test box.

You can also do this with any of the shapes in the toolbar menu.

Conclusion

Working with layers opens up whole new realms of creative possibilities for what you can do with your photos. If you are new to post-processing your photos or have been using an app like Lightroom, which has no layers, you have a lot to explore.

Take your time experimenting and familiarize yourself with the many options you have for working with layers in Affinity Photo.

I hope this article has provided you with a little insight into the potential of what you can do with layers. Now it’s up to you to take it beyond the basics and start creating masterpieces.

As you practice and try new things, please let us know in the comments below if you discover an aspect of working with layers in Affinity Photo that you think other readers might like to learn about.

The post An Introduction to Working with Layers in Affinity Photo appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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How To Find Your Lens’ Sweet Spot: A Beginner’s Guide to Sharper Images

06 Oct

The post How To Find Your Lens’ Sweet Spot: A Beginner’s Guide to Sharper Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Dena Haines.

How To Find Your Lens' Sweet Spot: A Beginner's Guide to Sharper Images

Are you tired of blurry images?

It’s time to learn how to capture sharper images by finding your lens’s sweet spot. This will give you more confidence, save time, and help you take better photos.

In this article, you’ll learn:

How to find your lens’s sweet spot (for sharper images)
Why you should shoot in Aperture Priority mode (and how to use it)
How to perform a test to get the sharpest image every time
How important your lens’s sweet spot really is

Mid range aperture sharper than wide open

In the above images of the clock, the one on the right is sharper. Look closely at the words. The f/9 image is sharper throughout because it was shot using my lens’s sweet spot. The f/3.5 one was not.

First, take a look at your lens

In this beginner’s guide, we’ll use an entry-level zoom lens as our example. Most kit lenses (the basic lens that comes with a DSLR) generally shoot their sharpest at a mid-range aperture setting. To determine the mid-range aperture of your lens, you’ll need to know its widest (or maximum) aperture setting. This is located on the side or end of the lens and will look something like 1:3.5-5.6.

For example, here it is on my Canon 18-55mm zoom lens:

Lens aperture range

This means that when my lens is zoomed all the way out to 18mm, its widest aperture is f/3.5. When zoomed all the way in to 55mm, its widest aperture is f/5.6.

The rule for finding that mid-range sweet spot is to count up two full f-stops (aperture settings are called f-stops) from the widest aperture. On my lens, the widest aperture is f/3.5. Two full stops from there would bring me to a sweet spot of around f/7.1.

Use this chart to count your f-stops:

By Robin Parmar

There is some wiggle room in what counts as mid-range, so anything from f/7.1 to f/10 will capture a sharp image. Once you know the mid-range aperture of your lens, you can do an easy test to get your sharpest image. To perform the test you’ll need to shoot in Aperture Priority mode.

Take control with Aperture Priority mode

Shooting in Aperture Priority allows you to choose the aperture setting you want, which gives you more creative control than Auto mode.

By controlling the aperture setting, it’s much easier to get a sharp image. And because your camera still chooses the ISO (if it’s set to Auto ISO) and the shutter speed automatically, it’s very easy to use.

You’ve probably heard that apertures like f/16 and f/22 are best for keeping everything in focus. While that can be true, focus does not always equal overall sharpness. Choosing a mid-range aperture will give you sharper images throughout. You can improve your photos even further by reducing camera shake by way of a tripod and a remote shutter release (or your camera’s self-timer).

Here’s an example of how shooting in your lens’s sweet spot will give you sharper images:

Sharp images shot in lens sweet spot

Mid range f stop sharper than small f stop

In the above image, the f/9 shot is sharper than the f/22 one. The needles and shadows are not as soft or blurry as in the f/22 shot (look at the crispness and sparkles in the snow, too).

Switching from Auto to Aperture Priority mode

To take your camera off of Auto and put it in Aperture Priority, just turn the large mode dial to Aperture Priority. This is what that looks like on my Canon (on Nikon and other brands look for the “A”).

Aperture priority on canon mode dial

Auto mode is the green rectangle; Aperture Priority mode is the Av (or A on a Nikon). Once your camera is in Aperture Priority mode, turn the smaller main dial (shown here on the top of my Canon) to choose your f-stop.

Main dial canon

As you turn that dial, you’ll see the f-number changing on your screen. In the next picture, it’s set to f/9.5:

Aperture setting on canon LCD screen

Perform a lens sweet spot test

Once you have your camera set up on a tripod, performing a sweet spot test only takes a couple of minutes. To begin, put your camera in Aperture Priority mode, then compose your shot and take photos at varying apertures. Start with a shot at the widest aperture, then rotate that main dial a couple of times (to narrow the aperture) and take another shot. Keep doing that until you’ve taken seven or eight photos.

Upload your photos to your computer and zoom in. You’ll quickly see which aperture settings gave you the sharpest overall image.

This next photo of my daughter was shot using natural light. Shooting in my lens’s sweet spot gave me a pretty sharp image, even in this low light setting:

Mid range aperture sharp image low light

Find your lens sweet spot for sharper images

The close-up of the mug shows the advantage of shooting in the lens’s sweet spot. Whenever you want to make sure you get the sharpest capture possible, take a shot at each mid-range setting: f/7.1, f/8, f/9, and f/10.

Getting your sharpest images

Now that you know your lens’s sweet spot, it’s time to practice. I hope you’re as pleased with the results as I’ve been!

Mid range aperture for sharper images

I love shooting in natural light, and learning how to capture sharper images in low light has made me so much happier with my photos.

Tips for capturing the sharpest images

Shoot in Aperture Priority mode
Choose a mid-range aperture (usually f/7.1 to f/10)
Use a tripod and a remote shutter release (or your camera’s self-timer) to reduce camera shake
Take a series of shots at f/7.1 through f/10 when a sharp capture is especially important

But don’t stop there. Keep playing with settings in Aperture Priority mode. It’s awesome to get images that are sharp throughout, but there’s a lot more to aperture than that.

Learn more about aperture and depth of field here.

The post How To Find Your Lens’ Sweet Spot: A Beginner’s Guide to Sharper Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Dena Haines.

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Canon to Announce the EOS M50 Mark II With 32.5 MP, 14 FPS

05 Oct

The post Canon to Announce the EOS M50 Mark II With 32.5 MP, 14 FPS appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

2020 is Canon’s year.

First we get the EOS R5 and R6, two powerhouse cameras that have revolutionized Canon’s mirrorless lineup (and, in some ways, the world of mirrorless more generally).

And now it looks like we’ll be seeing another impressive mirrorless model before the year is out, this time as an addition to Canon’s APS-C mirrorless arsenal:

The EOS M50 Mark II, the successor to the fantastic EOS M50.

While the EOS M50 Mark II’s release isn’t yet official, camera product listings have prompted Canon Rumors to declare that the new mirrorless body is “confirmed.”

And according to Canon Rumors, the EOS M50 Mark II will include a 32.5 MP sensor (up from 24 MP on the EOS M50), as well as improved autofocus, 14 frames-per-second continuous shooting (compared to 10 fps on the EOS M50), 4K/60p capabilities without a crop, one SD card slot, and a 3.69M-dot electronic viewfinder (up from the 2.36M-dot EVF on the EOS M50). You can also expect compatibility (via an adapter) with Canon’s EF and EF-S lenses, though Canon also offers a decent range of EF-M glass.

In other words, the EOS M50 Mark II will be impressive indeed. Photographers will be able to harness the detail of a 30+ megapixel sensor while maintaining the speed of an action camera. And while we don’t know if the 14 fps specification only applies when using AF-S autofocus, worst-case scenario puts the EOS M50 Mark II at around 10 fps when set to AF-C, which is not bad at all for serious action shooters.

Personally, I’m most looking forward to the electronic viewfinder. I find EVFs below 3.69M-dot tough to use, and it’s hard to overstate the value of a good electronic viewfinder. After all, it’s what defines your entire shooting experience, especially if you’re the type that shoots frequently through the viewfinder rather than working with Live View on the rear LCD.

Overall, the EOS M50 Mark II appears to be something of an all-around camera for beginners and intermediate photographers (while still perfectly capable of professional-quality shots). And the 4K/60p video is a nice addition for hybrid shooters and vloggers, especially given the limitations of the EOS M50’s 4K/24p video (it comes with a frustrating 1.7x crop).

So if you’re looking for a powerful camera that offers a lot of resolution, impressive speed, and a (likely) reasonable price tag, then keep an eye out for the official EOS M50 Mark II announcement over the next few months.

Now over to you:

What do you think about these EOS M50 Mark II features? Are you impressed? Disappointed? Do you plan to purchase the EOS M50 Mark II?

The post Canon to Announce the EOS M50 Mark II With 32.5 MP, 14 FPS appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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6 Tips for Near-Macro Photography with a Telephoto Lens

04 Oct

The post 6 Tips for Near-Macro Photography with a Telephoto Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Elliot Hook.

Macro photography is the art of capturing the fine detail of very small subjects that may not be seen by the naked eye. Technically, to fall under the category of “macro,” the subject should be captured with a reproduction ratio of 1:1 (i.e., the subject will be captured on the sensor at 100% life-size).

Macro lenses are specially designed to minimize the focusing distance, allowing the photographer to get closer to the subject and therefore increase the reproduction ratio.

There are a number of techniques that can be used to help achieve the desired magnification without a dedicated lens (extension tubes, close-up filters, and reversing rings). However, one of the less common techniques is to use something that you probably already have in your bag: a telephoto lens.

Milking Bonnet Fungi (Mycena galopus)

Telephoto lenses offer extreme magnification, but generally have much larger minimum focusing distances. This pushes the photographer farther from the subject and therefore reduces the reproduction ratio. Some telephoto lenses, when combined with camera systems utilizing smaller sensors, are able to offer 1:1 magnification (true macro). However, typically, telephoto lenses are limited to close-up photography at near-macro reproduction ratios.

Using a telephoto lens for this kind of work offers a couple of advantages over a dedicated macro lens that are a direct result of the large minimum focus distance. Because the working distance to the subject is in the region of 1 meter (compared to the 15-30 cm working distance of standard macro lenses), the risk of disturbing your subject as you compose your shot is much reduced.

Also, given the extra distance between the camera and the subject, you are much less likely to cast a shadow over your subject, and you have a lot of freedom with the lighting you can employ to light the subject, both natural and flash.

Common Blue butterflies, mating (Polyommatus icarus)

Using a telephoto lens for such precise work is not without challenge, so here are a few tips to help maximize your chances of getting that near-macro shot with your telephoto lens:

Due to the extreme focal length, the risk of reduced sharpness due to camera shake is higher. Therefore, it is imperative to use a tripod and a remote shutter release to try to limit lens/camera movement.
Even on a tripod, images can still suffer from camera shake. Try to use a tripod collar for your telephoto lens, so that the lens is clamped directly to the tripod, reducing the chances of “lens wobble.” If not, use the “1/focal length’” shutter speed rule to help capture sharp images. (I always use 1/effective focal length, where you multiply your focal length by the sensor crop factor to give the focal length in 35 mm terms.)
Be aware of the depth of field. Using extreme focal lengths at such close distances can reduce the depth of field to fractions of a millimetre. Therefore, to ensure the subject is sharp throughout, use a small enough aperture to ensure the depth of field extends across your whole subject (there are websites and apps to help you do this).
If you want to capture your subject in focus from front to back, ensure that it is parallel to your sensor. The depth of field will be so narrow at the extreme focal lengths that you may not have more than a few millimetres to play with. Therefore, position yourself accordingly to maximize your chances of capturing a sharp image.
If your telephoto lens as an AF/MF switch, switch it to manual focus and compose/focus the shot manually. You may find that, when focusing manually, the minimum focusing distance decreases, meaning that you can get closer to your subject, increasing the magnification.
Use a teleconverter to increase the focal length, but retain the same minimum focusing distance. This will allow you to significantly increase the magnification of the subject, without having to move any further away. Increasing the focal length in this way will have consequences on your choice of shutter speed and aperture, but as long as it is taken into consideration, a teleconverter can successfully be used to increase the reproduction ratio.

Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)

Using a telephoto lens for near-macro photography will typically not allow you to magnify your subject as far as if you were using a dedicated macro lens, but you will be able to test the water to see if macro photography is something you enjoy without having to splash out on any additional kit.

If you do decide that macro photography is for you, by putting this technique into practice, you will learn a lot of good fieldcraft that will be beneficial when you get around to picking up that new macro lens.

The post 6 Tips for Near-Macro Photography with a Telephoto Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Elliot Hook.

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Wedding Photography – 21 Tips for Amateur Wedding Photographers

03 Oct

The post Wedding Photography – 21 Tips for Amateur Wedding Photographers appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

Wedding Photography Tips

“Help me, I’m photographing my first wedding! Give me some wedding photography tips, please!”

It’s a question that photographers frequently ask. So while I’m not a pro wedding photographer, I thought it was time to share a few tips on the topic of wedding photography.

I’ll leave the technical tips for photographing a wedding to the pros. But, as someone who has been asked to photograph numerous friends’ and family’s weddings, here are a few suggestions.

1. Create a shot list

One of the most helpful tips I’ve been given regarding wedding photography is to get the couple to think ahead about the shots that they’d like you to capture on the day.

Then compile a list so that you can check each shot off. This is particularly helpful in family shots. There’s nothing worse than getting the photos back and realizing you didn’t photograph the happy couple with Grandma!

2. Wedding photography family photo coordinator

I find that the family photo part of the day can be quite stressful. People are going everywhere, you’re unaware of the different family dynamics at play, and people are in a “festive spirit” (and have often been drinking a few spirits) to the point that it can be quite chaotic.

Get the couple to nominate a family member (or one for each side of the family) who can be the “director” of the shoot. They can round everyone up, help get them in the shot, and keep things moving so that the couple can get back to the party.

3. Scout the location

Visit the locations of the different places that you’ll be shooting before the big day.

While I’m sure most pros don’t do this, I find it really helpful to know where we’re going, to have an idea of a few positions for shots, and to know how the light might come into play. Before one or two weddings, I’ve even visited locations with the couples and took a few test shots (these made nice “engagement photos”).

4. In wedding photography, preparation is key

So much can go wrong on the day, so you need to be well-prepared. Have a backup plan (in case of bad weather), have batteries charged, memory cards blank, think about routes and times to get to places. Get an itinerary of the full day so you know what’s happening next. If you can, attend the rehearsal of the ceremony, where you’ll gather a lot of great information about possible positions to shoot from, the lighting, the order of the ceremony, etc.

5. Set expectations with the couple

Show the couple your work/style. Find out what they want to achieve, how many shots they want, what key things they want to be recorded, how the shots will be used (for prints, etc.). If you’re charging them for the event, make sure you have the agreement of price in place upfront.

6. Turn off the sound on your camera

Beeps during speeches, the kiss, and vows don’t add to the event. Switch off your camera sounds beforehand and keep them off.

7. Shoot the small details

Photograph rings, backs of dresses, shoes, flowers, table settings, menus, etc. These help give the end album an extra dimension. Flick through a wedding magazine at a newsstand for a little inspiration.

8. Use two cameras

Beg, borrow, hire, or steal an extra camera for the day, and set it up with a different lens. I try to shoot with one wide-angle lens (great for candid shots and in tight spaces, particularly before the ceremony in the preparation stage of the day) and one longer lens (it can be handy to have something as large as 200mm if you can get your hands on one; I use a 70-200mm).

9. Consider a second wedding photographer

Having a second photographer can be a great strategy. It means less moving around during ceremony and speeches, and it allows for one photographer to capture the formal shots while the other gets candid shots. It also takes a little pressure off you as “the one” who has to get every shot!

10. Be bold but not obtrusive

Timidity won’t get you “the shot,” so sometimes you need to be bold to capture a moment.

However, timing is everything, and thinking ahead to get in the right position for key moments is important so as not to disrupt the event.

In a ceremony, I try to move around at least 4-5 times, but I try to time my move to coincide with songs, sermons, or longer readings. During the formal shots, be bold, know what you want, and ask for it from the couple and their party. You’re driving the show at this point of the day and need to keep things moving.

11. Learn how to use diffused light

The ability to bounce a flash or to diffuse it is key. You’ll find in many churches that light is very low. If you’re allowed to use a flash (and some churches don’t allow it), think about whether bouncing the flash will work (remember that if you bounce your flash off a colored surface it will add a color cast to the picture), or whether you might want to buy a flash diffuser to soften the light.

If you can’t use a flash, you’ll need to use a fast lens at wide apertures and/or bump up the ISO. A lens with image stabilization might also help. Learn more about using flash diffusers and reflectors.

12. Shoot in RAW

I know that many readers feel that they don’t have the time for shooting in RAW (due to extra processing), but a wedding is one time that it can be particularly useful, as RAW gives so much more flexibility to manipulate shots after taking them. Weddings can present photographers with tricky lighting that results in the need to manipulate exposure and white balance after the fact, and RAW will help with this considerably.

13. Display your shots at the reception

One of the great things about digital photography is the immediacy of it as a medium. One of the fun things I’ve seen more and more photographers doing recently is taking a computer to the reception, uploading shots taken earlier in the day, and letting them rotate as a slideshow during the evening. This adds a fun element to the night.

14. Consider your backgrounds

One of the challenges of weddings is that there are often people going everywhere, including the backgrounds of your shots. Particularly with the formal shots, scope out the area where they’ll be taken ahead of time and look for good backgrounds.

Ideally, you’ll want uncluttered areas and shaded spots out of direct sunlight where there’s unlikely to be a great aunt wandering into the back of the shot. Read more on getting backgrounds right.

15. Don’t discard your “mistakes”

The temptation with digital is to check images as you go and to delete those that don’t work immediately. The problem with this is that you might just be getting rid of some of the more interesting and useable images. Keep in mind that images can be cropped or manipulated later to give you some more artsy/abstract looking shots that can add real interest to the end album.

16. Change your perspective

Get a little creative with your shots. While the majority of the images in the end album will probably be fairly “normal” or formal poses, make sure you mix things up a little by taking shots from down low, up high, at a wide angle, etc.

17. Wedding group shots

One thing I’ve done at every wedding I’ve photographed is attempted to photograph everyone who is in attendance in one shot. The way I’ve done this is to arrange for a place that I can get up high above everyone straight after the ceremony. This might mean getting a tall ladder, using a balcony, or even climbing on a roof. The beauty of getting up high is that you include everyone’s face, and you can fit a lot of people in a single shot.

The key is to quickly be able to get everyone to the place you want them to stand, and to be ready to get the shot without having everyone stand around for too long. I’ve found that the best way to get everyone to the spot is to get the bride and groom there and to have a couple of helpers herd everyone in that direction. Read more on how to take group photos.

18. Fill flash

When shooting outside after a ceremony or during the posed shots, you’ll probably want to keep your flash attached to give a little fill flash. I tend to dial the flash back a little (a stop or two) so that shots are not blown out. But, particularly in backlit or midday shooting conditions where there can be a lot of shadow, fill flash is a must. Read more about using fill flash.

19. Continuous shooting mode

Having the ability to shoot a lot of images fast is very handy on a wedding day, so switch your camera to its continuous shooting mode and use it. Sometimes it’s the shot you take a second after the formal or posed shot when everyone is relaxing that really captures the moment!

20. Expect the unexpected

One more piece of advice that someone gave me on my own wedding day: “Things will go wrong, but they can be the best parts of the day.”

In every wedding that I’ve participated in, something tends to go wrong with the day. The best man can’t find the ring, the rain pours down just as the ceremony ends, the groom forgets to do up his fly, the flower girl decides to sit down in the middle of the aisle, or the bride can’t remember her vows.

These moments can feel a little panicky at the time. But it’s these moments that can actually make a day and give the bride and groom memories. Attempt to capture them, and you could end up with some fun images that sum up the day really well.

I still remember the first wedding I photographed, where the bride and groom’s car crashed into a tram on the way to the park where we were going to take photos. The bride was in tears, the groom stressed out. But after we’d all calmed down, people began to see some of the funny side of the moment, and we even took a couple of shots before driving on to the park. They were among everyone’s favorites.

21. Have fun

Weddings are about celebrating; they should be fun. The more fun you have as the photographer, the more relaxed those you are photographing will be. Perhaps the best way to loosen people up is to smile as the photographer (warning: I always come home from photographing weddings with sore jaws and cheeks because of my smiling strategy).

The post Wedding Photography – 21 Tips for Amateur Wedding Photographers appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

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Weekly Photography Challenge – Minimalism

03 Oct

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

From a recent dPS article by one of our authors, Simon Bond, we’re going to revisit ‘Photographic Minimalism’ (Don’t worry, it’s easy and fun!)

What is minimalism?

Minimalism, as the name suggests, is about keeping things simple. It means avoiding clutter, which in photography equates to removing unwanted elements from your photos.

You do want a main subject, though; this is needed for the minimalist parts of your photos to have something to contrast with. Make sure you tag your photo #dPSMinimalism wherever you choose to share it!

photographic minimalism fisherman example — Shooting upward toward the fisherman helped produce a minimalist photo.

Or maybe a ship on the horizon? Whatever your photograph might be, do your best to show us that photographic minimalism! (Bit confused, check out this article)

Weekly Photography Challenge - Minimalism

Great! Where do I upload my photos?

Simply upload your shot into the comments field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see. Or, if you’d prefer, upload them to your favourite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them.

Weekly Photography Challenge – Looking Up

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 #DPSMinimalism 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.

Follow us on Instagram?

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

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Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II to Launch on October 14th

02 Oct

The post Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II to Launch on October 14th appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Almost exactly two years after the launch of Nikon’s full-frame mirrorless system, it’s time for an update:

The Z6 II and the Z7 II, officially launching on October 14th.

If you want to know precisely when the new models will be announced, you can view a countdown on the Nikon USA website, here.

Unfortunately, Nikon didn’t release any product specifications or extra information to go along with the announcement, other than the title, “The Next Chapter.” But Nikon Rumors has been publishing on Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II specifications for months, which is why we know a lot more about these two cameras than you might expect.

First, as is now clear from the titles, the Z6 II and the Z7 II will offer enhancements on the existing Z6 and Z7 models, Nikon’s first two mirrorless cameras. Both the Z6 and Z7 debuted back in late 2018 to general praise, which means that the Z6 II and the Z7 II, regardless of any major upgrades or innovations, should be formidable cameras.

In fact, it’s looking like Nikon will take a relatively laid-back approach to these successor models.

Nikon Rumors reports that the new cameras will be an “incremental update to the current Z6/Z7 models;” they’ll feature the same sensors as their predecessors (24 MP and 45.7 MP, respectively), the same electronic viewfinder resolution (3.69M-dot), and similar designs.

On the other hand, the Z6 II and the Z7 II should come with plenty of useful upgrades, including:

Dual card slots
4K/60p video capabilities
Next-level autofocus
Enhanced continuous shooting capabilities (with a larger buffer and speedier shooting)

Interestingly, Nikon Rumors also claims that the Z6 II will be “the last Nikon camera with a 24 MP sensor.” Assuming this rumor is correct, it begs the question: Where does Nikon plan to go after this? Perhaps we’ll see a shift to 26 MP sensors, 30 MP sensors, or even a drop back to 20 MP sensors, but I have a hard time believing the change will be any more drastic.

After all, there are several reasons that camera manufacturers stick with lower megapixel counts on some of their cameras (despite their ability to manufacturer 50+ megapixel sensors). For instance, a 45 MP camera will struggle to go toe-to-toe with a 24 MP camera in low light, which is why we’re still getting a 12 MP sensor on the Sony a7S III and a 20 MP sensor on the Canon 1D X Mark III.

Like the Nikon Z6 and Z7, you can expect that the Z6 II and Z7 II will cater to professionals and other experienced photographers. So if you’re interested in a top-notch full-frame camera, one with dual card slots and plenty of other great features, then take a look at these new models!

Now over to you:

What do you think of the Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II? Were you hoping for more significant upgrades? Or are you looking forward to these new models? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II to Launch on October 14th appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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How To Save PNG in Photoshop (If Its Not Letting You)

02 Oct

You’ve got your creation exactly how you want it and now it’s time to save it. You want to save it as a PNG. However, when you go to save it, PNG does not appear in the list of file type options that you can choose. What do you do? Shaking your fist at your computer in frustration will do Continue Reading

The post How To Save PNG in Photoshop (If Its Not Letting You) appeared first on Photodoto.

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