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Posts Tagged ‘Photos’

11 Amazing Photos Pokémon Go Characters Fit Perfectly In

15 Jul

While Pokémon Go is quickly becoming a new fitness, it’s no wonder that Pokémon characters are now among the most popular photography subjects. Well, most of such photos are just screenshots meant to show the Pokémon rather than carry any photographic appeal. However, the game is just a few days old (right, days!), so it’s probably won’t be too long Continue Reading

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Polaroid Swing is a new take on Apple’s Live Photos

14 Jul

Apple didn’t invent the concept, but ever since the company launched its Live Photos feature it has been en vogue to add a touch of motion to still images – just enough to give you a better idea of the atmosphere at the time and place of capture.

The latest new app to slightly vary this theme is Polaroid Swing. The app captures 60 frames in a quick burst and combines them into an animated image. When viewing you can trigger the 1-second animation by twisting your device or swiping across the screen. This works in both directions. Below are a couple of samples for you to try, just move the mouse across the images:

As you would imagine, final results can be shared via Facebook, Twitter and other means. The effect is pretty neat but, as we’ve seen many times before, there is danger of the novelty factor wearing off pretty quickly. That said, the owners of the legendary Polaroid name seem to firmly believe in Polaroid Swing’s success. They have not only licensed the Polaroid name but also invested in the app. Polaroid Swing is available as a free download from the App Store now; an Android version is still in the works.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DEAL: Learn How to Take Beautiful Black and White Photos for just $6

10 Jul

NewImageToday is deal 4 of our mid year sale and you’re sure to love this one…

Our Essential Guide to Black & White Photography ebook – just $ 6!

We’ve never offered this best selling eBook at this price – so save 70% today only.

Grab your copy using this link: http://resources.digital-photography-school.com/summer/day4

Not only do black and white images have undeniable beauty, they can also bring added emotion, passion and drama to your photography portfolio. So if you’re looking to ramp up any of these things in your work, then this is definitely the deal for you.

Remember, each deal this week is open for 24 hours only. So get in early or risk missing out on this exceptional $ 6 price!

Snap it up here before it’s gone.

Note: as with all our eBooks this one comes with a money back guarantee. If you don’t find it suits your needs simply contact our support team within 60 days and we’ll refund your money – no questions asked.

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5 Life-Saving Tips on How to Back Up Photos

07 Jul

Everyone’s heard the horror stories about people who’ve lost their photos, and everyone knows that – no matter what they’re of or what they’re for – losing your pictures can be devastating. Whether it’s a folder of precious family photos, a portfolio, or a project for a client, replacing what was lost can be time consuming, expensive, and even impossible Continue Reading

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4 Key Lightroom Sliders That Will Supercharge Your Photos

04 Jul

Lightroom is kind of like a Swiss Army Knife or, better yet, a Leatherman Wave, in that it does so many things and is an invaluable program for many photographers–amateur, professional, or anywhere in between. Regardless of whether you’re the kind of person who prefers presets, or someone who likes scooting sliders, there are four options hidden in plain sight, right on the Basic panel of the Develop module, that can dramatically enhance almost any picture.

It took me a few years to learn to use these sliders properly, and even now I am still figuring out new ways to work with them, in combination with other options in the Develop module to get my pictures looking just the way I want. But, now I am at a point where adjusting these four options is the very first thing I do on almost every single photo. They’re that useful for me, and could be for you too.

four-lightroom-sliders-girl

The four key Lightroom sliders are:

  1. Highlights
  2. Shadows
  3. Whites
  4. Blacks

Learning how to work with these four key sliders can have an amazing impact on your photography.

Exposure-sliderTo demonstrate the effect of each slider I’m going to show you a picture in various states of editing, as I adjust values for each option one by one. If you are used to using the Exposure (note in the screenshot on the right what areas of your image are affected by moving the Exposure slider) and Contrast sliders to adjust your images, you may want to put those aside for now and focus on these other four instead, as they can give you significantly better results.

I should also note that, as with virtually all Lightroom tips and tricks, your results will be best if you shoot in RAW instead of JPG. The picture I’m going to start with is a shot of some colorful leaves on a rainy day, that seems fairly decent to begin with, but is made much more vibrant and richer just by adjusting these four key Lightroom sliders: Highlights, Shadows, Whites, and Blacks.

The original photo straight out of my camera with no adjustments applied whatsoever.

The original photo straight out of the camera with no adjustments applied whatsoever.

Histogram of original unedited image.

Histogram of original unedited image.

#1 – Highlights slider

Highlights-sliderI mentioned the Exposure slider in the previous paragraph, which is a tool that adjusts the overall brightness or darkness of an entire image (based on the midtones). The Highlights slider allows you to perform a similar type of adjustment, but only with the brightest parts of an image (tones not quite pure white). Moving it to the left will make the brightest parts darker, and moving it to the right will make the same parts brighter. Hover over the Highlights slider with your mouse to see on the histogram which parts of the image will be affected (see screenshot at the right).

I use this as a starting point when making adjustments to a picture, because it can help recover some of the details in the lighter parts of an image that might seem a bit too bright or washed out, and can give the picture a more evenly-lit appearance overall.

Highlights adjusted to a value of -80. Notice how the yellow leaves, particularly the large one on the right-hand side, now display a much richer shade of yellow and are not as washed-out as in the initial photo.

Highlights adjusted to a value of -80. Notice how the yellow leaves, particularly the large one on the right-hand side, now display a much richer shade of yellow and are not as washed-out as in the initial photo.

Histogram with highlights adjusted.

Histogram with highlights adjusted.

As you adjust the Highlights, or any of the other three sliders mentioned in this article, you can use the built-in clipping guide to help get the right amount of adjustments to your image. Hold down the alt key (option on Mac) as you move the slider from left to right and you will see your image go all dark except for a few spots. These spots indicate areas of your image that are clipped, which means image data is being lost in those parts. You generally want to avoid clipping, so it’s a good idea to not adjust the Highlights or any other slider so much that you start seeing lots of clipped areas.

A peek at the histogram on top of the Basic module will show you similar information, as the more you adjust the Highlights slider to the right the more you will see the colors move to the right-hand side as well. If they move so far that they are off that side of the grid, areas of your image are being clipped, and there are going to be spots of pure white that you may not want.

#2 – Shadows slider

Shadows-sliderIn a similar vein as the Highlights slider, the Shadows option makes the dark parts of your image a little brighter (see image right for which areas are affected). It’s kind of like using the Exposure slider to make your image brighter, but restricting it only to the sections of an image that are very dark, while ignoring the rest. This works wonders on pictures that are underexposed, as modern cameras have image sensors that capture an amazing amount of detail in the shadows, particularly at lower ISO values. It’s rare that you will need to (or even want to) boost the shadow level clear up to 100, but it’s nice knowing Lightroom at least gives you the option of doing so.

I should also note that you could use the same slider to make the shadow areas of an image even darker, and depending on the type of photography you do, that may very well be a useful option but most photographers will want to just lighten the shadows instead.

Adjusting the shadows by +50 helped to bring back some of the detail that was lost in the darker areas, as you can see in the area of green leaves inside the circle.

Adjusting the shadows by +50 helped to bring back some of the detail that was lost in the darker areas, as you can see in the area of green leaves inside the circle.

Highlights and shadows adjusted.

Highlights and shadows adjusted.

#3 – Whites slider

Whites-sliderThis is related to the highlights, but has a slightly different impact on your image, that is subtle but quite impactful. Adjusting this to the right essentially makes the white tones in your image, more pure white. It affects all the white tones in the photo (see image on the right) as opposed to the highlights slider which only deals with a narrow range of very bright colors.

What you’re doing here is setting the white point, or telling Lightroom what you want the brightest point of your photo to actually be. This can give a flat image much more depth and tonality, and take an otherwise boring picture and really start to make it shine. I almost always drag this slider a little bit to the right, though you must be careful not to let anything get clipped, which you can do by holding down the alt or option key while you drag it.

Bringing the white slider to a value of +45 now makes all the white areas more pure white. The effect is most noticeable on the various water drops which now appear much more vibrant and well defined.

Bringing the white slider to a value of +45 now makes all the white areas more pure white. The effect is most noticeable on the various water drops which now appear much more vibrant and well defined.

Highlights, shadows and whites adjusted.

Highlights, shadows and whites adjusted.

#4 – Blacks slider

Blacks-sliderSimilar to the Whites slider, this one adjusts the black point of your image, or how dark the darkest portions really render. I almost always slide this to the left to give my photos a little more punch. It helps pictures have a little more contrast, while bringing out a lot more color in any image as a whole.

One difference to note when adjusting this slider, as opposed to some of the others, is that you actually do want the black level to be clipped slightly. So, when you hold the alt or option key down as you adjust this one, you want to see a few highlighted areas show up. The reason for this is to make the very darkest parts of your images truly black, which adds depth and a nice pleasing look to your pictures, that is far more effective than simply moving the contrast slider.

Note: the contrast slider pushes out from the middle of the histogram, whereas pulling the Whites and Blacks sliders pulls out from the edge – thus giving you more control over how contrast is applied to your image.

Bringing the shadows down to -70 makes the black areas pure black, and gives a much richer sense of contrast to the image overall than simply adjusting the contrast slider.

Bringing the Blacks down to -70 makes the black areas pure black, and gives a much richer sense of contrast to the image overall than simply adjusting the contrast slider.

All four adjustments made.

All four adjustments made.

Before and after

To give you a clear sense of just how much these four sliders can affect an image, here’s a before and after comparison of the same photo. The original seems so dull and lifeless, compared to the vibrant dynamic edited version. Remember, the only things that were adjusted were the Highlights, Shadows, Whites, and Blacks sliders.

four-lightroom-sliders-leaves-comparison

There are dozens of other edits that can be done in Lightroom to improve photos. Simple things like increasing the clarity, adjusting the tone curve, fine-tuning the sharpening, or selectively editing each color, can improve your original images (especially if you shoot in RAW) leaps and bounds beyond what you might have thought. But if all that seems like a bit too much to take in all at once, just know that you can get a huge amount of improvements just by using these four simple sliders in the Basic panel.

When I said that these four key Lightroom sliders can supercharge your editing, I really meant it. Learning to use them only takes a few minutes, and can make a huge difference in your images.

To recap, here’s what each slider does in a nutshell:

  • Highlights: Adjusts the brighter portions of an image to bring back some color that might be too washed out.
  • Shadows: Adjusts the darker portions of an image to bring out some color and detail where it may appear to be too dark.
  • Whites: Makes the whitest portions of an image more pure white.
  • Blacks: Makes the blackest portions of an image more pure black.
Original image, straight out of camera, with no edits applied.

Original image, straight out of camera, with no edits applied.

Original image histogram.

Original image histogram.

Highlights -47, Shadows +83, Whites +79, Blacks -56, and no other edits at all.

Highlights -47, Shadows +83, Whites +79, Blacks -56, and no other edits at all.

Adjusted histogram.

Adjusted histogram.

I have found myself using these four sliders so much that I actually created a custom preset in Lightroom that sets them all to specific values. I often apply this preset to every picture upon import, as it gives me a good starting point to work from, when doing my other edits. The values I use are:four-lightroom-sliders

  • Highlights -25
  • Shadows +20
  • Whites +25
  • Blacks -30

Your mileage will vary, and again this is just a starting point, but hopefully all of this illustrates just how useful these four sliders are. When I first started working with Lightroom I was so overwhelmed with all the options at my disposal, that not only did I think I would never be able to learn it, but I didn’t even know where to start. If that sounds like you, I would recommend giving these four sliders a try and use this as the springboard for the rest of your edits.

What about you? What are some of your favorite editing tips and tricks in Lightroom? Do you have a particular key to an effective workflow that you’d like to share? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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How to Use a Travel Photography Shot List to Come Home with Better Photos

01 Jul

Checking off your travel photo listWant to bring back travel photos that your friends actually enjoy viewing on Facebook? Want to make sure you don’t miss anything when visiting a new culture? Then it’s time to make a list!

We all have our easy ruts we fall into when photographing, but travel, for me, is about expanding my view. That’s why I take a travel shot list and try my darnedest to get at least one of each shot when visiting a new location.

What’s on my list?

Here are some tips for you to help make a travel photography shot list for your next trip. Feel free to use my list and add to it with your own ideas.

1 – People – old, young, and in-between

Spread out your people photos between age ranges. I’ve seen a bazillion images of old ladies from Cuba, while often missing are people like me; middle aged and fairly normal, even a bit boring. Round out your people photos with more variety, is all I am saying.

Portraits in Bhutan

What’s not to love about those shoes and that smile?

Kids are an easy target as they often love having their picture taken. You will need to be aware, though, that not all parents wish for their children to be photographed. That’s the crux of it; parents worry how the images this stranger just took will be used. Sometimes all it takes is a simple “Hello” first to the parents to gauge if taking photos is okay. If language is a barrier, you can also point to your camera, then to the children with an inquisitive look on your face. Either way, no matter the answer, respect the parent’s choice.

Peruvian kids

Kids playing in Inca ruins, Peru

Delhi street market scene

Street scene in Delhi, India with people my age.

Men at Red Fort, Delhi, India

People watching at the Red Fort, Delhi, India

2 – Food – preperation, presentation, social aspect

Food brings us together. It’s a basic need we can all relate to, even if we don’t know exactly what we are about to eat.

Cooking at a Sikh Temple

Inside the commercial sized kitchen at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India

Don’t just shoot the Instagram-worthy image of a plate of the amazing new delicacy you are experiencing, find a way to shoot the preparation of food. Get behind the counter (where it’s allowed) to see how it’s cooked, and where it comes from. As you plan to share these photos (why else are you taking them?), you may find that a large, and often hidden, swath of your friends and followers have a strong interest in food prep.

Buddhist monastery kitchen in Nepal

The full kitchen at a monastery, high in the Himalayas of Nepal

3 – Architecture – old, new, juxtaposed

In some locations the old and the new architecture matches, Bhutan comes to mind. I watched artisans paint a brand new home with traditional patterns and motifs from the nearby 400 year old monastery. Everything there fit a certain style.

Buddhist Temple in Punakha, Bhutan

Looking up at the Punakha Temple, Bhutan

Then we have countries making vast changes from the old style to what constantly evolves as modern – think of Tokyo or Dubai. Look for the differences even where you think there is just one style.

4 – Water – how is it used?

While food brings us together, water is even more vital to our lives. In California we are familiar with our current drought, but forget that not every place has this problem. Some places are quite extravagant with their use of water, while it is a scarcity in others.

Water in use in Nepal and India

Scarcity of water in Kathmandu means water lines, while a woman in Varanasi, India, washes her clothes in the river.

How do the locals use water? Do they wash their laundry in the rivers? Are there fountains everywhere? Are their cities built along waterways, or with vast ports?

Infinity pool and Dubai

An infinity pool 23 stories up in the Burj al-Arab, Dubai, UAE

Old water storage tank overflowing and leaking

In the woods of Oregon, there is often way too much water.

5 – Transportation – private and public

How do people get around? At home we have our patterns, and often don’t see the other forms of transport we might use. But when you travel, it will hopefully be obvious how the people there transport themselves.

Tuk-tuk ride at night

Tuk-tuks in Amritsar, India, are the easiest way to get around town.

It might a passel of buses, camels, rickshaws, taxis, or Maseratis.

Also, how are goods moved? Does your location have shipping traffic and a lot of cargo? From continent to continent, the methods for moving goods from here to there can be vastly different.

Boating on the Ghanges River

Boating along the Ghanges River in Varanasi, India

6 – Commerce – macro and micro

When I think of macro-commerce I think of things like whole industries like: agriculture, tourism, and banking.

With micro- commerce, I think of markets and vendors, where money actually changes hands. Who’s selling what, and who is buying? Is there a special technique to transactions?

image

Try to capture both the large scale, and intimacy of commerce, and show how things may be very similar, or very different from what you are used to back home.

7 – Nighttime

When the sun goes down, don’t stop shooting! Learn to find light, and exploit its unique qualities during the night. Maybe you have some moonlight or some neon in your location. No matter the source, there is still light at night.

Balanced Rock, Arches National Park, at Night

Balanced Rock in Arches National Park, Utah, USA takes on a new look at night.

Does your location shut down when the sun hits the horizon? Or does it rally for an all-night bender?

I found the markets in Aqaba, Jordan come to life once the heat of the day was done. I also found that the town had way more neon signs than I ever expected, but hadn’t bothered to notice while touring in the daylight. Get out at night and explore.

Noel in Aqaba, Jordan

Neon in Aqaba, Jorda

image

8 – Religion

How different parts of the world practice religion has always fascinated me. There isn’t a single part of this globe, that does not have some nod to the local religion, in some aspect of their lives.

Minaret of a mosque in Oman

Colorful minaret in Jebel Shams area of Oman

It may be subtle, such as a small altar to burn incense, or it could be the overt repetition of churches across a city. Travel is a time to break out of your routine and try new things. Stick your head (respectfully) inside a temple. Tour a mosque. Visit a cemetery to see the influence of religion on those in the past.

Buddhist monks in ceremony, Bhutan

Photography inside many Buddhist temples in Bhutan is banned, but on the night of this retreat for monks from all around the valley, I was allowed to shoot the ceremony.

Military tombstones and flags located in Eastern Washington, USA

Military tombstones and flags located in Eastern Washington, USA

9 – Landscapes – natural and manmade

I love landscapes, so they come easy to me. But, I have not always been a fan of cities and people. So, it takes me some effort to really appreciate the organization and layout of a nice cityscape. But it’s always worth it to bring back a mix of both in your images.

View of Canyonlands National Park at sunset

No people to see. Canyonlands National Park, Utah, USA.

Photographers and Cho Oyu, Nepal

A few people give a sense of scale to Cho Oyu, the 6th highest mountain in the world, Gokyo, Nepal.

Sunrise view of Seattle, Washington and Mount Rainier

Here there are a lot more people in Seattle, Washington, USA

I am reminded of the craze for photos of Iceland. I’ve seen my fill, and rarely was a single cityscape in the mix. Black sand beaches with ice, waterfalls, all that stuff shows up – but most photographers have left out the manmade landscape. Include it! At least once.

10 – Icons – clichés big and small

I know people who refuse to shoot iconic locations. “They’ve been over shot and I wouldn’t be caught dead shooting them,” is a common refrain. Ignore those people.

Taj Mahal and reflection

The classic Taj Mahal view.

You’re traveling, so have fun. Shoot the Eiffel Tower if you’re in Paris. Hit up Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park, and why not get a reflecting pool image of the Taj Mahal, or a cigar smoking lady in Havana? Do it. Get a posed photo of Masai Mara villagers, a llama in front of Machu Picchu, pretend to push over the Tower of Pisa.

Heck, even get a photo of that same waterfall everyone else visiting Iceland has shot.

That being said, you probably shouldn’t share only the cliché shots. Unless you’re on assignment to shoot something highly unique, go ahead and hit the clichés, then move on to the rest of the list. Better yet, look around your cliché location for something new to bring back and share.

Tourists at teh Taj Mahal

The not-so-classic view of the Taj Mahal, but a lot more fun.

11 – Wildlife – domestic and truly wild

My daughter’s obsession with taking photos of cats in Morocco sticks with me as a reminder to not ignore the domestic animals, along with the wild. I’ve photographed big cats in India and Africa, tarantulas in Peru and breaching whales in Alaska. But, I’d be remiss if I didn’t convey the fact that the town of Essouira, Morocco, with its fresh fish markets, is a haven for cats of all kinds.

Breaching humpback whales, Alaska, USA

Humpback whales in Alaska, USA

FIghting Hippos, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Fighting hippos in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

What about the beasts of burden? The donkeys, llamas, horses and camels? Put those on your list as well.

image

12 – All the pretty plants and flowers

Some of us just don’t care that much about plants. A green thing giving off oxygen at home is the same as a green thing giving off oxygen halfway across the world.

Rhododendrons in the Himalayas, Nepal

Rhododendrons at 14,000′ up in the Himalayas

But, I had no clue there were rhododendrons in the Himalayas of Nepal, much the same (but smaller), as both the ornamental and wild versions, I knew in Washington state growing up. When you get down to the tropics, the plants certainly get exotic, don’t they? Grab their wonderful colors and adaptations to share with friends back home.

Conclusion

This list can be just a start for your own customized version. Take it, shape it, make it your own. Put your favorite things on the list, but also keep those that don’t interest you. Growth as a photographer comes from trying new things and shooting new subjects.

Lastly, when it’s time to share your trip photos, I would suggest using 2-4 images from each category when making an online album. This will force you to pick only the best and it will give your viewers a good cross section of what you saw on your travels.

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How to Use Photoshop to Enhance Details in Your Photos

29 Jun

Do you think that your images lack details? Here is the way to extract the extra details that are already present in your photos, but are not visible, using Photoshop. Some methods like high pass sharpening will either give you a way too crunchy look or create halos around the edges of the different elements in your image. However, this Continue Reading

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Why Engagement Photos are a Good Investment for You and Your Clients

22 Jun

Over the past several years, engagement photos (also known as e-sessions or pre-wedding photoshoots) have become quite the norm among couples who are engaged to be married. It is probably one the first things newly engaged couples discuss and plan out. There is a lot of debate about the need for engagement photos from a couple’s point of view – are engagement photos really required, and what purpose do they serve especially if the duration between the engagement and the wedding is very short?

As a wedding photographer, I believe having engagement photos prior to the wedding is almost as important as the wedding day photos. Here are some of the reasons why I recommend engagement photos to all my wedding clients.

Memorable Jaunts DPS Article on tips for engagement photos-5-2

To help them get comfortable in front of the camera

Most people are quite uncomfortable at the thought of having their picture taken by a professional photographer, especially if they have never had photos taken before, like ever! They feel uncomfortable and awkward and don’t quite know how to relax, how to pose, or how to display emotions. Limbs tend to get stiff, bodies becomes rigid, and forced smiles cause the jaw to lock up.

This awkward and uncomfortable feeling is usually reflected in the photos. An engagement shoot can help eliminate this discomfort. It is an opportunity for clients to practice being in front of the camera, and get used to the idea of being intimate with their significant other in the presence of another person.

03Memorable Jaunts DPS Article on tips for engagement photos-1

These clients came to me for wedding photos, and were very clear that they were not at all comfortable being in front of the camera. I suggested an engagement photo session as a way to get to know me and my style, as well as for me to get to know them. All through the shoot, my only direction was to be comfortable with each other, and spend time together. By the end of the session, they had a good sense of my style and my direction, as well as got pictures together in a more casual setting than the wedding.

To help them get to know you, the photographer

In addition to helping clients get comfortable in front of the camera, the engagement shoot is also a great time to get familiar with you, the photographer. Every photographer has a different style of directing and photographing people, and this is a great opportunity for them to get comfortable with your process. Most engagement shoots last an hour or two, sometimes longer depending on the couple and you, and this gives both parties plenty of time to interact, socialize, and chat with each other. This also works on the flip side, where you also get to know the couple. As photographers, we are often looking to understand and learn the relationship dynamics of our clients – how they interact as a couple and what is their comfort level in front of the camera. This way it will help you know how to get the best moments and interactions on the wedding day.

Documenting the relationship

Wedding photos capture one of the most important moments of a couple’s life together. But often, the stress and tension of planning the perfect wedding, and the perfect day, gets in the way of capturing authentic imagery of their relationship. The engagement shoot is a great opportunity to highlight the true personality of a couple in a more relaxed and natural environment. A good tip for both you and your clients is to choose a location that is comfortable, and is a meaningful reflection of the client’s personality. This add a personal touch to the photos, and showcases them in a relaxed environment, that is a true reflection of their personality as a couple.

02Memorable Jaunts DPS Article on tips for engagement photos-1

These clients choose a location that meant something special to them. They had also recently adopted a pet and wanted to include her in their photos, as they consider her as part of the family. I let my clients completely dictate the setup for this photoshoot, and simply documented their life as true to who they are as a couple.

Uses for the engagement photos

Most clients who choose engagement or pre-wedding photos tend to use the photos as save the date cards, guest sign-in books, wedding website setup, or even placing them around the wedding reception area as part of the reception decor. This gives their wedding guests a chance to get to know the couple more intimately.

01Memorable Jaunts DPS Article on tips for engagement photos-1

This couple already had a wedding photographer, but wanted engagement pictures as part of their wedding decor. Since they both love the outdoors and it was a fall evening, we decide to do a themed engagement photoshoot that showcased their personality.

Quality time together as a couple

This is probably one of the most important reason to have an engagement session. The wedding planning process can be very stressful and taxing, with a million different things to plan and coordinate. The engagement session is a time for couples to take a step back from the wedding planning process to be together, be playful, and just be themselves. A welcome break for most folks! As wedding and engagement photographers, it is our responsibility to ensure that our clients have a stress-free, relaxed time during their engagement session.

Are you a wedding photographer that recommends engagement photos for your clients? What are some of the reasons you like them? Feel free to share your experiences and images in the comments below.

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The post Why Engagement Photos are a Good Investment for You and Your Clients by Karthika Gupta appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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10 Tips for Great Butterfly Photos

20 Jun

Butterflies are wonderful subjects for photographs, but not always the easiest subject to shoot. You don’t have to wing it anymore, and let good shots be a product of chance. Follow these tips and you’ll come home with some great butterfly photos.

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1. Consider shooting with a telephoto macro lens

To shoot close-ups of butterflies, you’ll want to use a telephoto macros lens. To get great shots, you need to get close to the butterfly, and having a 100mm or longer macro will help. If you don’t have a macro, don’t be discouraged, you can still make great shots with your zoom lens, you’ll just need to shoot more of the environment, but you can make beautiful images that way too.

2. Find a location with flowering plants that attract butterflies

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Specific plants, such as the butterfly bush, are known to attract butterflies. See if you can find a location in a park, zoo, or arboretum that has a flower garden with plants chosen specifically to attract butterflies. The more subjects you have to photograph, the better your chances are at nailing the perfect butterfly shot.

3. Pick a spot and wait for the butterflies to come to you

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Once you’ve found your garden, find an area that seems to have a lot of butterflies around. While photographing butterflies in flight seems like a great idea, it’s pretty difficult, and it will likely leave you frustrated.

Take a minute or two and just observe. Butterflies seem to come back to the same flower over and over again. Just watch, then pick a flower and wait for the butterfly to come to you. I usually choose a flower that is in the shade. Harsh shadows take away from the beauty of the photograph. I also watch the background to make sure that it compliments the butterfly.

4. Use a monopod or a tripodHow-to-shoot-butterflies1

If you use a tripod, don’t lock it in. Leave the head loose, to give you some flexibility. I like using a tripod over a monopod for shooting butterflies. It helps me keep the camera in place and ready, and I can take my eye from the viewfinder as I watch and wait for them to come to my flower. Using a tripod also helps me to frame my photo ahead of time to keep the background very clean.

5. Shoot in manual exposure mode

In a situation like this, I prefer to shoot in manual mode. When I am focused on one particular area, the lighting, and therefore my exposure, isn’t going to change, or at least not very much. I like to shoot at least 1/500th of a second. I prefer to use a wide aperture for a narrow depth of field. But, if you are just starting out, give yourself a break by using an aperture that will give you more depth of field – f/8 would be a great starting point and you can adjust from there.

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6. Focus on the butterfly’s eyes

Some photographers like to focus on the wings, I choose to make sure the eye is as sharp as can be, and if the wings fall off focus a little bit, that’s okay. It’s easier to use a bigger depth of field, like f/8 or f/11, so I encourage you to try that first.

I like to use a smaller f/stop in order to throw the background out of focus. It is much more challenging to shoot that way, but I like the effect it gives. It makes the butterfly really stand out from the background instead of blending in to its surroundings.

7. Shoot the butterfly in profile

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If you are using a larger aperture, and shallow depth of field – shoot the butterfly in profile. That way, you have more of the butterfly in focus. I also love to see how the antennae stands out from the background, and love the details of their legs. Yes, there is beauty in the wings, but there is also an awe in those tiny legs that support the butterfly, as well as its tendril. Look beyond the obvious, to details for outstanding photographs.

8. Shoot tight as well as loose to capture the environment

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Notice the differences between the photographs above and below. It’s the same species of butterfly, in the same field of flowers – but one shot is cropped tighter and one is framed looser, with more space around the butterfly. Both are successful. Take note in the top photograph, how the antennae are framed with the orange flower to make them stand out. If my angle had been such to have the darker green in the background, it may not have been as successful.

Also note that the orange in the wings mimics the orange flowers. Shooting great butterfly shots goes beyond just taking sharp photographs of wings!

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9. Break the profile rule (above)

I love this photograph because it feels like this butterfly is moving forward, into a new place. The head is sharp and the lower wings fall out of focus due to the narrow depth of field, but in this case, it really works because it pulls out attention to the butterfly’s eyes, and into the photograph. It gives the viewer the feel of looking over the shoulder of the butterfly into some new place.

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This photo is successful because it moves beyond recording what the wings look like and creates a mood and sense of movement and anticipation.

10. Have patience and have fun!

Beautiful butterfly photos take time and patience, but they are worth it. If you don’t get it your first time out, keep trying. It’s a great chance to hone your skills and you might get an amazing shot.

Please share your questions and butterfly images below and also remember to post them on the weekly challenge: Butterflies and Bugs happening here.

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Avast Photo Space lets you store more photos on your iPhone

18 Jun

Software maker Avast is known by most users for its mobile and desktop anti-virus products, but now the company has launched an app with a totally different use case. Avast Photo Space allows you to increase the number of pictures you can store on your iPhone by up to 7 times. 

It does so by reducing the resolution of the images that are stored on your device down to the resolution of the screen. At the same time, the app connects to your personal cloud service – currently Dropbox or Google Drive are supported –  where it stores the full-size versions. So you can always access the original files when needed, but still have a usable smaller image on your device. 

Avast Photo Space also comes with its own camera app which automatically transfers, optimizes and syncs your images right at the point of capture, for a totally seamless user experience. Given the iPhone does not offer any local storage expansion options the app sounds like a good idea for those users who are constantly on the verge of running out of photo storage space and don’t rely much on image magnification while viewing. Avast Photo Space is now available as a free download from the Apple App Store. 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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