We are at the dawn of the 21st century and in the photography industry technology has become nothing short of groundbreaking. With photo editing tools such as Photoshop, Lightroom, and others, we are capable of transforming raw images into lively stories – the gap between what our eyes are seeing and the final photo results are becoming minimal. However, no Continue Reading
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It’s now estimated that of the 12 million households in the UK, 44% have pets. This equates to approximately 51 million pets owned. Of those, 9 million are dogs and 8 million are cats. With dogs and cats recognized as legitimate members of our families, just like our children, it’s no wonder we want to share them with the world. Pictorially speaking.
Cavachon, Dorset © Andrew Sproule
Adult dog owners post a picture or talk about their dog on social media on average six times per week. They also watch dog videos or check out dog pictures about three times a week — and, one in ten has a social media account exclusively for their beloved woofer. It’s a similar picture (pardon the pun) in many countries around the world.
The perpetual advancements in smartphone camera technology allow us to be able to snap and share good quality pics of our very special soul mates, anytime and virtually anywhere.
Despite the ever-ready benefit of having a camera at hand (or should that be ‘in hand’), the demand for superior quality, longer lasting, tangible keepsakes such as albums or wall art has never been higher.
As a working dog photographer, I am inundated with questions pertaining to all aspects of pet photography as you can imagine. And I love to help where I can. The questions that I’m asked most often relate to lenses:
Now, this is a somewhat loaded question. However, the answer really depends on you. What you’re trying to achieve, your style, your budget, whether you’re a hobbyist or professional, a generalist or targeting one type of pet etc. If your chosen system is Nikon, Sony or another, that’s absolutely fine. Rather than focus on the brand, this article outlines how particular lenses can be used to create different effects in certain situations.
90% of my work is focused on dogs, predominantly in outdoor on-location situations. I use two Canon full-frame camera bodies, which has inevitably influenced my choice of lenses.
I would love to be able to provide you with a catchall solution to this question. Nevertheless, it’s only right that I concentrate on providing you with details about what works for me. I trust that you’re able to take away information that you find helpful and constructive, and that you can use in your own unique situations.
Springer Spaniel Sussex © Andrew Sproule
So, here’s an overview of what I tend to use on most of my dog photography sessions. As a heads-up, I’ve avoided the technicalities of each lens and instead focused on how these lenses can be used creatively.
Clients hire me based on my style and my approach to dog photography. That works for me because I’ve always liked to get up close and personal. I often get at or below the dog’s level to afford me a dog’s eye view of the world.
Now, I have a certain style, but when it comes to a commissioned shoot, my focus and my duty are to offer my clients a gallery of images jam-packed with diversity. One sure-fire way to achieve this is through the use of several different lenses. In this post, I’m going to concentrate on the four that I tend to use the most.
I like to ease myself into most photo sessions to ensure the client’s dog is relaxed right from the offset. I tend to stand back a bit (or lay down in most cases!) and start with the 70-200mm f2.8. This zoom lens (although quite heavy for its size – over 3lbs) is a real workhorse. It has a very handy focal range, outstanding autofocus, and excellent image quality. Because I always work hand-held (often in varying light conditions), its 3-stop image stabilization (IS) is a godsend.
However, if I need a bit more focal length I will pair the 70-200mm with a 1.4x extender. There is the inevitable small drop in image quality, which can be more noticeable in older versions of the extender. However, if it’s this versus no shot at all, then it’s a no-brainer.
The 70-200mm f2.8 is an extremely versatile lens that allows you to capture a variety of shots from playtime, scenic, group, portrait and so much more. It’s a lens that is always with me on my photo shoots.
Labradoodle, Kent © Andrew Sproule
For situations that call for stunning background blur, I reach for my 85mm f1.2 (non-IS). I absolutely love this prime lens for its light gathering properties and superb image quality. Again, for its size, it’s heavy. That is to be expected though as there’s an awful lot of glass in there. In fact, there’s so much heavy glass that it affects the autofocus speed.
Therefore, I use this lens primarily when I know I’m going to have subjects that can remain fairly still, even if it’s just for a few seconds. I hardly ever shoot at f1.2 either. The plane of focus is so narrow that you can often see a difference in sharpness between a dog’s eyes. A dog that is facing me! It’s that narrow. I find f2-f4 is the sweet range.
If I were only allowed to use one lens on a dog photography session it would be the 24-70mm f2.8. This lens, which offers my most-used range of focal lengths, is often described as ‘the best performing Canon full-frame compatible general purpose zoom lens available.’ And breathe!
And, I have to agree.
The 24-70mm is super sharp, super fast and super accurate, so I can forgive Canon for this lens’s lack of image stabilization. They (Canon) sacrificed IS to ensure this lens would retain ultimate image quality and I can live with that.
The amount of flexibility and control the 24-70mm lens affords me means that, on average, over 65% of the images I present at my clients’ viewing appointments have been taken with this lens.
Pug, London © Andrew Sproule
Finally, the lens I most like using is the 16-35mm f4. It’s an extremely sharp ultra-wide angle zoom that’s full-frame compatible. It is incredibly fast and quiet, extremely accurate and the image quality is excellent. This is the lens that allows me to truly have some fun with my subjects. If I’m working with a dog that’s unfazed by having a lens unusually close to them, then I can truly come away with some magical and whimsical portraits.
As you’ve read, it’s horses-for-courses. In my case, it has taken quite a few years to get to this point. The crucial take-out is that you need to discover for yourself what works for you. The best advice I was given was to get out there and shoot. The more dogs I photographed the more I was able to hone in on what lenses worked for me.
So, don’t be afraid to invest in pro-quality lenses, especially if you’re a working professional. You owe it to your clients to be using pro-level gear. And, these lenses really hold their value. They can be resold or part-exchanged if they don’t quite work out for you. If it’s a toss-up between several lenses, consider hiring first. It’s an effective way to help you narrow down the many choices available.
Good luck out there!
What lenses do you use for dog photography? Share with us your experiences in the comments below.
The post 4 of the Best Lenses for Creative Dog Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School.
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We’ve published the first three of our new Lens Buying Guides, covering Canon and Nikon DSLRs, as well as Sony mirrorless cameras. We’ve started with these three as they’re the most sought-after, and we hope to expand it to other systems soon.
In each guide we’ve chosen the best standard zoom, prime, macro, telephoto, wide-angle and travel zoom lenses – there’s a quick primer on these lens types at the bottom of this page if you’re not familiar with them. The winner is what we consider the best overall value and, in most cases, we’ve provided ‘bargain’ and ‘money is no object’ options as well.
Don’t agree with our picks? Please leave comments in the guides and we’ll take your suggestions into account.
Best lenses for Canon DSLRs
Best lenses for Nikon DSLRs
Best lenses for Sony mirrorless cameras
Standard zooms are just what they sound like – versatile, general-purpose lenses that start with a fairly wide angle of view and allow you to zoom in to a focal length traditionally used for portraits.
Prime lenses are just a single focal length; removing the complexity of a zoom often allows for these lenses to be smaller, lighter and sharper, while letting more light through and being more useful in dimly lit situations.
Macro lenses allow you to focus very close to small subjects, which is very handy for photographing flowers or bugs.
Telephoto lenses start out being fairly zoomed-in, and allow you to zoom in further so you can fill your frame with more distant subjects.
Wide-angle lenses are often useful for taking photos of interiors, landscapes and architecture.
Lastly, travel zooms are like your kit zoom lens but taken to the extreme. You still start out with a fairly wide field of view, but you can zoom in almost as much as many telephoto lenses. This is convenient, but these lenses tend to let less light through them, so aren’t as useful in dimly lit situations, and they may not always give you the sharpest results.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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In case you were wondering what’s packed inside the Nikon Z7 and how well constructed it is, Lens Rentals has kindly cracked one open so you don’t have to, as promised in its EOS R teardown.
The camera equipment rental and repair business, famous for its camera teardowns, has documented the process of taking the Z7 apart, showing pictures of the weather sealing, electronic design, internal structure, and component layout of Nikon’s flagship full-frame mirrorless camera.
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Roger Cicala, the man behind the teardown and founder of Lens Rentals, praises the extensive weathersealing protection from ingress of dust and moisture in the camera’s construction, and says the joints in the body are overlapped, screwed together and then covered by adhesive and rubber. He’s also impressed with the neatness of the electronics and the way the boards are packed into the body without leaving much space between them, especially with the in-body image stabilization.
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“[The IBIS] noticeably more compact, has less travel than the Sony system, and seems more robust,” says Cicala. “From our focus on repair, we see this as a good thing – early Sony IBIS systems would sometimes move enough to jam and/or break. (To be clear, that’s not an issue with newer Sony cameras. I point this out just to show that the manufacturers have been watching each other.)”
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Cicala’s only concerns seem to be that the diopter adjustment knob might not stand being pulled out and pushed in multiple times in rental models, and that the tripod screw isn’t as deep as some, so runs the slight risk of a long thread busting through it.
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In conclusion Cicala says “I’m impressed by the very solid construction of the chassis and IBIS unit. I’m impressed with the neat, modern engineering of the electrical connections […] I’m not here to tell you which camera is best to use or has the best performance. I’m just here to say this is a damn well-built camera, the best built mirrorless full-frame camera we’ve taken apart.”
Go to the full teardown on Lens Rental’s website to see more photos and a more thorough take with all his comments. And remember, don’t try this at home!
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Photographers often struggle to make portraits of strangers while they’re traveling. They’ll have wonderful photos of all the picture postcard views and landmarks, but none of their pictures will have faces. We often encounter this with people who join our photography workshops.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
One of the keys to returning home with a good selection of people pictures is being able to pick the best people to photograph. If you learn to observe people you can often judge who’ll enjoy having their portrait made. These are the best people to photograph.
Not everyone likes having their photo taken. Photographers often fall into this group. If you’re like this then your perception, based on your own feelings and experiences, can be negative. You presume others don’t like being photographed because you don’t enjoy the experience.
How do I know this? Because I used to think the same way.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
Take your camera to your next social gathering and photograph your friends. You’ll soon learn who enjoys the experience because they’ll probably tell you if they don’t.
If you’re not used to photographing people, making portraits for your friends is a great way to ease into the experience. It’s easier to communicate with someone you already know. And make a point of reading their body language. It’s an important skill to have when you’re visiting a place where you can’t speak the language.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
People of a different culture won’t necessarily respond the same way you would. Here in Thailand, people often laugh if they are uncomfortable or embarrassed. Sometimes they’ll even laugh when something terrible happens, which is a lot different to where I grew up.
Other cultures may become a bit hostile at having a snapshot of them taken in the streets.
Look for talkative people who are engaging with others – they’re often happy to be photographed. Quiet and sullen people are less likely to respond positively to your request to photograph them.
When I’m in the street or at a market, I look for a place where I can stand back and observe the people and my surroundings. I look for people who:
These are the types of people I find it easiest to make engaging portraits of.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
I always get permission before taking photos of children. Most parents will love the face you want a picture of – they are likely the delight of their life.
Be ready to be confronted by a forced toothy (or toothless) grin. These generally don’t make great portraits, but it’s worth taking a few photos and then working towards a more natural expression. Show them the photos and thank them. They’ll probably go right back to what they were doing. Stay close by, and move back to photograph them again. Hopefully, this time they’ll ignore your camera, thinking you’ve already taken their picture. (This method works equally well with adults.)
Getting down to the child’s level also helps. Look them in the eye and smile. You can get a better response than if you were towering over them with a huge camera.
Some kids enjoy getting their picture taken more than others. Malu lives in an ethnic minority village we often visit on our photography workshops. From the moment we first encountered her we knew she’d be wonderful to photograph. Not only is she super cute, but she also loves being photographed and interacts with us. We’ve built a relationship with her and others in this village that works to our advantage. When we visit with our workshops, our participants can make more intimate portraits than if they were on their own.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
Local knowledge and relationships can be extremely helpful and valuable. People who’ve developed relationships with locals and have a rapport with them can help you. Make the most of their relationships so you can connect more easily with your subjects.
Guides and teachers can also help you by translating questions you may have. Being able to ask questions and show an interest in the person you’re photographing can lead into a more open portrait.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
It’s unlikely that the bellhop at your hotel or the receptionist will refuse a photo. Even the cleaning staff will most likely pose for a portrait. Taxi drivers and boatmen can be great to photograph.
If you’re in one location for a few days, keep buying your coffee of fruit juice from the same vendor. Once they’ve seen you a few times, ask if you can make a picture of them. Anyone you’re giving money to will usually oblige.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
People often reflect the feeling you express. They read your body language. If you’re smiling, open and confident, they’ll more than likely be the same. But if you’re nervous, fiddling around with your camera and not making eye contact, their response may not be so positive.
Learn to say “Hello” and “May I take your photo?” in the local language. This will bring a smile to most people’s faces as they appreciate the fact you’re making an effort to connect with them.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
Avoid the temptation to use your longest lens. The photos you take will appear distant and removed. Use either a 50mm or wider lens on a full-frame sensor or a lens around 35mm on a crop sensor. I prefer a 35mm on a full-frame camera for travel portraits. A wider lens means you need to be close, which lets you interact more easily.
If your subject seems a little uneasy, start with a few photos from further back. Show them the picture on your camera monitor. They’ll usually smile. If you’re quick, you can squeeze a few more frames of them. But if you have a longer lens you’ll need to be further back.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
That’s how I managed to make this portrait of Malu just after her neck ring was removed. She was quiet and a bit self-conscious that morning, so I crouched next to her and asked if I could take her photo. She nodded, and I took a few frames using my 35mm f1.4 lens. I showed her the photos, and suddenly realized she hadn’t seen herself without her traditional neck ring.
She reached behind her neck and pulled her hair back so I could make another photo and see her neck more clearly. If I’d had an 85mm or other longer portrait lens I would have missed this photo because I would have been too close.
A wider lens also means a more intimate portrait. You need to instill confidence in the person you want to photograph. Observe carefully, and ask people who look as if they’ll enjoy the experience.
By following these tips, I’m sure you’ll find great people to photograph, and create some wonderful travel portraits.
Have you taken some great travel portraits, or have some other photography tips? We’d love you to share them in the comments below.
The post How to Find the Best Kinds of People to Photograph While Traveling appeared first on Digital Photography School.
In this article and video, you will discover the best camera settings for portrait photography for taking photos in natural light and for flash photography. Whether you are brand new to portrait photography or a seasoned pro, you will benefit from these helpful photo tips.
If you prefer watching videos to reading, I have also included a video that will walk you through these photo tips for taking photographs in both natural light and for using fill flash.
Taking photos in natural light is the most common so we will start with those camera settings first.
I suggest you set your camera to manual mode to give yourself more creative control of your exposure. Sure, it will take a little extra time to capture your images but you are a much better judge of how you want the final image to look than your camera.
First choose your ISO, which is usually the lowest setting in natural light, ISO 100 on most cameras. Some Nikon cameras have a lower ISO and allow you to you choose a native ISO of 64. Set your ISO as low as possible to avoid extra noise and that grainy look you will get if you use higher ISO settings.
Step two, decide which aperture you would like to use. For an out of focus background use an aperture like f/1.4. If you would like more of the background in focus or a sharper image, in most cases using an aperture that is two to three stops higher than the minimum aperture will be the sharpest point of the lens.
For example, an f/2.8 lens will be at its sharpest point at around f/5.6 to f/8. If you are a little confused by that, feel free to post your questions in the comment box below this article.
Read more here: How To Find Your Lens’s Sweet Spot: A Beginner’s Guide to Sharper Images
Once you have set your ISO and decided on your aperture your next step is to refer to your in-camera meter and adjust your shutter speed until you get a center reading. Then take a test shot and have a look at your camera’s LCD screen and histogram.
Make sure your histogram is as far to the right as possible without blowing out the highlights in your image. Refer to the video above for some examples of how the histogram should look on your LCD screen.
A general rule is to set your shutter speed two times the focal length of your lens. For example, if you were using a 100mm prime lens then you would set a minimum shutter speed of 1/200th to avoid camera shake and image blur.
There are exceptions to this rule. If you are using a tripod or you have in-camera stabilization, like some mirrorless cameras have, or you are using a lens that has built-in image stabilization, then you can photograph at lower shutter speeds.
When it comes to using flash photography there are a couple of different strobes that are in common use today. There are smaller speedlights that fit on your camera’s hotshoe mount and there are larger studio strobes.
There are also strobe units that function differently. Some strobe systems do not allow you to shoot at a shutter speed faster than 1/200th (the camera’s sync speed). Other strobe setups will allow you to use something called (high-speed sync mode) to shoot with flash up to a shutter speed of 1/8000th.
If a majority of your portrait photography is going to take place outdoors, then I would consider a strobe like the Godox AD600 Pro which is what I used to take a majority of the images in this article. The Godox AD600 Pro allows you to use high-speed sync and flash at shutter speeds of up to 1/8000th.
If your current strobe does not allow you to take photos at above 1/200th, you can use a filter like a B+W 3-stop ND filter which will allow you to shoot at a shutter speed of 1/200th but also at an aperture 3-stops larger than you could without it.
For example, with a 3-stop ND filter, you can shoot at f/2.8 instead of f/8 for the same exposure.
Another important thing to keep in mind if you are shooting outdoors is that you will achieve better results if you shoot closer to sunrise or sunset when the sun is less harsh.
The image above was taken one hour before sunset in the shade and provides a nice even light on the subject’s face. If you would like softer light, then avoid shooting in the middle of the day or move to the shade if you do not have the luxury of shooting just before sunset.
One last tip I have for you is to set your camera’s LCD screen brightness level to 4 or 5 and to leave it there. Make sure your LCD screen brightness is not set to auto. That is because it will be difficult for you to gauge your exposure level if your LCD screen brightness is constantly changing.
Check your camera’s settings and set your LCD screen brightness level manually and keep it at the same setting for future photo outings.
If you are new to shooting in manual mode it may seem a little difficult at first. But with a little practice, you will be shooting like a pro.
If you have any questions about the best camera settings for portrait photography that were covered in this article, feel free to ask in the comment box below this article. I look forward to hearing from you.
The post Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Many photographers want to have a human being in their shot. They may ask friends or family to pose for them or may engage the services of a model, either paid or a TFP (trade for prints) engagement. If you have not spent any time in front of the camera yourself, then understanding the specific challenges of doing the work of a model is difficult.
My advice is to spend some time in front of the camera yourself, either posing for another photographer or doing some form of self-portrait work. This isn’t for you to learn about how to specifically pose a model for certain styles of photography (although this is absolutely necessary) but instead for you to understand what it is like to BE a model.
However, if you don’t opt for that valuable learning experience, take note of these tips instead:
Most people feel really nervous and uncomfortable in front of a camera. Even an experienced model cannot read your mind and does not know what your intentions are. So before you get started, sit down with the person and talk them through the plans for the shoot.
Explain your concept, share your goals, sketch out how you want the poses to look, and what mood or expressions you are after. One major mistake a lot of photographers make is to treat their model like a living statue, only there to be posed and take direction, and they forget that model is actually a person.
By discussing everything at the beginning, you give the person some structure, context, and understanding of the situation, which helps them be less nervous. It also gives them an opportunity to engage with the process, they may even have ideas of their own which could improve on what you initially had planned.
Making it a cooperative situation builds trust and engagement, lowers barriers, helps relax the model and hopefully give you a better outcome. Constant reassurance and feedback throughout the shoot are also important to keep them motivated.
Many model shoots often involve the model dressed in clothing that is not always suitable for the environment. When you are standing still in a cold wind wearing a bathing suit, it’s really hard to give off a relaxed summery vibe.
Be aware of the environment and temperature your person is modeling in, make sure they are as comfortable as they can be in the situation. If you have to do a nude shoot, try and do it in a warm heated room instead of outside. It’s really hard to look relaxed when you are cold and shivering.
Discuss your model’s strength and endurance with them in relation to the poses you are doing. Then schedule regular breaks and stick to the schedule. Posing can be quite physically demanding as many poses are quite unnatural to hold for extended lengths of time. Be aware of getting into the zone and shooting for too long and not allowing the model to take a break.
As well as the comfort of the model, consider the environment in which you are shooting. Is it inside and private? Is it outside and open to the public? Are they expected to get changed in the back of a car or are there some facilities nearby?
What can you do to make the model feel comfortable in the environment? Would they like some music playing to help get into the right mood? Is there a private space for them to go have a break? Blankets and hot drinks and somewhere to sit down away from the camera?
Perhaps it’s a hot sunny day and they need a break away from the heat and the sun? Have they been standing in front of hot studio lights and been constantly flashed while wearing sky-high heels?
Can they bring along a friend for support and encouragement? Are they able to feel relaxed and engaged and safe while they are working in front of the camera?
The way people naturally stand generally looks less than ideal when a shot is taken. Double chins become triple ones, elbows and knees are all awkward, hands on hips or arms crossed in front of the chest, etc., feel comfortable and natural to do, but don’t look so good.
The kinds of things you need to do to your body to get a pose that looks good can be quite uncomfortable to do and hold for long enough to get several shots. The classic “turtleneck” where you push the head forward to get separation at the jawline feels really odd.
So take the time to explain and demonstrate the pose to the person. Give them a chance to experiment and figure out how to get the hang of it. Usually, you will need them to do several things at once – stand in a certain way, tilt the shoulders, put the arms in position, move the head to the right angle, have the hair doing something, etc.
Demonstrate each pose and explain to them why it matters. If you show them the “before” and “after” they will generally understand and be more inclined to make the effort because they can see the difference.
Start with small easy pose setups to allow them to relax and master the basics before going on to the more complicated poses. That is unless you have a really experienced model who is on your wavelength, in which case, go nuts.
Generally, when people are being asked to do something new and difficult, they concentrate on the hard stuff so much that they forget about the unnecessary stuff around the edges. One of those things is their hands, and they can often end up being floppy uninteresting things stuck on the ends of the arms.
Bad hands can completely ruin an otherwise good shot. So pay attention to what their hands are doing, because the model may not know that they need to with them.
A lot of fashion photography styles use really artificial poses that look terribly uncomfortable to do. They don’t generally look achievable or attractive to the viewer either, but it appears to be the style of the moment. That might be your desired outcome and I hope you end up with some amazing shots.
However, one of the great things you can do when working with a model is to make them look good in front of the camera in a way they never have before. A lot of that is because people usually don’t know how to pose well in front of a camera. Creating images that make them look good means they then feel good about what is happening.
Being able to offer them some copies they can be proud to show people afterward is an added bonus. If they leave the session feeling valued and positive about the experience, they will be more likely to say yes if you ask them to model for you again.
Using a model as a living breathing mannequin is one way to have a model pose for you. For some types of photography that impassive detached style of posing is desired. However, if you want to truly engage the viewer, having some emotion present in the image is more effective.
Really good models can project a range of different emotions, that is what good professional models do and why they get paid the big bucks. Not everyone gets the option of working with models of that caliber every day, so when working with a less experienced model you may need to coach them around the emotional projection.
Asking your model to try and feel a particular emotion can be a challenge for them to do on top of all the posing you are asking. So this is a more advanced step that you may not always achieve.
Talk them through the concept of the shoot – is it a soft spring morning and they are enjoying a walk on the beach in the sun? Are they a cool crisp corporate executive about to give a high-level presentation? A couple of friends enjoy cocktails and nibbles on a summers evening? Help them get into the right headspace to project a feeling or emotion to fully express the pose they are doing.
Sometimes allowing them to move during the shoot or move into the final desired pose can add an extra level of engagement. Both the body and the brain are fully involved in communicating the external expression of the pose.
To get someone to stand still and look fantastic while doing it, allowing you to take an amazing photo actually requires a lot of work behind the scenes first. When working with a model, remembering that they are a living breathing person is important, they are not just a thing that’s there for you to manipulate into the desired position.
Taking care of your model, providing them with an environment and a situation where they can relax and be comfortable while working in front of the camera is important. Someone who is happy and enjoying their modeling experience is far more likely to provide you with great photos, than someone cold, stiff, miserable and uncomfortable (unless that is the look you are after).
Help them be a good model. Communicate, listen to their feedback, support them and you should both reap the benefits with some memorable images and hopefully a fun experience as well.
The post 7 Tips to Get the Best Out of a Model Shoot appeared first on Digital Photography School.
To compare your images in Lightroom, you can either use Survey View or Compare View. In this article, I will focus on Compare View in Lightroom Classic CC.
Comparing images allows you to choose the very best image or images to edit in the Develop Module. Compare View is used to compare two similar images, whereas Survey View is useful for comparing a series of similar photos to narrow down your favorite choices.
I personally use Compare View often because as a still life photographer, I am often filtering through many images that are very similar to each other. Compare View allows you to do this efficiently. Grid View in the Library Module is where you can find and utilize Compare View.
With the images of the Brussels sprouts below, my goal was to select the best composition. Although the pictures look really similar, some of them are better than others in terms of the placement of the knife and the Brussels sprouts, and how they lead the eye through the frame. I wanted the cut Brussels sprout to fall in one of the focal points according to the Phi Grid, and the other small pieces to look random and well balanced.
This is how some of the unedited images look in Grid View.
To compare your images, start in Grid View. The keyboard shortcut to get to Grid View is G.
Then enter C to go to Compare View. You can also hit the X/Y icon on the left-hand side of the toolbar.
Choose the first image you would like to compare. This will appear in the left-hand window and is labeled Select in the upper right-hand corner. The next image in the Lightroom filmstrip appearing on the right is the Candidate.
If you hit the letter I on the keyboard, you will be able to see the date and time you shot the image in the left-hand corner of the image, as well as the pixel size. If you hit the “I” key again, it will display your camera settings and lens information. Hit it for the third time and the info overlay will disappear.
File date and size.
Camera metadata and shooting information.
If you select only one photo and then switch to Compare View, Lightroom Classic CC uses that photo and either the last, previously selected photo, or an adjacent photo in the filmstrip.
When you look at your filmstrip, the white diamond in the upper right-hand corner of the image is the Selected one, whereas the black diamond is the Candidate. The Selected image is brighter as seen here (thumbnail on the left).
The difference between the Selected image and Candidate is that the Selected image will remain where it is on the left, while you can choose different photos in the Candidate window. You do this by clicking on the right or left arrow in the toolbar, or using the arrows on your keyboard.
Here is the toolbar in Lightroom’s Compare View.
The cool thing about Compare View is that you can zoom in on your image, which you cannot do in Survey View. You can access the zoom at the bottom left of the tool panel, as shown in the photo below.
You can also use Cmd/Ctrl+ to zoom in, and Cmd/Ctrl- to zoom out. While you are zoomed in you can click on the image and drag it around to inspect it closer, to see if it’s in focus, or if there was dust on your sensor, etc.
The link focus icon looks like a lock. When you’re scrolling through a zoomed-in image, both of the images will move. If you click on the lock icon to “unlock” it, it will allow you to scroll around only on one of the photos.
This is good if you’re comparing images with a slightly different composition. It’s a great tool when you want to check that all of the people in a group photo have their eyes open, for example.
If you click to unlock the Link Focus tool, once you want to go back to viewing the same parts of your image at the same time, you simply need to click on the Sync button next to the zoom. This button controls the zoom sync ratio.
Use Swap to change the image that shows up in the Select window. It swaps it out with the image that is currently in the Candidate window.
Take care that when you are choosing photos in the filmstrip that you actually click on the photo itself, and not the frame. If you click on the grey part, not only are you choosing the photo as a Select but also you are choosing the photo next to it as the Candidate photo.
You can also swap photos by clicking on the images individually in the filmstrip.
When you click on this icon, it will move to the Select Window and use the next photo in the filmstrip as the Candidate. Swap simply reverses them.
Then you can click on the arrows to toggle through the images in the Candidate window.
Photographers all have their preferred way of rating their photographs, whether that be by flagging them, adding a color label, or star rating. You can do this in Compare View.
I personally find flagging is the easiest way. After I have finished going through my photos and am in the Develop Module, I will use star ratings to signify where I am in the editing process. For example, four stars need further editing, while five stars indicate that I have finished editing and exported them to the appropriate file.
I use color labels to separate my personal photos from client work and stock images. Currently, this is what is working for me. You may have a very different system.
Flag the photographs you are potentially interested in editing by hitting P, which marks it as a “pick”. To mark one as a reject (for later deletion), hit the X on your keyboard. If you keep your CAPS lock on, you can simply hit the arrow keys. You can later delete all of those rejected images in bulk.
Compare View is a bit more difficult to use than Survey View. However, you can also cycle through your images very quickly, once you get the hang of it.
Take advantage of Lightroom’s powerful features to quickly filter through tons of your photos. You can immediately get rid of images that don’t work and you’ll never use, or images that are very similar but miss the mark. This will free up space and make your life a lot easier when it comes to searching for photos and going through Lightroom’s filmstrip.
The post How to Find Your Best Photos Using Compare View In Lightroom Classic CC appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Do you love landscape photography? It provides ample rewards for those who are drawn to the outdoors. Chasing the light can be very exciting but it also poses some significant challenges. What you see versus what the camera sees can be two very different things.
Much of the best light comes with difficulties related to exposure, and all cameras have limitations when it comes to exposure. The problem is High Dynamic Range or HDR.
Your eyes have an immense dynamic range when it comes to scenes with extremes of bright and dark. Your eye adjusts so quickly you don’t notice it. But your cameras sensor, on the other hand, has a fixed dynamic range. If the scene you’re photographing exceeds that, the camera can’t capture all the details at both ends of the contrast range.
There are several methods for dealing with this limitation:
There are two parts to the HDR process – capturing the image in the field and processing it in the digital darkroom. Let’s start in the field.
Here are the things you need to do to set up an HDR shot for landscape photography. The starting point is your normal landscape configuration.
Note: Your camera may have restrictions on exposure bracketing and/or the number of shots, so you will need to work with that. The important thing is to get enough shots to cover the entire dynamic range.
Now you’re ready to go. For a more detailed introduction, see this article “Setting up Your Digital Camera for HDR Shooting”
Your histogram will tell you if you need to use HDR. Here is an example of what you’re looking for.
The histogram spans the range of brightness from maximum dark on the left to maximum bright on the right. For each level of brightness, the graphs shows you how much of your scene has that tone.
The histogram above clearly shows a situation where HDR is needed. The histogram pushes up against the left side, which indicates the shadows are clipping and there is a loss of shadow detail. Similarly, the histogram pushes up against the right side where you have highlight clipping, again, with a loss of detail.
When checking your histogram for potential HDR problems, you only need to look at the left and right sides. What it looks like in the middle doesn’t matter.
For a full explanation of histograms, check out “How to Read and Use Histograms”.
You’ve identified a shot that requires HDR. Next, you’ve set up the shot and taken your set of bracketed exposures.
You got it. Or did you?
How do you know your shots spanned the entire dynamic range? If you’re thinking it’s the histogram, you’re right. You don’t need to check the histogram for every one of your shots, just two – the most underexposed (the darkest one) and the most overexposed (the lightest one).
The histogram on the left is the most underexposed shot. It is well away from the right side. In fact, there’s very little beyond the middle. You may think this is too underexposed, but experience shows that the best practice is to underexpose by too much rather than not enough. There can be areas that are extremely bright but too small to register. It’s better to play it safe.
The histogram on the right is the overexposed shot. Because it is pulled away from the left side, you can be confident you have captured detail in the shadows. Regardless of how many shots you took, these are the only two histograms you need to check.
In landscape photography, you have no control over the light. You need to work with what nature serves up. Sooner or later you will run into HDR situations.
With experience, you begin to anticipate when you need to use HDR. Here are some of those situations, with the before and after images displayed for each. The after image, by the way, is the result of the HDR blending and nothing else. More work will be done in Lightroom and Photoshop later.
HDR conditions occur during twilight, the hour before sunrise and just after sunset. During most of this time, the dynamic range is well within your camera’s limits. But there is a period of about 10 minutes or so when the sky becomes very bright while the land is still dark.
This moment captured in Joshua Tree National Park, California, illustrates this issue.
The image on the left is the before image; a single exposure that captures detail in the foreground. Notice how the dramatic sky is lost. With HDR you get it all – foreground, sky, everything. And besides capturing the sky, look at the enhanced detail in the foreground.
Often during sunrise and sunset, you want to have the sun in the composition. The bright sun can create an extreme dynamic range, however, and can also confuse your camera’s light meter. The sky may get washed out or the foreground can be darker than you’d like.
Look at this photograph of Thor’s Hammer (above), captured at sunrise in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. The hoodoo to the right is an important part of the composition. Getting the starburst of the rising sun through the window adds to the interest.
But the before image without a sky misses another key element. With HDR, however, it all comes together and the moment is recreated.
As it rises through the Venus Belt, a full moon makes an exciting image, with the band of color that sometimes appears in the eastern sky as the sun sets. The best time to capture this is one or two days before the actual full moon.
You may not think of this as an HDR shot. The dynamic range of the earth and the darkening sky is well within your camera’s capabilities. The moon, however, is in full sunlight. It is as bright as midday. So, the challenge is to capture the detail in the moon.
The before image has no detail in the moon or the shadows. But the HDR image captures the moon and can be worked with to produce a beautiful photograph. You might like to see how this turned out (below).
In a woodland or forest on a sunny day, the sun’s rays pierce the canopy to create enchanting bright patches. It’s beautiful, but it presents a serious exposure problem. In the days of film with a limited dynamic range, you would likely pass it by.
This before image (above) has a problem that often goes overlooked; the foliage in the background is blown out. And not just that, but the fern at the bottom is also in the sun and it too is overexposed. But the HDR image handles both areas beautifully and, as a side benefit, produces richer colors.
There are a lot more situations where HDR can save the photograph. Slot canyons come to mind or rays of light in a redwood forest, as you saw above. The trick to avoiding HDR problems is to always check your histogram.
Another good practice is to do brackets shots even when it’s not obvious that the scene requires it. It’s good insurance. If you don’t need the bracketed images, you lose nothing. But if you need them and don’t have them you lose the photograph.
There are many tools that can blend your bracketed files. Even Lightroom and Photoshop now have very rudimentary HDR options, albeit without any significant controls. You get what you get.
The premier HDR tool is HDRsoft’s Photomatix Pro. HDRsoft has been around since the dawn of HDR photo editing. All they have ever done is HDR processing, and they are very good at it. Photomatix Pro provides a robust and powerful set of adjustments that enable you to create photographs ranging from natural to surreal, and even black and white.
Suppose you were photographing in Zion National Park, Utah at sunrise, and you took these three shots bracketed by 2-stops.
None of these photographs are very good on their own. The middle image, the underexposed one, captures the blue of the sky that isn’t in any of the other images. And the image on the right captures all the detail in the foreground. However, this is exactly what you want for HDR.
Let’s pick up the workflow where you have already uploaded your images into Lightroom and selected the files you want to process.
Don’t do anything to your files before you do the HDR blending other than capture sharpening. In the Develop module, make sure all your settings in the Basic, Tone Curve and HSL groups are set to zero.
When you install Photomatix Pro with the Lightroom extension, an Export preset is created automatically. With all the files selected, in Library mode, click the Export… button in the lower left-hand corner. In the Export dialog, select the Photomatix Pro preset and click Export.
There are a number of settings in the export dialog box. The two most frequently used are Align images and Automatically re-import into Lightroom Library.
Lightroom converts the selected files to TIFFs, launches Photomatix Pro and exports the files. Photomatix Pro will do the initial processing and display the blended image.
The image is already looking so much better. But you can do more.
The best place to start is the presets. Try out the various presets. There are over 40 of them, not counting any that you might have created. Everything from natural to surreal is covered. Detailed seems to work best for this photograph.
Check the histogram. Check the luminance, red, green, and blue histograms. The point of using Photomatix Pro is to eliminate clipping, especially highlight clipping and the histogram tells you how you’re doing.
Here, luminance has a small amount of highlight clipping. Red is fine but green and blue have a lot of clipping. That can be fixed with the White Point adjustment in the HDR settings group (you need to scroll down to see it).
White Clip – Set this to 0 and check your histograms again. The luminance and green clipping is totally gone but there’s still blue clipping. That’s not really a problem, though, because most of the blue has no detail.
Try the other adjustments in the HDR SETTINGS group. At the bottom of the panel is an explanation of what each does, so refer to that. After a little experimenting, setting Strength to 65 and Tone Compression to -4.0 produces a very favorable result with this image.
Color Settings are fairly new and a great addition. Bumping both Saturation and Temperature to 4.0 is very pleasing.
It would be nice to draw more attention to the trees in their autumn colors. To do that, select Yellow from the Image Colors drop down and adjust the Brightness slider to 5.0, Saturation to 2.0 and Hue to -2.0.
Here’s how the image looks now. Looking good.
Click Next: Finish to continue. Photomatix Pro applies all of the adjustments you’ve made and gives you the option of a few more – Contrast, Sharpen, Crop, and Straighten. These are handy when you’re using Photomatix Pro to create the final image. But if you intend to do more processing in Lightroom or Photoshop, you might want to do your tweaks there instead.
Click Save & Reimport. Photomatix Pro will create a TIFF file and save it to the same drive as the original files. It will also add the new file to the Lightroom catalog so you can continue editing it there.
Continue your normal workflow with the file that’s just been imported. You could end up with something like this.
Sometimes I’m asked if my photographs are what the camera saw. My response is, “No, because the camera doesn’t know what I’m feeling.”
Landscape photography can be so much more than just documenting experiences. It has the power to convey the emotions and states of mind that come upon us when we stand in the presence of such majestic scenery as this.
But there are times when nature challenges us. And with techniques like HDR and powerful tools like Photomatix Pro, our creative expression is unleashed, and we are able to make photographs that go beyond simply capturing the moment but hold a deeper meaning.
Do you have any questions about using HDR in landscape photography? If you do, please let me know in the comment area below and I will be happy to answer them.
Disclaimer: HDRsoft is a paid partner of dPS
The post Making the Best Use of HDR in Landscape Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School.
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The quest to find the perfect camera bag is never-ending. It’s not unusual for a photographer have a closet jammed full of various packs that work pretty well for most situations, but are not ideal for others. The classy looking packs often don’t hold enough gear while the ones with ample space often end up being too bulky for travel.
For my typical shooting needs the Prvke has proven to be nearly perfect, which is an incredible feat for a camera bag.
At first glance, I liked the design of the Prvke bag (pronounced Provoke) from Wandrd, but was concerned that it would be yet another backpack with understated urban looks that simply isn’t functional as a camera bag. But I can happily say that Wandrd won me over – for my typical shooting needs the Prvke has proven to be nearly perfect, which is an incredible feat for a camera bag.
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| A look inside the Wandrd Prvke from the back entrance: The area where the camera gear is (called the Camera Cube) can be completely removed. |
The Wandrd Prvke bag is designed to be multi-functional for carrying both camera gear and personal items – something lots of packs try to do, but ultimately fail. The design was conceived by three photography-minded brothers and their attention to detail makes me think they too were tired of the ‘almost there, but not quite right’ camera backpacks.
The Prvke has an understated roll-top design with a fairly slim profile – it’s constructed from water-resistant tarpaulin and woven nylon and has a rain-fly with a dedicated pocket at the bottom of the bag. The roll-top opens and closes with high quality Velcro and is secured with a large metal hook. The removable Camera Cube comes with the Photography Bundle for $ 264 (or can be purchased individually for $ 39) and fits nicely into the bag’s back compartment. Velcro is used to secure it into place.
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| You can access the Camera Cube from a zipped entryway on the side of the pack. | The roll-top is secured closed with Velcro and a big metal hook. |
The Prvke has three points of entry: the roll-top, a left side pocket for camera access into the Cube while on the go (shown above) and a back entrance to completely open the pack. Above the Camera Cube there is a mesh zipper compartment that allows you to access anything that may have been stashed through the roll-top. On the left side of the bag you will find a small zipper pocket for memory cards and a separate Velcro pocket for other small camera accessories.
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| An internal laptop/tablet compartment keeps these devices flush against your back when wearing the pack. Two straps ensure the compartment doesn’t fly completely open when unzipped. |
Once the bag is unzipped there are dedicated sleeves for both a laptop and a tablet (see above). And on the back of the Prvke there is a dedicated passport sleeve with a small mesh pocket (see below).
I was able to fit a 5D Mark IV body, a 70-200mm lens and a 24-70 lens in the cube without issue.
Although the removable Camera Cube was designed with a mirrorless system in mind (a body, plus a large and medium sized lens) the molded dividers make it possible to carry a full frame DSLR with lenses as well. I was able to fit a 5D Mark IV body, a 70-200mm F2.8 lens and a 24-70 F2.8 lens in the cube without any issues.
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| A small compartment on the back has space for a passport and other items, a nice touch for photographers on the fly. | Magnetically-connecting carrying straps (located on top) are just one of many handy features of this pack. |
Behind the roll-top there is a fleece lined pocket for a phone and on the side of the bag a small pocket with a clip for your keys. A large flat pocket runs the length of the bag’s front side – a great place for a notebook, magazine or other paperwork. On the right side of the bag there is an expandable pocket for a water bottle or a small tripod.
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| The Prvke has lots of pockets and areas to store both personal items and camera gear. The side pocket can be used to carry a water bottle or small tripod. And a zippered area on front is perfect for storing magazines, notebooks or a book. | The other side of the pack offers a small storage pocket with a connector for keys. Camera gear can be accessed through the zippered area lower right. |
The Prvke features a number of optional add ons too: a removable chest strap, a removable waist belt and an accessory strap system that can attach to six different points on the bag for carrying a larger tripod, lighting accessories, a jacket or even minimal camping gear.
The bag comes in three colors (classic black, wasatch green and aegean blue) and two sizes (21L and 31L). Our review bag is the 21L in wasatch green.
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| A removal waist belt adds another place to store small items. | And accessory straps allow one to easily connect even bulky items, like camping gear, to the bottom of the pack. |
I’ve used this bag in a variety of different situations and I’ve yet to notice anything major that I didn’t like about it. While it may not be the ideal bag for traveling with multiple camera bodies (although it isn’t impossible), for a one body, two lens shoot that requires me to bring a laptop along, it’s the closest to a perfect bag that I’ve found.
The lay-flat design of the bag makes it ideal for traveling through airport security – the Camera Cube and the laptop sleeve are both checkpoint friendly, so in theory, you won’t need to unpack your gear bag when flying.
For a one body, two lens shoot that requires me to bring a laptop along, it’s the closest to a perfect bag that I’ve found.
And the three different access points make this bag particularly user friendly. You can grab a camera body from the left side without removing the bag fully from your back, lenses and accessories are quickly accessed by unzipping the back panel and you can even access items in the roll-top through the back. The expandable roll-top on the bag is great for stashing any odds and ends that you might pick up.
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The zippers were easy to manipulate and none of the dedicated sleeves or pockets suffer from the stiffness that new camera bags sometimes have. Everything fits where it’s supposed to and does so with ease.
The straps are a comfortable amount of thickness and the bag distributes weight nicely – even when fully loaded with gear it didn’t hurt my shoulders. The waist belt and chest strap are nice touches, and might be appreciated if you were taking the Prvke on a long outdoor adventure.
The Prvke is the best camera bag I’ve used in a long time.
I found the various small pockets within the Prvk very useful: the fleece lined top pocket was a great place for storing my shades and that side key pocket gave me peace of mind as I traveled away from New York City with the bag.
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| We’re big fans of the removal Camera Cube. |
My complaints about this bag are minor. The zippers around the Camera Cube can occasionally get tangled with the zippers within the back compartment that cover the cube – a minor annoyance, considering sometimes it just took a few additional seconds to zip everything together. Some might say that the second zippered flap might be unnecessary, but the additional layer of protection of my lenses gave me peace of mind while using the bag.
The bag was also a little snug when traveling with two bodies and two small lenses – although it should be noted that I was testing out the 21L version and I’m guessing these issues would be resolved if I’d been using the 31L model.
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The Prvke is the best camera bag I’ve used in a long time. It has a durable build, it is functional as both a camera backpack and an everyday backpack and it looks nice. It hits the trifecta of sought-after qualities in a camera bag. Also important, it feels like it will hold up over time. And for the quality that you are getting, the $ 264 price tag (which includes the Camera Cube, waist strap, accessory straps and rain-fly) it doesn’t feel excessive. We also like that the Camera Cube can be removed and used in a different bag allowing you to use The Prvke as a place to store clothing and personal items while you are on the road.
What We Like:
What We Don’t Like:
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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