December « 2019 « 360Photography

RSS

Archive for December, 2019

Why Other Photographers are your Greatest Photography Resource

16 Dec

The post Why Other Photographers are your Greatest Photography Resource appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

There are lots of ways you can progress as a photographer. There are plenty of resources out there, equipment you can use, books you can read that will help you as a photographer. In this article, you’ll discover why your fellow photographer is your greatest photography resource. This is true throughout your photography journey, from a beginner to a more experienced photographer.

Let’s support each other and grow as photographers together!

This location was reached by joining up with another group of photographers.

When you’re a beginner

As a beginner, everything about photography with a manual camera will be a steep learning curve. Even if you’re using a smartphone, there is plenty to learn that can transform your photography.

These are the following ways you can use another photographer as a photography resource.

1. Feedback

How do you know whether your work is good? One great way is to get feedback from other photographers. The chances are they’ll know the pitfalls a new photographer can fall into, and through their help, they can help you avoid these mistakes.

This form of feedback is best when there are positive comments mixed in with any critique made. This can be done person to person, or through joining online groups of other photographers.

The role of social media in giving you feedback on your work, allows you to interact with photographers from around the world. The feedback can be direct or indirect, and so given in the following ways.

Indirect – This kind of feedback comes in the form of ‘likes’ you get for your work. While it’s tempting to ignore this aspect of social media, it gives you a good way to gauge how your work is progressing in a fairly scientific way. Of course, if you massively increase the number of followers you have, your likes will likely go up because you have a bigger audience, not necessarily because you’re taking better photos.
Direct – This comes in the form of comments left on your photos. Of course, comments that are short or one word will likely be positive, and this is really for encouragement. However, you’re really looking for longer comments that cover why things work in your photo, and what could be improved. This type of comment is often something you need to request people to give you. You should be asking for constructive feedback on your work.

Choose a mentor for your photography, one who suits your style.

2. Mentoring

A mentor is someone who will give you feedback on your work but will also give other things beyond that. This type of relationship will be one-to-one and much closer than when you ask a community of photographers for feedback.

You need to look for someone who takes photos in the area of photography you’re interested in, and often you’ll need to pay for this kind of service. It might be as a photography student you have a lecturer assigned to mentor you, in which case that’s their job.

A mentor will look to give feedback and direction to your photography. It should be clear about the start and finish point that you both want to achieve together. In that instance, they’ll not only give input on photos you’ve taken in the past but also tell you the sort of photos you should be aiming for in the future.

The location this photo was taken from was given by another photographer.

3. Advice

It’s always good to ask for advice. This goes for beginners and more experienced photographers. Everyone needs specific advice on things, and with photography always evolving, you’ll quickly find your not an expert on everything.

One of the most common areas of photography to seek advice is camera gear. This can often be expensive, so you don’t want to spend lots of money on equipment that won’t add real value to your photography. In fact, Digital Photography School has an entire section devoted just to gear for this reason.

So look to ask other photographers for advice on the best lens to buy, the best location to photograph in, or how to improve your post-processing.

In this photo, a group of photographers take part in a wire wool workshop.

Photographers as a photography resource for the experienced

As you get more experienced as a photographer, there are good reasons you should lean more (not less) on your fellow photographers. These are the best ways to grow friendships by working together and getting amazing photos.

1. Collaborations

There are lots of times when pooling your resources with another photographer will get you a better photo. The following are just some of the ways you might work with others.

Photo shoot – Photographing a model on your own can be done, but it’s much better to have other people with you. If the model costs money to hire, you can share the cost. You can also help with equipment brought to the session. Having people to hold light stands while you photograph helps a lot. Of course, you will need to return the favor!
Exhibition – A solo exhibition can be expensive. You’ll need to frame and print every frame, advertise the show, and find a location to host it. All the jobs and costs can be shared when you collaborate with a joint exhibition.
Workshop – Getting tuition from a photographer one-on-one is expensive, so, once again, joining a workshop with other photographers is a great idea to reduce costs.
Trip – Going on a trip with the intention of building your photography portfolio can be a better way to invest your money than buying another lens. That said, if you form a group, you can share accommodation, car rentals, and the time it takes to organize such trips.

In this photo, the man is preparing a reflection puddle.

2. Local knowledge

Nothing beats local knowledge, and most photographers will really know their area. Now not every photographer will share their photography spots with you. The best way is to reach out to a photography group that has an online forum ahead of your visit. Then invest the time in building a friendship with a photographer from the location you plan to visit ahead of time. If you do get taken around to some amazing locations, be prepared to reciprocate if they visit you.

3. Fixer

Of course, providing local knowledge is one way that a photographer can act as your fixer. There are other ways they can help you as well.

A lot of the time, gaining access to a vantage point can give you a great photo. Another photographer might have an apartment with a great view or work in an office that gives you a vantage over an amazing cityscape. Equally, there are times you might want to photograph with a model. Ask a portrait photographer if they know someone, and they might be able to put you in contact with a model.

Image: This photo was a result of a collaboration with some other photographers. The puddle was crea...

This photo was a result of a collaboration with some other photographers. The puddle was created using seawater.

4. Safety

There are times when joining forces with another photographer is about safety. When you’re on your own, you’re vulnerable. You can fall while out trekking in the wilderness, or be mugged when exploring an abandoned building. If you have another photographer with you, if the worst happens, they’ll be able to help you.

Conclusion

Gaining knowledge from other photographers is a great way to improve your work. How much you collaborate with others is a personal choice; some like to be alone.

Think about how you can get extra creativity by hanging out with other photographers, but always remember they’re your friend.

How much do you like to work with other photographers? Do you get better or worse photos when you photograph in a group? Here at Digital Photography School, we’d love to hear your experiences!

The post Why Other Photographers are your Greatest Photography Resource appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

Gear of the year 2019: Barney’s choice (part 2) Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S

16 Dec

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

We’ve been writing these articles for a few years now, and when it comes time to think about what I would pick as my ‘Gear of the Year’, I tend to go by two main criteria: What (if any) gear in the past 12 months did I actually spend my own money on, and what did I most enjoy using? And if those two criteria happen to be met by a single product, then there’s my answer. No further consideration required.

This year, two products met both of those criteria. The Ricoh GR III (which I wrote about here) and the Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S. Clearly they’re very different things. One is an APS-C compact camera and the other is a lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras. But both have been in my camera bag almost every time I’ve gone out shooting in 2019.

Of the thousands of frames I’ve shot with the Z 50mm this year, the vast majority have been taken at F1.8

Why do I love the Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S so much? The boring answer is that it’s just really really good. Historically I’ve not been not a big 50mm fan in general, and I will admit to being a bit of a snob about F1.8 lenses in the past. But the Z 50mm F1.8 S is so good – and so good at F1.8 – that it has changed my perspective on what a ‘nifty fifty’ can be.

I would estimate that of the thousands of frames I’ve shot with the Z 50mm this year, the vast majority have been taken at F1.8. With most of the standard lenses I’ve used during my career, that would not be a particularly smart move. Generally speaking, lenses of this type are at their best when stopped down slightly. But the Z 50mm F1.8 is almost as sharp wide open as it is stopped down, and at all apertures it’s largely free from common aberrations like longitudinal chromatic aberration.

Nikkor Z 50mm F1.8 S | ISO 100 | 1/800 sec | F1.8

There are plenty of 50mm lenses that give a more interesting rendering than the Z 50mm F1.8 S, but few which provide its biting cross-frame sharpness and virtually coma-free images at wide apertures. And it just so happens that those qualities ended up being crucial to me this year, when working on a long-term project down on Washington’s coast, during twilight clam digs. The combination of the Nikon Z7’s resolution and in-body stabilization and the Z 50mm’s sharpness and clean rendering at F1.8 proved invaluable, allowing me to get sharp, hand-held images in near-darkness that I could never have captured with a DSLR.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_5393471639″,”galleryId”:”5393471639″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

The fact that the weather-sealed Z7 and Z 50mm F1.8 S continued to work reliably and accurately for hours in heavy rain and strong winds is another major point in both their favor.

I’ve also come to really appreciate the Z 50mm F1.8 S for portraiture, despite its relatively short focal length, which discourages very tight framing. Bokeh isn’t the smoothest at wide apertures, but it’s smooth enough, and virtually free from colored fringing.

Nikkor Z 50mm F1.8 S | ISO 64 | 1/80 sec | F1.8

Of course, I’m lucky. Like almost all professional photography reviewers I get to try all kinds of different equipment, at no cost. When I do spend my own money on something, it’s because I’ve used it, probably quite extensively, and I’m very confident in my investment.

That means that I have to be careful to stay grounded when talking to our readers, especially when it comes to making value judgements about the cost of new gear. Personally, having used a lot of lenses, I think that the Z 50mm F1.8 S’s price of around $ 600 is exceptionally good value, but I understand the complaints from some of you that $ 600 is a lot to pay for a 50mm F1.8. And a large-ish one, at that, by traditional (if not current) standards.

The point I would make (and which I hope I made in this article) is that $ 600 spent now, on a modern lens designed for mirrorless, buys you greater performance than $ 600 ever has before. We are very lucky, as photographers, to be on the cusp of a new era in optics, where some of the old paradigms are being overturned. In the case of this particular lens, it’s probably the only 50mm I’ll ever need for my Z7. Not bad for $ 600.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_9560366311″,”galleryId”:”9560366311″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

3 Important Tips for Successfully Photographing Products for Brands

16 Dec

The post 3 Important Tips for Successfully Photographing Products for Brands appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

In this article, you’ll learn 3 important tips for photographing products for brands that will help you achieve better images.

Other than as a photographer, I wear many hats, one of which is as a content creator for brands. It’s common knowledge that when working with other brands, two things are key:

Understand the brand’s USP (unique selling point)
Communicate the brand’s USP

dps-lily-sawyer-photo

Brands that differentiate themselves from other brands, thereby having a clear uniqueness about them that they propose to their audience, achieve more success in their advertising endeavors.

However, it is not enough to have a great USP.

Presentation of the USP matters and this usually means visual presentation. This is where the photographer or film-maker comes in.

When it comes to photographing products for brands, our role as photographers is to understand that unique message and deliver it in the most effective way for the brand to succeed. We need to be able to communicate that USP in our images and visuals.

3-tips-photographing-products-for-brands-dps-lily-sawyer-photo

Social media allow brands to reach the masses more easily. Audiences now have access to more than one platform, one type of style or preference. They are inundated with an array of options from which they can make their choices.

To be part of the game, and have a slice of the pie, brands are endeavoring to reach beyond their expected target audience to those they want to convert to their aesthetics.

dps-lily-sawyer-photo

Audiences might not necessarily know what they want nor that they want something until it has been presented to them.

Take Henry Ford, for example. He may not have been the first person to invent a private automobile, but he was the first person to mass-produce it. Ford made his Model T accessible to the masses.

Prior to this, not many people had access to their own automobile. They relied mainly on steam-powered vehicles and mechanical forms of transport to get them to places. People were generally happy with what they had until something better, something they had not thought of before, in the form of their own gasoline-powered automobile, was presented to them. It was both accessible and available.

3-tips-photographing-products-for-brands-dps-lily-sawyer-photo

Various platforms widely used nowadays in brand advertising are websites, social media (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linked In, Yelp, Reddit), print advertising (magazine, billboards, leaflets, posters), television and radio ads. The type of communication will depend on what works best for the advertising platform used.

3-tips-photographing-products-for-brands-dps-lily-sawyer-photo

This article will focus on photographing products for brands to reach their intended audience. Assuming that you have an adequate understanding of the brand’s USP and ideas on how to communicate it on their chosen channel, here are 3 tips when photographing products for brands.

1. Understand what the audience wants

3-tips-photographing-products-for-brands-dps-lily-sawyer-photo

Whilst branding is the most important, it is no longer the only consideration, no longer the be-all-end-all. We need to think outside the brand and understand our audience.

Recently, I received an invitation to sit on an advisory board for a big company. The company was hard at work nailing their branding. They were at a point where they were able to clearly and articulately present their brand’s identity. The advisory board, composed of various sectors of the industry, was asked for opinions and input on how to effectively shout the brand’s identity to the world.

The meeting took an interesting turn as it became apparent that the brand, as strong as their identity was, needed to look outside of themselves and understand the market, consumers, and traders – the people on the receiving end of their message.

It’s no longer just about the brand. The audience is now just as important in the game.

3-tips-photographing-products-for-brands-dps-lily-sawyer-photo

What does the audience want? What type of images and visuals speaks to them the most? Where and how do they want the brand to speak to them? Old traditional ways don’t cut it anymore. We have to be thinking outside the box and exploring new ways of effective messaging.

Is it enough to present a product photographed against a ubiquitous white background? Is presentation in context now necessary as well? We are bombarded with short films and short stories everywhere we go. Static images in white boxes no longer pull the heartstrings.

Stories and contextual presentation, personal experience, and testimonies are now a must. Remember, photographs can tell stories just as effectively as moving images – we just need to keep up with our game.

3-tips-photographing-products-for-brands-dps-lily-sawyer-photo

2. Photograph with the intention of giving the audience what they want

I’m a typical consumer; before I buy something, especially if I have not seen it in real life and I’m only relying on web images, I’d like to investigate the item. I want to see it close-up, read a detailed description of it, and would like to envisage it in my own personal situation or surroundings. A complete range from context to product photography is what I need to complete my research and help me decide to purchase or not.

3-tips-photographing-products-for-brands-dps-lily-sawyer-photo

How do I want this presented? Personally, I’d like an image in context, then close-up images, then an image on a white background – pure product photography.

A contextual image should resonate with me and elicit my emotions. The close-up image should speak to my visual aesthetics and help me decide if I like the look of it enough to buy it.

Lastly, the product image on a white background speaks to my brain. It answers practical and logical questions I might have.

I’d expect a combination of visuals on a website or a good advertising platform.

3. Present the visual so the audience will engage

When it comes to photographing products for brands, depending on the channel or platform you choose, you need to be discerning about what image works best to ensure that a good percentage of the audience engages.

For example, on TV, emotionally moving adverts or humorous, unforgettable ones work best. The cost is immense. In the UK, big brands usually do quite long, full Christmas adverts around the time of the launch. These adverts then get cut and shortened on subsequent showings to help with the costs.

dps-lily-sawyer-photo

On social media, videos are hugely effective, but the most effective ones are the short and quick videos to keep in line with the limited attention span of audiences nowadays! Yes, there are videos longer than a minute that are effective too. However, this would perhaps require that you already have an engaged tribe willing to give up more time and stop for several minutes to watch your long advert.

Of course, the younger audiences (youths and young adults, especially Generation Z) are more used to watching longer videos, so there’s that to consider when creating and presenting product content.

dps-lily-sawyer-photo

On Instagram, for example, brands work with me to reach my audience. It’s not always a must that our aesthetics match, although often they do. It could be that the brand wants to reach my type of audience to expand their reach and to speak to new audiences who may not be familiar with what they have.

Think again of Henry Ford here.

In both cases, I would always present the ad in terms of how engaging it would be to my audience and not the brand’s aesthetics per se. This is better for the brand as the more engaged the audience is, the wider the reach is for them.

This is not to say that I disregard the brand’s USP. In fact, I communicate the brand’s uniqueness in my captions and make sure these are the focus of the message. But at the forefront of my mind, I will present the visual in a way that my audience finds most interesting so that they are encouraged to engage.

dps-lily-sawyer-photo

Wide, medium, close-up, and flatlay shots

In practical terms, this means my front image is always the contextual wide-angle image. I follow this with product images shot from a medium angle to close-up.

This is in line with what I know to be the most popular style of posts with high engagement rates.

3-tips-photographing-products-for-brands-dps-lily-sawyer-photo

Other pages may have close-up product shots as their most successful type of images, or flatlays, or products all shot in a seamless white background. To effectively communicate to your target audience, your images need to resonate with their aesthetics, not just needs and wants, as they might not be fully aware of those yet.

Whilst the brand needs to be true to its USP and key message, the presentation needs to be flexible to adapt to consumer demands.

3-tips-photographing-products-for-brands-dps-lily-sawyer-photo

As a photographer, keep the above in mind and usually aim to cover all bases when photographing. Take wide-angle shots using something like a 24-25mm lens, a mid-range angle using a 50mm-85mm focal length, and close-ups from 105mm upwards.

In terms of presentation, go with the most successful type of images that elicit high interaction from the audience. Suggest that as the front image for the client to use on platforms like Instagram. Then provide the necessary product shots as secondary images to use to complete the audience satisfaction.

Conclusion

In summary, when it comes to photographing products for brands, successful advertising takes into consideration your audience’s preferred aesthetics. Whether that audience is already your tribe or a new audience you are trying to reach with the brand, you want your visuals to resonate with them on an emotional level. That is one of the most effective ways of communicating with your audience and ensuring effective brand reach.

Do you have any other tips for photographing products for brands that you’d like to share? Please do so in the comments section.

The post 3 Important Tips for Successfully Photographing Products for Brands appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

These 6 dPS courses are now 50% off

15 Dec

The post These 6 dPS courses are now 50% off appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

Deal 4 dPS Holiday Deals

It’s day 4 of dPS Holiday Deals and we’re giving you 50% off 6 of our dPS video courses.

Save 50% now

Normally priced up to $ 99, you can now get 50% off these six courses

These step-by-step courses created by some of our talented photography experts include:

Night Photography by Jim Hamel – yes, even you can take amazing photographs at night
Landscape and Nature Photography by Johny Spencer – get outdoors and get creative
Lightroom Mastery by Mike Newton – every photographer should have a copy of this to create perfect photos!
Lightroom Mastery: People & Portraits by Mike Newton – will help you transform dull headshots into stunning portraits
Photo Nuts and Bolts by Neil Creek – the ideal course for the beginner photographer
Photo Nuts and Shots by Neil Creek – creative photography advice from a pro so you can get off auto

(If you’re wondering about our 31 Days to Becoming a Better Photographer Course – keep an eye on your email!)

Each course is packed with series of tutorials, with demonstrations shot in high-quality video by professional photographers, and you can follow along at your own pace.

You also get lifetime access to these courses, so you don’t have to rush to finish them and you can go back and review topics anytime you like.

Check out all the discounted courses here.

PS – Did you miss yesterday’s deal? You can still get it and become a long exposure master courtesy of Photzy. Check it out here.

The post These 6 dPS courses are now 50% off appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

Laowa 15mm F2 Zero-D sample gallery: aurora borealis and architecture

15 Dec

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_0172075546″,”galleryId”:”0172075546″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

The Laowa 15mm F2 Zero-D from Venus Optics is a fast, wide prime lens for full frame mirrorless cameras, available in RF-mount, E-mount, and Z-mount. Like Lawoa’s other ‘Zero-D’ lenses it’s designed to have extremely limited distortion despite the short focal length.

We’ve included a number of images representing two common use cases for this type of lens: astrophotography and architectural photography. Overall, it provides excellent results and delivers on its promise of minimal distortion. Not surprisingly, there’s some vignetting wide open, but it clears up pretty quickly when stopped down and – if desired – is corrected quite well using the lens profile in Adobe Camera Raw.

To illustrate the point, here’s an uncorrected sequence of dark sky photos shot at F2, F2.8, F4 and F5.6. The original Raw files for these images can be downloaded from the sample gallery if you want to make your own comparisons. Click through to the gallery to see all the images.


F2.0	F2.8	F4	F5.6

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Top Tips to Capture Epic Adventure Photography

15 Dec

The post Top Tips to Capture Epic Adventure Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

Adventure photography is one of the most exciting genres of photography and an opportunity to uncover unexpected places. Capturing epic adventure photography can be described as the art of photographing adventures, typically in the outdoors. It can involve exploring amazing places and experiencing new things, all whilst capturing the accomplishment with your camera.

Whatever the place or experience, adventure is about much more than scaling a famous mountain, such as Everest, and covers the world beyond outdoor pursuits. Whether it is cruising down the Nile, drinking beer or eating favorite dishes with the locals, or appreciating street art within an inner-city, it’s all a personal adventure. Here are some top tips for capturing these exploits of adventure.

1. Go on an epic photography adventure

Cappadocia, Turkey

One of the best things you can do to shoot epic adventure photography is to go on an adventure. Grab your camera and get outdoors. Go and explore a familiar or unfamiliar location. You may have a passion for mountains, epic wild scenery, or even rivers or seas, whichever you prefer, get out there and have fun.

Scout out a location and find a great view that you would like to photograph. Be sure to record the adventure and your surroundings.

2. Bring the right gear

It is hugely important to bring the right gear. But, don’t just think about your camera gear.

Depending on whether you are going for a day or several days, pack enough food, water, and warm clothing for your needs, such as a hat, gloves, and extra layers. Then pack more snacks in case you encounter any difficulties and to keep your energy levels up. Looking after your body is essential, so bring a first aid kit too in case of unforeseen emergencies. Be sure to check the weather forecast and plan ahead accordingly. You may need to bring wet weather gear too, such as a waterproof jacket and trousers.

Whatever you decide to take with you, plan ahead and pack lightly. And remember, safety is paramount.

3. Include a person in the frame

Paddleboarding, Lake Bled, Slovenia

One great way to document epic adventure photography is to include a person in the frame. This will help to show the spirit of adventure. Hiking, biking, backpacking, camping, boating, and general exploration are all great activities of adventure. You could illustrate your adventures by including yourself in the shot or someone else doing adventurous activities such as a hiker walking within a landscape, a jogger on a trail, a paddle boarder on a river, or a cyclist on a road or dirt track.

The options for outdoor subjects are endless.

4. Show scale

To help your images stand out, show scale. Include an extra element such as an object or a people (discussed above) to help show their real size compared with the height of mountains in a valley, such as these people on horseback.

Horse riding, Grand Tetons, Wyoming, USA

For example, the width of a river, or vastness of a plain, will be better understood by the viewer when including a raft or backpacker.

Other interesting subjects you can shoot to show scale include a boat in the sea, a tent on a hilltop, mountain walkers on an adventure, snowboarders or people skiing.

Trekking in the Himalayas, Nepal

5. Find a unique perspective

There are wonderful adventures to be experienced everywhere around the world. Find a striking and effective composition that shows a unique perspective and interesting side to your adventures.

Kayaking in the Philippines

6. Protect your gear

When you are doing an epic adventure photography trip, make sure you look after your gear. You don’t want to damage your equipment in adverse conditions, so assess your potential environment prior to departure.

Camera protection is critical, so apply common sense when preparing your kit. Put your camera inside a waterproof cover if it is raining. Pack it in a well-cushioned bag if you are climbing over rocks or uneven terrain to prevent damaging your camera if you slip. Also, use a waterproof case or bag when shooting from the water. Freshwater and saltwater are corrosive and will damage your camera if you come into contact with these elements.

Conclusion

Enjoy your time outdoors with your camera and capture some epic adventure photography. Whether you are a solo adventure photographer, or enjoy having a person with you, apply these tips of including people, showing scale, finding a perspective, and taking the right gear and go and take your best ever adventure photos.

We look forward to seeing what you capture. Share your images with us below.

Get more from your travel photography with the e-book, Transcending Travel.

The post Top Tips to Capture Epic Adventure Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

15 Dec

The post How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Are you looking to spice up your photos in Lightroom? Do you want a few quick edits that will really make your photos pop?

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

That’s what this article is all about.

I’m going to give you four key edits that will absolutely revolutionize your Lightroom post-processing. You’ll come away knowing exactly how to make your photos stand out…

…just by moving a few sliders.

Sound good?

Let’s get started.

1. Boost the overall contrast with the basic panel

If you want to make your photos pop, then you should start with contrast.

Because contrast is the lifeblood of punchy, impactful photography.

Contrast can take a photo looking dull, boring, flat, and lifeless, like this:

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

And singlehandedly turn it into something worth looking at, like this:

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

Now, there is such a thing as too much contrast. But most photos need more contrast, not less! So I give you my permission to really crank up that contrast in Lightroom. Even if it feels like your photos already have enough contrast, I recommend you add some and see how it looks. Boosting the contrast can be an eye-opening experience. You may realize that you’ve been depriving your images for years.

There are a few ways you can boost the contrast, and they all start by heading over to the Lightroom Develop module:

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

Take a look at the Basic panel on the righthand side:

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

Then, if you want a quick and dirty way to see how your photo looks with more contrast, just crank up the Contrast slider.

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

And for a lot of images, this is enough.

But if you want to take things further, you can work with the Tone sliders. In particular, raising the Whites and dropping the Blacks can combine contrast with some much-needed tonal range. In other words, this will make your photo span the entire spectrum of tones, from black to white (which often looks great!).

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

Bottom line:

A bit (or more than a bit!) of contrast can go a long way.

2. Add Clarity or Texture to give the details some punch

Once you’ve finished working on the overall contrast, it’s time to consider amplifying the details.

And that’s what the Clarity and Texture sliders do really, really well.

Both of these tools sit in the Basic panel, just like the contrast sliders:

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

Now, Clarity offers a powerful, punchy effect. The slider adds contrast to the mid-tones of your photos, and the result is to make details and edges really stand out. Check out the before (left) and after (right):

make-your-photos-pop-clarity-before-after

Texture, on the other hand, is a bit more refined. This slider basically sharpens the detail in your images, (but leaves the fine details alone). So Texture is a great option for dealing with images that have, well, texture. Rocks, walls, and peeling paint all look good with the Texture adjustment applied.

Here’s the same photo, without Texture (left) and with Texture (right):

make-your-photos-pop-texture-before-after

Because Lightroom is non-destructive, there’s no harm in trying out both adjustments and seeing which you prefer. Personally, I use Clarity more often than I use Texture, but they both have their place, and they can both make your details stand out.

A word of caution, however:

Clarity and Texture are both pretty easy to overdo. If your photos start to look crunchy, then it’s time to back off. Making details stand out is all well and good, but you don’t want to take things too far!

3. Boost the Vibrance or Saturation for rich colors

Up until now, I’ve talked about the value of contrast to make your photos pop.

But what about making the colors pop?

Deep, rich colors can add a lot to your images. Look at the difference between the colors in this photo:

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

Versus this one (where I’ve applied some basic color edits):

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

Neat, right? And it doesn’t take much effort at all to pull this off. I regularly punch up my colors using either the Vibrance or Saturation slider in Lightroom. Just push the relevant slider to the right, and you’re done.

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

But how do you know whether to boost the Vibrance slider or the Saturation slider?

Well, as with Texture and Clarity, there’s no harm in testing out both options. But it’s worth knowing the difference between the two:

The Saturation slider boosts the intensity of your colors all throughout the image, whereas the Vibrance slider is more refined (kind of like a Smart Saturation tool). Vibrance will boost the intensity of colors, but only those colors that are less saturated, as well as skin tones.

So Vibrance is often a better choice when you’re dealing with variations in saturation levels, or when people are featured. Vibrance will keep colors from becoming oversaturated and will keep skin tones looking natural.

4. Add a subtle vignette to focus on your main subject

Here’s the last way you can make your photos pop and stand out:

Vignetting.

A vignette is a darkening effect that is generally placed at the edges of your photos, to keep the viewer focused on the main subject.

Here’s a (too strong) vignette for the sake of demonstration:

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

In fact, the best vignettes are barely perceptible. Too much vignetting, and your photos will look muddy and unprofessional.

You want a vignette like this, instead:

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

Do you see what I mean?

Now, here’s how to create a beautiful (but still subtle!) vignette in Lightroom:

Open your photo in the Develop module. Scroll down the panels on the right side until you find Effects:

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

Then, under Post-Crop Vignetting, drag the Amount slider to all the way to the left. You should notice an immediate vignetting effect on your photo.

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

Next, if your subject takes up much of the frame, you may want to boost the Midpoint slider a bit, to make sure that your main point of interest stays out of the vignette’s path.

And you’re also free to change the shape of the vignette (with the Roundness slider), as well as the transition strength (with the Feather slider). You can even preserve the highlights by boosting the Highlights slider if you so choose.

Finally, dial your vignette back by boosting the Amount slider…

…until you end up with a vignette that’s so slight that you can hardly even tell it’s there.

And that’s it! Now you’ll have a vignette that will focus your viewers, and they’ll hardly even know it.

How to make your photos pop in Lightroom: Next steps

As it turns out, it’s not difficult to make your photos pop and be much more eye-catching. All it takes is a few quick edits with the Lightroom sliders.

I recommend you go back to photos of yours that you’ve edited previously. Give them a bit of a contrast boost, and punch up the colors with some saturation. See how that makes them look.

You’ll be surprised to find that these simple changes can go a really long way!

Do you have any favorite Lightroom edits that instantly make your photos stand out? Share them in the comments!

How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!)

The post How to Make Your Photos Pop in Lightroom (With Just 4 Quick Edits!) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

12 Days of Belvedere: A look back at puppyhood through sample photos

15 Dec

12 days of Belvedere

ISO 1400 | 1/250 sec | F1.8 | Nikon Z6 + Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S

Belvedere officially joined the DPReview team last fall as a fourth-month-old pup and quickly became one of our favorite subjects to photograph. By the turn of 2019, he was a common sight in many-a sample gallery. Twelve months later and we have a complete and glorious timeline of his transformation from tiny puppy, to slightly larger puppy!

As Belvedere’s human and Photo Editor at DPReview, I tasked myself with going back through each month of 2019 to select the top pup photo to share with you, my dear reader, along with the gallery it’s from. We feel this is a nice way to not only look back at all the lovely gear we’ve tested, but also to fill the Internet with additional dog photos, because dogs are good and we love dogs.

We intend this slideshow to be enjoyed Advent calendar-style, meaning after today you are allowed to view one additional photo up until the 25th, when all can be enjoyed in consecutive order. Think of it as our holiday gift to you. We’re counting on you to not peek ahead!

And for those curious, Belvedere, a rescue pup, is a mix of Chihuahua, Miniature Pinscher and Miniature Short-haired Dachshund. He likes dehydrated squirrel carcasses, licking bald heads, sitting in laps for hours, turning squeaky toys inside-out and whenever anyone puts on a pair of socks. He weighs 18.4lbs and is a very good boy.

*All images by Dan Bracaglia except where noted

January 2019 – Belvedere at 7 months

ISO 2800 | 1/125 sec | F2.8 | Nikon Z6 + Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S

We started off the year busy, publishing 11 sets of sample images in January 2019, including galleries for heavy hitting products like the Sony a6400, Sigma 28mm F1.4 Art and the Olympus E-M1X. But our top Belvedere pick in January comes from our Nikon Z 50mm F.8 S gallery. This one was a tough choice between two tempting pup picks, both from the same gallery. We opted for Belvedere enjoying a cheese stick, but Belvedere on the couch was a close second (we used it as the lead for the story).

January was also the month we tested the versatile, yet chunky Canon RF 28-70mm F2L as well as the beastly Nikon 500mm F5.6. We also got our hands on a Canon APS-C mirrorless favorite in the Canon EF-M 32mm F1.4 STM.

See our Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S gallery

February 2019 – Belvedere at 8 months

ISO 12800 | 1/125 sec | F5.6 | Fujifilm GFX 50R + GF 45mm F2.8
Photo: Carey Rose

February was a busy months for new gear. We got our hands on pre-production models of the Panasonic S1R and Panasonic S1 (in Barcelona). We also took a pre-production Fujifilm X-T30 for a spin (in Seattle), and freelance contributor Damien Demolder put together a pre-production gallery with the Ricoh GR III (from London).

Additionally we published final production galleries from the Canon EOS RP, the Fujifilm XF 16mm F2.8 and the oh-so-sharp Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM. And yet somehow with all the launches and all the galleries shot, we didn’t publish a single Belvedere photo in February. Shame on us. Fortunately DPR’s Carey Rose captured the above image of our dear pup from a, well, not-terribly flattering angle for a Fujifilm GFX 50R gallery published March 1st. It was technically taken in February so we’ll count it.

See our GFX 50R sample gallery

March 2019 – Belvedere at 9 months

ISO 100 | 1/200 sec | F2.8 | Leica Q2

Things quieted down a little in March. We got our hands on final production versions of both the Panasonic S1 and Panasonic S1R and filled out those galleries with plenty of samples. We also got our hands on Sigma’s outstanding bang-for-the-buck 70-200mm F2.8 Sport as well as their latest long zoom in the 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 Sport.

Belvedere popped up in several of those galleries, but our favorite photos of him came from the Leica Q2, shot during a sunny afternoon walk. The weather was just starting to warm up in March and Belvedere’s fur was just beginning to go through a rapid and often comical shed and regrowth phase.

See our Leica Q2 sample gallery

April 2019 – Belvedere at 10 months

ISO 64 | 1/320 sec | F2.8 | Nikon Z7 + Z 24-70mm F2.8 @ 70mm

April was also a somewhat quiet month. We got a final production version of the Fujifilm X-T30 in for testing as well as a final version of the Ricoh GR III. We also shot with Pentax’s new 11-18mm F2.8 ultra-wide zoom and the slightly-less wide Nikon Z 14-30mm F4 S. But it was a different Nikon Z lens behind our favorite April Belvedere shot: the outstandingly sharp Z 24-70mm F2.8. Belvedere’s not even the only handsome pup in said gallery!

Also important: At 10 months Belvedere wasn’t quite fully grown. He no longer fits under the tight space he’s peeking out from in the image above, though he does try from time to time.

See our Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S sample gallery

May 2019 – Belvedere at 11 months

ISO 125 | 1/200 sec | F4.4 | Ricoh WG-60

We shot with a wide array of products in May ranging from the image quality king, Fujifilm GFX 100 (pre-production), to the beginner-friendly Canon SL3, to the Panasonic FZ1000 II premium compact. We also called in and tested a number of rugged cameras for our Best Waterproof Camera Guide, including the Olympus TG-6.

But our favorite Belvedere photo comes from the comparably underpowered Ricoh WG-60, a rugged compact. Which just goes to show, it’s not the quality of the camera that makes the photo, it’s the cuteness of the dog. Here he is soaking up the sunlight from Seattle’s oh-so-long May days.

See our waterproof camera buying guide

June 2019 – Belvedere on his birthday

ISO 200 | 1/40 sec | F2.4 | Samsung Galaxy S10+
Photo: Jeff Keller

Belvedere officially turned one year old in June (June 10th if you want to send a gift, he likes bones) and we had ample opportunity to photograph the birthday boy. June was a month in which we shot with a ton of high-end full-frame lenses including the Panasonic S 24-105mm F4, the Panasonic S Pro 50mm F1.4, the Sony FE 600mm F4 GM and the Rokinon SP 35mm F1.2. We also added a nice selection of images to our Fujifilm GFX 100 gallery (still not final firmware, womp).

But it was the Samsung Galaxy S10+ in the hands of DPR’s Jeff Keller that captured our favorite shot of the young man. A shot that shows him starting to come of age: He’s still got the doofy ‘I’m a puppy’ face, but his coat and body are filling out like a real dog. Nice work, Belvedere.

See our Samsung Galaxy S10+ sample gallery

July 2019 – Belvedere at 13 months

ISO 100 | 1/500 sec | F1.2 | Canon EOS R + RF 85mm F1.2L

July was a busy month for sample gallery shooting. With the Seattle rain finally dissipating for the season, we took full advantage of the long sunny days. The Sony a7R IV launched and we got ample shooting time with it in New York City. DPR’s Carey Rose also got his hands on several freshly-launched Sigma lenses in Japan, including the Sigma 45mm F2.8 Contemporary, the Sigma 14-24 F2.8 Art and Sigma 35mm F1.2 Art. We also spent time with Tamron’s wide, sharp 17-28mm F2.8 and took Sony’s excellent do-everything pocket camera, the RX100 VII for a spin.

Other notable galleries include the Canon EOS M100 (in Mexico), the Panasonic Leica 10-25mm F1.7, the Sony 35mm F1.8, the Fujfilm GF 50mm F3.5 and the Rokinon AF 85mm F1.4. Gosh that’s a lot of galleries. But our hands-down favorite Belvedere photo was shot with one of our favorite portrait lenses of the year, the Canon RF 85mm F1.2L. Just look at that happy boy! He knows the bokeh is creamy.

See our Canon RF 85mm F1.2L
sample gallery

August 2019 – Belvedere at 14 months

ISO 125 | 1/30 sec | F2.8 | Canon G5 X mark II

August saw major launches from two brands, Canon with its enthusiast APS-C siblings in the Canon EOS 90D and Canon EOS M6 Mark II and Sony with its APS-C siblings in the Sony a6100 and the Sony a6600. We also finally got our hands on a final production Fujifilm GFX 100 as well as a final production Panasonic G95.

Additionally we shot with the very sharp Nikon Z 35mm F1.8 S, the Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 and the Tamron 35-150mm F2.8-4. Finally Canon’s two latest compacts, the Canon G7 X III and the Canon G5 X II also showed up at our office for sample shooting and testing. Our favorite Belvedere photo from the month was taken on the latter. Note: If Belvedere looks extra fluffy in this image it’s because he had just received a bath after his very first puppy swim.

See our Canon PowerShot G5 X II gallery

September 2019 – Belvedere at 15 months

ISO 64 | 1/2500 sec | F1.8 | Nikon Z7 + Z 85mm F1.8

September was a somewhat quiet month for sample galleries, yet Belvedere managed to sneak his charming face into two of them. These included the all around-excellent Tamron 35mm F1.4 gallery and the also-impressive Nikon 85mm F1.8 S gallery. We also shot with the iPhone 11, Sony 16-55mm F2.8 and Phase One IQ4.

Now I’ll be honest, my dear humble readers, I truly struggled with which Belvedere photos to pick as the winner for this month (OK, I shot them all). My decision ultimately came down to which image had the most likes in our gallery (10). Either way, September was a very good-looking month for our dear staff pup.

See our Nikon Z 85mm F1.8 S
sample gallery

October 2019 – Belvedere at 16 months

ISO 1000 | 1/100 sec | F2.8 | Canon M200 + EF-M 32mm F1.4
Photo: Carey Rose

October saw the launch of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 III, the Fujifilm X-Pro3 and the Nikon Z50 – cameras we were able to shoot galleries for, prior to announcement. We also got our hands on Canon’s impressive RF 24-70mm F2.8L lens and shot our very first test samples on the Nikon Z 58mm S Noct (under very controlled settings). Additionally, we were thoroughly impressed with the real world output of the Google Pixel 4.

But our favorite Belvedere sample of the month came from Carey Rose with the Canon EOS M200. I’m not sure if Carey set out to capture Belvedere working hard on the job, but he sure did. Warming laps takes a lot of practice and dedication!

See our Canon EOS M200 sample gallery

November 2019 – Belvedere at 17 months

ISO 100 | 1/800 sec | F2.8 | Leica SL2 + Sigma 45mm F2.8

We had the chance to shoot with some really nice telephoto glass in November, including with the Fujifilm XF 200mm F2 as well as the jaw-dropping Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L. We also took Sony’s 70-350 F4.5-6.3 for a spin and explored around the city with the super-compact Sigma fp full-framer.

But it was the beastly Leica SL2 behind November’s top Belvedere pic. And if you zoom into 100% you can even seem some dreamy bokeh from the Sigma 45mm F2.8 on my dear dog’s nose.

See our Leica SL2 sample gallery

December 2019 – Belvedere at 18… no wait, 6 months

ISO 1000 | 1/200 sec | F1.4 | Sony a6500 + Sigma 56mm F1.4
Photo: Carey Rose

December has been a busy (and dark month) and it’s not over yet! As such, we’ve only published a handful of galleries so far. These include our Panasonic S Pro 24-70 F2.8 gallery, our Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L gallery and our full-production Nikon Z50 gallery. But sadly, none of those galleries contain images of our fuzzy pal (what fools we are!).

But not to worry! DPR’s Richard Butler reminded me of a classic Belvedere photo shot by our very own Carey Rose with the delightful Sigma 56mm F1.4, this time last December (no, Belvedere isn’t Benjamin Button).

See our Sigma 56mm F1.4 sample gallery

12 days of Belvedere – The wrap

ISO 64 | 1/320 sec | F1.4 | Nikon Z7 + Tamron 35mm F1.4

And that’s a wrap on the year. There you have it, 12 months of Belvedere in 12 days. Thank you kind reader, for following along on this fun and important journey through puppyhood and gear reminiscing. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed each slide, one at a time and didn’t jump ahead. But even if you did, Belvedere forgives you. He’s just that kind of dog.

Until next year. Woof!

See our Tamron 35mm F1.4 sample gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

DPReview TV: The best and worst cameras and lenses of 2019

15 Dec

Our 2020 ‘Best and Worst’ episode is here! Will Jordan’s art house movie trivia drive Chris to madness? Can you make martinis with pickled tomatoes? Find out what gear the boys from Calgary liked most – and least – this year, and learn a few things you didn’t know you wanted to know.

If you disagree with their selections, tell us in the comments! If you make your own pickled tomato martinis, let us know how that works out.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

Introduction
The game
The drink
Best lenses
Most improved camera
Best hybrid camera
Best camera
Worst lens
Worst camera
Thanks for a great 2019!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

A Simple Technique to Put the Pizzazz Back Into Your Photos

14 Dec

The post A Simple Technique to Put the Pizzazz Back Into Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

Kent DuFault’s Complete Guide to Long Exposure Photography

Day 3 of dPS Holiday Deals comes courtesy of our good friends at Photzy, who can always be counted on for fantastic quality photography training. Today you can pick up Kent DuFault’s Complete Guide to Long Exposure Photography from Photzy + 2 bonuses worth $ 60 for just $ 17 USD.

Save 71% Now

Do you yearn to rediscover the excitement and joy that filled your creative soul when you first picked up your shiny new DSLR?

Today, you are going to take a major step in your photography – mastering long exposure.

Imagine showing your friends and family your own, gorgeous long exposure shots. And imagine other photographers online, seeing your shots and jealously asking you: “How did you do that?” That’s where you’ll be after reading this guide!

“The Complete Guide to Long Exposure Photography” is your exclusive guide to creating magical long exposure shots, from best-selling photography teacher, Kent DuFault. There is no other training out there that will turn you into an amazing Long Exposure Photographer with greater speed and accuracy!

Long Exposure Guide

Take control of your photography right now. Grab this proven guide. And let a world-class teacher give you the skills and knowledge you need to master long exposure photography!

Save 70% and get the guide plus two bonuses now for only $ 17 (total value $ 60)

Check it out before the next deal arrives in less than 24 hours.

Best wishes,

Darren and the team at dPS

PS – You can still grab yesterday’s amazing two course Composition and Light combo deal from Photography Concentrate – save 75%. Buy here.

We receive an affiliate commission when you purchase from our trusted partners.

The post A Simple Technique to Put the Pizzazz Back Into Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography