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Understanding and Unlocking the Power of the Lightoom Vignette Tool

05 Feb

The post Understanding and Unlocking the Power of the Lightoom Vignette Tool appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

The Lightroom vignette tool is like adding a bit of spice to your favorite meal. Without a bit (but not too much) garlic, basil, thyme, or other even salt, your food might taste bland. Add too much, and it can ruin the whole thing. In a way, the vignette effect does the same job. It adds a bit of spice, flavor, and panache, to give your photos that little extra push over the cliff. It turns them from mediocre to magnificent. If you want to unlock its full potential, it’s important to understand what it does and see how, when applied to different pictures, it can dramatically affect the final output.

You and the Lightroom Vignette effect: A match made in heaven.

About Vignettes

Vignette effects are nothing new to photography. The word itself has French origins. It refers to the wavy lines that would appear like vines (or in French, Vignes) drawn around page edges marking the beginning or end of a book chapter. Over time the word was adopted by artists and photographers to refer to the gradual fade or darkening of an image near its edges.

While vignettes can be distracting if implemented poorly, they can result in a pleasing artistic effect when applied like spices when cooking. The outcome is akin to laying a reverse darkened oval across an image so that the corners and edges of the picture are a little darker. This method also serves to draw the viewer’s attention to the center. You’re basically trying to achieve the Goldilocks balance where it’s not too much and not too little, but just right.

Understanding the Vignette Options

The first step in using Vignette is simply locating it. You’ll find it in the Effects panel on the right-hand side of the Lightroom Develop module. You’re presented with an option to choose a particular style along with five sliders that help you fine-tune the vignette to taste. All of this happens after your image cropping has been applied, so if you use a vignette and then re-crop your image the vignette changes to suit your new crop.

There are three options for the Style of vignette:

Highlight Priority – Ensures that the bright areas of the image blend more smoothly with the darker areas. The downside here is it can make areas of the image with a lot of colors appear a little strange.
Color Priority – The opposite of Highlight Priority, this style makes sure that color is preserved across the vignette. However, it can make the bright areas have some jarring shifts.
Paint Overlay – This is a blunt instrument. It just darkens the image where the vignette is applied, with no attention paid to highlights or colors.

If you’re not sure which of these to use, I recommend sticking with Highlight Priority. Both that and Color Priority produce similar results which are not unlike the Burn option in Photoshop (which itself mimics the process of selectively over-exposing parts of an image when developing film in a darkroom). These two also let you use the Highlights slider at the bottom which helps you recover some of the brighter portions of the image that are darkened with a vignette, whereas Paint Overlay disables the Highlights slider entirely.

Additional options:

In addition to the style of vignette, you have additional options that allow you to precisely control how the effect is implemented.

Amount – How much vignette is applied. Moving this to the left adds a dark vignette while sliding it to the right adds a white vignette.
Midpoint – The degree to which the vignette reaches the middle of the image. All the way to the left results in much more of the vignette reaching the center, whereas all the way to the right keeps the vignette at the most extreme edges and corners. If you’re not sure what to do, just leave this in the middle.
Roundness – All the way to the left makes the vignette into more of a rectangle. Leave it in the middle for an oval-shaped vignette. Slide it all the way to the right to make your vignette a circle.
Feather – How smoothly the dark areas blend with the light areas. All the way to the left results in a harsh edge and all the way to the right gives you a nice smooth blend.

If you don’t want to over-complicate things you can leave all these sliders at their default values and you’ll be fine. However, they are fun to experiment with over time to get just the right look you are going for.

Visual explanations

This tool is easy to explore on your own but looking at how it affects a black and white grid may give you a better understanding of what is happening. I used the Paint Overlay instead of Highlight or Color Priority because in a simple black-and-white grid Paint Overlay gives the clearest visual representation of how the vignette is applied. The left side of each is the original un-edited grid while the right side is the same image with a vignette applied. The settings used for each one are described in the caption.

Amount -50, Midpoint +50, Roundness 0, Feather +50

Notice how the vignette gradually fades from dark to light, with the center portion of the image on the right being the exact same brightness as the grid on the left with no vignette applied.

Amount -50, Midpoint 0, Roundness 0, Feather +50

With the midpoint set all the way to 0, the unaffected portion of the vignette is concentrated in the middle with the edges and corners being uniformly dark. This highlights the center portion alone but there is very little fade-out between that and the vignette.

Amount -50, Midpoint 0, Roundness 0, Feather +100

The midpoint here remains the same but there is now a more gradual fade-out to the darkened portions thanks to an increase in feathering.

Amount -50, Midpoint 0, Roundness 0, Feather 0

Reducing the feathering to 0 makes the vignette clearly visible with virtually no gradation in how it is applied. I would never use this on an actual photo, but it is useful to understand how the vignette function operates.

Amount -40, Midpoint +25, Roundness +100, Feather +30

Setting the roundness to +100 gives you a vignette that is a perfect circle instead of a more oval shape. It’s important to remember that vignettes are applied after cropping, so if you start with a square image then you will have a circular vignette even with the roundness value set to its default value of +50.

Hopefully, these graphics give you a better understanding of how the vignette effect works. However, to really see it in action, it helps to look at what happens when it’s applied to actual photographs instead of just a blank grid.

Vignette examples

Almost any photo-editing app will let you apply a vignette, but with the extensive tools available in Lightroom you can customize your vignette to do precisely what you want and shape your viewers’ perception of an image in a very specific way. If you control parameters like midpoint and feathering, in addition to the amount, you can create vignettes that impart certain overtones and even emotions and transform your humble images in to works of art.

No vignette applied.

The above image looks fine on its own, and the viewer’s attention is meant to be drawn to the droplet of water right in the middle, but there are other portions of the image competing for attention. Adding a vignette completely changes the mood of the scene and makes the viewer feel like they are in a much more intimate setting. Notice how, with the darkened corners, your eye gets immediately drawn to the center and not to the edges at all.

Highlight Priority. Amount -30, Midpoint +50, Roundness +20, Feather +40

Vignettes can be used to eliminate distractions in the edges of the frame as well, and in doing so draw the viewer’s attention to the subject in the center. In this image below, there is a fence on the top-right and a black climbing rope on the top-left. They don’t really add much substance to the image and instead can take your attention away from the rabbit in the middle.

One way to solve this is by adding a vignette. Through some tweaking of the parameters, the end result is an image that still contains the fence and the rope but makes them far less prominent while focusing your attention squarely on the bunny.

Highlight Priority. Amount -42, Midpoint +50, Roundness 0, Feather +70

I do a lot of family pictures for clients in my city, and one of the final touches I’ll add to most of my pictures is a simple vignette. It’s often very subtle, usually only -10 or -15, but depending on the Style (Highlight or Color Priority), I might need to add more and then tweak it with the sliders. Below is an image with no vignette applied. While it’s fine on its own, the subjects are competing with the bright edges and corners for your attention.

A Color Priority vignette helps maintain the integrity of the colors while darkening them a little, and then I brought back some of the highlights particularly in the top-right corner by adjusting the Highlights slider to 10.

Color Priority. Amount -53, Midpoint +55, Roundness 0, Feather +45, Highlights +10.

Positive values

One thing I didn’t mention in this article is positive Amount values, which make the edges of the frame brighter instead of darker. In my years as a photographer, I can’t think of a single instance in which I have used this option, and I don’t know anyone else who uses it on a regular basis either (editor’s note: it may be used it in high-key photography). You may find instances in which you want to make the outer portions of your image brighter instead of darker and, if so, then positive Amount values would do the trick. Just know that it’s easy to overdo it and the results can sometimes come across as a little cheesy and forced.

Conclusion

These examples and explanations are designed to give you a better understanding of what the vignette effect does and how it impacts an image. I encourage you to try it out for yourself. Use the different sliders and style options and notice how they affect the vignette which, in turn, can have a profound impact on your image as a whole. Just remember the cooking analogy: you don’t want too much vignette, nor do you want too little. Strive to get it just right, and your pictures could take on a whole new life.

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.

The post Understanding and Unlocking the Power of the Lightoom Vignette Tool appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

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Panasonic Lumix PRO Services support program is now accepting applications

05 Feb

Panasonic has launched registration for its new Lumix PRO Services, a support program for professional photographers and other imaging customers. The company is offering its service in four tiers, each with different prices, requirements and benefits. Panasonic is now offering Lumix PRO Services to customers in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Spain, France, and Germany.

For customers in the US, the highest-end ‘Platinum’ tier is offered to professionals who own at least two of the following camera bodies: G85, G9, GH4, GH5, and GH5s. As well, the customer must own at least four of the following qualifying Lumix lenses:

12-35mm f/2.8
12-35mm f/2.8 II
14-42mm f/3.5-56 Power Zoom
35-100mm f/2.8
35-100mm f/2.8 II
45-175mm f/3.5-5.6 Power Zoom
Leica 100-400mm f/4-6.3 – Vario-Elmar
Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4 Vario-Elmarit
Leica 12mm f/1.4 Summilux
Leica 15mm f/1.7 Summilux
Leica 200mm f/2.8 Elmarit
Leica 25mm f/1.4 Summilux
Leica 42.5mm f/1.2 Nocticron
Leica 45mm F/2.8 Macro-Elmar
Leica 50-200mm f/2.8-4 Vario-Elmarit
Leica 8-18mm f/2.8-4 Vario-Elmarit

Multiple benefits are offered to US-based Lumix PRO Services ‘Platinum’ customers, including two business day turnaround, next-day free shipping, a 20% discount on out-of-warranty repairs, loaner gear for repairs that require more than two business days, a “premium welcome kit,” and an exclusive hotline.

Later in 2019, Panasonic also plans to add evaluation loaners for new products and discounts with (currently unnamed) partners. The membership is priced at $ 199 USD per year and is now accepting applications from eligible customers.

The program varies based on region. Lumix PRO Services ‘Platinum’ customers in the UK, for example, must have a minimum of three camera bodies and five lenses to register their gear. This version of the ‘Platinum’ membership is priced at ?179. Platinum customers in Spain, France and Germany are charged €199.

According to Panasonic, its Lumix PRO Services have been available in Japan since April 2017 and will arrive in Ireland and Austria in Spring 2019. Other unspecified countries will be supported later this year.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

05 Feb

The post 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Many photographers experience anxiety when they think about using flash. It’s a big unknown, difficult to control and to predict what the results might look like.

Knowing when you need to use flash to improve a photograph is just another choice you need to make. A little like deciding what lens to use to take a particular photo. Obtaining the right amount of light from your flash to compliment your picture is key to effective fill flash photography.

Attractive Young Photographer 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

In this article, I share some thoughts on when and why you might choose to add fill flash. I’ll also walk through seven situations where using fill flash helps enhance a picture.

Using fill flash – what, when and why

Fill flash is typically used to balance with the ambient light to provide the main subject with a more pleasing exposure. So you are filling in some additional light to obtain a better or more interesting exposure. Balance is key. When light from a flash overpowers the ambient light, this is not fill flash.

You can make use of fill flash not only at night or in dark locations, but also when there is plenty of light. Fill flash can be used to effectively decrease or eliminate unwanted shadows when the ambient light is very bright.

1. Fill flash and bright sun

mannequin hitch hiker 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

The bright sun casts a hard-edged, dark shadow. When there’s no other light source or reflected light, contrast can cause problems.

Photographing people in bright sunshine they will often have dark shadows under their eyes, nose, and chin. Adding some fill can help to fill in these shadows.

Adding just the right amount of light from your flash is important so it’s balanced with the sunlight. In this photo of a mannequin I saw on the roadside one morning, I have added fill flash. I directed my flash at the smiling figure. I set the output so she was well lit, but her shadow, from the sunlight, is still clear.

2. Electric light source and fill flash

Circuit Board 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

When you have any light source which causes your main subject to be poorly lit, adding fill flash can help.

The large magnifying glass in this photo has a light behind it to illuminate the electronic board. Had I not added any fill flash, the electronic board would be well exposed, but the white surround of the magnifying glass would be underexposed.

Fill flash can even out the light when it’s important to have everything in your photo well exposed.

3. Using ambient light as backlight

Thirsty Traveler 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

Photographing your subject with the main light source behind it is known as backlighting. This situation again can create problems when you want evenly exposed photos.

Adding fill flash to a subject which is backlit, you can bring a balance of light and obtain an even exposure.

In this photo of the young woman drinking, I wanted to include the train in the background. The light behind her was quite strong so I balanced it by adding in a burst of flash from my right.

By controlling the flash power to output slightly less light from the ambient light, I was able to leave a soft shadow on her face. Had I not included the flash, the shadow would be too dark and not help convey that it was a hot day so well.

4. Fill flash with a bright background

Young Woman in the Park 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

Bright backgrounds, even on cloudy days, can sometimes cause you to underexpose your subject if you’re not careful. Adding some flash helps.

The bright background behind my model in this photo was not super bright, as it was an overcast day. I wanted her to be a little brighter than the background, so I placed the flash to my left. I also had a small softbox for the flash so it was diffused to match the feeling of the ambient light.

5. Light your subject at sunset or sunrise

Evening Jetty 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

At either end of a day, when the sun is low in the sky or just below the horizon, fill flash can be helpful. Sunrise and sunset can produce beautifully colored skies, but they are often going to be brighter than your subject.

If you set your exposure for the sky, your subject will be underexposed. If you set your exposure for your subject, your sky overexposes and you lose the effect of the color in your photo.

Adding a little flash to your subject, so it’s balanced with the light in the sky, will light your subject and allow the color in the sky to be captured also.

6. Fill flash and fire

Bronze Crucible 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

This example is a little different but has the same principle. In this case, part of the main subject is the light source.

I photographed this inside. The workshop was fairly dark so the flames were throwing shadows over the dark metal.

Had I not included any flash in this scene, the crucible, tongs, and surrounds would have been too dark. I wanted more detail to be visible in these areas.

7. Slow shutter and fill flash

Buddhist Chedi Luang 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

Any time you have movement in a scene you can use a slow shutter speed to create motion blur in your photos. Using some fill flash can add a whole other dynamic, particularly if you set camera and flash to synchronize well.

Many cameras allow you to set the synchronization to fire the flash just before the second, or rear curtain of the shutter closes. This causes a partial ‘freezing’ of the motion in a more attractive manner.

Again, balancing your flash output is important to achieve the best effect. For this technique, I generally set my flash output to be slightly brighter than the ambient light. If the output is the same or less you will not see the effect much or at all.

How to use your flash well

Woman and Elephants 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

You do not need to have your flash mounted on your camera’s hot shoe pointing directly at your subject.

Diffusing your flash, or bouncing it off a reflector or other surface, will soften the light. Placing your flash off to one side, above or below, will often produce more interesting, pleasing results.

Controlling the output of your flash is always vital. Too much or too little light from your flash causes an imbalance. You need to decide how much light your photo requires and make the correct adjustments to your flash.

Through the lens (TTL) metering is often the easiest setting. You can also use the Auto mode. Sometimes, with either of these settings, you may need to dial in compensation so the light will be a little stronger or weaker.

Using the Manual setting on your flash requires a little more thought and experimentation. It can often produce a more reliable output from the flash when you are taking a series of photos. This is particularly useful when there are variables in light or camera/subject/background distances.

Conclusion

Akha Coffee Harvest 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

Adding fill flash can make a positive difference to your photos in many situations. When you are not content with the ambient light alone, consider adding a little light from your flash. Even if the only flash you have is the pop up one on your camera.

You may not get the right result the first few times you try this method. Practice. Study your results. Compare photos where you did not use the flash with ones where you did. In time, you will develop a sense for when adding some fill flash will enhance your photographs.

Share some photos in the comments section below and tell us of your experience with using fill flash, whether you were successful or not.

The post 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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Flickr to begin deleting images over the 1K limit starting tomorrow for free accounts

05 Feb

Changes to the way photo sharing website Flickr operates mean starting tomorrow free accounts that have more than 1,000 images shared on their account are in danger of having images deleted. In November 2018 new owners SmugMug warned the days of all users being entitled to a terabyte of storage were numbered, and noted that as of February 5th 2019 free accounts will be cut down to size starting with the oldest posts.

The company says the cull should affect only a small percentage of its user-base, as 97% of its free account holders have fewer than 1000 images and videos stored. Those who have more should upgrade to a Pro account or scale their albums back. It also points out that the 1000-image limit is five times as generous as the original free account quota, which was only 200 pictures or videos.

Yahoo gets the blame for the situation, as in 2013 it raised the storage limit to attract new users which actually led to sign-ups just using the free storage but not interacting with the community, according to Flickr’s VP of Product Andrew Stadlen. He also says it costs a lot to host all that data, and that by offering it for free devalued the concept of paid online space.
If you are one of that 3% with more than 1000 images in a free account you need to take action now. Fortunately, Gizmodo has produced a handy guide to getting your pictures downloaded back to your local drives.

For more information on these changes see the Flickr blog post from November, and this one from mid-December.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Newly shared 1900s photo shows early example of a ‘selife’

05 Feb

Redditor KevlarYarmulke shared an image featuring an early version of the ‘selfie’ on Reddit’s r/OldSchoolCool subreddit last week. The photograph, which is simply dated as ‘1900s,’ features what appears to be a family portrait also showing the photographer who took the picture. Including both the photographer and the subjects in the photo was made possible by the clever use of a large mirror positioned on a tree stump.

This is potentially one of the oldest known photos showing a mirror-based selfie, joining Robert Cornelius’ 1839 self-portrait believed to be the first ‘selfie’ ever taken.

A number of portraits have appeared on Reddit’s OldSchoolCool subreddit demonstrating the film camera and mirror technique. Last month, for example, a user by the name ‘WillianGBishop’ shared a 1960s image of his grandfather taking a self-portrait with a Miranda camera and a mirror. Various users have also shared a photo reportedly from the 1940s titled ‘Wartime Selfie’ that features a couple taking a self-portrait in a mirror.

Via: Fstoppers

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Almalence compares Google’s Super Resolution Zoom to its own Super Sensor solution

05 Feb

Optical zoom lenses with 2x or even 3x magnification factor are one of the the latest trends on high-end smartphones. However, you don’t necessarily need a dedicated lens to achieve better zoom results than you get from a standard digital zoom.

In the world of computational photographer one solution to getting around optical zoom is to combine a multitude of frames to capture as much detail as possible and apply some clever processing algorithms. While not nearly as clear as optical zoom — yet — these methods result in final images that aren’t far off an optical system. One such example is Google’s Super Resolution Zoom on the Pixel 3 smartphone. Through this method, the Pixel 3 can produce image detail far superior to a simple digital zoom.

But Google isn’t the only company working on this. Computational imaging company Almalence also provides imaging software solutions to mobile device and camera makers with a similar solution called SuperSensor, and it’s shown off just how capable its system is.

On its blog Almalence has compared Google’s Super Resolution to its own Super Sensor technology by installing the latter on a Google Pixel 3 and capturing a couple of test scenes.

The company’s conclusion is that Google’s Super Resolution Zoom ‘reveals some details that are indistinguishable in the normal image,’ but ‘it’s still not the best of what super resolution can achieve.’

In the 100% crops above you can see Google’s system is doing a much better job at magnifying the text in the book that served as a test subject. However, at closer inspection you’ll also see that the characters in the text is better preserved in the image captured by the Almalence system, despite an overall softer appearance.

In the original article you can find another comparison scene and all samples for download at original size, so you can form your own opinions about the performance of the two systems. In any case it’s good to see how far purely software-based systems have come when compared to a simple digital zoom. Combining such systems with optical zoom lenses should open up completely now possibilities on mobile devices.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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DJI shares open letter regarding corruption allegations, asks media to ‘pay close attention to the facts’

04 Feb

Three weeks ago, DJI released a statement regarding its ongoing investigation into an alleged corruption scandal that could ultimately cost the Chinese drone manufacturer upwards of more than $ 150 million. Now, DJI has published an open letter on its website detailing more information and urging ‘the media to pay close attention to the facts [DJI has] presented.’

In its initial statement, DJI said that during its internal investigation regarding the alleged corruption, ‘DJI itself found some employees inflated the cost of parts and materials for certain products for personal financial gain […] DJI took swift action to address this issue, dismissed a number of employees who violated company policies, and contacted law enforcement officials.‘

Since the initial statement, DJI has published an open letter on its website that provides more details on the investigation, the events that led up to it and what it plans to do going forward.

‘As DJI embarked on a management reform effort last year, we discovered problems that had evolved during our period of high growth,‘ reads the letter. It later goes on to say ‘DJI has discovered instances of cost inefficiency, purchasing manipulations and outright theft. We cannot ignore these issues. Indeed, for the sake of the vast majority of our employees who work hard and honestly, we need to uncover and eliminate these problems.‘

Although it’s not a full-fledged apology to consumers and investors, DJI does accept blame for letting the corruption getting as bad as it did, saying ‘in the past emphasized corporate growth over new internal processes.‘

DJI says fostering better management will be the key to eliminating such corruption in the future and says ‘will now take a leading role in developing clear policies, procedures and expectations to address corner-cutting and employee theft‘ and calls upon other companies to implement similar processes.

The letter also implores the media to ‘pay close attention to the facts we have presented.’

DJI has been expected to file for IPO in 2019, so these statements and open letters appear to be a part of an intense effort to suppress the fallout from the corruption and its financial implications.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Newborn Photography Basics and the Equipment to Use

04 Feb

The post Newborn Photography Basics and the Equipment to Use appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

Many newborn photographers, especially those who specialize in purely newborn photos, have their own studio.

newborn-portable-studio-kit-equipment-dps-lily-sawyer-photo

Parents come to them with their newborns, and their studios are fully kitted-out with lights (unless they are a natural light only photographer), backdrops and props. Some newborn photographers also travel to clients’ home and bring with them their own portable studio.

When I started photography, I did all sorts under the sun. Weddings, families, children, events, birthdays, newborns, maternity…Cake-smash is the only obvious thing I can think of that I haven’t done.

Over time, I cut down on the others and focused on weddings. Now don’t get me wrong, I still do these photography genres, but reserve them for past and annual clients and referrals.

What I’ll share with you is my way of doing newborns, my preferences and the equipment I use. There are other ways and styles, so please don’t take this as gospel and the only way to do newborns. It’s just the style that I prefer. Instead, take this as some advice (if there’s any you find helpful), and as a choice out of the many styles out there.

Before we dive in, let me first say that I didn’t go into newborn photography without reading up on it and learning about safety. Safety is critical. You can’t wing it. Instead, you have to understand risks and take necessary precautions with your equipment, process, and workflow. Baby safety is of utmost importance, over and beyond poses, props and style.

newborn-portable-studio-kit-equipment-dps-lily-sawyer-photo

Choose a style

Your style dictates your equipment. If you want very natural looking photos, no poses, or plenty of candid captures, then you probably won’t need much equipment such as stands, backdrops, or softboxes. All you need are the basics – a camera, the correct lenses (24-70 or 50mm and a macro for close-ups like a 60mm), memory cards, batteries, reflector, speedlight (if using as a back-up).

If you like props, then it’s the opposite. You may need to use everything but your kitchen sink – baskets, bowls, wraps, flowers, textured rugs, fabrics, or toys. These are on top of all other photography equipment.

My preference is going to clients’ homes. I’ve done newborn shoots in my studio, but I prefer setting up in baby’s own home. I take my time and make sure everyone is comfortable and happy, especially the baby. Also, allowing for feeds and soothing. I know most specialist studios have the workflow scheduled to a T, taking an hour maximum and moving on to the next baby. That is fine too and makes good business sense.

1. Props

My style is simple and classic with a few props – namely blankets and wraps, sheepskin, and a basket. That’s it. I use soft fabrics to wrap the babies, so they feel secure. Sometimes I might add something extra depending on the situation, like these newborn twins, where I thought angel wings and a crown would look sweet, or a little flower hairband. Just don’t go over the top. Less is more when it comes to photographing newborns.

I also put them on a sheepskin or blanket to add texture. Usually, the sheepskin or blanket sits on top of a basket, so the babies are shaped curled up. I place the baby curled in there to represent the womb shape. The basket either sits on a beanbag on the floor or on the bed, which must be big, depending on the setup.

I like to keep props to a minimum and focus on the baby’s face, expressions, hands and feet, hair and the lighting.

newborn-portable-studio-kit-equipment-dps-lily-sawyer-photo

2. Poses

Never force a pose on a baby. I do 2-3 poses maximum. If the baby is not comfortable with a pose or not wanting to cooperate, I drop it (the pose not the baby!) and move on to an alternative. I like the bottom up pose, fetal position with baby curled up in a basket, mother and baby/father and baby poses.

3. Lighting

There are many lighting setups. However, I take a softbox with me, speedlights, transmitters, a stand for the softbox, and a reflector. My set-up is simple. I prefer everything on the floor, so that’s where I place the beanbag. A rectangular softbox on a stand sits at a 45-degree angle to the bean bag. Opposite the softbox is a reflector. I use a speedlight in the softbox rather than a strobe for portability. Don’t forget the adaptor for the speedlight to sit on. That’s it. Simple. This way, you can shoot whether there is natural light available or not, whether there is a window in the room , or it’s pitch black!

4. Backdrop

A basic portable backdrop stand kit, with two stands and a bar across to clamp on some fabric, has served me well. Choose material that doesn’t crease! Once I used a black cotton fabric which was so wrinkled I spent ages photoshopping the creases out and painting over the fabric. Luckily it was black and was possible in Photoshop. I sometimes use the backdrop on the beanbag with the baby on top to get a seamless fading background. I prefer a darker background to light colored ones.

newborn-portable-studio-kit-equipment-dps-lily-sawyer-photo

5. Other special items

I like to do the shoot as a story, so I always include other shots of the baby’s nursery. This story may include special newborn greetings cards, booties, or the most special toy gift for the baby. I check with the parents as to what they want capturing. These unique items are also why I prefer to shoot newborns in their homes – the shots become so personal to them and therefore more special.

6. Candids

I often end the session with natural, unposed shots of the family especially if there’s a sibling. That way, they have some memories together of their first few days as a family.

7. Editing

Unfortunately, in my experience, newborn editing takes up much time. Perhaps that’s because I like a more artsy look and there’s a lot of softening to do on the background to match the softness of the newborn skin. Not to mention cleaning up the newborn skin, which is often wrinkly and spotty with milk spots, or very red too. I aim to give the family a variety of images, so they have a good bunch of memories of those first days.

Conclusion

I hope this has given you a snippet of what newborn photography could look like for some. It’s different for others, but this is what I do. I’ve evolved from brightly lit newborn photos to moody, dark tones. Yours can be different. Just make sure it is something you love. Do share your thoughts in the comments below.

The post Newborn Photography Basics and the Equipment to Use appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

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Panasonic’s new Lumix DC-S1 and S1R: What you need to know

03 Feb

Panasonic Lumix DC S1 and S1R: What you need to know

The new Panasonic Lumix DC S1 and S1R are Panasonic’s first full-frame cameras, and only the second (and third) full-frame options for what had, until recently, been the Leica SL-mount. Broadly comparable in intent to Nikon’s Z-series, the S1 is a powerful all-rounder, featuring advanced video capabilities as well as 24MP stills, while the more expensive S1R is a high-resolution 47MP stills-oriented flagship.

We’ve had our hands on the S1 and S1R, and in this article we’ll pull out the key specifications, and walk through the major features and ergonomics of both cameras.

Panasonic Lumix DC S1 and S1R: What you need to know

Ergonomically and cosmetically, the S1 (shown here) and S1R are effectively identical. They’re DSLR-style full-frame mirrorless cameras intended for professional and enthusiast use. As such, they’re fairly large, chunky, and peppered with buttons, switches and dials.

Panasonic Lumix DC S1 and S1R: What you need to know

They’re also tough. Panasonic claims that the magnesium alloy bodies of the S1 and S1R are sealed against dust and moisture, and will operate down to -10°C (14°F). Essentially, we understand that the S1/R were designed to be at least as durable as the GH5 in tough conditions, which in our experience means they should be very tough indeed.

This shot shows the vertical controls on the optional grip, which like the S1/R is weather-sealed and built to a high standard.

Panasonic Lumix DC S1 and S1R: What you need to know

Panasonic has stressed to us that feedback from professional photographers was critical to the design of these cameras, and it turns out that when you ask professional photographers what they want a full-frame camera to look like, you end up with something that looks an awful lot like a high-end DSLR, complete with a large grip, and wide, fairly deep body.

Panasonic Lumix DC S1 and S1R: What you need to know

And… (drumroll…) twin card slots! The S1/R support SD (UHS-II / v90 compatible) and XQD recording media, with support for CFexpress (an evolution of XQD offering even higher data transfer rates which has the same form factor) coming in future. A ‘card lock’ feature issues an audible warning if the card door is opened while the camera is still writing data.

Panasonic Lumix DC S1 and S1R: What you need to know

The substantial handgrip houses an appropriately substantial battery, which is good for a curiously unremarkable CIPA-rated endurance of between 360 and 400 images, depending on which model, which card type you use and whether you use the EVF or LCD. These figures increase to ~1100 in ‘power save’ mode. In normal shooting, considering the battery’s high capacity, we’d expect much more.

Panasonic Lumix DC S1 and S1R: What you need to know

The single biggest difference at a component level is the sensors. The S1 features a 24MP, ‘high-sensitivity’ sensor with a maximum ISO sensitivity of 204,800, whereas the S1R offers greater resolution, at 47MP, with a lower absolute maximum ISO sensitivity of 51,200. Neither cameras’ sensors feature a low-pass filter, which should guarantee excellent sharpness, potentially at the expense of moiré in some situations. Both sensors are stabilized.

It’s worth noting that these sensors are not BSI-CMOS designs. This means that they are not variants of the manufactured sensors we’ve seen in contemporary Sony and Nikon DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. Until we’ve completed our testing we won’t know exactly what that means, except that we’re not expecting any PDAF striping or banding issues. Why? Because there’s no PDAF. More about that on the next slide.

Panasonic Lumix DC S1 and S1R: What you need to know

Panasonic has opted to use a variation of its established contrast-detection DFD autofocus system, rather than an on-sensor phase-detection system of the kind favored by other manufacturers. Despite their very different sensors, the S1 and S1R offer the same 225-zone autofocus system.

This is because the AF system is effectively a processing layer on top of the sensor, not built into it. Since both cameras feature the same processor, autofocus performance should be identical – notwithstanding the risk of misfocus being more noticeable in the S1R’s higher-resolution files.

This image shows off the S1/R’s large top-mounted LCD and twin control dials. Just to the right of the LCD is the on/off switch which interestingly – and in our opinion a bit disappointingly – has been moved from its G9 / GH5 position around the shutter button. While less likely to be bumped in its new position, we miss the ability to react quickly and turn the camera on with a single finger.

Panasonic Lumix DC S1 and S1R: What you need to know

The S1 and S1R both feature high-resolution 5.76M-dot OLED viewfinders, which Panasonic describes, accurately, as offering ‘the world’s highest resolution’. In use, the S1/R’s viewfinder experience is certainly impressive, and free of the ‘rainbow’ effect which for years has dogged the field-sequential viewfinders used in some of Panasonic’s M43 cameras. We’re not sure it uses all of those 5.76M dots, though, since that number implies a 4:3 finder and these appear to be 3:2.

Sharpness isn’t just about resolution, of course. The optical assembly in the EVF is unusually complex, comprising five elements in three groups, including three ‘optical glass’ elements. The EVF’s default (max) magnification is 0.78X, but this drops to 0.74X or 0.7X if you want to see information displayed around the preview, rather than overlaid on-top.

In this image you can see the S1/R’s rear controls, which include a combined rear dial / 4-way controller and a dedicated 8-way autofocus joystick. The joystick is, no pun intended, a joy to use, capable of directing your chosen AF point around the frame extremely quickly. The 4-way controller beneath it is less satisfying, being a smaller and shallower control which we can imagine being hard to manipulate with cold or gloved fingers.

Panasonic Lumix DC S1 and S1R: What you need to know

On the rear of the S1/R is a 3.2″, 2.1M-dot ‘triaxial’ tilting display, with a tilting mechanism designed to withstand professional use in tough shooting conditions. As we’d expect from Panasonic at this point, the display is touch-sensitive. A ‘night mode’ can be activated on both EVF and / or rear display which switches to a red on black interface to avoid eyestrain and dazzling when shooting in dark conditions.

Speaking of brightness, the rear display is an RGBW type, which includes (W)hite pixels alongside red, green and blue ones to improve visibility in bright conditions and reduce battery use the rest of the time.

Panasonic Lumix DC S1 and S1R: What you need to know

Aside from the difference in resolution for stills, video is where we see the biggest differentiators between the S1 and S1R. At a casual glance, both cameras appear to offer fairly similar 4K video shooting capabilities, but a closer look reveals that the S1 is better optimized for serious video capture.

Panasonic Lumix DC S1 and S1R: What you need to know

While both the S1 and S1R can shoot 4K/60 video, they differ in just about all important respects.

The S1 can shoot UHD/30p from the full width of its sensor and can do so for an unlimited time. It can also capture UHD/60p from an APS-C crop for up to 29:59 minutes. All this footage can be captured as 8-bit 4:2:0 footage or output over HDMI as 8-bit 4:2:2. The 30p footage can also be captured as 10-bit 4:2:0 high dynamic range footage in the camera’s HLG mode.

A paid firmware upgrade will allow 10-bit 4:2:2 capture and output of the 30/25 or 24p footage and access to the full V-Log gamma option (not the truncated V-LogL version offered in the GH-series cameras).

The S1R can shoot both UHD/60p and 30p from a 1.09x crop of its sensor, and is pixel-binned, which is likely to mean less detailed footage. There’s no HLG or upgrade option for the S1R, its 30p shooting is capped at 29:59 and the 60p option will shoot for about 10 minutes.

This shot shows the S1’s audio, HDMI and USB C I/O ports. The S1/R can be charged and powered via the latter.

Panasonic Lumix DC S1 and S1R: What you need to know

The Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 and S1R will be available in April for $ 2499 and $ 3699 respectively. The optional video firmware upgrade for the S1 will be available at a later date, price still TBD.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Godox XPro TTL Flash Trigger Review with Phil Steele [video]

03 Feb

The post Godox XPro TTL Flash Trigger Review with Phil Steele appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In this video, photography educator Phil Steele reviews the Godox XPro TTL Flash Trigger. While reviewing the Godox unit, he also makes a comparison to other flash triggers he uses; the Yongnuo YN622 and the Phottix Odin. The unit is available for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Fuji, and Pentax.

So, if you are looking to do more flash photography, you should watch this handy review. You may be surprised at the features this unit packs, especially the cross-brand compatibility. Find out more in the video.

You may also find the following articles helpful:

How to Trigger an Off-Camera Flash with the Pop-up Flash

8 On-Camera Flash Tips: How To Get Better Lighting From Your On-Camera Flash

Bounce Flash Secrets – Bouncing Your Way to Better Photography

DIY Lighting Hacks for Digital Photographers

How to Understand the Difference Between TTL Versus Manual Flash Modes

How to Make Beautiful Portraits Using Flash and High-Speed Sync

If you want to learn more from Phil, check out some of his video courses covering topics like event photography, Lightroom, headshots and more on steeletraining.com.

The post Godox XPro TTL Flash Trigger Review with Phil Steele appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

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