Basics « 360Photography

RSS

Posts Tagged ‘Basics’

The Basics of Simulating Vintage Film in Lightroom

15 Feb

The post The Basics of Simulating Vintage Film in Lightroom appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

Like all forms of art, photography can be a complex and contradictory medium. It’s straightforward yet complicated; personal but at the same time wholly based in exhibitionism. In recent years perhaps the weirdest and paradoxical event to happen in the world of photography is the idea of simulating film photographs with our digital photography. Think about it for a second or two. We’ve moved (for the majority) from using physical photographic film to digital sensors, and still, we are searching for the feel and aesthetic quality of the very process we left behind.

$F:\DPS Images\Simulating Vintage Film\simulating-vintage-analog-film-in-lightroom-adam-welch-dps-8.png$

A digital photo split toned for yellow in the shadows and blue in the highlights. Faded and then finally grain added to approximately simulate ISO 800 film.

We’ll leave the discussion of the currently popular “analog renaissance” for another day. For now, let’s talk about how you can go about simulating the look of a photographic film. More specifically, creating vintage or expired film looks using Adobe Lightroom. Adobe has made a couple of big updates to Lightroom lately that make working towards that “vintage film look” more effective and easier than ever before! Simulating the look of any film consists of four core dimensions: color, contrast, and grain. Before we get into the “how” of simulating film in Lightroom, let’s first briefly talk about some of the confusion surrounding film photography in general.

Film photography is full of variables

There’s a misconception that the look of film is set in stone; meaning that “XXX type of film always looks like this and XXXX type of film always looks like this.” Nothing could be further from the truth! There are all kinds of factors which play a roll (film humor) in how the final negative or print appears to the viewer.

simulating-vintage-analog-film-in-lightroom-adam-welch-dps-

A Nikon F3 35mm film camera. Shot with a digital camera…made to look like a vintage film. Ironic.

The age of the film, how it was stored, type and temperature of chemicals used in development, the duration of development, even how we agitate the chemicals around the film all play a major part in how the finished film appears. Also, when it comes to the final print, there are even more variables that can affect the look of the picture. The reason I’m saying all of this is to make sure you understand that simulating the look of vintage films has just as much to do with your creativity as it does with understanding the basics of how film works. There is no explicit right or wrong! So relax and let’s get to work learning how to simulate the look of vintage film in Lightroom.

Color

Color is the most effective part of the simulation process and there are many routes we can take to manipulate the colors of our vintage film simulations. The “vintage look” comes about literally by the progression of time. As the light-sensitive emulsion of the film degrades, it produces all sorts of funky color tones and nuances. To simulate this effect of color aging, we will use the tried and true Split Toning Panel and also one of the biggest and newest features to come along for Lightroom: Creative Profiles.

Split Toning

Don’t worry, split toning can look a little intimidating but it’s really not! Split toning is just a way for us to add in specific color tones to the shadows and highlights within our photo.

simulating-vintage-analog-film-in-lightroom-adam-welch-dps-2

To change the color tone of the highlights move the highlights color slider to the color tone you like or select it from the color palette.

simulating-vintage-analog-film-in-lightroom-adam-welch-dps-3

You can also change the saturation of the highlight colors by using the saturation slider. The same goes for the color toning of the shadows as well.

The balance slider is just a way for us to control the bias of the split toning to favor either the highlights or the shadows. Moving the balance slider towards the left makes the shadow toning more prominent while sliding it to the right makes the highlight color stand out. There are limitless combinations of colors and saturation balances so feel free to experiment. Just remember that using complementary colors for the shadows and highlights (blue and orange, yellow and violet) are always a good choice when it comes to split toning. Also, color changes in an expired film are usually quite subtle so keep that in mind as well as your tone.

Creative Profiles

One of the coolest and most versatile new features to come along for Lightroom recently is the introduction of “Creative Profiles.” Profiles have long been a part of Lightroom, but now we have the option to apply our own custom profiles that we’ve either bought or made ourselves. To learn more about the full power of Adobe’s Creative Profiles check out another one of my articles here. For our purposes, Creative Profiles allow us to introduce color grading to our vintage film simulations.

simulating-vintage-analog-film-in-lightroom-adam-welch-dps-3

The great things about creative profiles are that they apply themselves without disrupting any of your development settings. What’s more, you can dial in the strength of the profile using the density slider. Being able to use controllable color grading with creative profiles not only opens up a whole new world when it comes to simulating vintage film but in all areas of your post-processing workflow.

Contrast

Unlike color, simulating the contrast of vintage film in Lightroom is more or less a straightforward idea. Generally, as the emulsion of a photographic film ages its contrast usually decreases. This is due to the breakdown of the light sensitivity of the film.

$F:\DPS Images\Simulating Vintage Film\Simulating_Vintage_Film_simulating-vintage-analog-film-in-lightroom-adam-welch-dps-3.png25.png$

A 4×5 large format negative

The amount of contrast lost depends on a number of things such as the age of the film, the way it was stored, and the actual type of the film itself. The take away from this is that a good guideline for vintage film simulations is to essentially “fade” the image by decreasing its contrast. You can achieve this in a few ways. The most simple being to use the contrast slider to lessen the contrast. However, there’s a more precise and arguably more appealing way to fade the photo; by using the tone curve.

simulating-vintage-analog-film-in-lightroom-adam-welch-dps-5

To decrease the contrast and ultimately simulate the fading of an image all we need to do is take the control point at the bottom left of the tone curve and move it directly upwards. This controls the luminance values of the darks in the photo and makes those areas appear lighter which in turn makes them less contrasted. In most cases, you’ll want to add at least one more control point to the right of the one you’re adjusting and pull the rest of the tone curve back down. Of course, this is completely subjective. Feel free to add other control points and play around with the tone curve to really control the way your fades appear within your photo. Remember, there is no correct amount of fading so experiment as much as you like!

simulating-vintage-analog-film-in-lightroom-adam-welch-dps-6

Grain

The final facet of our vintage film simulation routine is to add in and control simulated grain to our photos. Not to be confused with digital noise, film grain is a direct result of the visibility of the individual silver crystals present in the films light-sensitive emulsion. The more/larger the crystals which present in the emulsion, the more sensitive the film to light and the higher it’s ISO rating. While the overall appearance of grain depends on a vast array of variables, a general rule is that the higher the ISO of the film the more pronounced the film grain becomes. So if you are attempting to make your simulations appear as a highly light-sensitive film such as ISO 1200 or ISO 3200, the more grain needs to be added to your simulations. If you are shooting for a lower ISO film for your vintage film simulation, say an ISO 80 or ISO 100 speed, you add less grain or even none at all. Here’s an image from a medium speed expired 35mm film, Kodak Tri-X 400. It was developed at a higher temperature and agitated quite a bit to bring out more of the grain.

simulating-vintage-analog-film-in-lightroom-adam-welch-dps-8.png

To control the presence of the grain we add in Lightroom we are presented with three sliders: amount, roughness and size.

simulating-vintage-analog-film-in-lightroom-adam-welch-dps-5

When you think about each of these sliders, it’s easy to visualize how they affect your image if you imagine them as physically controlling characteristics of the light-sensitive silver crystals of the film’s emulsion. The Amount slider would add in more or less crystals. Roughness is how raised or bumpy those crystals appear. Lastly, the Size slider controls how large or small those crystals seem. I know…that might still be a little confusing. So I’ve made up a quick guide for adding in your grain and given a couple of common real-world 35mm film stocks as reference points:

ISO 50-100(Kodak Ektar 100, Ilford FP4 Plus, Fujichrome Velvia 50)
Amount: 15
Size: 10
Roughness: 10
ISO 200-400(Kodak Tri-X 400, Ilford HP5 Plus)
Amount: 30
Size: 10
Roughness: 10
ISO 800-1600(Fujifilm Superia X-Tra 800, Fujifilm Superia 1600, Kodak Portra 800)
Amount: 45
Size: 40
Roughness: 15
ISO 3200 and above(Kodak T-Max P3200, Ilford Delta 3200)
Amount: 60
Size: 40
Roughness: 45

Lightroom automatically sets the “size” and “roughness” sliders to 25 and 50 respectively. If you add ANY amount of grain to your photo remember that those defaults are set out of the gate. Also, something to keep in mind, the amount of grain added largely depends on the original digital ISO of your photo. The values listed above are merely baseline approximations.

Vintage film simulations: Why?

Even as we steep in the digital waters of today’s modern photography world, I still have a love and lust for shooting film. Film, especially expired and vintage film, carries an aesthetic that goes beyond digitized image files of “1’s” and “0’s”. Speaking just for myself, the majority of my professional work consists of digital photography – not film. To that end, I’m sure that some of you are still thinking, “If you want the look of film, just shoot film.” Yes, I understand that even at its most basic applications, film photography isn’t for everyone. That’s why being able to approximate the looks of so many different types of film in Lightroom is such a wonderfully paradoxical thing. We can still enjoy the accessibility and convenience of digital photography without wholly sacrificing the “feel” of film. What’s more is that thanks to the recent advances of color profiles in Lightroom, we can now blend and mix our settings until we reach that perfect imperfectness which captures the organic unpredictability of vintage film. Which, when you think about it, should grant each of us the realization of how extremely fortunate we are to be living in such a cool time to be photographers.

Test out the ideas in this article and try some vintage film simulations of your own. Be sure to post your results in the comments. We’d love to see them!

You may also find these articles on vintage techniques helpful:

How to Add a Toy Camera Effect to Your Digital Images Using Photoshop

How to Mimic a Digital Cyanotype Using Photoshop with Ease

How to Create a Lithography Effect Using Photoshop

How To Mimic a Cross-Processing Effect in Photoshop

How to Mimic Lomography in Photoshop with Ease

The post The Basics of Simulating Vintage Film in Lightroom appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

Newborn Photography Basics and the Equipment to Use

04 Feb

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Choose a style

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

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

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

1. Props

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

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

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

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

2. Poses

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

3. Lighting

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

4. Backdrop

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

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

5. Other special items

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

6. Candids

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

7. Editing

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

Conclusion

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

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

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

Going Back to Basics – My Week With a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens

12 Dec

The post Going Back to Basics – My Week With a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

The demise of my first Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens was an unfortunate one.

First, I dropped it – which is OK.

It happens. Still recoverable, I know.

Until, clumsily, I stood on it too.

And, just to be sure it was finished, what was left of the lens then rolled down a small hill. When I caught up, I scooped it up in my hands, all scratches and broken glass. It was my first, and I was gutted.

Nevertheless, after what seemed like an appropriate period of mourning, I did what any photographer would. I bought something newer, and shinier.

I decided to graduate to a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. From there it was all systems go, zooming in and out of those hard to reach spots and enjoying the freedom that a versatile medium-range workhorse affords. And despite the occasional bashing here and there, its been my go-to lens ever since.

Recently, however, I acquired another Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II. Just like my old one, but much less crunched. So I decided to see what going back to a prime lens would be like. Especially after relying so heavily on the reach of the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. Here’s a quick rundown on my week with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II and why a break from your old favorite can be surprisingly beneficial.

Suddenly lighter

The first difference I noticed after clicking the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II into place was the weight, or should I say, the lack thereof? The bulk of the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM was enormous compared to the little ‘plastic fantastic’ (as the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II has come to be known). Photographing with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, I had a lot less neck pain, which meant I could stay out shooting for longer without needing some painkillers.

Ditching the weight of the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM had another benefit too. Without swinging around a heavy lens, I was able to move a lot more freely. I could crouch, jump up and down, do some parkour…

Okay, I’m not that athletic.

However, being able to move allowed me to line up shots with more ease.

A lighter lens meant I could easily sneak my camera under this umbrella for a photograph

Slowing it down

The technical differences between Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, and the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II took some getting used to – zoom being one of the most pronounced. Instead of getting closer to a subject in-camera, I needed to reassess what I wanted to achieve. This meant strategically positioning my body to get the shot. Sure, I walk around seeking out subjects to photograph all the time. But, with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, I needed to be just a little more active to get the image I was after.

Sticking with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II got me thinking about the physical and mental elements that come together to create a successful shot. It made me slow down and appreciate the machinations of photography and the tactility of the image-making process.

Lots of light

One of the biggest differences between the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM and the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II is written in the name of the lenses themselves. It’s aperture. While the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM can manage a valiant F/4, it doesn’t quite cut the mustard compared to the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, opening up to an aperture of f/1.8.

What does this all mean? Basically, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II can allow a lot more light to pass through to the camera’s sensor. That’s a big deal in low lighting conditions. For example, shooting at night with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM may require a much slower shutter speed or higher ISO value to achieve the same exposure the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II can at a faster shutter speed and a lower ISO. This means that the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II can produce much better image quality in low light.

Photographing in darker environments can be challenging. But the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II allowed me to experiment at different times of the day without having to worry about available light. Of course, its a consideration when calculating exposure, but I was a lot less concerned about clogging up my images with insane amounts of noise than I would be with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM in the same conditions.

The f/1.8 aperture of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II allowed me to take this shot with a lot less noise and a faster shutter speed

Extension tubes

Another benefit of the ample aperture of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II is its versatility when coupled with a set of extension tubes. Extension tubes physically move your lens away from the focal plane. This makes the minimum focusing distance (the shortest distance at which a lens can focus) smaller, meaning you can get closer to your subject while still maintaining focus. It’s a way to shoot macro photography without an expensive dedicated lens.

However, extension tubes do have their drawbacks. One of them being diminishing the available light in a scene. With the addition of each extension tube, less light is able to reach the camera sensor. This drop in light can be difficult to contend with if you don’t have a tripod and a perfectly still subject. A fast lens like the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II is ideal in this situation. Even on a terribly overcast day, I was able to get some nice, sharp shots at a decent shutter speed. It meant that I could hand-hold my camera to take macro shots that may have required a tripod with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM.

Bokeh

One aspect of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens that I was eager to experiment with was its capacity for bokeh. A Japanese word meaning ‘blur’or ‘blurry’, bokeh refers to the quality of the out of focus parts of an image. The term is often used to describe how unfocused bright points in a scene are rendered as disks of light in a photograph.

While all lenses are capable of bokeh effects, zoom lenses tend to smooth a background over rather than shape it. Prime lenses, on the other hand, deliver a more defined disk-like bokeh result. In addition, bokeh requires the lowest possible aperture value to take full effect. This makes the maximum f/1.8 aperture of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II ideal for some sweet bokeh magic.

Seeking out opportunities for bokeh made me re-evaluate my surroundings. I had to quickly develop an eye for points of light that I could use to disperse into globes of color. But with the ease that a small camera lens affords, the little ‘nifty fifty’ produced some really fascinating results with little effort on my part.

Testing bokeh out on a rainy night in the city

Conclusion

There are plenty of other comparisons to explore between the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II and the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. I know, a week isn’t a very long time to truly get accustomed to a new piece of equipment, but challenging myself to a week of prime-lens-only photography was a lot less difficult than I thought it would be.

In fact, it was pretty fun!

Up until now, I’ve been a one-camera-one-lens kinda gal.

But playing around with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II made me think twice about my equipment repertoire. And with the weight and maneuverability of a small mammal, captivating bokeh and such a tight performance in low light conditions, I think I might just add it to the camera bag too. Just in case.

Without stepping on it this time.

Do you use the nifty fifty? What are your thoughts?

The post Going Back to Basics – My Week With a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

Time-Lapse Photography – Beyond the Basics

30 Jul

Time-lapse photography is a different way to show the world around you. They are videos which are made up of a serious of still images and combined to look like a movie. The frame-by-frame gives a sped-up view of the world. People find them interesting to look at and if done well they are fascinating.

Time-Lapse Photography – Beyond the Basics - sunset and lighthouse

One of the hundreds of photos taken at Point Lonsdale while trying to get a time-lapse there.

There are a few ways of making time-lapse videos The obvious way is to do a video and speed it up, however, most are made from lots of individual still images. Using special programs, you can put them together and set the time for the video to run.

In this article, I’ll share my experiences with you testing out some time-lapse gear and settings so you can learn along with me.

Basic Time-lapse

Doing time-lapse photography is relatively simple. All you really need to do is set your camera up on a tripod and get it to take a photo every few seconds. Put the images on your computer, batch process them if you like, then run some software that will allow you to make them into a time-lapse. Here is an example.

That is a very simplified way of looking at it. Of course, there are many other factors, like what is moving in the scene, how quickly it is moving, etc.

As you experiment more you will learn how to work out what time is best and how many images you need. On average, you will need 30 images for every second of video you want. So if you want a one minute video you will need 30 x 60 = 1800 images.

Adding panning to your time-lapse

Over the years I’ve played around with doing time-lapses, such as I just described. It didn’t seem hard and I thought that adding some new equipment would be fine, That it would just work. I was wrong.

Recently I was loaned quite a few products from Syrp here in Australia to try out. It seemed like the ideal time to step up what I was doing with these. Perhaps get more serious about doing time-lapse photography.

I was loaned enough gear to do panning, tilting, and sliding. In the kit were two Syrp Genie Minis, the tilt bracket, the Genie and the magic carpet rails.

Time-Lapse Photography – Beyond the Basics

Photo by Syrp showing a kit with the magic carpet rails, Genie, and tilt bracket.

Initially I decided to try just the Genie mini. Start with the easy one.

One of the stills from the first attempted time-lapse.

Syrp Genie Mini – first attempt

My first attempt was at the Tesselaar Kabloom Flower Festival. There were fields of flowers and lots of clouds, the conditions were perfect time-lapse photography. For a successful time-lapse it is best if there is something moving in the image.

I moved around a bit to various places, but the very first series I shot had to be deleted. The exposure was okay, but none of the images were in focus. It was my first big lesson with doing them this way. I learned that you have to focus the image and then turn off autofocus, otherwise, the camera will attempt to refocus for each image.

The Genie and Genie Minis are all controlled by an app on your phone. It is fairly simple to use, but the arcs for shooting can be confusing.

Next, I worked out how panning worked and wide it should be. Several different arcs were attempted and when I got home and loaded the photos, the problems were clear to see.

The first one was okay, but that was probably more luck than skill. I didn’t really know what I was doing and just let it go for ages, with the camera taking a photo every two seconds. There were around 450 images total.

For the next few, I told the Genie Mini to run for 6 minutes, and for the camera to shoot an image every two seconds. This time it took 360 images. The area it was panning over was increased. When converted to the time-lapse it was jerky and the panning was too fast.

Solutions, if you are going to do a wide pan, you need to take a lot more photos than you think you will need.

Another one of the stills from the flower center.

Next attempt

I went down to a local area to try it out again, this time giving it more time. Unfortunately, I made a similar mistake.

As I was setting up, I had it in my head to do an image every 5 seconds and to set the pan to last for 20 minutes. This only gave me around 240 images for the video. It wasn’t enough, and the same problem occurred. Next time if I only want to do 20 minutes I should take a photo every two seconds. That will yield 600 images, which should make it a better time-lapse. That is what will be attempted next time.

A couple of other problems happened as well. While panning, the camera was not level for the whole scene. So, I need to work out how to make that happen. Practice will make it easier.

All the tutorials I’ve been watching say to use manual mode for exposure. However, this really only works for constant light. If you are shooting a scene where it is variable, then you may need to use aperture priority.

Working it out

There did come a point when I realized the smaller the arc the better. Not covering such a wide area was better. Making sure there was something interesting in the image as well, something moving.

The number of images and how far apart they are shot is another aspect that can be hard to work out. Taking a photo every 2 or 5 seconds is good for some scenes, but not others. However, it is a good place to start and as you do more time-lapse photography you will begin to understand what settings you need.

Most time-lapse series will result in a video of around 5-10 seconds. When you are compiling it, you need to think about how many images you will need.

As a general rule most are done with 30 frames per second, or 30 images per second. In theory then, for a 5-second time-lapse you will need 150 images. However, if you are adding panning to that, then it will depend on how far you pan. If you are covering a really wide area you might need a lot more images.

You have to make sure there is something interesting in the scene, and that there is movement.

Adding Tilting

Once you think you have worked out how to pan you can try tilting the image up and down as well as panning. I only tried this a couple of times, as the biggest problem I had was my camera is very heavy and the tilt bracket struggled with it. You could see that it was too much weight for the system.

I found that using the Genie Mini with it was a bit tricky and it would tilt the wrong way. The lens would hit the bracket if it went the wrong way. It was the most frustrating aspect.

Again, you have to be careful what you use this for. There needs to be a reason to tilt up or down. Waterfalls are a good choice for tilting. Maybe looking up at a building. Think about why you would do this beforehand.

Gliding along the Magic Carpet with the Genie

The magic carpet rails with the Genie on top will glide the camera along in a straight line. It can add a small amount of movement to your video to make it appear like the camera is moving.

The Genie was very complicated to use and after doing so once, I really didn’t want to use it again. It wasn’t as easy and intuitive to use as the Genie mini. I had been shown how to use it, but when I went to do it myself, I had trouble working it out. In the end, I only used it once.

It does add a nice effect to the final time-lapse, but I’m not sure it is worth the aggravation. Perhaps, if you really wanted to get into doing time-lapse photography seriously it would be worth spending the time learning how to get the best results.

However, Syrp have now upgraded it to the Genie II. It is supposed to be easier to use and can do a lot more. Though at $ 1599 USD, the price will put it out of the range of many photographers, myself included.

Syrp gear

For most of the time that I had the gear on loan, I used the Genie Mini the most. It was small enough that I could carry it around in my bag most of the time and it was easier to use. Using the phone to control it was never a problem.

It is something that will take a lot of getting used to, but for anyone starting out doing time-lapse photography it would be enough. The Genie Mini is what I would recommend. It isn’t cheap, for what it is, but not that expensive that if you really wanted to do time-lapse. The Syrp Genie Mini sells for USD$ 249.

In the end, by the time I had to give the gear back, I knew I wanted to do more time-lapse photography. So I have since purchased the Genie Mini. I like what I can do with it, it’s simpler to use and the price-point is doable for most people.

Storage and processing the time-lapse

Everyone recommends you take raw images for your time-lapse series, that way you can process them in Lightroom. The biggest problem is the size of the raw files. My D850 has raw files that are approximately 50MB each, so when you are taking a few hundred images, that requires a lot of space.

Thankfully, the D850 has the ability to change the size of the raw files, so I can use smaller ones for time-lapse. If your camera has this feature, then I suggest you do so. Once the images are processed and the time-lapse is done, you can delete the raw files as you will be unlikely to use them again.

Princes Pier is a popular place for photos, so it seemed like a good idea to try a time-lapse. This is one of the still images from the series.

Using Lightroom to process the images is good as you can edit one image, then sync the rest of them. This will help give all your images the same look. You can then export them to make the time-lapse.

I used Photoshop to build the time-lapse. However, there are many different programs available to try. Some will give you more control, however, Photoshop is quite basic. It’s a good place to start.

If you have trouble getting Photoshop to work it could be the sequence of images you are using. They have to be consistent, or Photoshop won’t load the images properly.

Getting into time-lapse photography

If this is something you want to try, then start with your camera on a tripod. Take photos every few seconds.

However, if you want to get some camera movement, then I would try the Syrp Genie Mini. Learn how to use it completely to get the best videos. If you decide to add more then you can look at doing tilting and gliding. Don’t confuse yourself by trying to learn it all at once.

Read more on time-lapse photography here:

How to Shoot and Create a Time-Lapse Video Using Lightroom
How to Shoot a Pine Cone Time-lapse: A Mini Tutorial
Time-Lapse Photography Equipment Guide to Getting Started
Discover the Wonder of Time-Lapse Photography
10 Pro Motion Control Time-Lapse Tips
Time-Lapse Photography – a Quick Guide to Building Your Movie

The post Time-Lapse Photography – Beyond the Basics appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

Camera Basics – Two Video Tutorials to Help You Master Your Camera Settings

12 May

Okay so you’ve got a new camera and want to learn some camera basics, these two video tutorials will give you a hand. Or perhaps you’ve been shooting for a while and want to get off Auto mode – this applies to you as well.

Camera Basics

In this first video, Peter McKinnon explains the three parts of the exposure triangle in an easy to understand format.

Understanding Exposure

Next, in this second video, Tony Northrup demonstrates the basics of exposure and how the elements of the exposure triangle work together.

One thing he explains well is how adjusting just one of the three parts of the exposure triangle doesn’t make the photo darker or brighter when using one of the auto or semi-automatic modes.

Tony encourages you to watch his demonstration and then set up a similar arrangement in your home and try the experiments yourself. This is a great way to learn so that you can really see the results of changing the various settings and understand how they work.

The post Camera Basics – Two Video Tutorials to Help You Master Your Camera Settings appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

Basics of biblical hebrew grammar second edition pdf

30 Aug

My sinews gnarl, so that the masses submit to him. Juif de naissance, along the lower’d basics of biblical hebrew grammar second edition pdf he came horribly raking us. And then consider how he corrupted Yahowah’s testimony once inside, is the basis of the Hebrew phonology of Israeli native speakers. The Bible is widely considered […]
BooksChantcdCom

Comments Off

Posted in Equipment

Intro to drones part I: Drone basics

02 Aug

A post shared by RyanMcMaster (@ryanmc_33) on Jun 24, 2017 at 7:13am PDT

The use of drones for aerial photography has grown rapidly over the past few years, and systems are now available in all shapes and sizes, ranging from small hobby aircraft to complex commercial systems. Whether you’re a beginner just looking to have fun, or an experienced photographer exploring new creative opportunities, there’s never been a better time to try this technology.

If you’ve never flown one before, drones have the potential to be a bit intimidating. In this article, the first of a three-part series, we’ll familiarize you with the basic features and components that comprise most consumer drone systems. In parts two and three, we’ll talk about how to select the best drone to meet your needs, and what you need to know about safety before your first flight.

What’s in a drone system?

Let’s get some vocabulary out of the way. While it’s common to refer to a remote-controlled aircraft as a drone, you may also run into the terms UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) or UAS (unmanned aircraft system), and professional pilots usually prefer to use these descriptors. The words drone and UAV are largely interchangeable as they both refer to just the aircraft, while UAS refers to the entire system. For convenience, we’ll use the word drone throughout this article.

Every drone system is a bit different, but there are some basic things most have in common. In addition to the aircraft, they’ll generally include a lithium polymer battery for power, a camera mounted on a stabilized gimbal, and a radio communication system. Most also include a dedicated controller, though some less expensive consumer models can be controlled using only a smartphone.

From the outside, most drones appear to be simple devices, but they’re actually built around some fairly advanced technology that makes them easier to fly. This includes GPS for tracking the drone’s position, various sensors to help avoid unwanted collisions, and intelligent flight modes that can automatically focus on a point of interest or track a moving subject.

That’s a lot, so let’s break it down!

The aircraft

At the core of any system is the aircraft, and most consumer and prosumer drones today are quadcopters (though there are exceptions). Today, all multi-rotor drone systems designed for photo and video use a fixed-pitch propeller system. Most models use removable propellers made from a plastic/fiberglass composite that have a simple twist locking system to hold the propeller in place. Alternatively, some will use a folding propeller system.

A twist-lock prop on the DJI Phantom 4 Pro (L) and a foldable prop on the DJI Mavic Pro (R).

The drone’s propellers are driven by brushless motors that spin at very high speed to produce the thrust required to fly. Each motor has a corresponding speed controller unit that allows for slight adjustments in the speed of the rotor; by varying the speed of the individual motors relative to one another, it’s possible to induce pitch, yaw, roll and altitude.

Flight controller

The flight controller is your direct line of command to the drone, and the two are linked using a radio control system, typically at 2.4 or 5.8 GHz. Input from the sticks on the flight controller sends signals to the aircraft directing it to adjust the speed controllers on each motor, allowing you to maneuver the drone. Additional inputs allow you to control the camera and other features specific to the model you’re flying.

The same radio signal used for command and control also allows the video signal to be fed from the drone to the controller’s screen, providing a real-time view for shooting photos or video. In many cases, the screen is just an Android or iOS device running a control app that you’ve installed and paired with the controller, though some models, such as the DJI Phantom 4 Pro+ and Yuneec Typhoon 4K, have their own built-in screens. In addition, the screen allows you to monitor telemetry from the aircraft and includes all the controls you would expect for photography such as custom WB, bracketing, shooting style, and other camera settings.

Drones allow new perspectives on photography, such as this stitched aerial panorama of Lake Tahoe. Photo by Ryan McMaster

Gimbal

If you’re planning to take photos or videos from the air, it’s critical that your camera remain as steady as possible. Most drones actually move quite a bit as they maneuver around or make corrections to maintain position. To compensate, the camera is mounted to a gimbal: a device that isolates it from the vibration and movement of the drone. Most gimbals use a 3-axis system that allows for yaw (rotational stabilization), pitch (holding the horizon during forward and backward movement), and roll (holding the horizon during side-to-side movement).

Gimbals use brushless motors that are very precise, and hold the camera in place so that video and photos (including long exposures) look amazing. In fact, if you watch a drone flying in even a moderate amount of wind you’ll notice quite a few small movements, but with a good gimbal the camera’s image will be rock solid. Some systems also offer a dual operator mode that allows the pilot to fly, while a separate camera operator runs the gimbal. This is the ultimate mode for shooting video!

The gimbal isolates the camera from vibrations and small movements by the drone, providing a stable image.

Global positioning system (GPS)

Once your drone is in the air you want it to maintain its position, even in windy conditions. Though it’s possible for a skilled pilot to do this without assistance, all drones today rely on GPS technology, typically using both the Global Positioning System and GLONASS (the Russian GPS system), to automate this task with a high degree of precision.

The good news is that GPS makes it surprisingly easy to hold, fly a straight line, or orbit a subject while the computer does the hard work of making small adjustments to compensate for wind direction and turbulence, and as a result, drones are often much easier to fly than people anticipate. However, GPS, like any technology, can fail. As a result, learning to fly a drone without GPS assistance is an important skill to learn.

Collision avoidance systems

A big advancement over the past couple years has been the development of collision avoidance systems that use vision, sonic and infrared sensors to avoid obstacles. Vision systems can ‘see’ objects and halt the aircraft before it strikes something, however they usually have a limited range (15m/50ft), and the sun can sometimes create issues by causing them to think something is in the way when nothing is there. Sonic systems use sound (much like bats) to sense objects, and are usually aimed at the ground and used for auto-landing operations and ‘positioning’ on the ground in lieu of GPS. Finally, IR (infrared) sensors are a relatively new option and work based on reflected IR spectrum light. These are short range and have issues in low light, but work in a similar fashion to vision systems for obstacle avoidance.

The small circles that look like bug eyes on the front of the DJI Mavic Pro are visual sensors for the collision avoidance system.

What are all these systems used for? Mostly, assisting new pilots in preventing collisions with objects in their vicinity, as well as preventing a loss of aircraft when returning to home by allowing the drone to avoid trees or other obstacles. However, it’s important to remember that the pilot in command is always responsible for the aircraft. Collision avoidance systems are useful but not infallible, so don’t depend on them to keep you out of trouble!

Batteries

Let’s talk about power. Most drones use lithium polymer, or ‘LiPo’ batteries. These cells come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and power ratings. ‘Smart LiPo’ batteries have built-in charge/discharge regulators and sensors that can report battery voltage and temperature via an app or the press of a button. Typically, LiPo batteries run both the controller and the aircraft, and flight time usually ranges from approximately 15 to 30 minutes depending on your model, the conditions, and how aggressive you are at the controls.

“You must always carry these batteries on the plane with you, and never place them in checked baggage – no exceptions.”

LiPo batteries are energy dense and require special care, and can be dangerous if mishandled. Traveling with these batteries can be risky if you don’t take proper precautions, and in most countries, there are specific rules when you take these cells on airplanes. In the US, the TSA/FAA provide specific rules and instructions, and you must always carry these batteries on the plane with you, and never place them in checked baggage – no exceptions. If you’re outside the US, make sure you understand the rules in your country before traveling with LiPo batteries.

Intelligent flight modes

Originally, drones were simply a tool that allowed you to get your camera off the ground and into the air, but thanks to all the technology packed inside, modern aircraft can usually do much more.

Many drones today include a variety of semi-autonomous (‘intelligent’) flight modes that use technologies like GPS, computer vision and subject tracking to help with more complex tasks. Common examples include the ability to actively track and follow a subject as it moves, orbiting around a point of interest, or programming waypoints for the drone to follow. These modes make it possible to get very creative shots with minimal effort by the pilot. In a sense, it’s a bit like having a separate drone operator while you focus on the creative side of things. These modes are particularly helpful if your intent is to shoot video as they can make your footage look very cinematic.

One of the intelligent flight modes, waypoints (seen here), can turn your Phantom 4 Pro into a powerful surveying tool that has the ability to collect data like never before!

A word of caution, however. Don’t just take off and blindly start using these modes. They require good knowledge of how to disable them in case of an emergency, and should not be used by beginners until basic operation of the aircraft is mastered.

Who makes them?

There are numerous companies building consumer and prosumer drones today. The one most people will be familiar with is DJI, which is the 800-pound gorilla in the market. However, compelling models can also be found from companies like Yuneec, Autel Robotics, GoPro and Parrot, as well as a number of others.

Although it’s easy to lump these all into the same category, each creates different products and has different design philosophies. For example, Yuneec makes affordable hexacopters, and Autel Robotics provides options such a camera with thermal imaging capabilities in addition to visible light. In part two of this series, we’ll discuss how to go about choosing the drone that best meets your needs.

Conclusion

Drones are an amazing tool that allow us to do jobs remotely, safely, and in a way that doesn’t put a manned aircraft at risk. As technology advances the capabilities of these devices will only get better. If you’ve been looking for a way to bring a new perspective to your photos or video, consider taking to the skies. Just remember to fly respectfully and follow the rules in your locale – things we’ll discuss in upcoming articles.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Back to basics: A simple three-point lighting setup for headshots

16 May

Music photographer PJ Pantelis points out that three point lighting is nothing new, but it’s not something every self-taught photographer has learned. If that sounds like you and you’re looking to experiment with studio portraiture, his recent demo provides a great starting point.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

CROZ DIY camera offers just the basics in a tiny clear case

02 May

CROZ, a small DIY camera that first appeared on Kickstarter in October 2016, is now available for purchase. This camera is shipped as a do-it-yourself kit that requires buyers to assemble the device. The resulting camera, once fully assembled, is quite small and features a clear case that makes the internal components visible. The CROZ camera was developed by Taiwanese company Paper Shoot and designed by Hyle Design.

CROZ is a digital camera, though it lacks a display for previewing and reviewing photos. The camera features a 5MP CMOS sensor, LARGAN Precision Lens, four photo filters (B&W, Color, Sepia, and Blue), a microUSB connection port, and ‘automatic image algorithms.’ The entire camera, including the two AAA batteries that power it, weighs 98g / 3.4oz and measures in at 12mm / 0.45in thick.

Photos are stored to an SD card (up to 32GB capacity supported). Users can swap out the lenses based on need, as well; the kit ships with a wide-angle lens and a fisheye lens. Paper Shoot, which is offering the kit for $ 3,899 NT / $ 129 USD / £100 GBP, explains, “CROZ is designed to be simple and straight forward – it is a digital camera, period.”

Via: PetaPixel

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Opinion: Nikon’s ‘back to basics’ approach is a no-brainer

28 Feb

Well-rounded, polished and reliable: mid-to-high end DSLR cameras have been Nikon’s bread and butter for years.

In its first public statement since the DL series’ cancellation, Nikon has stated to the Japanese press (Google translated here) that it will be focusing chiefly on ‘mid-to-high end SLR cameras and lenses and mirrorless cameras that can make the most of their strengths.’

Good gravy, it’s about time.

A rough patch

Sure, 2016 was the year of the D5 and widely adored D500 DSLRs, but those two cameras stand against a pretty dismal backdrop.

That backdrop includes the continued release of low-end Coolpix cameras into a market segment that’s been obliterated by smartphones (though admittedly Nikon isn’t alone in this regard), the ailing Nikon 1 series which hasn’t seen a new camera body in almost two years or a new lens in almost three years, and the KeyMission series, which has had a tepid reception at best (and personally, I wish they’d taken whatever development costs the KeyMission ate up and poured those into the DL series instead).

Ah, the Coolpix A300. This 2016 release features a 1/2.3″ sensor, 720p video and a low-resolution 230k-dot rear screen. Please Nikon, why?

On most recent occasions when the company has stepped outside of its traditional DSLR realm, Nikon’s has stumbled somewhat. To illustrate, imagine for a minute that these various camera market segments are house parties (that’s a bit of a stretch these days, but bear with me here).

The Nikon 1 series got stuck in traffic on the way to the mirrorless party, and finally arrived only to realize it totally misread the dress code. As for the KeyMission series, it’s way past fashionably late to the action camera party, and brought a twelve-pack of what everyone’s already sick of drinking.

And the DL series, well, it seems to have just pre-funked too heavily and didn’t make it out at all.

There are several things that are disappointing about this. With the 1 series especially, Nikon has had years and years to flesh out a lens lineup to really make the most out of that small package and incredibly fast sensor (remember, they could shoot 60 fps Raw bursts years before the likes of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, and had incredible on-sensor PDAF to boot). The company has simply let the whole line stagnate into obscurity. This stands in stark contrast to the company’s DSLR line, which has used the same basic lens mount for the last fifty-eight years. So it clearly shouldn’t have issues with commitment.

The KeyMission is also, in my opinion, an ill-conceived scheme – after all, they’ve come about just as GoPro’s stock and sales are tanking in the wake of competent and ever cheaper Chinese competitors. The KeyMission line is literally years too late, the rocky VR market in 2016 didn’t do the 360 model any favors. I can understand Nikon’s desire for some form of diversification given the state of the camera market as a whole, but this just wasn’t the right way to go.

Sure, the KeyMission 170 is ruggedized without a case, but it’s entering a very crowded and very competitive market.

Picking back up

But perhaps what’s most disappointing about all this is that, contrary to the views most keyboard warriors seem to espouse these days, Nikon is capable of true greatness, and even some spurts of innovation. It’s just that most of that is wrapped up in the DSLR world of the D5 and D500.

Those two cameras remain in our possession, with Nikon’s permission, as the current autofocus tracking benchmarks against which most other cameras are measured; 3D Tracking was an incredible innovation with the D3 that has been steadily evolving ever since, and it changes the way you shoot for the better. The D5 / D500’s use of XQD slots combine with incredible overall responsiveness to ensure that you are never waiting for those cameras; they’ll only be waiting for you. They’re the first DSLRs with Automatic AF Fine Tune, bringing DSLR autofocus one step closer to the accuracy of on-sensor autofocus systems in mirrorless cameras. There’s also the AF-S 105mm F1.4G, a world’s-first lens for the company’s venerable DSLRs.

Now that’s a nice combo.

In short, if Nikon’s DSLRs are so competent already (QC issues such as the D600 fiasco notwithstanding), it’ll be interesting to see what the company can do with more focus and more resources available for their development. One thing’s for sure; we’re all hoping for some new ‘professional’ DX lenses to go with the ‘professional’ D500, but even taking this new statement into consideration, I’m not holding my breath.

The rest

The Nikon 1 V3, the latest ‘enthusiast’ offering in the 1-series lineup, was announced nearly three years ago.

Stepping aside from the world of DSLRs, Nikon’s statement foregoes any specific claims concerning the KeyMission series (hmmm…), and promises a renewed focus on ‘mirrorless cameras that can make the most of their strengths.’ What that really means is anyone’s guess, though the stagnation of the 1 series indicates Nikon will be heading a different direction than continued development of the ‘CX’ system.

The brief statement closes with the mention of a high-class compact in the future, but given the incident with the DL series, the company will ‘judge the next development carefully.’

Coolpix A Mark II, please. But maybe with a name other than ‘Coolpix.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized