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Weekly Photography Challenge – Mistakes

22 Aug

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

A bit of a departure this week! We want to see your mistakes, we all make them, we learn from them (or we don’t, I mean… who knew my kids were that fast on scooters!)

Love them or hate them, mistakes are a part of learning. I could have used a different focus mode here, I could have been more prepared for when master 6 came towards me and I missed him with my focus point, but I wasn’t ready and I missed the shot and there was no way he was going back to do it again! Moving on.

9 Solutions for common camera mistakes beginners make
Photo Mistakes! Learning from a Photo Autopsy
7 Mistakes beginner photographers make the camera can’t be blamed for

Dig through your photos and find something that you remember as a mistake, here’s another of mine from a few years ago now, I was in Cuba, somewhere I likely won’t get to go back to, and I’d recently purchased a 50mm f/1.4 and was still in that “Whoa! Everything looks amazing at 1.4!” …I misfocused when I built up the courage to ask this chap if I could make an image, I got the tip of his nose nice and sharp, but missed his eyes… It made me slow down a little and make sure I had the focus point in the right place. As long as we learn from our mistakes, they can be a valuable tool!

Great! Where do I upload my photos?

Simply upload your shot into the comments field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see. Or, if you’d prefer, upload them to your favourite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. We’re interested to see how you revisit the images that you’ve taken before now in this re-edit challenge!

Weekly Photography Challenge – Looking Up

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

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

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPSMistakes to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

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

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Slideshow: Winners and finalists for the 2020 Minimalist Photography Awards

21 Aug

Winners and finalists for the 2020 Minimalist Photography Awards

Powered by B&W Minimalism magazine, the 2nd annual Minimalist Photography Awards recently announced its winners for 2020. Over 4,200 photos from 41 countries were submitted across 12 categories including Street, Photomanipulation, Conceptual, and Aerial. Australian photographer George Byrne won the title of Minimalist Photographer of the Year for his series ‘Exit Vision’ – though 2 of the images ended up in 2nd place for the Abstract and Fine Art categories, respectively.

‘As an approach in photography, minimalism or minimalistic photography could be taken by the photographer in all genres. No matter your are a portrait, architecture, landscape etc. photographer, minimalist photos are always an option as long as you have a minimal look toward your surroundings,’ said Milad Safabakhsh, founder and president of the awards. First, second, and third place winners in each category will be published in a book and exhibited at Galerie Minimal Berlin when it reopens.

All category winners and honorable mentions can be viewed here.

1st Place Winner, Abstract Photographer of the Year: ‘Abstract Series One’ by Stanislas Augris

Artist Statement: I’m Stanislas Augris. French musician and photographer. I’m from the Parisian suburb so part of my photographic work is to focus on the geometric shape, patterns and palette color of the urban environment, my daily environment. The aim is sometime to render an abstract picture of flat tints of colors and so create an artwork that decorrelate the form and the substance. Photography allows me to keep my eyes open to the world and to those everyday places, those in-between places.

I think either for architecture photography or for the rest of my photographic work (landscape and street photography) the main world is to keep it minimalistic and graphic. Trying to find simple lines, curves and play with foreground and background to create new shapes is really something that matters for me.

2nd Place Winner, Fine Art: ’71st St. Miami’ by George Byrne

Artist Statement: This image is from a recent series of mine called Exit Vision. It is a photo-collage, constructed from elements pulled from multiple locations. Shot on medium format film in Miami. For the ‘Exit Vision’ series, I would look for ready-made vignettes of color and form in the built world around me, and then try and repurpose or reinvent them. By embracing the process of photo-assemblage or collage, these photographs have become creations as much as they are observations.

Honorable Mention, Open Theme: ‘The Square’ by John Andreas Godwin

Artist Statement: Coming back to this geometric shape as the landscape surrounding it changes. [Taken in] Akersberga, Sweden.

3rd Place Winner, Aerial: ‘Salt Shapes’ by Kevin Krautgartner

Artist Statement: Salt evaporation ponds, also called salterns, are shallow artificial ponds designed to extract salts from sea water. To make its sea salt, many companies in Australia are using a method called ‘solar evaporation.’ Solar salt is produced by the action of sun and wind on seawater in large ponds. The seawater evaporates in successive ponds until the seawater is fully concentrated and the salt then crystallizes on the floor of the pond.

Due to variable algal concentrations, vivid colors, from bright blue to deep red, are created in the evaporation ponds. The color indicates the salinity of the ponds. This photo was taken from a small plane with the doors removed.

Honorable Mention, Landscape: ‘Whipped Cream Iceburg’ by Geffrard Bourke

Artist Statement: An iceberg resembling whipped cream in the ocean off the coast of Greenland.

1st Place Winner, Photomanipulation Photographer of the Year: ‘Yellow Stairs’ by George Byrne

Artist Statement: This image is from an ongoing series of mine called Exit Vision. It is a photo-collage, constructed from elements from multiple locations. Shot on medium format film. For this series, I would look for ready-made vignettes of color and form in the built world around me, and then try and repurpose or reinvent them. By embracing the process of photo-assemblage or collage, these photographs have become creations as much as they are observations.

2nd Place Winner, Architecture: ‘Oqaatsut Home’ by John Kosmopoulos

Artist Statement: Oqaatsut is a small Greenlandic town north of Ilulissat in Eastern Disko Bay. As the sun drenched and warmed the colorful homes and rocky landscape, it revealed clues of what life must be like there: a close but isolated community where the spirits of icebergs come and go in the distance.

I wanted to convey the feeling of the town by using minimalist compositions and creative framing to provide portraits of life in Greenland. Most of the citizens were indoors, but one citizen overlooked our whereabouts while children played a game and chanted a song that echoed through the town.

Honorable Mention, Long Exposure: ‘Ariake’ by Ulana Switucha

Artist Statement: From a series on Japanese Torii gates.

1st Place Winner, Portrait Photographer Of The Year: ‘Selfhood’ by Vicky Martin

Artist Statement: The series ‘Selfhood’ is in part inspired by the proverb ‘the eyes are the window to the soul’ and a desire to challenge the need to see the eyes within a portrait. The intention in each portrait is to create a character and a narrative and encourage an empathy without the visual stimulation of the eyes.

The conscious composition of each image gives the character a foundation in reality whilst combining fantastical creative elements to challenge the viewer’s preconceptions surrounding the connotations of each individual outfit and distinctive concealment of the eyes.

The viewer is inspired to make their own inferences about the subject’s persona and circumstance by drawing on personal connections and interpretations to each image, whether these be from memory or culture. Therefore each portrait in the series can take on a number of different identities depending on links made by the viewer to their own experiences and opinions.

3rd Place Winner, Conceptual: ‘Alabula (Colorful)’ by Mehrdad Fathi

Artist Statement: Mircea Eliade (philosopher and historian) says about the creation of universe: Creating the universe is considered to be a prototype for any type of building. Every city and every new home that they establish, it is a brand new imitation of the creation of universe, in other words, means of repeating the creation of the universe.

1st Place Winner, Night Photographer of the Year: ‘Decay by Night’ by Rachel Warne

Artist Statement: Decay by Night is a continuation of Rachel Warne’s fascination with the beauty of decay. Rachel has embarked on several personal photographic projects such as ‘Faded Glory’ exhibited at the Garden Museum, London in 2015 and ‘The Beauty of Decay’ – a collaboration with floral installation artist Rebecca Louise Law, touring several countries during 2017.

The idea of ‘Decay by Night’ seems like a natural progression for Rachel whom is drawn to decay and rebirth within the botanical world. By shooting flora at night she will be able to capture the transitional process which naturally occurs throughout the night, but rarely seen. Giving quite a different interpretation to their form as seen in day light.

Rachel shoot the flora in the dead of winter, once darkness falls. The plant portraits were be lit by one small portable continuous light to emulate the moon. Rachel wanted to explore how flora appears in the shadows creating its own ethereal beauty. Ghostly an enigmatic with a hint of gothic.

Winter is the perfect time to photograph the flora before the dormant season ends.

Shot at the Millennium gardens Deigned By Piet Oudolf at Pensthorpe in Norfolk. Pensthorpe seemed to be the most poignant naturalist garden in England to work from. Especially with Piet’s piquancy with the beauty of decay too.

1st Place Winner, Street Photographer of the Year: ‘Coronavirus Confinement’ by Santiago Martinez de Septien

Artist Statement: Millions of children in Spain, stuck at home since the authorities implemented a nationwide lockdown in mid-March, have been unable to exercise outside, take a short walk around their block, go with their parents to the supermarket or leave their house except for medical reasons. Such measures, the strictest in Europe, have left countless children bored, exhausted and sometimes depressed.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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5 Ways to Diversify Your Photography Business

20 Aug

The post 5 Ways to Diversify Your Photography Business appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta.

Photography is an incredible art form that really gets your creative juices flowing. There are so many elements to making a great image, and the beauty of it is that so much of photography is really subjective.

Sure, there are some technical requirements that you might need to pay attention to. But these days, even those are somewhat relaxed in the name of art.

That said, there are a lot of things that you need to consider and pay attention to if you want to make photography your full-time career, or even make a living out of creating images. It is hard to start out and get consistent work in a sea of photographers. The fact that there is really a low barrier to entry in terms of starter gear results in a lot of competition. Plus, much of photography education online is free (or almost free), so there is nothing you cannot learn about photography on your own, right?

Diversify Your Photo Business Karthika Gupta

Being able to call yourself a full-time photographer and being able to make a living out of photography is not that easy. Markets are constantly changing; customer tastes are evolving and prices for good photography are also shifting. Unfortunately, you will always find someone who is willing to do a job for less money. That is a reality, not only for photography, but for almost any business out there.

Luckily, it is not all doom and gloom when it comes to making a living from your photography. The smart thing to do is to diversify your photography business and create multiple streams of income; that way, when one area is slow, the others more than compensate in terms of monetary benefits you can derive from this art form.

Here are five ways you can diversify your photography business:

1. Shoot different genres

I know that many photographers promote picking one genre and sticking to it. There definitely is an advantage in honing your skills and perfecting them. But I have never been one to follow that rule. I tend to get bored easily and, when I was just starting out, I did not know what I wanted to specialize in.

I tried to photograph everything I could as a way to practice using my camera as well as a way of figuring out what I wanted to do long term. When I first started my photography business, I photographed children and families. Then I moved into photographing weddings. That quickly changed to more travel and lifestyle photography and, somewhere along the way, small business branding came into play.

Now I focus on travel, lifestyle, and business editorial visual content creation. While you might think this is a crazy trajectory, I try to focus on all the soft skills I picked up during each of these phases: dealing with different types of clients, working with different kinds of lighting, and even creating different types of visual content. And I found that this really helped when it came time to diversify my photography business.

2. Teach or mentor other photographers

Once you have been around the block a few times, you realize that you have learned a lot from all your experiences. This holds true for life as well as photography, doesn’t it? If you find yourself constantly in the position of talking to other photographers who are asking for advice on how to do certain things or how to manage a photography business, perhaps it is time to officially start teaching and mentoring newer photographers.

But I have to warn you: This has to come from a place of genuinely wanting to help and teach others. Don’t just use this privilege as a way to make money. We photographers know when we are being taken for a ride, right? Being someone’s mentor or teacher is a huge responsibility, and you need to be willing to give more than you take.

3. Write photography-related articles

This is, by far, one of my favorite ways to diversify my photography business. I started writing articles for Digital Photography School in 2013, and I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity this community has given me to connect, share, and be a part of an awesome group of people who all have a common love for this art form. This has also led to more writing work, as well as more clients, so I see this as a win-win from all sides.

Now, just to set the record straight:

When you first exploring writing photography articles, be prepared to maybe do some pro-bono work. As more and more photographers are getting into writing and teaching, there is a lot of supply. Consider this exercise very similar to your initial portfolio-building experience.

4. Shoot and sell stock

I admit that this was not on my mind at first. But the more I started speaking to my friends about how they are maintaining their photography business, the more intrigued I became by stock photography.

I started shooting images for stock and found that it was a lot of work. So instead, I started adding stock imagery as one of the line items in each of my shoots (client and personal). I was creating work for my clients, anyway; why not spend some time after the shoot creating some images that can be added to my stock portfolio?

I also shoot scenarios specifically for some of my stock clients if and when I am assigned that job.

5. Sell physical products

I started doing this when I was actively photographing weddings and families. I resisted the temptation to simply copy all images onto a disk or add to an online gallery and give my clients all the images. I found that most of the clients I served were overwhelmed with 50+ images from a session.

Instead, I started an in-person-sales process, where clients would get to see their images and choose images/prints and products. This increased my average sales per shoot and added more revenue to my bottom line.

Conclusion

I have been a professional photographer for the past 10 years and, if I have learned anything this last decade, it is that we have to be nimble and flexible in how we navigate the small business entrepreneur path. What worked five years ago is definitely not going to work today.

For that matter, what worked last year may not work this year. So take it in your stride and actively work on diversifying your photography business.

Not all of these options might be appropriate for you. But if you can even take one of these suggestions and make it your own, you might be less stressed when the slow season comes along and your bills keep piling up.

The post 5 Ways to Diversify Your Photography Business appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta.

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Macro Photography for Beginners

18 Aug

The post Macro Photography for Beginners appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Barrie Smith.

The advent of digital photography swept away one of the most challenging problems in image capture: how to shoot macro without a pile of specialised gear. Now you can get down, dirty, and close in the image capture business, and make macro the digital way with a 100 percent success rate.

ngeblues by Alfian Ismail on 500px.com

I know I’m not alone when I say that macro photography is an absorbing activity: to be able to reach into ‘near space’ and record an image that is not easily visible to the naked eye is an attractive option. There is nothing more satisfying than to make a huge print of an insect, mineral specimen, or any small object that is normally so tiny to the naked eye and captured with the technique of macro photography.

To shoot macro in the days of film — aside from the requirement of using an SLR camera — you needed a few add-ons to take highly magnified images of extremely small subjects.

You could begin by slipping a diopter lens to the front of the existing standard lens, which would impart a degree of magnification; you could also install extension tubes between your normal lens and the camera body; you could also acquire a set of macro bellows and place them between lens and body; and finally, you could invest in a fairly expensive — and optically superb — macro lens that was dedicated to macro shooting. Another option was to fit a reversing ring that allowed you to mount the lens on backward, which improved the close-up resolution and allowed you to focus much more closely. But to be honest, it was a hassle — although you can still use these methods if using a DSLR to shoot macro.

These days, digital does it with a dash! With a digital camera — compact, mirrorless, or DSLR — even newbies are surprised by how easy it is to capture really, really big shots of tiny subjects.

In truth, you can make digital macro photography as basic or as complex as you wish it to be. Even with a budget camera, you can capture images of the tiny world before you, subjects as small as a matchbox, a match-head, or even tinier. The higher-priced compact digital cameras can do it even better, some offering macro shooting with a powerful zoom lens, so you can stand back a bit.

The other approach is to use a DSLR or a mirrorless model; it is surprising how powerful a macro camera circa-$ 1200 USD can become.

Image by macropoulos

What is macro photography?

First, an explanatory note for all those with a modicum of photo history and tech basics: the term macro used to refer to the capture of an insect or whatever that resulted in an image on the 35mm film frame (24x36mm) that ranged from 1:10 to 1:1 the size of the original subject. The term micro referred to a film image that was larger than 1:1; micro photography could easily give you a 35mm film image of an ant that was itself larger than the original ant.

A CCD or CMOS sensor can be as tiny as 3x4mm, so any definition term that applied in the film days is now obsolete. But the rules that apply in accomplishing successful and satisfying macro photography still stand.

Normal photography works in using a camera to record a sharp image by adjusting the lens-to-sensor distance to attain precise focus. For distant subjects at infinity, like landscapes, the lens is positioned at a minimum lens-to-sensor distance; to capture sharp images of closer subjects, like people, the lens-to-sensor is increased.

In macro photography, a sharp image of a tiny object requires the lens to be positioned much closer still, with the lens moved even further out than for normal photography.

Just about all compact cameras and some DSLRs have a selectable macro mode. In some cameras you can select the macro mode via an external control, while in others you must select it in the internal menu.

Think about it: no extra lenses, no macro tubes or bellows, no special lenses. What a wonderful world in which to shoot macro!

Image by macropoulos

Tips for macro photography beginners

Being curious about how digital cameras can capture macro so easily, I investigated the subject. Here are my findings, gained by chatting to the tech expert at a major camera company.

Engage macro mode on a digital camera, and the system adjusts the lens elements to re-arrange them into an array that best suits close focusing. Quite a feat, as even simple camera lenses have a surprising number of lens elements to juggle.

Unfortunately, by engaging macro mode with the vast majority of cameras, you lose control of both the lens aperture (f-stop) and shutter speed.

Why is this so important?

The best macro photography — regardless of camera — requires that you use the smallest lens aperture to gain optimum image sharpness and depth of field. Using a small lens aperture means you need more light, so you need to extend the exposure time to make a correctly exposed photograph.

So you can’t reduce the lens aperture to a smaller, more favorable setting, nor can you slow the shutter speed to permit the use of a smaller lens aperture.

For the keen macro makers, I’ve discovered a few digital cameras that do allow the use of macro mode and lens and shutter speed adjustment.

With DSLR cameras, the macro operation is somewhat different. Select a macro mode and you activate a different chain of events: With any lens fixed to the camera, engaging macro mode on the camera commands the lens aperture to close to its minimum, therefore extending the depth of field and allowing you to move closer to the subject.

Shooting macro with a compact camera is easy, but you have to forgo a fair bit of control, and you need to understand that the demands of an amateur as far as resolution and color quality are less stringent than the pros.

The pro approach would be to use a purpose-built macro lens on a DSLR or mirrorless camera. Dedicated macro lenses are not cheap, but they are optimized to operate at closer than normal distances. With macro lenses, you are unlikely to experience problems such as color fringing and optical distortion; many macro lenses also compensate for the additional exposure necessary when racking out the lens to distances very different from those used in normal photography.

Read the second part of this series here: Macro Photography for Beginners, Part 2.

Image by ecstaticist

The post Macro Photography for Beginners appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Barrie Smith.

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How to do Long Exposure Photography and Light Trails at Night

16 Aug

The post How to do Long Exposure Photography and Light Trails at Night appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Barry J Brady.

Gastown light trails, Vancouver, Canada

Before I understood how photography worked, I was always intrigued by light trails in images. I never understood how that happened. When I began to study photography, one of the first assignments I did was an advanced course on night photography. I decided I would try and capture some light trails.

I set up my camera, made sure the settings were correct and waited. A few cars went past, but my timing was off and the shots were not great. I continued to wait. After about an hour of trying and experimenting, I got the shot I was looking for. It was like magic to me.

The car was not in the shot but the lights seemed to float in mid-air. I was hooked. This was something that had mystified me for a long time, yet I had managed to get it right. What was so mesmerizing for me was that the image I saw on my LCD screen was not what I saw in real life. The camera had managed to capture a scene that my eyes could not capture in the same way. This seemed amazing to me.

I soon realized that the camera was able to “see” things differently compared to the way my eyes saw them. I spent many nights trying to capture light trails in various locations. I was also doing lots of reading and research and came across a technique called long exposure.

This too was amazing. It had the ability to alter a scene in such a way that it looked totally different to the way our eyes normally see it. Again I was hooked; to this day, long exposures and light trails are some of my favorite techniques in photography.

Long exposure photography and light trails have similar techniques; it is the subject matter that differs. So I will discuss each technique separately, and tell you how to get the best results in both.

How to do long exposure photography

Shooting long exposures effectively requires that you should be shooting in Manual mode as much as possible. If you are not sure how to shoot in Manual, take a look at “Getting Off Auto – Manual, Aperture and Shutter Priority Modes Explained to learn more about these modes. To be able to get sharp and effective long exposure images, here is a checklist of items you will need.

1. What equipment is needed to shoot long exposures?

A tripod – this is a good piece of equipment to have in most instances, but is a critical piece of equipment for shooting long exposures. Make sure your camera is properly mounted onto the tripod before you start shooting.
A camera – obviously you will need a camera, but many people assume you can only do this type of photography with an SLR. Some advanced point-and-shoot cameras can also do long exposures if they have a Shutter Priority function. Take a look in your camera’s manual to see if it has this function; you may be surprised.
Cable release – your camera will be on a tripod, so it should be very still. However, sometimes the action of pressing the shutter release button can cause the camera to move slightly and this movement can cause your image to blur very slightly. You may not notice this on the LCD screen, but when you open the image on your computer, it will be evident. I recommend getting a cable release (also called a remote trigger). It is simply a cable that attaches to your camera and acts as a shutter release button. Using a cable release means you can set up your camera, step away from the tripod, and press the button without touching the camera. Cable releases can be wireless too. If you don’t have a cable release or don’t want to buy one, you could use your camera’s self-timer function to trigger the shutter.
Warm clothes and comfortable shoes – depending on where you live, and depending on the time of year you plan to be shooting, you may need to dress warmly. Long exposures work well after dark and it may get cold, so be sure to wear warm clothes. Be sure that you have comfortable footwear, too, as you may be standing for a few hours.

2. What subjects are best for long exposure photography?

Long exposures work well for certain types of subjects like seascapes, landscapes, and cityscapes. The key to getting a successful long exposure image is to have something in your image that is perfectly still and something that is moving. Water, clouds, and trees blowing in the wind all work well if the rest of the scene is stationary. This difference between the elements in the scene will create drama, and will add significant value to your image. The viewer will be seeing something that cannot be seen with the naked eye.

The reason why long exposure images are so compelling is that they warp time. Water looks like a soft mist, trees look like a dull blur, and clouds become long and streaky. This is what makes a familiar scene more compelling.

Long exposure scene in Vancouver, Canada

3. What camera settings should be used?

Long exposures are ideally shot in Manual mode. If you are not sure how to shoot in Manual mode, you can use one of the other semi-manual modes such as Aperture priority or Shutter priority. Here are some quick pointers on the settings:

Shutter speed – depending on the light in your scene, your shutter time will need to be at least 10 to 15 seconds, or longer if necessary. If you are doing a seascape and the water is moving quickly, then a few seconds may be long enough to make the water look misty.
Aperture – you will want to have your aperture set at anywhere between f/8 and f/16. This will be determined by how much light is in the scene and how long you want to expose for.
ISO – keep your ISO settings as low as possible. ISO 100 is what I use for long exposures.

4. When is the best time of day to shoot long exposures?

It’s normally a good idea to shoot long exposures as the sun is setting, or just after sunset. My suggestion is to be on the scene an hour before sunset. That way you can test some shots, make sure your composition is good, and be sure all your settings are correct. Then wait.

I will sometimes simply sit there and enjoy the scene; other times I may listen to some music. But I like to be relaxed and ready for when the light starts to work. Normally you will want to start shooting about 15 minutes before the sun has completely set and up to an hour after it is below the horizon. The important part is to be willing to experiment.

Each time you decide to shoot long exposures will be a little different. The light may be brighter than you think, the sunset may not be as dramatic as you hoped, or the shot may not be just as you imagined. Be patient and experiment. I will sometimes go back to a location two or three times to try and get the shot I am looking for. Once I have it, though, the sense of reward is fantastic, and the patience and effort are paid off!

Long exposure of Science World in Vancouver

How to shoot light trails

Much of the advice for shooting light trails is very similar to the tips above. The key difference is in the timing and location of your shoot.

1. What equipment is needed to shoot light trails?

Same as above

2. What subjects are best for light trails?

For light trails to work, you need to have something with lights moving through your scene. A car, a bus, a train, and even an aircraft can work. Be sure to be out of the direction of the vehicle you are photographing. Please do not stand in the middle of the road, or on train tracks. Position yourself in a safe place to make this work. Always be aware of your surroundings. It is easy to become immersed in what you are shooting and lose sight of where you are standing. Be safe, first and foremost!

A moving bus in the scene made this shot more dynamic

3. What camera settings should be used?

Light trails, like long exposures, are ideally shot in Manual mode.

Shutter speed – depending on the light in your scene, your shutter time will need to be at least 10 to 15 seconds, or longer if necessary. Make sure that your shutter speed is long enough to capture longish light trails. You don’t want to cut them off too soon as you will have some short trails in your image that may look strange.
Aperture – you will want to have your aperture set at anywhere between f/5 and f/11. This will be determined by how much light is in the scene and how long you want the exposure.
ISO – keep your ISO settings as low as possible; ISO 100 is what I use for light trails. If your ISO is set to 500 or higher, your exposure will be shorter and you run the risk of overexposing the highlights, especially when shooting car headlights.

4. When is the best time of day to shoot light trails?

Light trails can be shot in the early evening, or after the sun has set. Each scene will be different, but sometimes it is too light to get effective light trails just after sunset. You may need to wait until 30 minutes after the sun has set to get longer light trails.

The important part, once again, is to be willing to experiment. Try different times after sunset and see what works for you. Spend time behind your camera perfecting your timing. Scout locations during the day that you will think will work for light trails and then go and try it out.

Steam Clock in Gastown, light trails on the road

Photographing after dark can be very rewarding. It is worth the effort to learn how to use these techniques to bring new images into your portfolio, and to have new skills which will enable you to shoot under any lighting conditions. Experiment and enjoy it! Happy shooting.

The post How to do Long Exposure Photography and Light Trails at Night appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Barry J Brady.

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Weekly Photography Challenge – Looking Up

15 Aug

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

This week we’re going to go with ‘Looking up’ and yes, you could spin that more than one way! Things are looking up, or looking up, as in pointing straight up (or near enough) with your camera! What will you choose and how will you portray your choice?

Or maybe ‘looking up’ along a city street (I nearly said ‘busy city street’ but we certainly have less of those right now!) Maybe ‘looking up’ could be your positive frame of mind on the current state of the world, etc? How will you depict that?

If you’re in isolation at home, maybe this article will help to give you some ideas, work on a theme of ‘looking up in or around your house’ We’ll share some as we go, through the week, in the Facebook group and on our Instagram

Great! Where do I upload my photos?

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see. Or, if you’d prefer, upload them to your favourite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. We’re interested to see how you revisit the images that you’ve taken before now in this re-edit challenge!

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

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

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPSLookingUp to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

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

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5 Creative Uses for a Fisheye Lens in Photography

14 Aug

The post 5 Creative Uses for a Fisheye Lens in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

The search for that unique angle that sets your photography apart from the rest is a common aspiration for most photographers. In today’s article, you’ll learn creative uses for a fisheye lens that will give your photos the wow factor.

A fisheye lens is a unique lens with niche qualities that set it apart from other kinds of lenses. Read on and discover what you can do with this type of lens.

Kinetic light painting is one of the examples of creative uses for a fisheye lens.

What is a fisheye lens?

A fisheye lens is essentially a super wide-angle lens. However, it has more properties than this. This type of lens will cause distortion in your photo which, when correctly applied to your image, will enhance the photo. One of the key characteristics of this lens is the curved shape of the optic at the front of the lens. This means that you won’t be able to use a regular lens cap for this lens. It’s possible to get a fisheye as a prime lens or a zoom lens.

Prime lens: The majority of fisheye lenses are prime lenses. They come with a typical aperture of f/2.8 and a focal length of 8mm or 15mm, depending on whether you have a full-frame sensor or a crop sensor camera.
Zoom lens: Zoom lens fisheyes have a smaller aperture at f/4, but allow you to change the focal length. This can give you even more creative options, as at the widest focal length your photo will be circular with a black frame.

1. Create distortion on the horizon line

One of the obvious creative uses for a fisheye lens is to create distortion on the horizon line. You can use the lens to make the horizon line curve upward or downward.

In order to make the horizon line bend downward, you’ll need to aim the camera down toward the ground. This means a large portion of the photo will feature the ground, so make sure the foreground contains enough interest to do that.

Then, as you may have guessed:

To make the horizon line bend upward, you’ll need to aim the camera up and toward the sky. If you’re aiming at the sky, try to do this when the sky is dramatic as it will fill the frame.

2. Use a fisheye for an ultra-wide perspective

It’s possible to use your fisheye lens as a regular wide-angle lens, but even wider. This is best achieved by aiming your camera at the horizon line and keeping the angle of your camera flat.

Look to avoid objects on the edge of the frame, as they’ll still distort and aim inwards unless you use post-processing to correct this. Locations with a minimalist feel like coastlines or deserts will work best for this kind of photo.

3. Take photos of architecture

The fisheye lens is a real gift for architectural photographers. Its distortion can be used for creative effect to frame the scene you’re photographing. You’ll often be able to incorporate elements that are behind you, because the focal length is that wide. This all means you’ll really be able to emphasis the lines in your composition to create powerful architecture photos.

4. Use intentional camera movement

Intentional camera movement means moving the camera during the course of an exposure. The exposure length will need to be long enough for the camera movement to be obvious in your final image. An exposure of 1/15s during the day will work, and even longer exposures can be tried at night when using a tripod. Whether you’re photographing during the day or at night will lead to two distinct types of photography.

Radial blur: This effect is produced handheld, and involves rotating the camera around an imaginary central point. The result is best when you keep the camera steady as you rotate, and an exposure of around 1/15s is often needed.
Kinetic light painting: This is the nighttime variant of the radial blur, but taken from a tripod. This type of photo is a form of kinetic light painting, with the camera pivoting on the head of your tripod.

5. Interesting portrait photos

The fisheye lens can be a great lens for portrait photography, as well. It has some versatility, even though it’s a niche wide-angle lens. If you choose to get close to your model you can distort their appearance for an interesting effect, though make sure your results are okay with the subject!

A popular approach is to make one body part especially large, perhaps the person’s eye or a hand stretched out toward the camera. Another approach is to emphasize the architecture around the model. In this case, they’ll be smaller in the frame, with perhaps a tunnel surrounding them.

The fisheye effect in a lensball

A cheaper alternative is to buy a lensball or, as many people know it, a crystal ball. The optics of a lensball, with its spherical surface, replicate those of a fisheye lens. The effect is different, but this can be a great introduction to the perspective offered by a fisheye lens with its distortion. If the composition works for a lensball, the composition will also work for a fisheye lens.

Try out creative uses for a fisheye lens!

There are lots of creative uses for a fisheye lens; have you tried any of the methods mentioned in this article?

If you have any thoughts on fisheye photography, then please leave them in the comments section! As always, we encourage you to get out and practice your photography. So if you have examples of creative fisheye photos, then go ahead and share those in the comments section, too!

The post 5 Creative Uses for a Fisheye Lens in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

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5 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Photography

13 Aug

The post 5 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta.

Photography is an art form that just gets better and better as technology improves and people invest in themselves. Like any other craft out there, the more you commit to working on your skills, the better you will become. There are lots of simple and easy ways for you to improve your photography. Here are a few you can try today to help you become a better artist tomorrow!

Things You Can Do To Improve Your Photography Karthika Gupta — You can never miss the opportunity to photography a yellow house.

1. Start a daily practice and set up unique challenges

One of the best things I did for my photography and my mindset when I was just starting out was set up a daily practice.

Oftentimes, we are our biggest critic. We feel that the lighting has to be perfect, the subject has to be perfect, and the situation has to be perfect for us to create art. But that is far from the truth. In order to improve your photography, or anything for that matter, all you have to do is practice. Practice regularly and consistently.

If daily practice is not possible, that’s okay. Don’t let that stop you from creating consistently. Find a schedule that works for you and stick to it. Give yourself challenges like photographing food, photographing pets, macro photography, and more to get out and simply create. This will also help you train your eye to see images before you even take them.

2. Shoot in Manual mode

When I first started my business, I photographed in Auto mode for the first six to eight months. The whole process of interacting with clients, photographing, editing, delivering images, and marketing a business was intimidating enough; the last thing I needed was to figure out my gear on the fly. So I pushed that button on my camera to Auto and happily clicked along.

But once I gave myself the permission to fail, learn, and try Manual mode, I never looked back. Manual mode is more than just a button on your camera. It is a chance for you to really understand how exposure works by controlling shutter speed, f-stop, and ISO.

The more you play around with these elements, the more you will learn about your own style of photography. I realized that I loved images that were clean and crisp. The images that were light and airy spoke to my style; they were the kind of images that I wanted to create. I realized that I needed to shoot wide open with a low ISO to get the look that I wanted. This meant I only had my shutter speed to play with.

I also learned the lowest shutter speed I could use while handholding my camera to get a crisp image in any situation. None of these would have been possible if I had let the camera dictate the settings for each scene (i.e., by shooting in Auto mode).

3. Experiment with different editing styles

Earlier I mentioned that I love light bright and airy style images. But that does not mean I don’t like moody images or those with a lot of contrast. I think there is a place for each type of image, and I encourage you to experiment and try out different editing styles.

While you might have a primary editing style, there is nothing stopping you from trying out other editing styles from time to time. This does not mean you are undecided; this just means that you like to get creative and experiment with your art. And that is a great way to learn editing software like Lightroom and Photoshop.

Things You Can Do To Improve Your Photography — The image on the left is a lighter, brighter style, while the one on the right is the matte look many photographers enjoy.

4. Try creative shooting in your photography

There are many different ways to add a little creativity to your photography. Using double or triple exposures, shooting through elements, or even playing with shutter speed can be a way to deviate from the norm. All these techniques bring an element of uniqueness into your imagery and help you break up the monotony of your own work. These will help you improve your photography in the long run as you start thinking on your feet when you are out and about or even at a client shoot.

5. Learn about light in different situations

As a photographer, you need to not only see light but also need to learn the art of reading light: the type of light, the quality of light, and also how the light will affect your final image.

For the first few years of my business, I had a very limited knowledge of light. I did not even own an external flash, and so I limited myself to photographing in bright, open, natural light conditions.

Living in Chicago, our summers are quite short, and fall is usually a mix of rain, thunderstorms and more rain. I learned very quickly that I needed to get out of my comfort zone and figure out how to photograph different lighting situations and do it confidently and creatively.

So the next time you are out and about, or even if you are in your home, pay attention to how the light changes as the day progresses. Photograph in each of these situations to understand how light affects the look and feel of your imagery.

Conclusion

I hope these simple tips help you get confident in your photography. Perhaps you have limited access to gear, models or even places to photograph. Don’t let that stop you from doing these things to improve your photography on a day to day basis. All you need is the right mindset and the tenacity to see it through.

The post 5 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta.

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Photography portfolio 101 – how to create a portfolio that puts your brand on display

11 Aug

Everyone was there once. Fruitful inspiration. Plenty of photos, but no idea on how to create a portfolio. And if you’re just like all the other photographers, you put off this moment for as long as you could. But with no portfolio to present your work, there are no clients interested in hiring you. For a passionate photographer, the thought Continue Reading

The post Photography portfolio 101 – how to create a portfolio that puts your brand on display appeared first on Photodoto.

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Breakthrough Photography announces more than 20 drop-in filters for Canon’s EF-RF adapter

11 Aug

San Francisco-based Breakthrough Photography has announced the first third-party drop-in filters for Canon’s EF-RF drop-in filter mount. This filter mount allows users to adapt EF or EF-S lenses to EOS R series mirrorless cameras with a dedicated space for A-type drop-in filters.

Since the EF-EOS R drop-in filter mount adapter first launched, users have been limited to Canon’s own circular polarizing (CPL) filter or variable neutral density (ND) filter. With Breakthrough Photography’s new line of compatible drop-in filters, users will have access to more than 20 different X2 and X4 filters.

Breakthrough Photography’s new drop-in filter line. Image credit: Breakthrough Photography

The design of Breakthrough Photography’s new drop-in filters includes a rubberized grip to make it easier to put the filter in and remove it from the adapter. For filters with adjustment, there is a large ridged adjustment wheel. Each drop-in filter is also color-coded to make filters identifiable with a quick glance, which will be particularly useful for photographers who purchase one of Breakthrough’s available filter kits, such as the Essential X2, Essential X4 or Complete B&W filter kits.

The Breakthrough drop-in filters include a large adjustment wheel and a rubberized grip. The filters are also clearly labeled and color-coded. Image credit: Breakthrough Photography

Before delving into specific available filters, let’s consider the difference between Breakthrough’s X2 and X4 filters. Looking at the X2 CPL versus the X4 CPL, the latter filter has an average light transmission of 50.64% whereas the former has an average light transmission of 42.44%. According to Breakthrough Photography, the X4 CPL ‘moderately outperforms’ the Canon drop-in CPL filter, whereas the X2 CPL has ‘slightly less’ light transmission than the Canon filter. In terms of color cast, the X4 CPL ‘moderately outperforms’ the Canon filter.

Breakthrough states that their X4 CPL filter has the best light transmission among its competitors. We can also see here that the Canon drop-in CPL filter performs well, as does Breakthrough’s more affordable X2 CPL filter. Image credit: Breakthrough Photography

The X2 ND filters and X4 ND filters don’t have a direct Canon competitor because Canon offers a variable ND filter rather than a series of solid drop-in ND filters. With that said, Breakthrough Photography claims that the X4 ND outperforms ‘industry-leading manufacturers such as Singh-Ray and B+W and Lee’ due in part to neutral color transmission.

Image credit: Breakthrough Photography

Canon’s EF-EOS R drop-in filter mount includes a 1.5-9 stop variable ND filter. In addition to solid ND filters in 3, 6, 10, 15 and 20 stop strengths, Breakthrough’s new drop-in filter line includes a pair of variable ND filters. The first, VND-R, is adjustable from 2 to 11 stops. There is also a stronger Dark VND-R, allowing adjustment from 10 to 16 stops of ND strength. Breakthrough states that the VND-R and Dark VND-R drop-in filters eliminate the ‘X’ pattern sometimes seen on VND filters with wide-angle lenses. The Canon drop-in VND is an excellent filter but Breakthrough states that their filters outperform it. You can view a transmission percentage comparison below.

There are four CPL filters in the line aimed at black and white photography: Red, orange, yellow and green. They are available in a bundled set.

Comparing Breakthrough’s available black and white CPL filters. Image credit: Breakthrough Photography

Rounding out the series of drop-in filters are Night Sky, infrared 720nm and a pair of clear filters. Digital cameras, such as the EOS R, RP, R5 and R6, include a permanent IR-cut filter over the image sensor. With the IR filter, some residual light can reach the sensor and show the scene in a way different from how it appears in the visible light spectrum. The Night Sky filter is designed to reduce light pollution and show night scenes with color neutrality.

Breakthrough’s Night Sky filter aims to reduce the impact of light pollution on colors in night sky images. The image on the left was captured without the Night Sky filter, whereas the image on the right was shot using the Night Sky filter. Image credit: Breakthrough Photography

Breakthrough Photography expects the filters to begin shipping in late September. Prospective customers can preorder individual filters and filter kits now through Breakthrough Photography’s website. Prices range from $ 80 to $ 200 for individual filters. There are also savings available if customers opt for a filter kit rather than purchasing a set of individual filters. It’s worth noting that all Breakthrough Photography filters include a free 25-year ‘Ironclad Guarantee’. If you’d like to learn more about long exposure photography while you wait for your new filters to arrive, Breakthrough Photography offers a free 52-page long exposure photography guide, which you can learn more about here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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