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How to Realistically Enhance Light Beams in Photoshop

23 Jun

The post How to Realistically Enhance Light Beams in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

As a general nod to creative decency, in my work, I tend to steer clear of the “influencer” types of photographs. You know the ones I mean. The photos of people standing at the edge of some gorgeous vista, smiling, but, of course, seldom looking at the camera. They usually have some brand name product conspicuously visible in the frame. It’s not that those kinds of images are wrong, neither in execution or intent, but rather slightly tired and overdone.

With that said, there is one type of photo that I find myself producing again and again, that I admit would fall into the category I attempt to keep myself away from most of the time. I love making photos at night time with light beams shining off into the dark of space.

The problem is, that without an enormously powerful light source, achieving highly pronounced light beams is fairly difficult to achieve. In short, your average consumer flashlight or headlamp likely won’t pack enough luminous punch.

This is where a super simple piece of Photoshop magic can make these types of photographs truly stand out. In this tutorial, I’m going to show you an easy way to enhance the light beams in your images using Photoshop.

Before we begin

As with most any type of photography, your finished results are directly dependent on the quality of the starting material. You should always strive to get as much right in-camera as possible before you move to post-processing. This means correct exposure relative to the elements of your images, accurate focus, and appropriate ISO settings.

While this technique can enhance light beams in any photo, the outcome will vary enormously in terms of both quality and realism depending on the solidity of the original digital file.

Alright, now let’s have some fun!

Process first

It’s a good practice to save the enhancing of the light beams in your photos until the very end of your post-processing. This means that you should process all other aspects of the image as you would like them to appear in the finished photo before you apply the steps we’re about to discuss. Here is the RAW file of our example image before any post-processing.

Here is that photo after I have finished the global and local adjustments. In short, aside from the somewhat lackluster beam emitted from the headlamp, the image shown here looks exactly the way I like.

I have completed all exposure, contrast, color adjustments, sharpening and noise reduction. Regardless of what software you use to complete your post-processing, you will need to bring the image into Photoshop to finish your work. Since I use Lightroom Classic CC, I choose ‘Edit in Photoshop.’

How to enhance the light beam

After you’ve kicked your image into Photoshop, it’s time to begin the incredibly easy process of enhancing that beam of light. We’ll do the entire operation with some super simple layer masking. To get started, select the polygonal lasso tool (keyboard shortcut ‘L’).

We’re going to imagine that we are drawing a shape which corresponds to how the light will naturally diverge from the source. In this case, the headlamp. So, beginning at the base of the light beam we’ll create our shape. Simply click and let go, then draw the first line. I recommend extending this first line past the canvas of the image. I’ll explain why in a moment.

Connect the dots

Now it’s just a matter of drawing more lines and connecting them. Click each point to anchor the lines together until you reach back to the beginning point. This will complete the shape automatically. At this point, the shape will also appear to be moving with the so-called “marching ants.” It will essentially look somewhat like a triangle.

It’s this shape from which we will create our first mask. Believe me, this is all about to make perfect sense!

Add a Brightness Adjustment Layer

Click on the Brightness Adjustment Layer icon to add a brightness and contrast adjustment layer. Photoshop automatically creates the mask for this layer based on the shape we’ve just drawn.

This is where the magic happens. Increase the brightness slider.

Boom. Isn’t that cool?! All that has happened is that the brightness increase only affected the shape we created with the polygonal lasso tool.

Feather the mask

There’s still a light problem, though. Look how unnatural the beam emitted from the headlamp now looks. We can fix this by adjusting the feathering of our mask. Click on the mask icon within the adjustment mask window.

Increasing the feathering of the mask makes the edges softer and appear as if they are naturally diverging from a finite point of origin.

Doesn’t that look so much better already?

Create multiple masks

At this point, we could be completely finished, or we could repeat the steps we’ve already learned to “stack” additional layer masks based on shapes we’ve drawn using the polygonal lasso tool. In this particular image, I’m going to create another more intense beam inside the one we’ve already made.

Then it’s just a matter of adding another brightness adjustment layer just as we did before. Then adjust the brightness and mask feathering.

Don’t think that your masks are limited to brightness adjustments. You can add any adjustment that you choose.

In this case, I want to cool down the beam to better match the original color of the headlamp light. To do this, I’ll draw another shape with the polygonal lasso tool, but this time, I’ll select the ‘photo filter’ adjustment and add a cooling filter.

And remember when I said there was a reason we extended the mask past the actual border of the image canvas? We’re going to learn why in the next section. It all comes down to realism.

Fine adjustments

When it comes to this type of adjustment, it’s always crucial you understand the mechanics of the effect you are either simulating or enhancing. In this case, we are enhancing the way light travels from a given source.

As you probably are aware, light diverges as it travels, hence the widening of our light beam. Not only that, but the further it perceivably travels, the less bright it becomes to our eyes. The light essentially disappears into space.

To mimic this natural principle, we will “dim” the light beam as it extends further towards the edge of the frame using the brush tool.

We’ll select each layer, and selectively adjust the masks so that the light appears to dissipate softly. Make sure you set your brush to black.

This is where you will need to exercise your own judgment based on your particular image. Experiment with different opacity and flow rates. If you remove too much, just switch the brush to white and paint the effect back in as needed.

Isn’t Photoshop great?

And that’s it! Here is our final photo with the enhanced light beam.

Considering this is what we started with…

…the overall creative power of this cool edit is obvious.

Let’s recap

When it comes to enhancing (and even simulating) light beams in your images, you’ll want to remember a few key guidelines:

Begin with the best image possible
Save your light beam enhancements until the very end of your processing
Maintain realism by understanding light – it diverges and dissipates (in our perception) as it travels
Stack as many masks as you need
Remember to feather your masks!
Don’t be afraid to adjust the color of the enhanced light beams

At its core, enhancing light beams in Photoshop is an extremely easy way to add some immediate power to your images. Even though we’ve used the example shown here, you can apply this technique to any scene with point sources of light such as car headlights, street lights or in any scenario where you might want to creatively pump up the luminosity of light beams.

Try it out, experiment and, as always, be sure to share your results with us!

The post How to Realistically Enhance Light Beams in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

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Food Photography – When to Use Natural Light (and When Not To)

09 Jun

The post Food Photography – When to Use Natural Light (and When Not To) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

Food photographers, professionals and amateurs alike, know that natural lighting is among the best tools to take drool-worthy photos. However, there’s a time and a place to use natural lighting, and times when you won’t want to. In this article, we’ll discuss what natural lighting is and how it affects your photos – for better or for worse.

What is natural lighting?

Simply put, natural lighting is light produced by the sun. Another related term is ambient light, which refers to the available light in an environment. Ambient light could also be considered natural light if the photographer’s equipment is not producing it. In most parts of the world, natural light is abundant and can be used at no charge. This is one of many reasons why it is preferred by many photographers.

Two types of natural lighting

Generally speaking, there are two different kinds of natural lighting that you might want to utilize for photography. If you plan to utilize natural light for photography, it’s wise to learn about the different patterns of sunlight. Depending on where you live, you might have more of one than the other. You may have to adjust your style accordingly.

Direct light

Direct sunlight that results in a look with harsher shadows.

A cloudless environment with full sunlight in the middle of the day produces direct light. This light is very intense, resulting in high contrast and very sharp shadows. The color of the light will vary depending on the time of day. In midday, it will be a neutral white color and a warmer tone of gold in the late afternoon. Depending on your photography style, you may prefer direct light if you wish to emphasize dramatic shadows and high contrast.

Diffused light

In a cloudy or overcast environment, natural light will appear diffused. This results in a soft, low contrast look with little to no shadows. Most photographers tend to prefer this lighting as you can make just about anything look good with it. If you have lots of direct light, you can also turn it into diffused light by using something like a shoot-through reflector.

Natural sunlight that has been softened with a diffuser.

What about artificial lighting?

The opposite of natural lighting, artificial lighting is produced by gear such as speed lights or strobes. If the idea of flash photography intimidates you, consider this. Most forms of artificial lighting strive to recreate natural lighting. For example, a bare flash with no diffuser is akin to direct light, while a flash with a softbox results in diffused light. Even if you plan to use artificial light, it helps to understand natural light and how it affects your creative style.

Natural light or artificial light? This is natural…

…this is artificial light. It adds some dimension to the background but isn’t drastically different than the naturally lit image.

When to use natural light for food photography

Before determining what kind of lighting to use, consider your intended creative output. Do you want food photos with punchy colors and clearly defined shadows? If so, you want direct light and a cloudless, full-sun day is what you want. But if you want soft, diffused light for an evenly lit photo, a cloudy day will suit you best (or a sunny day with a reflector).

After you figure out your preferred creative style, take a look a the weather. You may have to plan your photo shoot around weather patterns if you want a particular quality of natural light. Alternatively, you’ll have to bring extra gear with you to compensate for it.

Food photographed in natural light during the daytime, when the light is neutral in color.

When you may not want to use natural light

There are two times of the day when natural lighting may not be your best friend. Those are the blue hour and golden hours of the day. These times of day are cherished by landscape photographers as they provide the most dramatic lighting in the sky. However, this may not be ideal for food photography. That’s because both blue and golden hours emit different colored light. A dish shot at blue hour may have more blue tinges to it, while the golden hour will cast it in a warmer tone. Some of this can be fixed in post-production, but most food photographers prefer shooting with neutral daylight so that the food retains its natural color.

Food photographed in natural light during blue hour, just after sunset. Natural light at this time of day distorts colors all around. Great for landscapes, not for food.

In Conclusion

Generally speaking, using natural light is the simplest solution for photographers. It’s rather straightforward to use natural lighting, although adding tools to your kit such as reflectors and diffusers will help you take it to the next level. Also helpful is a general knowledge of lighting patterns throughout the day so that you don’t end up planning a natural light shoot during golden or blue hours (unless you want that colored light!).

What do you think? Are you a natural light photographer, or do you prefer artificial light? Let me know in the comments below!

The post Food Photography – When to Use Natural Light (and When Not To) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

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How to Use a Photography Ring Light in Unconventional Ways

03 Jun

The post How to Use a Photography Ring Light in Unconventional Ways appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

With a ton of options on the market, adding a ring light to your kit has never been cheaper.

Continuous photography ring lights seem to be everywhere nowadays. There are dozens of offerings from dozens of companies that you can choose from, and they are popular with photographers, make-up artists, and videographers. The main use of a ring light is on-axis lighting for an even, somewhat flat exposure.

However, what do you do if you don’t like that effect or the distinctive ring-shaped catchlight for that matter? Because these lights are continuous, and because of their size, they have more uses than ring flashes of the past. If you don’t like the straight-on effect, you don’t have to use a ring light in that way.

In normal use, you would place the light directly in front of your subject and shoot through the aperture of the light.

This article demonstrates six uses of a continuous ring light that isn’t their intended use. It will also (hopefully) show you that these relatively cheap and effective lights are useful to have for any photographer in the studio.

Normal use

While not to the taste of many photographers, ring lights can be used to create bold and vibrant images.

If you’re unfamiliar, a ring light is a circular, ring-shaped light with a large aperture designed to be placed directly in front of a subject. You then take your images by positioning your camera through the aperture of the ring.

Traditional ring flashes had the light attached to the camera. This front (on-axis) lighting provides an evenly lit image. This is one of those things that you either love or hate, but photographers who love it tend to really love it.

Versatility

With the continuous versions of these lights, you have a wealth of options with how to use a ring light. Because the light is always on, you can position it anywhere you want. With a lot of the options on the market, this gives you a high-powered, lightweight and versatile continuous light for around $ 100.

Because of the brightness of a continuous ring light, your subject’s pupils will be constricted, allowing you to see more of the color in their eyes.

Here’s a bonus if you’ve never used continuous lights before. Because the output is constant, your portrait subject’s pupils get constricted. This means you will see more of the color of their eyes in your photos.

Options

Below are five examples of ways you can use a continuous ring light to great effect without ever using it as a ring light.

1. As a normal light

Placed at a 45-degree angle and angled downwards, these ring lights work well as normal light source.

Despite its circular shape, ring lights are great when used as a normal light. Raise the light and angle it towards your subject to distort the effect the shape of the light has, and you can use it as a small softbox. You’re not limited to how you can light your subject this way, but I’ve found that all of the basic lighting patterns work well.

You are not limited to the shape of the ring. Use flags to block off portions of the light to shape it however you want.

If you have more than one ring light, you can use them together to create just about any two-light setup that you can imagine. If the ones you have have an adjustable output, managing your key to fill ratios should be pretty easy.

2. As a prop

Having your subject pose with the light itself can create some interesting and fun portraits. It can also help to lighten the mood during a session.

If you have an LED ring light, they don’t get very hot. Feel free to have your subject pose with the light itself for some very different images. The results will vary with ring lights of different sizes, and you have to worry about the plug and the cables, but it’s still a fun technique. Though you probably won’t use it very often thanks to its tendency towards uplighting.

3. As ambient fill

Modern ring lights are getting quite powerful and it is more than possible to use them as fill lighting in conjunction with studio flash.

You can mix any continuous light with studio flashes for some interesting effects. By using a strobe as your key light, you can then bring a ring light in for some gentle fill.

A couple of things that you will want to keep in mind is that your strobes are probably way more powerful than your ring light, so set the power accordingly. Also, you will probably want to have a ring light with an adjustable color temperature if you are going to be mixing light sources.

You could also reverse this and use the ring light as key and flash as fill. As before, make sure the power on your strobes goes down that far before committing to this.

4. As a compositional device

Putting the light behind your subject creates an interesting tool for composition. Also, it may just be me, but I love that rim light that it is producing.

In its normal use, I am a fan of creating a composition with the actual ring light framing the subject. I just like it for whatever reason. However, you are not limited to that. You can place the ring light anywhere in your frame for some cool effects. Try placing one behind your subject for a halo effect, or placing one at an angle just inside your frame for a curved band of light running through the composition.

5. Dragging the shutter

When you’re mixing a ring light with studio flash, it opens the door to some interesting techniques like dragging the shutter. Here, flash is acting as fill and the shutter speed is set to 1/15th of a second.

This is similar to using the ring light as ambient fill, but if you use your strobe normally, you can expose for the high-powered strobe and the low-powered ring light by dragging the shutter.

This technique is not for everyone, but it can produce some interesting results.

A little warning: if you’re a technically-minded photographer, you’re probably going to hate this technique, as the results tend to be a little soft. However, it can be used for some striking results. If you do like it, you still have to be careful with controlling the movement of your camera.

You do have to manage any movement in your camera while using this technique. If in doubt, use a tripod.

Because the power output on your flash is not in any way controlled by shutter speed, you can set your shutter speed as slow as you need to make this work. However, you may want to use a tripod for really slow shutter speeds. This technique can provide some cool effects in its own right, but no two attempts are going to be the same.

That’s it

There you have it. That’s six ways that you can use a continuous ring light without ever having to use it as a ring light. Considering how cheap these things are, they are a very useful tool for any photographer who wants to get into off-camera lighting but for some reason is put off by flash.

Do you have other ways that you use a ring light? Please share with us in the comments below.

The post How to Use a Photography Ring Light in Unconventional Ways appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

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How to Achieve an Airy, Light and Bright Look in Photography

25 May

The post How to Achieve an Airy, Light and Bright Look in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta.

The beauty of photography is that there really is no right or wrong way to take pictures (excluding any technical camera issues). It is such a subjective medium – what someone may consider a bad photograph, others might consider artistic. There are many different styles of photography. Dark and moody versus light and bright, or HDR and oversaturated versus desaturated and selective coloring. And there’s many more. But no matter your imaging preference, there is bound to be a market for that particular style of photography.

Karthika Gupta CulturallyOurs Light Bright Airy Photography Style

Having said that, I gravitate toward images that have a clean, natural look. My aesthetic style lends itself toward light, soft pastels, and bright images that have a sense of freshness. I find that I am my most creative self when I put myself in situations that give me the ability to photograph in this way.

Give me a dark room, or a scene with lots of bold, warm colors and tons of contrast, and I feel mentally bogged down. I almost start to feel claustrophobic with all that color and contrast. Now perhaps this might seem a little silly, but that is my personal preference. It also goes back to my earlier comment about photography being a very subjective art form.

I get asked quite frequently about how I achieve this “light, pastel, and airy” look in my photographs. It’s not that hard. It boils down to a few simple tips. These tips will help you to better visualize your intended photograph, and thus help you to achieve the light, pastel look.

1. Lighting

I can’t stress enough how important the lighting is when using it to achieve a particular look for your photography. Not all lighting is equal. And I have to say that there is no such thing as bad light. Light is just different at different times of the day. Sometimes the light is perfect – that warm, soft glow that translates beautifully in pictures. Other times, the lighting is harsh and strong. I wouldn’t say that type of lighting is always bad; it is just not the same every time.

Once you train your eye to read the different types of light, and what the light can do to your images, you will be able to analyze your imagery better. You’ll also get photos closer to the style you like without wasting too much time in post-processing. No amount of editing can really fix an image taken in poor lighting.

a. Golden Hour light

Karthika Gupta CulturallyOurs Light Bright Airy Photography Style

For outdoor photography, if you want those warm, creamy tones, then schedule your photo sessions as close to sunset as possible. That last hour, the Golden Hour, is when you will get some of the best light. This is because as the sun sets closer to the horizon, the range of light is broad and spreads more evenly.

This type of light also lends itself well to the light, bright, and airy look that so many of us love in photographs. One thing to be aware of when you are using the Golden Hour lighting (a.k.a. shooting around sunset), make sure that you don’t photograph directly into the setting sun. This leads to a lot of sun flare entering your frame. It can also make the shot appear muddy and blown out to the point of not being able to see the subjects clearly, as shown in this image.

When all else fails, a little bit of editing in post-production can fix it.

b. Soft morning light

Soft morning light is another favorite lighting scheme of mine because the light is subtle and soft. It tends to be more even-toned than when the sun is high up in the sky.

Karthika Gupta CulturallyOurs Light Bright Airy Photography Style

c. Harsh midday sunlight

High noon lighting can be thought of as a spotlight directly over your head. This overhead lighting tends to create unflattering shadows. These shadows result from the angles and protrusions on your face, like your nose and eyebrows. If you wait until the sun hits the horizon, you will be pleasantly surprised to see how soft the tones are and how beautiful and even the lighting is. At this time of day, you can open up your aperture to smooth out the background.

Sometimes when you are traveling or taking landscape shots, you cannot always control the time of travel. Here, you must make the best of the lighting situation and photograph scenes that will lend themselves to the light and airy look when tweaked in post-processing.

Karthika Gupta CulturallyOurs Light Bright Airy Photography Style

I added a bit of contrast and brought down the blues in post-production just to keep with my style. I have nothing against blue skies but maybe not so much blue in my photos!

d. Overcast light/diffused light

This type of light is also great for images where you want an even tone. The clouds act as a natural diffuser and help to balance out the light falling from the sun. However, this light does tend to be a little flat. But the good news here is, when there is cloud cover or an overcast sky, you can shoot at any time during the day without worrying about harsh, strong shadows.

This day in the marina was overcast with a lot of clouds. Considering most of the boats were also white, I had to blow out the sky a bit and use the accessories (like the yellow kayak) to add a pop of color.

e. Backlighting/open shade lighting

The bright, even lighting of open shade plays well into the light and airy style of photography. However, playing with backlit sunlight is another way to get that bright, fresh look. Light and airy photographers shoot backlight about 80% of the time.

This means the sun is somewhere behind the subject. This is the tricky part. It’s more than just having the sun behind your subject. If you only do this, you’ll find that your images have a lot of sun flare – to the point of haze – and your camera autofocus may have trouble grabbing focus, resulting in out-of-focus shots.

The trick here is to block the sun from actually hitting your lens. My favorite way to do this is the use of trees. The branches and leaves act as a type of diffuser that filters the sun’s light rays from hitting your lens.

What you will get is called rim light from the rear of your subject. In front of your subject, you will achieve an even unshadowed lighting scheme. You might have to look for a natural reflector to bounce light back onto your subject’s face. Sometimes it is as simple as wearing something white so you can act as a natural reflector.

Yup, being a photographer also means being aware of fashion and color trends!

Another trick is to overexpose the skin tones by at least half a stop. Your highlights may blow out a little, but your subjects’ skin tones will look great. Of course, if you have a very interesting sky that you want to retain, you may not be able to overexpose your image. Most light and airy style photographers are okay with blowing out the details in the sky because this slight overexposure lends itself to a brighter image that is part of the light and airy look. If the background is important, you must consider that in your exposure calculations.

90% of my shots have the sky blown out and I am okay with that. My style is consistent with what my personal preference is with my images. To each their own.

2. Scenery or background

Personally, I feel like scenery or background is as important as the lighting for a great image – no matter what the style. Gorgeous mountainous backdrops with tall pine trees will look more majestic than a messy backyard with overgrown grass and a swing set in the shot.

But don’t let a simple background deter you from taking a shot.

Every place has hidden treasures, and it is up to you as the photographer to seek them out. I have been known to clear out a client’s home if I feel some furniture or clutter is getting in the way of the shot.

For outdoors and travel photos, I wait patiently for crowds to clear if I feel all the other elements are there to make a great shot. After you’ve established where the good lighting falls, you can then search for the pretty scenery.

For light and airy photos, look for backgrounds that are white or have pastel colors. White or light colored backgrounds add even more “airiness” to the image. It is hard to achieve a light, bright look if you have a dark or black wall in the background.

Remember that both the lighting and scenery combined make for a natural recipe to that “light and airy look” that you want to achieve in your image.

When in doubt, choose a clean neutral-colored background that can make the subject pop even more by eliminating any distractions.

Karthika Gupta CulturallyOurs Light Bright Airy Photography Style

3. Details

Often, as photographers, we tend to only focus on the lighting, location, and subject. We feel that once we have these three elements, all else will magically fall into place.

However, remember this; every single detail that is a part of the frame helps to make or break the image.

If you have the perfect soft light, perfect background, and perfect subject, but they happened to show up wearing a graphic t-shirt with neon shoes, then that is not going to get you that light and airy image! In fact, details like the clothing, accessories, and props play a huge part in the overall look and feel of an image.

For my portrait and editorial work, I am not afraid to send clothing and prop choices to my clients. It is there for them to use if they need it. This gives them an idea of “the look” that I am going for, and it helps me to get the images that I want for my portfolio based upon my style and my brand aesthetics. Props don’t have to be elaborate or expensive. Sometimes it is the little things like a simple off-white napkin that can do the trick.

Clothing choices and color preference is given but my clients have the freedom to choose what they want to wear at the end of the day!

4. Camera settings

If you are shooting digital and have a camera that allows you to photograph in RAW format, then definitely do so. Images created in RAW format retain more of the original details than a JPEG file format. The RAW file format also provides the most leeway for making edits to the image in post- processing when looking to achieve a specific “look.”

Avoid extreme bright spots in your photograph by using the histogram feature on your camera. Digital images don’t handle the result of huge overexposure very well, so you’ll want to watch for that.

Karthika Gupta CulturallyOurs Light Bright Airy Photography Style

Having said that, I tend to overexpose my images by about 1/2 a stop about 95% of the time. I find that editing an underexposed image to the “light and airy look” is more difficult than adjusting a slightly overexposed image. I am less concerned about blown-out highlights than I am about dense shadows.

5. Consistency in photography and editing styles

Consistency in photography and editing styles is huge, and not something that too many photographers pay attention to. Photographic style develops over time. It takes a lot of practice, continuous shooting, and consistent editing procedure to make our pictures look a certain way and convey certain emotions. This is my 9th year in business, and my style has taken time to develop. After a lot of trial and error, I know what I like and how I want my images to look and feel – even if it is just for me!

Some people jump on the latest editing bandwagon and are all over the place in terms of trying everything out there. Tempting as it may be, I have found that it just leads to more frustration and anxiety when finding one’s style. When you are just starting out, go ahead and try out all the different styles of photography. See what you like and dislike. Once you have narrowed down your personal style, stick to it. That way, it becomes second nature and helps you develop a consistent and strong portfolio.

The post How to Achieve an Airy, Light and Bright Look in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta.

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How to Create and Use a Light Skin Smoothing Action in Photoshop

18 May

The post How to Create and Use a Light Skin Smoothing Action in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

When you photograph portraits, you’ll spend time editing the photos so your clients look their very best. A lot of that time is often spent smoothing out the skin. But while some smoothing is okay, doing it too much can change the look of the person.

Here’s how to create a simple and easy Photoshop action that will have you smoothing out skin faster without over-retouching it.

Before and after using this light skin smoothing action.

What is a Photoshop Action?

A Photoshop action is where you record various steps in an editing process and save them so you can then reapply those steps simply by ‘playing’ the action.

In this case, the action will have three steps. When you press ‘Play’ it will apply those three steps quickly and automatically so you can get to the fun part – the retouching.

Create the action

Step 1: Open a photo (any photo will do) so you can create the action.

Step 2: Make sure the Actions panel is open. If it isn’t, go to the Window menu and make sure Actions is selected. If you can’t find the Actions panel on your workspace, deselect and re-select it in the menu.

Step 3: Create an Action Set, which will create a master folder for your action to live in and help you organize your actions. (You can skip this step if you already have one.) Click on the three lines in the Actions panel and select New Set. You can also create it by clicking the folder icon at the bottom of the Actions panel. You can give it any name you like. (In this example I named it “My actions”.)

Step 4: Now it’s time to record the action. Select New Action from the Actions panel menu, or click the New icon at the bottom. Choose a name for your action, select the set you want it stored in, and click Record.

Note: Once you hit record, everything you do in Photoshop will be recorded – including the things you did accidentally. Fortunately, you can click the Record and Stop buttons at any time while you’re recording the steps.

Step 5: Once you start recording your action, duplicate your layer in the layers panel or by hitting CMD/CTRL+J.

Step 6: From the Photoshop menu select Filters ->Blur -> Gaussian Blur and choose a value between 10 and 25 pixels. (Don’t worry. Your photo won’t stay blurry.)

Step 7: Create a mask layer, then hold down the Alt/Option key and click on the mask. This will add a black mask on your blur, and your photo will be back to normal. We’ll be using this mask to add the smoothing rather than erase the blur, which is a lot more work.

Step 8: Select the Brush tool (or press B on the keyboard), and choose an opacity between 10% and 20%. Make sure your foreground color is set to white so you can paint back the smoothing.

Step 9: Hit Stop to stop recording.

Your action is now ready to use.

To test your action, open a new photo and hit Play in the Actions panel.

You’ll see the actions you recorded re-applied to the new photo.

How to use your action

Open a photo with the skin you want to smooth out. It’s best if you retouch any imperfections or blemishes beforehand. This action simply smoothes out the skin lightly to make it look natural and clean.

Hit Play on your action, choose a brush size that’s best for your photo and start painting in the smoothing in small strokes. Make sure you paint in the mask layer or you’ll be painting white onto the skin.

You should see the difference after a few strokes. You can also change the opacity if you need more or less smoothing.

Tips

If you accidentally record extra steps, simply stop the recording and then delete the steps that aren’t part of the action.

You can also delete the action and start over. So don’t worry if you don’t get each step right the first time.

In conclusion

Retouching skin can often take time away from photographing clients. But by using actions, you can streamline your editing by automating steps you use regularly.

This action also helps you retouch photos lightly and more naturally.

Let us know if you find it helpful.

The post How to Create and Use a Light Skin Smoothing Action in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

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How to Travel Light With Your Photography Gear

12 May

The post How to Travel Light With Your Photography Gear appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta.

For the longest time, one of my dreams has been to live away from home and travel with my family for an extended period of time. I used to dream about all the places I could travel to, and how much fun I would have living a nomadic life. Of course, then I would wake up, and the realities of my responsibilities would take over.

Travel light with gear Karthika Gupta

A couple of years ago after a major life setback with the loss of my mom to cancer, I decided that my life was too short not to make my dreams come true.

That year, after several months of discussion and planning, my husband and I decided that our little family would spend our summer in India – traveling and visiting family. Somewhere along the way a trip to Ladakh, London, Zurich, and Rome got added to the roster. Pretty soon I was in charge of planning and packing for a life on the road for two and a half months. We’d be living out of just four suitcases – one for each one of us. As a photographer, I knew that somewhere in those suitcases I had to pack my camera equipment along with my essentials.

Since that year, my family made a conscious decision to take time away from everything over the summer and spend at least 3-4 weeks traveling. Last year we spent two weeks in Utah, and back-country camped for a week in the wilderness of Denver. As the official photographer (both for personal reasons as well as professional ones), I have had to nail down the task of packing my gear and traveling as light as possible to make the most of the trip.

Here are a few things that helped me make the most of my time away from home. It is very likely that I have missed some key photographic opportunities, but overall I am pleased with my gear setup, the opportunities that my family has experienced, and the images that I have created. As a bonus, all the camera equipment I take along make it back without any significant mishaps along the way. If traveling has taught me anything, it is that not every moment needs to documenting and not every piece of gear needs to be used at the same time!

1. Gear choices

Let’s face the reality of life as a photographer – we all love and want all the gear that we think we need wherever we go. As I pack, I realize that as a photographer I always have so many things I want to take. However, often the need for gear is quickly overruled by the need for practical things like clothes, shoes, and books. After a few days on the road, showers are not an overrated thing, they become necessary! I narrow down my list based on where my travels are taking me and what gear I could realistically carry and transport safely without any damage.

This is my typical kit for most travel adventures

A wide zoom lens – my go-to is the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8
A simple point and shoot camera (yes, this is my backup as weight is a concern on most trips)
One telephoto lens – I have the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8
One camera body – Canon 5D Mk III
3 camera batteries
1 battery charger
A small travel tripod – this is my latest addition and it fits in my carry-on bag
A remote trigger
7-8 camera CF cards ranging from 8GB to 32GB
One compact 2TB External Hard drives (backup photo storage)
Two generic lens and camera cleaner kits

All of these things comfortably fit into my REI brand hiking backpack. I use this bag for everything and store my gear in individual soft-cover bags inside the pack. This is what I have done since day one and something that has worked well for me.

As a mom of young kids, my backpack not only carries my gear but also snacks, extra t-shirts, books, color pencils and at a minimum, 5 matchbox cars of many colors. Just as the camera is my toy, my kids have their own toys that have to make it on every trip.

How to travel light with your gear Karthika Gupta

My most recent trip to Portugal had very limited gear because we were traveling light. So I had to get creative with my 24-70mm lens around town as I was enamored with all the beautiful tiles all over Lisbon!

The one thing I always wish I’d taken with me is a rain cover for the camera itself. My backpack has a rain cover, which I use when caught in a sudden downpour, but without a separate rain cover over my camera, I am not able to use it in the rain – which can be disappointing. Somehow, I always forget to buy one before my trips.

2. Organize and plan your trip

For me, being prepared and organized includes having a rough idea of where I am going and the kind of environment I am going to expose myself and my gear to. Before I leave for a trip, I jot down all the serial numbers, make and brand for my camera equipment, and store them in a document on my cloud-based Dropbox account. This gets updated and checked multiple times in the year as I sell and buy new gear. Just add this as one of your to-dos before you depart on your trip. All my external hard drives are stored off-site at a friend’s place as well as the remainder of my gear.

Now, obviously, this is a friend I trust. But another option would be to lock it in an off-site storage facility. As part of your research, another good thing to keep in your back pocket is the name, address, and contact information of authorized service dealers for your gear in the country you are visiting. Sometimes things go wrong no matter how prepared you are. Having information about services centers and authorized dealers for your gear is a time saver – especially when you are traveling in areas where internet connections are not very reliable.

During my travels, my gear choices depend on the activities planned and the kind of travel we are going to do. When traveling with my family in Rome and Zurich, we traveled everywhere either on foot or used public transportation. So I just carried my camera body and the 24-70mm lens among other daily necessities in my backpack. The rest of my camera equipment was either packed away in the hotel room safe or locked away in my suitcase.

When we hiked and camped in the Himalayas, my camera, along with both my lenses, were always on my person. The tripod was handed off to the porters that were carrying our camping gear. For my camping trips, I just carried all my CF cards and ditched the charger and external hard drive at the house where we were staying because it was highly unlikely I’d find a charging port on the journey.

Sometimes, if I ask nicely, my husband will carry my gear bag but only because it is not too feminine!! Also, it doesn’t scream camera bag.

How to travel light with your gear Denver Colorado Camping Trip

This is my camera bag, day pack, and hiking bag. It can hold a lot of stuff and has back support which is really important. Plus it is not too”girly” in case I need some help carrying it!

When we travel on a road trip, my camera and 24-70mm lens sit up front with me and store the rest of the gear in the car trunk. When I fly, I carry all my gear in my backpack – I am too paranoid about checking in any gear.

My next purchase for a long haul trip is going to be a Pelican case, so I don’t have to carry anything on my person. As I age, I find that I cannot carry heavy bags as easily.

All these choices are possible because of the research I do ahead of time.

Additionally, a good mindset to have when you travel to far-off exotic locations is one of acceptance of physical and mental limitations of both your and your camera gear.

I experienced some altitude sickness when I traveled to Leh and Ladakh as we were traveling on roads at almost 17,000 feet above sea level. I also found my gear did not function as efficiently at that altitude. My batteries did not last as long, and the camera also did not shoot as fast. The first few times it happened I freaked out. However, then I just accepted it as something beyond my control and gave myself some extra time to be patient when getting the shot that I wanted.

3. Know your gear

This one is too basic to include here, but it is amazing how many of us don’t follow this simple tip. We are so enamored with the latest and greatest gear available, but yet don’t quite know how to use the stuff that we do own.

The best way to get over this is to limit yourself to a few key pieces of camera equipment for an extended period. One of my photography goals is to capture star trails and the Milky Way. The opportunity presented itself when I traveled to Ladakh. After all, I was going to be in a remote part of the country at an altitude of almost 15,000-17,000 feet above sea level.

Now astrophotography is not my thing. I always limited myself from trying it out because I don’t usually travel with a tripod, nor do I own an intervalometer. So this time I downloaded the camera manual on my phone and studied it before I left. With that information, I was able to comfortably and confidently use the B (a.k.a Bulb mode) on my camera to capture star trails in Ladakh. It was quite a thrilling experience for my maiden attempt.

Nothing quite prepares you for seeing the milky way. That first glimpse takes your breadth away and without the right gear, it is impossible to capture.

This is one of my first milky way shots and now I find myself looking out for stars every night! This would have been impossible without a tripod and proper remote trigger.

Another good thing to practice before you head out is gear maintenance. I routinely clean my lens and camera throughout my trips, so I carry two camera cleaning kits because I know my gear gets a lot of time out in the elements when I travel.

Before every major outing, I spent the time to clean out the dirt and dust from the camera and the lens. I keep the dust pen in my camera bag in case I need it while I am out and about photographing.

4. Be local and think like a local

I have to include this one in any travel photography related article because it does relate indirectly to taking care of yourself and your gear. I often find photographers I meet along my journeys have a fake sense of entitlement. When you are a guest in someone’s house, are you not on your best behavior? Why is it that when you are a guest in another country, common sense and basic manners seem to fly out the window?

Locals are still people who deserve the same amount of respect and courtesy as anyone. Put yourself in their shoes and try to imagine what they experience when someone shoves a camera in their face without so much as a hello or a smile.

My 24-70mm lens is my go-to travel lens. It really lets me get into small places and photograph a variety of things. I am not one for a more obscure lens where people don’t know I am photographing them. Instead, I prefer to interact with people and let them know, rather see, that I am taking their picture. This is just the way I work.

While in Ladakh, we visited a lot of beautiful monasteries. Most of them are still in use, and we saw many temples where the monks were in prayer. Even if there is no sign discouraging photography, please use common sense not to invade their private space – especially when they are chanting.

I cannot tell you how many times I have come across tourists that almost jump over each other or hang out of moving cars just to take pictures of monks chanting and praying. Seeing this rude behavior almost made me embarrassed to take my camera out!

Being respectful has everything to do with travel and travel photography.

Additionally, flashing your fancy gear around is almost begging for the wrong kind of attention. One evening in Rome, I was out with my kids taking photos around beautiful horse-drawn carriages. We lost track of time and soon found ourselves in a deserted alley. I quickly put my gear away in my backpack, stuffed it with our jackets, grabbed my kids, and sprinted towards a more crowded piazza.

5. Make friends with local photographers

The internet is an amazing tool for almost anything. It is such a great resource to find and connect with other photographers, especially if you are traveling to areas that are new and foreign to you. When I travel, I always try to connect with some local photographers. We sometimes meet for dinner/drinks, chat on the phone, and just become friends.

They even give me advice on some of the local, non-touristy spots to photograph as well as offered to lend me gear if I need it (Well! Some do…not all want to part with their gear to a total stranger).

How to travel light with your gear Chicago Illinois

A recent trip to the city where I got to try out a 40mm lens and get some cool shots indoors in low light.

Conclusion

I hope these tips are helpful as you plan your next vacation in a far-off destination. Travel in itself is quite the adventure and adding photography to it is just the icing on the cake. However, remember to travel light and enjoy your trip for all that it is – not just a photography expedition.

Also, there is no such thing as perfect photography, but there is something known as a life-changing experience. Travel to experience more of those than just taking pretty pictures.

Do you have any extra tips for traveling light with your photography gear? If so, please share them with us and our readers in the comments below.

The post How to Travel Light With Your Photography Gear appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta.

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Aputure announces the Spotlight Mount, an add-on to shape light just right

09 May

New and unique in the world of light modifiers, Aputure have announced its new Spotlight. This unit interfaces with their range of C.O.B. lights, including the recently announced 120D MK II.

After the recent reveal at NAB 2019, more details have emerged for this unique light modifier. There are three lenses available at launch—19°, 26° and 36—each of which are user interchangeable to give either wider coverage or more pinpoint accuracy. This, together with the iris and shutter, allow more flexible creative options in shaping the beam.

Key features

Bowens mount to interface with Aputure’s 120D, 120D Mk II and 300D lights.
Available with a 19°, 26° or 36° lens.
Dual slots for included Gobo frame and gel holder or optional iris.
Internal shutters for precise beam shaping.
Lightweight aluminum die-cast alloy construction.
Dual Junior/Baby mount.
Includes B size Gobos

Precision lenses reduce chromatic aberrations and fall off

The Spotlight uses newly developed lenses to minimize color fringing at the edges of the projected beam circle down to less than 1 mm at 0.5 m. The new high resolution optics give 10x the native light output when used with a 120 D Mark II. This is combined with minimal light fall off and a color shift of less than 200° Kelvin.

The dual mount system also enables the spotlight to be mounted easily on C stands in the field or under slung on the lighting grid in the studio. Below is a quick video from Newsshooter detailing the new Aputure Spotlight:

The Aputure Spotlight is available to pre-order (Adorama, B&H) with one of the three lenses for $ 499. The lenses are also available separately at $ 259 (Adorama, B&H), as is the optional iris at $ 99 (Adorama, B&H). The Aputure Spotlight and accessories are expected to ship mid-May.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Nissin MG80 Pro flash announced with command/slave modes, modeling light and more

07 May

On May 1, Nissin Digital unveiled its new MG80 Pro hot shoe flash with integrated Nissin Air System (NAS) radio commander and slave modes, support for multiple battery types, and a built-in color LCD. The GN60/83Ws flash packs a Quartz flash tube, heat-resistant head, 8W LED modelling light, removable Fresnel lens, and compatibility with both standard AA NiMH and Lithium-ion (Type 14500) batteries.

When used with four Li-ion Type 14500 batteries, the flash offers a 1.5s recycling time, which increases to 3.8s when used with four rechargeable AA batteries. Users can expect around 280 flashes when using four 650mAh Li-ion batteries, or around 320 flashes when using four 2450mAh rechargeable batteries.

The MG80 Pro supports TTL, manual control, and HSS, has a transmission range up to 100m (328ft), and a zoom mode covering focal length options from 24mm to 200mm. Other specs include a metal shoe with ring lock, tilt/swivel head, support for micro SD and SDHC cards for firmware updates, and a weight, without batteries, of 520g (18oz).

The flash will be available for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic and Olympus cameras. According to Flash Havoc, Nissin plans to release the MG80 Pro in ‘late May,’ but a price has not been revealed.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Review: The Aputure Amaran AL-MW LED light

11 Apr

Aputure Amaran AL-MW
$ 209 | aputure.com

The Aputure Amaran AL-MW is a small, single-color, continuous LED light that runs on battery power and can be set to 10 selectable output levels. It has high TLCI and CRI ratings for color accuracy, as well as a couple other features not usually found on a light at this price, such as special effects modes, while its small size of 117.5 x 43.5 x 32mm (4.6 x 1.7 x 1.25 in.) makes it ultra-portable.

When I learned about this light I was intrigued to see if it could solve a couple of issues for me. I was in need of a small light for product shots, video and stills. I didn’t need a huge output as it was going to be a fill or back light. I wanted something small, easy to control and battery powered. I also wanted a light that didn’t exhibit a loss of illumination level as the battery life faded, as some lights do. This can be really annoying, so I needed a light that just dies (with a warning beforehand) when the battery reaches a certain level. The Aputure Amaran AL-MW seemed to fit the bill.

Key features

Built in battery with USB-C charging
Up to 24 hours continuous operation (according to manufacturer)
10 selectable output levels
Five ‘special effects’ lighting modes
Included filters and diffusers
IP68 rated to 10m (30 ft.)
>95 CRI and TLCI ratings

One thing that’s unusual about this light is that it offers five lighting effects: lightning, fireworks, TV, a (faulty) light bulb and paparazzi. Usually if you need these effects on a shoot you have to employ some additional equipment, or someone waving a flag or reflector in front of the light. On top of that, the light is submersible to 10m (30 ft.), opening the door to some creative uses.

The light’s 110-element C.O.B (chip on board) structure is semi-random, avoiding the multiple shadows seen with some LED lights.

Uses

I’ve been using the AL-MW for shoots in a table top environment, mainly for product shots. It’s ideal for this as I can easily tuck it behind props or just place it on a table and use it as a back light. It doesn’t suffer from the multiple shadows that you can get on some LED lights due to its semi-random pattern and phosphor sheet, and this applies without any diffusion. It’s also equally at home lighting up a small backdrop. The stated CRI and TLCI figures (>95) mean that it’s also a suitable light to use in interviews as skin tones are correctly illuminated.

The Amaran AL-MW is small and versatile enough to be placed easily. I’ve been using it to help light tabletop product photos. Below, you can see the actual product shot from this simple lighting setup.

It’s also quite handy in some some light painting situations, thanks to its size and maneuverability, and I’ve also used it to fill in shadows when shooting stills. It’s a light that I gravitate towards using rather than one that I use only when required to do so.

The resulting image has a subtle tungsten back light effect shot together with an on-camera diffused flash.
ISO 1600 | 1/20 sec | F22 | Sony FE 24-105mm F4

Design

What strikes you on first opening the box is just how small the included carrying case is. When you open it you’re greeted with the light itself, which of course is even smaller.
Also included are a filter holder, three CTB filers, three CTO filters, two diffusers, a piece of 3M hook and loop tape and a USB-A to USB-C charging cable. Phew, that’s quite a few accessories packed in a small space.

The light has a very solid build with a single 1/4″ mount on the bottom and a membrane control panel on the top. The front face contains the 110-element C.O.B. (chip on board) emitters arranged in a semi random pattern. One thing the AL-MW is not is a variable color temperature light; any color adjustments have to be achieved with the included CTB and CTO gels together with the gel holder.

The top panel with membrane controls and status LEDs.

Variable output

Located on the top panel are 5 LED indicators showing battery level (green LEDs) and light level (blue). While the charge level indication only offers 20% increments, the light level goes up in 10% steps, with a blinking LED showing the in between percentages of 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90%.

I’m always slightly skeptical of manufacturers’ stated battery specifications, so I conducted various tests of charging and run times at different output levels and incorporated the results into the table below. Charging is done via the included USB-C cable (no charger is included) and I have found that it charges from flat to full in around 120 minutes.

Output Level (%)	Run Time (hours)
10	22:00*
20	11:48
30	8:36
40	6:45
50	5:09
60	3:51
70	2:57
80	2:15
90	1:46
100	1:25

*The manufacturer’s stated run time at 10% is 24+ hours, though I was never able to achieve this through multiple tests. I contacted Aputure and I was advised that the maximum run time can be dependent on ambient temperature.

I’ve been using it in a table top environment for product shots. It’s ideal for this as I can easily tuck it behind props or just place it on a table and use it as a back light.

What I discovered is that the relationship between battery readout and run time is not linear, and the indicators don’t accurately represent the remaining run time at the bottom end of the scale. The last 40% of indicated battery life runs out much more quickly than you might expect. If you see the 20% light illuminated then be prepared for the light to go out within about two minutes. If you get a flashing red light then you have less than one minute remaining, although these timings are dependent on the output level selected.

A boost button increases the maximum light output by 50%, however this is limited to a run time of 60 seconds, and it can only be used again after 40 seconds has elapsed. Though limited, this can be handy for planned slow motion shots. It’s also possible to use the light at up to 80% brightness while plugged in, although it’s limited to 40% when charging from flat. The ability to operate from internal battery or while charging from an external battery pack is useful as well.

The rear heat sink.

At full output this light gets quite hot. The case acts as a heat sink, with the back being full of fins, and it does its job very well. I measured the temperature to be in the region of around 47-52°C (116-125°F) at full output. Part of the reason for the limited run time of the boost function is to protect the battery from overheating.

This brings up another question: the manual states that the provided 3M hook and loop tape is supposed to be attached to the back of the light, but I saw a potential issue as a result of the heat. How long is it going to remain attached when using it at full output? Will the heat melt the adhesive? With this concern I decided to test things out. I need not have worried, with the light at full output and hung vertically on a smooth surface it remained stuck securely for the entire run time. However, it did peel away from the back of the light as I was removing it.

Additional features

The effectiveness of the light’s special effects settings are variable. In my opinion, the ‘faulty bulb’ mode is probably the best while the ‘TV’ mode is least effective. This mostly comes down to an inability to produce RGB colors and the rather digital nature of the effect. There’s only a little subtlety to the fade-in and fade-out of the light when it simulates illumination from a TV screen.

Placing the light under running cold water is a helpful way to cool it down after it’s been used at full output.

On the other hand, the cadence of the paparazzi effect is very good. However, due to the duration of the flashes you’ll still see rolling shutter artifacts on your videos. Maybe this is deliberate, but I’d rather have seen a slightly longer activation time to mimic flashes on film or CCD cameras.

Another string to its bow comes in the form of environmental sealing, waterproof to a claimed depth of 10m, which unfortunately I was unable to test. (Although submersing it in a plastic container to a depth of about 25cm did it no harm.) Placing it under running cold water is also a helpful way of cooling the light down after it’s been used at full output; just make sure you have the USB cover attached.

Included accessories

In addition to the light, you get 6 color correction gels in 1/4, 1/2 and full CTO and CTB. These are held in place with the supplied gel holder and can be stacked 2 deep. These aren’t quite true gels as they are in fact hard plastic, but that’s what Aputure call them.

The included gel set includes three CTOs, a diffuser and three CTBs.

Along with the color correction gels you also get a diffuser gel, as well as hard diffuser made from silicone rubber. The latter can be slipped over the gel holder or onto the light itself to provide an additional level of diffusion with a loss of 2.5 stops. It’s possible to use both diffusers and one of the color correction gels at the same time, although then there’s an even greater penalty in terms of light output.

The gel holder, which accommodates up to two gels at a time, employs clips at either end, though magnets might have been better.

Effectiveness

So, after all the figures and the impressions how does the AL-MW perform? Actually, really quite well. I’m a bit of a sucker for small things that punch above their weight and this product certainly belongs in that category.

It’s very convenient thanks to its size, and I find that I’m actually using it in my work quite a lot. It’s also very solidly built and feels able to take more than just the odd knock. However, its size also means that with the supplied accessories you can’t get a very diffuse light. Softness is directly related to the size of the diffuser (and distance from the subject). As a result its use as a soft key light is going to be limited.

Room for improvement?

I do have a concern that the gel holder attachment is more fragile than I would have liked, and it doesn’t instill confidence when attaching or removing it. I wish that Aputure had employed a magnetic attachment system rather that the clip-on one provided as failure of the clip is my key concern. Although, I should add that in 6 weeks of using and testing this light it hasn’t proven to be a weakness yet, so maybe I’m worrying unnecessarily.

I would also like to have some sort of barn door attachment to shape the light as the horizontal angle of the beam is around 160 degrees. Although it’s nice and even without the diffuser, I would like to have seen some way to sculpt the light without having to rely on 3rd party solutions or jury-rigging some black wrap.

The included silicon diffuser is effective, though its small size means it won’t produce diffuse enough light for some applications, such as using it as a soft key light.

As part of my wish list I’d love to see a version of this light that could be controlled remotely, which would allow for a couple set to different levels that could be ganged together.

Is it for you?

Due to its size this isn’t going to be your key light for full length interviews, although there are lots of situations where you will find yourself using it if it’s in your bag. It doesn’t take up a lot of room, the powering options free you from the wall and it can give you decent run time, especially if you combine it with an external USB battery.

While not a truly disruptive product, the Aputure AL-MW offers enough advantages in one package to be kept close at hand. It’s powerful for its size, small, rugged and great quality. It has found a place in my camera bag.

What we like

Small size
Output level and quality of light
USB-C charging
Range of included accessories
Environmental sealing
Case

What we don’t like

Gel Holder doesn’t inspire confidence
Effectiveness of special effects modes varies
Battery meter could reflect run time more accurately

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Real Estate Photography: Artificial Light versus Natural Light

05 Apr

The post Real Estate Photography: Artificial Light versus Natural Light appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nisha Ramroop.

This article is written by Nisha Ramroop and Ron Pepper.

Real estate interior photography can seem simple, but that impression can change when trying to capture a space that has big bright window views, and many areas of light and shadow inside. Often, it’s important to achieve balance amongst the bright and dark areas, whilst also capturing the view outside the window.

In this article, we’ll discuss shooting interiors using various lighting methods. These methods include using single and multiple Speedlight flashes, larger strobe lights, and using bracketed exposures for HDR.

Artificial lighting

Speedlight flash

The term ‘Speedlight’ refers to the kind of flash that can be connected to the camera’s hot shoe. These battery-powered flash units are very versatile and relatively inexpensive (often available used) because they can also be used off-camera. Nikon uses this term for this kind of flash, Canon uses the very similar ‘Speedlite’ and others might say ‘on-camera flash’ or other terms.

Using only a single Speedlight flash with your camera to light a room can be a good way to capture interiors quickly with minimal equipment. This does require some practice and a powerful Speedlight.

Usually, you want to retain detail in the brightest part of your room (either the view through the window or in a light fixture) and build your flash lighting around that.

To achieve this, you need to establish a base shot which exposes for the window view. If the window is the brightest area in the room, the rest of the room gets underexposed. Thus you need to light the underexposed areas of your room with your flash. Experiment with your flash at different power levels to equalize the light in the room. You can also use a light meter to measure the light being thrown in a particular area. This helps you adjust the flash output deliberately.

Lighting equipment enables you to fill areas of shadow to capture details in those dark areas. A powerful technique is to “Bounce” your Speedlight flash off a wall or ceiling to fill your areas of shadow more evenly.

Note: While bouncing flash softens the light before it hits your subject and gives you non-directional light, you can use it to supplement any directional light, so that the shadows from your natural light source make sense.

Keep in mind the following technical details, when finding the perfect balance using flash:

Your shutter speed does not affect the flash settings – it only affects the ambient light in your room (ambient light refers to any continuous light sources in the room. For example, sun or lamps). If you slow your shutter speed, it raises all the ambient light levels, which means it also affects the view out of your window.
The aperture affects both the flash and ambient light because a smaller aperture reduces the amount of all light that passes through the lens.
ISO also affects both flash and ambient light. It does this by altering the camera’s sensitivity to light.

Pros

Image almost finished in-camera, very little post-processing
Enables you to have creative control over the final image
Allows you to choose your best angle/composition early in the process and light for that specifically
You don’t need a tripod
Less camera equipment needed

Cons

Depending on the room, you may need more than one flash/light
These smaller flashes produce more “hard” light when fired directly into the scene
Some expertise is required. If done incorrectly, you may end up with inconsistent shadows to your natural light source or appear unnatural/fake
Your exterior needs to be correctly metered to your camera’s flash sync speed
Cost and management of batteries

Note: Using only one speed light can be tricky to achieve balanced light when window sources are large with bright sunlight.

Using multiple Speedlights with a remote trigger

Using multiple Speedlights on stands with a remote trigger can be handy when shooting larger spaces with overbearing natural light sources coming through the window. In some cases, you may need between two and four Speedlights to allow for enough internal light to equalize strong external window light – especially if shooting with direct sun outside the window. Shooting with multiple flashes allows you to get the right shot with a single image, rather than having to use bracketed exposures.

Pros

Allows fine control over the interior lighting
It allows you to light more dark areas
You can set each individual flash unit’s exposure to your needs
No need for a tripod

Cons

Relatively complex set-up normally requiring an experienced photographer
Carrying needed equipment can be challenging
Multiple points of (battery) failure
Need to set flashes so they are not in the shot
While no tripod is needed, multiple light stands are needed

Strobe lights

Here a ‘strobe’ refers to larger, more powerful lights. Modern strobes are powered by batteries. In the past (and lower-end current strobes), strobes needed to be plugged into electrical power or large battery packs.

Strobe Lights can be great to use for interior real estate photography, particularly if there is a large window light source. The greater power brings flexibility. For instance, adding a light modifier makes the light softer, avoiding harsh shadows that happen with smaller flashes.

Set your strobe light/s for the darker areas of the room. Depending on your shooting angle, you could set the strobe behind your camera line and bounce flash off the wall or ceiling above or behind you to fill any shadows in front of you.

Pros

A larger light source means softer, more attractive light
Full control over lighting
Tripod optional
Light is white and clean
Can solve color cast

Cons

Equipment is heavy to carry
Expensive compared to Speedlights
Can be hard to set up in small spaces
May need to be plugged in if not a higher-end battery-powered strobe

Natural or available light

There is an alternative to using artificial lighting to capture a room with bright and dark areas. Perhaps using Speedlights or strobes isn’t possible because the photographer doesn’t have this equipment, doesn’t know how to use it, or simply prefers the technique below.

We face the same challenge that the camera can see either the bright area, or the dark area, but not both. This can be solved, not by adding light, but by adding more exposures from the camera.

High Dynamic Range (HDR)

When using natural light for real estate interiors, there is some level of post-processing involved. One of the most common processing techniques used is High Dynamic Range (HDR) processing. The HDR technique means that you’ll take bracketed exposures using the camera, then they are combined using HDR software.

1. Bracketing exposures

So where do you start to capture the dynamic range of your interior (what your eyes see)? Since you may be working with a scene of high contrast, start with a process called “Exposure Bracketing.”

Exposure Bracketing is where you take (a minimum) of three identically composed images at different exposures. The first image uses the settings recommended by the camera. Then one or more images are intentionally overexposed, and one or more get deliberately underexposed.

One of the challenges with getting that first image (where the camera recommends settings for as properly exposed) is that the camera can choose the shutter speed based on the bright window light. This selection can leave the rest of the image too underexposed. A good solution for this underexposure is to lock your exposure on an area that is neither too bright nor too dark and use that as your baseline shot. When taking bracketed images indoors, use a tripod. Keep your aperture constant, ISO low, and vary your shutter speeds to achieve your different exposures.

Most DSLR cameras now have built-in bracketing called “Automatic Exposure Bracketing” (AEB), making it an easy, one-click process. If you are unfamiliar with this term, your camera manual is an excellent source for learning about this cool feature, and videos showing how to set AEB on many popular cameras are here.

If you are familiar with AEB, go ahead and set the exposure compensation values to plus and minus 2 EV (+/-2EV) or the maximum exposure increment (EV spacing) your camera allows. Your camera display should now show three exposure markers: one underexposed by 2-stops (-2EV), one correctly exposed (0), and one overexposed by 2-stops (+2EV). These represent the three shots that the camera takes.

Important note: The example above is for a three-shot HDR image. If your camera is capable of taking more pictures for HDR merging (some take 5 or 7), you can use the maximum number of shots available to you.

Put your camera into its Continuous Shooting Mode, compose your image and take your shots. Minimizing shake is highly recommended, so use a remote shutter release or timer where possible. Your bracketed images are now ready for the next step.

2. HDR software

As expressed previously, combining these bracketed images ensures you get a properly exposed image. This method is especially useful when you have challenging lighting situations and is a popular processing method for real estate photographers. Photomatix Pro is one of the top software used by professionals for the merging process.

One of the unspoken rules of real estate photography is that the vertical lines must, well, be vertical. Also, the horizon must be level. This is easy to achieve by leveling the camera. However, if you find that the image isn’t quite level, The Finishing Touch Panel in Photomatix Pro allows you to correct perspective issues with ease.

Benefits of using this method:

Easy to learn shooting technique
Fast shooting with a little practice
Minimal equipment needed (camera/lens and tripod,)
Natural shadows
No heavy equipment to lug around/set up
Some flexibility with composition
Great for shooting virtually any space
Compact gear — photographer can pick up tripod/camera and put it down for next shot

Challenges

Shooting angles may be limited, to avoid flare, etc.
Color cast happens more compared to using artificial light
Post-processing required
Memory needed to save the bracketed photos
A tripod is required

Conclusion

As noted, there are pros and cons to each lighting method when photographing real estate interiors. When deciding which method is best for you, consider the needs of the shoot you are undertaking.

If you are a beginner, it is also good practice to experiment first with natural light. Doing so helps you understand how light works before you move on to adding artificial light to your room.

If you are comfortable adding light, remember to keep it soft and be aware of your light direction at all times. If you are shooting with available light, master your processing techniques. Use HDR software such as Photomatix Pro to combine your Exposure Bracketed photos and achieve a nice exposure balance.

No matter what technique you use, some key things to remember are: show details, balance your well-lit areas against those in the shadows and show the space in the most flattering way – just as you see it as you walk in the room.

Disclaimer: HDR Soft is a paid partner of DPS.

The post Real Estate Photography: Artificial Light versus Natural Light appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nisha Ramroop.

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Posts Tagged ‘Light’

Before we begin

Process first

How to enhance the light beam

Connect the dots

Add a Brightness Adjustment Layer

Feather the mask

Create multiple masks

Fine adjustments

Let’s recap

What is natural lighting?

Two types of natural lighting

Direct light

Diffused light

What about artificial lighting?

When to use natural light for food photography

When you may not want to use natural light

In Conclusion

Normal use

Versatility

Options

1. As a normal light

2. As a prop

3. As ambient fill

4. As a compositional device

5. Dragging the shutter

That’s it

1. Lighting

a. Golden Hour light

b. Soft morning light

c. Harsh midday sunlight

d. Overcast light/diffused light

e. Backlighting/open shade lighting

2. Scenery or background

3. Details

4. Camera settings

5. Consistency in photography and editing styles

What is a Photoshop Action?

Create the action

How to use your action

Tips

In conclusion

1. Gear choices

This is my typical kit for most travel adventures

2. Organize and plan your trip

3. Know your gear

4. Be local and think like a local

5. Make friends with local photographers

Conclusion

Key features

Aputure Amaran AL-MW$ 209 | aputure.com

Key features

Uses

Design

Variable output

Additional features

Included accessories

Effectiveness

Room for improvement?

Is it for you?

What we like

What we don’t like

Artificial lighting

Speedlight flash

Pros

Cons

Using multiple Speedlights with a remote trigger

Pros

Cons

Strobe lights

Pros

Cons

Natural or available light

High Dynamic Range (HDR)

1. Bracketing exposures

2. HDR software

Benefits of using this method:

Challenges

Conclusion

Aputure Amaran AL-MW
$ 209 | aputure.com