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  • How to do Long Exposure Photography and Light Trails at Night

    The post How to do Long Exposure Photography and Light Trails at Night appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Barry J Brady.

    Gastown Light Trails

    Gastown light trails, Vancouver, Canada

    Before I understood how photography worked, I was always intrigued by light trails in images. I never understood how that happened. When I began to study photography, one of the first assignments I did was an advanced course on night photography. I decided I would try and capture some light trails.

    I set up my camera, made sure the settings were correct and waited. A few cars went past, but my timing was off and the shots were not great. I continued to wait. After about an hour of trying and experimenting, I got the shot I was looking for. It was like magic to me.

    The car was not in the shot but the lights seemed to float in mid-air. I was hooked. This was something that had mystified me for a long time, yet I had managed to get it right. What was so mesmerizing for me was that the image I saw on my LCD screen was not what I saw in real life. The camera had managed to capture a scene that my eyes could not capture in the same way. This seemed amazing to me.

    I soon realized that the camera was able to “see” things differently compared to the way my eyes saw them. I spent many nights trying to capture light trails in various locations. I was also doing lots of reading and research and came across a technique called long exposure.

    This too was amazing. It had the ability to alter a scene in such a way that it looked totally different to the way our eyes normally see it. Again I was hooked; to this day, long exposures and light trails are some of my favorite techniques in photography.

    Long exposure photography and light trails have similar techniques; it is the subject matter that differs. So I will discuss each technique separately, and tell you how to get the best results in both.

    How to do long exposure photography

    Shooting long exposures effectively requires that you should be shooting in Manual mode as much as possible. If you are not sure how to shoot in Manual, take a look at “Getting Off Auto – Manual, Aperture and Shutter Priority Modes Explained to learn more about these modes. To be able to get sharp and effective long exposure images, here is a checklist of items you will need.

    1. What equipment is needed to shoot long exposures?

    • A tripod – this is a good piece of equipment to have in most instances, but is a critical piece of equipment for shooting long exposures. Make sure your camera is properly mounted onto the tripod before you start shooting.
    • A camera – obviously you will need a camera, but many people assume you can only do this type of photography with an SLR. Some advanced point-and-shoot cameras can also do long exposures if they have a Shutter Priority function. Take a look in your camera’s manual to see if it has this function; you may be surprised.
    • Cable release – your camera will be on a tripod, so it should be very still. However, sometimes the action of pressing the shutter release button can cause the camera to move slightly and this movement can cause your image to blur very slightly. You may not notice this on the LCD screen, but when you open the image on your computer, it will be evident. I recommend getting a cable release (also called a remote trigger). It is simply a cable that attaches to your camera and acts as a shutter release button. Using a cable release means you can set up your camera, step away from the tripod, and press the button without touching the camera. Cable releases can be wireless too. If you don’t have a cable release or don’t want to buy one, you could use your camera’s self-timer function to trigger the shutter.
    • Warm clothes and comfortable shoes – depending on where you live, and depending on the time of year you plan to be shooting, you may need to dress warmly. Long exposures work well after dark and it may get cold, so be sure to wear warm clothes. Be sure that you have comfortable footwear, too, as you may be standing for a few hours.

    2. What subjects are best for long exposure photography?

    Long exposures work well for certain types of subjects like seascapes, landscapes, and cityscapes. The key to getting a successful long exposure image is to have something in your image that is perfectly still and something that is moving. Water, clouds, and trees blowing in the wind all work well if the rest of the scene is stationary. This difference between the elements in the scene will create drama, and will add significant value to your image. The viewer will be seeing something that cannot be seen with the naked eye.

    The reason why long exposure images are so compelling is that they warp time. Water looks like a soft mist, trees look like a dull blur, and clouds become long and streaky. This is what makes a familiar scene more compelling.

    Long Exposure scene in Vancouver BC

    Long exposure scene in Vancouver, Canada

    3. What camera settings should be used?

    Long exposures are ideally shot in Manual mode. If you are not sure how to shoot in Manual mode, you can use one of the other semi-manual modes such as Aperture priority or Shutter priority. Here are some quick pointers on the settings:

    • Shutter speed – depending on the light in your scene, your shutter time will need to be at least 10 to 15 seconds, or longer if necessary. If you are doing a seascape and the water is moving quickly, then a few seconds may be long enough to make the water look misty.
    • Aperture – you will want to have your aperture set at anywhere between f/8 and f/16. This will be determined by how much light is in the scene and how long you want to expose for.
    • ISO – keep your ISO settings as low as possible. ISO 100 is what I use for long exposures.

    4. When is the best time of day to shoot long exposures?

    It’s normally a good idea to shoot long exposures as the sun is setting, or just after sunset. My suggestion is to be on the scene an hour before sunset. That way you can test some shots, make sure your composition is good, and be sure all your settings are correct. Then wait.

    I will sometimes simply sit there and enjoy the scene; other times I may listen to some music. But I like to be relaxed and ready for when the light starts to work. Normally you will want to start shooting about 15 minutes before the sun has completely set and up to an hour after it is below the horizon. The important part is to be willing to experiment.

    Each time you decide to shoot long exposures will be a little different. The light may be brighter than you think, the sunset may not be as dramatic as you hoped, or the shot may not be just as you imagined. Be patient and experiment. I will sometimes go back to a location two or three times to try and get the shot I am looking for. Once I have it, though, the sense of reward is fantastic, and the patience and effort are paid off!

    Long Exposure of Science World in Vancouver

    Long exposure of Science World in Vancouver

    How to shoot light trails

    Much of the advice for shooting light trails is very similar to the tips above. The key difference is in the timing and location of your shoot.

    1. What equipment is needed to shoot light trails?

    • Same as above 

    2. What subjects are best for light trails?

    For light trails to work, you need to have something with lights moving through your scene. A car, a bus, a train, and even an aircraft can work. Be sure to be out of the direction of the vehicle you are photographing. Please do not stand in the middle of the road, or on train tracks. Position yourself in a safe place to make this work. Always be aware of your surroundings. It is easy to become immersed in what you are shooting and lose sight of where you are standing. Be safe, first and foremost!

    A moving bus in the scene made this shot more dynamic

    A moving bus in the scene made this shot more dynamic

    3. What camera settings should be used?

    Light trails, like long exposures, are ideally shot in Manual mode.

    • Shutter speed – depending on the light in your scene, your shutter time will need to be at least 10 to 15 seconds, or longer if necessary. Make sure that your shutter speed is long enough to capture longish light trails. You don’t want to cut them off too soon as you will have some short trails in your image that may look strange.
    • Aperture – you will want to have your aperture set at anywhere between f/5 and f/11. This will be determined by how much light is in the scene and how long you want the exposure.
    • ISO – keep your ISO settings as low as possible; ISO 100 is what I use for light trails. If your ISO is set to 500 or higher, your exposure will be shorter and you run the risk of overexposing the highlights, especially when shooting car headlights.

    4. When is the best time of day to shoot light trails?

    Light trails can be shot in the early evening, or after the sun has set. Each scene will be different, but sometimes it is too light to get effective light trails just after sunset. You may need to wait until 30 minutes after the sun has set to get longer light trails.

    The important part, once again, is to be willing to experiment. Try different times after sunset and see what works for you. Spend time behind your camera perfecting your timing. Scout locations during the day that you will think will work for light trails and then go and try it out.

    Steam Clock in Gastown, light trails on the road

    Steam Clock in Gastown, light trails on the road

    Photographing after dark can be very rewarding. It is worth the effort to learn how to use these techniques to bring new images into your portfolio, and to have new skills which will enable you to shoot under any lighting conditions. Experiment and enjoy it! Happy shooting.

    The post How to do Long Exposure Photography and Light Trails at Night appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Barry J Brady.


    Digital Photography School

  • How to Create Dramatic Portraits in Your Garage

    The post How to Create Dramatic Portraits in Your Garage appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nick Fancher.

    The setup

    1

    If you want to take dramatic portraits on a black backdrop (without even needing a single light), a garage is your new go-to spot.

    This is the simplest (and most makeshift looking) setup that I use. As you can see in the image above, all I am using is a piece of black foam core, folded into a “V,” set inside a garage on a sunny day.

    While you can accomplish this setup on overcast days, having a sunny day helps to increase the brightness of everything outside the garage, thus increasing the catch light in the model’s eyes. The sunny daylight scene outside the garage essentially acts as a giant reflector, which illuminates the area under the subject’s chin to soften shadows.

    2 copy

    The reason why a garage is great for this kind of setup is that it allows you to place your subject closer or further away from the bright, outdoor light, depending on how much light you want in your subject’s eyes or how even you want the light to appear.

    For example, if the subject is right at the edge of the garage, just out of the sun, the exposure will be very bright, requiring a very fast shutter speed and/or a small aperture, but they will have large catchlights in their eyes. Note that the smaller aperture will cause the image to be sharper from the front to the back. Also, the closer the subject is to the bright outside, the darker the background will be once you’ve adjusted your exposure for their skin tone.

    Alternatively, if the subject is placed deeper into the garage, it allows you to use a wider aperture or slower shutter speed, which can create a flattering, softer, shallow depth of field look, though the catch light and overall light quality will change.

    3 copy

    Shooting in a garage is the equivalent to a one-light studio portrait since the only light source is the open garage door. This increases the appearance of the image being a studio portrait, as it mimics a large softbox or octabox (though an open garage door is larger and less expensive).

    If you want to have more light, such as hair light and rim light, to create separation between a subject and the background, there is another option available to you. Simply place your subject on the shaded side of the garage, allowing the sun to light just the edges of your subject’s hair and shoulders, as seen below.

    3

    The one downside to having a huge wall of soft light in front of your subject is that it can flatten out the subject, which can make the lighting appear flat or boring. One remedy for this is flagging off portions of the light, as seen in the image below. Note that any object you place in front of the model to flag the light will also change the shape of the catchlights in their eyes.

    4 copy

    For portraits like this, you will want to use a focal length of at least 50mm or longer. Anything wider angle will lead to distortion of the subject’s features. Since you are shooting outdoors, you have unlimited space to back away from the subject. So I like to use my 70-200mm lens for these types of headshots.

    5 copy

    The other perks that come with shooting outside or in a garage are that you have a free hair fan and plenty of ventilation, which comes in handy when you’re shooting smoke.

    My buddy Colin is a drummer in the band House of Heroes. He approached me to shoot the cover of their latest EP, Smoke. He wanted a dramatic, close-up of a girl’s face with smoke all around. I knew that my garage would be the perfect spot to conduct the shoot (as it’s open-air with bright light).

    I placed whiteboards on either side of Courtney, which helped to not only fill in any shadows under her jaw but also add catchlights to her eyes. In addition to the images of Courtney, I also shot several frames of smoke being exhaled by Colin (try doing that inside a studio) isolated on the black backdrop, which was later overlaid on the final image of the model in post-production.

    6 copy

    Have you tried doing portraits in your garage or other makeshift location? Have any additional tips? Please share in the comments.

    How to Create Dramatic Portraits in Your Garage

    The post How to Create Dramatic Portraits in Your Garage appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nick Fancher.


    Digital Photography School

  • DPReview TV: Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art review

    Sigma has been cranking out some fantastic lenses lately, and the new 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art joins the club. Find out why we like this fast, compact lens.

    Make sure to visit our updated sample gallery – now with more F1.4 images!

    Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

    • Introduction
    • The competition
    • Size and weight
    • Controls and handling
    • Close focusing
    • Autofocus
    • Vineyard sample photos
    • Chromatic aberration
    • Bokeh
    • Garden sampl photos
    • Sharpness
    • Flare
    • Video performance
    • Who's it for?

    Sample gallery from this episode

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    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Photographer turned his front door into a large format camera to capture portraits during the pandemic

    The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made social distancing critically important. While creating distance is good for our physical health, it is difficult for photographers, especially portrait photographers. To overcome this challenge, Kyle Roper, the producer behind The Skyscraper Camera Project, transformed the front door of his home into a large-format analog camera. This has allowed him to safely capture portraits and launch a new photo series, Door Frames.
    A look at the makeshift front door camera form inside Roper’s living room.

    Given ample time at home and the desire to continue creating images while observing social distancing restrictions, Roper converted his front door into a camera obscura using magnetic dry erase board, gaffer’s tape, cardboard boxes, a dark cloth, c-stand, clamps and sandbags. For photo paper and film, Roper uses Ilford RC IV Multigrade Photo Paper, Ilford Direct Positive Paper and Ilford Ortho 80 Plus. His lens of choice is a Nikkor-W 300mm F5.6 lens in a Copal shutter.

    An overview of all the elements of the front door camera.

    Roper states that he was inspired by his friend, Brendan Barry, an artist and camera builder we’ve featured many times before. Roper was also inspirited by the work of Dorothea Lange and Francesca Woodman. The former is a particularly interesting inspiration given Lange’s famous documentary and photojournalism work for the Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression.

    The conveniently-located window in Roper’s front door.

    Of Door Frames, Roper says, ‘When you have nothing but an abundance of time, you take the time and slow things down. You find that these antiquated processes can reveal and create such beauty.’ Below is a collection of portraits Roper captured with his front door camera:

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    In order to communicate with his subjects outside, Roper speaks to them from inside his home using a speakerphone. Roper then affixes his photographic paper on the image box using the magnetic dry erase board and captures an image with his Nikkor lens wide open because his photo paper is ISO 3 or 6. Once an image is captured, Roper develops it in his bathroom, which he has converted into a darkroom.

    Prints in the process of being made in Roper’s makeshift darkroom.

    To view more Kyle Roper’s work, visit his website and follow him on Instagram.

    Image credits: All photos used with permission from Kyle Roper

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Hasselblad adds iPhone connectivity to its Phocus Mobile 2 application

    Hasselblad has announced a major upgrade to its Phocus Mobile 2 application. The mobile app, which had previously only offered Apple iPad support, is now compatible with iPhone, making it an even better option for Hasselblad photographers on the go.

    Phocus Mobile 2 offers photographers advanced remote control, live view, tethered image capture and importing, image conversion and exporting, image rating and filtering, and the ability to update the firmware of your camera and lenses directly in the app. On the iPad version, users can also edit their raw files and perform color correction. A video overview of a previous version of Phocus Mobile 2 can be seen below running on an iPad Pro.

    In addition to offering Live View on the new Phocus Mobile 2 app for iPhone, the latest version of the app allows users to update the Hasselblad X1D II 50C, 907X Special Edition and 907X 50C to firmware 1.3.0, adding Live View functionality to these cameras in Phocus Mobile 2 on iPad. When remotely shooting, the app offers a newly designed focus wheel for remote manual focus control. Further, the app now includes focus peaking, simulated exposure, depth-of-field preview and improved AF area position control.

    With respect to iPad models, Phocus Mobile 2 is compatible with iPad Air (2019 and newer) and iPad Pro (second generation and newer) models with a minimum of 3GB of RAM. On iPhone, Phocus Mobile 2 works on any iPhone model running iOS 12 or later. However, 100 percent magnification in the application requires an iPhone with at least 3GB of RAM (iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus and X models or later).

    You can learn more about Phocus Mobile 2 and download it for iPhone and iPad here.

    If you’d like to learn more about how to best utilize Phocus Mobile 2, Hasselblad aired a webinar in May, showing off how to use the app on an iPad Pro to process and share images. You can view the webinar below.

    Hasselblad has an active YouTube channel with many interesting webinars, including an hour-long one focused on lens design, another about Hasselblad’s history in space and many more. You can browse their videos by clicking here.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Weekly Photography Challenge – Looking Up

    The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Looking Up appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.

    This week we’re going to go with ‘Looking up’ and yes, you could spin that more than one way! Things are looking up, or looking up, as in pointing straight up (or near enough) with your camera! What will you choose and how will you portray your choice?

    Weekly Photography Challenge – Looking Up
    ‘Up’ – Building tree houses.

    Or maybe ‘looking up’ along a city street (I nearly said ‘busy city street’ but we certainly have less of those right now!) Maybe ‘looking up’ could be your positive frame of mind on the current state of the world, etc? How will you depict that?

    If you’re in isolation at home, maybe this article will help to give you some ideas, work on a theme of ‘looking up in or around your house’ We’ll share some as we go, through the week, in the Facebook group and on our Instagram

    Weekly Photography Challenge – Looking Up
    Looking Up

    Great! Where do I upload my photos?

    Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see. Or, if you’d prefer, upload them to your favourite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. We’re interested to see how you revisit the images that you’ve taken before now in this re-edit challenge!

    Weekly Photography Challenge – Looking Up

    Share in the dPS Facebook Group

    You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

    If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPSLookingUp to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

    The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Looking Up appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.


    Digital Photography School

  • Meike’s 25mm F1.8 manual lens for Nikon Z-mount costs only $75

    It’s only been a few days since Meike introduced it’s 85mm F1.8 autofocus prime, but it’s already back with the announcement of another lens, a 25mm F1.8 manual focus prime for Nikon Z-mount cameras.

    The lens is constructed of seven elements in five groups, has an aperture range of F1.8 through F16, features a minimum focusing distance of 25cm (9.8”) and uses a nine-blade aperture diaphragm.

    The lens measures in at 61mm (2.4”) in diameter, 41mm (1.6”) long and weighs approximately 170g (6oz). Meike notes that the lens is entirely manual to the point that you’ll need to set your camera to release the shutter without a lens, as it won’t recognize a lens is attached.

    Meike’s website makes mention of APS-C throughout the entire product page, but also shows the lens attached to the Nikon Z7 we have contacted Meike to confirm whether this lens is exclusively for APS-C or also full-frame

    The lens is available now for just $ 75 on Meike’s website. It comes with the lens, front/rear caps, a carry pouch and a microfiber cleaning cloth.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Film Friday: Photographing music legends of the 1970’s and 80’s

    Photo: Dan Cuny

    In this week’s edition of Film Fridays – brought to us by our friends at 35mmc.com – photographer Dan Cuny takes us on a trip back in time to an era of rock and roll when venues didn’t restrict cameras, tickets cost no more than $ 6, ISO 200 film was considered ‘fast’ and standing ten feet away from David Bowie’s thrusting hips was an ordinary Saturday night affair.

    Click the link for Cuny’s insights into the era and plenty more photographs of rock and roll legends including George Harrison, Blondie, Freddie Mercury and more.

    Read: Photographing concerts
    in the 1970’s and 80’s

    About Film Fridays: We recently launched an analog forum and in a continuing effort to promote the fun of the medium, we’ll be sharing film-related content on Fridays, including articles from our friends at 35mmc.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • 5 Creative Uses for a Fisheye Lens in Photography

    The post 5 Creative Uses for a Fisheye Lens in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

    The search for that unique angle that sets your photography apart from the rest is a common aspiration for most photographers. In today’s article, you’ll learn creative uses for a fisheye lens that will give your photos the wow factor.

    A fisheye lens is a unique lens with niche qualities that set it apart from other kinds of lenses. Read on and discover what you can do with this type of lens.

    creative uses for a fisheye lens
    Kinetic light painting is one of the examples of creative uses for a fisheye lens.

    What is a fisheye lens?

    A fisheye lens is essentially a super wide-angle lens. However, it has more properties than this. This type of lens will cause distortion in your photo which, when correctly applied to your image, will enhance the photo. One of the key characteristics of this lens is the curved shape of the optic at the front of the lens. This means that you won’t be able to use a regular lens cap for this lens. It’s possible to get a fisheye as a prime lens or a zoom lens.

    • Prime lens: The majority of fisheye lenses are prime lenses. They come with a typical aperture of f/2.8 and a focal length of 8mm or 15mm, depending on whether you have a full-frame sensor or a crop sensor camera.
    • Zoom lens: Zoom lens fisheyes have a smaller aperture at f/4, but allow you to change the focal length. This can give you even more creative options, as at the widest focal length your photo will be circular with a black frame.

    1. Create distortion on the horizon line

    One of the obvious creative uses for a fisheye lens is to create distortion on the horizon line. You can use the lens to make the horizon line curve upward or downward.

    In order to make the horizon line bend downward, you’ll need to aim the camera down toward the ground. This means a large portion of the photo will feature the ground, so make sure the foreground contains enough interest to do that.

    Then, as you may have guessed:

    To make the horizon line bend upward, you’ll need to aim the camera up and toward the sky. If you’re aiming at the sky, try to do this when the sky is dramatic as it will fill the frame.

    creative uses for a fisheye lens
    This photo makes use of a textured foreground with the wave. You can see the horizon line is clearly bending.

    2. Use a fisheye for an ultra-wide perspective

    It’s possible to use your fisheye lens as a regular wide-angle lens, but even wider. This is best achieved by aiming your camera at the horizon line and keeping the angle of your camera flat.

    Look to avoid objects on the edge of the frame, as they’ll still distort and aim inwards unless you use post-processing to correct this. Locations with a minimalist feel like coastlines or deserts will work best for this kind of photo.

    creative uses for a fisheye lens
    In this photo the horizon line is kept flat, and the entire pond is captured.

    3. Take photos of architecture

    The fisheye lens is a real gift for architectural photographers. Its distortion can be used for creative effect to frame the scene you’re photographing. You’ll often be able to incorporate elements that are behind you, because the focal length is that wide. This all means you’ll really be able to emphasis the lines in your composition to create powerful architecture photos.

    creative uses for a fisheye lens
    There are lots of great lines in this photo, with the person adding perspective.

    4. Use intentional camera movement

    Intentional camera movement means moving the camera during the course of an exposure. The exposure length will need to be long enough for the camera movement to be obvious in your final image. An exposure of 1/15s during the day will work, and even longer exposures can be tried at night when using a tripod. Whether you’re photographing during the day or at night will lead to two distinct types of photography.

    • Radial blur: This effect is produced handheld, and involves rotating the camera around an imaginary central point. The result is best when you keep the camera steady as you rotate, and an exposure of around 1/15s is often needed.
    • Kinetic light painting: This is the nighttime variant of the radial blur, but taken from a tripod. This type of photo is a form of kinetic light painting, with the camera pivoting on the head of your tripod.
    creative uses for a fisheye lens
    This photo is an example of radial blur (taken handheld).

    5. Interesting portrait photos

    The fisheye lens can be a great lens for portrait photography, as well. It has some versatility, even though it’s a niche wide-angle lens. If you choose to get close to your model you can distort their appearance for an interesting effect, though make sure your results are okay with the subject!

    A popular approach is to make one body part especially large, perhaps the person’s eye or a hand stretched out toward the camera. Another approach is to emphasize the architecture around the model. In this case, they’ll be smaller in the frame, with perhaps a tunnel surrounding them.

    creative uses for a fisheye lens
    Fisheye lenses can work very well for portraits, where they capture more of the scene.

    The fisheye effect in a lensball

    A cheaper alternative is to buy a lensball or, as many people know it, a crystal ball. The optics of a lensball, with its spherical surface, replicate those of a fisheye lens. The effect is different, but this can be a great introduction to the perspective offered by a fisheye lens with its distortion. If the composition works for a lensball, the composition will also work for a fisheye lens.

    creative uses for a fisheye lens
    A lensball is the nearest you’ll get to the fisheye effect without buying a fisheye lens.

    Try out creative uses for a fisheye lens!

    There are lots of creative uses for a fisheye lens; have you tried any of the methods mentioned in this article?

    If you have any thoughts on fisheye photography, then please leave them in the comments section! As always, we encourage you to get out and practice your photography. So if you have examples of creative fisheye photos, then go ahead and share those in the comments section, too!

    The post 5 Creative Uses for a Fisheye Lens in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.


    Digital Photography School

  • Opinion: Businesses, especially corporations, should pay to use your photos

    There are thousands of photos of this particular musician online, which is why I couldn’t command as much as I would have liked for this image. The publisher who purchased a similar photograph had plenty of options.

    In spite of the fact that we’re in the midst of a global pandemic, I’ve managed to sell three photos recently without putting forth any effort. All were discovered from my uploads to Instagram or Flickr. Brands and companies are always looking for fresh content and will continue to seek out images that complement their messaging. This is why it’s important to know your worth. Or, in this case, the worth of the images you create.

    Would you ever work for free? If the answer is a resounding ‘no’, and it should be, then it doesn’t make sense to allow those with financial means to display your images in exchange for ‘credit’. After talking with other photographers who receive similar requests, and negotiating on my own behalf, I’ve arrived at figures that I believe are fair for an organization to pay if they want to amplify their message with your unique talents.

    The first time someone requested to purchase a photo of mine, I was pleasantly surprised. It came in the form of a comment from a well-known hotel rewards program. What I can only assume was a social media manager for the hotel chain’s official Instagram account reached out and asked for permission to repost a photo from my feed. After the initial afterglow wore off, I was a bit taken aback.

    At minimum, you should charge $ 250 for your image if it’s going to be printed. $ 500 is more of a fair price.

    The rewards program in question is tied to an international chain of hotels that holds a current net worth exceeding $ 20 billion dollars. While I don’t know the exact figure of their marketing budget, I imagine it has to be millions of dollars annually. As a photographer, I have invested tens of thousands of hours, over the years, into my craft. I expect to be compensated accordingly.

    To give you a rough idea of my expenses, currently, as a professional drone photographer, I spend $ 2,000 a year, at the bare minimum, on a new drone and a few extra batteries. Insuring each drone costs at least $ 500 on an annual basis and I typically have three in my arsenal. I also invest in accessories including memory cards, additional propellers, and neutral density filters – which easily tack on several hundred more dollars each year. I should mention that these costs are on the lower end compared to most professional photographers.

    Brands are more than willing to pay ‘influencers’ to promote their products and services. They shouldn’t hesitate to compensate you for your work. Source: Mediakix

    Brands don’t have any qualms about paying influencers to promote their goods and services. So why should anyone expect photographers to give away their hard work and vision for free? It doesn’t make much sense but some people, especially those starting out, are so enticed by the concept of gaining exposure or credibility that they enthusiastically say yes.

    My friend Dino Kuznik, who has been approached by the likes of Tesla and an another major auto manufacturer, not only demands top dollar for his work, he also makes it a point to contact brands and insist they remove his photos if they’ve posted them without his permission. He also recommends that creatives use this licensing calculator to arrive at an appropriate fee, especially if providing a high-resolution file is required. If you don’t negotiate properly, or have terms clearly laid out in a contract, you could lose out on compensation.

    Brands don’t have any qualms about paying influencers to promote their goods and services. So why should anyone expect photographers to give away their hard work for free?

    ‘Imagine coming to Times Square and seeing your photo on a billboard screen and realizing a company has been using it for a big campaign. But you couldn’t do anything about it [because you didn’t bother with a written agreement]. Now, if there was a contract, you could probably get a considerable amount because of the breach of contract/damages/etc,’ Kuznik explains. Typically, the client or company will provide the terms including a schedule detailing how, where, and when the image will be used. If the terms seem ambiguous, ask for clarification. Otherwise you may not have any legal recourse.

    If a brand wishes to license your image, they should provide a contract explicitly stating how it intends to use it for promotional purposes. Unless you are directly hired for a campaign or are paid a hefty amount for an image, you should retain the rights to use your work in any manner and at any time gong forward.

    It’s wise, outside of calculating a fair price, to thoroughly research a brand before agreeing to an amount for the rights to use your image. Find out what type of advertising they’re running, if any, and what the company is worth – if that information is available. So, what should you charge if someone approaches you to request a photo of yours for their own marketing or branding purposes? Well, that depends on a variety of factors.

    Kuznik was approached by an auto manufacturer (unnamed due to a non-disclosure agreement), to create a 3×3 grid of curated photos for Instagram. Because it’s a major automotive company, it compensates photographers on the higher end of the pay scale for their work. Kuznik had another engagement that prevented him from taking on the assignment but, had he made the trip, he would have been paid between $ 7,000 – $ 10,000.

    Tesla offered photographer Dino Kuznik $ 400 per image for Instagram and Twitter use. He negotiated the use of one of their vehicles for a road trip instead.

    Tesla offered him a rate of $ 400 per photo, strictly to be featured on its Instagram and Twitter accounts. Kuznik thought that was a bit low for a company of that magnitude. Instead, he negotiated a deal where he could borrow one of their cars for eight days. Between not needing to purchase gas or pay a car rental fee, it was worth his while to get free access to a Tesla for a road trip.

    My last three sales have been for either strict Instagram use or for a small outdoor exhibition, the latter given that we’re in the midst of a major pandemic. Here is what I charged:

    • I sold a photo I took of artist Jamie XX at a music festival several years back to a major publishing house in New Zealand. The photographer that sent me in her place never signs contracts, so the copyright remained in my name instead of the organizer’s. I agreed to $ 100 for the following reasons: there are close to 7,000 other images of the artist on Flickr, the platform where my image was discovered, and the contract expressed the wish to use it one time only on the publisher’s Instagram account.
    • A small, local construction company purchased a drone photo of one of their buildings for $ 200. They will only use it on their website. I had taken the photo for fun and had allowed a friend to repost it to their account, otherwise I would have charged $ 250–$ 300.
    • An international exhibition asked for permission to display a photo of mine and include it in a brochure that would be distributed to 1,000+ visitors. I gave the organizers the option of $ 250 for the display photo and brochure or $ 100 for rights to only display it from June 18th – 27th. The exhibition chose the latter since COVID has impacted its business.

    Research a brand before agreeing to an amount for the rights to use your image. Find out what type of advertising they’re running, if any, and what the company is worth.

    Social media and photography platforms are wonderful tools for building your portfolio and generating leads. There are times where it makes sense to partner with certain accounts and share your content instead of selling it for profit. An example is an Instagram takeover I did for Awesome Mitten. Since I sell aerial photography prints of destinations around Michigan to people who live in the state, it made sense to promote some of my offerings to potential customers during the Holiday season. My efforts generated a dozen-plus sales.

    There are times when it makes sense to use hashtags or share your images on relevant social accounts. This regional promotion made sense for my business.

    It’s important to keep in mind that this is passive income for me. I charge significantly more to perform on-site aerial photography and videography work for clients. I also sell my images to stock photo services and as art prints. Speaking of print, any publication should pay you $ 250, minimum, to print an image. Depending on circulation, you could get up to $ 1,500 per photo. The purpose of writing this article is to remind creatives that they shouldn’t give away their work in exchange for credit when approached by a business, brand or individual.

    On a final note, it’s imperative to develop your own signature style. Make it a point to actively look for new subjects, lesser known locales, and unique perspectives. While I enjoyed capturing musical artists performing live when starting out with photography, a lot of my images looked similar to those of my peers. I quickly hit my creative apex and found a new passion with drone photography. Consistently honing your craft and experimenting with new techniques and technology will help you attract the attention of those who have the means to support your endeavors, and allow you to command top dollar for your work.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)