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Shooting Stock Photography: Getting the Most Out of a Single Subject

The post Shooting Stock Photography: Getting the Most Out of a Single Subject appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

Most photographers who experiment with shooting stock photography quickly become disillusioned. They struggle to see a return on their time and financial investment. Even worse, they turn to fellow photographers for advice and are often told that the stock photography market is dead.

But that isn’t the case. There is still a market for stock photography.

However, to create a revenue stream from shooting stock photography, you need to work smarter. That way, you’ll have a more significant library of images with less investment, and you’ll be able to build a revenue stream from your images much quicker.

What is stock photography?

Stock photography is where a photographer takes images that they’ve already shot and makes them available to businesses for licensing.

In return for a fee, the client can use the pictures in their book or on their website. It usually works out cheaper for the client to use a stock photograph than to commission a photographer to go out and shoot a similar image.

The images are usually managed by an agency, who handles all of the marketing and administration.

Is stock photography dead?

This is the first question that photographers often ask me when they find out I’ve been shooting stock photography for over a decade. I am a relative beginner in the world of stock photography, but I can tell you that, in my experience, it is very worth exploring the stock photography market.

This old photograph was one of the first I submitted to stock libraries. Back then I used to focus on photographing everything on white backgrounds. It still sells, but if I’d shot more variety ten years ago then I’d be seeing more revenue now!

Canon 350D | Canon EF 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 | 50mm | 1/125 sec | f/8.0 | ISO 200 | Strobe Lighting

Anyone thinking about shooting stock photography needs to understand that it is a long game to play. You shouldn’t expect instantaneous results. It may take a couple of years to start seeing regular sales that you can predict in your business plan.

But don’t let that put you off. Time spent on photographing and submitting images to stock libraries is an investment in your future income.

Where do stock images come from?

There have always been photographers dedicated to shooting stock photographs. However, many photographers have made a good side income by submitting images that came from other shoots or jobs.

An image shot for a DPS article that has since earned me money through a stock library. I used the same subject as the previous shot, but a very different approach.

Fujifilm X-T20 | Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R | 35mm | 1/350 sec | f/2.0 | ISO 200 | Window Light

In doing this, photographers have made their images work harder for them by pulling double-duty. The photographer has been paid for their time to shoot the initial photographs. But then they may also get paid for the images again when they are licensed from the photographer’s stock agency.

If you are shooting images specifically for your stock library, then you need to make sure you optimize the way you shoot. Getting a wide variety of photographs from a single subject is the key to quickly seeing regular payments with minimal investment.

Getting more from a single subject

If you have purchased a prop to photograph for your stock photography library, then it makes sense to get maximum return on your investment.

This advice will also work for hiring models or visiting particular locations; just take the general principles and apply them to your subject.

Fujifilm X-T20 | Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R | 35mm | 1/240 sec | f/4.0 | ISO 200 | Window Light

I often shoot stock photography images alongside fine art images. By using the same subject with different props and compositions, you can shoot a wide variety of pictures in a short space of time.

Understand what each stock photography agency that you submit to is looking for. If you shoot a variety of images in different styles, you can then send them to various agencies.

In a food photography shoot, it is quite possible to shoot for a wide range of stock photography agencies during the same session. You could shoot a shot for a cafe to market themselves with on social media. You could also shoot an image for a food magazine or recipe book. You could perhaps shoot a fiction book cover, an educational textbook image, and some creative images for bloggers to use.

Above are some of the images from a shoot I did with a single subject. I made sure to shoot with both light and dark backgrounds, as well as both modern and more rustic backgrounds. Image buyers want to purchase photographs that will fit with the feel of their brand. The more options that you can give them, the better.

Think about where your images could be used

Don’t forget to shoot in both landscape and portrait format for your stock images. You never know where your image will end up. While a fiction book cover will almost always need a vertical image, a magazine or a blog could use either vertical or horizontal images depending on the page layout.

Another tip is to shoot images that have space for text to be added later. Think about a magazine front cover. It has room at the top to put the name of the magazine. But it also has plain or out-of-focus areas on the side to write the headlines. Browse through magazines and books to understand more about the kinds of images that get purchased and published.

Where to start with shooting stock photography for profit?

As I often say: Just start somewhere.

Research the kinds of images that different stock photography libraries are interested in. Agencies will usually have blog posts on their sites listing the pictures that they’re looking for. And then get shooting.

Make sure you capture a wide range of different angles and compositions while thinking about the different ways that your images could be used.

If you’re shooting stock images of small objects, then try creating some different backgrounds so that you can easily change them out while shooting.

That way, you can create multiple styles of photographs in the same session. If you’re shooting models, then scout out locations that have a number of different backdrop styles within a few minutes of each other.

But what you really need to do is shoot images and get them placed with stock photography agencies. If your images aren’t out there and in front of the eyes of potential clients, then you won’t sell any at all! You can refine your workflow later.

Have you had much success with shooting stock photography? Let us know how you’ve got on in the comments!

The post Shooting Stock Photography: Getting the Most Out of a Single Subject appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

Digital Photography School

September 10, 2020
Slideshow: Nature inFocus Photography Awards 2020 winners and finalists

Nature inFocus Photography Awards 2020 winners and finalists

Winners and finalists were announced for the latest annual Nature inFocus Photography Awards. Due to the pandemic, the festival was cancelled and selections were shared via a live announcement on YouTube. More than 1,600 photographers submitted roughly 14,000 images from around the world.

A 5-member jury, including nature photographer Dhritiman Mukherjee, picked winners and finalists. Yashpal Rathore won for his image depicting a bad frozen against an urban landscape in Bangalore, India. A Special Jury Award was given, for the very first time, to Magnus Lundgren as 3 of his photographs were selected – 2 are featured in this slideshow.

The Nature inFocus Photography Awards aims to recognize photographers whose work helps preserve our natural history and raise awareness around conservation. A full gallery can be viewed here.

Winner, Wildscape & Animals in Habitat & Nature inFocus Photograph of the Year: The Dark Knight’ by Yashpal Rathore

Location: Bangalore, India

Artist Statement: A Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat drops out of a Singapore Cherry tree on the walkway of a busy street in the capital city of Karnataka. The headlamp streak of a speeding vehicle, the neon lights of business hoardings – the long-exposure shot perfectly captures the dynamism of city life.

The ever-growing city has seen these nocturnal winged mammals adapt to the chaos of the urban environment. Though vilified by much of the human population, bats play a vital role in our ecosystem as seed dispersers and pest-controllers. The photographer used a laser trigger and low-powered flashlights to freeze the bat in its flight.

Winner, Creative Nature Photography: ‘A Mirage In The Night’ by Nayan Jyoti Das

Location: Manas National Park, Assam

Artist Statement: Occasionally, nature surprises us with moments so dramatic and beautiful, like right out of a fairytale. Caught in the warm embrace of a posse of fireflies, a family of wild elephants huddles together under the night sky, mirroring the asterism of Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka of Orion above.

Special Mention, Creative Nature Photography: ‘Order in Chaos’ by Jayesh Joshi

Location: Vadodara, Gujarat

Artist Statement: Rosy Starlings perch on the edge of a parapet like substitute players on the bench, waiting to join in the action. The long exposure shot captures the frenzy of the murmuration above, hundreds of starlings swooping across the sky in intricately coordinated patterns.

Runner-up, Animal Portraits: ‘The Boxer’ by Mofeed Abu Shalwa

Location: Qatif, Saudi Arabia

Artist Statement: The Red Palm Weevil is a species of snout beetle, recognised by its distinctive long snout and geniculate antennae. First reported on coconut trees in Southeast Asia, they have since gained a foothold on date palms in several Middle Eastern countries and have spread to Africa and Europe through the movement of infected planting material.

Special Mention, Animal Portraits: ‘Monsoon Matchmaking’ by Ripan Biswas

Location: Cooch Behar, West Bengal

Artist Statement: Pre-monsoon storms known as ‘Kalboishakhi’ in Bengali bring the first rains after months of the dry season. The skies open up with thunder and lightning, announcing the arrival of the mating season for amphibians. This single exposure image of a Fejervarya sp. was made by shifting focus initially from the frog and then on to the clouds.

Winner, Animal Behavior: ‘The Hitchhiker’ by Magnus Lundgren

Location: Balayan Bay, Luzon, Philippines

Artist Statement: The Brown Paper Nautilus is an argonaut, a free-swimming octopus of open ocean habitats. A species that is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, the Brown Paper Nautilus is known to cling to objects floating on the surface of the sea, including other argonauts. Here a female nautilus is seen surfing on a free-floating medusa.

Though the relationship is not fully understood yet, the nautilus is believed to use its host as a food source and as a defensive weapon. When the nautilus was photographed, it used the medusa as an active form of protection by turning it towards the camera, which it presumably perceived as a potential predator.

Second Runner-up, Animal Behavior: ‘Water Wars’ by Chaitanya Rawat

Location: Jhalana Forest, Jaipur

About this Photo: On a hot day in the forests of Jhalana, with temperatures touching 45ºC, the photographer waited under the shade of a tree near a man-made waterhole. His patience was rewarded when a leopard slid down the rocks like melted wax and strolled towards the waterhole.

His camera zoomed in on the spotted, ochre and black coat as he watched the gorgeous feline drink its fill. Suddenly, the scene turned electric as a Striped Hyena made an appearance, unaware of the presence of the cat. Expecting the hyena to quickly slink away, the photographer was surprised to watch it go on the offensive and chase the leopard up a tree. The hyena then drank its fill and moved away.

Special Mention, Animal Behavior: ‘Breed The Red’ by Varun Thakkar

Location: Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Artist Statement: A Southern Ground-hornbill, the largest hornbill species on Earth, feeds its young one. Found in grasslands, woodlands and open savannas of southern Africa, they are recognizable by their jet black feathers and the bright red throat wattle in males. Juveniles instead have yellow patches on the face and throat. Pollution, logging and agricultural expansion which often destroy nesting habitats are the primary threats for this species.

Winner, Conservation Issues: ‘Circle Of Death’ by Srikanth Mannepuri

Location: Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh

Artist Statement: Fishermen surround the lifeless body of a Mobula Ray at a fish landing site in Kakinada as they determine its value in thousands of rupees. The winner of the auction will then prepare the fish and trade it illegally to Southeast Asian countries for high-profit margins. The gill rakers of the Mobula Ray is believed to hold medicinal properties.

Second Runner-up, Conservation Issues: ‘Plastic Surfer’ by Magnus Lundgren

Location: Balayan Bay, Luzon, Philippines

Artist Statement: A male paper nautilus rides a piece of plastic in the pelagic zone. In the ocean, plastic debris injures and kills fish, seabirds and marine mammals. Marine plastic pollution has impacted at least 267 species worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species and 43% of all marine mammal species.

Winner, Young Photographer: ‘Dust To Dust’ by Sitara Karthikeyan

Location: Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand

Artist Statement: A majestic tusker walking head-on towards the photographer showers himself in dust sprayed from his trunk. Elephants dust bathe to keep their skin healthy and to keep parasites at bay. It also helps them to cool down their bodies.

Second Runner-up, Young Photographer: ‘Harmony In Faith’ by Abhikram Shekhawat

Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan

Artist Statement: A large population of Rhesus Macaques rules the Aravalli landscape, which is also home to the renowned Galtaji temple. Though these monkeys create a lot of nuisance, they are treated respectfully by the devotees who visit the temple to worship the monkey god, Hanuman. Photographed here is a female Rhesus Macaque sitting in front of the glorious temple edifice.

Special Mention, Young Photographer: ‘Catch The Sun’ by Sumit Adhikary

Location: Indian Ocean, Maldives

Artist Statement: A breaching Spinner Dolphin casts a striking silhouette against the light reflecting off the deep blue ocean from the setting sun. Breaching is a very common activity among cetaceans, and though there are a number of hypotheses, scientists still really don’t know why they do it.

Second Runner-up, Wildscape & Animals in Habitat: ‘Cinderella Of The Ghats’ by Mandar Ghumare

Location: Coorg, Karnataka

Artist Statement: A terrestrial snail endemic to the Western Ghats, Indrella ampulla is the only species in the monotypic genus, Indrella. The species is polymorphic – the visible soft parts of the snail show great colour diversity, ranging from pale yellow to red like in this particular individual. The wide frame showcases the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats which it calls home.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

September 10, 2020

Researchers capture 3,200MP image using future telescope camera

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have captured 3,200MP images, the largest photos ever captured in a single shot. The camera, an array that contains 189 individual image sensors, will become the future camera of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) telescope at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. The camera will be used to help shed light on some of the most intriguing mysteries of the universe, including dark matter and dark energy.

The 189 image sensors are charge-coupled devices (CCD) and each capture a 16MP image. To build the image sensor array, nine CCDs and supporting electronics were assembled into square units, called science rafts, by the Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory and then shipped to SLAC. Then the team at SLAC inserted 21 of these square units into a grid to hold them in place.

The completion of the image sensor array and focal plane earlier this year took six months and proved to be a difficult task. In order to maximize the imaging area of the array, the gaps between individual image sensors are less than five human hairs wide. If the sensors touch each other during the process, they could easily break. Damaging a sensor or raft would be costly, as the rafts cost up to $ 3M USD a piece. SLAC mechanical engineer Hannah Pollek said of the assembly process, ‘The combination of high stakes and tight tolerances made this project very challenging. But with a versatile team we pretty much nailed it.’

The focal plane features impressive specifications beyond even the 3.2 billion total pixels. The pixels themselves are about 10 microns wide and the focal plane itself has been constructed to exacting standards. The focal plane is nearly perfectly flat, varying by ‘no more than a tenth of the width of a human hair’ across its more than two feet of width. The optics through which light will reach the image sensor array is designed to allow the sensors to identify objects 100 million times dimmer than what the human eye can see. This is equivalent to being able to see a lit candle from thousands of miles away.

The images produced by the 3,200MP camera are so large that you would need nearly 400 4K UHD televisions to display a single image at its full size. The resolving power of the camera would allow you to spot a golf ball from about 15 miles away.

As mentioned, the camera will be installed at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. Once it has been installed, it will capture panoramic images of the southern sky every few nights for 10 years.

‘The complete focal plane of the future LSST Camera is more than 2 feet wide and contains 189 individual sensors that will produce 3,200-megapixel images. Crews at SLAC have now taken the first images with it. Explore them in full resolution using the links at the bottom of the press release. (Jacqueline Orrell/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)’ Image and caption credit: SLAC

Steven Ritz, project scientists for the LSST Camera at the University of California, Santa Cruz, said, ‘These specifications are just astounding. These unique features will enable the Rubin Observatory’s ambitious science program.’ Over the course of a decade, the camera will capture images of about 20 billion galaxies. Ritz continues, ‘These data will improve our knowledge of how galaxies have evolved over time and will let us test our models of dark matter and dark energy more deeply and precisely than ever.’

Before the focal plane can be used within the Rubin Observatory’s program, it needs to be rigorously tested. This includes capture images of a variety of objects, including a head of Romanesco broccoli. In order to operate normally, the sensors must be cooled to negative 150° Fahrenheit. Without a fully assembled camera, the team at SLAC used a 150-micron pinhole to project images onto the focal plane.

‘Taking the first 3,200-megapixel images was an important first test for the focal plane. To do so without a fully assembled camera, the SLAC team used a 150-micron pinhole to project images onto the focal plane. Left: Schematic of a pinhole projector that projects images of a Romanesco’s detailed texture onto the focal plane. Right: SLAC’s Yousuke Utsumi and Aaron Roodman remove the pinhole projector from the cryostat assembly after projecting the first images onto the focal plane. (Greg Stewart/Jacqueline Orrell/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)’ Image and caption credit: SLAC

SLAC’s Aaron Roodman is the scientist responsible for building and testing the LSST Camera. Of the successful test images, he says, ‘Taking these images is a major accomplishment. With the tight specifications, we really pushed the limits of what’s possible to take advantage of every square millimeter of the focal plane and maximize the science we can do with it.’

Despite the successful tests, there is much more work to do. Over the next few months, the team will insert the cryostat used to reduce the temperature of the image sensors along with the focal plane into the camera body and add lenses, including the world’s largest optical lens. The team will then affix a shutter and a filter exchange system so that the camera can be used to capture the night sky in different colors. The team anticipates the SUV-sized camera to be ready for final testing in mid-2021 before it begins its final journey to Chile.

‘Over the next few months, the LSST Camera team will integrate the remaining camera components, including the lenses, a shutter and a filter exchange system. By mid-2021, the SUV-sized camera will be ready for final testing. (Chris Smith/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)’ Image and caption credit: SLAC

JoAnne Hewett, chief research officer at SLAC and associate lab director for fundamental physics, says, ‘Nearing completion of the camera is very exciting…It’s a milestone that brings us a big step closer to exploring fundamental questions about the universe in ways we haven’t been able to before.’

As one would expect, we are unable to display 3,200MP images here on the site. However, SLAC has five full-size images taken with the focal plane of the LSST camera which you can view at the links below:

• Head of Romanesco broccoli

• Photo of the Flammarion engraving

• Photo of Vera Rubin, courtesy of the Carnegie Institution for Science, where Vera Rubin spent her career as a scientist

• Collage of LSST Camera team photos

• Collage of logos of institutions involved in the LSST Camera project

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

September 10, 2020

FiLMiC Pro update brings Clean HDMI output to Android, iOS smartphones

Professional smartphone video capture app, FiLMiC Pro, has received a new update that adds the ability to stream a clean HDMI output to external livestreaming and recording solutions.

FiLMiC Pro version 6.12 supports a clean HDMI output over compatible HDMI adapters or over Wi-Fi using AirPlay (limited to iOS devices). You can even use multiple smartphones at once running FiLMic Pro to create a multi-cam setup that can be controlled by a livestreaming program such as OBS Studio or a hardware solution such as an ATEM Mini from Blackmagic Design. When paired with the FiLMiC Remote app (Android, iOS), it’s also possible to control each of the cameras wirelessly for more fine-tuned control.

A screenshot from the above tutorial showing how you can use FiLMiC Pro to turn your smartphone into a webcam with the help of an USB HDMI input adapter.

In addition to livestreaming and recording options, this functionality also means you can use your smartphone as a webcam when paired with an HDMI input device, such as an Elgato CamLink 4K. Output resolutions are limited by the devices being used, but in general, Lightning-based iOS devices are capable of 1080/60p output, USB-C iOS devices are capable of 4K/60p and select Samsung devices can max out at 4K DCI 60p.

FiLMiC Pro is available for both Android and iOS devices for $ 15. The update is free for existing users. If you want to find out more about FiLMiC Pro, head over to FiLMiC’s comprehensive support page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

September 10, 2020
digiKam 7.1.0 ‘maintenance’ bug fix update arrives with a few new features

Open-source photo management app digiKam is back with another update a little more than a month after launching its big version 7.0.0 release. This latest update largely revolves around ‘maintenance,’ but it does include a few relatively minor new features amid the numerous bug fixes.

With digiKam version 7.1.0, the team has expanded upon its basic Canon CR3 RAW metadata support, enabling the software to read a greater amount of Exif tags, including color profile and GPS data. The team explains that dealing with camera RAW files is a ‘big challenge’ due to, among other things, the lack of standardization.

DigiKam 7.1.0 features a metadata interface that was written based on the libraw library, expanding the CR3 read support. However, the app doesn’t feature write support for this particular RAW format. The full list of cameras support for libraw can be found on its website here.

The expanded CR3 support aside, digiKam 7.1.0 brings a new Batch Queue Manager plugin offering an automatic fix for Hot Pixels. This feature isn’t new; rather, the update improves it and enables the tool to ‘manage a collection of black frames from different camera models,’ according to the team.

The Batch Queue Manager has also received another new plugin, this one for applying textures to images. As with the Hot Pixels fix, this tool has already been available in the Image Editor, but adding it to the Batch Queue Manager makes it possible to automatically process target images.

Finally, the new digiKam update also brings expanded IPTC compatibility with UTF-8 characters encoding, according to the team, enabling users to use ‘extended characters set everywhere in legacy IPTC text containers.’

These tweaks and new features come alongside a slew of bug fixes, with the team saying they managed to close out more than 300 Bugzilla entries in the past couple of months. The full list of these bug fixes can be found here.

Work on digiKam 7.2.0 is already underway with a few features planned, including improved support for face management. The team says there are some beta releases coming up that will test new planned features. As always, digiKam is available to download for free.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

September 10, 2020
Fashion photography with Ulysses Curry and the Zeiss Batis 85mm F1.8

The Zeiss Batis 85mm F1.8 is a short telephoto prime lens for the Sony E-mount, compatible with both full-frame and APS-C format cameras. 85mm is a classic focal length for portraiture, while on an APS-C body, the lens becomes a 128mm equivalent, making it a useful general-purpose telephoto.

In this video, photographer Ulysses Curry takes the Zeiss Batis 85mm F1.8 to a fashion shoot in downtown Seattle, working with stylist Margo Jones to create unique looks.

Zeiss Batis 85mm F1.8 sample images by Ulysses Curry

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_1882377589″,”galleryId”:”1882377589″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

This is sponsored content, created with the support of Amazon and Zeiss. What does this mean?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

September 9, 2020
How to Use a Split Tone Style in Lightroom Mobile for a Consistent Instagram Feed

The post How to Use a Split Tone Style in Lightroom Mobile for a Consistent Instagram Feed appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Have you ever seen an image and immediately known who took it? That’s because the photographer has a unique style.

If you want to make your own images recognizable for your clients and followers, you might want to try a split tone style.

Keep reading to learn how this works.

Snapshot taken with the default camera app on a Redmi Note 8.

Style

You can create your own style through many different elements, from lighting and composition to a particular way of post-processing.

This last one is where a split tone style fits.

Canon 50D | Sigma 28-300mm | 28mm | 1/800 sec | f/3.5 | ISO 100

Using this technique, you can keep your images consistent. That way, the viewer feels like all your images belong together and associates the images with you and your brand. This works for your portfolio, your website, and your Instagram feed.

Split tone

When you assign a certain tone to the shadows and a different tone to the highlights, it’s known as a split tone. The full white and full black will always remain untouched. But the highlights will be cool while the shadows will be warm.

Let me show you what I mean with this gradient:

You can also change the ratio between highlights and shadows. On these next gradients, see how the same split tone colors give a different effect when you adjust the split tone balance:

This is just an example, but you can use any combination of colors that suits your style and brand. For that, you can create a color palette.

Choose a color palette

A color palette is a range of colors used in a particular context. These colors need to work well together and reinforce your style.

There are different theories you can use to create your color palette. You can go for a monochromatic scheme or a complementary one. If you’re not sure, there are some great tools to help you. You can check out Adobe Color or Color Hexa.

Just like a filter, different split tones may look better on some images than others. Having a color scheme gives you the flexibility to apply different split tone combinations while maintaining your style.

Split tone style

Almost every program has a feature or a way to do split toning: ACR, Capture One, Photoshop, Luminar, Lightroom, etc. Also, many apps allow you to do split toning on your phone: Photoshop Express, Lightroom Mobile, and VSCO Cam. Choose whichever fits best into your workflow.

In most cases, the split toning interface is similar from program to program. You’ll have two gradients: one for the highlights and one for the shadows. You’ll also have a balance slider.

I’m going to show you how to split tone in Lightroom Mobile, because it’s the program I find most comfortable. Also, because Lightroom Mobile allows you to save your split tone effect as a preset.

Both split toning and preset functionality are included in the free version of Lightroom Mobile, so you can follow along without getting a subscription.

Split toning in Lightroom Mobile

When you have your image open in Lightroom Mobile, you can see the menu at the bottom. Scroll to the right until you find Effects.

Once you open the Effects tab, on the top right you can find Split Tone. This will open the gradients for the highlights and shadows. Below these gradients, you’ll find a slider to control the split tone balance.

Move the highlights, shadows, and balance values until you’re satisfied.

In the color palette section of this article, I was telling you that there are different ways to split tone. Here you can see an example of split toning using a monochromatic scheme (the center photo), and another that uses complementary colors (the right photo).

Make it a preset

To keep your split tone style consistent without having to remember the specific values every time, you can create a split tone preset. That way it becomes a one-touch edit you can apply to every photo.

To do this, click on the three dots in the top right. This will open a menu; from there choose Create Preset. Make sure that only the Split Toning option that you find inside Effects is checked. Otherwise, the preset will save additional edits that you might not want to replicate in other photos.

Then name the preset and tap on the check icon (in the top right) to save.

Next time you want to apply the split tone effect to a photo, just open it in Lightroom Mobile, go to Presets, then User Presets, and find the split tone preset you want.

You can also create different split tone presets that use variations from your color palette. That way, you can use the preset that fits each image best while maintaining the overall aesthetic.

Conclusion

Using a split tone style will help you maintain a consistent look in your images. This will make your account recognizable to your followers and let your clients know what they can expect from your brand.

It doesn’t matter which app or program you use; the important thing is that it’s easy to incorporate into your workflow.

Share your recommendations and experiences in the comments section.

The post How to Use a Split Tone Style in Lightroom Mobile for a Consistent Instagram Feed appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Digital Photography School

September 9, 2020
New DAIN algorithm generates near-perfect slow-motion videos from ordinary footage

Researchers with Google, UC Merced and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have detailed the development of DAIN, a depth-aware video frame interpolation algorithm that can seamlessly generate slow-motion videos from existing content without introducing excessive noise and unwanted artifacts. The algorithm has been demonstrated in a number of videos, including historical footage boosted to 4K/60fps.

Rapidly advancing technologies have paved the way for high-resolution displays and videos; the result is a mass of lower-resolution content made for older display and video technologies that look increasingly poor on modern hardware. Remastering this content to a higher resolution and frame rate will improve the viewing experience, but would typically be a costly undertaking reserved only for the most popular media.

Artificial intelligence is a promising solution for updating older video content as evidenced by the growing number of fan-remastered movies and TV shows. Key to these efforts are algorithms trained to upscale and, when necessary, repair the individual frames of videos, which are recompiled into a higher-resolution ‘remaster.’

The newly detailed DAIN algorithm is different — rather than upscaling and repairing the individual frames in a video, this AI tool works by generating new frames and slotting them between the original frames, increasing the video’s FPS for smoother and, depending on how many frames are generated, slower-motion content.

This is a process called motion (video frame) interpolation, and it typically causes a drop in quality by adding unwanted noise and artifacts to the final videos. The DAIN algorithm presents a solution to this problem, offering motion interpolation to boost frames-per-second up to 480fps without introducing any readily noticeable artifacts.

The resulting content is high-quality and nearly visually identical to the source footage, but with the added smoothness that comes with increasing the frames-per-second to 60fps. In addition, DAIN has been demonstrated as capable of transforming ordinary 30/60fps footage into smooth slow-motion videos without choppiness or decreased quality.

According to the researchers, DAIN is ‘compact, efficient, and fully differentiable,’ offering results that perform ‘favorably against state-of-the-art frame interpolation methods on a wide variety of datasets.’ The technology has many potential uses, including recovering lost frames, improving content to be more visually appealing for viewers, generating slow-motion from regular footage and more.

Such technology is arguably necessary for preserving aging media in a useful way, making it possible for new generations of people to experience historical footage, old TV shows and movies, home videos and similar content using modern high-resolution displays. As well, the technology could be useful for content creators of all sorts, enabling them to salvage the footage they already have, improve the quality of old clips for use in documentaries and similar things.

The researchers explain on their project website:

Starting from the birth of photographing in the 18-th centuries, videos became important media to keep vivid memories of their age being captured. And it’s shown in varying forms including movies, animations, and vlogs. However, due to the limit of video technologies including sensor density, storage and compression, quite a lot of video contents in the past centuries remain at low quality.

Among those important metrics for video quality, the most important one is the temporal resolution measured in frame-per-second or fps for short. Higher-frame-rate videos bring about more immersive visual experience to users so that the reality of the captured content is perceived. Therefore, the demand to improve the low-frame-rate videos, particularly the 12fps old films, 5~12fps animations, pixel-arts and stop motions, 25~30 fps movies, 30fps video games, becomes more and more urgent.

The public can view more examples of videos updated using the DAIN algorithm by checking out the related collection playlist on YouTube. As well, the full study is available in PDF form on the Arxiv website here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

September 9, 2020
Lensrentals tears down the Canon EOS R5 and finds interesting sealing and thermal flow

Image credits: Photos published with kind permission from Lensrentals.

Since Canon announced the 8K-capable EOS R5 mirrorless camera, there has been heated discourse online about the thermal flow inside the camera and its propensity to overheat. Curious photographers have been wondering what the inside of the EOS R5 looks like and what sort of design features Canon has implemented into its latest high-resolution full frame camera. Wonder no more as Roger Cicala and Aaron Closz at Lensrentals have disassembled a Canon R5 to see what’s going on inside.

In terms of thermal design, when tearing down the R5, the duo found multiple heat sinks and thermal pads. For a photo camera, there is a lot of heat sink inside the EOS R5. However, compared to a video camera, the R5 features ‘not even a fraction of what’ is seen in a video camera.

Cicala speculates that it’s possible the camera has been designed to allow heat to exit through the top panel of the camera, as the connection of the top panel to the main body does not feature the same level of sealing found in the connections between the body and the bottom and side plates.

You can see some of the sealing along the edges where the side plate attaches to the main body. Image credit: Lensrentals

Speaking of sealing, after having removed the camera’s grip, battery door, bottom plate and side plates, Cicala and Closz found an impressive level of sealing throughout the camera. The battery door has weather resistant gaskets around the edge and the bottom of the battery door compartment itself is a soft gasket material.

Along the bottom plate, Canon placed a ‘soft rubber gasket along the entire mating edge of the pieces.’ This provides a ‘greater seal area’ than what is usually seen in disassembled cameras at Lensrentals headquarters. The same sealing gaskets found here are also present where other body parts are sealed together, such as along the sides of the camera.

Of the weather sealing in the EOS R5, Cicala writes, ‘When we took these pieces apart, you feel the suction when they disengage. That’s not something we’ve seen in other cameras. The thing about weather sealing is it only takes one weak place to leak, but this sealing seems to be a step up from anything we’ve seen before.’ This is certainly a promising find for prospective R5 owners.

While there are gaskets around the I/O ports on the R5, Cicala notes that the HDMI and digital out ports are part of the main printed circuit board (PCB). This means that users should be careful to not damage these ports, as it will result in an expensive repair. On the other hand, the tripod plate and tripod mount itself are both replaceable parts and not soldered anywhere. This is great news for the team at Lensrentals, as they regularly must take apart cameras to make repairs like this before sending them out to new customers.

Moving to the back of the camera, the R5 has more dials than the EOS R but maintains an identical wiring arrangement. There’s a new flex design on the LCD side and you can even see a mark made by a Canon tech in the image below.

On the back of the circuit boards, there is a notable difference between the EOS R5 and the EOS R. The new camera has ‘immensely more intense and dense circuitry.’ In the image below, the green sub-board ‘appears to be about DC power conversion.’ On the left black board, the large white chip is a Wi-Fi chip.

Located beneath the green sub-board is either an aluminum heat sink or an electronic shield. Cicala notes that ‘electronic shields tend to be quite thin, but this is a manly piece of aluminum, 0.98mm thick. I speculate it’s more about heat than electronics. Notice I said ‘speculate.”

When removing the main PCB, Cicala and Closz found a large aluminum heat sink on the underside of the board. There is a layer of insulating tape over the sensor as well. There is also a thermal pad located underneath the CPU, which Cicala speculates means that Canon is directing heat from the four SDRAM chips located around the CPU to one heat sink and the heat from the CPU itself to a different area.

After removing the circuitry, the Lensrentals team was able to inspect the image stabilization system and image sensor arrangement. The sensor assembly is held in place by three screws. To ensure that the image sensor stays perfectly parallel to the lens mount, Canon uses shims to make tiny adjustments. The EOS R used spring tension screws instead. Cicala assumes that ‘the vibration of an IBIS unit could loosen them over time’ and notes that ‘every IBIS camera we’ve opened uses shims.’

Once the circuitry and image sensor/IBIS unit has been removed from the R5’s body, there’s not much left besides the shutter assembly. Lensrentals don’t take apart shutter assemblies as they are incredibly labor-intensive to rebuild and if anything is not lined up perfectly, the shutter timing will be off and only factory software can be used for recalibration.

The sensor is mounted directly to the IBIS plate. Some cameras use screws and plastic tabs to support the sensor, which Lensrentals has seen result in fractures. ‘On all the edges of the Canon unit, the sensor is mounted directly to the IBIS plate; no tabs. That doesn’t mean it can’t break, of course, or glue comes loose. But this seems sturdier to me,’ says Cicala.

Summing up the findings, Cicala writes that the R5 is ‘pretty thoroughly filled up, there are lots of parts and not much air.’ The new weather sealing method found in the lower two-thirds of the camera ‘seems to give a really, really tight seal.’ The IBIS unit ‘is very compact but well-engineered.’

With respect to thermal flow, Cicala believes there are a pair of separate heat sinks. One of them is located under the voltage board and the other between the main PCB and sensor assembly. Both heat sinks include thermal pads to direct heat. There may also be a heat sink in the tripod plate, although it’s unclear. Cicala says, ‘In a small photo camera, there’s not a lot of ventilation/convection current to let the heat out. This camera is better sealed than most; I doubt there’s very much ventilation at all. Somebody should look into that.’

For many more images and details, head to Lensrentals’ full teardown.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

September 9, 2020
Sony countdown timer teases a ‘new concept’ set to be announced next week

Prepare your calendars (and your wallets), because Sony has unveiled a countdown for its next product, a ‘new concept’ that’s due to be announced within the next week.

While a still image of the countdown was first shared on the Sony Japan website, the official Sony Camera YouTube channel has since created a countdown video, embedded below, that points to an announcement being made at 9pm EDT / 6pm PDT on September 14.

No further information is being shared at this time about what exactly is being announced, but you can set a reminder on the Youtube countdown to be notified in advance of the virtual event.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

September 8, 2020