Blog

Gear Offer is an online marketplace for buying and selling used camera gear

When it comes to buying used photography gear, there are plenty of options around the web: eBay, Amazon, KEH, B&H, and Adorama. Now, there’s a new option — Gear Offer, a photography-specific marketplace for selling and buying used camera equipment.

Based out of Scottsdale, Arizona, United States, Gear Offer is a self-proclaimed “marketplace just for photographers that’s hassle free, priced fairly and continually improving” founded in March 2017.

Trusting a new online marketplace isn’t always easy, but Gear Offer clearly lays out its terms of service and guidelines on how selling and buying items works.

Listing items on Gear Offer is free. There’s even a built-in pricing tool that uses recent sales of identical products as a guideline for what price you should set your item(s) at. Once the gear is listed, it’s a matter of waiting for someone to click the “buy now” button on the product page or make an offer that’s accepted.

Once an item is purchased, the funds from the buyer will be transferred to their Gear Offer account. The seller then packs up the item, ships it off, and adds the tracking number to the purchase on Gear Offer. The buyer will then receive updates until the item (hopefully) safely arrives on their doorstep. After the payment has cleared, which Gear Offer claims is “typically in 2 business days” the seller will receive their funds. Below is a chart provided by Gear Offer that illustrates the timeline of the buying and selling process.

To protect against fraudulent accounts and activity, Gear Offer says it uses machine learning to continually evaluate the risk of certain sales and transactions. It also relies on reviews from buyers and sellers to help build trust between frequent users. In the event something does go wrong, Gear Offers says customer service is provided by “real live humans,” and not ones in offshore call centers.

To confirm this claim DPReview tested the Gear Offer contact line by calling at roughly 4pm ET on a Saturday and after stating its name via a Google Voice operator service, DPReview was connected to a line that was eventually directed to a voicemail that said we would hear back “as soon as possible” regarding its inquiry. DPReview called again five minutes later in a secondary effort to contact the Gear Offer team and was immediately connected with a representative from the company.

Gear Offer makes its money is through a 6.9% processing fee when an item is sold, similar to how eBay and Amazon works, although at a lower rate — Gear Offer notes that eBay charges 12.9% (plus a standard $ .30 fixed processing fee).¹The 6.9% fee comes from the income of the seller of the item.

Head over to Gear Offer to find out more and browse around the current listings. To list or purchase photography gear sign up for an account.

¹ The eBay processing fee is 10% and the PayPal processing fee is 2.9%, which makes for the 12.9% total fee.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 13, 2018
Maternity Session Tips For Better Client Experience
There are many different types of portraiture. Maternity is probably one type that is truly one-of-a-kind. Each maternity session is different, however, these tips will help you have the same approach to your sessions so they run smoothly from beginning to end.

Keep Posing Simple

When women get a maternity session photographed, they are usually between 7-9 months pregnant. As a photographer, you should know that a growing belly is tiring. Therefore, keep posing simple and move your client to a minimum to help her stay comfortable while you are photographing this beautiful moment in her life.

In order to keep the focus on the belly, use your client’s hands to frame the belly. One hand on top and one below, both below, both on top, or rubbing the belly. All are great ways for your clients to connect with their belly. They will also appear more natural in photos as the bump is the main focus.

Popping one knee out can help give your client a little more shape. This is especially helpful if she is wearing a long maxi dress or wardrobe that hides her natural shape. Make sure that your client pops out the knee that is closest to the camera. She can do this by putting one foot on tip-toe or just bending the knee.

In order to make the belly stand out while still giving your client a bit of shape to her body, angle her at 45 degrees from the camera. This makes the maternity silhouette more prominent in the photographs.

Pose your client with a knee pop and at 45 degrees toward the camera to put the focus on the belly silhouette.

Posing with Partner or Siblings

When posing with siblings, make sure to pose your client first and then have her children surround her. Or if she is willing to carry one sibling. Try different poses and allow for natural posing to happen. Children might be excited to rub or kiss the belly, and you can capture many natural expressions.

When posing with partners, make sure that they are interacting or connecting with the belly as well. A hand on the belly, or kneeling, rubbing or speaking to the belly can really bring out a connection. Don’t be afraid of just focusing on the partner and the belly bump. Take photos close-up and from afar to include both clients.

Photographing the whole family can be tricky during a maternity session. Keeping the energy light and happy can really help bring out the best expressions. Working quickly is a good idea to keep the siblings interested and engaged. Move through poses swiftly and try to tell jokes or be playful to help.

Whether you’re photographing your client indoors or outdoors, try to maximize the number of poses in one spot. Being pregnant can cause swollen feet if she is on her feet for too long. When posing siblings and partners, move them first or move them closer to your client so that she doesn’t have to move around too much.

Know Your Pregnancy Facts

If you are a female photographer and have been pregnant before, then you can skip this tip. However, if you have never been pregnant or are a male photographer, it is really important to take the following into consideration. You will ensure your client has the best maternity session experience.
- Maternity clients may not be able to walk around a lot without getting tired or swollen. Take breaks between setups and offer her a seat whenever possible.
- Bathroom breaks: Be close to bathrooms because a pregnant woman will need to go often.
- Offer water and snacks. Pregnant women need more calories so it’s really important for them to have healthy snacks and lots of water. It’s a nice gesture if you these to the session to offer her. Take it a step further by asking what her favorite snack is right now.
- Ask if they will want retouching done to their belly. Some women prefer to keep it natural as it is in real life. Some will want a little extra editing. Asking up front can keep you from doing double the work or having to re-edit photos later.
- Ask if your client will want to show her bump or not. This will help you prepare her to bring the right wardrobe.
- Do not point out the obvious: that they are pregnant, or big, or look like they are having twins or anything of that nature. All you should ever say to a pregnant woman is that she looks beautiful and congratulations. Anything outside of that can seem like unsolicited advice or opinions. It may be interpreted as rude.
These are just a few of the things you should be aware of in order to give your client the best maternity session experience. She will see that you have put a great deal of effort into her comfort and will be instantly appreciative.

Props and Accessories

Ask your client to bring props or accessories that she has already purchased for her little one. Shoes, bows, onesies, signs with the name or another special item that can really personalize the session for them.

The more they bring, the more you will have to play with resulting in more options and variations for your clients. It can be exciting to incorporate the items into the session.

Photograph the items alone as well as with the bump. A nice detail photo of the item can look really nice in an album. You can also offer ideas for them to bring props or particular accessories to create more of a story.

If you are photographing inside your client’s home, you can photograph the nursery. As well adding to the overall experience of her pregnancy, it will show the experience of waiting for the baby to arrive.

Show Your Client Photos During the Session

Pregnant women are very self-conscious about the way they look. To make sure that they feel confident, show her a really great portrait of herself during the session. This can give her a boost knowing that you have captured her best.

Letting her see for herself that she is radiant and beautiful can make the session go much smoother. She will trust that you are getting the best photos of her during this very unique and important moment in her life.

Offer a Newborn Session

When you are wrapping up the maternity session, offer your clients a newborn session for when the baby is born. Newborn sessions are typically done within two weeks of the baby being born so they don’t lose their newborn features.

Chances are that your client hasn’t thought that far in advanced yet and it will be nice for them to come back to you since you have already built trust.

Let them know about the session options you offer and how you can create a beautiful album of both sessions so that they can always look back on these joyous moments in their lives.

If they walk away with a great experience during their maternity session, they will certainly want to come back for the newborn session. And all subsequent portraits thereafter. Don’t miss your chance to keep your clients coming back!

In conclusion

A maternity session is special in that you get to photograph this very unique, one-of-a-kind moment in your client’s life. Make sure to stay positive and energetic. Take breaks and snacks, and be aware of what you say.

Guide your clients through the process so that they can enjoy and trust you to make the best photographs possible of such an important time in their lives.

The post Maternity Session Tips For Better Client Experience appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 13, 2018
Photographing Still Life Can Teach You These 3 Things
1. Composition
2. Lighting
3. The importance of taking your time
© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Photographing still life, more than most genres, gives you more control. You can control your subject, location, lighting, composition etc. when you make still life pictures.

Photographing just about anything else gives you have far less control, or it’s much more difficult to control the photo session. Landscape photographers must rely on external factors like the weather and vantage point. Sports photographers are restricted by how close they can get to their subjects. Wildlife photographers are often hampered by their subject’s movements. Portrait photographers have to deal with all manner of moods and emotions from their clients.

Photographing inanimate objects can happen just about anywhere. A studio space is not necessary. You can use your kitchen and set up on the table. Backyards and public parks can be great locations for outdoor still life photography.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Subject matter options are wide open. What do you like looking at? Find something you like – it will be more engaging. Small (but not too small) objects are easier to manage. Still life with large items like refrigerators or park benches will be more challenging to work with. You are not restricted to fruit and bunches of flowers.

Whatever and where ever you chose, you can improve upon three essential skills by photographing still life.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Composition

You have unlimited freedom to place and move your subject material about. This can help you gain a better understanding of composition.

Moving your objects around you will see how they relate differently to each other. You can overlap them or choose to position each one so it’s independent.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Camera position can view your set up from any angle you imagine. Experiment with high and low angles. Watch how this can dramatically affect your composition. Doing this in a situation where you have control and freedom to move about will help you learn to do so other times you are taking photos.

Backgrounds can be varied. You can use just the natural surroundings or add in your own backdrop. If the room ambiance is conducive to the images you want to make, use it well. However, if there are distracting elements behind your set up, insert a backdrop of your own. This can be a piece of card or cloth or something else to help enhance your composition.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Hopefully, photographing still life will stimulate your imagination. Having the freedom to manipulate your compositions will enhance your photography in general.

Lighting

Working with inanimate objects is a great opportunity to learn more about lighting. With people, animals and other things that move about, being consistent with lighting can be challenging. Landscapes and architectural photography can have more complex lighting demands.

Starting with a simple light set up is good if you are new to photography. The kitchen window if your objects are on the kitchen table. Start making your series of photos and then open the kitchen door to let light in from another direction. Compare your photos and see the changes adding more light makes.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Switching on an artificial light source allows you more control. Use a lamp or flashlight. These allow you to see the effect of the light, unlike using a camera flash. Vary the position of the lights. Lift them higher or drop them down lower. Moving them further away will lessen the amount of light on your objects.

Reflectors can be made good use of in still life photography. Even a sheet of white A4 printer paper can be an effective reflector. Try different reflective surfaces of varying sizes and study the difference they have on your scene.

Look at the direction of light and shadows. How do they interact when you have more than one light source?

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

By trying different light sources and setups you will develop a better eye to discern light in other situations where you are taking photos. It can help you to know when to add another light source or reflector.

Taking Your Time

Setting up for a still life photo session somewhere you can leave it a few days or weeks has its benefits. So often people are in too much of a rush to get a photo and move on. Take your time, and work slowly as a painter does. There’s no rush.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Being able to go away and come back to your arrangement of inanimate objects allows you to see it with fresh eyes the next day or next week.

Maybe you will see the relationship between elements differently. The lighting will have changed from morning till afternoon if you are using natural light. You might think of another object you want to add to the scene that will really make the photo. Ideas will come that you had not thought of initially.

Changing lens focal lengths is also good to experiment with. Compare how the objects interact with each other and the background as you view them with different lenses.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Setting up outdoors, you can photograph at different times of day and night to see the effects of different light. Does moonlight provide the most interesting lighting for your composition? Or is it best first thing in the morning?

Conclusion

Find yourself some space. Gather together a few of your most aesthetic things. Take your time to move them around and change the lighting. Think about how the objects relate to each other. Think about the different results you achieve when you change the lighting. If you don’t like what you photographed one day, come back another and make some more photos.

Please share with us any still life photos you may have taken in the comments below.

The post Photographing Still Life Can Teach You These 3 Things appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 12, 2018
Wedding Photography Gear You Need When Starting Out

What’s in your bag?

Weddings are vibrant and full of emotions, making it all too easy to have a purely romantic view of the day. For the couple and guests, that is very true. However, if you are a supplier on the day, it can be a very different experience. All the more if you are the wedding photographer! The pressure is on, and you have a huge responsibility to capture the day.

When you first begin photographing weddings, it is important to have a love for weddings and a connection to the occasion. If you hate weddings – which some people do – I suggest you steer clear of wedding photography. It is also beneficial to have a creative eye. If you lack both, it will be apparent on the images you capture.

When starting as a wedding photographer, it is quite understandable that you may not have the full arsenal of cameras, lenses, flashes, etc. Often we start with only the basic equipment in our bag and plenty of creativity (and for some, a healthy dose of confidence).

If you are considering being a wedding photographer and exploring what you can achieve with a basic kit, then this article is for you. These are also just my suggestions. I do not assume that you could not become a competent wedding photographer otherwise.

1. Camera

A full-frame professional camera is ideal, but if you only have a crop-sensor camera, there’s no reason you can’t shoot a wedding. The main impact of this would be the lenses. Unless it is a dedicated crop-sensor lens, a crop-sensor only uses a section of the lens, causing some loss in light and sensor use.

Newer cameras are equipped with better technology to handle noise, especially in low-light conditions. This technology is crucial because regardless of season, weddings will always involve low-light. Often very little natural light. The pixel size of images from newer cameras is also generally larger allowing more room for adjustments like cropping. It also allows better enlargements of your photographs in print. 24MP is now average for a newer camera whereas it was around 12MP 10-years ago.

2. Lenses

I feel lenses are a must. If you want to shoot weddings, at least have the 50mm or 35mm prime lens. They open to larger apertures than the kit lenses (the ones that come with the camera body). A maximum aperture of f/1.8 will do, but even better is f/1.4 and f/1.2. However, these lenses can be pricey though. If you tend not to use a flash unit, the advantage of these lenses is made clear.

A zoom lens is a massive help when capturing unfolding events during a wedding day. You don’t have to zoom with your feet as you do with a prime lens. In my opinion, you can get away with using a zoom kit lens for candid captures and don’t have to shell out for a pricey f/2.8 zoom when starting out. I must also add that these f/2.8 zooms are amazing pieces of glass and are worth the investment if you can afford it.

Top tip: Use a hood or a UV filter on your lens to protect it from knocks and breakage. Some people say filters affect the sharpness. That may be so, but I’d rather have an intact lens and a 99% sharp photo than a broken lens and a 100% sharp photo. The difference is pixel-peeping minuscule.

3. Flash Gun

Many people call themselves a natural light photographer. There is nothing wrong with that. However, if you want to shoot weddings, I encourage you to be open-minded and explore the possibility of learning to use flash. Weddings, especially evening receptions can be notoriously dark and having a flash gun will serve you well.

Top tip: Use a diffuser or bounce card.

4. Memory Cards, Spare Batteries, Remote Triggers or Transceivers (If You Use Off-Camera Flash)

These are self-explanatory. Have spares and spares of spares!

5. Backup Equipment

If you have to borrow extra equipment for back-up, do so. You never know when something will unexpectedly pack-up! When I shot my first wedding, I owned one camera body (a crop-sensor), and I borrowed my sister-in-law’s camera, just in case. I didn’t use it but having it with me gave me peace of mind.

6. Other Helpful Equipment But Non-Essentials

The following can come in handy but in my opinion, you can do without them:

Grey card – You shoot at a fast pace in various lighting scenarios during a wedding – indoors, outdoors, tungsten, LED, natural lights, etc. It would be crazy to use a grey card every time you moved! You can shoot in Kelvin or use Auto White Balance. The important thing is that you shoot in Raw so you can adjust the white balance in post.

Reflector – I used to carry a reflector when I first started, but now I take my flash guns instead. And I never go without at least two of them! But a reflector is handy. Because I don’t carry one with me most of the time now, when I shoot small details, I use a small piece of white card or anything white that may be handy.

Tripod – I never carry a tripod as I find it too cumbersome and heavy! But you’d never see me cover a wedding without a monopod. They are easier to lug around!

7. Non-Essentials That Add Value to Your Service

Brides are often grateful when you magically produce things that they did not expect you to have. For instance, bobby pins, hair grips, scissors, or tissues. Likewise, if you help in other ways when you can, for example, putting the buttonholes on, helping with jewelry, etc. As they say, it’s in the little things.

Lastly, invest in a good, well-padded camera bag. Your equipment will love being in it!

You can read more about lenses for wedding photography in an more exhaustive article I have written here.

I hope you found this article helpful and I wish you the best in your journey as a wedding photographer! Do share your thoughts or any equipment you may want to add in the comments below!

The post Wedding Photography Gear You Need When Starting Out appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 12, 2018
4 Tips for Capturing Autumn Colors

For those of us who live in North America, autumn is in full swing. The leaves are changing from their bright green colors and are taking on incredible hues of yellow, orange, and red. It’s a time of flux for Mother Nature.

For us photographers, it’s prime time to get out and take advantage of all those beautiful fiery colors that lead into the winter months.

Capturing the brilliant colors of Fall isn’t something that requires a lot of planning other than finding a suitable location. That said, there are things we can do during and after our shoot to ensure we get more from our time outdoors at this time of year. In this article, I’ll share with you four easy ways of capturing autumn colors to achieve the best images of Fall.

Use a Polarizer

If you’re familiar with photography, you’ve likely used or at least heard of a polarizer. Polarizers are filters (circular or square) and attach to the front of your lens. They essentially allow only straightened light rays to pass into your camera. Polarizers help to darken skies, reduce reflections and most importantly, deepen color tones.

When you’re shooting for the maximum color effect it’s a good idea to pack a quality polarizer in your gear bag. Most CPL’s (circular polarizers) allow you to dial in the polarization effect based on your needs. You can add or reduce the impact.

The following images were shot with and without a polarizer. You can see the notable differences in colorization between the images:

On the left we have a 1:1 zoom of a photo taken without a polarizer. On the right, the same scene is shot WITH a polarizer. Note the subtle increase of color saturation as well as the accompanying decrease in light transmission.

Keep in mind; polarizers physically reduce the amount of light entering your lens. A small adjustment in exposure may be needed to make use of this type of filter.

Search for Complementing Colors

A great way to make your images of the autumnal colors pop is to make use of something called ‘Complementary Colors.’ Complementary colors are hues that lie opposite to one another on the standard color wheel.

Aesthetically, complementary colors work together to make a more pleasing image. Oranges, reds, and yellows are the flagship colors of Fall. It’s a good idea to look for their complementary colors (blues and purples) and incorporate them into your compositions.

Don’t limit complementing colors just to shooting scenes of Autumn. Try making use of colors falling opposite one another on the color wheel in all aspects of your photography.

Learn to Use Water

Water is one of the most dynamic elements of nature on our Planet. For photography, it’s one of the great muses. When it comes to bringing out the organic essence of autumn, there are a few things that can help you more than water. Whether it’s reflections, dew or just the earthy feel after a rainstorm, try incorporating water into your images of Fall. It is an excellent way to inject a new level of creativity into your images of Fall colors.

Look for reflections, water droplets or anything else in the scene that has been transformed by the presence of water. If I can offer a rare bit of solid direction, remember that brightly colored leaves floating on water generally make for bulletproof compositions.

Make Use of the HSL Panel

Last but certainly not least, our last tip for photographing the brilliant colors of Fall happens after you capture your image. The HSL Panel in Lightroom (or other software) offers an indispensable way to adjust the hue (H), saturation (S) and luminance (L) of individual colors within our photographs.

This tool is handy for bringing out the colors we want emphasizing without making global changes to our entire photo. I cannot overstate the power of the HSL panel. Not only does it offer the possibility of adjusting the brightness and saturation of individual colors, but also their hues; which can change the entire feel of a photograph.

Using the HSL to control the hues of your color tones is a great way to completely change a photo with just a few clicks.

Some Final Thoughts on Photographing Fall Colors

We are served up such a diverse and accessible photo color palette in the Autumn months. Colors blaze and overall tonality of light and mood offer excellent photographic opportunities virtually any time of day.

Make use of the tips in this article to breathe new life into your images of Fall.

If you have any tips for capturing autumn colors or have images of Fall you would like to share with us, then please do so in the comments below.

The post 4 Tips for Capturing Autumn Colors appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 12, 2018

Almost human: photographing critically endangered mountain gorillas

I’ve recently returned from a visit to Africa, where I spent three days photographing mountain gorillas in Uganda. It had been a long while since I’d last photographed animals. I started my way in the photography world shooting wildlife, but for many reasons I quickly became obsessed with landscape photography and went on to devote most of my time, attention and resources into this field. I have been wanting to revisit wildlife photography for ages, and when two friends of mine mentioned they were going to photograph mountain gorillas, it seemed like a sign that the time had come for me to take the first step back into that world.

Mountain gorillas are a critically endangered species only found in central Africa (Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo). After coming back from the brink of extinction with numbers as low as 254, massive conservation efforts have resulted in their numbers slowly rising, and they have recently topped the 1000 figure. Still, these numbers are very, very low and they are dependent on conservation efforts to survive.

A silverback mountain gorilla in a striking pose. Their similarity to humans, in so many aspects, is astounding.

To avoid too much human contact, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) allows people to be with the gorillas for no more than one hour a day. That hour comes at a cost of hundreds of dollars. Multiply that by the number of shoots you want to conduct, and you get the cost for the permits. Not cheap at all, and keep in mind that hotels, food and a car with a driver have to be added to the cost, not to mention (well-deserved) tips for the gorilla tracking crew.

A mountain gorilla toddler trying its strength at eating the bamboo shoots his elders love so much.

Every morning, after a drive to the park, we met our porters, handed them our photo bags, and walked for a few minutes to reach the ranger’s hut. After undergoing a safety briefing, we started the hike. A gorilla tracking team had already located the gorillas, and were in touch with the ranger to let him know where to go.

The hike isn’t particularly difficult, but it is uphill. We usually reached the gorillas after 1.5 or 2 hours, depending on the gorillas’ location and on the pace of hiking. When getting closer to the gorillas, we could hear the chest-pounding and smell the overwhelming and unmistakable gorilla body-odor (wow).

Two mountain gorilla toddlers play-fighting over a branch. They are developing their skills for years later when they’re adult silverbacks fighting for life itself and the right to procreate.

After years without doing any serious wildlife photography, I was a bit concerned that the learning curve would be too moderate. On one hand, my composition skills have been well trained by shooting landscapes. On the other hand, landscape doesn’t move that much or face away, and wildlife shoots are much more dynamic. I made peace with the possibility that some of the precious time with the gorillas would be partially wasted on regaining my wildlife shooting instincts. I knew I had to try to learn on the fly as well as I could, and most importantly, be very focused on the mission and make the best out of my time among the gorillas.

This juvenile mountain gorilla was trying on a tough stance and some chest-pounding. Others in the group were not impressed.

The gorillas are much more incredible in real life than can ever be shown with an image. The sheer size of the silverback males is astounding – they weigh in at over 200kg, without a gram of fat on them. Their heads are as big as watermelons, and their hands are huge. To maintain that bulk, they have to eat about 35kg of vegetation every single day.

The toddlers and juveniles love fooling around, dangling from branches and making funny faces. You are not allowed to approach the gorillas too closely, but that doesn’t mean a curious youngling can’t take interest and inspect the strange creature with the shiny thing!

With his mother lazily watching, this toddler came very close to my lens when I was lying on the ground, trying to get an angle. This resulted in an interesting wide-angle perspective.

The very dynamic and playful nature of the toddlers often made the situation very chaotic. It was difficult following them when dangling from the branches, getting a focused shot while maintaining good composition. This was the biggest challenge, and I feel I didn’t perform perfectly in this aspect. Still, I got a few lucky shots.

A seemingly frustrated mountain gorilla mother frowns as her very mischievous toddler dangles from nearby branches.

The conditions were not easy. A thick cloud cover offered beautiful soft light, but also made it quite dark, with the thick vegetation not helping. To add to this, the gorillas often stay beneath trees. High ISO is extremely important in such conditions – I often found myself shooting at 3200, 6400 and even 12800. Even that was often not enough.

I had brought most of my lens arsenal to this shoot, but found myself mostly shooting with my Canon 70-300mm F4-5.6L IS (for faraway animals and for close portraits) and with my Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III (for closer encounters and for multiple gorillas in one shot). I almost always used wide open aperture, for obvious reasons.

I took this image at ISO 12800, and to get a proper exposure, a shutter speed of 1/25 sec was needed at 70mm, F4.

To get interesting shots, good compositions are important. While in landscape photography compositions are relatively easy to pre-visualize, wildlife doesn’t always cooperate. It is up to the photographer to find the opportunities when the animals position themselves in a compelling way within their surroundings.

This silverback male sat in a way that framed him with leaves.

It’s important to use the nearby elements, to connect the subject with its surroundings.

I think the most captivating thing that the gorillas offer is a glimpse into us as a species. In my personal opinion, there is simply no way you can see them in reality and still think we’re not related. The look in their eyes, their grumpiness after the rain, their fingerprints – everything about them is so (almost) human.

All in all, photographing the gorillas was an excellent experience for me, a perfect return to the world of wildlife photography and one that encouraged me to shoot much more wildlife in the future. The excitement and many challenges kept me focused and helped me give it my best efforts. I hope you’ve enjoyed the images, and perhaps you will consider making the effort and visiting these magnificent relatives of ours yourself.

Erez Marom is a professional nature photographer, photography guide and traveler based in Israel. You can follow Erez’s work on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to his mailing list for updates.

If you’d like to experience and shoot some of the most fascinating landscapes on earth with Erez as your guide, take a look at his unique photography workshops in The Lofoten Islands, Greenland, Namibia, the Faroe Islands and Ethiopia.

Erez offers video tutorials discussing his images and explaining how he achieved them.

Selected Articles by Erez Marom:

Parallelism in Landscape Photography
Winds of Change: Shooting changing landscapes
Behind the Shot: Dark Matter
On the Importance of Naming Images
On Causality in Landscape Photography
Behind the Shot: Lost in Space
The Art of the Unforeground
Whatever it Doesn’t Take

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 11, 2018

How To Mimic a Cross-Processing Effect in Photoshop
Cross-processing is a technique that comes from the darkroom days. You would purposely develop film in the wrong chemicals to achieve special color effects. When no film or chemicals are involved in digital processing, it is possible to mimic a cross-processing effect in Photoshop. I’ll show you how in a few easy steps.

The technique is called cross-processing because it referred to the processing of negative film with a chemical developer designed for reversal film. Or vice versa. You will also find it under the name ‘x-pro’ or ‘Xpro.’

Of course, replicating this effect directly in camera isn’t possible, but you can reproduce the results with Photoshop. You can make your image look like it’s the result of cross-processing.

In Photoshop there’s often a preset that solves your problems. Cross-processing is no exception. I will show you a step-by-step way to do it so that you can have more control over the end result. There is no right or wrong. One is no better than the other. It’s about giving you a choice so you can decide what works best for you.

So, let’s get started.

The Cross-Processing Preset

To find the ‘Cross-processing’ preset add an ‘Adjustment’ layer. Click the button at the bottom of the layers panel and choose ‘Curves’ from the pop-up menu.

From the ‘Properties’ panel open the ‘Preset’ menu. Change it from ‘Default’ to ‘Cross-Process (RGB).’

Notice the colors of the image are very saturated and have a definite green color cast. The graph now has three colored lines: Red, Green and Blue. Each line has a different shape.

Those three colored lines represent the three channels (Red, Blue and Green) adjusted by the Preset to create the effect. Therefore, you may create this effect manually without using the preset. You can achieve this manually by tampering with each color channel separately.

Using Curve Properties to Achieve the Cross-Processing Effect

For this, instead of changing the preset menu, open the ‘RGB menu.’ Go into each color and move the curve in the graph.

However, many people don’t find the ‘Curves’ tool very comfortable. So I’ll show you a tool to work with sliders to achieve similar results.

Discard the ‘Curves’ layer or hide it by clicking the ‘Eye’ symbol to the left of the layer. That way you can work with the original image. Now add an ‘Adjustment’ Layer with a ‘Channel Mixer.’

In the Properties panel, find the ‘Output Channel.’ Here, open the drop-down menu to change from one color channel to another.

In each color output channel, you can see the corresponding color slider will be at 100%, while the other two are set to ‘0.’ So, in the ‘Red’ channel, the Red slider is set at ‘100’ while Green and Blue are at ‘0.’ In the ‘Green’ channel, the green is set at ‘100’ and the Red and Blue are at ‘0.’ In the ‘Blue’ channel, the blue is set at ‘100’ with Red and Green at ‘0.’

Move the sliders to create your own cross-processed image. Move all three channels sliders around until you’re satisfied.

Remember, you don’t need to duplicate the result that the Preset proposed. But if that is your objective, you don’t need to go into moving any setting individually.

To reiterate, to achieve an image that suggests cross-processing, more than one formula exists.

A few things to keep in mind:
- Cross-processing was initially a ‘mistake’ (even if done on purpose) causing unpredictable results. Thus, feel free to experiment and be creative because there is no wrong answer.
- Cross-processed images look oversaturated with a distinct color cast.
- Using the wrong chemical would often distress the image, to mimic this you can introduce some noise.
Adding Noise to Your Image

To add noise to your image, select your image layer and go to Menu -> Filters -> Noise -> Add Noise. A pop-up window will open giving you a preview of the filter you are applying and the sliders to adjust it. Make adjustments to your preference.

Keep experimenting and have fun!

If you have you experimented with cross-processing effects in Photoshop, please share with us in the comments below.

The post How To Mimic a Cross-Processing Effect in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 11, 2018
Video: 5 tongue-in-cheek camera tricks for cheapskate photographers

There are very likely more hours of video in the form of camera tips on YouTube than a person could ever watch in their lifetime. But few, if any, of these videos will make you laugh (or cringe) as hard as the most recent video from I Did A Thing.

In his latest video, titled 5 Camera Tricks for Cheapskates, Alex spends four-and-a-half minutes sharing a collection of satirical camera tricks you can use to make the most of your camera equipment.

From butter sliders to a beer goggle filter, the video covers some of the most ridiculous tricks you could possibly think of. The absurd thing is, some of these tricks actually produce impressive results, as you can see from the buttery-smooth slider shot above.

We very much suggest you don’t try these at home for the sake of your floors, countertops, and camera equipment. But you’re free to live your life as you see fit.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 11, 2018
X-Peditions 2019 Workshops Have Filled

Strobist’s 2019 X-Peditions workshops (Havana in January and Hanoi in the fall) have both filled.

Hanoi actually filled before any public announcement. So if you think you might be interested in a future workshop, please make sure to sign up for advance notice on the X-Peditions info page.

If you would like to be placed on a wait list for either trip, you may do so at the individual workshop pages linked above.
Strobist

November 11, 2018
How to Photograph Kids Playing, Running Around and Generally Being Kids
If you’re a people photographer, it’s hard to resist photographing kids as they play, run around and… well, be kids. It’s also a great chance for you to play as a photographer.

Here are seven tips to help you capture photographs of kids at play.

It was a grey hazy day at the beach so I focused on silhouette photos of my kids at play.

1. Use Your Phone Instead of Missing the Moment

I teach people how to use their new DSLR cameras. One of their biggest frustrations is that their friends seem to take better photos with a phone than they can with their complicated DSLR.

If you’re still struggling with your DSLR, don’t be afraid to use your phone as a camera. As long as you keep in mind the most important parts of a photo – light, moment, and composition – your phone will take great photos.

This photo of my daughter running through a puddle was captured with my iPhone 4s. Because it was a bright day, the shutter speed was fast and froze the water as it splashed.

2. Be an Observer Instead of a Boss

If you’re going to photograph kids at play, it’s best to have them acting candidly rather than telling them what to do. Just let them play, and they’ll give you countless moments to photograph. The moment you step in and tell them what to do or how to play, you’ll ruin the moment.

I wanted a nice portrait of my daughter with these fall colors, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to make her stand still for one. So I let her walk on ahead of me. When I called her name she looked back, and I snapped the photo.

3. Angles

While photographing kids at play, consider the angle you’re using. Your photos will look more exciting if you go for low angles or face to face. Get down to their level (if not lower) and into their world.

I achieved this extremely low angle by laying down on the ground and looking straight up.

Before it was hauled away, my kids turned this mattress into a trampoline. A low angle helped to capture how high he was jumping.

4. Get Close

Join in the play, and get as close as you can while using a wide angle. When you look at the photo it will make you feel like you’re right back there in the moment.

This son was wrestling with his dad so I decided to get in as close as I could. The wide-angle helped to exaggerate the moment.

5. Get Behind Them

Photographing people from behind adds a bit of mystery to your photo. It lets the viewer bring a little more of their own imagination to the photo. When we can’t see the person’s face, it makes us imagine what they’re up to.

This over-the-shoulder shot anticipates the action that’s about to happen.

This photo was taken in a massive outdoor sandbox. Obviously, he’s been sliding down the dirt hills on his bum.

This combines taking a photo from behind with getting in close. (Taken with an iPhone.)

6. Play With Your Shutter Speed

One of the biggest problems you’ll face when capturing action is motion blur. So you’ll need a fast shutter speed.

But you can also play with a slow shutter speed and capture creative motion blur.

I took advantage of my iPhone’s slow shutter speed to capture this portrait of my daughter. As you can see her face is basically sharp while the background is quite blurry. This was achieved by having her walk toward me while I walked backward. To the camera everything is moving except for her.

7. Tell a Story With Your Photos

You can tell a story with your photos. It might be a ‘before and after’ story using just two photos. Or it could be a beginning, middle and end with three photos. It might even be a longer story that fills a photo book.

This story begins with a little girl taking her daddy by the hand and leading him.

Then in the middle of the story, she dances with her daddy.

The story ends with her daddy swinging her around wildly.

Final Checklist

Here’s a checklist for photographing kids as they run around and play.
- Consider this playtime for you as a photographer.
- Use any camera you’ve got – even your phone.
- Stand back and let moments happen on their own.
- Be creative with your angles.
- Get in close.
- Add mystery to your photo by photographing kids from behind.
- Be creative with your shutter speed.
- Tell stories with multiple photos.
Now go out there and take some great photos of those kids being kids and share them with us in the comments.

The post How to Photograph Kids Playing, Running Around and Generally Being Kids appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 11, 2018