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Does Your Photo-Editing Program Really Matter? [Video]

11 Apr

The post Does Your Photo-Editing Program Really Matter? [Video] appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

If you’ve ever spent time agonizing over different post-processing programs, trying to determine the perfect software to edit your photos, then this is the video for you.

Expert photographer Mark Denney edits a single image using three different editing programs – Photoshop, Capture One, and Lightroom.

Then he shows you the three results, side by side, for comparison.

Are there differences between the final edits? And which program (if any) does the best job?

Watch and find out. And then, when you’re finished, leave a comment below this article telling us what you thought about the different editors!

The post Does Your Photo-Editing Program Really Matter? [Video] appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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Lens Hoods: What Are They Really For, and Do You Need Them?

31 Oct

The post Lens Hoods: What Are They Really For, and Do You Need Them? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Most camera lenses come with something called a Lens Hood, which looks like a short circular tube that attaches to the front. These diminutive devices seem a little strange, but they can serve several very useful purposes. While some people might be tempted to toss them on the shelf and never give them a second thought, knowing what lens hoods are and how to use them can have a significant impact on your photography.

Lens Hoods: What Are They Really For, and Do You Need Them?

Why use Lens Hoods?

Imagine this: it’s a bright, sunny day and you are outside for a stroll. The sun is beating down hard and you’re having a bit of trouble seeing clearly, so you hold your hand up to your forehead in an effort to block the light. Congratulations, you’ve just made your very own lens hood for your face! I know this is a bit of an oversimplification, but the lens hood on a camera is about the same as using your hand or a ball cap to block a bit of light when it’s bright out.

It’s kind of like putting a ball cap on your camera, but a lot more effective.

Why would this be beneficial for photography? Since you need light to make photographs, wouldn’t blocking the sunlight be counterproductive? It might seem so, but in reality, you aren’t making the scene any darker just as putting a cap on your head doesn’t make the sun any less potent.

Indeed, the primary reason to embrace your lens hood as an essential photographic companion is that it makes your pictures look better. Its purpose is to prevent your photos from developing a washed-out appearance that tends to happen under certain lighting conditions. They also offer other benefits mostly related to the protection of your camera gear.

The lack of a lens hood gave this picture a washed-out appearance.

These types of pictures happen because harsh, intense light enters the camera lens and gets scattered across a portion of the image as a result. Lens hoods can mitigate much of this problem by acting as a shade over the front glass element.

Image: Attaching a lens hood gave the shot much more contrast and vibrance. Shadows can be brought u...

Attaching a lens hood gave the shot much more contrast and vibrance. Shadows can be brought up in post-production, but if a picture is too washed-out, it can be much more difficult to fix.

When I first got into digital photography many years ago, I didn’t understand the point of lens hoods. I kept them on a shelf at home because they mostly just got in the way and made my camera take up a lot more space in my bag than it needed to.

Or so I thought.

The nice thing about lens hoods is that they are a low-tech solution to what can often be a fairly major problem. Once you start to see the benefits of having a hood on your lens, you won’t see them as a useless waste of space, but essential components of your camera kit.

Image: I always use my lens hoods for portraits. I never know when I will be shooting a backlit scen...

I always use my lens hoods for portraits. I never know when I will be shooting a backlit scene, and if it happens, it’s good to have the hood to shade the lens.

One thing I have realized over the years is that you need to be prepared to meet the demands of whatever situation you are photographing. Few things are more frustrating than realizing you messed up a picture because of something you could have easily solved with a little pre-planning.

Lens hoods can indeed be a little awkward. However, it’s better to have one on your lens than realize afterward that many shots appear hazy and poorly-lit because you didn’t shade your lens properly.

Lens hoods are particularly useful when shooting into the sun.

Additional benefits

Aside from protecting your pictures from harsh light, lens hoods can physically protect your camera gear too. This is one of the reasons I leave mine on at all times since I often bump and bang my camera. Having a hood protruding from your lens means it will absorb the brunt of most impacts.

If it does get broken, it’s far cheaper to replace than your lens.

Image: After years of use, my lens hoods are full of scratches and scuffs. I’d rather have the...

After years of use, my lens hoods are full of scratches and scuffs. I’d rather have these easily-replaceable plastic parts bear the brunt of any impacts instead of my actual camera lenses!

I try to be careful with my camera gear and I don’t intentionally abuse it, and I think the same is true of most photographers. But despite my best efforts, accidents certainly can happen. In the normal course of a photoshoot, my camera gets picked up, set down, bounced around, tossed into a bag, put in the trunk of my car, used, and maybe even abused just a little.

A protruding plastic ring isn’t going to save my camera if it gets run over by a dump truck, but it has helped avoid countless bumps and bruises over the years. Is it inconvenient to have the hood always sticking out of my lens? A little, but it’s a lot less inconvenient than having to buy new gear!

Image: I had to follow this cat for a little while and practically lay flat on the ground, to get th...

I had to follow this cat for a little while and practically lay flat on the ground, to get this shot. Having a hood on my zoom lens was a little extra peace of mind knowing that it wasn’t going to get scratched or dinged in the process.

If you do feel like your lens hood is a little too much to deal with, most of them have a simple solution. Reverse the hood and screw it on your lens backward. This might cover some of the knobs and switches on your lens, but it will keep the hood handy while simultaneously storing it in a convenient and easy-to-access location.

Image: You can attach most lens hoods backward for easy storage. This helps protect the barrel of yo...

You can attach most lens hoods backward for easy storage. This helps protect the barrel of your lens but can leave some controls covered up.

Drawbacks

There are a couple things to note about lens hoods that could be a factor in helping you decide whether to use them. The first and most important issue involves vignetting. Some lenses, particularly wide-angle lenses, can result in photos with darker corners with the lens hood attached. This isn’t a huge issue and can often be fixed on your computer, especially if you shoot in RAW, but it is something to keep in mind.

Additionally, there’s no getting around the fact that the added length of a lens with a hood attached can be inconvenient. This is especially noticeable on telephoto lenses and it can be annoying if you’re not used to it.

My solution has been to treat the hood as a normal part of any lens in my kit. If it means I need to find a larger camera bag or be a little uncomfortable shooting in tight spaces, so be it. For me, the tradeoff is worth it, but your opinion might be different. Regardless, it is something to keep in mind.

Image: Hoods on telephoto lenses can stick out quite far, but I have just come to accept this as a n...

Hoods on telephoto lenses can stick out quite far, but I have just come to accept this as a normal part of my kit. I don’t see it as an inconvenience in the same way that I don’t treat a seat belt in my car as an inconvenience.

Conclusion

Despite a few downsides, lens hoods can be an important part of your camera collection. I recommend using one at all times, even if you’re not entirely sure you will need it. I have found myself in more than a few frustrating situations where I know I would have gotten the shot if only I had a lens hood. As such, I rarely take them off my lenses now.

What about you? Do you use lens hoods, or have you learned to live without them? What other advantages or disadvantages do they have that I might have missed? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Lens Hoods: What Are They Really For, and Do You Need Them? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

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How to Copyright Your Photography and Why You Really Should

18 Oct

The post How to Copyright Your Photography and Why You Really Should appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

In today’s digital world, it has become crucial to register copyright for your images. Theft online is rampant, so you need to protect yourself and your work. Read on to find out why you should and how to copyright your photography.

How-to-Copyright-Your-Photography

What is Copyright?

Copyright protects the legal rights of the owner of intellectual property or work of art. In simple terms, copyright is the right to copy. As photographers, this means that only we as the original creators of our images, and anyone we give authorization to, are the only ones with the exclusive right to publish or otherwise reproduce our images.

The moment you click the shutter on your camera, you own the copyright to your images. No matter your level of skill, or whether you’re an amateur or a pro, your images are protected by law.

Keep in mind that copyright laws do vary from country to country, therefore the information in this article is general. It’s also meant for educational purposes since I’m not a lawyer and not qualified to give legal advice.

The lack of knowledge or education about copyright has caused a lot of problems in the photographic industry. Many new or emerging photographers are not educating their clients on copyright and usage, so clients assume they own their images and can do with them whatever they wish. To compound this problem, lawyers often advise their clients to always obtain copyright from the photographer, but in most cases, this is completely unnecessary, unless the client wants to sell the images and make a profit from them.

All of the big companies like Coca-Cola and McDonald’s never ask for copyright. They don’t need it. They license images for a specific use and time frame.

Any discussion about buying out copyright should include very large numbers.

How-to-Copyright-Your-Photography

What is published versus unpublished work?

There are two types of work that fall under Copyright: published and unpublished.

Digital media falls under copyright protection, but it has not been updated to be clear. Published works, in this case, are different from a patent, which covers inventions or discoveries, or trademarks, which covers designs, symbols, logos, and words.

To qualify as published, the work must be distributed to the public in some form, whether digital or print. There has to be some form of copies or multiples. A website or blog doesn’t qualify as published because your photos are not getting distributed. Social media is also considered unpublished. It is not distributed to the public in copies the way stock photos are, for example.

How to Copyright Your Photography and Why You Really Should

Why you should register your copyright

It’s an unfortunate by-product of living in today’s world that your images will get stolen. If you post any of your photography online, chances are that some will get stolen at one time or another. Some of this theft is due to the ignorance of the public, while others knowingly take your images without your permission, without paying for usage licensing.

Unfortunately, a lot of large companies do this, and there have been numerous high profile lawsuits where photographers have won hundreds of thousands of dollars for copyright infringement.

Filing copyright on your photos will protect you in the case you need to go to court to sue for statutory damages and lawyers fees. In a copyright infringement suit, a judge or jury can award you statutory damages as defined by the Copyright Act – thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars, if you can prove that your image was stolen with willful intent.

Photography is becoming more commoditized, but there is still immense value in it because it allows companies to make a profit by advertising their products. If someone is trying to gain financially by selling a product with stolen images, that is a big problem. Think of it this way: it’s not just the images that are stolen; it’s also the profit of the photographer.

When you don’t charge for usage, or go after those who are using your images unlawfully, that’s money out of your pocket. And what’s worse, you may actually be struggling to pay your overhead and make a profit in the first place.

How-to-Copyright-Your-Photography

How to file for Copyright

Filing for copyright can be a bit tedious, but it can be done online fairly simply. For example, as I’m based in Canada, I Googled “Canadian Copyright Office” and easily found the website for the intellectual property office. I have registered photographs and even a photography eBook I sell on my blog online very easily.

Some countries have agreements with the U.S. to enforce U.S. copyright laws. It’s often useful to register your copyright in the U.S. even if you’re not a U.S. citizen, to obtain the statutory benefits of registration in the United States.

Ideally, you should copyright any images before they are published, but you can copyright them at any time. You can even copyright them after you’ve discovered an unlawful use of one of your images. It will just be a bit more complicated from a documentation standpoint.

The cost of registering copyright varies from country to country. In Canada, it’s $ 50, and in the U.S., it’s currently $ 55 for a group of images. You can copyright your images as a group, to a maximum of 750.

For more information about registering photographs with the U.S. Copyright Office, go here.

The portal is fairly simple to use, but this resource will give you more information. You have to upload a .jpeg for each image you’re copyrighting, and submit a title list in an Excel spreadsheet. The preference is that these items be submitted in a .zip file.

Research the copyright laws in your country. Although in many countries like Canada and the U.S. copyright is immediate upon creation of a work, you still have to register copyright before you can sue.

Conversely, in Australia, there is no formal copyright registration system. The law ensures that certain forms of expression are automatically covered under the Copyright Act.

How-to-Copyright-Your-Photography

To sum up

Copyright is something that a lot of people don’t understand – even clients. It’s important to educate yourself and those you work with on the ins-and-outs of copyright. As I mentioned, laws vary from country to country, but you can find a lot of this information online. It’s crucial to protect yourself and your work.

Do you have any other tips on how to copyright your photography? Have you had your images stolen? If so, share with us in the comments below.

The post How to Copyright Your Photography and Why You Really Should appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

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Is Unsplash Really an Issue for Photographers?

23 Jun

The post Is Unsplash Really an Issue for Photographers? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.

Joseph Barrientos on Unsplash

Unsplash is killing photography! I am sure you will have read this somewhere? After all, photography blogs have been full of articles like this. You may agree – you may hate Unsplash. You may want to educate every photographer you meet on why they should not upload their photos to the platform. However, despite photographers and websites rallying against it, the platform continues to thrive. But is Unsplash really wrecking the photography industry?

A little history

Unsplash started back in 2013 by Mikael Cho. Cho was the founder of the company Crew – a company designed as a marketplace for freelancers. Cho needed images for the home page of his business website but was unable to find the type of images he wanted online and within his price range. To get the images he wanted, he hired a photographer to create the imagery for the brand.

After the shoot, there were several leftover images. So Cho decided to post them on his Tumblr, allowing others to download them for free and use as they wished. Cho uploaded ten free images every ten days. The blog (which also directed people to Crew) was launched on Hacker News and instantly became the top story.

It took off.

Soon millions of people were searching for the images, and thousands were redirected to Crew.

Unsplash launched in May 2013, and by September it had hit one million downloads. In the first 12 months, it reached ten million downloads. This is when Unsplash moved away from Tumblr and launched an independent website.

Since then, it has continued to grow at an alarming rate. I checked the latest Unsplash stats whilst preparing for this article and the numbers are mind-blowing. 21 photos are downloaded from the platform every second!

Unsplash has a community of over 121,000 photographers whose photos have been downloaded heading for one billion times. A partnership with Squarespace allows users to place Unsplash images into their site directly from one of the most popular website builders. Like it or not, Unsplash has changed the photography industry.

Built into Squarespace. It is simple and easy to get copyright-free images.

How is Unsplash affecting photographers?

It is pretty easy to see how Unsplash is affecting the world of commercial photography. The Squarespace/Unsplash partnership is the perfect example of this. As the screenshot below shows, I can go into Unsplash, search for anything and usually find an image. Not just an image, though – a really good quality image. It is easy to see why photographers might be upset about this.

Why pay for a photographer, when I can get something similar to what I want? Want a photo of a beautiful shoreline for an article on the World’s best beaches? Unsplash has the answer. Want a magazine cover for an issue about coffee? They have that too. It is simple to get photographs of pretty much anything – on demand, and for free. Perfect for an editor, but not so much for a photographer.

The issue with Unsplash is that it devalues photography.

High-quality photography is now literally free.

You do not need to budget for it, which is great for small companies who cannot afford bespoke photography. It also means, in the age of good enough is good enough, the bigger companies who can afford great photography, simply don’t see the need.

For every blogger out there who makes no money from their blogs, but wants to be ethical and use images legally, there is also a large media company who simply want to maximize profits.

This problem isn’t new though. In case you have forgotten, the disruption started with the introduction of microstock.

Ryan Holloway on Unsplash

Microstock

Remember when microstock burst onto the scene? There was an uproar by so many photographers about how it destroyed the stock industry. When researching this article, I found several rants on websites about how microstock was destroying the photography industry. I found stories of people who made a good living in stock photography having their livelihood ruined by the likes of sites like iStock photo. As one photographer wrote about microstock in 2009 “they came in like a drunk bull in a china shop with careless regard for the devastation of the existing market”.

The rise of microstock and the rise of affordable, high-quality digital cameras are easily linked. Technology changed the game – especially the stock photography game – and many didn’t adapt.

The industry changed, rapidly, and many got left behind. When we look at Unsplash, it is hard not to look at microstock. As many photographers use Adobe products, I looked at Adobe stock to see what was happening in the microstock world.

In terms of quality, there is some great stuff on Adobe stock. But whilst it is not free, the pricing structure is hardly enough to make a business out of it.

Looking on their site now, Adobe can purchase 10 images a month for £19.99 (roughly £2.00 per image) or 40 for £47.99 (roughly £1.20 per image). In the UK, the minimum wage is £8.21 per hour meaning that even if the photographer got 100% of the £1.20 per image, they would need to sell roughly 260 images per week to make the UK minimum wage.

I know that if you want to use the image commercially to sell products, the license fee is larger. But still, it is not enough to live off without selling a huge volume.

Yet when was the last time we saw the major photo websites writing hate-filled articles about Adobe ruining photography? Okay, I stand corrected. It all kicked off when it looked like they would increase the photography subscription fee.

But seriously, almost all photographers use Adobe. Even though you can make a little pocket money, Adobe has a business that is strikingly similar to Unsplash, yet nobody mentions it.

The question is though, do we not mention it because we agree with this model, or do we see it as normal now?

I think it is because we see it as normal.

The outrage, the rallying cry of photographers, was drowned out by market forces. This is what is happening with Unsplash. One billion downloads prove that despite the passionate reasoning, arguing, and pleading, once again the market has spoken. They don’t care about your business model; they care about their bottom line.

It appears that the main market that will be affected by Unsplash is microstock. As I said before, microstock was not a way to make a living before Unsplash, so effectively nothing has changed.

Charles ?? on Unsplash

Are photographers hypocrites?

This is the point that tends to make hypocrites of photographers (and the websites) rallying against Unsplash. Many photographers do the exact same thing.

How many photography videos do you see with free-use music in them? Who has used Fiverr for a logo rather than pay a professional designer? Why do we use templates for web design rather than pay a professional web designer to create a bespoke site for us? Photographers do this with other services frequently. What is the difference between free photographs and free music?

Unfortunately, the answer lies in ourselves. We only tend to see the impact of changing business models affecting our own industry. We happily use free music (or the microstock equivalent) without thinking about it, because that’s how it is. Unsplash is now how it is for us. As I said earlier, we adapt, or we die.

My favorite example of hypocrisy was when one of the biggest photography blogs wrote an article about the damage Unsplash is doing to photography. However, in the same article, they admitted that their site had used images from Unsplash for their articles. If that isn’t the perfect description of irony, I don’t know what is.

Education (or ranting at people who couldn’t care less)

I have heard many terms like, ‘we need to educate people about this,’ ‘people need to stop being so stupid,’ ‘how can people let their photography be exploited?’

Whilst this is a noble cause, there are huge issues here.

The biggest is the fact that rather than educate, people tend to rant and belittle. Calling people stupid does not help educate them. The fact is, many of them are educated on the facts and choose to do it regardless. They don’t need your approval and trying to tell them they are wrong will achieve nothing but make an enemy of them.

Many people do not want photography careers. Many love the fact that people appreciate their imagery, and that is enough for them.

Photography for many is a passion and an art. Charging for their work takes away their reasons for doing it. Uploading to Unsplash, Pexels or to Flickr with a Creative Commons zero license is a way to get more peoples eyes on their work. And the feedback and likes are their rewards.

This is not wrong. Some people have to accept that others live their lives by different rules, with their own set of morals and they can do whatever they want with their photos. You might not agree, but that is life.

Finally, even if you are right (in your opinion), you cannot educate everybody. It is the equivalent of trying to push water uphill. Many will admire your determination, but unfortunately, in the end, it is futile.

Sebastian Unrau on Unsplash

Should I upload to Unsplash?

Rather than give a yes or no answer to this (I will leave that to you guys in the comments), I thought the best way to conclude this article was to look at what you need to be aware of when uploading to Unsplash. Things that you might not know that could help you make informed choices.

Exposure doesn’t pay the bills

Lots of photographers will have heard some variation of the following phrase: “We can’t afford to pay you, but it will be great exposure.”

The problem is, exposure doesn’t pay the bills. I can’t pay for my electricity with a photo credit. And, I can’t pay for my food with exposure either.

However, I have done work for exposure, to get in with the right people, that has lead to paid work. I wrote about this in a previous blog post.

There is no doubt that Unsplash provides photographers with great exposure. Unsplash is used by influential people every day. Being on the platform is a great way to get your work seen by these people. There are stories of people out there who, through their work on Unsplash, have been offered high-paid jobs with major clients. However, this is not the norm.

Unsplash, will more than likely not make you any money. Microstock may make you a small amount of money, but without a huge library, this is not an income you can use to start saving for a Ferrari. In fact, you will probably struggle to buy a toy Ferrari.

It is important to go into this with this in mind.

You will not get the respect you deserve

People who use your images will generally not bother to credit you. Most of them will not even care about you. You may end up on the cover of a high-end magazine and never even know about it. For better or worse, this is how Unsplash works. Your photos are free, and they will be treated as such. Your work (and by extension you) will generally be given zero respect.

Zack Arias summed this up best in one of his videos on the subject of Unsplash. He tells the story of a woman whose photo was used on a gift guide for a major UK bridal publication. The photographer was not informed about this or offered a copy of the magazine for her portfolio. Instead, she simply happened to stumble across it when browsing magazines in a coffee shop. This magazine’s full-page ad rate is £10,000, and she did not even get a photo credit or an email to thank her. This shows you the value placed on your work.

The thrill of getting featured can lose a little shine when you look at it like this.

Sasha • Stories on Unsplash

The people problem

This is the educational part. The Unsplash license does not cover the use of an identifiable person in a commercial setting. You, as the photographer, are liable. If a photo ends up being used commercially via Unsplash and you do not have a model release, then you had better have deep pockets (and a good legal team), because if the subject in the photo objects, you are in big trouble.

A model release should be completed by anyone whose photo you plan to upload to Unsplash, even family members or partners. A partner can soon become an angry ex-partner with a grudge. If a photo of them you uploaded to Unsplash gets used commercially, you may end up in a world of pain.

A simple Google search will help you find an appropriate model release. There are also many model release apps. This allows you to digitally store the release and allow the model to sign it on your phone. Simply put, there is no excuse for not using a model release; you need to protect yourself. This should be something you always do when photographing models, Unsplash or not.

Is Unsplash really ruining photography?

Is Unsplash ruining photography? No. It’s changing it.

Photography, like many industries, is in constant flux. It is disrupting traditional income models, but I think microstock was much more disruptive.

Is Unsplash taking advantage of people? Again, it depends on your point of view.

The people who upload to Unsplash know what they are doing. Some may be naive in thinking this is the easy way to photography stardom. However, I bet that for some of them, it will be the start of a great career. Just because it is different, doesn’t always make it wrong.

What do you think? Share with us in the comments below.

The post Is Unsplash Really an Issue for Photographers? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.

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Portrait Photographers: Do You Really Need a 70-200mm Lens?

26 Mar

The post Portrait Photographers: Do You Really Need a 70-200mm Lens? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

For many portrait photographers, the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is considered the key to great results. This lens seems like it covers all the bases that any portrait photographer would want: wide aperture, a range of good focal lengths, and excellent build quality. It’s the cornerstone of many portrait photography workflows – and with good reason too – but it also comes with a hefty price tag (nikon, canon, sony). The question, then, for many amateur and semi-professional portrait photographers becomes: do you really need a lens like this to get good portraits? The answer might surprise you.

Nikon D7100, 50mm f/1.8 lens. Shot at f/2.4, 1/3000th second.

Whenever you are thinking about buying new gear, it’s wise to perform a needs assessment. This can help you figure out exactly what you can do with your current camera equipment, what you want to do, and whether a new purchase is required to bridge that gap. You can do this using a variety of methods, but a good way to start is to ask yourself some simple questions such as:

What camera lenses do I currently have?
What kind of portraits do I want to take?
Do I know how to use my lenses to get those portraits?
If not, can I learn to use my lenses differently instead of buying new gear?
In what ways are my current lenses limiting my portraits?
What lens would be best for the portraits I would like to be able to take?

Nikon D7100, 35mm f/1.8 lens. Shot at f/3.3, 1/90th second.

Perhaps your current lenses are lacking in specific areas such as the ability to shoot in lower light, overall sharpness, or autofocus speed. In that case, it might be a good idea to look at upgrading your gear. However, it is also entirely possible that the lenses you have are just fine for portraits and you don’t need new lenses at all.

If you do decide to drop some cash on a new lens, you might think that a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is the be-all, end-all, ultimate goal to start saving for. Also, in many respects, you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. However, you can get outstanding results with other lenses too and save a massive amount of money in the process. Here are some other lenses worth considering that produce excellent portraits for a lot less money.

Note: While I mostly mention Nikon and Canon lenses throughout this article, you can also get the same types of lenses for other systems like Sony, Olympus, Fuji, Panasonic, Pentax, and more.

The Power of the 50mm Prime

One of the most amazing lenses you can get for portraits is a humble 50mm f/1.8. The Nikon version is around $ 200 and the Canon retails for about $ 125, and there are plenty of third-party options available as well.

These little workhorses, sometimes called the Nifty Fifty or Fantastic Plastic due to the nature of their construction, can produce absolutely breathtaking results. In some ways, they are actually better than a two-thousand-dollar 70-200mm f/2.8 pro-grade lens. A 50mm f/1.8 lens has more light-gathering ability which means lower ISO values or faster shutter speeds in low light, as well as shallow depth of field.

Autofocus speed on these lenses isn’t going to win any awards, nor are they designed to take a beating or function in the rain and snow. However, they shoot great images in low light, and their wide apertures let you get the type of creamy bokeh you might have always wondered about but never been able to achieve with your kit lens.

Nikon D200, 50mm f/1.8 lens. Shot at f/1.8, 1/250th second.

If you’re the type of person who delights in pixel-peeping or poring over MTF charts, you might turn up your nose at an inexpensive 50mm f/1.8 lens. That’s not the point of a lens like this though, and what they lack in technical specs they more than make up for with sheer results. Also, at less than one-tenth the cost of a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, their price-to-performance ratio is almost impossible to beat.

Nikon D7100, 50mm f/1.8 lens. Shot at f/4, 1/350 second.

The Mighty 85

One downside to shooting with a 50mm lens is that you won’t get much background compression. Your subjects won’t appear any closer to the background elements in the shot. While you can use an f/1.8 aperture to make the background blurry, it won’t zoom in much which is one advantage of a lens with a longer focal length. If that’s what you’re looking for, then an 85mm lens might fit the bill quite nicely.

Nikon D7100, 85mm f/1.8 lens. Shot at f/2.8, 1/350th second.

An 85mm f/1.8 lens is going to cost about two to three times what you would pay for a 50mm f/1.8 – around the $ 400 mark for both the Nikon and Canon.

In exchange, you’re going to get a hefty piece of equipment that is a little sharper, a little faster to focus, and will give you a bit more flexibility in terms of your portraiture. Its longer focal length will make it seem like backgrounds are just a bit closer to your subject.

In addition to their ability to get super blurry backgrounds when shooting at wide apertures, this could be the answer you are seeking.

Nikon D7100, 85mm f/1.8 lens. Shot at f/2.8, 1/750th second.

The 85mm focal length is ideal for many portraiture situations. I know professional photographers who choose to shoot with an 85mm lens instead of a 70-200 f/2.8 lens. 85mm lenses are smaller, lighter, and often just as capable as their big brothers.

Moreover, when you shoot at f/1.8, you can blur the background even more than a more expensive f/2.8 lens when shooting at similar focal lengths. While it’s true that the f/1.8 versions aren’t going to be as tack-sharp as their f/1.4 or f/1.2 counterparts, it’s hard to beat the value you get for your money.

Go wide with a 35

While many people tend to think of longer focal lengths as being best suited for portraits, you can get good results with a wider lens too. The 35mm focal length is close to what our human eyes see and can help you capture in-the-moment shots that are highly sought after by many people who want portraits. You can get up close and personal with a 35mm lens, shoot in low light conditions, and even achieve the buttery-smooth bokeh that you have always been craving.

Nikon D7100, 35mm f/1.8 lens. Shot at f/1.8, 1/1000th second.

Best of all, 35mm lenses are so cheap that you’re never going to break the bank with the Nikon coming in at around $ 200. Canon doesn’t offer a first-party 35mm lens but the excellent 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens is almost the same and even less expensive at about $ 175. My favorite part about a 35mm lens is that you can use it to get intimate images the likes of what a 70-200 f/2.8 could only dream of.

Nikon D750, 35mm f/1.8 lens. Shot at f/4, 1/90th second.

For years I shot almost exclusively with a 35mm lens on my full-frame camera. It was a constant companion of mine on everything from formal portraits to casual everyday shots. In fact, one of the biggest reasons I now use a Fuji X100F for almost all of my photos is because it’s basically the same as using a 35mm lens on a full-frame camera but in a much smaller package.

I wouldn’t go so far as to do entire portrait sessions with only a 35mm lens, but if you’re considering a way to upgrade your kit you might be surprised at how much mileage you can get out of this lens. I would even go so far as to say that you’d be wise to have it even if you do opt for a 70-200mm f/2.8, simply because it’s nice to have the flexibility of shooting at a wider angle when you really need it.

Nikon D7100, 35mm f/1.8 lens. Shot at f/4, 1/45th second with an external flash.

The main takeaway here, before I get to an examination of the 70-200mm f/2.8, is that you can do a lot with other lenses. Whether it’s one of these less-expensive primes or a more professional-grade lens like the Canon 85mm f/1.2 or the Nikon 105mm f/1.4 or any number of other lenses especially from third parties like Sigma and Tamron, the point is you don’t always need the heft and focal range of a 70-200mm f/2.8.

But sometimes you do.

70-200mm f/2.8: The Jack-of-all-trades

It’s impossible for me to say whether any individual photographer needs one of these lenses, but I can say that they are extremely useful in a variety of situations. They are professional-grade lenses designed to meet the demands of a variety of situations, especially for portrait photographers. If you really can’t get your work done with the gear you have, and if one of the other lenses I’ve already discussed isn’t going to meet your needs, then a 70-200mm f/2.8 might fit the bill quite nicely.

Nikon D750, 70-200 f/2.8 lens. Shot at 200mm, f/3.3, 1/250th second.

There are many times in which these lenses can outperform a lot of other options.

If you find yourself in situations like this, then a 70-200mm f/2.8 could be just what you’re after.

They are great for things like:

Fast-moving subjects who just won’t sit still. In other words…when you are photographing portraits of kids outdoors.
Full-body portraits where you want a nice blurry background
Subjects that are far away and you need to zoom in to see them
Group photos where you want to see the whole family but still have a nice blurry background
People moving towards the camera, either by themselves or as a group. You can stay in one place and adjust your focal length to zoom out while they get closer.
Action-style portraits of adults or kids while they are playing sports
Photographers who need a lot of versatility in their lenses, without wanting to change lenses or carry multiple camera bodies.

Nikon D750, 70-200 f/2.8 lens. Shot at 140mm, f/4, 1/250th second.

A 70-200mm f/2.8 lens isn’t always a necessity, but it can make a big difference if your needs aren’t met by other gear. They’re heavy and expensive, but the results can be worth it as long as you know why you want one and what you plan on using it for. You should also note that you might not need the sheer light-gathering capability of an f/2.8 aperture. In many cases, you would be well-served with a 70-200 f/4 lens which is going to cost significantly less and still produce good results.

Nikon D750, 70-200 f/2.8 lens. Shot at 200mm, f/4, 1/180th second.

Third-party options are a good choice too. You will often find 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses from Sigma, Tamron, and others available for about 50-75% of what you would pay for a first-party lens. These might not have the snappiest autofocus or same level of build quality, but for most portrait photographers they would work just fine.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this information, along with some of these pictures, helps you get a better sense of what different lenses can do. Of course, a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is great, but if you examine your situation and think about your needs and goals, you might find that a different lens would suffice quite nicely. The point is to find something that works for you, no matter what it is and no matter what other people might use. As long as your gear helps you get the photos you want to take, then that’s all that matters.

The post Portrait Photographers: Do You Really Need a 70-200mm Lens? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

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How To Read Your Camera Manual (and why you really, really should!)

18 Dec

The post How To Read Your Camera Manual (and why you really, really should!) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Camera manuals are notoriously difficult to read and understand. Often they are not read as much, or as well, as they should be. You need to read your camera manual because it contains vital information that will help you to become a better photographer.

How To Read Your Camera Manual Night Camera

Just as we need to learn the alphabet before we can learn to read and write, we must learn the basics of operating our cameras in order to take the best photos we can.

Reading it from cover to cover is not necessary. There will not be a test on how much you can remember.

The best way to use your camera manual

Begin to skim with your camera in your hands. Look through the contents and take note of what’s covered. Mark which items you think may be of particular interest to you. Some you will be able to just glance over. Others may be just painfully obvious, like this from the Nikon D800 manual;

“When operating the viewfinder diopter adjustment control with your eye to the viewfinder, care should be taken not to put your finger in your eye accidentally.”

I would add that it’s always a good idea not to put your finger in your eye, even when you are not adjusting your diopter.

If you’ve just bought a new camera and it’s a model you’re not familiar with, you’ll need to pay more attention to the manual. For camera users who are upgrading you will be best to scan the book for what’s been upgraded since your previous model. Sometimes these may be highlighted.

How To Read Your Camera Manual Camera In Hand

Break your reading down into bite-size chunks. Don’t attempt to read and understand everything you need to know about your camera in one sitting. It’s a complex piece of equipment. Spread your reading out over a few days or a week.

Give yourself time to practice what you are reading about. Getting hands-on experience will help you retain what you’re learning about and make it much more relatable.

Do not read it all

Choose to learn the essentials first. Find out how to focus it and set the exposure well. There will be various options available to you. Start reading about the ones most applicable to the way you like to photograph.

If you are completely new to photography and not yet sure which exposure mode you prefer, take some time to read through all the options.

How To Read Your Camera Manual Happy Photographer

Getting a good start by understanding the basics of your camera leaves you freer to concentrate on photography. Don’t be filling your mind with more than you need to know. At the start you are not likely to need information about producing video, making multiple exposures or how to adjust the customs settings on your camera. These things can wait until you can find your way around your camera comfortably.

Carry your manual with you

Download a PDF of your camera manual to your phone. Take it with you everywhere so you can refer to it when you get stuck with a camera setting.

How To Read Your Camera Manual Chinese Woman Photographer

Practical application of the information contained in this little book will help you get to know your camera better. But only if you use it well. Hands on is best.

Once it’s on your phone you can take a few minutes to read a little more on the bus or train or whenever you have a few minutes to spare.

Consider buying a book specifically about your camera (that’s not the manual)

I have purchased books and resources about cameras I own by Thom Hogan. Thom is well known for his incredibly detailed writing about Nikon cameras. I find he’s much easier to read than the camera manuals.

How To Read Your Camera Manual Learning Photography

His books are well laid out and the information is broken down so it’s readily consumed.

This may be beyond the needs or wants of many photographers, but for those who have the time and want the resources, picking up a book, other than your camera manual will help advance you towards better picture taking.

Aim to be able to forget it all

As you become more confident and competent with your camera, you will have little need for your camera manual. Well, I would hope that before long you have put what you’ve read to good use and can remember it effortlessly.

How To Read Your Camera Manual Camera In Hand 2

Having the ability to pick up your camera and have it ready to take photos in any situation is well worth aiming for. The more you can concentrate on what’s happening in front of you the better photos you’ll obtain.

Gazing down at the camera in your hands as you try and figure out which settings you want to use leads to you missing out. You may be able to take your best photos when you are focused more on what you are making photographs about than what you are making them with.

The post How To Read Your Camera Manual (and why you really, really should!) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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“Really moldy” Hasselblad 500c cameras and 80mm lenses listed on eBay

24 Jul

A new eBay listing offers two “really moldy” Hasselblad 500c cameras with 80mm planar lenses and backs, as well as three extra backs and a mixture of exposed and unexposed film. One camera, the listing explains, has a prism finder, and there’s also mention of a functional speed focus handle.

Needless to say, the entire kit is being sold as-is with an allergy warning for potential buyers who are sensitive to mold. The auction ends on Thursday, July 26, and currently resides at a price of about $ 18 USD.

Via: eBay

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Really Right Stuff updates its entire tripod line-up with new features, better ergonomics

12 Jun

Tripod manufacturer Really Right Stuff has released updates to its entire product line. The company, which recently moved its operations from California to Utah, has revamped all 17 of its tripods, with improved components and features from top to bottom.

Like all of its previous tripods, each Really Right Stuff tripod is hand-assembled in the United States. The ‘Mark 2’ versions include both ergonomic and feature changes compared to the original versions.

One of the most notable changes is the addition of multiple 1/4″-20 sockets around the base of the tripod. These additional sockets provide more options for attaching accessories, such as Really Right Stuff’s phone mount and optional carry strap.

Speaking of attaching stuff to the tripod, Really Right Stuff has also added a weight hook to the underside of all 17 tripods. This not only gives you a convenient place to store your bag, but also acts as a ballast to keep your frames steady in windy environments.

The legs of the tripods now have sealed twist locks for extending and retracting the legs during use. Really right Stuff says ‘the new sealed twist lock minimizes the amount of contaminants, such as sand and grit, that gets caught inside the twist locks.’

Computer rendering showing the internal structure of Really Right Stuff’s new sealed twist lock.

Also, opening and closing of the legs should take less effort due to an added vented clevis. Really Right Stuff notes that the added air vents ‘prevent pressure gradients from building up, allowing smoother leg extraction and collapse.’ To show just how much thought went into what seems like such a small detail, Really Right Stuff explains how the ‘inward-facing vents also ensure air flow is directed towards the center of the tripod and away from mounted lens elements.’

The new tripods are also designed with interchangeable feet, which can be swapped out to one of the three options Really Right Stuff offers.

Lastly, the Mark 2 version of the tripods now feature an updated Sure Grip that uses the same hex screws as Really Right Stuff’s L-plates. So, if you’re shooting with a lot of Really Right Stuff gear, you’ll now only need to carry around a single tool.

To view more information on the second-generation tripods, head on over to Really Right Stuff’s announcement page. B&H is now taking pre-orders for the Mark 2 tripods, which start at $ 500.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Adobe Premiere Pro CC just got some really useful AI-powered features

05 Apr

Yesterday, Adobe announced a ‘massive update’ to Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom CC, and Lightroom Classic CC, adding new Adobe RAW and Custom profiles that showed the company was taking color and tonality more seriously. But that wasn’t the only update to come out of Adobe this week.

In preparation for NAB 2018, Adobe has also updated its video editing applications with useful new features for both After Effects and Premiere Pro users, and some really cool Adobe Sensei AI integration specifically for Premiere Pro.

The video above gives you a good overview, or you can can keep reading to dive a bit deeper.

Adobe After Effects

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After Effects received a few interesting new features, including a new Advanced Puppet tool for creating complex motions, and Master Properties that allow you to apply changes to individual effects across multiple versions of a composition. Or, to let Adobe explain it:

With Master Properties, you can create compositions that allow you to control layer properties in a parent composition’s timeline. You can push individual values to all versions of your composition or pull selected changes back to the master.

Adobe has also added Immersive Environment into After Effects, providing 360-degree and VR content creators with a more efficient workflow.

Adobe Premiere Pro

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Master Properties and the Advanced Puppet tool are pretty neat, but to see the most useful and impressive new features you’ll have to open Premiere Pro.

First and foremost, the new Color Match feature leverages the Adobe Sensei AI to automatically apply the color grade of one shot to another. This feature comes complete with Face Detection so Premiere can match skin tones where necessary, and a new split-view allows you to see the results of your color grade as you go, either as an interactive slider or as a side-by-side comparison.

You can see the feature demoed in the video below:

In addition to Color Match and Split View, Adobe has used the Sensei AI to make some audio improvements as well. Autoducking will automatically turn down your music when dialog or sound effects are present, generating key frames right on the audio track so you can easily override the automatic ducking or adjust individual key frames as needed.

Finally, Adobe has also added Adobe Stock integration into the apps for purchasing and pulling in stock video footage or motion graphics, and a new Learn panel in Premiere Pro gives new users “a place to start with targeted tutorials that guide them through the foundational steps of video editing.”

To learn more about all of these updates, head over to the Adobe Blog where there’s a good breakdown of all of the most important new features in both Adobe After Effects CC and Premiere Pro CC. Or, since these updates are live right now, update your Creative Cloud apps and give the new features a try for yourself.

Press Release

Adobe Creative Cloud Empowers Creatives to Thrive in the Video Age

New Release Accelerates Workflows for Color, Graphics, Animation and Audio with Adobe Sensei

SAN JOSE, Calif. — April 3, 2018 — Ahead of the 2018 NAB Show, Adobe today announced a major update in Adobe Creative Cloud, giving video professionals new tools to automate and expedite time-consuming production tasks without sacrificing creative control. Available today, the updates include powerful new capabilities for refining color, creating graphics and crafting audio, along with enhanced VR tools, improved collaboration, integration with Adobe Stock and advanced artificial intelligence powered by Adobe Sensei.

With the growing demand for video, the opportunity for content creators has never been greater, but video professionals are faced with new pressure to deliver more work in less time while ensuring content stands out and meets high audience expectations. In addition, creators must optimize for different platforms, ensure accessibility, meet required broadcast standards and deliver numerous versions of content across languages and regions. This tremendous shift in the way video professionals work requires more refined and streamlined workflows to reduce time to production, giving video creators more time to focus on their craft.

“The demands and pace of video content creation are reaching levels we’ve never seen before. The time pressure on video professionals means the need for powerful and efficient creative tools has never been greater,” said Steven Warner, vice president of digital video and audio at Adobe. “Adobe video apps like Premiere Pro and After Effects give them that power which, combined with the services available in Creative Cloud, provides broadcasters, media companies, filmmakers and YouTubers a complete ecosystem to bring their stories to screen faster than ever.”

Ranging from Hollywood to Sundance, feature films to premium television channels, a growing number of industry-leading professional editors are using Adobe Premiere Pro CC to bring their creative visions to life. Projects that premiered this year include The Florida Project, The Square, Only the Brave and 6 Below; indie hits RBG, Clara’s Ghost and Search; and award-winning series MINDHUNTER and Atlanta.

Attendees at this year’s NAB Show can get a closer look at the newly available features and hear from industry experts at the Adobe booth (#SL4010, South Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center) and at over 140 partner booths from April 9–12.

Video and Audio Workflows: Streamlined and Fine-Tuned

New feature highlights include:

Edit more powerfully with color and light in Premiere Pro CC – Powered by Adobe Sensei, Color Match two shots with one click, applying editable Lumetri adjustments from one clip to another to achieve visual consistency in scenes and across whole projects. Compare shots using the new split-view.
Create animation and graphics more quickly in After Effects CC – Stacked behaviors and effects in combination with timeline-based animation now make the creative process more visual and intuitive. Apply changes to individual effects across multiple versions of a composition with a single adjustment using new Master Properties. Also, complex motions can be made to any surface mesh with the new Advanced Puppet tool.
Sound even better with Sensei-powered audio workflows – Automatically adjust soundtrack audio around dialog, whether for a single clip or an entire project, with Sensei-enabled autoducking, now available in Adobe Premiere Pro.
Bring art to life faster with Character Animator – Animate personas more quickly and efficiently with a library of behaviors and custom triggers. Drag layers from the Puppet panel into the Triggers panel to apply and refine existing behaviors or create new ones with intuitive new drop targets.
Add 360 degrees of creativity with improved tools for immersive content – Adobe Immersive Environment is now available in After Effects CC, simplifying the immersive workflow to move more efficiently through clean-up and effects tasks. New support for the Microsoft Windows Mixed Reality platform offers a wider range of headsets to choose the best tools for the job.
Collaborate more easily in Team Projects – For the ultimate in project collaboration, real-time presence shows when teammates are online and new badges indicate when a project has been updated.
Get content you need with Adobe Stock – With direct access to millions of curated HD and 4K videos, select clips for establishing shots, fill in the final gaps in projects or enrich storytelling with visual variety. Add sophistication and polish to video content with professionally designed Motion Graphics templates, including animated titling and lower thirds graphics with editable effects and text.
Learn panel for new users – Premiere Pro beginners now have a place to start with targeted tutorials that guide them through the foundational steps of video editing. The new Learn panel is just a click away whenever it’s needed.

Pricing and Availability

The new features for Adobe Creative Cloud announced at NAB are now available with the latest version of Creative Cloud.

For more information on pricing, visit https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html.

Multiple subscription plans for Adobe Stock are available at https://stock.adobe.com/plans.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Really Right Stuff is moving from California to Utah to escape rising costs

22 Feb

Camera accessories company Really Right Stuff (RRS) has announced that it will be moving both its headquarters and its manufacturing operations to Lehi, Utah, where it will have access to a building that is 2.5 times larger than its current location. The company points toward increasing costs in California, where it is presently located, as the reason for the move.

“We love beautiful San Luis Obispo, but our employees can’t afford to buy a home,” RRS CEO Joseph M. Johnson explained in a statement on the company’s website. Most of RRS’s employees will be making the move to the new Utah location, which is 35 minutes from Salt Lake City.

This is good news for customers who will ultimately benefit from the location change. Speaking to Fstoppers, RRS Assistant Product Manager Nathanael Brookshire said the new building will open the door for a larger workforce and expanded production: “The move comes with expansion on every level.”

Press Release

RRS Is Moving To Lehi, Utah

San Luis Obispo, CA, 16 February 2018 – Really Right Stuff, LLC (RRS) is pleased to announce it is moving its manufacturing operations and headquarters to Lehi, Utah by the end of summer 2018. The move to a new, 2 ½ times larger building enables continued growth and allows RRS to better serve its customers.

CEO Joseph M. Johnson, Sr. commented, “Continually rising costs in California make it tough for a small business to compete in the global economy. We love beautiful San Luis Obispo, but our employees can’t afford to buy a home. The business-friendly environment and low cost of living in Lehi, Utah made it a clear choice for us to best serve our customers and employees long-term. I’m happy to see most of our employees coming with us, keeping our RRS family largely intact.”

Located 35 minutes south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front of the Rocky Mountains, Lehi is an ideal location for Really Right Stuff. It is the fifth fastest growing city in the country at the center of the high tech “Silicon Slopes.” Lehi’s beautiful natural surroundings provide easy access to hiking, mountain biking, fishing, camping, skiing, hunting, and, of course, excellent outdoor photography that spurred the birth of RRS. Six national parks are within a 4-5 hour drive from Lehi, including Yellowstone and Zion.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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