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Basic Portrait Post-Processing Workflow Tips to Help You Save Time and Stay Organized

01 Mar

This article will walk you through some tips for how to set up a basic portrait post-processing workflow that can help you save time and stay organized.

The problem

When you’re new to photography, everything is exciting. Every time you come home with a full memory card, it’s a mad rush to the computer to see what you have captured. You’re eager to see every image and each one is treated as a separate entity with every technique you’ve come across. This is great. That excitement is what will keep you moving forward with photography and it is how you rapidly learn and grow as a photographer. That’s how it was with me, at any rate.

What happens, however, as you start taking more and more images? For example, regular portrait sessions a couple times a week can lead to an overwhelming amount of photographs. Approaching every frame as an individual becomes time-consuming and inefficient. If you’re not careful, you’ll have a backlog of images going back months and months. Often, many of your photos will be forgotten at the wayside.

The solution to this problem is to develop a portrait post-processing workflow.

Defining workflow

Basic Portrait Post-Processing Workflow Tips to Help You Save Time and Stay Organized

Straight out of the camera before any adjustments in Lightroom or Photoshop.

After portrait post-processing workflow steps in this article were applied.

In the simplest terms possible, a workflow is a checklist of repeatable actions that you work through as you go through a task. If it helps, in business the equivalent be would systems and in manufacturing, it could be compared to an assembly line.

You can have a workflow for any part of the photographic process, from planning and coordinating sessions to setting up and tearing down equipment and finally the post-processing stage.

This article will outline the steps of the post-processing workflow that I’ve been using on my portraits for a few years.

Starting point

Because every photographer has their own way of importing, organizing and editing their images in Lightroom (and other software), this article starts at the beginning of the post-processing stage for individual images. It assumes you will have already imported your photos into Lightroom and you have already edited (culled) down to the keepers.

Lightroom

This workflow uses both Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Each program offers its own strengths. To take advantage of them, consider using both with the Adobe Photographer membership – get 20% off (only $ 7.99/month) by using this link only for dPS readers.

Color corrections

The first step is to conduct any color corrections to your image. I do this in one of two ways. The first involves a ColorChecker Passport. If you don’t have one, just skip past it (or purchase one here on Amazon.com and follow along).

Xrite ColorChecker Passport

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In your Lightroom catalog, find the photo you took with the ColorChecker Passport in it. Go to File>Export and export the image as a DNG to a folder where you can find it.

To work in the ColorChecker Passports proprietary software, you need to export your image as a DNG.

Now open the software that came with your Xrite ColorChecker Passport, and import the DNG you just exported into it.

The software does a pretty good job of aligning the photo to the ColorChecker, but if it fails, just follow the instructions on the screen.

The Xrite ColorChecker Passport’s software allows you to create custom color profile unique to each lighting setup.

Press the Create Profile button and give it a name that has something to do with the images you are going to be working on. For example, if you’re working on portraits of Jane Doe in a wedding dress which you took on April 15th of 2017, you could name the profile: JaneDoeWeddingDress041517. That’s optional, of course, but it will help you should you decide to revisit these photos in six months time.

Now, reopen Lightroom, find the image of the ColorChecker Passport, and open it in the Develop Module. Scroll down the panels on the right until you find the Calibration tab.

At the top, there will be the word Profile followed by Adobe Standard. Click there and choose the profile name that you just made in the external software (in the example below I called it “PortraitWorkflow”.

Once created and imported into Lightroom, color profiles can be returned to at any point in the future.

This process has built a custom color profile, individual to the lighting present in the scene. This is a vital step if you want to get the most accurate colors in your photographs.

White balance with the ColorChecker Passport

In the right-hand panel, scroll back up to the top basic panel. Select the eyedropper. To correct the white balance in your image, click in any of the white or gray boxes on the ColorChecker in your image. That will correct your white balance automatically. Each box will have a different effect on your images, so feel free to go through them all to see which works best, or which you prefer.

Any of the white and gray squares can be used to set your white balance. They all have different effects, so experiment until you’re happy.

Press CTRL/CMD+Shift+C and in the dialog box click the Check None box. Tick off only the boxes for Calibration and White Balance, and then click Copy.

Setting the color profile and white balance to an entire set of images at once can save you heaps of time.

With your settings copied, you can go back to the Library Module and select all of the photos that you want these settings applied to. Select them and press CTRL/CMD+Shift+V to do this.

Make sure you deselect the group of images afterwards by pressing CTRL/CMD+D.

White balance in Lightroom

If you don’t have a ColorChecker Passport, you can set your white balance manually by using the eyedropper (click on something neutral in the image) and sliders at the top of the Basic tab. Once you’re done, you can copy and paste the settings to the other images in your set as described above.

To adjust white balance manually, use the eyedropper and sliders at the top of the Basic panel.

Lens Corrections

The next step is to find the Lens Corrections tab and click both the Enable Profile Corrections box and the Remove Chromatic Aberration box.

Enabling lens corrections will correct any distortion, vignetting and chromatic aberrations in your images.

Doing this will correct any distortion caused by your lenses and it will usually deal with any chromatic aberrations. It’s a simple step, but it can make a world of difference to your final images.

Before you move on, however, always zoom in and move around your image looking for any chromatic aberrations (look at the edges of the image) the software failed to correct. It’s usually very good, but sometimes it will fail in tricky lighting situations where there’s a lot of backlighting. For portraits, pay close attention to catch lights in the eyes. If you find any chromatic aberrations there, simply go to the Manual section of the Lens Correction tab, choose the eyedropper and click into any color halos that you find.

Basic Adjustments

For portraits, I try to keep my basic adjustments at this stage to a minimum. I will use the exposure slider as needed, the White and Black sliders minimally, keep the Clarity slider between +15 and -15, and often reduce the Vibrance to -10.

For more natural portraits, keep your adjustments subtle.

The reason for keeping these adjustments minimal is that they are global adjustments (apply to the entire image). I prefer to work with local adjustments in Photoshop, which give you much more control over the image. But, it is also possible to do local adjustments in Lightroom using the Adjustment Brush, Radial Filter and Graduated Filter if you would prefer.

Client proofs

NOTE: When working on proofs to send to clients so they can make their final image selections, this is where I usually stop. There is little need to spend up to an hour retouching a photo that will never see the light of day. Colour corrections and maybe a few small contrast adjustments are almost always enough at this point.

Black and White (optional)

If you intend to work in black and white and you like doing your conversions in Lightroom, this is the stage where I do the conversion process using the black and white sliders.

If you intend or prefer to do your conversion in Photoshop, then skip this part and make it the first step once your image is opened inside Photoshop.

Export

With the Raw processing complete, it’s time to export (or open) your image into Photoshop. Press CTRL/CMC+Shift+E to bring up the Export dialogue box. Choose a location and name appropriate to your own organizational system and export the image as a TIF or PSD (either of those formats will retain all your layers when you save your work). Close Lightroom and open your image in Photoshop.

NOTE: Alternatively you can open your RAW file directly from Lightroom into Photoshop by right-clicking the image and selecting: Edit In > Edit in Adobe Photoshop – OR – Edit In > Open as Smart Object in Photoshop.

Photoshop

Blemishes

The first step of this workflow in Photoshop is to remove temporary blemishes from your subject’s skin. Create a new empty layer by pressing CTRL/CMD+Shift+N and pressing OK.

You can use either the Spot Healing Brush Tool or the Healing Brush Tool, or a combination of both. Once you’ve selected your tool, ensure that the All Layers option is selected in the drop-down menu labeled Sample. Also, ensure that you are working on the new empty layer (you just created above) in order to keep things non-destructive.

While using the healing brushes, zoom in to at least 200% on your image and use a brush that is only slightly larger than the blemish you are trying to remove. If you are using the Healing Brush tool, take a new sample after every click by pressing Alt/Option+Click to ensure the best results.

How far you go is going to be a matter of personal preference. I like to limit this step to only temporary blemishes and leave scars and beauty marks unless I’m asked to remove them by the subject.

Portrait Post-Processing Workflow Tips - blemish removal

Before blemish removal.

After blemish removal.

Note: It is possible to remove blemishes in Lightroom, but it is a time consuming and awkward process compared to Photoshop in my opinion. If Lightroom works better for you, go ahead and use it.

Color casts

Although we already covered color corrections in the first step, I like to revisit it at this stage. For example, in this image, the background is still too warm for my taste. Create a new Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.

Portrait Post-Processing Workflow Tips - hue/saturation layer

In the Properties tab, find the icon that looks like a pointing hand. Click it and then find a place in the image you want to adjust the colors. In this image, it’s in the background.

With the pointer selected, click into any area of a colour cast you want to change.

Now adjust the sliders in the Hue/Saturation Layer until it has the desired effect on the color you are trying to change.

In this image, the background and the subject shared a lot of the same warmth. To keep them separate, use a layer mask. Click into the layer mask on your Hue/Saturation layer and press CTRL/CMD+I to invert it (hide all).

Now select the Brush tool (B) and set your foreground color to white and your opacity and flow to 100%. Paint into the areas (on the mask not the layer) you want to be affected by your Hue/Saturation layer. If you mess up, just switch your foreground color to black and paint over the mistake.

Before Hue/Saturation Adjustments

After Hue/Saturation Adjustments

Dodging and burning

The next step is to deal with contrast. Instead of using the contrast sliders at the raw processing stage, it is best to use a technique like dodging and burning for small, local adjustments to get the most control over your images. There are a lot of different methods for dodging and burning, but I prefer the gray layer method.

By using multiple layers, you can obtain really fine control over the contrast and the tones in specific parts of your image with little effort. For example, you can have a set of layers for skin tones, another set for the clothes, a set for hair, and another set for eyes all independently adjusted. You can learn how to dodge and burn here.

Portrait Post-Processing Workflow Tips - dodge and burn

Before dodging and burning.

After dodging and burning.

High Pass Filter

The last step of my workflow before saving is to use a High Pass filter to sharpen things up a bit. To use the High Pass filter, merge all of your existing layers into a new one by pressing CTRL/CMD+alt+Shift+E. Zoom into 100%, select the layer that was just created, and go to Filter>Other> High Pass.

As long as you are working with a high-resolution file, set the radius between two and five. If you’re working with a smaller file, move the slider to the left until the preview image looks like a faint outline of your original image (as seen below). Press OK.

Portrait Post-Processing Workflow Tips - high pass filter to sharpen

It’s pretty easy to go overboard with the High Pass filter. Try to keep it as subtle as possible.

On the Layer Palette, change the blending mode to Soft Light or Overlay. This is more personal preference than anything, but Overlay will give a far more pronounced effect than Soft Light. I prefer Soft Light for portraits and Overlay for other subjects. The last step is to reduce the opacity of the High Pass layer. Zoom into 100% and move the opacity slider to the left until you can barely see the effect.

Use either the Soft Light or Overlay blending modes for your High Pass layer. Soft Light will be more subtle, while Overlay will be more pronounced.

Saving your image

When the image is finished it’s time to save it. This will different for everyone depending on your own organizational system, but I prefer to save files as 16-bit TIFFs with layers intact. Doing this means that you can go back and adjust any part post-processing at any time. It also means you can go back to your full resolution file at any time to create smaller images for web use and the like without potentially losing them. The downside to this is that 16-bit TIFF files can get very large and they do take up a fair amount of hard drive space, but to me, the peace of mind is worth it.

In the end

Straight out of the camera and before any adjustments in Lightroom and Photoshop.

After adjustments and retouching in Lightroom and Photoshop.

The amount of time it takes to get through this workflow varies from image to image. Some photos take five minutes, others take closer to an hour. Overall, having a workflow like this will save you countless hours of work. Knowing exactly what steps you’re going to take before you sit down removes a lot of guesswork and saves time. This is invaluable when you start doing sessions a couple times a week.

Obviously, this exact workflow may not be for you. However, I encourage giving it a try and then developing your own workflow that fits in with your style and existing skills.

The post Basic Portrait Post-Processing Workflow Tips to Help You Save Time and Stay Organized by John McIntire appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Tips for Photographing Your Own Kids

28 Feb

Are you one of those parents whose kids were born being comfortable in front of the camera? Are your kids complete naturals with no stage fright or anger management issues when you yell, “Look at me…for the last time…please look at me and don’t close your eyes”? If so, then just skip this article and move on to the next one that probably teaches some amazing tips and tricks on night photography, or posing or Lightroom tricks.

But, if you are like me, a camera obsessed parent whose children sprint at what seems like a-mile-a-minute when they see you, camera in-hand, and a determined look on your face, coming towards them to snap a frame, then keep reading. I have a few tips and tricks to help you maintain your sanity and snap a few Kodak moments of your pride and joy that you can “oohhh” and “ahhh” at for years to come! In other words, top for photographing your own kids.

Is this a family portrait you can relate to?? Imperfect timing + Imperfect expression = Perfect Family Photo

Note: Some of the images in this article are not edited and some are technically flawed – they are simply used to drive home the tips shared below. The images that I print of my family are edited to my particular style. You will find a lot of rules broken here but I am okay with these as my focus was not on photographic perfection but on capturing the moment.

Know when to click and when to back off

This one is a game changer in your relationship with your kids and your camera. Yes, the very definition of being a parent is that we are insanely in love with our kids and want to freeze every moment of their childhood, teen, and adult lives forever in our brain and forever in photographs. I mean, what parent doesn’t want to whip out images of their babies years later at their wedding. Not as a means of embarrassing them but as a way to cherish all the fun times they have had in their parent-child relationship.

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But sometimes, just sometimes, it is completely okay to skip that insane urge to freeze the frame and instead BE in the moment. I still remember many of my children’s “firsts”. Even though I may not have photographs to prove it, I have my memories that I have documented in their journals and talked about with them. I am okay with neither of us remembering these things decades later because I know that every day we create new memories that simply replace some of the old ones.

I tried for a good 20 minutes to try and get both of them to look at the camera and smile at the same time…but alas, this was the best I could get. But this is one of the most precious memories because a few months after this was taken, I lost my mom to cancer. So this grandmother-grandson memory is priceless…in all its flaws lies its perfection!

Embrace the chaos

This one is a little hard to digest because as photographers we tend to be perfectionists. The lighting has to be right, the styling has to be perfect, and the angle and composition has to be one of the allowed rules. You know, all those things that we learn in Photography 101, Photography 201 and perhaps even Photography 301!

But guess what, all of that doesn’t quite matter when you have all of three seconds to take the shot. Most of the time that my family is together is in the evening hours. When the night is fading and I am only left with either using the overhead florescent light or pop on an off-camera flash, neither of which I really like. But sometimes it is okay to break the rules and just go with the flow. Yes, every frame here will not be PERFECT and more than likely, it will break all the rules of the photography but

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But sometimes it is okay to break the rules and just go with the flow. Yes, every frame here will not be PERFECT and more than likely, it will break all the rules of the photography but that’s okay. It may be more important to capture that fleeting moment than to be technically correct.

The first Lego car that he completed all on his own. I was just an observer and had one shot. The light was terrible, his clothes were completely mismatched, but it was a moment I wanted to cherish forever.

Another moment that means nothing to him but everything to me. My boys just hanging out doing their thing – reading and napping!

A creative lighting exercise gone wrong – thanks to a sleepy and nervous dog who was scared of the shutter clicking!

Follow their lead

This one is a little harder to experience especially if you have little ones. Right now, my kids are at the age where they are opinionated on what, where, and how they want to be photographed.

My son plays soccer and insists I take pictures of his games every weekend. My daughter, who is an equestrian rider, wants several hundred shots of her horse – from every angle, covering every detail. But I have found that if I oblige their photography wants, they are more likely to listen to me when the tables turn (a.k.a a little bribery never hurts). Besides like any parent, I know that these moments are just as precious as their traditional portraits even if they are blurry because I missed focus when he was kicking the ball or when she rides her favorite horse.

Besides like any parent, I know that these moments are just as precious as more traditional portraits – even if they are blurry because I missed focus when he was kicking the ball or when she rides her favorite horse.

A technically flawed image (out of focus) for my daughter. A shot of her favorite horse and her favorite instructor.

Something a little bit more my cup of tea – an action shot that makes me hold my breath every time she jumps!

This was the highlight of my son’s soccer game…for me and for him!

Hand over the reins

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A few years back there was a beautiful article that was written for moms who were also photographers. This really hit home to a lot of us moms. It encouraged moms who are generally behind the camera to be brave and exist in photographs with their kids, for their kids. It is absolutely acceptable if your hair is not perfect, you are in your sweat pants, and have no makeup on. Being present in photographs is more important than taking several hundred photos where you are nowhere to be found.

Since that day, I take the photos that I want but also hand over the camera to my husband or a stranger who volunteers to take our picture. Sometimes I even use the remote trigger so I can be a part of my kids’ childhood just as much as their dad, especially on important occasions like family vacations and birthdays.

The MUST have photo of any birthday party. Heads chopped off, goofy faces and partial cake – thanks to a helpful, willing volunteer! But I am with my child and that makes me happy!

Because out of focus photos are so very artistic! For a clearer picture, try switching to Auto mode and then handing the camera over to a willing helper!

The magic of a remote trigger! Our family in our element!

What are some tips and tricks that work when you photograph your own children? When all else fails, perhaps chocolate and candy are the way to go, for adults and kids alike! Please sure your tips and photos in the comment section below.

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The post Tips for Photographing Your Own Kids by Karthika Gupta appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Tips for Making Your Own Oscar-Worthy Film

23 Feb

It’s that time of year – the stars will soon be on the red carpet, and the golden statues given once again. It’s Oscar Season!

The 2017 Academy Award nominations run the gamut of filmmaking, but they all have one thing in common – they are filmed beautifully, feature perfect lighting, and capture breathtaking audio.

We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite Oscar nominations and winners, of this year and years past, along with some tips for using Photojojo gadgets when creating your own Oscar-worthy piece of cinema.

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Read the rest of Tips for Making Your Own Oscar-Worthy Film (906 words)

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7 Tips for Overcoming Nerves When Doing Street Photography

17 Feb

Good street photography can sometimes look deceptively easy to do yourself. All you have to do is be in the right place at the right time, get a little lucky, and bam – you have an incredible, one-of-a-kind photograph.

Astor Place Newsman, New York Street Photography

However, the reality is much more difficult than that, and it’s something that can surprise photographers when they try it. Suddenly, everything is moving so fast. You look around, but you don’t actually see any amazing moments. Then when you do capture something that you thought looked good, it didn’t turn out anything like you imagined.

These are all things that take time and practice to improve at, but the hardest obstacle for people to overcome with street photography is fear. Suddenly, you’re in the middle of it all. People are looking at you. Even the people who you aren’t photographing are watching from the side. You freeze, you have trouble putting the camera to your eye, and it doesn’t feel as fun as it should because you are so nervous! Fear stops too many people before they start, and this is a shame because it’s a very enjoyable type of photography.

Here are some tips to help you get over those street photography fears so you can enjoy yourself out there.

1. Think about what you will say if someone stops you

SoHo, New York Street Photography

The thing that will make you the most comfortable out there is knowing that you have a plan if someone stops you after you have taken their photograph. This rarely ever happens to me, but when it does, I feel confident in how I can handle myself.

First of all, if someone notices me, I always smile. Acting confident and like you’re not doing anything wrong will make the subject more comfortable. If you’re sneaky and look sheepish, they will see that you look guilty and be much more inquisitive.

Then if someone asks you why you took their photograph, tell them the truth. I say that I am a photographer doing a cultural project on the people and streets of New York, and I thought they looked fabulous. Flattery will help you get out of most situations. Or tell them you are a student. Offer to email them the photograph. Explain that you find people and fashion and things of that nature just as interesting as the buildings. If the person then continues to seem uncomfortable or angry, apologize and say that you didn’t mean to make them uncomfortable and you are happy to delete the photograph. That will diffuse most situations.

2. Choose your subjects wisely

SoHo, New York Street Photography

If someone looks angry, stressed, scary, or in any way that makes you uncomfortable, you are NOT to photograph them. More subjects will come soon after. By picking the right people, you will make things much easier for yourself, and that will also make you feel more comfortable.

3. Go to a busy place and let people come to you

Canal Street, New York Street Photography

This is one of my favorite tips. While street photography can and should be done in areas without many people, one of the best things you can do is to photograph where a lot is going on. Go to busy street corners, markets, or festivals. Go at times when things are happening. Follow the action.

This will immediately ease your fears somewhat. In those areas, people will be too busy to notice you and will be used to people with cameras. It will give you time to practice and to get comfortable with the act of shooting street photography.

Take this a step further, by picking a spot and letting things happen around you. You do not always have to walk around to search for a photograph. By staying in the same location, you will be quicker to notice moments as they occur, you will already be in position, and people will be entering your personal space instead of you entering theirs. This will help to make you feel a lot more comfortable.

4. Try some street portraiture

Skater, Street Portrait, New York Street Photography

Start out the day with some street portraits. Stop someone, tell them they look great and that you’re doing a project on people in the area, and ask if you can take a few quick photographs. Some photographers will then just capture a couple quick photographs, mumble a thank you, and run off, but I want you to interact with them.

Make conversation as you photograph and capture them from a couple angles. Compliment them and make their day. Doing this will make both you and the subject happier, and it will help remove the creepy feeling that can happen when shooting street photography.

5. Learn to be candid

No matter how comfortable you become shooting in these environments, it is important to learn to act candidly. If everyone stops you to ask if you took their photograph or if everyone notices you right away to ruin the moment, you will not get anywhere. Learning to act candidly will make you feel much more comfortable.

SoHo, New York Street Photography

The camera snap

The most important tip, probably in this whole article, is what I call the camera snap. As photographers, one of our instincts is to slightly take the camera away from our eye right after we take a picture. Everyone does this, and this is how people notice that you have taken their photograph – it’s the main thing that tips them off. So instead, take the photograph and keep the camera to your eye as they pass completely by. This will make them think that you are just photographing the background and that they got in your way.

This way of shooting works fantastically well in busy areas, but in areas with fewer people, it can help to change it up a bit. Instead of aiming the camera at a subject right away, this time, aim the camera at a building above or a scene to the side of them. Then at the last second, act like you took the photograph and are moving your camera down, take the picture of them, and move on.

It cannot hurt to play a role as well. Some of the best street photographers are fantastic actors; they have a way of looking the dumbest with their cameras. They furrow their brow and act like they don’t know how to use the camera at all, are testing it out, and don’t even notice that the person is right where they are photographing. Some even act like tourists. It’s hilarious and it works.

6. Don’t shoot from the hip

SoHo, New York Street Photography

Shooting from the hip is an important practice in street photography. I do it about 30-40% of the time, but I do it with my camera right below my eyes, looking like I’m standing there waiting for something to happen instead of putting the camera very low down. If you are just starting out with street photography, particularly with a large DSLR and zoom lens, this will be your first instinct.

It can be important to learn to shoot from the hip, particularly for the moments that you really want to keep candid, but I suggest staying away from it at first. It can become too much of a crutch and it can make you more uncomfortable in the long-run as you will always feel like you are sneaking around. You need to learn to put the camera to your eye at first to both get good photographs and to improve your confidence. Force yourself to shoot with your camera to your eye as much as possible, and as you get more experienced, then you can experiment with shooting from the hip some of the time.

7. Repetition

5th Avenue, New York Street Photography

Nothing will get you more comfortable out there than shooting frequently. Even if it is only ten minutes here or there, try to not go too long without photographing. These skills are like any other in that you will quickly get rusty, and this will make you feel more self-conscious. Turn your photography into a routine, even if it is only once every two weeks, and you will become much better.

Now that you’ve read all of this, just get out there and go for it. Put a smile on your face, enjoy the walk, and have fun with it!

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6 Tips for Shooting Long Exposure Night Photographs

16 Feb

In this article I am going to share with you six tips that I have found to produce amazing long exposure night photographs. I have learned the hard way by making every mistake possible and through that finding what really does work.

So here are the 6 tips to make your long exposure photographs at night:

6 Tips for Shooting Long Exposures at Night

Tip #1: Try to avoid using a Neutral Density filter

On this photo (below) I did a 25 second exposure. That is quite a long exposure and to help prevent it from blowing out, I took the photo right at the end of sunset. There was less light, so that I didn’t have to put an ND Filter on.

6 Tips for Shooting Long Exposures at Night

If you put an ND filter on it is going to give you a color cast during long exposures. Yes you can use a polarizer, but avoid Neutral Density filters. Shoot when the sun is going down and keep your camera at a low ISO like 100 or 200. Don’t get me wrong, I love ND filters but not at night.

Tip #2: The best time for long exposures is 25 seconds

I know that’s a bold statement. Not as bold as stating that French food is the best in the world, but still a bold statement. Here is why I recommend this; I’ve found that when I shoot at 25 seconds it makes the water silky and the clouds stretchy and this has a beautiful look that sells well. Obviously it’s also an artistic choice, but as a photographer you likely want people to buy your photos. The best indicator that people like your photos is that they buy them.

Here is an example:

6 Tips for Shooting Long Exposures at Night

First I started with a 6 second exposure.

Now, in taking the photo I exposed the image for the highlights. So when you open up the shadows, bring down the highlights, and boost the exposure a little bit like so:

6 Tips for Shooting Long Exposure Night Photographs

I do have all the details of the photo, but the only problem is that the clouds were not moving and the water is not silky.

6 Tips for Shooting Long Exposure Night Photographs

So I went ahead and put the exposure time to 25 seconds. Now it does seem like the highlights in the photos are a little burnt, but I have found that on city lights it doesn’t really matter that much because it still works great on a print.

To conclude; 25 seconds is the best long exposure, you don’t even need a remote, you just need to put your camera on the 2-second timer and go into manual shooting mode, use a low ISO, and an aperture that is going to work like f/7 or f/8.

If your photo is too bright you can adjust the aperture to f/14 and if it is too dark you can even put your aperture to f/4. Just make sure you check your focus to ensure the background is sharp.

Tip #3: Try different exposures of the same scene

Even though I said that 25 seconds exposure is the best, it’s always good to shoot different exposures because this may be different for your situation. For example, I thought that this first image was my go-to photo.

6 Tips for Shooting Long Exposure Night Photographs

But in the end the one that I am going to retouch and going to send to the gallery is this one.

6 Tips for Shooting Long Exposure Night Photographs

So you already have your camera setup and on a tripod. Go ahead and try 8 seconds, 15 seconds, 25 seconds all without touching the tripod and then when you are evaluating your photos for retouching you will have several options.

Tip #4: Shoot towards the sun

When you are doing a long exposure without an ND filter (so as to avoid the color cast, tip #1), a good thing to do is to shoot toward the sun. When it is behind the horizon line it will always give you a nice sky with lots of color and gradations.

You can see on this photo that the sun is setting on the left.

6 Tips for Shooting Long Exposure Night Photographs

And as I turn the camera more away from the sun and back towards the city you get this view.

6 Tips for Shooting Long Exposure Night Photographs

You can see that we get less and less details in the sky. But if you shoot where the sun sets you will always have great details even after sunset, and it is the right time for these type of photos.

Tip #5: Make sure you have water and the sky in your photo

Those are two important things for a long exposure which help to really elevate your photos into what I like to call miracle photos.

Tip #6: Try to get the clouds coming towards you

You can study meteorological information to get a sense of which direction the clouds are moving and try to position your shot accordingly. There are even a few apps which great for this.

As I said, this is not always easy but I got lucky on this one. The clouds are going to be stretchy and create leading lines and that help make this photo really interesting.

6 Tips for Shooting Long Exposure Night Photographs

I hope this helped you and you will be able to capture beautiful places at the perfect time. Please share your long exposure night photos in the comments below.

** NOTE ** If you’d like to know more about this subject, learn more about my brand new course on night photography here, so you can take stunning night photos too!

The post 6 Tips for Shooting Long Exposure Night Photographs by Serge Ramelli appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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5 Tips to Get Sharp Photos While Using a Tripod

11 Feb

We all love to admire landscapes and cityscapes. The moment we witness the beauty of nature we instantly take out our camera and start clicking photos. If you are travelling with a tripod you would most probably be using it to take photos in low light conditions or to capture creative long exposure shots.

Shooting with your camera mounted on a tripod might seem easy and a quick fix, but it is equally important to know a few things in order to capture sharp photos. Simply follow these five tips and by end of this article you may be able to figure out why you were not able to capture sharp photos using a tripod before.

Tips sharp photos tripod 01

1. Extend the tripod legs only when needed

While buying a tripod we all research about the maximum height and how tall it can stand, which is completely fine. I have seen many budding photographers extending the legs of their tripod fully the moment they take it out to shoot. But, it does not mean that you always have to fully extend the legs just because your tripod allows to do so.

As you go on extending the length of the lens, the stability and sturdiness of your tripod starts reducing. This gets worse when you are shooting landscapes or stars at a windy location. Even if you wish to extend the legs, start opening up the top (larger/thicker) most section of the legs and then move to the lower (thinner) ones. The last thing to extend should be the neck of your tripod, as it is most prone to causing shake.

Tips sharp photos tripod 02

2. Switch-off image stabilization while using a tripod

It is fairly possible that you possess a lens which features image stabilization (IS or VR) and there are fair chances that you may be using your lens with IS/VR switched on. It is fine when you are shooting at a high shutter speed using a tripod, but as you slow things down, that’s when the real problem starts.

Check your lens for the IS or VR switch.

When you are shooting with IS/VR switched on, your lens generates a minor shake (meant to counter-act your hand movements) which ultimately reaches the camera. This minor vibration can introduce shake in your photos when shooting on a tripod, especially at slower shutter speeds.

While shooting landscapes in the evening, star trails, light trails, or any long exposure shot, you need to slow down your shutter speed. As you cannot shoot these types of photos handheld, you will need a tripod. I would advise you to switch off the IS/VR on your lens in order to eliminate the minor shake that would have been generated otherwise.

Tips sharp photos tripod 03

3. Use the mirror lock-up feature on your camera

You may be aware of the fact that there is a mirror inside your digital camera (except for mirrorless cameras) that moves to expose the image sensor when you press the shutter release button. This movement of the mirror can cause a minor shake while the camera is mounted on a tripod, thus affecting the sharpness of your photos.

This shake caused by the mirror may not affect your photos while you are shooting at a fast shutter speed, but as you slow down the shutter speed the shake would become visible in your photos. In order to eliminate this, you can manually lock the movement of the mirror. This can easily be done by activating the mirror lock-up feature (look through your camera’s menu settings or consult the user manual).

Tips sharp photos tripod 08

As you activate the mirror lock-up feature on your camera, the camera will raise the mirror up and keep it there until you disable the feature. So when you press the shutter release button the mirror will not move and the chances of minor shake being generated would be eliminated.

Mirror Lockup feature on Canon

Mirror Lockup enabled.

Note: This works differently on some camera models. Some the mirror stays up until you release it, on others you press the shutter button twice – first one lifts the mirror, second one takes the shot and lowers the mirror. The latter requires you to do it each time, but you can see your scene through your viewfinder between shots. In the former you cannot as the mirror blocks light coming to the eye piece.

Tips sharp photos tripod 04

4. Use the 2-second timer or a remote shutter release

Do you use the shutter release button to take a photo when the camera is resting on a tripod? If you said yes, then make sure that you switch on the 2-second timer in your camera. Do not assume that if the camera is on a tripod there will be no shake no matter what. When you press the shutter button you introduce a minor shake by applying some pressure to the camera. By using the 2-second timer feature you can do away with the camera shake as you are allowing 2 seconds for the camera to absorb that minor shake before exposing the photo.

Use a remote trigger or your 2-second timer to eliminate camera shake.

If you want to be extra cautious and not take any chances, you can use a remote shutter release or cable. The remote allows you to go wireless and click photos without even touching the camera, thus ensuring that your images will be crisp and sharp. A wired trigger is equally useful except for the fact that there is a cable attached to the camera, otherwise it functions exactly the same as a remote.

Tips sharp photos tripod 05

5. Shoot at the lowest ISO possible

The lower the ISO, the less sensitive the camera’s image sensor is to light and the chance of noise and grain is lessened. While you are shooting with your camera on a tripod, likely you may be working in low light conditions or doing long exposures. You would usually shoot at high ISO in order to compensate for slow shutter speed, but that is not necessary while using a tripod.

If you are shooting in low light conditions, using high ISO would obviously introduce noise or grain into your images. As you are already using a tripod, you do not have to worry about camera shake because of slow shutter speed. Without any second thoughts set the ISO sensitivity to the minimum value available on your camera, this will result in a sharp and grain free image.

Tips sharp photos tripod 06

Conclusion

So if you have had issues getting sharp images while shooting with a tripod, I hope these tips will help you solve them. Please share your comments and thoughts below.

The post 5 Tips to Get Sharp Photos While Using a Tripod by Kunal Malhotra appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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9 Tips for Taking Better Photos of Cats

10 Feb

For many of us, pets are such a vital part of our lives that we love them like our own flesh and blood, sometimes more! It’s only natural that we should want to capture them on camera and hold their memory close to our hearts. The problem is that taking great pet photos can be tricky, especially when the animal is a single-minded cat.

If you’re reading this, chances are you have a cat or two of your own, or maybe a whole pride of them (wrong cat, maybe). You might just be someone who enjoys photographing cats around your neighborhood. Whatever your story, I’m going to help you take great feline shots with these tips for getting better photos of cats.

Tips photos cats 01

1 – Patience is key

First things first; when photographing cats, you should expect a high failure rate. The more discerning you become as a photographer, the more this is the case. Cats are not an ideal subject for impatient types since they don’t strike obliging poses for long. Just as you’ve framed the shot, they’re likely to walk up to you and sniff the lens. If not that, they’ll turn their heads at the precise moment you release the shutter. Guessing what they’ll do next is part of the fun.
Have your camera ready.

Cats tend to strike random funny poses, especially when they’re lolling about half asleep. To capture these comical moments, it’s best to always have a camera handy, even if it’s a phone. If you need to go dig out your camera before taking a shot, the cat will most likely hear you and move. Likewise, if you’re outside with your cat, have your camera ready for some outdoor action shots. You’ll miss great pictures if you first need to fetch your gear from inside a bag.

Tips photos cats 04

2 – Attention seeking

By now, you’ll know how much your cat likes to thwart you at every turn and foil your photo attempts. However, there are tactics you can use to get the pictures you want. When working alone, learn to use your camera one-handed, even though it’s not textbook technique. Set everything up on Auto so you don’t have to fiddle around before taking the shot. With the other hand, you’ll be attracting your cat’s attention. Clicking the fingers usually works for a time, until the cat wises up to it.

Cats are intrigued by rustling noises too, so you can crunch a paper bag to make the cat look towards you. Use a cat toy if you want a livelier picture, but the success rate will be lower. You’ll make life easier if there’s a window behind or beside you, so plenty of natural light falls on your cat’s face.

Tips photos cats 09

3 – Getting down to your cat’s level

One common mistake made by budding pet photographers is that they photograph their cat or dog from a human height. This rarely works well. Photos of animals taken on their own level tend to have more impact and show the animal’s personality better, from the perspective of an equal.

If you want to capture a cat in hunting mode, getting down to ground level gives the feeling of being the cat’s prey and adds drama to the photo. If it’s hard to adopt these low positions, you’ll achieve the same thing using a digital camera with a swivel screen. Since cats like to climb, you won’t always have to stoop to be at eye level.

Tips photos cats 08

4 – Frame your subject

Framing your cat in the shot with surroundings like long grass, shrubs, or tree foliage gives the photo added depth. It also creates the feeling of peeking into the cat’s own natural habitat, or his world. It’s a technique you’ll often see in wildlife photography. Indoors, you can frame your cat by including any cubby holes or hiding places that cats generally like. Comfy towel cupboards are a frequent favorite.

Tips photos cats 02

5 – Focus on the eyes

If you’re taking a close-up portrait of your cat, it’s important to make sure the eyes are in focus. This is surprisingly easy to get wrong in animals since it takes only slight carelessness to focus on the nose instead. The camera you use and its sensor size will affect how easy this is. A phone camera will typically give you loads of depth of field, so it’s difficult to get the eyes out of focus, whereas an SLR with a larger sensor gives a shallower depth of field and demands more control over technique.

If you’re taking the portrait from an angle, try to have the nearest eye in focus, as it looks unnatural to have only the far eye sharp. These same principles are generally applied to human portraits, too. They are only guidelines, however, so you can ignore them if you’re going for a specific effect.

Tips photos cats 10

6 – Lighting for cats

You’ve probably seen photos of people taken at night that exhibit the dreaded red-eye effect. This is the result of using a flash, either built into the camera or directly mounted onto it. Blood vessels in the back of human eyes create a red reflection. Cats and other animals have a special reflective layer in the back of their eyes that enhances night vision. This causes a variety of colors to be bounced back when a flash is aimed at them, but typically it will be blue in a kitten and green in an adult cat. These colors are more attractive than red, but still undesirable in your photo.

By mounting or holding a flashgun away from the camera, you can take night photos of your cat without this demonic eye effect. Covering the flash with a softbox will help avoid harsh shadows. High-quality flash photography requires a further investment in gear and is not strictly necessary when window light provides an easy and effective alternative. As well, digital cameras have greatly improved in high ISO performance in recent years, so you can grab photos in relatively low household light and avoid excessive noise in the picture. The only downside with that is you’ll be often forced to correct the color cast created by electric light bulbs.

Tips photos cats 06

Try photographing your cat outside when the sun is low in the sky. You’ll achieve some very attractive photos if the sunlight catches the cat’s fur, which requires that you shoot towards the sun. In this situation, you can sometimes get away with using a flash directly on your camera for a little “fill-flash”. The harsh green-eye effect that happens at night doesn’t occur if the flash is diluted by enough daylight. This avoids the cat itself being underexposed, which is a possibility when shooting into direct sunlight.

7 – Lens choice

A portrait lens around 85-130mm (or equivalent) works well with cats, giving just enough working distance that they don’t instantly make a beeline towards you. If it’s also a macro lens, like the classic Tamron 90mm 1:1 macro, you’ll have the option of moving in for some ultra-close photos of eyes or even paws.

Tips photos cats 12

Wider reportage type lenses around 35mm are good for grabbing full-body photos of your cat. At the other end of the scale, a long telephoto lens allows a greater working distance and lets you be more selective about the background, as it will have a narrower field of view. You’ll probably go for a shorter lens indoors since you won’t need as much light to keep the photo sharp.

Tips photos cats 07

Compact cameras or a mobile phone will normally let you move in so close to your cat that you’re almost touching him or her, but be aware that this closeness distorts perspective and your cat’s features. Despite this drawback, the resulting photos are often pleasing enough.

8 – Camera settings

Manual Mode + Auto ISO

If you have a solely automatic camera, you can ignore this section, but it’s a neat trick for anyone with access to Manual mode and an Auto ISO feature. A lot of experienced pros and amateur photographers routinely set their cameras to Aperture Priority mode (Av/A) and have their ISO set to a low value for minimum image noise. The camera is then left to automatically adjust shutter speed for the correct exposure. This is fine, but it reduces the chances of taking sharp action photos in low light, as the shutter speed will often end up too slow. For cat photography, that’s a potential problem.

Tips photos cats 03

By setting the camera to Manual Mode in combination with Auto ISO, you always have control over the aperture and shutter speed settings, while the ISO is sorted out by the camera. In fact, the “manual” setting in this instance is no less automatic than aperture priority (Av/A) or shutter priority (Tv/S) modes but gives more creative control over the photo. This technique is more viable nowadays than it was a few years ago since modern digital cameras produce high ISO images with very little noise. That said, if you try this technique in poor indoor light you’ll be pushing your camera’s limits and may well be dissatisfied by the results. Given a reasonable amount of light, it’s a versatile way of working.

Camera settings – Continuous Drive mode

Capturing pictures of your cat chasing a toy, leaping or running around a garden or scurrying up a tree is not going to be easy if you leave your camera in single shot mode. That is true unless you literally have lightning reflexes or get lucky with the timing. Therefore, if you know you’re going to be attempting action shots, switch your camera to its continuous drive or burst mode. You’ll need to set a fast shutter speed too if you want to freeze the action (I’d suggest a minimum of 1/500th of a second).

While this may be less skillful than snatching single photos with ninja-style dexterity, there is no shame in stacking the odds in your favor. Remember that your audience won’t usually care about how you took the photo but will admire great results.

Tips photos cats 05

9 – Black cats, white cats

Left to its own devices, your camera’s exposure meter will often underexpose a white cat and overexpose a black cat, particularly if they take up a large portion of the photo or are set against a similarly toned background. The white cat will look murky gray and the black will lose the deep luster of its fur and appear grayish, too. You can remedy this by using your camera’s exposure compensation feature and dialing in one or two stops of overexposure for a white cat or underexposure for black. While it’s generally better to do this in-camera, with digital you can usually fix it later when editing. Being aware of the issue is the main thing.

Tips photos cats 11

Lastly, take plenty of photos

If you keep pets through much of your life, sooner or later they’ll break your heart. Don’t be caught when it’s too late without any good photos of your beloved cat. Think about his or her personality and try to record their various traits on camera. Take lots of photos to enjoy during and after your pet’s lifespan, including selfies of you both together. Cherish your cat and celebrate living!

For more info check out: Your Essential Guide to Photographing Cats and Dogs: Snap’n Paws

Did I miss anything? Please share your cat photos and tips below as well.

The post 9 Tips for Taking Better Photos of Cats by Glenn Harper appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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8 Tips For Doing Stunning Urban Landscape Photography

10 Feb

As a photographer, when you hear the word landscape your mind will most likely conjure up images of lush valleys, looming mountains, and majestic, sweeping vistas. With good reason, as the natural world can be a place of staggering beauty. But done well, a different type of landscape photography, the urban landscape, can produce shots that are equally as compelling as anything Mother Nature can throw your way.

The energy of a major city lends images a vitality that can’t be found anywhere else. There’s so much movement and life in the urban environment, and the best city shots capture that buzzing vibrancy.

Urban landscape 02

Shooting urban landscapes also has plenty of practical advantages too. Every type of photography is all about the light, and that is one thing cities never run out of. You can shoot in the artificial glow of the metropolis long after you’d have been forced to pack up your kit and make your way home from a day in the countryside.

Couple that with the fact that, for the most part, cities are a lot more accessible for the majority of us, and shooting urban landscapes is the ideal activity for photographers during those long winter months.

So here are our top 8 tips for getting the most out of your time pounding the sidewalks.

#1. Research

You wouldn’t embark on a traditional landscape photography outing by jumping in the car, heading for the hills and hoping for the best. Likewise, the success of an urban landscape shoot depends largely on how well you plan.

Your home town

Even if you’re off to capture the town or city you grew up in, putting in the effort to do a little research up front usually pays dividends.

Urban landscape 01

For example, when I wanted to get a shot from high up, overlooking my hometown of London, I didn’t foresee any problems in finding a suitable viewpoint. However, after a little digging, I learned that while London isn’t lacking in tall buildings offering amazing views, the number you can actually gain access to, that are also well suited for photography, can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

The vast majority are either restricted entry or in the case of The Shard (seen at the top of this article), cursed with a viewing gallery shrouded with ultra-reflective windows.A few minutes Googling directed me to a lesser-known church tower on the banks of the Thames with unrestricted views downriver, saving me hours of fruitless searching.

Visiting another city

If you’re visiting a city for the first time, it’s a good idea to spend a little longer familiarizing yourself with the place before you go. Drawing up a shot list of the locations you want to photograph is a good idea as well.

But all that being said, don’t make yourself a slave to it. Few things are more exciting or rewarding in photography than allowing yourself the freedom to meander through a new landscape, get a little lost, and allow whatever happens to happen.
One word of warning: depending on your location, be sure you know where you can and cannot shoot. Many places these days are understandably sensitive about strangers waving cameras around. If in doubt, ask.

#2. Light

The quality, color, and angle of the light can make or break any shot, and this is especially true for urban landscape photography. A subject that looks dull and uninspiring at one time of day can transform into a truly spellbinding image just with the passing of a few hours.

Urban landscape 03

As with any landscape photography, dragging yourself out of bed before the sun puts in an appearance can reward you with the kind of light show that almost makes up for all that missed sleep. The golden hour, that brief a period right after sunrise and before sunset, can present you with views of a city that you may never have seen before.

Plus, you can carry on shooting long after the sun’s gone down. Cities come alive at night. They never get truly dark, and some of the most interesting shots can be taken with the only illumination coming from artificial light.

Just remember to bring your tripod!

Urban landscape 04

#3. Hustle and Bustle

Major cities are fast and frenetic places. Everyone seems to be moving a million miles an hour and there’s always something going on. It’s the perfect environment for photographers.

If you can manage to avoid getting swept along in the tidal wave and stop to look around, you can capture images that convey all that chaotic frenzy. Using a slower shutter speed will help you pick up a real sense of movement, either tripod-mounted or handheld if you’re feeling brave.

Urban landscape 05

#4. Details

There are countless small and fascinating details in cities. Always be on the lookout for the tiny intricacies, the patterns, and shapes that otherwise go unnoticed.

They won’t all be right in front of you. Keep your eyes moving and your head on a swivel, some of the most rewarding shots are going to be found way above your head or close to the ground.

Urban landscape 06

Whether it’s an advertising billboard, some rugged brickwork, or a set of windows, get in close, fill the frame, and isolate your subject.

This is another time when the quality of the light can make all the difference to the success of a shot. A strong, high contrast light can give interesting areas of highlights and shadow, turning an everyday scene into a beautiful abstract. If you have time, it’s worth revisiting potential subjects at different points throughout the day.

Urban landscape 07

#5. Composition

Moving from the countryside to the urban environment doesn’t mean all the old landscape composition rules go out the window. Much of what applies standing on top of El Capitan in Yosemite Park, is still relevant looking down on New York from the Empire State.

Keep the basics of composition in your mind, things like the rule of thirds, leading lines, and natural frames. Then be prepared to break the rules when necessary.

Urban landscape 08

Always think before you shoot. Look around you and see if taking a different viewpoint would improve your shot. Can you get higher and look down or even lie on the ground and shoot upwards?

Unfortunately, in major cities buildings are often so close together they can restrict your options and movements as a photographer, but make sure you’re at the optimum position for your subject. The difference between a winning shot and a mediocre one can sometimes be measured in the space of just a few feet.

Urban landscape 09

#6. People

One area where urban landscapes differ greatly from the traditional is in the number of people you’re likely to encounter. It can be frustrating when you arrive at your dream location, only to find it swarming with tourists, as well as the locals going about their daily business, all seemingly determined to clutter up your shot. Along with the great light, it’s another good reason to be up and about in the early hours of the day, while everyone else is still tucked up in bed.

But people make great subjects for candid portraits as you wander the streets. Big cities attract some real characters, and capturing them in their home environment can lead to some winning images.

One thing to remember is to always ask your subject’s permission before you shoot. The vast majority will be more than happy to oblige so long as you’re polite. (Take this from a man who once got a severe and humiliating telling off from a Buddhist monk in Thailand for taking his picture without having the courtesy of asking first. They’re not as chill as you’d think!)

Urban landscape 11

#7. Reflections

Modern cities seem to be more glass than anything else. This is great news for you as a photographer. You can use that beautiful reflective quality in your compositions to create some wonderful, quirky effects.

The major landmarks in every city have been photographed a bazillion times. So, you have to work a little harder and think a little more creatively to come away with shots that are distinctly your own. Shooting a famous and easily recognizable building reflected in the windows of another gives an interesting change of context, especially as it often contrasts the old and the new.

Urban landscape 12

Many big cities are built along the banks of hefty rivers as well, which gives you another opportunity to utilize reflections in your shots. Clear skies offer the best results, preferably at the start or end of the day to give a little color. A dull, overcast day will be reflected in the water, giving it an ugly, muddy quality.

Urban landscape 13

#8. Monochrome

Urban landscapes are very well suited to the simplicity of black and white photography. Taking away the distractions of the vast range of different colors on show in any city and focussing on just the tones and textures, gives a completely new dimension to your shot.

Urban landscape 14

The increased contrast of a monochrome image benefits architecture especially, enhancing the shape of buildings and accentuating their details. Again, the light is all-important. A low sun highlights surfaces and gives areas of rich shadow for added depth.

Try and avoid using the black and white function on your DSLR and shoot RAW if you can. Then use your post-production software for the conversion. It allows you much more control over the final image.

Conclusion

Shooting urban landscapes can be a richly rewarding experience and gives you the opportunity to try out several different disciplines at once.

You have the chance to flex your portraiture and architectural photography muscles, as well as experimenting with close-up abstracts and shooting in black and white. Plus, you get to practice all that while staying firmly in civilization and never more than a few feet from a decent cup of coffee!

Urban landscape 15

Of course, all that added convenience comes at a price. Shooting in cities has its inherent risks and you always need to keep your wits about you. Watch where you stand to shoot and make sure you’re not in any danger from fast-moving traffic or trespassing on anyone’s property.

Also, keep a tight grip on your equipment, especially if you’re shooting at night. Cities have more than their fair share of bad people who’d not think twice about running off with your expensive kit. If you’re nervous, it’s the perfect opportunity to buddy up with another photographer and explore the location together.

Please share your urban landscape photos in the comments below.

The post 8 Tips For Doing Stunning Urban Landscape Photography by Andy Callan appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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8 Tips For Doing Stunning Urban Landscape Photography

09 Feb

Urban landscape 02

So here are our top 8 tips for getting the most out of your time pounding the sidewalks.

#1. Research

Your home town

Even if you’re off to capture the town or city you grew up in, putting in the effort to do a little research up front usually pays dividends.

Urban landscape 01

Visiting another city

#2. Light

Urban landscape 03

Just remember to bring your tripod!

Urban landscape 04

#3. Hustle and Bustle

Major cities are fast and frenetic places. Everyone seems to be moving a million miles an hour and there’s always something going on. It’s the perfect environment for photographers.

Urban landscape 05

#4. Details

There are countless small and fascinating details in cities. Always be on the lookout for the tiny intricacies, the patterns, and shapes that otherwise go unnoticed.

They won’t all be right in front of you. Keep your eyes moving and your head on a swivel, some of the most rewarding shots are going to be found way above your head or close to the ground.

Urban landscape 06

Whether it’s an advertising billboard, some rugged brickwork, or a set of windows, get in close, fill the frame, and isolate your subject.

Urban landscape 07

#5. Composition

Keep the basics of composition in your mind, things like the rule of thirds, leading lines, and natural frames. Then be prepared to break the rules when necessary.

Urban landscape 08

Always think before you shoot. Look around you and see if taking a different viewpoint would improve your shot. Can you get higher and look down or even lie on the ground and shoot upwards?

Urban landscape 09

#6. People

But people make great subjects for candid portraits as you wander the streets. Big cities attract some real characters, and capturing them in their home environment can lead to some winning images.

Urban landscape 11

#7. Reflections

Urban landscape 12

Urban landscape 13

#8. Monochrome

Urban landscape 14

Conclusion

Shooting urban landscapes can be a richly rewarding experience and gives you the opportunity to try out several different disciplines at once.

Urban landscape 15

Please share your urban landscape photos in the comments below.

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4 Beginner Tips for Creating Dramatic Portraits with One Flash

02 Feb

In this article, I will explain how you can use a transmitter/receiver, or transceiver system to achieve simple dramatic portraits using only one flash. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to get you started.

Background

I used to fear using anything other than natural light. One of the reasons was that I had a notion that using artificial lights such as off-camera flash and strobes is too difficult and requires deep technical knowledge. Well, yes and no. To master it, you have to understand lighting ratios and learn to make mental calculations of light from various sources and suchlike. But to start using it, not really.

My first experience of off-camera flash was using the Creative Lighting System (Nikon) capability between my speedlight and my camera. Most of my early attempts were unsuccessful especially with the limitations of the line of sight infrared system. It was unreliable too, especially when shooting under pressure or caught on the hoof. I also used overexposed my light with my very untrained and inexperienced eye when I was just starting out.

4 Beginner Tips for Creating Dramatic Portraits with One Flash

Wireless triggers

Enter wireless radio transmitters and receivers (or transceivers) such as the Pocket Wizard, CyberSyncs, brand’s own (Nikon and Canon) and the super affordable Yongnous. A transmitter which is connected to your camera sends the message to the receiver which is attached to the flash unit. Transceiver units, on the other hand, can act as both receiver and transmitter so that you can use them on either the camera or the speedlight but you would still need one unit to attach to each piece of equipment.

These wireless transceivers are a game changer without a doubt. They are simple to use and are reliable most of the time as well. I use Cybersyncs for my studio strobes and Yongnous for my speedlights and find the Yongnous are incredibly reliable and user-friendly with hardly any misses. However, the Yongnous cannot be used for strobes.

#1 Choose the look and mood for your portrait

Do you want super dramatic low key portraits or the other end of the spectrum – high key, bright and airy? The mood of your picture will dictate your background and of course the camera and flash settings. I have chosen a black background for these portraits to achieve a high contrast between the brightest parts of the image and the shadows. This will keep the overall mood dramatic and the lighting low key with plenty of black areas.

#2 Set up your equipment

If you have transmitter and receiver units, attach the transmitter to the hotshoe of your camera while the receiver needs to be attached to the flash (speedlight or strobe). If you have a transceiver, this can go on either camera or flash but you still need two units, one on each piece of equipment.

It’s also a good idea to put your flash unit on a light stand. I used a studio strobe mounted on a light stand but attached it to a boom arm for more flexibility in angling the light. Note: A boom arm is not necessary at all for a simple beginner setup. Without a light stand, you can always mount your flash on a cabinet or steady surface, making sure it doesn’t topple over. Most speedlights come with little plastic feet that are handy for this purpose.

4 Beginner Tips for Creating Dramatic Portraits with One Flash

#3 Modify your light

One of my rules is to always modify the light. The only time I shoot with a bare flash is when I use it as a kicker light at wedding receptions or to light a backdrop. At all other times, I will always modify it somehow or bounce it to maximize the softness of the light or to minimize the harshness depending on the situation.

For this look, I wanted the flash to point directly at the subject, in a narrow beam and not have any spill onto the background. A gridded snoot would do the job controlling the light direction, but I didn’t have one. Plus I probably would have found that the light was still a bit harsh without further modification. I ended up McGyvering my own modified snoot using a black card and the diffuser panel of a 5-in-1 reflector. I twisted the reflector (like you would when putting it away) so that it was only a fraction of its size and I then had a 3-layer diffusion panel. This was taped to the strobe and with black card wrapped around it to direct the light onto my subject like a beam.

There are two factors that are crucial for getting soft light; the distance between your subject and the light and the size of the light. The closer the light is to the subject, the softer it is. The larger your light source is, the softer it will be. My light source was not very big at all, so to leverage maximum softness I decreased the distance to the subject. The light was positioned about an arm’s length away from the subject, quite high up at a 45-degree angle. This was to mimic natural light coming from a high window.

#4 Try various settings

I wanted to shoot at f/8 so I metered the flash. You don’t require a handheld light meter to do this, by the way, you can just start with a few trial and error test shots to find the correct setting. I started off with the lowest power on my strobe but ended up cranking it up as the 3-layer diffusion cut out quite a lot of the light. My settings for these were: f/8, 1/60th, ISO 400 and my strobe power high at 7. The strobe settings will vary depending on the brand you are using.

4 Beginner Tips for Creating Dramatic Portraits with One Flash

This is just one of the many ways you can create portraits with one flash. Try it and experiment with other angles, moods, and light settings and you may be amazed at what one light can do!

Share your portraits here too in the comments below.

The post 4 Beginner Tips for Creating Dramatic Portraits with One Flash by Lily Sawyer appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Posts Tagged ‘Tips’

The problem

Defining workflow

Starting point

Lightroom

Color corrections

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White balance with the ColorChecker Passport

White balance in Lightroom

Lens Corrections

Basic Adjustments

Client proofs

Black and White (optional)

Export

Photoshop

Blemishes

Color casts

Dodging and burning

High Pass Filter

Saving your image

In the end

Know when to click and when to back off

Embrace the chaos

Follow their lead

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1. Think about what you will say if someone stops you

2. Choose your subjects wisely

3. Go to a busy place and let people come to you

4. Try some street portraiture

5. Learn to be candid

The camera snap

6. Don’t shoot from the hip

7. Repetition

Tip #1: Try to avoid using a Neutral Density filter

Tip #2: The best time for long exposures is 25 seconds

Tip #3: Try different exposures of the same scene

Tip #4: Shoot towards the sun

Tip #5: Make sure you have water and the sky in your photo

Tip #6: Try to get the clouds coming towards you

1. Extend the tripod legs only when needed

2. Switch-off image stabilization while using a tripod

3. Use the mirror lock-up feature on your camera

4. Use the 2-second timer or a remote shutter release

5. Shoot at the lowest ISO possible

Conclusion

1 – Patience is key

2 – Attention seeking

3 – Getting down to your cat’s level

4 – Frame your subject

5 – Focus on the eyes

6 – Lighting for cats

7 – Lens choice

8 – Camera settings

Manual Mode + Auto ISO

Camera settings – Continuous Drive mode

9 – Black cats, white cats

Lastly, take plenty of photos

#1. Research

Your home town

Visiting another city

#2. Light

#3. Hustle and Bustle

#4. Details

#5. Composition

#6. People

#7. Reflections

#8. Monochrome

Conclusion

#1. Research

Your home town

Visiting another city

#2. Light

#3. Hustle and Bustle

#4. Details

#5. Composition

#6. People

#7. Reflections

#8. Monochrome

Conclusion

Background

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