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9 Ways to use Reflections more Creatively for Stunning Photography

20 Sep

The post 9 Ways to use Reflections more Creatively for Stunning Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Mirrors or windows, ponds or lakes, it really doesn’t matter where you find them, reflections are eye-catching. In this tutorial, I’ll give you some ideas and inspiration on how to use reflections more creatively for stunning photography.

Creative use of reflections for stunning photography tutorial

We’re fascinated by reflections ever since we discover ourselves in a mirror, it’s no wonder we remain captivated by them. If you want to know about the technical aspect of reflections check out Rick Ohnsman’s article Understand Light and Color to Improve your Photography. Here, I’ll tell you nine ways to use them in your photographs.

1. Avoid a dull sky

The first tip to use reflections more creatively is to photograph them during bad weather. After the rain we usually find the sky to be grey and dull. Luckily the rain creates puddles, and water is a great reflector. Next time you find yourself shooting during a rainy day try looking down to the ground instead of up to the sky.

Look for water reflection for bad weather conditions

If you want to take this idea to the next level, you can add a flash to your photo-shoot. To learn how to do it check this article: Using Rain Puddles to Create Unique Reflection Photos.

2. Fill empty spaces

Similar to the dull sky problem, you can have an area that lacks detail or any visual interest. If it’s made of a reflective material the answer is easy, just find the right angle to capture it. What may have been a boring object, is suddenly filled with details that complement your composition.

Search for the right angle to add reflections

3. Create texture

Reflections don’t necessarily have to be mirrored images of reality. The texture of the material or surface will distort the image and you can use that to capture color and shapes. For example, the ripples of water reflecting buildings.

Reflections create textures

Remember that you can also zoom-in and photograph the reflection as a texture to use later in other images.

4. Abstract photography

Speaking of photographing a texture alone, this can give you some inspiration for doing abstract photography. There are many different angles to approach this subject and reflections are definitely a good one. Here’s an example, but if you feel interested in going deeper into it, check out some Abstract Photos to Inspire You.

Textures alone are great for abstract photography

5. Change perspective

Shooting common places or subjects that are not interesting enough is always a challenge. Photographing its reflection can be a great alternative to capture it creatively. This forces you to move, crouch, and generally change your point of view. Also, you’ll be looking at the subject backward, and sometimes just a little shift can make the difference.

Look for the reflection to change perspective

6. Creates symmetric shapes

Symmetry is beautiful and pleasing. On a subconscious level, it gives us a soothing feeling. I don’t mean just placing your subject in the center and make it identical on both sides. Of course, this is an option, but it’s not the only way. Reflections can create symmetric shapes that can help the overall image become more interesting.

Symmetry helps your composition

7. Frame your subject

You can also use reflections as a way to direct the viewer’s attention to your subject. For example, placing your subject as a reflection in a mirror or a window literally frames it. If you want to get more creative you can also use a pair of eyeglasses or a spoon.

Frame your subject

8. Overlapping planes

One of my favorite qualities of reflections is that they show you two, or more scenes on the same plane. When you look at a mirror you are also seeing what is behind you. With a window, you can even add a third plane when you also add the scene from inside the room, and so on. If you compose the subjects from each scene in a harmonic way you can create a surreal or dream-like image.

Compose different scenes in one

9. The reflection IS the subject

Last but not least, a reflection can be a subject in itself. You can make a project or a series just about reflections, it’s just a matter of finding a concept to build upon. If you need some inspiration, I highly advise you to read this Guide to Creating Unique Conceptual Photography.

Use reflections as the main subject

Come up with an idea and just run with it. I hope this article sparked some inspiration so you can use reflections more creatively! Share your reflection photos in the comments section below and, most of all, have fun!

The post 9 Ways to use Reflections more Creatively for Stunning Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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5 Great Ways to Create Abstract Wave Photography

19 Sep

The post 5 Great Ways to Create Abstract Wave Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Erin Fitzgibbon.

In this article, you’ll learn how to use motion and long exposure photography to create abstract wave photography.

There’s something about water. It is mesmerizing. People flock to beaches and waterfalls to photograph water. We seem drawn to its fluid beauty.

5 Great Ways to Create Abstract Wave Photography

If you Google “waterfalls,” you’ll find millions of images. Beaches, sunsets and softly crashing waves also pepper Google searches. Given these two facts, why then do most of the images of water, waves, and waterfalls always look so similar? The same seems to be true of wave photography – all the photos seem to follow a particular recipe.

You find images either capture the violence and strength of water as the wave crashes or you see images of curling barrels of water, usually taken at sunset. Water has much versatility. Its fluidity makes it an intriguing subject matter.

Capturing the motion of water seems to be one of humanity’s favorite past times, but there’s more you can consider. How can playing with motion expand your efforts to capture waves and water? Perhaps by experimenting, you can find new angles and new ways to capture waves.

1. Using longer shutter speed to change the look and shape of waves

When photographing a waterfall there’s only one way that the water can flow, and that’s downward. Sure, the water may travel a little to the left or right over some rocks, but the reality is it’s headed in the direction gravity pulls it. So when we use a slow shutter speed, the look of the water is predictable. We know and love that white candy floss type of look.

When using a slow shutter speed with waves; however, the results are less predictable. The water may crash and spray against rocks and bubble. It may splash and break in endless patterns. Using a slow shutter speed to capture the breaking of a wave can yield some interesting effects and looks.

Let’s take a look at some of the following experiments.

Shot using 1/8s, f32, ISO 100.

In the above example, I used a longer shutter speed to capture these unusual looking wave shapes. The first wave was rolling back into the oncoming wave, and the collision created these upward sprays. With a longer shutter speed, you can capture the wave and some light trails. If you look closely, you’ll also notice that the longer shutter speed seems to create a ghost-like transparent look to parts of the splashing wave. You can see through some of the water.

Perhaps this look doesn’t appeal to you, but it does break the traditional view of a wave.

2. Study the way the waves break and look for patterns you can photograph

You can also play with motion and study the way the wave breaks. Despite their fluidity, waves do tend to break in the same places along a beach. Of course, they vary in intensity and size depending on the day, but you can watch a storm and know that waves will hit a rock and create a lot of splashing or spray. Watching the waves and then using these patterns along with a long shutter speed, can also create some different looking images. Let’s take a look at the following example.

1/8s, F32, ISO 100

While I used the exact same shutter speed in this image as the first image, the look of the image has changed. This is due to it being shot at a different location along the beach. In this spot, the waves were smaller, and they rolled in slowly with less turmoil. The light trails have stretched out more, and you can discern the rolling nature of the wave as it meets the beach. The sand below the surface is also visible. Also, the incoming waves behind are more abstracted in this photograph.

Some people have told me they look like they’ve been painted rather than photographed.

1/13s, F32, ISO 100

For this image, I used a slightly different shutter speed. I searched for patterns and used a longer focal length revealing a different look to the waves. In this image, the light trails are much more important to the composition of the photograph. Less defined by the white water, the shape of the wave is revealed by the smooth lines of the wave.

3. Move the camera horizontally as you capture the waves

Of course, waves are in motion, but we can change the look, feel, and our perceptions of waves by including the motion of the camera while capturing the movement of the wave. In the image below, I used intentional camera movement (ICM) – the waves were moving right to left, while I dragged the camera across the wave from left to right.

1/13s, F32, ISO 100

The light trails are still a part of the capture, but the wider angle and the motion of the camera turn the waves into something different. Here the shape is more abstracted and becomes a white oval against the water and the sand which now streaks of different shades of beige. The waves are no longer defined. Instead, the motion of the camera abstracts the water a little bit.

4. Move the camera in a bouncing motion

1/10s, F32, ISO 100

Pushing the experiment further, I moved the camera in a sort of bouncing motion. The look of the rocks on the beach becomes important in this photograph. Also, the light trails also take on a different shape. The effect of the motion on the water seems to have less of an effect too.

Once again, experiment to see what you can create and how you can take a typical subject matter and make it different. I rather like the bouncy, playful feel to the rocks on the beach.

5: Get very close

In the following images, I used a much faster shutter speed, and I moved closer and closer to the subject matter to take the images.

It was about capturing something as I moved to see what the camera grabbed. It’s a fairly impulsive way to use your camera. The autofocus is unpredictable in this scenario, but the results are surprising. It’s also fun to see what you can get. This is less about planning but more about enjoying the moment and options available to you as you move your camera.

1/800s, F2.4, ISO 400

In both of these photographs, I used a very shallow depth of field with a very low perspective. I chose to lie down on my belly and inch my way towards the waves while holding down the shutter speed. To me, the resulting images feel as if you are falling into the water. There’s very little to focus on, and the water seems to be all around. Some may find the view unsettling, but love it or hate it; this is another way of looking at and capturing waves.

In Conclusion

Playing with motion to create some new perspectives in wave photography can be a fun experiment. Some images will work very well, while others may be hard to look at. Either way, it’s about finding ways to get creative with your camera. It’s about studying a subject and showing the world how much variation there is in the world. Using motion to capture water is a fun experiment that’s easy to complete with almost any type of camera.

What’s my next experiment? Who knows? Maybe it’s using motion and underwater photography with waves. We’ll have to see.

If you’ve tried some interesting angles or techniques for photographing waves, share them with us. Let’s see what types of abstract wave photography you create!

The post 5 Great Ways to Create Abstract Wave Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Erin Fitzgibbon.

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How to do Creative Photography Montages with a Contact Sheet Template in Photoshop

19 Sep

The post How to do Creative Photography Montages with a Contact Sheet Template in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Do you like adding borders to your digital photos? Apps and editing programs offer a wide variety of fun and creative ones for you to choose from. The sprockets from film photography have become very popular because of its vintage look. I’ve decided to bring this idea one step further and make creative photography montages with a contact sheet template in Photoshop. Read on to learn how you can too.

Creative-Photography-Montages-using-photoshop

Contact Sheet

Contact sheets come from film photography and are made by placing the film negative directly onto the light-sensitive paper and then exposing light onto it. Because of this, the resulting image was a positive image of the film on a 1:1 scale.

Creative-Photography-Montages-using-photoshop

Film comes in different formats: 35mm, medium and large. Furthermore, each brand puts the frame number, name and other information on the film. You can use all of these as different styles for your template. See how the same image can look so different just by changing the type of film border.

Creative-Photography-Montages-using-photoshop

Each different film will result in a different contact sheet, and you can use any of them for your montage. There are many styles available for sale on stock photography websites, and of course, you can scan an original one to use. However, if you want to create your own, I’ll show you how to easily design a basic 35mm contact sheet in Photoshop.

Digital 35mm contact sheet created in Photoshop

Film rolls of 35mm were available in 12, 24 or 36 frames. Because of this, it’s easier if the size of your document is a multiple of six on the longest side. For now, I’ll make the artboard 24 cm both in height and width so that I can create 36 frames. Later, I can add some extra space if I see it’s too tight.

Open a new document in Photoshop

To begin, turn on your rulers. If they’re not visible by going to Menu -> View -> Rulers. You can change the measurement units by right-clicking on them and then choosing centimeters. Now draw your guides by clicking on the ruler and dragging it to the place you need it. I’ll put them every 4 cm so that I can design six frames per row.

To put your guides on exact co-ordinates, go to Menu -> New Guide. In the New Guide window, choose Horizontal or Vertical, and then enter your exact position number, and press OK. Your guide will then appear in the exact position you want on your artboard. Repeat the process to have exact guidelines.

Use guides to distribute your canvas

Now you know where to draw your film.

From the toolbox, choose the Custom Shape Tool. Then go to the Options bar and open the shapes menu, where you’ll find the 35mm Film shape.

Photoshop Custom Shapes

You can choose the color in the same option bar. I’ll do a dark grey to simulate the original as close as possible, but you can do something more contrasting if you like.

Drag and drop at the start of each guide, and repeat until you fill your contact sheet.

Use the guides to draw your shape

Now determine the canvas size by going to Menu -> Image -> Canvas Size. Make it to your liking. I’ll only add some space on the sides.

You can turn off your guides now by pressing Cmd+; (mac), or Alt+; (windows).

Contact sheet template

To make your template more manageable, merge all your shapes together, and then rasterize them. You can find both commands by right-clicking on the selected layers to open the pop-up menu.

Merge and rasterize

Make a selection of the frames where the image will show to create your collage. Save it by going to Menu -> Selection -> Save Selection. When the pop-up window opens, leave all the settings as they are and just name it. Then click OK. This way, you won’t have to make the selection every time you add an image.

Make the selection and save it

Add the base image by going to the menu File -> Place and adjust to the right size. You can also do Copy and Paste but then your image won’t be a Smart Object and it can lose quality if you modify it many times. To learn more about this, check out Photoshop Smart Objects for Beginners.

Place the base image

Now the image is visible through the contact sheet, but it’s also coming through the sprockets and on the sides. This is where the saved selection from before comes in handy. You now load the selection by going to menu -> Selection -> Load Selection.

Then click the Create a Layer Mask button from the bottom of the Layers panel.

Use layer masks to shape the image

Add other images into the mix, or use the same one in different sizes and places to create your collage. Just repeat the process for each image you want to add and your montage is ready.

Place more images to compose the montage

If you are having any trouble with the visualization of certain images make sure the layers are in the right order.

Check out this Introduction to Photoshop Layers Possibilities and Properties for help if you need it.

Now let your creativity flow and have fun. Share the results of your creative photography montages with us in the comments section!

Additional reading

For more ideas on creative photography montages, check out these tutorials:

How to Make a Joiner Collage for a Retro Style Panorama

4 Concepts for Collages, Diptychs, Album Pages, etc.

How to Make a Photoshop Collage in 9 Simple Steps

The post How to do Creative Photography Montages with a Contact Sheet Template in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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How to Use Color in Your Photography to Give Your Photos the Wow Factor

17 Sep

The post How to Use Color in Your Photography to Give Your Photos the Wow Factor appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

Photography is a wonderful art form that is enjoyed by people all around the world. It is a popular medium of expression, a fine art, a way of documenting our journeys and memories, and even a way to change views. Originally, when photography started it was all black and white, and historic photographers learned their craft in this way. Whilst this can be a great way to bring out textures and shapes, the introduction of color is a great way to attract attention and add impact to your images. Here are 5 tips to show you how to use color in your photography to give your photos the wow factor:

1. Find a colorful scene

St Nectain’s Glen waterfall, Cornwall, England

The first thing to do is to find a colorful scene. The way the countryside unfolds in the summer, for example, can be a wonderful way to show color in a landscape. Purple hues of lavender or golden wheat fields are all examples of where color can be captured to help your images stand out.

You could focus on one dominant color in a scene such as green. Alternatively, seek out a variety of tones like a cool blue sky mixed with a red field which can give your photos some impact and evoke different emotions. Blue can provide feelings of cold, whilst red can give warmth, energy, and excitement.

You can also use complementary colors in captivating ways. They refer to colors on opposite sides of the color wheel. For example, red and green or blue and orange. Other colors that work particularly well together include yellow, red and orange; and pink, purple and blue.

2. Look for details with color

Poppy field, England

Another way to use color in your photography is to look for details with color. You can photograph individual flowers in bloom such as bluebells or plant crops. As a part of a broader scene, you can photograph flowers like vibrant red poppies swaying in a field.

Think about the different colors and details you could photograph near you and experiment with a variety of color palettes to see what works well. Try and find details to photograph with single colors and combinations of colors to see which you prefer. Red is a strong color that attracts the viewer’s eye whilst yellow and orange can also command attention.

3. Change your white balance setting

Stonehenge, England

One great advantage of the white balance setting is that your camera has the ability to change the color of your images simply by adjusting the white balance.

There are several different types of white balance which can be varied according to different lighting scenarios – auto white balance is the default setting for most cameras. Shade, cloudy and daylight can be selected for warmer and brighter colors, whilst tungsten and auto present cooler colors.

As the name suggests, a ‘shade’ white balance setting can work well in lighting conditions with shade and shadows, whilst ‘cloudy’ is a good choice when it is overcast. There is also an option to manually adjust your white balance to alter the color temperature to your taste.

4. Use a polariser to boost color and contrast

Oxford, England

One of the greatest accessories you can have in your photography kit is a polarizing filter. A polarizer is usually placed at the front of your camera lens and is a versatile piece of equipment that can be brilliant to help darken skies, minimize reflections and manage glare from water sources such as lakes or the sea.

Polarizing filters are also a fantastic way to improve your images by instantly enhancing the color and contrast in your images. They don’t take up much space in your kit bag and are useful for making your images more distinct. Polarizing filters particularly work well in landscape photography by bringing out colors and reducing haze.

5. Boost colors in post-production

Oxford, England

You can also add color to images in post-production. One way to boost the color of your photographs is to increase the saturation in post-production. You will find a saturation slider in most editing tools. Both photoshop and lightroom offer an adjustment slider where the color can be increased by moving it to the right. There is also the option to increase the saturation of individual colors to make certain parts of your images more vibrant.

Conclusion

Using color can be a great way to enhance your images. You can find colorful scenes, vibrant details, adjust your white balance, add a polariser or adjust the saturation in post-processing to give your photos more impact.

Try these techniques and share your images with us below. Also, if you have any other tips, feel free to share those too!

The post How to Use Color in Your Photography to Give Your Photos the Wow Factor appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

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9 Great Lensball Perspectives for Creative Photography!

16 Sep

The post 9 Great Lensball Perspectives for Creative Photography! appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

One of the most effective ways of getting more out of your photography is to change the perspective. It’s a great way to explore your camera without needing to get additional equipment. The same concept can be applied to lensball photography, where a change in your lensball perspectives can lead to a burst of creativity with your work. It’s easy to think of lensball photography as a one-trick pony, rather like, say, a fish-eye lens. As any fish-eye lens owner will tell you though, there are plenty of ways to add creativity with that lens, and the same is true of refraction photography with a lensball.

In this article, you’ll learn about nine different lensball perspectives, and how you can go about using them in your photography.

1. The standard lensball perspective

Image: This shows a standard lensball perspective. It shows the tree as the main subject in the ball...

This shows a standard lensball perspective. It shows the tree as the main subject in the ball. There is also context provided by the area outside the ball.

The standard photo might vary from person to person. A lot of people choose the second item on this list, so this is of course subjective. In this type of photo, the lensball will be a significant part of the photo, it will absolutely be the main subject. Where you place the ball and the subject you choose to have within the ball are subjects covered in this article.

Typically the ball will be off-center within the frame, and will fill around forty percent of the photo. The remaining portion of the photo is likely to be the foreground the ball is sitting on, and the background that has been blurred out as part of this photo. This type of photo will be taken using a macro lens, or a lens with a long focal length.

2. The lens ball as part of the scene

The ball can also be used as part of the scene. Here, the interplay with the arch works well.

A popular alternative to the above photo involves bringing the background into play. This style of photo will need a wide-angle lens, so you can get reasonably close to the lensball, while taking a more standard landscape photo. In this photo, the lensball has become more of an accent in the photo, yet it’s still a focal point for the image. You’re looking at using repetition in your image, with the background of your photo appearing inside the ball as an upside-down image.

There are a number of strategies you can use to enhance this type of photo.

The tunnel – A classic in photography, this works very well with the lensball as well. Use the infinity point of the tunnel and place the ball at this point in the photo. The tunnel will then frame the photo, and there’s a good chance the image in the ball won’t be noticeably upside down.
Holding the ball – Holding the ball while photographing it is a popular form of lensball photography. Using a wide-angle lens will allow you to hold the ball, and include a lot of the background in your frame.
Flipping the image – As the background is prominent in your frame, you might want to use post-processing to flip the image within the ball. You can learn how to do this here.

3. Getting closer

In this photo, the lensball fills the frame, and you can barely see the edge of the ball.

Alternatively, you can get much closer to the ball, and use a macro lens for your photo. You will need to scout a good location for this type of image.

In this photo, you’re using the ball much more like an external lens. Through the use of the macro lens, you can get close enough to the ball that you’re only photographing a portion of it. This allows you to use the curve of the ball as a line coming through your frame, with the main subject photographed within the ball. The outside of the ball will be blurred, even with a smaller aperture. With this in mind, keep the aperture to around f/8. This will give you a sharper image inside the ball.

4. Splitting the horizon line

Lines that can be bisected by the ball work especially well.

A great technique to use with the lensball is splitting the horizon.

This works well because of the effect refraction produces. If you line the ball up with the horizon line, the inverted image in the ball will invert along this line. When aiming for this type of photo, it’s important to get the horizon line exactly lined up. Getting this wrong is as bad as not getting your horizon line straight on a regular landscape photo. The following are some ideas that will help you acheive this type of photo.

Holding the ball – Holding the ball up to the horizon line with your hand can be effective. It’s tricky to get the exact horizon line. Take multiple photos until you’re happy the horizon line within and outside the ball is lined up.
Minimal landscapes – In order to split the horizon line, you need to be able to see the horizon line. Look for coastal, desert or other locations that don’t have objects blocking this line.
Use the tripod – With the ball steady on a wall, or perhaps a rock you could use a tripod. With the camera on a tripod, you can make sure the horizon line is lined up. Once you’re ready to take the photo you’ll know this won’t shift as you take the photo.

5. Bending the horizon line

Image: This photo shows the fisheye-like effect of the ball. You can see the horizon line in the bal...

This photo shows the fisheye-like effect of the ball. You can see the horizon line in the ball is bent and distorted.

The lensball’s fisheye-like lens properties can, of course, be used in exactly the same way as a fish-eye lens. You can bend the horizon line in the lensball by raising or lowering it away from the horizon line. This can be used to creative effect with your photo.

If there is a lot of interest in the foreground, you could include more of these within the ball. Equally, if the sky is really dramatic, and you want to include more of that, you can. Simply lower the ball away from the horizon line, and watch the line bend towards the top of the ball, and more sky fill the bottom portion of the ball.

6. Distorting your main subject

This abstract portrait is the result of lensball distortion.

In addition to bending the horizon line, you can use the lensball to produce other distortions as well. Once again, think of the distortions a fisheye lens can make, and apply that to the lensball. You can use the ball to distort elements of your main subject, providing you can get close to your subject. This works well when the subject is smaller, so this won’t be effective with large architecture.

You can use this distortion to great effect with portrait photography. Here the aim is to distort part of the body, for instance, the eyes, to get a more creative portrait.

7. Photographing down onto the ball

Shooting directly down onto the ball can give interesting results.

A simple trick involves photographing down onto the ball.

Place the ball on the ground, and stand over the ball to photograph it. No inverted image will appear in the ball, but you will see a magnified version of what the ball is sat on.

This can work well for surfaces that have a texture. For instance, gritty sand or a pebble beach works well. Those photographers looking to create a series of lensball photos that have variety could attempt this style of photo.

8. A worm’s eye view

The worm’s eye view can work well. Note the ball is placed at the infinity point of the image.

The worm’s eye view means photographing below the ball and looking up. The only realistic way to do this is holding the ball above yourself, or better still, ask someone to hold the ball for you. This will mean a person’s hand will be in the photo, so look to incorporate this into your composition as best you can. Finally, you’ll need to find an interesting subject to photograph.

The following are some subjects that work well for this angle.

Tall buildings – When close together these can form a tunnel-like look when looking straight up. Place the ball at the infinity point of this, and take your photo.
Repetition – When you’re standing under something like a roof of repeating umbrella’s or lanterns, you can use the lensball to capture this.
Dramatic sky – Sky photos can work well if the sky is interesting enough. This type of photo will be more interesting with a strong subject.

9. Reflection

Reflection works very well in lensball photography.

Photos that involve reflection will give you a strong composition. Of course, you need to use the right angle to maximize this reflection. In this case, your perspective will be as low to the angle as you can get.

However, there are scenarios where you can get great reflection photos without the need to get on all fours. In both of these cases, use a circular polarizing filter to increase the strength of the reflection.

Ball on reflection surface – In this case, you’ll need to get a low angle, so you’ll be on the floor. Marble surfaces or a puddle will work well here. Your aim is to reflect the ball itself in the puddle.
Ball in front of reflection surface – In this case, you’ll see a reflection surface like a large pond. It’s obviously too large to place the ball into it, but you can still capture the reflection. The ball needs to be placed or held in a position near to the reflection surface. Now within the ball, you’ll see both the reflected and the actual image. These images will both be refracted, so the reflected image will be the one that appears the right way up.

Creativity is in your hands

A change of perspective is a great creative option for every photographer and can lead to some really compelling results. The lensball, when thought of as an external lens, is a great creative tool. When used properly, it is capable of creating a great series of photos under the one theme.

So if you have a lensball, you can go out and try some of these ideas. If you don’t have one, why not get hold of one?!

Finally, we love to see your photos at digital photography school, so why not share some in the comments section below?

lensball-perspectives-for-creative-photography

The post 9 Great Lensball Perspectives for Creative Photography! appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

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Landscape photography with a drone – part 1: What is a drone?

15 Sep

Ever since I started shooting landscapes, I’ve been fascinated with aerials. There’s little doubt that aerial photography offers a very different perspective on a landscape, not to mention the excitement one experiences when witnessing nature from a bird’s eye viewpoint.

I have written extensively about the good and the bad, as well as the reasons for shooting aerials in the first article of my series about aerial photography. But drone photography is VERY different to being up there in an aircraft and shooting with a hand-held camera.

Drones have utterly changed the world of landscape photography, and are the best thing to happen to it in the last two decades

There are substantial advantages and disadvantages when comparing the two, and one could even claim they are two different disciplines altogether. After all, apart from the fact that in both the photographer is shooting from the air, there is much more difference than similarity. This provides justification for an additional series that deals with drone photography.

In this series, I will try to elaborate about shooting (natural) landscapes using a drone. I will claim that drones have utterly changed the world of landscape photography, and are the best thing to happen to it in the last two decades. I will show examples from my shoots around the world and discuss how the drone enabled me to get images otherwise impossible.

I’ll try my best to survey the different options available today, and try to cover the legal and moral aspects, as well as etiquette. Finally, I will tell about some interesting personal experiences I’ve had while droning.

It’s important to say that I’m a nature still-photographer, so I will concentrate on that most of the time. That said, there is no reason why the series shouldn’t be relevant for other styles and fields of photography such as urban landscapes or even wildlife photography.

So, what is a drone anyway?

“Drone” is the common name for a remotely-operated or autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). There are many different drone sizes and designs – some are fixed-wing and some rotor-based. Fixed-wing drones are often used for scientific or military purposes. Since they require short runways to take off, and since they lack the maneuverability of rotor-based craft (specifically the ability to hover in one place and to move very slowly), they aren’t commonly used for photography purposes, and so I will not be discussing them here.

The Mavic Air – a quad-copter drone manufactured by the Chinese company DJI

The drones we are interested in – camera drones – are rotor-based. The vast majority of those are quad-copters (i.e. mini-helicopters with 4 propellers), but not all. There are hexa-copters (6-prop) and octo-copters (8-prop) out there as well. They are sometimes known as VTOL drones, for “Vertical Take-Off and Landing”. As we will see, the VTOL property offers a critical advantage for nature photography, or any field-based photography for that matter.

Design

Drones are typically made from composite materials to reduce weight and to absorb vibrations, which in turn reduces noise and motion blur in images. They have several motors and propellers, most commonly one propeller on top of each motor (but some drones have dual propellers for each motor). On a quad-copter, two of the propellers rotate clockwise and the other two counter-clockwise.

The motors are controlled by the drone’s flight controller, which uses, among other things, gyro stabilization technology and accelerometers to maintain control of the drone in real time, and to keep it flying smoothly and steadily. All this is powered by a battery, which is usually inserted to a cavity in the body of the drone.

Controlling a drone with the remote’s 2 joysticks

The drone carries a camera, usually on the front or bottom of the drone’s body. The vast majority of modern drones have an integrated (native) cameras, whereas in the past more drones were designed to carry a separate camera system, be it a small camera like a GoPro or a large DSLR (or even larger systems). A native camera, naturally, allows for much more user control in real time.

The camera, native or otherwise, is mostly mounted on a 3-axis stabilizing gimbal, which disconnects it from any vibration or sudden movements coming from the drone’s main body and allows the camera to move independently from it.

The small camera mounted on a 3-axis gimbal in the first generation of the DJI Mavic

Control

Virtually all camera drones have a ground controller unit (commonly known as a remote controller), which allows the user to control the movement of the aircraft and of the gimbal, and enables live first-person-view (FPV), i.e. video streaming from the drone’s camera and shown on a screen, either integrated into the controller or of a mobile device (such as a smart phone or a tablet), typically connected to the controller via wire.

The video stream doesn’t only show the drone camera’s view, but it also includes important flight information such as a map, flight altitude, speed, distance from the control unit, battery status and more. Using the information sent from the drone, the controller can also warn the user in case of strong winds or nearby obstacles.

The video feed received on a smart phone through cable connection to the remote. Note how height (relative to point of origin), distance from origin and velocity are displayed at he bottom, and photographic parameters at the top.

Everything here serves the purpose of being able to control the drone as delicately and as accurately as possible, and to not rely on seeing the aircraft from the operator’s ground position. As we will see in future articles, FPV is a large part of what gives a drone its overwhelming advantages compared to other kinds of photography.

A Short Survey: Types of Camera Drones

Camera drones are plentiful, with the Chinese company DJI dominating the market without a doubt. It is, however, possible to divide the drone world into several tiers, which differ in the technology featured in the drone, specifically it’s camera and sensor, gimbal, battery, controls, weight and size, among others. Let’s shortly survey the different tiers, and see what differentiates them.

Fun and Toy Drones

DJI Tello (about $ 100)
Parrot Mambo (about $ 50).

These drones have a simple built-in camera with very low resolution. There is no stabilizer (gimbal). The devices are very sensitive in the wind and usually have no GPS function, making it very difficult to get good flight precision and decent pictures. They are, however, very affordable and fun to use.

Entry-level Drones

DJI Spark (discontinued, to be replaced soon)
Parrot Anafi (about $ 650)

The tiny DJI Spark can fit in the palm of your hand.

These drones feature better control and stability than toy drones, but don’t expect any miracles in terms of image quality and stabilization. The mechanical two-axis gimbal requires shorter exposure times to prevent camera shake. Range and duration of flight are below average.

Semi-professional Drones

DJI Mavic Air (about $ 750, $ 930 for a combo including extra batteries, props, carrying case and more)
DJI Mavic Pro (about $ 930 for a combo)
DJI Mavic 2 Zoom ($ 1240, $ 1590 for a combo)
DJI Mavic 2 Pro ($ 1500, $ 1800 for a combo)

Drones in this category feature an electric three-axis gimbal, at least 12 megapixel photo resolution, long exposure abilities (and the stability to make them practical) and 4K videos. The Mavic Air may be limited in range, as WiFi in city centers may be more susceptible to interference than the “Pro” Series transmission technologies.

The DJI Phantom series is much larger than the Mavic Air, and packs a better camera.

The equally affordable Mavic Pro has a long flight time, but only a 1/2.3-inch sensor, while the top model Mavic 2 Pro with a 1-inch sensor expects. Not only does it deliver a higher resolution (20 megapixels instead of 12), it also exhibits significantly improved noise performance in the low light range.

Rather an exotic animal in the line-up is the Mavic 2 Zoom. Also equipped with only a 1/2.3-inch sensor, it has a 2x optical zoom, which enables it to get different perspectives for a given framing (perspective depends on subject distance), and even a very cool aerial mode called Dolly Zoom. With the exception of Spark, all these models are compact and easy to transport. The Mavic 2 Pro offers the maximum picture quality among these and is very portable, making it the current go-to drone for many photographers, your truly included.

Professional Drones

DJI Inspire 2 Pro (theoretically starting from $ 2800 but with a better sensor and exchangeable lenses it’s more like $ 6400 and upward)
DJI Matrice (from $ 6340 with a gimbal, not including a camera)
FreeFly Alta 8 (from $ 18500)

Drones in this category have different camera options with interchangeable optics. From the integrated gimbal with Super 35-millimeter sensor (Zenmuse X7 to Inspire 2) to the digital film camera (Arri Alexa Mini to FreeFly Alta), almost everything is possible here for money. The take-off weights of these devices start at approx. 4 kilograms, which considerably increases the administrative effort. The design allows the camera to move independently under the drone at a 360 degree angle. These drones are often controlled by at least two-person teams and are suitable for professional film productions.

What’s Next?

Now we know, more or less, how a camera drone is built and how its parts are connected. We know that today’s camera drones are mostly quad-copters, with native stabilized cameras mounted on a gimbal. But what can these aircraft do? Why choose a drone over a helicopter or a plane? How has the drone changed the world of landscape photography? I will cover all this next.

Erez Marom is a professional nature photographer, photography guide and traveler based in Israel. You can follow Erez’s work on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to his mailing list for updates.

If you’d like to experience and shoot some of the most fascinating landscapes on earth with Erez as your guide, take a look at his unique photography workshops in The Lofoten Islands, Greenland, Namibia, the Argentinean Puna, the Faroe Islands and Ethiopia.

Erez offers video tutorials discussing his images and explaining how he achieved them.

Selected Articles by Erez Marom:

Parallelism in Landscape Photography
Winds of Change: Shooting changing landscapes
Behind the Shot: Dark Matter
On the Importance of Naming Images
On Causality in Landscape Photography
Shooting K?lauea Volcano, Part 1: How to melt a drone
The Art of the Unforeground
Whatever it Doesn’t Take
Almost human: photographing critically endangered mountain gorillas

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

15 Sep

The post 7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

How do you achieve stunning black and white photography?

stunning-black-and-white-photography

Black and white photography is one of the most intimidating genres out there, mostly because it’s associated with lots of established names, as well as the “fine art photography” label.

But here’s the thing:

Black and white photography isn’t actually difficult. In fact, it’s just like any other genre of photography: There are a few tips and tricks that, once you apply them to your shooting process, will instantly improve your black and white photos.

And that’s what this article is all about. I’m going to share with you seven tips for stunning black and white photography. And you’ll come away with the ability to take masterful black and white photos wherever you go.

Sound good?

Let’s dive right in:

1. Shoot in high-contrast light for the most impactful photos

Here is the number one thing you need to remember about black and white photography:

It’s all about the contrast.

In fact, if that’s all you take away from this article then you’ll have profited enormously, because contrast is the lifeblood of black and white photography.

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

Now, there are a number of ways to create contrast in your photos. And I’ll explore these different techniques below.

So let’s start at the very beginning:

With light.

If you can’t make the light work for you, your black and white photos are just going to look like a muddy mess. Instead, you need to recognize the type of light you’re working with, and you need to try to use that light to achieve as much contrast as possible.

The best light for black and white photography is (no surprise!) high-contrast light. More specifically, light on sunny days.

If you’ve explored other genres of photography, you’ll know that light on sunny days is harsh, it’s unpleasant, and it just doesn’t look good.

Unless you’re a black and white photographer.

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

Because bright, sunny light enhances dark tones and creates intense light tones. This looks amazing in black and white photos, and it’ll really take your black and white images to the next level.

If you want to do some shooting but end up with softer golden tones from later in the afternoon or early in the morning, you can try using heavy backlighting to create additional contrast.

2. Find contrast-heavy tones and put them together

You already know about the importance of contrast in black and white photography. And you know about the importance of using contrast-heavy light.

But even once you’ve got the best light, you still have to make sure that the tones of your photo lend themselves to the overall black and white look.

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

Now, the best black and white tones are very dark and very light. For instance, a great black and white might include a white sky and a dark house, or a bright character standing in front of a black building.

So when you’re out and about, look for tones that contrast. Try not to think in terms of colors, because the colors will just distract you. Instead, think about the relative brightness of tones.

And look for blacks and whites that go together.

stunning-black-and-white-photography

Once you’ve found them, however, you’re going to need to follow a piece of compositional advice:

3. Simplify your black and white photos as much as possible

All photography, for the most part, benefits from a simple composition.

However, black and white images benefit from a simple composition the most. This is because black and white photography is meant to be simple. It has no complex colors. No chaotic color-contrasts.

Instead, it’s just…black and white.

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

So whenever you go to take your black and white shots, stop and think. Consider whether there are ways to simplify the shot.

Could you remove something distracting in the background? Could you use a wide aperture to make the background blur more? Could you change your angle so as to create a more non-distracting option!

Do anything you can to make your shot simple.

Simpler is better, all else being equal.

4. Try to capture raw emotion for compelling black and white photography

Here’s one of the great things about black and white photography:

It’s a genre that loves to capture emotion.

The smile of a person on the street. The laugh of a person crossing the road. The frown of a sad child.

stunning-black-and-white-photography

These are all very photographable moments, moments that you shouldn’t miss out on. And black and white is the perfect way to record it.

In fact, I recommend you try to capture emotion with black and white photography. The somber look of a high-contrast black and white will take emotion and make it even more powerful in a photo. It might even give you a three-dimensional effect.

5. Use minimalism to make your compositions stand out

What is minimalism?

Minimalism is a compositional technique that emphasizes intense simplicity. And not the simplicity as I explained above, but a true, deep simplicity – one that’s built into the composition.

Let me explain:

Minimalism uses lots of white space to draw attention to your main subject. White space is just empty space in a photo. (It doesn’t have to be white – it can just easily be gray or black, as long as there’s nothing going on in that part of the image).

This is a minimalistic photo:

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

Minimalistic photography uses the weight of negative space to emphasize your subject. So you don’t have to be afraid of photos that are extremely minimalistic. And they’re pretty easy to pull off.

To create minimalist black and white photos, I recommend you find a background that’s smooth and pure, such as a white sky. Then place your main subject small in the frame, along one of the rule of thirds power points (or even just above or below the power point).

If all goes according to plan, then you should have a beautiful minimalistic photo! Don’t be afraid to play with the placement of your subject.

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

6. Shoot against the sky to achieve a silhouetted look

In the previous tip, I mentioned that a white sky makes for a nice minimalistic background.

And it’s true. A bright white sky can be used in a black and white photo to emphasize a darker subject, which is exactly what you want to do! When the sky’s especially bright, you might even produce a partial silhouette, where the main subject has no detail but stands out against a white background.

So here’s how it works:

Find the main subject. It can be any color, but darker tones work best.

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

Then get down low, so that the main subject is framed by the sky. If you’re shooting on a cloudy day, you’ll have plenty of bright light behind your subject (even if it doesn’t seem like it). If you’re shooting on a sunny day, a bright part of a blue sky should do the trick.

Experiment with different possible angles, while making sure that your main subject doesn’t overlap with anything around it or behind it.

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

Then experiment with different exposures. Take a few shots that are drastically underexposed, a few shots that are nicely exposed for the subject, and a few shots that are overexposed.

Eventually, you’ll find a technique you’ll like!

7. Shoot in color, then use post-processing to convert your photos

I’ve been talking all about capturing amazing black and white photos in-camera.

But a big part of the black and white photography process is the post-processing. After all, this is where you should be converting your color images to black and white shots!

When you first open your photos in an editing program, they may look bland. They might even look a little bad.

stunning-black-and-white-photography

But don’t worry. Because here’s what you do:

First, you drop the saturation all the way down, until it’s completely gone. This should give you a photo that’s full of grays.

Then you lift the contrast so that contrast shines through, and makes the photo pop off the page.

I also recommend boosting the Whites and lowering the shadows. This will add further contrast to the photo. It also ensures a greater tonal range overall, which looks quite good!

Conclusion

If you’re looking to create stunning black and white photography, then you’ve come to the right place.

You hopefully now know all about black and white photography.

All that’s left…

…is to get out and start doing some shooting of your own. Amazing photos await!

stunning-black-and-white-photography

The post 7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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Weekly Photography Challenge – Landscapes

14 Sep

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Landscapes appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

This week’s photography challenge topic is LANDSCAPES!

Photo by Simon Bond

Landscapes are one of my favorite things to photograph. Being out in nature with your camera is a wonderful experience. So for this week’s photography challenge, I’d love for you to get out in nature and take some lovely landscape photos. They can be color, black and white, moody or bright. Just so long as they are landscapes. You get the picture!

Have fun you awesome photographers, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Photo by Adam Welch

Check out some of the articles below that give you tips on this week’s challenge.

Tips for Shooting LANDSCAPES

11 Surefire Landscape Photography Tips

12 Tips to Help You Capture Stunning Landscape Photos

How to Photograph a Minimalist Landscape

The dPS Top Landscape Photography Tips of 2018

7 Landscape Photography Tips You’ll Wish You Knew Earlier

Easy Beginners Tips for Long Exposure Photography

How a Short Versus Long Exposure Will Affect Your Landscape Images

5 Framing Tricks to Help You Capture Better Landscape Photos

Weekly Photography Challenge – LANDSCAPES

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 favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s 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 #DPSlandscapes 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 – Landscapes appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

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Back to Basics: Understanding the “Sunny 16 Rule” in Photography

12 Sep

The post Back to Basics: Understanding the “Sunny 16 Rule” in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

sunny-16-rule-in-photography

In life, we are sometimes met with certain inalienable truths; water will always flow downhill, there will always be an unhappy baby on your flight, and the milkshake machine at your favorite fast food place will always be broken when you need it the most. There are also some self-evident truths that we must accept when it comes to photography; one being, one day, you will need to set your own exposure manually. If you’ve been shooting exclusively in Auto Mode or Aperture and Shutter Priority Modes, this can be an enormous challenge.

Take heart! I’m about to show you one of the easiest and most long-standing methods for calculating exposures. Using it will help you almost always get a usable baseline exposure when shooting your camera in full manual mode. Yes, really.

It’s called the Sunny 16 Rule, and it’s going to be your best friend.

Back to Basics: Understanding the "Sunny 16 Rule" in Photography

You may very well have heard of it before but never fully understood how simple it truly is to implement (and modify) this handy little formula to fit the situation in which you find yourself shooting.

Getting to know the Sunny 16 Rule

Understanding the Sunny 16 Rule couldn’t be more simple. It’s all based around the relationships between our three key elements of exposure: ISO, aperture, and shutter speed.

Sunny 16 had its roots in film photography when it was used to help photographers figure out their exposure when a light meter wasn’t available. However, it works perfectly well with digital photography too. In fact, since we have the added convenience of on-the-fly ISO adjustments with our digital cameras, the Sunny 16 Rule becomes even more universally useful.

sunny-16-rule-in-photography

As you might have guessed, the concept of the Sunny 16 Rule begins with bright sunlight and setting our aperture to…*drum roll*…f/16. Bright sunlight refers to unobstructed sunlight on a cloudless day; think noon with a clear sky, and its brightness is virtually constant.

After we’ve got our aperture set to f/16, we can now dial in our shutter speed based on the ISO we happen to be shooting. To calculate your shutter speed based on Sunny 16, all we have to do is put “1” over our ISO. This will be your shutter speed.

Keep in mind that some cameras measure exposure in full, half or third stops and your shutter speed might not be exactly the same as your ISO. For example, in half-stop increments, if you are shooting ISO 400 then your exposure would be (for slight underexposure) f/16 at 1/500th of a second. At ISO 100 your settings would be f/16 at 1/125th of a second. For ISO 800 it would be 1/1000th of a second and so forth.

As far as ISO settings are concerned, it is a good practice to “set it and forget it.” There’s not much need to adjust the ISO as we can vary our exposure using our aperture settings – unless the scene dictates otherwise…more on this in just a bit.

Back to Basics: Understanding the "Sunny 16 Rule" in Photography

Why the Sunny 16 Rule is so useful

The reason the Sunny 16 Rule is such a fantastic concept is due to the fact it gives us a usable exposure setting based on what will likely be the brightest light you will encounter – the sun.

Once you know what your shutter speed will be at a given ISO and f/16 in bright sunlight, you can essentially estimate any exposures for darker environments. The reason for this is that ISO, aperture, and shutter speed are all connected. You can adjust each relative to the another so that you can control your exposures based on the needs of a particular scene. If you’d like to learn a little more about how ISO, aperture and shutter speed relate to one another, have a look at this great article on understanding the exposure triangle.

Perhaps one of the best things about working with the Sunny 16 rule is that it’s a great way to teach yourself to read light and adjust your exposure based around the creative requirements for your photo. Let’s look at some considerations to take into account when you need a little more control over your photographs when basing your exposures around the Sunny 16 concept.

sunny-16-rule-in-photography

How to modify the Sunny 16 Rule

Years ago, when I first heard of the Sunny 16 Rule, my first thought was “That’s great, but what if I don’t want to shoot at f/16?”

Indeed, a great question.

What happens when you need a more shallow depth of field than f/16 can produce? Alternatively, what if the indicated ISO-based shutter speed just isn’t fast enough or slow enough for your subject? Furthermore, you definitely won’t always photograph in blazingly bright sunlight (ironically not ideal for most photography).

The good news is that the Sunny 16 Rule is incredibly flexible.

Remember, the Sunny 16 Rule does nothing more than eliminate variables in your exposure to produce a baseline camera setting which you can then manipulate given your particular needs.

Virtually identical exposures in direct sunlight based on the Sunny 16 Rule with constant f/16 apertures and ISO-dependent shutter speeds.

For example, let’s say you’re shooting a subject that requires a more shallow depth of field, like a portrait or still life that is in bright sunlight. At ISO 100, your resulting Sunny 16 exposure would be f/16 at 1/125. For reference, here’s a sample photo I shot at those settings in direct afternoon sunlight.

Back to Basics: Understanding the "Sunny 16 Rule" in Photography

Needless to say that if I open up my aperture to f/2.8 (five full stops wider) in order to better blur the background, the resulting image will be completely overexposed, and looks something like this:

Yes…there is a photo there.

So, how to remedy this problem? Since we are working from the Sunny 16 Rule, all we have to do is apply some basic photographic principles (remember the exposure triangle?) to normalize our exposure based on our new, wider aperture.

Seeing as we opened up our aperture by five stops, we simply need to increase our shutter speed by five stops to compensate.

So if my initial shutter speed were 1/125th at f/16, my new adjusted shutter speed setting at f/2.8 would be 1/4000th. Here is the resulting exposure:

Blurred background and a normalized exposure based on the Sunny 16 Rule.

The same is true in the case of fast-moving subjects. If you’re experiencing unwanted subject motion at, say, 1/125th of a second at f/16, and you want to try a faster shutter speed of 1/500th of a second to help arrest the motion, you need to compensate for the faster shutter speed with a corresponding wider aperture setting to allow more light to come into the camera. In this case, 1/500th of a second – two full stops faster than 1/125th – so we would open our aperture by two stops from f/16 to f/8.

Some adjusted Sunny 16 baseline exposures

If you’re wondering about lighting situations other than bright sun, here’s a quick (but by no means definitive) list of baseline aperture adjustments derived from the Sunny 16 Rule. I’ve listed Sunny 16 at the top as a baseline exposure at ISO 100 and 1/125th of a second. To adjust your exposures for varying degrees of brightness, all you need to do is change your aperture.

Direct bright sunlight with harsh shadows: f/16 at 1/125th of a second and ISO 100
Indirect bright sun with soft shadows (shade/cloudy): f/11 at 1/125th and ISO 100
Overcast skies with little to no shadows: f/8 at 1/125th and ISO 100
Dusk/morning light: f/4 at 1/125 and ISO 100

I also want to point out the elephant in the room which is holding a big neon-yellow sign that reads, “Why not just bump up the ISO?”

In short, you can adjust your ISO settings to compensate for more or less light in the scene. Modern cameras are becoming better and better at reducing high ISO digital noise. The Sunny 16 Rule was based on the fact that most film cameras are limited to the ISO of the film used. In these cases, the ability to read and understand light becomes paramount.

The concept of Sunny 16 gives us digital shooters a way to nail exposures (or come close) every time in-camera without constantly checking our images after each shot.

Final thoughts on the Sunny 16 Rule

Of course, as with most things, the Sunny 16 Rule isn’t a true “rule” in the sense that you must follow it to the letter. Instead, it is a rule in the way that gives something to relate one thing to another; in our case it allows us to relate the luminance of available light to our camera settings to achieve predictable and reproducible results.

Sunny 16 is also a great learning tool to help us understand the nature and measurement of light. Going further, it is a guide that is extremely versatile once you understand just a few basic principles of exposure. I, for one, feel as if I don’t use Sunny 16 enough in my work. I think that is about to change.

Do you practice the Sunny 16 Rule? How has it affected your shooting? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Back to Basics: Understanding the “Sunny 16 Rule” in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

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5 Top Tips for Marketing Your Photography Business Successfully

11 Sep

The post 5 Top Tips for Marketing Your Photography Business Successfully appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

Marketing is something that often falls by the wayside for photographers. We push it aside when we’re busy, only to find the clients aren’t there when things slow down.

The best marketing efforts are those that are organic and purposeful. There is no quick fix. Promoting your work is not as simple as “build a website and they will come.” It takes consistency and effort to keep your name out there, no matter how long you’ve been in the business.

Here are my five top tips for marketing your photography business the right way. top-tips-for-marketing-your-photography-business-the-right-way

1. Curate your online portfolio

As a professional photographer, you need an attractive, well-curated website to highlight your work.

Your website will brand you as either a professional or an amateur. It will serve as the first impression of you and your work. You need to pay attention to every detail, from the template you choose, to how your images flow together to create a cohesive narrative of who you are as an artist.

Put only your best work in your online portfolio, but try to approach your images as a potential photo buyer might. It’s easy to get emotionally attached to certain photographs, but sometimes your favorites are not the ones that are going to resonate with your target market. Create galleries that organize your photos into a grouping that make sense. Pay attention to the colors, shapes, and lighting that flow well together. Create an experience for the viewer as they move through your body of work.

If you feel you can’t see the forest for the trees when it comes curating your work, hire a photo consultant who can give you an unbiased and expert opinion.

Starting an online portfolio from scratch? You might want to choose a web builder made for photographers, such as Photoshelter or Format, as they also offer various tools to help sell and distribute images.

Squarespace is popular with a lot of photographers because of their beautiful, minimalist and modern templates. Wix is also another site that has improved in leaps and bounds in the last couple of years. It is highly customizable and unlike some of the other options, offers tons of different templates to choose from.

5 Top Tips for Marketing Your Photography Business Successfully

2. Print your work

The demand for digital imagery is huge, however, print is not dead.

If you’re a commercial photographer, having a print portfolio is essential for meeting with clients. Showing up at an agency meeting with an iPad to show your work will make you look like an amateur.

In the commercial and advertising world, agencies want to see how your images hold up in print because any flaws become much more obvious. It’s important for them to see how your work translates into print before they hire you.

Creating a top-notch portfolio can be very expensive, but there are several sites like Artifact Uprising and Blurb where you can have good quality photo books printed at a reasonable price.

top-tips-for-marketing-your-photography-business-the-right-way

If you’re looking for commercial work and want to work with ad agencies, design firms, or magazines, you’ll also need to send out printed promos to your target market three or four times a year.

It’s said that it takes an average of seven contacts with someone before they buy from you, so this tactic may not pay off immediately. However, never underestimate the silent watchers.

If you work on the retail level, such as in wedding photography or portraiture, it’s still useful to have printed work to show prospective clients. People love to see something tangible, something they can hold in their hands that will help them experience your work in a more direct way. The photographers who make a lot of money in these niches print out their photographs to show to clients in-person, which drives sales exponentially.

5 Top Tips for Marketing Your Photography Business Successfully

3. Create a quarterly email campaign

Do you have a ‘subscribe to email list’ on your website? If not, you should. Nothing converts like email. An engaged list is far more important than any form of social media. The changing algorithms and whims of companies like Instagram and Facebook can leave your business incredibly vulnerable if you depend on them.

By sending out a regular newsletter or a PDF mailer to your past clients and other relevant business contacts, you appear busy and relevant. Fresh content helps you connect to your audience.

Research whom you want to work with, and regularly make contact with them. Keep track of these contacts via a spreadsheet or CRM (customer relationship management), so you know who has received your previous mailing.

Hire a designer that can create a template for you. This will allow you to swap out pictures every time you do a new campaign with new work. Include your logo on the front and a short bio inside, along with your contact information. Alternately you can create a promo “newspaper” or magazine through a company like Blurb or Newspaper Club.

Your email promo should look as professional as possible. The email campaigns should go out to your target clients every quarter to keep you top of mind when they’re looking for a photographer.

Even if you send out printed promotions, you should also send out email campaigns.

Printed promotions are expensive, which means you can only send them out to a select group of people – your most ideal clients. But with email, you can send out a promotion such as a PDF mailer to hundreds or prospective clients.

5 Top Tips for Marketing Your Photography Business Successfully

4. Use social media strategically

Everyone is complaining about their love/hate relationship with social media, but if you’re using it for business, it’s non-negotiable. The keys to success are your perspective and using social media the right way.

It’s best to pick one or two social media channels and concentrate on bringing up your visibility there. Start by asking yourself what you want to achieve?

Do you want to:

Drive traffic to your site?
Connect with agencies and brands?
Connect with potential brides or portrait clients?

Put aside time every day to post and engage with your target market by leaving thoughtful comments.

Know that the path from a “like” to any “purchase” is a really big leap. Social media should be part of a wider strategy of creating visibility and engaging with a community. It’s great to follow other photographers and support one another, but most of them won’t be your potential clients. Avoid the big time suck of social media and focus on the people that are likely to hire you.

5. Write a WordPress blog

I’m always going on about writing a blog. I think most photographers should have a blog.

One reason is that if you have a WordPress blog connected to your site, you can get a massive boost to your SEO. Updating the blog regularly will get you a higher ranking in search results.

Writing a blog will also help you connect with your audience and build trust. Your clients will feel like they have come to know you.

If writing is not your strong suit, you don’t need to write a lot. In fact, your posts should have lots of images instead. You can share about a family or personal branding session. You can share shots and a short narrative about the latest wedding you shot or write about how you recommend clients dress for their personal branding session.

However you decide to approach it, make sure that your content adds value for the people reading it.

5 Top Tips for Marketing Your Photography Business Successfully

To sum up

Marketing gets a bad rap. As an artist, you may feel like a used car salesman when you’re trying to sell your services. However, think of marketing as a way of putting yourself in front of people and letting them know you’re there.

The most successful photographers are those that demonstrate that they can add value and solve a specific problem.

By taking a more curated, thoughtful approach to promoting yourself, you’ll be able to build a business that stays strong in the face of trends and stands out amongst your competitors.

Do you have any other Tips for Marketing Your Photography Business? Share with us in the comments!

The post 5 Top Tips for Marketing Your Photography Business Successfully appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

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