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  • How to Use the Lightroom Graduated Filter

    The post How to Use the Lightroom Graduated Filter appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Christian Hoiberg.

    Adobe Photoshop has always been my software of choice when it comes to landscape photography and post-processing. However, Adobe Lightroom is constantly getting better and I’m able to do a lot of the things I could only do in Photoshop several years ago.

    The Lightroom Graduated Filter isn’t a new feature but it’s one that I’ve begun to use more and more during the last years. It’s a tool that can make a huge difference to an image and it’s fairly easy to use. The big benefit is that you can add several graduated filters to one single image. You don’t have to only use one. This gives you more flexibility.

    Let me show you how to use the Lightroom Graduated Filter.

    Soft transitions vs. hard transitions

    The very first thing you need to know about how I use the Graduated Filter is that I never use a hard transition. That means that I don’t drag the filter down and include the top part of the transition. (If you’re not familiar with this tool, any adjustment you make is visible at a 100-50 percent opacity transitioning from the top to middle line and 50-0 percent from the middle to the bottom line)

    1 - How to Use the Lightroom Graduated Filter

    You don’t want there to be a hard, visible transition that obviously shows the adjustment made to a particular area. Instead, you want a long and smooth transition.

    This is done by dragging the graduated filter from top to bottom, then moving it up so that the middle line is at the upper edge of the frame. You can then click and drag the lower line up or down depending on how much of the image you want to affect.

    Keep in mind that when you’re using an adjustment as smooth as this, you’ll need to increase the values of the adjustments you’re making. For example, instead of exposure -0.2 you might need an exposure of -1.0 to darken an area.

    Darkening the sky

    The main purpose of Graduated Neutral Density filters is to darken the sky in order to capture a well-balanced exposure. This is also the most common use of Lightroom’s Graduated Filter.

    2 - How to Use the Lightroom Graduated Filter

    I tend to darken the sky a lot in my photography. This helps me guide the viewers’ eyes towards the important part of the image and strengthens the composition. This is quite easy to do and by using soft graduation such as explained above, it can be applied even when there are mountains or other subjects projecting the horizon, without looking strange.

    Click and drag the graduated filter such as explained above, and place the middle transition line at the top of the frame. Adjust the bottom line in such a way that the adjustment is added only to the parts you want. Then lower the exposure. Since the transition is so smooth, I often lower the exposure down to -4.0 without it being too dark. Of course, this depends on how dark the original file is; you don’t want it to be completely black afterward.

    Add a cold tone to foreground and sky

    Color is an important part of the composition and that’s something that many tend to forget. Our eyes are naturally drawn towards the warmer tones but, unfortunately, nature doesn’t always let us capture that in the file. So to further enhance the main subject, I often add a cold tone and desaturate certain areas of the image. These areas quite often include the lower and upper part of the frame.

    3 - How to Use the Lightroom Graduated Filter

    Using the graduated filter the opposite way works quite similar. The only difference is that you drag from the bottom up instead of top down. Then, just as before, adjust the filter to your likings. I tend to only desaturate and add a cold tone to the very bottom of the frame.

    Sharpen & increase Clarity

    The fourth and final feature is sharpening and increasing the clarity by using the graduated tool. This could be done either to bring out details in a nice cloudy sky or to increase clarity in a vibrant foreground.

    4 - How to Use the Lightroom Graduated Filter

    I’m generally not a big fan of the Clarity slider so even though I’m still using a soft transition I gently increase the slider; I don’t want to add +100 clarity regardless of how soft the transition is. Increase the clarity gradually by clicking on the number next to the slider and holding shift plus tapping the up arrow until you’re satisfied with the result.

    Last words

    There are many ways to use Lightroom’s Graduated Tool. The examples above are just a handful of ideas what you can use it for.

    Truth be told, I use several Graduated Tools at the same time. It’s not uncommon that I use one or two for the sky, another couple for the foreground and perhaps a few more to create a small vignette. In the end, it depends on what you want to do with the image!

    The post How to Use the Lightroom Graduated Filter appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Christian Hoiberg.


    Digital Photography School

  • Sample gallery: Sony a9 with beta firmware 5.0

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    This week Sony announced new firmware updates coming soon for the a9. Firmware version 5.0 officially arrives in March and adds some powerful autofocus improvements to the camera’s already impressive AF toolkit. Quite simply, it makes the a9 an industry leader in AF tracking ability. There’s much more analysis to come, but for now here’s a selection of the images captured with a beta version of the new firmware, and exclusively using the new Real-Time Tracking autofocus mode.

    See our Sony a9 firmware 5.0 beta
    sample gallery

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • DJI addresses alleged corruption scandal that reportedly increased product prices by 20%

    DJI Technology, China’s largest drone manufacturer, is looking at a substantial financial loss in the midst of ongoing investigations wherein 45 current and former employees are facing allegations of corruption.

    According to a report from Yicai Global, more than 100 individuals are involved in an alleged widespread corruption scandal for falsely increasing the prices of parts and materials used to make DJI drones.

    The report says 26 people allegedly involved in the scandal ‘are from the research and development department, as well as the procurement division.’ Another 19 individuals work in other various departments including administration, design, factories and sales. 16 people have been reported to authorities regarding the allegations.

    In a statement to DroneDJ, DJI said:

    ‘We hold our employees to the highest ethical standards and take any violation of our code of ethics very seriously. During a recent investigation, DJI itself found some employees inflated the cost of parts and materials for certain products for personal financial gain. We took swift action to address this issue, fired the bad actors, and contacted law enforcement officials. We continue to investigate the situation and are cooperating fully with law enforcement’s investigation.’

    DJI is facing losses of more than CNY1 billion (approximately $ 147.6 million USD), according to Yicai Global’s estimates. It is believed DJI products suffered from a 20% price increase in 2018 due to the alleged widespread corruption within the supply chain.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Resources for shooting this weekend’s Super Blood Wolf Moon

    Photo captured and provided by NASA

    Astrophotography fans will be treated to the sight of a rare ‘super blood wolf Moon’ this weekend, and lots of helpful people are offering advice on how best to photograph it. The event will bring together the drama of the year’s first full moon at the same time as a total lunar eclipse – and the Moon passing very close to the earth. Mix all three factors and we get a very large-looking full Moon that appears a deep copper color in the sky.

    Depending on where you live the blood Moon will be visible on the evening of Sunday 20th or the early morning of Monday 21st, but only those in the Americas, northern and western Europe, the eastern Pacific and the north-eastern tip of Russia will be able to see the full eclipse. Some in western Africa may get a partial eclipse.

    The event will occur as the Moon passes into the earth’s shadow. As this happens sunlight is refracted by the earth’s atmosphere, bending around the earth to faintly illuminate the Moon in a warm red light – hence the ‘blood Moon’ name. As the moon will appear relatively dim in the sky it’s a great chance to get a manageable exposure to include the Moon and stars in a single shot. ‘Wolf’ in the name is present because it will be the first full moon of the year.

    Resources:

    • PhotoPills has produced a video explaining how to use its app to determine where the Moon will appear and its size, so you can plan your foreground and composition.
    • Mr Eclipse is a constant source of information on different ways to capture the spectacle, with tips and techniques for a wide range of shots.
    • Fred Espenak from Mr Eclipse has also written a piece for the Nikon USA website on the subject, and shows some pretty stunning pictures.
    • Newsweek has a piece by physics professor Walter Freeman explaining a little more how and why this phenomenon occurs.
    • The Royal Astronomical Society also has information and advice for observers in the UK, where the full eclipse will occur at 05.12GMT. The official guidelines state that to enjoy the sight ‘all you have to do is dress warmly and go outside.’ Sensible advice.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Nikon quietly announces Coolpix B600, A1000 compact cameras

    Nikon has quietly announced the upcoming availability of two new compact cameras, the Coolpix B600 and the Coolpix A1000. The B600 fills a gap between Nikon’s current Coolpix B500 and B700 cameras while the A1000 is a lower-resolution successor to Nikon’s A900.

    Nikon Coolpix B600

    The Coolpix B600 is a bridge-style camera with a 60x optical zoom lens with an equivalent focal length range between 24-1440mm. The lens features Nikon’s Hybrid Vibration Reduction (VR) technology — rated for three stops of compensation — and offers a dedicated macro mode.

    Full specs for the B600 are yet to be released, but from what’s known so far, the B600 houses a 16-megapixel sensor that’s also capable of shooting 1080p30 video. The B600 also features Nikon’s Active D-Lighting, which is designed to reduce the loss of detail in highlights and shadows of high-contrast scenes.

    On the rear of the camera is a 3-inch 921k-dot LCD monitor with an anti-reflective coating. Like its P600 counterpart, the B600 includes target-finding AF and multiple creative modes for both photos and videos.

    Nikon Coolpix A1000

    The Coolpix A1000, an apparent successor to the A900, is a compact camera with a 35x optical zoom lens with an equivalent focal length range between 24-840mm. Like the B600, it too uses Nikon’s Hybrid VR technology and Active D-Lighting.

    Inside the A1000 is a 1/2.3-inch 16-megapxiel backside illuminated CMOS sensor — a drop from the 20-megapixel sensor inside the A900 — with a standard sensitivity range of ISO 100-6400. The A1000 has Raw photo capture in Nikon’s NRW format and is capable of recording 4K30 video.

    The A1000 features 1166k-dot equivalent electronic viewfinder and a 3-inch tilting 1036k-dot touchscreen LCD display on the rear of the camera. Nikon has also included its SnapBridge technology, meaning the A1000 can be paired via its built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with supported smartphones and tablets to review and transfer photos on the go.

    Pricing and availability

    The Nikon Coolpix B600 and A1000 are currently available for pre-order at Wex Photo and Video for £329 / €359 and £409 / €449, respectively.

    Nikon hasn’t mentioned whether or not the B600 and A1000 will be available in the U.S. market. DPReview has contacted Nikon for details on the exact availability and will update this article accordingly if and when it gets a response.

    Press releases:

    Nikon releases the high-power zoom COOLPIX B600

    A versatile camera that covers wide-angle to super-telephoto shooting for imaging experiences simply not possible with a smartphone

    TOKYO – Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is pleased to announce the release of the COOLPIX B600, a compact digital camera equipped with a high-performance 60x optical zoom NIKKOR lens.

    The COOLPIX B600 employs a 60x optical zoom NIKKOR lens that covers a range of equivalent focal lengths beginning at wide-angle 24 mm*1 and ending at super-telephoto 1440 mm*1 (Dynamic Fine Zoom further expands the zoom ratio to 120x*2), making it possible for users to enjoy super-telephoto photography without compromising sharp and clear resolution.

    The camera has an effective pixel count of 16.0 megapixels and supports a maximum sensitivity of ISO 6400. Its combination of backside illumination CMOS sensor and EXPEED high-performance image-processing engine captures superior still and video quality, even at high sensitivities. The COOLPIX B600 is also equipped with a variety of functions that enable a diverse power of expression, including 19 scene modes, as well as a Creative mode that offers a total of 36 different effects.

    The camera also features functions that make it easier to use as a high-power zoom model and ensure increased operability, such as a Snap-back zoom button and Side zoom control, as well as a shooting mode dial that enables immediate switching between frequently used shooting modes. It is also SnapBridge compatible, so high-quality images can be automatically downloaded to a smart device*3 for easy sharing.

    • *1 Equivalent focal length in 35mm [135] format.
    • *2 At the maximum image size. The maximum zoom ratio varies by image size. Dynamic Fine Zoom refers to the area in which the camera can zoom while maintaining resolution from the maximum zoom position, and is the combined ratio of optical zoom from the maximum wide-angle position and digital zoom.
    • *3 iPhone®, iPad®, iPod touch® and Android™ devices to which the SnapBridge app has been installed can be used. The SnapBridge app can be downloaded free of charge from the App Store® and Google Play™. See Nikon’s website for further information.

    Primary features

    • 1. A compact body equipped with a 60x optical zoom lens that covers a wide range of focal lengths from wide-angle to super-telephoto

      The COOLPIX B600 employs a high-performance 60x optical zoom NIKKOR lens that covers the wide-angle 24 mm to super-telephoto 1440 mm*1 range of focal lengths. Sharpness is preserved throughout the digital zoom range, which is expandable to 120x*2, or a focal length equivalent to approximately 2880 mm*1, with Digital Fine Zoom realizing sharp and clear rendering even when shooting in super-telephoto mode. The COOLPIX B600 is also equipped with Macro mode, which allows users to enjoy macro photography with shooting as close as 1 cm (0.4 in.) to the lens at the maximum wide-angle position.

      • *1Equivalent focal length in 35mm [135] format.
      • *2At the maximum image size setting.
    • 2. Superior image quality that enables recording of beautiful stills and movies

      The combination of the backside illumination CMOS sensor and high-performance image processing engine EXPEED makes the most of the superior resolution of the high-performance NIKKOR lens, and enables recording of photos and movies with excellent image and picture quality, even at high sensitivities. The COOLPIX B600 is also equipped with a Vibration Reduction (VR) mechanism capable of reducing the effects of camera shake to the same degree as would a 3.0-stop* increase in shutter speed with still-image photography, and 4-axis Hybrid VR that effectively reduces blur with movie recording. This allows users to capture sharp photos and movies with noticeably less blur, even at the maximum telephoto position and in dark or dimly lit surroundings.

      • *Measured in accordance with CIPA Standards; at approx. 350 mm (equivalent focal length in 35mm [135] format).
    • 3. Diverse power of expression that is easy to achieve

      The COOLPIX B600 is equipped with a variety of functions that enable diverse power of expression, including 19 scene modes, with which the user simply selects the most appropriate mode for the scene, while the camera automatically applies the appropriate settings, as well as Creative mode with its 36 effects offering the optimal combinations of exposure, contrast, and color reproduction, making it easy for users to express themselves as intended.

    • 4. Superior operability that pursues user friendliness as a high-power zoom model

      The COOLPIX B600 is also equipped with a Snap-back zoom button that temporarily expands the visible area (angle of view) a certain degree while it is held down so that the subject may be reacquired. In addition, the Side zoom control enables smooth zooming even while recording movies.

    • 5. SnapBridge support for automatic transfer of photos captured with the camera to a smart device

      A constant connection between the camera and a smart device is possible using the SnapBridge app, built-in Wi-Fi®, and Bluetooth® technology. Not only can images recorded with the camera be transferred to a smart device automatically*1, they can also be automatically uploaded to Nikon’s photo sharing service, NIKON IMAGE SPACE*2. The SnapBridge app supports a number of other features as well, including the ability to add copyright information and comments, such as exposure information to images, and to automatically synchronize camera date/time and location information with that of the smart device. SnapBridge also makes remote shooting of still images possible with real-time display of the view through the camera’s lens in the smart device screen.

      • *1 Images are resized to 2 megapixels (2 million pixels) with automatic transfer. The transfer of original JPEG images and movies is not supported. Transfer of RAW (NRW) images is not supported.
      • *2 There is no limit on the number or size (volume) of JPEG thumbnail images (2 megapixels) that can be automatically uploaded from the SnapBridge app. Storage for original JPEG images is limited to 20 GB. A Nikon ID must be registered to take advantage of this feature.
    • 6. Additional features
      • A mode dial that allows users to easily apply one of the ten most frequently used shooting modes by simply rotating the dial to the appropriate icon
      • A Pre-focus function that is effective with zooming and shooting in dark or dimly lit surroundings due to the camera always focusing automatically
      • Target finding AF, where the user simply points the camera at the intended subject and the camera automatically predicts and focuses on it
      • Recording of 1080/60i (50i) and 1080/30p Full HD movies with stereo sound
      • Short movie show that allows users to easily create a movie up to 30 seconds in length from multiple movie clips
      • Support for the ML-L7 Remote Control, which is capable of a variety of operations over a Bluetooth® connection to the camera
      • Adoption of the EN-EL12 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, which can be charged while inserted in the camera, over a USB connection

    Nikon releases the COOLPIX A1000

    A stylish and compact high-power zoom model with a built-in electronic viewfinder providing superior image quality and operability

    Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is pleased to announce the release of the COOLPIX A1000, a stylish compact digital camera equipped with an electronic viewfinder that supports 35x optical zoom.

    The COOLPIX A1000 boasts a compact size for ease of portability, and comes equipped with a 35x optical zoom lens that covers a range of equivalent focal lengths — from the wide-angle 24 mm*1 to the super-telephoto 840 mm*1 (Dynamic Fine Zoom further expands the zoom ratio to 70x*2). This allows users to easily enjoy super-telephoto photography that delivers images with sharp and clear resolution.

    The COOLPIX A1000 supports a maximum sensitivity of ISO 6400. The camera is also equipped with a lens-shift vibration reduction (VR) function for still-image shooting, and hybrid vibration reduction (VR) for movie recording that is effective even when recording 4K UHD movies. The camera’s Active D-Lighting function reduces the loss of details in highlights and shadows in high-contrast situations such as backlit scenes. The function can be applied to both still images and movies. Additionally, photos can be captured in RAW (NRW) format, which allows users to process and edit images according to their own artistic preferences and intent without compromising image quality.

    The COOLPIX A1000 is also equipped with a number of features designed to make this high-power zoom model easier to use. These include an approximately 1166k-dot equivalent electronic viewfinder with an eye sensor, a 3-inch, approximately 1036k-dot, tilting TFT LCD monitor with a touch screen, Snap-back zoom button and Side zoom control, as well as four exposure modes (P/S/A/M). The camera is also compatible with SnapBridge, an application that provides support for the automatic download and sharing of high-quality images using smart devices*3.

    • *1 Equivalent focal length in 35mm [135] format.
    • *2 At the maximum image size. The maximum zoom ratio varies by image size. Dynamic Fine Zoom refers to the area in which the camera can zoom while maintaining resolution from the maximum zoom position, and is the combined ratio of optical zoom from the maximum wide-angle position and digital zoom.
    • *3 iPhone®, iPad®, iPod touch®, and Android™ devices to which the SnapBridge app has been installed can be used. The SnapBridge app can be downloaded free of charge from the App Store® and Google Play™. See Nikon’s website for further information.

    Primary features

    • 1. A stylish body equipped with a 35x optical zoom lens that covers a wide range of focal lengths – from wide-angle to super-telephoto

      The stylish COOLPIX A1000 is equipped with a high-performance 35x optical zoom NIKKOR lens that covers the wide-angle 24 mm to super-telephoto 840 mm range of focal lengths (equivalent focal lengths in 35mm [135] format). With Dynamic Fine Zoom, sharpness is preserved throughout the digital zoom range, which can be expanded up to 70x*, or a focal length equivalent to approximately 1680 mm (in 35mm [135] format), ensuring sharp and clear rendering even with super-telephoto shooting. Additionally, the A1000 is equipped with a macro close-up mode that allows users to enjoy macro photography when shooting as close as 1 cm (0.4 in.) to the lens at the maximum wide-angle position.

      • *At the maximum image size setting.
    • 2. Superior image quality that is sharp and clear, even when shooting at high sensitivities, and support for RAW (NRW) recording

      The COOLPIX A1000 has an effective pixel count of 16.0 megapixels. Its backside illumination CMOS sensor is capable of collecting sufficient light, even in dimly lit or dark surroundings, to capture a wide variety of scenes with superior image quality. It supports a higher maximum sensitivity, with a range of standard sensitivities of ISO 100-6400. The camera is also equipped with a lens-shift vibration reduction (VR) function. This ensures that images are sharp and clear, even in dark or dimly lit scenes. Further, support for RAW (NRW) recording has been added, allowing users of the COOLPIX A1000 to use Capture NX-D, Nikon’s RAW processing software, to create beautiful photographic works without compromising image quality.

    • 3. 4K UHD movie recording that supports vibration reduction (VR), and Active D-Lighting which prevents loss of detail in highlights and shadows

      The COOLPIX A1000 captures the finest details with its ability to record high-resolution 4K UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels) movies. The camera’s hybrid vibration reduction (VR) system, which combines lens-shift VR with electronic VR, can also be used with 4K UHD recording, enabling smoother and clearer hand-held and telephoto zoom recording. In addition, the Active D-Lighting function, which effectively reduces the loss of details in highlights and shadows in scenes exhibiting great contrast, such as those that are backlit, can also be applied during movie recording*.

      • *Cannot be used with HS 1080/4x (1920 x 1080) recording.
    • 4. Superior operability with enhanced user friendliness as a high-power zoom model

      The COOLPIX A1000 is equipped with an approximately 1166k-dot equivalent electronic viewfinder. The electronic viewfinder has an eye sensor that automatically switches the display between viewfinder and camera monitor as the camera is lowered or raised to the eye. Not only does viewfinder shooting achieve a steadier shooting stance that helps reduce camera shake – by making only the recordable angle of view visible – it also allows the user to concentrate on the intended subject, aiding the process of composing shots.

      The camera is also equipped with a 3-inch tilting monitor for which a touch panel has been newly adopted. The tilting mechanism makes shooting from high and low angles easier, and the approximately 1036k-dot LCD monitor, which supports a high-definition display and intuitive touch operation, enables smooth camera operations from shooting to image playback. In addition, the monitor uses an anti-reflection coating that makes viewing under strong lighting easier, ensuring better visibility even when outdoors in harsh lighting.

      The COOLPIX A1000 is also equipped with a Snap-back zoom button that temporarily shifts zoom position to the wide-angle side to some degree for easy framing when shooting fast-moving subjects or during super-telephoto shooting. Side zoom control that enables smooth zooming even while recording movies has also been added on the side of the lens. Other functions, including aperture, ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation, or white balance setting can also be assigned to the Side zoom control.

    • 5. SnapBridge support for automatic transfer of photos captured to a smart device

      A constant connection between the camera and a smart device is possible using the SnapBridge app, built-in Wi-Fi®, and Bluetooth® technology. Not only can images captured with the camera be transferred to a smart device automatically*1, they can also be automatically uploaded to Nikon’s photo sharing service, NIKON IMAGE SPACE*2. The SnapBridge app supports a number of other features as well, including the ability to add copyright information and comments to images, and to automatically synchronize camera date/time and location information with that of the smart device. SnapBridge also makes remote shooting of still images possible with real-time display of the view through the camera’s lens on the smart device screen.

      • *1 Images (JPEG) reduced to 2-megapixel equivalent can be transferred automatically. Automatic transfer of original JPEG images and movies is not supported. Transfer of RAW (NRW) images is not supported.
      • *2 There is no limit on the number or size (volume) of JPEG thumbnail images (2 megapixels) that can be automatically uploaded from the SnapBridge app. Storage for original JPEG images is limited to 20 GB. A Nikon ID must be registered to take advantage of this feature.
    • 6. Additional features
      • An MF peaking function that highlights areas in focus to make manual focusing easier (for still-image photography)
      • 20 creative modes support the application of preferred effects to photos (for still-image photography)

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Weekly Photography Challenge – Chaos

    The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Chaos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

    This week’s photography challenge topic is CHAOS!

    Photo: Kimson Doan

    Your photos can include anything that evokes a feeling of chaos. It can be busy, messy, crowded, or without order. Or alternatively, it can look chaotic but still have beauty and order in a weird way. Interiors, exteriors, people, wildlife, objects etc. Have fun, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

    Some Inst-piration from some Instagrammers:

     

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by BCPA (@thebcpa) on

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Marieke (@mriek89) on

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Maria João Silva (@mjayish) on

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Christian Schoenig (@bigmetaltrout) on

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Geanne (@ge_an_ne) on

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by buildingswow (@buildingswow) on

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by JT (@thomasjason101) on

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Truc (@trucle157) on

     

    Check out some of the articles below that give you tips on this week’s challenge.

    Tips for Shooting CHAOS

    Tips for Getting Started in Street Photography

    4 Tips to Help People Photographers Shoot Interior Spaces

    Tips for Doing City Photography from Above

    10 Amazing Photography Tricks You Can do at Home with Everyday Objects

    A Guide to Photographing Birds and Wildlife in a Wetland Area

    21 Images of Birds of Feather Flocking Together

     

    Weekly Photography Challenge – CHAOS

    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 favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge.

     

    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 #DPSCHAOS 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 – Chaos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


    Digital Photography School

  • K&F Concept Nikon Z lens adapters start shipping on January 22nd

    If you own a Nikon Z camera and still have a bunch of older lenses from other brands sitting around, K&F Concept’s new line of Nikon Z lens adapters, which will start shipping on January 22, could be worth a look. They could give your old lenses a new lease on life.

    In total ten different Z-mount adapters will be available:

    • KF-FDZ for Canon FD mount
    • KF-EFZ for Canon EF mount
    • KF-PKZ for Pentax K mount
    • KF-NGZ for Nikon F mount (G-type)
    • KF-NFZ for Nikon F mount
    • KF-CYZ for Yashica-Contax mount
    • KF-OMZ for Olympus OM mount
    • KF-AAZ for Sony/Minolta A mount
    • KF-SRZ for Minolta MD mount
    • KF-42Z for M42 mount
    • KF-LMZ for Leica M

    The adapters are made of brass and aluminum and manually operated. They’re also pretty affordable, with prices ranging from $ 30 to just over $ 60. You can find an overview of all adapters with more detail on the K&F website.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Easy to Create Fake Underwater Photography Hack [video]

    The post Easy to Create Fake Underwater Photography Hack appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

    In this handy tutorial by Raj K Photo, you’ll learn to take impressive underwater-style photos without the need to get underwater! And, even better, this DIY hack costs less than 50pounds.

    ?

    What you will need:

    • Clear Acrylic Sheet
    • Wood
    • Woodscrews
    • Duct Tape
    • Multi-Purpose Sealant

    You can make it to whatever size you want.

    What to do:

    1. Cut wood to size.
    2. Screw in the ends but be sure to drill some holes first to stop the wood splitting.
    3. Draw an outline of the frame onto the acrylic.
    4. Place the acrylic onto the top of the wood frame, lining the outline you just drew up with the frame. It acts as a guide so you know where to put the screws.
    5. Use a drill bit to make pilot holes in the acrylic along each side. Use around 6 screws, evenly placed apart. Screw the screws in but be sure not to screw too quickly or hard so as to not split your acrylic.
    6. Flip the frame over and peel off the protective film.
    7. Take your sealant and seal all the gaps between your wood and the acrylic surface.
    8. Leave to dry for 24hrs.
    9. As a further layer of protection, add duct tape around the sealed areas.
    10. Remove any remaining protective film and clean surface.

    Photographing your model using your new underwater hack

    1. Find a place to prop it up so that you can lay it face down with water inside. Ensure that it is secure.
    2. Lay your model underneath.
    3. Set an LED light above so that it is shining through the water onto your model. That way you can get an idea of how the shot will look.
    4. Place the flash units (one with a blue gel to look like water) in position above the model.
    5. use a reflector to bounce some light back to your model.
    6. Wet your model’s hair and have the model keep their head slightly off the background to make it look like it is floating.
    7. Take your photos!

    You may also find the following articles useful:

    5 Tips for Underwater Photography Without Spending a Fortune

    5 Tips for Underwater Photography with a GoPro

    Surreal Underwater Shipwreck Photo Shoot

    Introduction to Taking Great Underwater Photos

    The post Easy to Create Fake Underwater Photography Hack appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


    Digital Photography School

  • The Secret to Sharing Photos with Lightroom CC

    The post The Secret to Sharing Photos with Lightroom CC appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

    After years of resisting the urge to sign up for one of Adobe’s Creative Cloud plans, I finally gave in. I purchased a subscription to the Photography bundle which includes Lightroom and Photoshop. While initially, I didn’t see a whole lot of benefits to this, I continue to discover all sorts of perks included in the Creative Cloud that I didn’t even think about before I jumped on the train.

    One of the best, and also one of the least-talked-about, features has been the ability to share photos publicly right from Lightroom. This feature has been a total game-changer for me and it could re-shape the way you go about getting your work seen by others.

    Traditional Lightroom sharing

    With all previous versions of Lightroom, sharing images involved a few steps and some hoops to jump through. Mostly, this involved exporting images to your computer and then uploading them to social media sites, online photo platforms, or even email them to friends, family, and clients. Unfortunately, this also meant some hassles. Such as having duplicate copies of your shared images (one in your Lightroom catalog and one that you exported for sharing) and having to re-export and share images after you made any changes. The process could also be time-consuming, especially if exporting a large batch of images.

    Some social sites like Flickr and Facebook created plugins for Lightroom, but in my experience, those have been somewhat unreliable, and I have used some that were ultimately abandoned by their developers. This meant that relying on these plugins was an exercise in frustration and, more often than not, futility.

    Psst…have you heard about Lightroom’s photo-sharing capabilities?

    Before I jumped to Creative Cloud, I had several presets that I created to export images for different groups of people. I had a hierarchy of folders in my cloud storage service that I used for sharing, and a headache if I needed to re-share images after further edits. After switching to the Creative Cloud Photography plan, that includes both Lightroom Classic CC and Lightroom CC, I have replaced all of that with a simple click of the mouse or tap of my iPad.

    Using the sharing features of Adobe Creative Cloud, you can instantly make individual photos or even entire albums public. Then you get a link to share with anyone you want. You can further customize these features. You can specify whether people with the link can download photos, access picture metadata, and see only pictures that have a particular Flag or Star Rating. The images you share can have comments and likes from viewers, and you can get information on this activity as well.

    Sharing doesn’t use your Cloud Storage

    My favorite part about this type of sharing is that none of your shared images count against your Creative Cloud storage quota. Even if you have the Photography plan with only 20GB of storage, you can share as many photos to the web as you want without using any of that 20GB allotment. This feature does not use your allocated space because Adobe doesn’t share full resolution images with this feature.

    You probably wouldn’t want to do this with clients who need high-resolution downloads for printing, but it’s great for getting your pictures seen by many people without any real effort on your part.

    Sharing with Lightroom Classic CC

    If your workflow is dependent on the more traditional Lightroom Classic CC as opposed to the cloud-focused Lightroom CC, you still have access to most of the cloud-based sharing features. You will, however, need to launch Lightroom CC at some point if you want to fine-tune your sharing options. The first step in sharing is to enable syncing. You achieve that by clicking on your name in the top-left corner of the application and choose “Start” under the option to Sync with Lightroom CC.

    No need to panic at this point – nothing is going to happen to your photos, and no images are going to be suddenly shared to the cloud or anywhere else. All this does is give you the option to sync photo albums with Lightroom CC so you can edit your images using that program on your desktop or mobile device. It’s not even sharing the actual pictures, just low-resolution preview files. After you make any edits, those changes get automatically synced back to Lightroom Classic CC.

    This feature also gives you the option of making your images available publicly on the internet for anyone to view. However, first, you must choose individual albums that you want to sync with Lightroom CC. Right-click on a collection in your Library and select Sync with Lightroom CC.

    Doing so doesn’t share the photos publicly, but makes them available to Lightroom CC while also giving you the option to share them with others if you wish. (Note that this feature is only available for traditional photo collections in Lightroom and will not work with Smart Collections.)

    After you have synced a Collection with Lightroom CC, you will see a small two-way arrow icon next to its name, and you will have access to additional features when you right-click on it with the Lightroom CC Links option. You can now make the album Public. Once you have completed that step, you can view the photos on the web or get a public link to send out to family and friends.

    It is as simple as that! With one click you can get a link to an entire photo Collection, and Lightroom does all the heavy lifting of uploading them and putting them in a clean gallery format. For more options, open up Lightroom CC on your desktop or mobile device.

    Sharing with Lightroom CC

    Because Lightroom CC is built from the ground up to live and breathe in the cloud, it has a more robust suite of tools available for sharing (even though the basics are relatively similar to its desktop counterpart). Whether you have your original images stored in Lightroom CC (or stored in your Adobe Creative Cloud account) or synced from Lightroom Classic CC, the process of sharing them is the same.

    To get started, navigate to one of your albums on the left side of the Lightroom CC interface. Right-click on the name of the one you want to share to the internet via a public link. Then choose the option that says Share to Web…

    As the saying goes, here’s where the fun begins. After choosing this option, you get presented with a dialog box giving you several options to customize how your photos get shared online. What I like about this is you can specify different parameters for each shared album. See the screenshot below.

    In this example, I opted to show only photos with a Pick status that are rated three stars or higher. I’m not allowing any location data to be visible either. The link can be copied and shared with anyone you want, or posted on social media sites. Any changes made to the album are automatically reflected in the shared link as well. So, if you add more images to the album, or change the Flag status or Star Rating, anyone with the link can automatically see the revised images.

    If at any point you want to stop sharing the album, you can right-click on the name of the album and choose the Stop Sharing option. If you re-share it in the future, a new link gets generated for you to re-send to friends, family, and clients.

    When visitors click on the link to your shared album, they will see a grid with all your images that they can scroll through and click. Icons in the top right corner can be used to play a slideshow or download a ZIP archive of the photos in the gallery if you have that option enabled.

    When viewers click on an individual image, they have the option to leave comments or click a Like button. This information automatically syncs with Lightroom Classic CC so you can see it on your desktop.

    When you view the link of one of your shared albums, you can also see any user comments and delete ones you don’t want. The one catch with this is that anyone who wants to leave a Like or Comment will need an Adobe ID. It’s a bit of extra effort but helps cut down on spam and other unwanted input from random internet users.

    When people leave comments on publicly-shared photos, you can see a yellow icon appear by the Collection name in Lightroom Classic CC. Click the Collection to review the comments.

    Finally, you can share any individual picture from an album on the web using its own unique link. Right-click on a single photo to get a unique link for that one image as well as the same sharing options that you have for full albums.

    Sharing is a great way to get feedback from clients and see what photos they really like.

    User control and privacy

    The advantages of Lightroom’s built-in photo sharing system are enormous. Not the least of which has to do with user control and privacy.

    When you share pictures on social media sites, your images and personal data get mined and used for advertising. However, no such activity takes place when using Lightroom shared albums. You control exactly what you share, and can remove images at any time. Deleting your images from the internet is as simple as clicking the Stop Sharing button.

    Where sharing is beneficial

    Here are a few scenarios to help you see where photo sharing may be beneficial:

    • After returning from a trip, create an album with your favorite images and share the link instantly with family and friends.
    • Create an album with pictures of your kids or other loved ones in your life and share the link. As you add more pictures to the album, anyone with the link can automatically see the new images.
    • Share a preview album with clients after a photo session, and ask them to click Like on their favorites. Then you can see the results and know which ones they appreciate. This can help you if you are assembling a physical album for them.

    I took a lot of photos at a Petting Zoo birthday party my kids were invited to. Instead of uploading them to social media, I just shared a link to the album with parents and enabled downloads.

    The more I use these sharing features, the more I have come to appreciate them. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to my old workflow again. Moreover, I hope this is useful for you and would love to hear any thoughts you may want to share in the comments below.

    The post The Secret to Sharing Photos with Lightroom CC appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.


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  • OWC Mercury Helios FX 650 eGPU chassis launches with macOS, Windows support

    OWC has launched Mercury Helios FX 650, an external GPU (eGPU) chassis compatible with macOS and Windows computers with Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. As with the Blackmagic eGPU and similar models, the new Mercury Helios FX 650 enables professionals to increase the graphics processing power of their desktop or laptop computers.

    The Helios FX 650, which is made from recyclable materials, features a large temperature-controlled fan with variable speed support, the promise of quiet operation, an upgraded 650w power supply capable of providing 100w charging power to a connected computer, and support for most Thunderbolt-compatible GPUs.

    The new OWC eGPU weighs 3kg / 7lbs and measures 20 x 34 x 18.5cm 7.9 x 13.4 x 7.3in. Unlike select competing models that have built-in GPUs and sealed designs, the Mercury Helios 650 can be upgraded to newer, faster GPUs in the future to meet evolving needs. The eGPU chassis is available now from MacSales for $ 399 USD.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)