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File Management Tips to Create a More Efficient Photography Workflow

22 Mar

The post File Management Tips to Create a More Efficient Photography Workflow appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

As you gain more clients, this also means that you’ll have to start implementing a more efficient workflow so that you can work quickly and get your images to your clients. In this article, we’re going to explain some file management tips to help you stay organized session to session.

What is a photography workflow?

A workflow is a process in which a photographer has a file management system in place that helps them to get images edited and processed faster and more efficiently.

Basically, it’s a way to organize your images so that you can get them to your clients much faster. The way that a photographer manages their workflow can be different from person to person depending on what they photograph, their workloads, and what the end goal for their clients is.

In time, you’ll be able to implement these file management tips so that your workflow is quick, and you’re able to deliver the images to your clients faster. You’ll also access the images on your hard drives quicker when you need them because they’ll be nice and organized.

Uploading the images

The first of the file management tips regards uploading your photos to your computer. Some like to go straight into Lightroom or the editing program and upload the images directly.

However, I recommend that you first upload your images onto your actual hard drive. This can be directly onto your computer’s hard drive, an external hard drive, or both. Uploading to both is the best option since sometimes computers can shut down or stop working and you wouldn’t want to lose your photos!

Make sure to copy the images from the memory card rather than moving them. Doing this means if the upload didn’t go smoothly, you still have all of the images safe on the memory card.

Here are the steps to organize the Upload of your images onto your computer or external hard drive:

Create a folder with the year 2020
You can now create separate folders for the types of sessions you do. However, this is not required and it depends on how you want to manage your files.
Create a folder and name it according to the shoot date, last name of your client, a dash, then the location or something specific. For example 2020.03.06 Burns Family – Secrets Resort Puerto Vallarta

File Management Tips to Create a More Efficient Photography Workflow

The location is optional, but it does help keep the information to the session together. It’s also good for searching later on when you want to find a location photo to post on social media or otherwise.

Renaming the images

Renaming images can seem like an added step, however, keeping the naming simple with numerical sequence, adds more organization in the end.

It’s tough when looking for an image by the original image name of IMG_ when it would be much quicker to remember the name and then look for an image that way.

Rename with the last name, a dash, then the sequence number, for example, Burns-0001. Use more than three zeros so that you can safely number the images when you have more than one hundred images.

If you have more than a thousand, use another zero. This can keep all of your images organized and you won’t get jumping numbers from 01 and 11.

When you import the images into your editing program, the renaming stays and will get saved the same when you’re finished editing. This is really helpful especially when the family wants a particular photo to order. They can simply use the sequence number and you can quickly find the image in the edited folder.

Importing into Lightroom

Now that you’ve organized the session into the yearly folder, session folder, and have renamed the files you’re ready to import into Lightroom.

Some photographers like to import the images straight from the memory card into Lightroom but creating the folders seems easier in Finder than in Lightroom. However, with time, you can choose how you want to import the photos that help your workflow work for you.

There are two different options to choose from when importing. You can simply add the photos, which is the simplest choice seeing that we’ve already backed them up onto your hard drive in the desired folders. Or the COPY option, which will create a duplicate of your image into a specific folder on your desktop. This usually creates a copy in another place and can take up unnecessary storage on your computer.

We’ll go with the ADD option today since we have put the originals in the specific folder we made earlier.

Check the Collection option and put them into a Collection with the date and name – just like we did in the source folder.

This will make it easier to find the folders in the left sidebar while editing without making multiple duplicates or without getting lost in the Import or Folders section.

Now we’re ready for editing!

Organized editing

In Lightroom, editing can seem like a lot of work. However, you’ll want to go through this process so that your workflow is quicker and editing time is minimized.

Use the color tags to choose your favorites. This is how I personally tag the photos using the number keys:

Number 9 is Blue for chosen images
Number 8 is green for additional editing – usually when I have to swap out ahead or do some major editing.

After you’ve used the color of your choice for the chosen photos, at the bottom of the screen is a Filter option. Choose the blue square (or the colors you’ve chosen), so that all you see are the photos tagged Blue.

The great thing about using the filter and colors is that if you missed a photo somewhere, you can turn off the filter and go back and choose more photos to edit or tag.

Alternatively, you can untag a photo and it will hide it from view. Then you can just edit the blue-tagged photos without additional clutter.

Using the color tags in the toggle on/off filter modes keeps your photos organized, in the same folder, and easy to edit.

Exporting your final images

The final of the file management tips is exporting your final images.

After you’ve edited your photos it’s now time to keep them organized so that you can find the final edited photos with ease.

Go into the Library window, with the color tag filter ON, choose all of the images you’ve edited with the Select All option, and click Export.

Choose the same folder your images are in, but create a subfolder with the words EDIT (or you can choose whichever name is best for you). This will create a folder within the original source folder on your hard drive.

This keeps all of the images from that session in the same location, which makes it easier to find later on.

file management tips for better workflow — As you can see, the edit folder appears in the family session folder with the RAW files. The final jpeg images are named the same for easier referencing.

In conclusion

These file management tips will help you categorize and catalog your sessions so that you have a more efficient photography workflow from start to finish.

Do you have any other file management tips to better organize your workflow? Share with us in the comments.

The post File Management Tips to Create a More Efficient Photography Workflow appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

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Next-Level Selfies – 7 Tips for Creative Self-Portraits (video)

21 Mar

The post Next-Level Selfies – 7 Tips for Creative Self-Portraits (video) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

Since one of our “At-Home, 7-Day Challenges” is fun selfies, I thought I’d share this video from our friends over at Cooph who give some fun, creative ideas that will take your selfies up a notch.

So, check out the video, get some ideas, then head over to our 7-day challenge page and share your selfie images with us (or share them right here on this page too), as we’d love to see them.

Enjoy!

There’s no fixing an out-of-focus photo

Many digital photographers like to use the various sharpening options available in software. Don’t be tempted. I have never known an out-of-focus photo to be well improved with post-production manipulations.

Sharpening in post can, however, help images that are a little soft. This is often due to lens quality rather than poor focusing. Either your photos are in focus or they are not. Focusing tips for beginners are important to understand. There is no fixing an out of focus photo with your computer.

Focusing Tips for Beginners Asian Photographer

Focus on your subject

Pick your point and focus on it. Having the wrong part of your composition in focus will not result in a good photograph. You must decide what’s in your frame that’s most important and focus on it.

Focusing tips for beginners often contain information about operating your camera better. I will include these tips here also. But first, it’s important to know what you want to focus on. This is something I prefer not to let my camera choose for me.

As you are composing your photo, be mindful of your main subject. Consider it’s depth. Is most of your subject the same distance from your camera? Or is some of it closer to you than other parts?

Photographing a bicycle that’s side on to you, most of it is about the same distance from your camera. Taking a photo of the bike as it faces the camera will mean you need to choose whereabouts on it to focus. If you focus on the back wheel, the front wheel may be out of focus.

One rule of thumb I use most of the time is, if your subject has eyes, focus on them. If one eye is closer to your camera than the other, focus on the closest one. Subjects with eyes that are out of focus rarely look good in photos.

Multi or single point auto-focus?

Digital cameras usually have various setting options for choosing your focus point. You can set your camera to only focus on a single point. Or you can set it to choose from multiple points. More advanced cameras allow you to set the area and number of focus points.

I prefer to have my camera set to single point auto-focus. This allows me to be precise and in control of what I focus on. Having your camera set to multi-point auto-focus means your camera chooses what part of your composition to focus on.

Some camera models allow you to move the single focus point to position it where you want in the frame. In other cameras, the single point for auto-focusing is central in the frame and you cannot move it. To use the single point on these cameras, you must shift your camera to focus where you want and then re-compose. I would find this frustrating. It will not always provide correct focus when you are using a very wide aperture setting.

Iron Bridge at night in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Using a camera where you can precisely control the single point the camera will auto-focus on, gives you control. You can move the point to the portion of the frame where you want to focus easily. This may take some practice to become quick at it, but it’s worthwhile when you want to be in control.

About the only time I use multi-point auto-focusing, is when I am tracking a moving subject that is constant. The camera will often be able to lock on and keep with a subject unless the subject is moving erratically. Accuracy when using this mode can also depend on how fast your subject is moving. Your subject will be easier to track when it’s slow-moving.

Focusing Tips for Beginners Asian photogrpaher and her camera

Continuous or single-servo auto-focus?

Choosing continuous or single-servo auto-focus is another important decision. When you choose continuous focus, your camera will always be refocusing while you have the focus button activated. With single-servo auto-focus, pressing the focus control, it will focus once and remain set on that point – even when your subject or camera moves.

Continuous-servo focusing is most useful when you have a moving subject, or you are moving with your camera. If I am using continuous-servo focus, I am often also using a multi-point setting. However, most of the time, I use single-servo focusing.

Focusing Tips for Beginners Tricycle taxis in Chiang Mai

Back button focus

By default, cameras are configured to use the shutter release button to focus. You will half depress the shutter button to focus. Some cameras allow you to turn off focusing on the shutter button and assign the focus function to another button.

Many photographers like to change the focus function to be controlled by one of the buttons on the back of the camera. Hence the name, back button focus.

Doing this allows you to focus independently from taking a photo. Assigning a button other than the shutter release to control focus, gives you more flexibility. You can focus and take photos independently when different buttons control these functions.

Back button focus can take a little getting used to, but I have found it well worthwhile because it gives me more control of my focus.

There are many situations where you might want to take a photo without refocusing, and back-button focusing allows you to do this.

Using manual focus

Another of the focusing tips for beginners is manual focusing. Some may think that manual focusing is too slow or difficult, but it’s not if you practice it.

You can become proficient in a short space of time if you commit to learning. Once you know how you will be surprised at how often manual focus skills come in handy.

Auto-focus is a wonderful technology, but it’s not always perfect. When you find your lens searching for a focus point and struggling to find one, it pays to switch over to manual if you know what you are doing.

Manually controlling your focus in low light can often be faster and more precise than your camera’s auto-focus. Learning to focus manually is also a lot cheaper than upgrading to a higher quality camera that has better auto-focus.

Portrait of a Karen man in northern Thailand

Focus technique

I hope you have found these focusing tips for beginners useful. Remember, don’t leave it all to your camera. Getting well-focused images is not all about managing your camera’s auto-focus system. You need to work on your focus techniques and know what to do when you are photographing different subjects. This is particularly important when your subject is moving.

Sometimes you’ll want to track focus. At other times you’ll want to pre-focus and wait for your subject to enter your frame. When doing macro photography, it can be useful to set your focus and then move your camera or subject forwards or back a little to fine-tune.

Practice, as always, will make you sharper, and your images too.

Do you have any other focusing tips for beginners that you’d like to share? If so, please do so in the comments.

The post Focusing Tips for Beginners – Ways to Achieve Spot-on Focus in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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Storytelling Newborn Photography Shoot Tips

05 Mar

Storytelling photography for newborn babies is all about capturing the real life memories of the newborn days for families in a beautiful way, and it’s quickly becoming the most popular style of photography for capturing the newborn stage of life. Not only does it bring out the personalities of everyone and provide specific memories of what life was like during Continue Reading

The post Storytelling Newborn Photography Shoot Tips appeared first on Photodoto.

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10 Tips for Using a Graphics Tablet for Easier Photo Editing

01 Mar

The post 10 Tips for Using a Graphics Tablet for Easier Photo Editing appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

In terms of post-processing and retouching, there are a lot of basic techniques that you can use with a mouse (a trackpad is even worse) and a keyboard combo. However, once you get into the more complicated stuff, the amount of precision you need to apply becomes tedious and hard to do with that setup. This is where using a graphics tablet for photo editing comes into its own. Graphics tablets, such as those from Wacom, offer you an enormous amount of control and precision in your retouching. They can also speed up your workflow a lot.

If you’ve never used a graphics tablet for photo editing before, you may wonder if you actually need one.

Using a graphics tablet for retouching photos.

The answer depends on how much time you spend and the type of post-processing that you do. But I will say, this is one of those pieces of equipment that, once you’ve been using it for a week, you’ll wonder how you ever got on without it.

Using a graphics tablet for cleaner and more consistent lines.

Left: Not a mouse, but a trackpad. You can still see how the lines are sloppy and less controlled. Right: With a graphics tablet, more consistent lines become much easier to make.

While graphics tablets are (for the most part) intuitive to use and get to grips with, some of the finer aspects of their use can seem a bit tricky. This article will cover a set of tips to help you get the most out of your graphics tablet.

1. Setup

The first thing you should make sure you do with your graphics tablet is to ensure that it is set up properly.

Many devices have plug-and-play functionality and will seem to work by just plugging them in. This isn’t the case.

In most cases, while you may have use of the pen, the full functionality of your tablet won’t be open to you until you install and setup the relevant software. Ensure any you install any relevant drivers for your tablet and if it has a software suite, go through all of the options and make sure it is set up in a way that works for you.

Image: A lot of tablets will seem to work without any software installed, but it is important to mak...

A lot of tablets will seem to work without any software installed, but it is important to make sure that you do install it, or you will be missing out on a lot of features.

Your preferences may change over time. If you find that something could be working better for you, do look in the software to see if any of the settings there can help you solve any issue you might be having.

2. Shortcut buttons

After you’ve set-up the basics, you can now move on to the shortcut buttons.

Most graphics tablets offer a number of programmable buttons that you can program and set to any function you choose. Some cheaper tablets might have only a few buttons, while some of the more expensive ones can be covered in them.

How you program them is up to you. A good way to approach this is to take a moment and examine your normal workflow in Photoshop. What actions do you make the most? Which of those actions would be easier (and suitable) to use at the click of a button?

Once you’ve done that, all you have to do is set-up the buttons in a way that suits you.

Image: You have full control over how your shortcut buttons are setup. Use these in any way that sui...

You have full control over how your shortcut buttons are setup. Use these in any way that suits the way you work.

Now, I don’t like using the shortcut buttons and they don’t suit me. The only one I use is the one that allows me to rotate the canvas. That may be the case for you too. That’s fine, and you shouldn’t feel obligated to use something that doesn’t suit your needs or approach.

3. Keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts while using a graphics tablet make a powerful combo.

Even with a tablet, you will still use the keyboard a lot for Photoshop shortcuts. Be sure to memorize any that are relevant to you.

Whether you are using Lightroom, Photoshop or any of the other software packages, you will still be using the keyboard alongside your graphics tablet for photo editing.

These programs hold so much functionality that there’s no way that everything you can do could be contained to a few buttons. As such, do spend some time learning as many of the keyboard shortcuts as you can (or at least the ones relevant to your workflow).

Using both a stylus and a keyboard at the same time can seem counterintuitive at first, but you will quickly find it’s nothing to worry about.

4. Undo

Speaking of keyboard shortcuts, there is one that you already probably use more than any other. That, of course, is Ctrl+z (cmd+z) to undo your last action. Be prepared to use this a lot.

Using a pen allows you to work with precision strokes, and just like in drawing, not all of those strokes are going to be perfect the first time. There is nothing wrong with undoing something over and over again until you get it right, so do get comfortable with ctrl+z (cmd+z) and ctrl+alt+z (cmd+alt=z).

You could always set this to a shortcut button on your tablet if you think that option would be good for you.

5. Brush settings

When you start using a graphics tablet for photo editing, you unlock a few features in Photoshop that were previously unavailable to you.

The most important of these are the brush settings; specifically, they’re the pen pressure settings. By turning these on, you give yourself control of the brush pressure through how much pressure you apply to the tablet.

For example, if you have the Always Use Pressure for Size option clicked, then the brush size will change depending on how hard you press down with the pen.

If it’s the opacity option you are using, then a light touch will result in a low opacity from your brush. Turn them both on, and the effects combine.

Image: Taking control of the pressure settings is one of the most powerful aspects of using a graphi...

Taking control of the pressure settings is one of the most powerful aspects of using a graphics tablet for photo editing.

These settings are powerful, and on their own, one of the biggest reasons to use a tablet if you’re on the fence about them. Get to know these settings intimately as they will define your use of your graphics tablet for photo editing.

6. Tilting brushes

This is a bit of a wild card, as you might never use one of these brushes for retouching photos. However, because they exist, it’s good to know about them before you stumble onto them by accident and think your tablet is broken.

Using a graphics tablet unlocks features in Photoshop that are otherwise unavailable.

This charcoal pencil brush responds to the way you hold your pen. Here, all of these lines were made by holding the pen in different positions with all of the pressure settings turned off.

These brushes respond to the way you hold your pen and alter the shape and texture of their output. This replicates how a traditional artist would use a brush or pencil (or other tools) to create different strokes and marks.

If nothing else, it is a fun feature to play with, and if you can figure out how to use it with your photography, more power to you.

7. Digital art tutorials

Using a graphics tablet for retouching can be both intuitive and counterintuitive at the same time. If you have any art background at all (I do not), you will find it easier than other photographers without that kind of background, and you can skip this tip.

If, like me, you don’t have any experience with art (either traditional or digital), I highly recommend taking the time to watch and read some digital painting tutorials.

Some of the most useful types of tutorials are:

Drawing lines – These exercises will give you control over your stylus and help you get used to the pressure sensitivity of your tablet. They will also help you make more precise movements, which will overall help to increase the quality of your output.

Follow digital painting tutorials to get better at using a graphics tablet.

Following tutorials that teach you how to practice making lines and other marks will help you to gain confidence and experience with using your tablet.

Rendering – Digital painting tutorials that deal with painting with values can be an invaluable asset when your using techniques like dodging and burning. These techniques will help you blend your values better and teach you to make more controlled adjustments.

8. Brushstrokes and control

Now that you have watched some tutorials on the subject, don’t forget to actually practice them.

Taking the time to set up a blank canvas and practice your brush strokes with the various pressure settings will only help you to become proficient with your tablet faster.

The same goes for blending values for the retouching techniques that use them. Practice as much as you can, both inside and outside of retouching.

Practice using a graphics tablet as often as possible.

Don’t just follow the tutorials once. Practice a lot at first and then make it a point to practice some more at regular intervals.

9. Warm-up

This one is entirely optional, but if you’re feeling stiff and not getting the results you want, you can borrow another technique from traditional artists and do some warm-up exercises.

There’s nothing fancy here, just set up a blank canvas in Photoshop and spend time practicing your lines and rendering (two or three minutes might be plenty), or whatever else you will be using in your retouching session.

10. Practice, practice, practice

The best way to get to grips with your graphics tablet is to use it a lot.

Just like everything else in life, if you want to get proficient in using a graphics tablet, there is only one solution:

Use it.

Put in as much mileage as you can as quickly as you can. You should find that any challenges you face in the beginning are quickly put to rest.

The end

There you have it, 10 tips to help you get the most out of using a graphics tablet for photo editing. While there is nothing complicated here, I hope that you will have found something that will help you get the most out of your graphics tablet for photo editing in the early days.

If you have any tips that you feel I have left out, please leave them in the comments below.

The post 10 Tips for Using a Graphics Tablet for Easier Photo Editing appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

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Vital Tips to Capture Fast-Action Photos

23 Feb

The post Vital Tips to Capture Fast-Action Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Whether you’re photographing cars racing down the track, athletes running across a field, or your kids playing in the yard, it can seem impossible to get tack-sharp photos of fast action. If you have ever struggled to capture fast-action photos, you’re not alone. Lots of people deal with the same issue!

Fortunately, it’s not as difficult as it seems. With a few simple tweaks to your photography process, you can get great action photos in no time at all.

Nikon D750, 112mm, f/4, 1/350 second, ISO 500

A major element of action photography involves knowing where to position yourself and what to look for.

In addition to that, there are some critical camera functions you need to understand and know how to control if you want to get the kinds of shots you see in sports magazines. Mastering a few shooting techniques will help you get the kind of fast-action photos you’ve always wanted.

Taking a picture is pretty simple. You press the shutter button, your camera initiates autofocus, and then it takes the picture. A quick beep-beep might sound once focus is acquired, or you might see a dot or square light up in the viewfinder of your camera. That works great for still subjects, but if you want to capture fast-action photos, you’re going to need to adjust your settings.

Nikon D750, 140mm, f/2.8, 1/1500 second, ISO 100

Use the right autofocus mode

Understanding how to use autofocus to capture fast-action photos is one of the first and most important steps you can take.

Autofocus first came to prominence in 1985 on the Minolta Maxxum 7000 camera. Ever since then, it has continued to evolve. Now, modern cameras have a host of ways to configure and control this basic feature.

Every camera has a variety of autofocus modes. They go by different names depending on the manufacturer, but, in general, you can expect the following on any given camera.

Focus-and-lock: Once focus is acquired, it will not change until you take a picture or re-focus.
Continuous focus: Your camera will constantly adjust focus as your subject moves.
Manual. Not recommended for most fast action. It can be good if you know exactly where your subject will be at a specific point in time, but in general, it’s best to use autofocus.

Your camera will also have a few settings for how it computes autofocus. Names will vary but they will be something like the following.

Full auto: Your camera decides what to focus on without any input from you.
Expanded AF or Group: You use multiple focus points to keep the subject in focus instead of just a single dot or square.
Tracking: You set a focus point and your camera will maintain focus continuously until you take a picture. You will see the focus point move around as your camera adjusts to keep the subject in focus.

Nikon D7100, 200mm, f/3.3, 1/1500 second, ISO 100

To capture fast-action photos, you will need to use one of the final two modes and make sure you set your camera to continuous autofocus. There is so much unpredictability with action shots that you want to use all the smarts and capabilities of your camera to help you out.

Tracking modes are particularly useful on newer cameras since the algorithms used to lock on subjects and track them are very advanced.

If your camera has a tracking option, I recommend using that, but Expanded or Group modes work well too. They give you a little more freedom and wiggle room compared to relying on one single autofocus point.

Back Button Focus

Back button focus is more of a technique than a camera setting. While it’s going to feel really weird at first, it will make your life a lot easier when capturing action photos.

Instead of using the shutter button to focus your camera, you use a button on the back of your camera.

Back button focus might seem counterintuitive since it feels like autofocus would go hand-in-hand with clicking the shutter button. There are some good reasons to use back button focus, though, especially when it comes to capturing fast-action photos.

When you set your camera to continuous autofocus and use the shutter button to engage autofocus, it can be difficult to keep the button half-pressed while following your subject around. Back button focus lets you track your subject continuously with a firm press of your thumb.

Then whenever the decisive moment hits, you press the shutter button to get the perfect shot. Or you can start snapping pictures well before the moment arrives and continuing to maintain focus with your thumb.

Nikon D7100, 200mm, f/2.8, 1/1500 second, ISO 100

Almost every camera can do back button focus, but you will need to change a few menu settings to enable it. Do an online search for your exact camera along with the words “back button focus,” and you should find the information you need.

It took me about a week to train my mind to use back button focus, but now I use it all the time, even on casual everyday photos.

It works so well once you get used to it!

Embrace Auto-ISO

When shooting action photos, the most important thing is to get images that are tack sharp. A well-composed shot won’t mean anything if your subject is blurry (unless, of course, you are trying to capture motion blur), so that means you need to use a fast shutter. And that often means embracing higher ISO values, especially when shooting indoors where there isn’t nearly as much light as outside.

Fortunately, Auto-ISO can take the guesswork out of your action shots.

You can set a minimum shutter speed and a maximum ISO value and let your camera take care of the rest. Most modern cameras look great up to ISO 6400, and many can go well beyond that while still maintaining enough color and detail to be usable.

Image: Nikon D750, 80mm, f/4, 1/500 second, ISO 2000. A fast shutter speed might be overkill for peo...

Nikon D750, 80mm, f/4, 1/500 second, ISO 2000. A fast shutter speed might be overkill for people just walking, but I wanted to be absolutely sure they were tack sharp. Auto-ISO chose a value of 2000 which was perfectly acceptable.

My Auto-ISO settings for action are minimum shutter speed of 1/500 second (or 1/1000 second if my subjects are moving really fast) and maximum ISO value of 6400. You will need to experiment to find out what your comfort level is and what settings you prefer.

Shoot in Aperture Priority

This tip piggybacks on the last one, though just like back button focus, it might seem counterintuitive.

If you need a fast shutter speed to capture fast-action photos, why not shoot in Shutter Priority? Because Aperture Priority and Auto-ISO let you get the best of both worlds.

Using this technique, you can worry a lot less about getting a properly exposed shutter, free of motion blur. That way, you can concentrate on composing your shot while your camera does the rest.

Nikon D750, 35mm, f/4, 1/1000 second, ISO 100

When you shoot in Aperture Priority with Auto-ISO, you can set the aperture that gives you the right depth of field. That means you don’t have to think about other elements of exposure because your camera is going to stay within the shutter and ISO parameters you set.

If you know you are in a low-light situation, you can increase the aperture size or dial in a higher ISO value for Auto-ISO.

I shoot in Aperture Priority so I can control the depth of field while making sure I always get a tack-sharp photo. That’s because I know my shutter speed will never go below 1/500 second.

If you have never tried this when shooting action photos, you might be surprised at how well it works!

capture-fast-action-photos-soccer-multiple-kids

Nikon D750, 200mm, f/2.8, 1/1000 second, ISO 100. I used a large aperture to make the kids in the background blurry and focus the viewer on the child in the middle. My camera figured out the ISO and shutter speed based on my Auto-ISO parameters.

Adjust your viewpoint

When shooting any style of photos, you need to make sure you compose the scene in your camera from the proper point of view. That might mean kneeling, sitting, or even lying on the ground.

Sometimes you might find yourself sitting on top of a ladder or in the bed of a truck to get a higher vantage point. The goal, especially with action shots, is to take your pictures in such a way that they are dynamic, interesting, and help put your viewers in the middle of the scene.

Nikon D7100, 200mm, f/2.8, 1/350 second, ISO 100. I shot this so it looks like the disc is coming right towards the viewer.

When shooting fast-action photos, you can’t always control your surroundings, and in that case, you might need to move around.

There might be physical barriers like guardrails, fences, or other people in your way. One solution is to sit there and settle for whatever happens. However, a good action shooter will move around until they find the vantage point that works best for the shot. (Within reason, of course. Be polite about it, and certainly don’t do anything illegal!)

Image: Nikon D750, 105mm, f/4, 1/1000 second, ISO 200. I should have scooted over to get that table...

Nikon D750, 105mm, f/4, 1/1000 second, ISO 200. I should have scooted over to get that table out of the foreground. A simple adjustment on my part would have made for a better image.

One factor you can’t control when taking fast-action photos outdoors is light and weather.

It might be cloudy or sunny, windy or calm, rainy or clear, and there’s nothing you can do to change it.

What you can do is adjust your viewpoint accordingly to get the best shots. Position yourself such that your subjects aren’t backlit, and make sure to have protective gear for your camera if the weather is bad.

Take a lot of photos!

What’s the best-kept secret for capturing fast-action photos? Take a ton of pictures!

When you see a perfectly-composed shot of your favorite athlete on the cover of a magazine, there are a thousand similar images sitting unused on a hard drive that weren’t good enough.

If you want one great photo, you need to be willing to take a lot of mediocre photos and sort through to find the keepers.

All cameras can shoot in high-speed bursts. This is critical for action photos since you never know which picture will be just the right one.

Often the only limitation is the size of your camera’s internal buffer or the rate at which your camera transfers images can to a memory card.

Nikon D500, 200mm, f/2.8, 1/1500 second, ISO 100. The 10fps burst rate on my camera made this image possible. I shot about 30 images but this was the best one.

You will need to check your camera manual or do some online searching to find out how to enable burst mode on your camera. Just don’t think you can take a few pictures and get the perfect shot.

Professional action photographers will take thousands of pictures of a single game or event, and only a handful will be published.

The same holds true for you: if you want to get great action photos, you need to take a lot of photos.

What are some of your tips and techniques to capture fast-action photos?

Are there things that have worked for you that you would like to share with others?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below. And if you have some examples of action shots you would like to share, make sure to include them too!

The post Vital Tips to Capture Fast-Action Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

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7 Tips for Using a Tripod in Landscape and Travel Photography

22 Feb

The post 7 Tips for Using a Tripod in Landscape and Travel Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In this video from Julian Elliott Photography, he gives you 7 tips for using a tripod in landscape and travel photography.

You may want to know why you need a tripod at all when you do landscape and travel photography? There are times when you will want to use slower shutter speeds. For example, when doing long exposures to get silky smooth waters, shooting in low light situations, or for bracketing exposures.

So watch Julian’s video and find out some invaluable tips on how to get the most out of your tripod, how to keep it in good condition, and how to use it.

6 Tips for Photographing Amazing Light Trails at Blue Hour

1. Find a location with a great city view with plenty of traffic going by

This is a prerequisite for any great light trail photography. It might sound plain obvious, but it’s not always easy to find a perfect location, as there is more to it than meets the eye. I’ll describe more down the road.

amazing-light-trails-at-blue-hour-photography

18mm, f/10, 25 seconds (based shutter speed of 3 seconds, with 3 stop ND filter attached), ISO 100, shot 7 minutes before dusk. © Joey J

2. Shoot from slightly higher than ground level (e.g. a footbridge)

Rather than staying on the same level as moving cars, getting up above allows you to shoot more dynamic images.

Image: Shooting from a footbridge is an easy way to get up above the moving cars. This is how I shot...

Shooting from a footbridge is an easy way to get up above the moving cars. This is how I shot the photo above, clamping Manfrotto Super Clamp onto a footbridge railing. © Joey J

3. Curvy roads give a more pleasing result

Compared to light trails shot on straight roads (such as the first photo above), those shot on curvy roads look more pleasing (to me, at least), as seen in the photo below shot at Connaught Rd Central (Hong Kong).

18mm, f/8, 25 seconds (based shutter speed of 3 seconds, with 3 stop ND filter attached), ISO 100, shot 5 minutes before dusk.

4. Headlights, taillights or both?

Depending on the road you’re photographing (one-way street or two-way street), there may be only headlights or tail lights available. Or both of them may be available.

Personally, I prefer headlights, as they are more visually striking. As seen below, one-way traffic with tail lights (only) lacks some impact.

Image: 18mm, f/13, 10 seconds (based shutter speed of 1.3 seconds, with 3 stop ND filter attached),...

18mm, f/13, 10 seconds (based shutter speed of 1.3 seconds, with 3 stop ND filter attached), ISO 100, shot 8 minutes before dusk. © Joey J

5. Capture light trails of tall vehicles

The majority of light trails are created by low-height vehicles such as private cars and taxis. However, when tall vehicles (e.g. buses, trucks) move through the frame, light trails record at a much higher point, adding more interest to your photos.

I shot the photos below from a sideway of a busy street in Seoul, Korea. Seeing public buses frequently passing through, I timed my exposure to capture their lights. I love how they came out!

Image: 24mm, f/8, 30 seconds (based shutter speed of 4 seconds, with 3 stop ND filter attached), ISO...

24mm, f/8, 30 seconds (based shutter speed of 4 seconds, with 3 stop ND filter attached), ISO 100, shot 1 minute after dusk. © Joey J

22mm, f/13, 8 seconds (based shutter speed of 1 second, with 3 stop ND filter attached), ISO 100, shot 10 minutes before dusk. © Joey J

By the way, I have one funny story to share.

When I shot the photos above, I spent a full hour shooting at minus 10 degrees Celsius in Seoul’s winter. Since I didn’t have gloves, my hands went completely numb with cold. By the end of the photoshoot, I couldn’t even hold my lens cap properly. Trying to put it back on the lens with trembling hands, I dropped it so many times. It sounds like a joke, but this simple task took me so long to complete!

6. Use mild-strength neutral density (ND) filter

You can shoot light trail photography at blue hour without using any neutral density (ND) filter, but the exposure time will probably be a little too short (a few to several seconds) to capture enough light trails.

If you don’t own an ND filter, try shooting with a small aperture (e.g. f/13) to make the shutter speed longer (ideally 10+ seconds).

An ideal strength ND filter for light trail photography is around a 2 or 3 stop ND. For example, a base shutter speed of 2, 2.5, and 3 seconds (i.e., when no filter is attached) will extend to 15, 20 and 25 seconds, respectively, with a 3-stop ND filter attached. That is long enough to capture plenty of light trails on busy roads. FYI, I shot almost all the photos in this post with a B+W 3 Stop ND Filter (77mm) attached.

Image: Neutral density (ND) filters help reduce light coming through the lens and allow you to slow...

Neutral density (ND) filters help reduce light coming through the lens and allow you to slow down the shutter speed by a certain number of f-stops (e.g. 3 stops). © Joey J

One advantage of using a 3-stop ND filter is that you can attempt shooting light trails many times, as each exposure time isn’t too long.

When using a more dense filter like a 6-stop ND filter, a base shutter speed of 2 -3 seconds turns into a 2-3 minute exposure. This severely limits the number of photos you can take during the blue hour.

Besides, when the exposure goes so long, you won’t be able to time your exposure to target certain lights (such as those of tall vehicles).

Image: 18mm, f/13, 161 seconds (based shutter speed of 2.5 seconds, with 6 stop ND filter attached),...

18mm, f/13, 161 seconds (based shutter speed of 2.5 seconds, with 6 stop ND filter attached), ISO 100, shot 7 minutes before dusk. With B+W 6 Stop ND Filter (77mm) attached, I exposed for 161 seconds, capturing a ton of light trails in a single shot. © Joey J

Conclusion

I hope these tips will help you capture stunning light trails at blue hour. In fact, writing this post has made me want to try more light trail photography!

As always, if you have any questions or info to share about shooting light trails at blue hour, feel free to do so in the comments below. Happy shooting!

The post 6 Tips for Photographing Amazing Light Trails at Blue Hour appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Joey J.

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5 Tips for Using Color to Improve Your Photography

19 Feb

The post 5 Tips for Using Color to Improve Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

In this article, I’m going to give you five tips for using color.

Tips that will immediately take your photos to the next level.

Because here’s the thing:

Color is one of the most commonly neglected aspects of photography.

It’s also one of the most useful.

So, if you can learn to master color…

…your photos will instantly improve.

Let’s get started.

50mm | f/6.3 | 1/400s | ISO 250

1. Keep colors simple for the best compositions

When it comes to tips for using color, this is a big one.

Because colors are like compositional elements of their own.

And if you add too many compositional elements, you’ll overwhelm the viewer and cause them to turn away.

The trick is to keep the colors simple. Try to photograph scenes that only have a few obvious colors.

Three colors are okay, especially if one of them is dominant. In the photo below, you’ll notice strong blues and greens, with a slight orange on the building.

24mm, f/5.6, 1/1000, ISO 400

Two colors are even better.

And one color can work, too, such as when framed against a white backdrop.

In fact, when in doubt, reduce the number of colors. As you approach a potential composition, think about how you can simplify the colors.

That way, your composition will turn out looking beautiful: strong, simple, and artistic.

2. Use contrasting colors to add pop to your shots

Now that you know the most fundamental tip for using color in your photography, it’s time to look at specific combinations of colors that work really, really well.

The most popular color combination (and my absolutely favorite) is contrasting colors, like this:

400mm, f/6.3, 1/1250, ISO 250

You see, contrasting colors are colors that sit opposite one another on the color wheel.

(These are also known as complementary colors.)

And they look great together because they can create powerful tension in your photos. Plus, each complementary color works to make the other pop.

Some common contrasting color pairs are:

Green and red
Blue and orange
Purple and yellow

Now, the more equal the amounts of each contrasting color, the greater the tension in your photo.

This color wheel shows the opposing (contrasting/complementary colors).

So you can play with the extent to which both colors are featured in order to create different looks.

A lot of green and a lot of red creates an obvious clash.

But a lot of green with a few spots of red feels much more balanced (though the red will still pop powerfully off the screen). That’s what I did in the photo above; I combined the red of the spoonbill with the green of the background, for a balanced image.

Make sense?

Note that you don’t have to be super precise about choosing complementary colors. Color contrast is a spectrum, not an absolute. So if you end up with a green and purple pair as opposed to a green and red pair, you’ll still get a sense of tension.

It just won’t be quite as strong as the true complementary colors.

3. Use analogous colors to add harmony to your images

As I explained in the tip for using color above:

Color contrast is good.

But sometimes you’re not looking to create tension in your photos. Sometimes you’re not looking to make aspects of your photo really stand out.

Instead, you might want to keep things looking peaceful throughout your image. Like this:

50mm, f/3.2, 1/400s, ISO 250

In cases like the one above, you should avoid contrasting colors, and instead use analogous colors.

These are colors that sit next to one another on the color wheel.

Some common analogous color pairs are:

Green and yellow
Purple and blue
Red and orange
Green and blue
Red and purple

And see what happens when you put some analogous colors together:

They convey a sense of harmony. Rather than clashing with one another, analogous colors keep the peace.

105mm, f/7.1, 1/250s, ISO 320

That’s why analogous colors are perfect for more subdued scenes, such as yellow and green trees standing together in autumn, or a blue flower resting alone in a field. The harmonious color combination will maintain that wonderfully serene feeling (as long as the rest of the composition is aimed at producing serenity, that is!).

Oh, and don’t be afraid of using three analogous colors together. You can always use combinations such as green, blue, and purple or green, yellow, and blue to create especially peaceful scenes!

So whenever you’re trying to capture a more subdued photo, look for analogous colors.

4. Keep your subject more colorful than the background to focus the viewer

If you’re capturing a photo with a clear subject, then you often want to make the subject pop off the background.

In other words, you want to focus the viewer. You want to keep their attention on the subject of the photo.

And you can do that by using color. You just have to make sure your subject features much more powerful colors than the background.

100mm, f/5, 1/125, ISO 250

Here’s how it works:

Start by finding a colorful subject. The colors should be bold and saturated. For instance, a red flower, a blue building, a yellow car, etc.

And make sure it’s positioned in front of a boring background. Something with less color, even something that’s all white or all black.

The lack of color from the background, combined with the powerful color from your subject, will ensure that it’s the subject that catches the viewer’s eye.

This is one of my favorite tips for using colors, simply because it creates such powerful images. Whenever I see photos that use a colorful subject on a plain background, my eyes immediately go to the subject; everything is clear and simple.

Bottom line:

Don’t always feel like you need a colorful background to complement a colorful subject.

It often pays to keep the background much less interesting!

5. Include colorless areas to add a sense of balance

Here’s your final tip for using color in photography:

Don’t always feel like you need lots of color in your photos.

Instead, feel free to add in colorless areas: areas of black, areas of white, areas of gray.

Why?

Because colorless areas act like negative space in images that are full of color. They give the viewer a chance to rest. They balance out the overall composition.

Sure, a shot with areas of black or white often won’t look quite as eye-catching as a photo full of color contrasts.

But it’ll feel more balanced, which is what composition is often about.

For instance, a photo like this feels just right with a white background:

50mm, f/8, 1/320s, ISO 250

And if the background were, say, red, the photo would be overwhelming.

So don’t be afraid to include colorless areas in your photos. Put your subject on black. Put your subject on white.

Because even though color is a powerful tool to use, it’s also one that you need to tone down on occasion.

5 Tips for using color to improve your photography: Conclusion

Now that you’ve finished this article on tips for using color, you should feel confident incorporating different colors into your photos and using color combinations for stunning results.

So all that’s left to do?

Get out and start practicing. Try to find different color combinations. Experiment with different options, and carefully evaluate the results.

As long as you follow these five tips for using color…

…you’ll be capturing some stunning images in no time!

Do you have any other tips for using color that you’d like to share with us? Perhaps you’d like to share some of the images you take after reading this article? If so, please share them with us in the comments.

24mm, f/4, 1/500, ISO 250

The post 5 Tips for Using Color to Improve Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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Posts Tagged ‘Tips’

What is a photography workflow?

Uploading the images

Renaming the images

Importing into Lightroom

Organized editing

Exporting your final images

In conclusion

You may also like:

You may also like:

There’s no fixing an out-of-focus photo

Focus on your subject

Multi or single point auto-focus?

Continuous or single-servo auto-focus?

Back button focus

Using manual focus

Focus technique

1. Setup

2. Shortcut buttons

3. Keyboard shortcuts

4. Undo

5. Brush settings

6. Tilting brushes

7. Digital art tutorials

8. Brushstrokes and control

9. Warm-up

10. Practice, practice, practice

The end

Use the right autofocus mode

Back Button Focus

Embrace Auto-ISO

Shoot in Aperture Priority

Adjust your viewpoint

Take a lot of photos!

You may also like:

6 Tips for Photographing Amazing Light Trails at Blue Hour

1. Find a location with a great city view with plenty of traffic going by

2. Shoot from slightly higher than ground level (e.g. a footbridge)

3. Curvy roads give a more pleasing result

4. Headlights, taillights or both?

5. Capture light trails of tall vehicles

6. Use mild-strength neutral density (ND) filter

Conclusion

1. Keep colors simple for the best compositions

2. Use contrasting colors to add pop to your shots

3. Use analogous colors to add harmony to your images

4. Keep your subject more colorful than the background to focus the viewer

5. Include colorless areas to add a sense of balance

5 Tips for using color to improve your photography: Conclusion