RSS
 

Archive for December, 2020

In the Dark: 10 Tips for Street Night Photography

20 Dec

The post In the Dark: 10 Tips for Street Night Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by James Maher.

street night photography tips

Much is spoken about photographing during the twilight hour, but what about after that?

Night is my favorite time for street photography. Cityscapes are lit with a myriad of interesting and colorful light sources, such as lampposts, neon signs, store windows, car lights, and bare bulbs. People dress in their favorite outfits to go out. Bland scenes by day can suddenly turn ominous and fascinating at night.

street night photography diner
1/80s | f/2.8 | ISO 1600

Here are 10 tips for street night photography – so you’ll think about starting your next street photography session at twilight!

1. Use the ideal camera settings for sharpness at night

To freeze motion during the day, I prefer to use a shutter speed of 1/320s, with 1/160s as my lower threshold.

At night, this changes. In the brightest areas, you will be able to photograph at 1/250s, but most of the time it will be best to use a shutter speed somewhere between 1/160s and 1/60s.

You need to have steady hands and a wide-angle focal length. In fact, to photograph handheld at 1/60s, you need to stop your own motion completely. Fortunately, with some practice, it can be done.

street night photography person in the snow
1/125s | f/2.5 | ISO 6400

A wide-angle lens is necessary for this type of photography because the longer the focal length, the faster the shutter speed you need to keep an image sharp. With a 28mm or 35mm lens, it becomes much easier to handhold the camera at slower shutter speeds.

It will also help to use a fast prime lens, such as a 35mm f/2. It is possible to shoot at f/4 in brighter areas, but being able to shoot at f/2.8, f/2, or even f/1.8 will greatly expand your opportunities.

Finally, you will need to raise your ISO significantly. With modern digital cameras, you can photograph anywhere from ISO 1600 to ISO 6400 and get decent or good image quality. It’s just not possible to photograph handheld at night otherwise. I prefer to shoot at ISO 3200, and I sometimes go to ISO 6400 if needed.

To learn more about photographing with a high ISO, you can read this article, called “Reasons to Shoot High ISO Images.”

2. Seek out the light sources first

on the streets at night
1/60s | f/2.8 | ISO 3200

You should always pay attention to the main light sources in a scene. This is true no matter where or when you are photographing, but it becomes even more important at night. Start by finding a beautiful light source or an area with good lighting, then wait around for something to happen.

Focus on how these light sources hit your subjects. If you are leaning against a shop with a lit sign behind you, like the man in the photograph above, then as subjects pass you they will be lit with a strong light that has a gorgeous color to it. If your lens’s aperture doesn’t go wider than f/4, this is a fantastic way to boost your shutter speed.

On the other hand, if you stand in the street and aim the camera at the light source, as I did for the photo above, then the light will be less pronounced on the subjects, but you will get the beautiful sign in the scene. Notice the difference between the light on the left and right side of the man’s face in the photo.

3. Photograph nightlife

photographing the nightlife
1/125s | f/2 | ISO 6400

Some of the most interesting night street photography occurs where the most people are, and that is often where the nightlife is. 

So seek out the night life and shoot it!

A fantastic project to look at for inspiration is Maciej Dakowicz’s “Cardiff After Dark” series.

4. Alternate between getting close and stepping back

I’m a proponent of Robert Capa’s advice: “If your photos aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” However, I often alter this strategy at night.

I try to get close to many of my subjects, but I will also try to create compositions where the subjects are small aspects of the overall scene. At night, backgrounds can be much more beautiful than during the day, so it often works to have people become the secondary element in the scene, rather than the primary focus.

The technical advantage here is that you do not need to use a fast shutter speed to capture the motion of subjects when you are farther away. You can freeze a moving subject at 1/60s from farther away, whereas you will need to use at least 1/125s when close.

5. Tripod and crowd blur

motion blur night street photography
1/8s | f/4 | ISO 800 | Tripod

For night street photography, it’s usually best to go handheld, since you never know what interesting thing is going to happen and where it’s going to happen. However, one of the times to use a tripod is when you want to capture a busy scene with lots of people and motion.

Experiment with slower shutter speeds, such as 1/8s, and shoot a lot of photos. It took me a long time to capture the image above, because I wanted the people spread out evenly throughout the entire scene, and I also wanted something interesting in the foreground (ultimately, this was the pose of the woman in the street and the man looking at her).

It took some waiting and a lot of captures for this to happen.

6. Use a flash

Whether you want to try flash on the street is up to you, but keep in mind that it can easily lead to a confrontation. I prefer to work with the constraints of the natural light on the street, and I also get uncomfortable flashing strangers in the face in dark settings, but many prefer to photograph this way. It creates a fantastic look when done well.

Using a flash frees you from a lot of the constraints of photographing at night. You can use a faster shutter speed, include more depth of field in the photo, and reduce graininess (noise).

You can have the flash do all of the work lighting the scene, where the foreground area is lit and everything else is dark.

Alternatively, you can set the camera to expose for the scene, similar to what you would do without the flash, and then use the flash to add some fill light to your main subjects in the foreground.

7. Noise and the dreaded underexposed image

people sitting on bench at night
1/250s | f/2 | ISO 3200

You should always expose correctly when photographing with a high ISO.

That being said, even with the best settings, some of your images will be taken in areas that are too dark to be exposed correctly. It’s impossible to photograph this way and expose every image perfectly in-camera. For the occasional shots with excellent content that you want to save, you will have no choice but to raise the exposure when editing.

For that type of photo, I first ignore the noise and get the exposure and look correct in Lightroom. After I do this, if I’ve had to raise the exposure a significant amount, the grain will look terrible. Luckily, there are some ways to save an image like that as long as you’re photographing in RAW.

What I do is first remove the grain – then I add it back. I want the image to look grainy, but I want the grain to look pleasing. There are many noise reduction programs, such as Photo Ninja, Topaz’s DeNoise, and DxO. Personally, I like Lightroom’s built-in noise reduction. If the noise is still bad after noise reduction, I will sometimes bring the image into Photoshop and add a very slight Gaussian blur.

Then I will use Lightroom’s grain settings to add grain back into the photo. This grain looks much more pleasing to the eye than brightened, extreme digital noise, and it can further hide some of the technical deficiencies of underexposed images. The result will not be a perfectly sharp image, but it will still be pleasing and beautiful.

8. Blur and imperfection

Aim to get your photos as sharp as possible when you want sharpness, but know that a photo can still look fantastic even if it’s not tack sharp.

You don’t need to freeze motion perfectly when photographing at night for the image to still look great. I hold my day images to a higher standard than my night images when it comes to sharpness. They need to be interesting and look good, and that’s what counts.

Also, at shutter speeds around 1/60s to 1/30s, you can experiment shooting handheld with a slight blur, where your subjects are somewhat sharp but have a little motion to them. It’s a great way to add an energetic feeling of movement to an image.

9. Night images should be dark

a dark shot at night
1/250s | f/2 | ISO 3200

This is an overly general statement, so feel free to disagree, but I want to make a point here.

I believe that night shots should look like they were taken at night. They should be dark, with deep shadows and areas that are hard to see and make out. When you look at the histogram of a night image, it should be further toward the dark side (the far left) than a day image.

When you expose a night shot, especially with automatic settings, the camera will often misread the scene and overexpose the image. The photo will be bright and you will be able to see everything as you would during the day, but it will not feel like a realistic night scene. In such cases, you’ll want to lower the exposure compensation on your camera slightly.

There are many situations where bright night images are a good thing, but don’t be afraid to make your night images dark and realistic.

10. Be careful

Depending on where you live, going out at night with a camera is not always the safest idea. Travel light, keep your equipment to a minimum, and be careful about where you go.

Use your best judgment regarding who to photograph and think about bringing a friend along. You don’t want to suddenly find yourself in a bad situation.

Tips for street night photography: conclusion

Getting beautiful street photos at night isn’t always easy.

But if you remember these tips and you practice frequently, you’re bound to get some great shots!

Do you have any street night photography tips you’d like to add? Please share them in the comments below!

The post In the Dark: 10 Tips for Street Night Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by James Maher.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on In the Dark: 10 Tips for Street Night Photography

Posted in Photography

 

DPReview TV: Sony FX6 Review

19 Dec

What would the Sony a7S III look like if it were a cinema camera? Spoiler: it would look like the Sony FX6. This week, Jordan reviews the FX6 to see how it compares with the a7S III. Which one would he pick? You might be surprised.

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

  • Introduction
  • Jordan's background
  • A Sony FS5 body with a7S III internals?
  • Design changes
  • Audio inputs
  • Interface and menus
  • Electronic variable ND filter
  • Recording modes
  • Raw video recording
  • Autofocus
  • Picture profiles
  • Who's it for?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on DPReview TV: Sony FX6 Review

Posted in Uncategorized

 

10 Tips for Creating Great Family Portraits

19 Dec

The post 10 Tips for Creating Great Family Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darlene Hildebrandt.

family portrait tips

Family portraits are a lot of fun – and they can be highly rewarding, too! However, it’s often tough to get started. After all, how do you pose an entire group of people? How do you interact with them? How do you get great photos?

Thanks to my background in classic-style studio portraiture, plus 25 years of experience photographing portraits and weddings, I have a few tips up my sleeve to share with you.

family portrait tips example

In fact, with a little planning, doing a family portrait will be fun for both you and the family you’re photographing. Here are 10 tips to help you have a successful and enjoyable photo session.

1. Use a tripod whenever possible

I already know what you’re thinking:

A tripod cramps your style. It’s too heavy and cumbersome, whereas your style is more free-flowing.

That all may be true, and in some cases (like when photographing kids running or doing more documentary-style photography), it may be better to shoot handheld. 

However, just consider another side of the coin.

Heise-0005fsm

Most people are nervous when being photographed. Yes, nervous! Some are downright scared, and some would even go so far as to say that they hate having their photo taken.

So it is part of your job to help your subjects feel more comfortable and relaxed. That can be hard to do when you’re also nervous, especially if you’re new to portraits. But there’s a big advantage of putting that camera on a tripod. Two, actually.

  1. A tripod automatically forces you to slow down. That’s a good thing! You can check your settings, review the composition, and preview the exposure to make sure you’ve got everything right. It’s easy to get carried away once you put the camera up to your eye, only to later realize you had the wrong white balance, your ISO was 6400, or you accidentally shot tiny JPEGs instead of standard RAW files. A tripod will help you slow down to avoid an “Oops!” moment.
  2. A tripod allows you to get your eye away from the camera so you can actually make eye contact with your subjects. Your subjects are very real people, and they feel even more uncomfortable staring straight into your lens than they do looking at you. You can gesture to get the kids’ attention and you can make faces. But you’ll get way better expressions by interacting with your subjects than you’ll get while looking through the viewfinder. Try it!

Hood07-034f

2. Shoot in Manual mode

Assuming that you’re setting up your family portrait photoshoot in advance, you have control over all the elements.

Meaning that, once you get set up, the exposure should not need to change.

Unfortunately, if you set your camera to Aperture or Shutter Priority mode, depending on the metering mode selected, the camera could choose a slightly different exposure for each frame. You do not want that! Consistency is very important.

Inconsistent exposures create more work in post-processing, as you have to even out all the photos. Plus, they can cause a slight color shift, increase noise (if some of the shots are underexposed), and result in other undesirable things.

To keep your exposures consistent throughout the whole shoot, use Manual mode. Just remember that each time you change the pose, location, etc., you need to check the exposure again. I just fire off a quick test shot, review the histogram, adjust if necessary, and continue.

3. Lock the focus

Just as you do not want the exposure to change from frame to frame, neither do you want the focus to be adjusted. Assuming you’re using a tripod, you will not be moving. And if you’ve posed your group in a relatively static position, they should not be moving, either. Not much, anyway. Here, we are only concerned with moving closer to the camera, or further away from the camera.

So set your camera up to do one of the following: use focus lock, use back button focus, or use manual focus. With any of those options, the focus will not change from shot to shot.

If you use the shutter button to focus and someone moves a little bit so that the focus dot hits the background, you’ll have another “Oops!” moment. If you aren’t sure how to focus using one of the methods I recommended above, consult your camera manual.

Bonus tip:

Here’s an easy way to focus manually with pinpoint accuracy:

Turn on Live View so you can see the image on your screen. Hit your Zoom button (it may have a magnifying glass or a “+” sign on it) once or twice. The image on the rear LCD will zoom in so you can see what is in focus, which allows for more precise manual focusing. Press the Zoom button again to return to normal view and turn off Live View.

Liebel-002-600px

4. Stagger the heads

What you want to avoid here is a boring straight line, straight row, or straight column of heads. Diagonal lines are more dynamic and add interest to an image, so try to do that with the people in your portrait group.

Imagine there is a line drawn from each face to the next. Try and position your subjects so that no head is directly on top of, or beside (on the same level), another. Make diagonal lines, not flagpoles.

Use props to seat some people or bring some small folding stools. Have some people sit down or stand up on something. Use objects in the environment to pose your subjects, or if you have nothing available, just arrange them so the heights are staggered.

family by a lake

5. If it bends, bend it

This is a general rule for photographing people, and it’s a good one. People tend to stand stiff and rigid when you position them, so you need to get them to bend a few body parts to look more natural. Nobody naturally stands stiff as a board.

Here are a few starter poses:

  • Get your subject to shift their weight to one foot and stick out one hip away from the camera.
  • Get your subject to put a hand in a pocket. I usually recommend they put their thumb out, otherwise they have a tendency to shove their hand to the bottom of the pocket, which looks unnatural.
  • Get your subject to hook a finger on their belt or through a belt loop.
  • If your subject is sitting, have them lean forward a bit and put weight on one hip.
  • If your subject is standing against something, have them cross one foot over the other, toe down.
  • Have sitting (males) put one knee up, foot flat on the ground (but make sure they rotate so you aren’t looking straight at their crotch).

You get the idea. The best way to get someone to do any of this is to do it yourself and have them mirror you. Face them, do the pose you want them to do, and have them mimic it exactly.

family by a building
An example of bending body parts. The girls did a much better job here than the guys, but even the arms bent at the elbow helps. Some people are stiff, and they may present a challenge. Just do your best.

6. Let kids be kids

I’ve found that often parents will tell their kids, “You need to be good and smile” before a photo session. For many kids, this puts too much pressure on them to perform. I usually prepare parents by getting them to tell their kids this instead:

We’re going to the park to take some photos. It will be a lot of fun.

That’s it! Set no expectations other than fun. Then you, as the photographer, should prepare yourself. Bring along props, and get Mom to bring one of the kids’ favorite toys or books. I usually have a hand puppet and bubbles in my camera bag along with my gear. If the kids don’t want to sit and smile, don’t force them. Let them run around and be kids for a while and shoot that. Play with them; make it fun. A few minutes later, they may cooperate and sit for a bit.

When I’m photographing kids, I make a total idiot of myself. I make funny noises, I sing songs (I’m really bad, but they don’t care), I make fish faces, and I play peek-a-boo behind the camera. I run back and forth to the camera with my hand puppet. I lie on the ground. I stick my butt out. Kids are the ones that have life the right way around; it’s us adults that ruin it. Let them be kids, and let them have fun. Then be ready to capture the fun when it happens!

Kids playing a game of peek-a-boo around the tree
This was a game of peek-a-boo around the tree. Look at those genuine smiles! You can’t force those.

7. Pose people to flatter them

Here’s the bottom line:

If Mom thinks she looks fat, then she isn’t going to like the photos, no matter how great the lighting and expressions (see the next tips). So you’ve got to get the posing right.

Be aware of people’s perceived “flaws” and work with them. Here are some quick tips:

  • If someone has a bigger bottom half, don’t pose them walking away from the camera using a wide-angle lens.
  • For double chins, take a slightly higher camera angle (above the subject’s eye level). Making them look up stretches their neck and minimizes the chin/neck area.
  • A bump on a nose will show up when they face one way and not the other (usually). So study their face to find out which way to shoot them.
  • When you have a couple with a huge height difference, get the taller partner to stand with their feet further apart. That will make them slightly shorter, closing the gap a bit.
  • For really heavy people (or those overly self-conscious of their weight), use the lying down in the grass pose and pile the kids on top (as shown in the image below). It works great every time, because it hides tummies, stretches out chins, and makes the kids closer in size (it just shows faces!).
family posing with kids
The lying in the grass, pile on top pose. It’s great for families with small children. This family didn’t need the pose to correct anything; it’s just fun having the kids jump on top and squish Mom and Dad.

8. Lighting is king; get some in their eyes

Light can make or break any photograph, and portraits are no different. The biggest thing you want to make sure you do for portraits is to get light into your subjects’ eyes. There are many ways to do that, and it’s a huge topic, but here are a few things you can do to start off with good light:

  • Choose the time of day to do the portraits very carefully. Generally, late evening – about an hour before dusk – is the best time for portraits. Why? Because the sun is lower in the sky, and you don’t get the harsh overhead light you do at midday. Light is more directional, and it’s usually a bit diffuse if there’s haze on the horizon.
  • If you can’t shoot at dusk, find some shade. Get the family out of the sun, but make sure you don’t get a lit-up background. Bright areas in the background will draw attention away from the subjects. Look for areas in the shade of large buildings or under large trees.
  • Avoid shooting on an overcast day simply because the lighting is even and less harsh than bright sunlight. While it is true the light is softer and less harsh, the direction isn’t great. Overcast days give you direct overhead lighting and dark eyes, especially for anyone with deep eye sockets.
  • Add some light using a reflector or a flash if need be. Again, this is a complex subject, but learn to tell when you need more light on your subjects’ faces. Here’s a quick tip: If you cannot see a catchlight (the light source reflected in your subject’s eyes), then there isn’t enough light on their face!

Just as important as getting some light in the eyes is having it come from a good direction. We’ve established that overhead isn’t good direction, and neither is light straight from the camera. So turning on your built-in pop-up flash isn’t going to give you good light. Neither is mounting an off-camera flash above your camera. Light direct from the camera flattens the subject, and that is not what you want.

Instead, you want the light to come slightly from the side; 30-45 degrees from camera is a good starting point. To learn more about this, read my article on the 6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know.

family portrait just before sunset
This was done just before sunset. The sun is coming over the kids’ shoulders on the left (from behind). I used a flash bounced into an umbrella off to the left to add light to their faces. Without the flash, they’d be in shadow.

9. Expression is everything

Lighting is king, but getting the right expression is everything! You can totally screw up the lighting and the pose, but if you get your subjects laughing or making the perfect face, the photo will be a big hit!

So how do you do this?

Being a photographer means that you sometimes have to be a comedian or a clown. Knowing the right thing to say or do to make people smile is mostly experience.

Sometimes you’ll get tough adults, too. The dad in the photo above by the brick wall pretty much has the same expression all the time. I’ve known this family and photographed them for 13 years; they’re my friends. So I know I can bug the dad a little bit or get out the ducky to have some fun at his expense.

If there are small children or babies involved, make sure to get their attention. It even helps to have an assistant; tell them to bring Grandma along or a friend to help out.

What always happens is you get the kids all looking and smiling, but what are the parents doing? Looking at the kids! I always tell the parents, “No matter what, keep looking at me as I make a total fool of myself. Do not look at your child!”

family posing with a baby
The baby is laughing, while everyone else followed instructions and looked at me. Success!

10. Have a little fun with it

The last tip is to not take yourself so seriously. Create a few really whacky shots at the end of the session (or even in the middle of the session if the energy seems to be fading).

Tell your subjects to do a group squish and really get them to squish. Often, they will start laughing, and as they pull apart, you can grab the shot.

Do a pile-on down in the grass. Ask your subjects to jump in the air or make goofy faces (you make one, too!). It breaks the tension and lightens up the mood.

family with kids posing while making faces
I was making a similar face!
family jumping
My off-camera flash stopped working, so this shot used on-camera flash (not my first choice!). But we were all tired and I thought this would be fun, so we just went for it. Notice how Dad has a new expression!

Bonus tip

Get the family to think about what they are going to wear ahead of time.

Some people disagree with my point of view on this, which is totally fine. But if you want to read more about it, see my article called “Clothing for Portraits – How to Tell Your Subjects What to Wear.”

Tips for family portraits: conclusion

Capturing stunning family portraits isn’t hard – especially if you remember these ten tips.

Just don’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself, and everything will turn out great.

So get out there, photograph some families, and have fun!

The post 10 Tips for Creating Great Family Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darlene Hildebrandt.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on 10 Tips for Creating Great Family Portraits

Posted in Photography

 

GoPro Hero 9 Review: Is It the Perfect Action Camera for You?

19 Dec

The post GoPro Hero 9 Review: Is It the Perfect Action Camera for You? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

GoPro Hero 9 review

Every fall, GoPro releases a brand new version of its popular and classic action camera, the GoPro Hero. Some years, it’s a significant release with big changes, and other years, it’s an incremental step forward.

Where does the brand new GoPro Hero 9 fall into place, and should you buy this camera?

Read our GoPro Hero 9 review to find out.

GoPro Hero 9: Overview

Since GoPro is practically the inventor of action cameras, you’re probably at least partially familiar with the GoPro Hero.

It’s always been a compact, rectangular camera that’s rugged – waterproof, crushproof, and made primarily for the outdoors. Listed below are a few significant GoPro Hero camera releases:

GoPro Hero 5

In terms of GoPro history, the GoPro Hero 5 was a significant camera for a couple of reasons.

It was the first GoPro that was waterproof, so you didn’t need to stick it in a waterproof housing for underwater shooting.

Plus, the Hero 5 was the first GoPro with a built-in LCD display screen on the back of the camera.

Every GoPro since the Hero 5 comes with both of these features.

GoPro Hero 9 Review

GoPro Hero 7

The next major GoPro release was the Hero 7.

This was the first GoPro camera with built-in HyperSmooth, which promised “gimbal-like stabilization.” Every GoPro with HyperSmooth has amazing video stabilization, even in the roughest conditions. In fact, depending on your personal video quality preferences, you may not even need to use a gimbal or external stabilizer with newer GoPro models.

The Hero 7 was also the first GoPro Hero to include custom shooting presets via the back-facing LCD touchscreen for easy camera operation.

GoPro Hero 9

The latest GoPro release is the first to include a built-in front-facing screen (more on this below). It’s great for vlogging, taking selfies, and composing your shots while standing in front of the camera.

Additionally, the Hero 9 boasts the highest resolution of any GoPro camera. At 23.6 megapixels, the resolution is roughly double that of its predecessors. This allows for shooting higher-resolution photos (20 megapixels) and videos (up to 5K).

From here on out, I’ll be talking solely about the GoPro Hero 9.

GoPro Hero 9 Review
Left to right: The GoPro Hero 7, Hero 8, and Hero 9.

Design and ergonomics

Aside from the inclusion of the front-facing screen and the relatively large size, the Hero 9 looks like many other modern GoPros. It has two physical buttons – one on top and one on the side – and a rear touchscreen LCD.

Accessing the camera’s many features is quite simple, thanks to the inclusion of shortcuts and presets that can be accessed via the rear LCD.

The Hero 9 is powered by a rechargeable battery. It can also be charged via the USB-C port, the only built-in port on the camera. If you desire additional ports such as a 3.5mm microphone jack and a micro HDMI port, you need to buy the GoPro Hero 9 Media Mod (more on this below). The Hero 9 uses a single micro SD card to record.

The Hero 9 is waterproof up to 33 feet (10 meters) without a waterproof housing, though dive housing can be used to further waterproof the camera.

Finally, the Hero 9 can be used without a cage, thanks to the built-in folding fingers on the bottom of the camera. That way, you have the mount directly on the camera base.

GoPro Hero 9 Review
The GoPro Hero 9 (left) can be mounted without a cage. The Hero 7 and all cameras prior require a cage to be mounted.

GoPro Hero 9 Pros

Now let’s take a look at some of the GoPro Hero 9’s best features, starting with:

Best photo and video quality ever

Thanks to the Hero 9’s impressive resolution, image quality is at an all-time high. You can now shoot 20-megapixel photos in both JPEG and RAW format, and videos can be shot at 5K/30p or 4K/60p.

Even if you don’t intend to export a 5K video, shooting at this resolution can be beneficial for post-production. When you shoot at 5K, you can crop your video later without sacrificing resolution. You can also take high-quality still shots from your 5K video footage.

Front-facing screen

While some may scoff and say that front-facing screens are only important for vloggers, don’t knock it until you try it. Being able to see your composition from the front of the camera will change the way you shoot. It’s especially helpful when you stick the camera in a tight corner.

But if you’re still not sold on the front-facing screen, there’s an option to disable it and simply display camera settings instead.

front-facing screen on the GoPro Hero 9
The GoPro Hero 9 with the front-facing screen.

HyperSmooth stabilization

Shaky video footage has been long gone since the Hero 7 first debuted with HyperSmooth. Somehow, GoPro keeps finding ways to improve HyperSmooth, and it’s in its third version with the Hero 9.

Besides eliminating video shake from sports footage, HyperSmooth helps with another GoPro feature: TimeWarp.

Essentially a moving time-lapse, TimeWarp is great for conveying the passage of time while on the move (think walking, hiking, or driving), and HyperSmooth keeps that footage stable.

Horizon Leveling and Scheduled Capture

A new feature on the Hero 9 is Horizon Leveling. When enabled, this automatically keeps your video’s horizon straight.

Since the camera tends to be mounted on a moving subject, keeping the horizon straight is something that many GoPro users often struggle with.

Scheduled Capture is another new feature that allows you to schedule ahead of time when the GoPro should start shooting. It’s especially helpful for creating time-lapses.

Improved internal microphones

Ever since the GoPro was designed to work without a cage, the sound quality has gradually improved. The Hero 9 has three built-in internal microphones, and they do a great job of picking up audio. The only time the audio seems muddled is after the camera has been submerged in water.

If you want to get the best possible audio out of the GoPro, you can do so by adding an external microphone. However, for that you’ll need to buy the Media Mod (discussed below).

GoPro Hero 9 in the Media Mod
The GoPro Hero 9 inside of the Media Mod.

Mods

Starting with the Hero 8, GoPro began releasing Mods to add features to its cameras.

The main Mod is the Media Mod, which is aimed at vloggers. This Mod includes cold shoe mounts for adding accessories, a micro HDMI port, a 3.5mm mic jack, and built-in microphones.

Despite the added cost, the Media Mod delivers on its promises and turns the GoPro into a viable vlogging camera.

Other available Mods include the GoPro Light Mod (a glorified flashlight), a front-facing Display Mod, and the ultra-wide Max Lens Mod.

(Most of these Mods are intended for newer GoPros, so if you own an older GoPro, be sure to check its compatibility before purchasing Mods.)

the Media Mod
The Media Mod (available for Hero 8 and Hero 9 only) includes cold shoe mounts, built-in mics, a micro HDMI port, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm microphone jack.

Lots of third-party accessory options

Since GoPro has been around for so long, there are tons of third-party accessory makers selling all kinds of things to expand the functionality of GoPro cameras.

Some accessories are specific to GoPro models (i.e., form-fitting cages), but many accessories, such as mounts, lights, and microphones, can be used with every GoPro out there.

Cons

No camera is perfect, and the GoPro Hero 9 is no exception. Let’s take a look at the drawbacks of this action camera:

Larger size

To accommodate a larger battery and the front-facing LCD, the Hero 9 is the biggest GoPro ever. It’s still a small camera, but its slightly larger size means that any previous form-fitting cages you might own will no longer fit.

You’ll also have to buy Hero 9 batteries and a battery charger.

Poor low-light shooting

While the GoPro Hero 9 has a larger megapixel count than previous GoPro Heros, it performs miserably in low-light conditions. If you want to shoot photos or videos after the sun goes down or indoors, use the Light Mod or consider a different camera.

Buggy software

In my experience, most modern GoPros are prone to freezing bugs, and the Hero 9 is no exception.

The good news is that there’s a fast way to reset the camera should it freeze:

Simply hold down the Record and Power buttons for a few seconds, and the camera will reboot.

GoPro Hero 9 with the Max Lens Mod
An HDR SuperPhoto taken with the GoPro Hero 9 and the Max Lens Mod.

Firmware updates

Almost immediately after the Hero 9 came out, GoPro released a statement saying that two firmware updates would be on the way before the end of 2020.

These firmware updates promised fixes such as:

  • Increased touchscreen sensitivity
  • Image quality improvements for 4K shooting
  • GPS accuracy
  • Scheduled Capture bug improvements
  • External microphone compatibility with the GoPro mic adapter
  • More possible fixes on the way

One firmware update was released in October 2020, and the second was delayed from November to December 2020. In GoPro’s own words, “The more we test HERO9 Black in the field and the more feedback we receive from users, the more we identify little upgrades that will have huge impacts on the user experience.”

Not everyone will find the issues listed above to be a problem, but if you’re suffering from any, just know that a fix is on the way.

Should you buy the GoPro Hero 9?

Now that I’ve gone through the bulk of this GoPro Hero 9 review, it’s time to ask:

Who should think about purchasing the Hero 9?

If you have an older GoPro…

If you have a model older than the GoPro Hero 7, the Hero 9 will seem like a huge upgrade.

Not only is the image quality better, but you’ll also have a touchscreen with presets for easier control, buttery-smooth video, and better sound quality.

If you have the Hero 7 or 8, there’s no need to upgrade unless any of the key features, such as the front-facing screen or 5K video, have appeal.

If this is your first action camera…

For those new to the action camera market, you’re in luck – because there are a lot of good options. There’s the cheaper DJI Osmo Action or the modular Insta360 One R, both of which are excellent picks. It’s worth researching both of those cameras to see if they better fit your needs.

However, if you want a tried and true action camera that has the best image quality, stability, and sound on the market, then the GoPro Hero 9 is the best that money can buy. You can grab it here.

What do you think? Are you interested in purchasing the GoPro Hero 9? Let me know in the comments below!

The post GoPro Hero 9 Review: Is It the Perfect Action Camera for You? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on GoPro Hero 9 Review: Is It the Perfect Action Camera for You?

Posted in Photography

 

Weekly Photo Challenge – Christmas

19 Dec

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

While we don’t all celebrate all of the celebrations, it’s Christmas time this coming week, so we’d like to see how you celebrate or don’t celebrate it.

Tag your photos on social media and @ us! #dPSChristmas

Christmas can mean many different things to different people, and photographs can tell all of those different stories. We would love to see how you tell your Christmas story through photographs.

If you have some downtime over Christmas, make sure you revisit our weekly challenge from this year and try out the ones you missed, and remember, there’s a couple of days left on our Christmas ‘under $ 10’ sale if you’re interested!

Weekly Photo Challenge - Christmas
‘This Tree is Just for Christmas’

A statement on discarded Christmas trees or a lone mince pie, what will your story of Christmas be?

Weekly Photo Challenge - Christmas
Get your hands off my pie!

As ever, we’d love you to share your photograph in the comments on this post, or you can share them on social media and tag us, find the details and instructions below.

Great! Where do I upload my photos?

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

Weekly Photography Challenge – Looking Up

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

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


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on Weekly Photo Challenge – Christmas

Posted in Photography

 

Iconic Ansel Adams image sells for nearly $1M at Sotheby’s auction, total sales of $6.4M

18 Dec
Ansel Adams, The Grand Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

‘A Grand Vision: The David H. Arrington Collection of Ansel Adams Masterworks’ completed auctioned at Sotheby’s New York on December 14. The collection comprised 123 individual lots, 94% of which were successfully sold to buyers both in person at Sotheby’s New York and online. A mural-sized print, ‘The Grand Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming’, sold for a record-high for an Ansel Adams print, closing at $ 988,000 USD.

Ansel Adams photographed the record-setting print in 1942. The image was commissioned by the Department of the Interior. The mural-sized print of Jackson Hole is one of fewer than 10 thought to exist. David H. Arrington acquired it directly from a descendant of Ansel Adams.

Ansel Adams, The Grand Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming – Lot 53, sold for $ 988,000

David H. Arrington was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and currently serves as President of Arrington Oil & Gas Operating LLC. He became interested in photography as a teenager and began collecting Adams’ work in his twenties. His collection ultimately developed into one of the largest and most comprehensive private collections of Adams’ photography. Pieces from the collection have been part of many exhibits over the years, including in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Hayward Gallery, the Kunstbibliothek in Berlin, and the Museum of Modern Art.

Ansel Adams, Winter Sunrise, Sierra Nevada, from Lone Pine, California – Lot 107, sold for $ 403,200

Arrington said, ‘I remember the first time I saw an image slowly appear in the developing tray in my darkroom. I was 15 years old, mesmerized and thrilled beyond imagination at the possibilities inherent in photography. Now at 60 years old, I still feel the same.’ Many of his Ansel Adams prints were displayed at his company’s headquarters, making it a museum of sorts. He encouraged employees to select favorite prints to hang in their offices.

When the auction closed, the sold lots totaled $ 6.4 million, the highest total for a sale of photographs at Sotheby’s since 2014. Before the auction, the pre-sale estimate ranged from $ 4.1 to $ 6.1 million. Sotheby’s shared additional interesting figures, including that nearly half of lots sold achieved prices above their high estimates, more than 50% of lots were sold online and 35% of buyers were first-time buyers from Sotheby’s.

Ansel Adams, Half Dome, Merced River, Winter, Yosemite Valley – Lot 38, sold for $ 685,500

Emily Bierman, Head of Sotheby’s Photographs Department in New York, said, ‘The spectacular results from [the sale] not only affirmed Ansel Adams as one of the most important artists of the 20th century, but also that his subject matter is as relevant today as when it was created over half a century ago.’ She commented further that the record-setting print garnered a bidding battle involving at least half a dozen bidders.

Bierman continues, ‘The collection put together by David H. Arrington was unprecedented in its scale, scope, and condition, and now proudly takes its place among the most significant collections of photographs to ever come to auction. Handing this collection has been an enormous privilege for our entire team, and, personally, an opportunity I will cherish in my career.’

Ansel Adams, Yosemite Valley from Inspiration Point, Winter, Yosemite National Park – Lot 48, sold for $ 163,800

You can browse all 123 lots by clicking here. From there, you will be able to see the closing price for sold lots and view the pre-sale estimates for each lot. Notably, before the auction, Sotheby’s estimated that Adams’ iconic ‘Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico’ would sell for the highest amount, although it ultimately sold for about $ 300,000 less than Adams’ image of the Grand Tetons. David H. Arrington’s collection included many other iconic Adams images and it’s well worth it for any photographer fan to peruse and enjoy the images.

Image credits: The above Ansel Adams photographs have been shared with us courtesy of Sotheby’s Auction House

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Iconic Ansel Adams image sells for nearly $1M at Sotheby’s auction, total sales of $6.4M

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Which Green Screen for Video Conferencing?

18 Dec

Oh, dear! You just remembered you have a Zoom call in 5 minutes! Thankfully, you remembered in time, but unfortunately, your house is a mess. With everyone home so much lately, the cleanliness of your house has slowly backslid until somehow a certain amount of clutter has become the norm. But, piles of laundry and toys scattered across the floor Continue Reading

The post Which Green Screen for Video Conferencing? appeared first on Photodoto.


Photodoto

 
Comments Off on Which Green Screen for Video Conferencing?

Posted in Photography

 

Texas report details the harsh realities, risks of being a wedding photographer during the COVID-19 pandemic

17 Dec

A recent report of out South Texas reveals the harsh reality of being a wedding photographer in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. In an article titled ‘Texas Wedding Photographers Have Seen Some $ #!+’ shared by Texas Monthly, reporter Emily McCullar tells the story of a wedding photographer who was diagnosed with COVID-19 after it was revealed the groom of the party had tested positive for COVID-19 and didn’t inform the wedding photographer.

The photographer, who remains unnamed throughout the article, was informed of the groom’s positive diagnosis by a bridesmaid in the party. But not before the photographer had spent ‘an hour or two inside the unmasked wedding party’ taking photographs. The photographer said ‘[the bridesmaid] was looking for me to be like, “Oh, that’s crazy,” like I was going to agree with her that it was fine.’

That wasn’t the case though. The photographer suffers from asthma, a serious comorbidity factor that can increase the risks of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Additionally, the photographer has three kids and a husband at home that she didn’t want to infect, should she end up COVID-19 positive.

After discovering the groom’s secret, the photographer and her assistant left. Texas Monthly notes ‘her exit was tense.’ ‘The wedding planner said it was the most unprofessional thing she’d ever seen […] Bridesmaids accused her of heartlessly ruining an innocent woman’s wedding day.’ The photographer even recollected a bridesmaid telling her ‘I’m a teacher, I have fourteen students. If I’m willing to risk it, why aren’t you?’

After leaving, the photographer ‘canceled her Thanksgiving plans with family, sent her kids to relatives’ houses so they wouldn’t get sick, and informed the brides of her upcoming weddings that she’d be subcontracting to other shooters,’ says Texas Monthly. Sure enough, a few days after the wedding, the photographer started feeling symptoms and eventually tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The photographer said the couple whose wedding she was photographing ‘didn’t care’ about the diagnosis and ‘didn’t offer to compensate her for the test, nor did they apologize for getting her sick.’

The article goes on to point out that this incident is far from an isolated one. As you browse through the hashtag ‘#TexasWedding’ on Instagram, there are a handful of images that show groups of friends and family celebrating matrimony with what appears to be little regard for protocols suggested for mitigating the spread of COVID-19, a disease that’s confirmed to have killed over 302,000 individuals in the United States alone.

A screenshot of a few images that show up when you search ‘#TexasWedding’ on Instagram. Faces have been blurred for privacy sake.

The report details statements from other photographers, who share their experiences trying to shoot weddings throughout the pandemic. A reoccurring theme is a lack of masks, proper social distancing and little means of sanitation options, such as hand sanitizer.

As for the original wedding photographer, she recalled a heartbreaking conversation she had with a bridesmaid at the wedding:

‘I have children,’ she told a bridesmaid, ‘What if my children die?’ The bridesmaid responded, ‘I understand, but this is her wedding day.’

The report notes that not all wedding anecdotes it came across from photographers were as reckless as the featured one, but even in the anecdotes that featured more responsible weddings, nearly half of the guests were unmasked, including those who had high risk factors. While Texas reduced the size of wedding gatherings — from 500 to 250 individuals — there’s still plenty of risk in having that many individuals together at a single venue.

Vaccines are being distributed around the globe, but according to experts on the matter, it will still be a while before anything gets back to ‘normal,’ whatever that may look like. And until then, this unfortunate reality is what many wedding photographers (and other professions) will have to face as the death toll continues to rise, particularly in the United States.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Texas report details the harsh realities, risks of being a wedding photographer during the COVID-19 pandemic

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Can Camera Lens Get Wet: How to Dry a Camera Lens

17 Dec

If you take pictures outside your home, it is bound to happen at one point or  another.  The moment when you feel everything is lost and doom is near — you drop your lens in water. Thankfully, the sky is not falling, and you can protect and save your precious equipment if you take the right and necessary steps quickly. Continue Reading

The post Can Camera Lens Get Wet: How to Dry a Camera Lens appeared first on Photodoto.


Photodoto

 
Comments Off on Can Camera Lens Get Wet: How to Dry a Camera Lens

Posted in Photography

 

14 Guidelines for Photographers to Live By

17 Dec

The post 14 Guidelines for Photographers to Live By appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

guidelines for photographers to live by

It doesn’t matter if you’re brand new to photography or a seasoned pro with decades of experience; at some point or another, you’re going to develop some habits and behaviors that are counterproductive.

Without getting these habits in check, they can have a negative effect on your photography, whether on your portfolio in general, your love for the medium, or your workflow. Sometimes these behaviors can even be destructive to other people in ways you didn’t realize.

In this article, I’ll share 14 guidelines for photographers – designed to deal with some of these counterproductive behaviors and habits that I’ve come across.

Now, none of these are rules, and I am not presenting them as such. If you feel that a guideline doesn’t apply to you, I am not saying or implying that you are wrong for feeling that way. These are merely my thoughts based on my experiences.

So without further ado, here are 14 guidelines for photographers to live by.

1. Shoot often, show few

guidelines for photographers Lightroom catalog
Whether you shoot 10 photos at a time or 100, try to whittle your portfolio down to the very best and only show those.

One of the best things any photographer can do for their portfolio is reduce the number of images from any given session that they share with the public. By showing only the very best of your work, the quality of your portfolio and its impression on your viewers will increase.

Let’s say that you have a portrait session, and you normally share 10-15 photos from a set. All of the images might be good, but chances are that one or two of those images are much better than the rest. By sharing every photo, you are only diluting the quality of the best ones. Instead, only share the very best shots – this is what will make them shine.

Of course, it also means that you will have fewer images to share. How do you counteract this deficit in content?

Shoot more!

Now, this doesn’t mean you should shoot more images of the same subject. It means you should shoot more in general. For instance, if you’re a portrait shooter, then you should conduct more portrait sessions with more people.

This will give your portfolio more variety, as well as ensuring that you have plenty of images to share.

2. Shoot outside your genre

guidelines for photographers architectural black and white
As a portrait photographer, long exposures of buildings in the middle of the day are way outside my normal range. Shooting outside your niche every once in a while can help to give you realizations that you wouldn’t have come to otherwise.

Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM | 35mm | 326s | f/11 | ISO 100

Even if you don’t specialize in a single particular niche with your photography, you will probably wind up shooting the same genre (or a couple of genres) over and over again.

While you may be perfectly happy photographing the same subjects repeatedly, you also might start developing habits that guide how you photograph things. When you get set in your ways like this, it can become increasingly difficult to shake those systems and try things in new ways.

One way to counteract this is to shoot in a genre outside of what you normally photograph. Photographing subjects that require a completely different skill set than what you are used to will force you to actively think about what you are doing instead of going through the motions. This has helped me to come up with a solution to an unrelated problem more than once, as it helps you think about things from a completely different angle.

Shooting outside of your genre can also act as something of a palette cleanser. As a portrait photographer, when I do a long stretch of shooting nothing but portraits, it can feel a bit monotonous and stale. Getting out and shooting a landscape feels like a breath of fresh air and helps get me excited about portrait photography again.

3. Share your knowledge

guidelines for photographers portrait thumbs up
Sharing your knowledge with other photographers (whether it’s lighting setups, post-processing techniques, or general camera-craft skills) can help to reinforce your own knowledge and strengthen the community.

There’s an old negative cliché about photographers shutting down when asked how something was done (and mentioning the words “trade secret”). Fortunately, I haven’t noticed any of this in recent years, and things have opened up quite a bit. That’s a great thing for everybody.

Don’t be afraid to share what you’ve learned. Not only will you be able to help someone else, but the act of trying to communicate something to somebody else only reinforces your understanding of it.

Everybody wins here. And I genuinely believe that when one of us grows, we all grow.

4. You are not special, so don’t act like it

person with camera
Hey, look at me! I have some fancy equipment. Perhaps I should lord that over others who don’t! No, that is definitely not what you should do.

The barriers to entry for getting started in photography are lower than ever. The only thing that could be considered a real barrier is money, but only if you want to go all-in from the start and buy the fanciest camera and lenses.

Ultimately, this means that there’s pretty much nothing stopping anyone interested in photography from getting into it.

So owning a camera does not make you special. Calling yourself a photographer does not make you special. Having a great portfolio opens doors that other photographers can’t access, but it still does not make you special.

All too often, there are stories about photographers treating other people like dirt, acting entitled in public, and trashing landscapes. Photography forums can be some of the most toxic places on the internet. Yes, I know the vast majority of photographers aren’t like that, but it doesn’t excuse the poor behavior of the minority.

There is no reason to act that way. Be respectful to people. Be polite. Contrary to another old cliché, your photos do not speak for themselves, and acting decent will only help to strengthen people’s impression of your photography.

If you don’t want to be decent and you choose the other route, you may find that it closes a lot of doors – and there are a hundred other photographers right behind you, ready to take your place.

5. Learn constantly

model in studio with flash and continuous lighting
Make it a point to learn new things. Here, I was trying to see what happened if I mixed flash and continuous lighting. The troubleshooting that followed gave me a better understanding of my equipment.

This is one of those things that is preached often in all walks of life and is critical for photographers to remember.

The world of photography is constantly changing. New technologies make it easier than ever to create images and get them out in the world. Therefore, new techniques and methods are popping up all the time.

By ensuring that you put regular effort into learning new skills (or into reinforcing old ones), you will stay ahead of the curve as things continue to change. Not only will this help improve your photography, but it will also help to enhance the skills that you already have. Things will take less time, and you will get more efficient.

By the way, this doesn’t just apply to image-making. It also applies to other important aspects of photography, such as marketing.

6. Do the things you’re sure won’t work

person with busy background
Before I set up this shot, I was certain the background was too busy, but I liked the light. I was right about the background, but what did it cost me? A bit of memory and a few minutes, plus there was always the chance that I could have been wrong.

As you learn new things, you are going to have a lot of ideas.

Many of those ideas are going to be ridiculous. There’s no way they could ever work out.

So do them anyway.

Taking on difficult, unlikely, or even impossible challenges is one of the fastest ways to learn. To get what you want, you must put your problem-solving skills through their paces. Even if the result isn’t up to scratch, you will almost certainly have learned something from the process that you can use in the future.

This is something I wish I had learned much sooner than I did. Take those crazy ideas and run with them. If nothing works out, don’t show anyone!

7. Embrace clichés

guidelines for photographers shoot what you want, even iconic views
This view of Staithes has been photographed by just about every photographer who has ever set foot here. It’s about as clichéd as cliché gets. Does that mean you shouldn’t bother taking your own shot? No, not at all. Shoot whatever you want and enjoy it.

Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM | 28mm | 1/30s | f/6.3 | ISO 400

Okay, I can already hear you groaning, but hear me out.

Every genre in photography has concepts that have been shot over and over again by just about anybody that’s ever picked up a camera.

It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about portraits, landscapes, wildlife, or any other genre. If you need a visual example, search any photosharing site for “Derwent Water.” This is a lake in England’s Lake District National Park. What you should find is the exact same shot of a certain jetty a couple of thousand times over. Want another example? Search for “Skógafoss.”

So what?

Have they been done to death? Yes, definitely. Should you go there and take the same photo if you want to? Yes. Absolutely.

Should you take photos of birds perched on sticks? Should you take pictures of interesting doors? Should you take photos of swaddled newborns? Should you take photos of a ring on a book so the shadow looks like a heart?

Do you want to? Then the answer is “Yes.”

When it comes to clichés in photography, photographers get bored with them because we see them all the time. What you have to ask yourself is why they have become clichés in the first place. What has drawn people to photograph these things again and again? The answer is usually because they resonate with an audience.

In other words:

These things are clichés because people love them.

The audience for your photography should not be photographers (more on this later), so don’t be afraid to shoot something you like, or that might resonate with your viewers, even if another photographer might brand it as clichéd.

8. Shoot for fun

have fun taking photos guidelines for photographers
Going out and taking photos for the sheer pleasure of taking photos is a great way to help ensure that your interest remains fired up.

Once you’ve been doing photography for a while, it is likely that, at some point, it’s going to stop being fun for one reason or another. This happens all the time and it usually happens more than once.

This can result in a lack of motivation that can lead to feelings of contempt for a hobby you used to love.

To help stop this process before it starts, regularly shoot something just because it would be fun to do so. You don’t have to use the images for anything, but doing fun photoshoots will help make sure you are still connecting with the reasons you got into photography in the first place.

If you’re already experiencing a lack of motivation, do whatever you can to make sure that, the next time you pick up a camera, it is to do something solely for the sheer pleasure of photography.

9. Strive for consistency

consistent Lightroom catalog
Being able to provide a consistent output using a range of techniques is a good goal to strive for.

A consistent output might just be one of the most underrated things a photographer can focus on.

To be clear, in this instance, I am talking about consistency in quality. I’m talking about ensuring that every time you pick up a camera for a purpose beyond self-gratification, you are producing the best photos you can with a variety of techniques.

(There is a lot of value in consistency of style and presentation across a portfolio, but that is another point for another time.)

It will not serve you well as a photographer to have a well-curated portfolio that you show to potential clients if you are unable to reproduce the same quality of photos over and over again.

Having a good portfolio is only the first step. If you get something good that you feel is portfolio-worthy, hammer down the techniques and make sure you can get similar results whenever you need to.

10. Learn to love the process, not the output

model lit by softbox
Once you put an image out into the world, you have zero control over how it is received. Instead of worrying about how other people react, focus on and learn to love the process instead of people’s reactions.

Is there a part of the image-making process that you don’t like? Perhaps retouching? Early sunrises? Do you just slog through it to get to the end result? Have you gone through steps you don’t like to get an image that you love, only to upload it somewhere or add it to your portfolio and find that it gets no response, or that people hate it?

I suspect something similar has happened to every photographer at one point or another. But what do you do when an image or a body of work doesn’t get the response you like or the one you expect?

Nothing. There is nothing you can do. You cannot control how other people react to things. If you can learn to accept that the only thing you can control is the process of creating the image, and then learn to love and focus on that process, you will be able to detach from the things you can’t control.

When the inevitable does happen and you don’t get the response you expected or wanted, you can shrug it off and move on to creating the next image.

11. Embrace harsh feedback

dog jumping in a field
This is one of my most favorite images. I wouldn’t change it for the world. Yet if I put my photography cap on, I can nitpick it until the end of time. That’s good. I can still love this image and know to look out for things I could do better (like the awkward crop, the overly contrasty subject/background, and the slightly too-slow shutter speed) in the future.

One of the fastest ways to learn as a photographer is to solicit feedback from other photographers. Often, the best sort of feedback can also be the harshest, and it can be utterly deflating. Have you ever asked for a critique only to receive a huge list of errors? It can feel soul-crushing, especially to a new photographer. Unfortunately, embracing that sort of feedback remains one of the best ways to improve fast.

The trick is to learn how to detach from the emotional attachment you have with the image you created.

How do you do this? I wish I could say. The answer is different for everyone. Once you have managed to do it, you’ll find it much easier to take on even the harshest feedback.

Now, harsh feedback does not always mean good feedback. A critique should never include prescriptive mandates, personal attacks on character or motivation, unsolicited criticism, or abusive comments toward people in the images.

Also, take statements such as “I would have done such and such” with a grain of salt and judge their relevance on a case-by-case basis. If you come across any feedback like that, feel free to ignore it. The sort of person who behaves in that way does not have you or your photography in their best interests. They are only stroking their ego at your expense.

12. Don’t force your ways onto others

model in front of lights
In the studio, I like to bring the lights in as close to the subject as I can. This works for me, and I encourage other photographers to try it. Does that mean it’s the right way to do things? Not a chance. It’s one of a million ways and none of them are the single right way.

As photographers, we learn in different ways from different sources at different speeds. And we take the bits that work for us and apply them in a way that gets the results we want.

Everybody is different. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about lens choice, lighting choices, or retouching techniques. There is no right way, or proper way, to do anything in photography.

The only right way is the way that gets the job done.

I like to do my dodging and burning on separate gray layers. Other photographers like to do dodging and burning with curves layers. There are about a dozen other options that I can think of that all result in the same thing. It doesn’t matter what your preference is. If someone prefers a different method to you, great.

Yes, you can and should advise others on how you go about things; that’s all a part of sharing your knowledge, after all. Just try to leave the prescriptive mandates such as right and proper out of it.

13. Stop marketing to photographers

If you are trying to get attention for your photography and you want to build an audience, then there is one demographic you should stop targeting:

Photographers.

Photographers rarely buy photography. A lot don’t even consume it for any reason other than comparison. Sure, peer recognition and validation feel nice, but when it comes to getting your work out there or starting a photography business, it has very little tangible value.

It’s as simple as that. Instead of posting your images where only photographers see them, look for the places where people are interested in the sort of subjects you cover.

Is this easy? No. If marketing were easy, then we’d all be rich and famous!

14. Your work is neither as good nor as bad as you think it is

portrait of woman with red top
To be honest, my own impression of my photography is not great. It goes with my overly self-critical nature. Whenever my images place in a contest (as this image did), it always comes as a surprise. It is hard to have an objective view of your own images.

Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Macro | 50mm | 1/125s | f/6.3 | ISO 100

Most of us don’t have a good grasp on how other people see our work.

Some photographers think everything they produce is fantastic. Some think everything they produce is utter rubbish. (Before anyone asks, I’m in the “utter rubbish” category.)

The problem is that we, as humans, are rarely objective judges when it comes to ourselves, and both extremes have serious downsides to them.

For the more confident personalities, it can be disheartening or downright depressing to think a photo is great only to have it be rejected by a wider audience. If this happens enough times, it can spell the end of your passion for photography.

For the self-critical camp, that’s only the beginning of the battle. I mean, what’s the point in even trying when you know that whatever you do is going to wind up terrible, anyway?

If you fall into one of these extremes, one answer is to try your best to remove any self-judgment from the process, good or bad. Try to come at your images with an analytical approach, and as mentioned above, focus on the process – because you have no control over how anyone else might react.

14 guidelines for photographers to live by: Conclusion

I hope this article has provided you with some food for thought on how some of the habits and tendencies we can develop as photographers negatively affect our output.

Even if you feel none of this applies to you, I hope you can see how evaluating your habits can lead you to a deeper understanding of how what you do and think affects your photography.

So remember these 14 guidelines for photographers; that way, you can learn and grow as much as possible.

Now over to you:

Are there any guidelines that I missed? And are there any additional negative behaviors that you often witness from photographers? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post 14 Guidelines for Photographers to Live By appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on 14 Guidelines for Photographers to Live By

Posted in Photography

 
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »