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Blur and Creative Photography – Why Your Images Don’t Need To Be 100% Sharp
Blur and creative photography – Why your images don’t need to be 100% sharp all of the time.

I have an image of a blueberry shot on the end of a spoon with my macro lens. It has a very narrow depth of field (DOF). Only the front of the blueberry is in focus. The rest has a lovely soft blur.

The first comment when I posted it on Facebook was ‘it would look better if it were all in focus.’

No.

There is a perception amongst some photographers who are very invested in the technicalities of shooting, that absolutely every image has to be 100% sharp. While it is an entirely valid choice – and I fully support the decision to shoot their images that way – it is not the ‘only’ choice.

For those of us who want to explore different creative styles, have fun with different lenses and push the boundaries of what photography can allow us to do in creating art, there are plenty of alternatives.

NOTE: To clarify, sometimes an image ‘just is’ out of focus for whatever reason. This article addresses the photographers deliberate creative choice to use softness or blur in a picture. It may be a subtle difference for some, but it is a difference.

Beyond Bokeh

It amuses me that many photographers believe all images ‘must be tack sharp.’ Still, they are out there taking photos of birds, portraits or wedding shots with very soft blurred bokeh backgrounds. However, the reasons they do so are perfectly valid.

Some photographers do so to:
- soften a distracting background
- bring the subject into prominence
- make it aesthetically pleasing
- give depth and 3D feel to the image
But for bokeh to work well, you need to have some specific elements present and happening. Such as decent quality lenses, a lot of distance behind the subject to the background, and good soft light. Not every shoot offers those situations, nor can everyone afford the best lens.

What if we want even more softness in our image, including the subject? Maybe we want the background sharp, and the subject blurred – a technique often used in some street photography styles.

What about ICM – Intentional Camera Movement? Or Wabi-Sabi, the Japanese/Zen aesthetic of the beauty of imperfection.

There are so many other ways to see the world and present our images with our unique creative viewpoint. If that means smearing stuff on a filter in front of your lens, then smear-away :).

Learn To Love the Blur

Bring your hand as close to your face as you can, so you can still focus on it. What happens to the background? If you shift focus to the background instead, your hand blurs.

Distant mountains are blurred as we physically cannot focus clearly that far away.

So its natural for blur to be present in our images. Therefore if we choose to use it more creatively to give our pictures a different feel or mood, we are enhancing a natural element in our world.

Painters can represent a tree in different ways depending on their technique and style. It may be rendered beautifully with every leaf painted as an individual element. It may have stark lines representing a trunk and branches, or colorful blobs in the background.

Photography can be playful, creative, stylistic and artistic as well. We can allow ourselves to love blur.

Intentional camera movement is popular with stands of trees, soft beach scenes, and fields of flowers. To enhance it, even more, some people stretch plastic film in front of the lens. Or wrap it around the front leaving a small opening to shoot through.

I know flower/macro photographers who wrap gauze fabric around the front of their lens for an alternative soft effect and to add some color as well. Stretching pantyhose across the front of the lens is also cheap and effective.

Smearing petroleum jelly on a filter screwed to the front of the lens is reasonably common for an effective soft blur effect.

Lens Choices

Lenses with an F stop of 2.8 to 1.4 give a very narrow depth of field, which highlights the subject and softens the background. Macro lenses are excellent for this effect.

Many portrait and wedding photographers will have an 85mm portrait lens with an F-stop in this range. Often specifically used to blur the background for a nice effect.

Lensbaby are well known for their special effect lenses. Their lenses offer lots of creative blur effects. The ‘Composer’ range allows you to select a specific point in the image to be in focus while softening the remainder. The ‘Twist’ range gives a swirly bokeh effect in the background, and there are other options too.

‘Helios’ and ‘Vivitar’ vintage lenses are experiencing a renaissance in popularity. They have many creative bokeh effects (including the swirl style) and are quite cheap in comparison to Lensbaby. They are vintage manual-focus lenses and may need a specialist mount to attach to your modern camera, but can they can be purchased at very affordable prices.

Vintage ‘Helios’ lens gives very swirly bokeh blur in this image

Have Fun

For some people, it can be scary to let go of the need for sharpness and embrace the softer side. Other people sit happily in that place and rarely shoot a classically sharp shot.

There is room within photography as a creative medium for us to be artistic. To let go of the perceived rules, relax and have some fun doing something different.

Yes, some effects are niche, and you may not want to use them all the time. But you wouldn’t use a Fish-Eye lens every day either.

Having a range of choices gives you much more scope to shoot differently, add your unique take on an image. Using different lenses can help us see the world in new exciting ways and open up opportunities to create memorable images.

Ways to Play

1. Bokeh

Bokeh relates to the quality and smoothness of your blurred background when you shoot the subject with a shallow depth of field. Different lenses give a varied type of bokeh. Usually, the better quality fast primes or macro lenses have the smoothest, most pleasing bokeh.

Bokeh happens when the subject is closer to the camera than it is to the background. Shooting wide open, i.e., F2.8 to F1.2 will give maximum blur of the background.

So try to shoot your subjects wide open with a narrow depth of field. With the background further away from them, you will achieve the nice soft blur.

2. Selective Focus

When you combine a narrow depth of field, such as F2.8, with selecting a specific part of the subject, it will soften everything else in the image.

Doing so creates a lovely effect with flowers and macro imagery.

3. Shoot Through

Place something in front of the lens to add some level of softness. It can either completely cover the lens or be wrapped around it to only soften the edges.

You can use:
- nylons stretched across the lens
- gauzy fabric wrapped around the lens
- plastic film across or wrapped around the lens
- filters smeared with petroleum jelly
- hold fabric or flowers in front of part of the lens to add softness (common in flower photography)
4. ICM (Intentional Camera Movement)

Intentional Camera Movement is when the camera is deliberately moved during the shutter opening and closing to add blur to the image. A neutral density filter can assist with giving you a slightly longer shutter speed if shooting in daylight.

You may have seen this used in shots of forests with vertical stands of tree trunks.

5. Vintage Lenses

Try purchasing ‘Helios’ or ‘Vivitar’ Lenses (or other options) and related mounts for your camera. Many of these lenses have unexpected visual effects (sometimes seen as a fault) but can be used effectively for creative shots.

6. Specialty Lenses

Lensbaby offers a range of lens solutions to give you a variety of soft effects.

Lensbaby Velvet 56 at F1.8 is very soft and adds a glamour effect

7. Filters

Soft Focus filters get screwed in front of your lens and are useful in portrait and glamour work. Otherwise, many people mimic this effect in post-processing via Photoshop.

Conclusion

For those who strive to have every image as sharp as possible, continue with your efforts. If you who want more variation, flexibility, and creativity in your work, there is space to play and create that style of an image too.

It doesn’t have to be expensive. The vintage lenses can be bought online for under $ 100 (depending on freight and exchange rates).

Give yourself permission to relax, experiment and play, and create something unique!

Come over to the soft side. We like it here!

Share your images with us in the comments below.

The post Blur and Creative Photography – Why Your Images Don’t Need To Be 100% Sharp appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 6, 2018
The Truth About Becoming a Professional Family Photographer
So you’re growing restless with your place in life, and thinking of becoming a professional family photographer? You know it’s what you want to do, but there seem to be a lot of obstacles holding you back. If only you could take a quick peek into the future and see if it will really work out for you.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to see the future. But would hearing from a photographer a few years ahead of you help?

I’ve been there myself and encouraged others along the way. And I hope I can inspire you too.

My first photography job had me working with dozens of kids every day. I didn’t know how to work the camera. Everything in the studio was preset. But what I did learn was how to work with people, especially kids. That is one of the most valuable parts of my family photography business.

Am I Good Enough?

Chances are many of your doubts relate to one question: ‘Am I good enough?’ But keep in mind that’s different from asking, ‘Are my photographs good enough?’

Are your photographs good enough? Do you know how to work your camera, and take the photo you envisage in your head? Do you get good responses from people when you put your photos out there? Do other photographers give you encouraging feedback?

If you can’t answer ‘Yes’ to these questions, then you probably need to improve your skills. But if you can, then you are good enough. And you’ll keep getting better through experience. Eventually, you’ll know you’re good enough because everyone who hires you will love their photos.

Begin with competence, and the confidence will come with time.

Along the way, you may be really hard on yourself. You might be a great photographer who pleases the families that hire you, and yet you still feel inferior. Learn to be honest with yourself, and start assessing your work from other people’s perspective.

At first, it may feel really awkward taking photographs of families you don’t know. Learn to embrace that awkwardness and be comfortable with new people, silences, and the occasional tears.

I Don’t Have a Defined Style Yet

You don’t need a defined style when you’re starting out. You’ll develop your style along the way. You don’t really know what you’ll encounter yet, so keep yourself open to surprises. Your style will reflect your unique vision (which you’ll be developing your entire life) and the experiences you’re drawn to.

Compared to other photographers well ahead of you, your style and vision may seem weak. But if you ask, they’ll tell you it took them a while to develop their style too.

I knew nothing about ‘golden hour’ photography when I first started my business. Now I love this time of day for photography.

I Need to Have the Right Gear First

Don’t go into debt for thousands of dollars to start your photography business. Use what you’ve got to the best of your ability. It’s probably better than you think.

Yes, you need to have good gear. But most new photographers over-purchase and buy gear they never use. Start with a good camera and a 50mm lens. Then upgrade and expand your gear as you get more experience.

No photographer is as good as the simplest camera — Edward Steichen.

I use a Fuji XT1 and 56mm lens for most of my photos.

Where Can I Get a Logo?

You don’t need a logo to get started. Nobody really cares about your logo. When people are looking for a photographer, it’s not your logo that will convince them to hire you.

Spend your energy building and showcasing your photography, and leave the logo for later.

How Many Facebook ‘Likes’ Should I Have?

When you’re starting out you should use every avenue possible to let people know you’re in business as a photographer – social media, networking, word of mouth and, of course, a website.

But don’t worry about the number of ‘likes’ you have. It’s the people who hire you that count, not the people who click ‘like’.

In the beginning, social media and word of mouth were critical for me. But now my website brings in most of my business. Create a simple website showcasing your photography, and tell people why they’ll love hiring you as a photographer.

Should I Quit My Job?

No.

Ease yourself into becoming a professional family photographer, and then leave your day job when you’re confident it’s the right decision.

I had seasonal jobs that allowed me to pursue photography in the summer. After about three years I decided to quit my job. I’m introverted and find it difficult to promote myself, so it took longer than it needed to. It might be much quicker for you.

Occasional sessions on evenings or weekends is a great way to get started. Prove you really want to be professional and that you can make your business work, then quit your job.

The more you focus on your photography instead of things such as logos and likes, the sooner you’ll be able to transition into your own business.

What Should I Charge?

I guarantee you’re thinking about this the wrong way. You’re thinking about how much you should charge per session, aren’t you? But you really have no idea. You’ll make assumptions about how much people are willing to spend. And you’ll settle for way too little.

Instead, you should:
1. Decide how much you’d like to earn in a year.
2. Decide how many sessions you’d like to do each year. (How many sessions can you handle each week or month?)
3. Use those numbers to calculate how much you need to charge per session.
Suppose you’d like to earn $ 50,000 per year and want to do only one session a week.

So that’s $ 50,000 / 50 sessions, or $ 1000 per session.

Maybe you’d settle for $ 20,000 each year and 100 sessions (two per week).

That’s $ 20,000 / 100 sessions, or $ 200 per session.

Keep in mind expenses. I use minimal gear and work on location, so my costs are quite low. But some photographers make a lot of money and then lose a lot of it due to expenses.

Above all, don’t assume you have to be cheap. People value photography, and when you’re a great photographer with excellent people skills they’ll be happy to pay you.

And don’t worry if your friends think you’re charging too much. Believe me when I say you shouldn’t start out cheap and then raise your prices over time. By all means, start off cheaper for a month or two to build your portfolio. But when you start you should already have your correct pricing in place.

Any Questions?

I’d be thrilled to answer any questions you might have. Leave them in the comments and I’ll answer them for you.

The post The Truth About Becoming a Professional Family Photographer appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 6, 2018
Fotolia is shuttering its website next year following complete integration with Adobe Stock

Fotolia, a stock photography platform acquired by Adobe in January 2015 for $ 800 million cash, has announced via email that it’s now fully integrated with Adobe Stock and its website will officially close exactly a year from today on November 5, 2019.

On Fotolia’s FAQ page, it says the following as a response to the question “Why is Fotolia closing?”

After thirteen years in business, Fotolia will transition its members to Adobe Stock on a voluntary basis in order to offer them a better and more streamlined service as well as deeper integration within Adobe Creative Cloud applications.

Fotolia says “The Core asset collection in Adobe Stock comes from Fotolia, so you’ll find the majority of the assets you love there,” adding “You’ll also find a unique and diverse portfolio of content uploaded from our world-class community of creative professionals.”

Fotolia’s contributor page now redirects to Adobe Stock’s home page, which reads “Turn your passion into earnings […] Sell your content to the world’s largest creative community.”

Starting November 5, 2019, Fotolia users will no longer be able to access their accounts, purchase credits or subscriptions, or download and upload content from the Fotolia platform. Instead, Fotolia users will need to transition to Adobe stock or another stock photography service.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 6, 2018
Nikon Z7 Review
Nikon Z7 Review

The Nikon Z7 is the company’s most well-rounded camera to date: it’s as well spec’d and well-suited for video capture as it is for stills, and the quality of both is impressive. The Z7’s designed to offer an experience familiar to existing Nikon DSLR shooters in a smaller, lighter body, built around the all-new Nikon Z-mount.

This is Nikon’s first full-frame mirrorless camera: a 4K-capable machine which features a variant of the D850’s 46MP BSI CMOS sensor, but with the addition of on-sensor phase detection AF pixels and mechanical stabilization. The only area where the Z7 comes up a little short is autofocus reliability and usability – something at which Nikon’s DSLRs have long excelled.

Key features:
- 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS sensor with on-sensor phase detection
- In-body 5-axis image stabilization (rated to 5EV)
- 493 PDAF points with 90% horizontal and vertical coverage of the frame
- ISO 64-25,600 (expandable to 102,400)
- Up to 9 fps shooting (JPEG and 12-bit Raw)
- 3.69M-dot OLED viewfinder
- 2.1M-dot tilting touch LCD
- OLED top plate display
- Single XQD card slot
- UHD 4K capture up to 30p
- 10-bit 4:2:2 N-Log output over HDMI
- Up to 100Mbps H.264 8-bit internal video capture
- SnapBridge Wi-Fi system with Bluetooth, including to-PC transfer
Edited to taste in Adobe Camera Raw.
ISO 4500 | 1/500 sec | F2.8 | Shot using the Nikon Z 35mm F1.8 S

The Nikon Z7 is available now for a body-only price of $ 3400. It is also available kitted with the 24-70mm F4 S lens for $ 4000 (many retailers are offering additional kits with the ‘F to Z adapter’ for about $ 150 more).

What’s new and how it compares

The Z7 isn’t just a D850 without a mirror: we look at the key additions and what the Z7 offers.

Read more

Body and handling

How the Z7 feels in the hand may be crucial to its acceptance with photographers. Have a look at the camera and its control points to see how it could work for you.

Read more

Operation and controls

The Z7’s user interface will be very familiar to existing Nikon shooters. Up to a point, that is.

Read more

What it’s like to use

The Z7 is well-suited for a wide variety of photo and video use-cases. Here are the pros and cons of using it for…

Read more

Image quality

The Z7’s 45.7MP BSI-CMOS full-frame sensor is very capable, but how does it compare to the D850?

Read more

Dynamic range

On-sensor autofocus points limit the Z7’s effective dynamic range, compared to the D850. By how much? Read on.

Read more

Z7 autofocus performance

The Z7 mostly offers impressive autofocus performance, but struggles with tracking reliability and low light accuracy.

Read more

Autofocus usability

AF usability is one area the Z7 lags behind its Nikon DSLR counterparts and the mirrorless competition.

Read more

Video

Nikon has done a lot to enhance the Z7’s video, even if that’s not immediately obvious from the specs.

Read more

Conclusion

For a first-generation product, we’re hugely impressed with the Z7. We think it’s the most well-rounded stills+video camera Nikon’s launched to date.

Read more

Sample gallery

We’ve shot a lot with the Z7, here’s our full gallery of out-of-camera JPEGs and Raw conversions.

Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
November 5, 2018
How to Create a Wedding Day Photography Timeline Quickly and Effortlessly
A wedding day photography timeline can help streamline the order in which you photograph a wedding.

From when the couple is getting ready all the way until the dance party, the timeline helps to keep everyone, especially you, on top of how the day unfolds.

It doesn’t matter if the couple has a coordinator or if the venue has a planner. A wedding day photography timeline will make sure that you are ready for the next big event.

Portraits of the bride and groom at two different times during the day.

Why You Should Create Your Own Timeline

As the photographer, you need time during the wedding day to be able to capture all of the essential details, moments, and events that unfold throughout the day.

If you want to have even a little bit of control with the photography, you need to have a timeline made.

Creating the timeline gives you control over how much time you have during any part of the day. Like the getting ready, where you can have the time to photograph the details.

Having a specific timeline for photography is priceless not only for you but the couple as well. It can help the bride to schedule her makeup and hair team.

The timeline also allows the bridal party to know where to be at what time. It also helps with family members who need to know when the extended family portraits are.

A wedding timeline can help you choose or prepare for each of the important portraits during the day.

Not only does the timeline help you anticipate what is next during the wedding day, but also makes you look more professional because you know what is coming next. You aren’t scrambling asking the couple what is next.

The wedding timeline can serve as a guideline for you during the wedding day. A directive ensures you get all the necessary photos of the day without questioning when or if you’ll have time to get them.

That way, you won’t miss the ring or shoe shot, or the photo of the bride with her favorite uncle.

The timeline lays it all out for you – the couple, the guests and the bridal party. It even outlines the other vendors who will be working alongside you, such as the videographer or planner.

Take advantage of any downtime during the day. This gives you the opportunity to create something unique and different.

It’s best to have the timeline made as soon as you know all of the major details of the wedding day.

Send it to your clients with at least a month in advance. Doing so gives them the time to make any last minute changes if necessary.

Confirm the wedding timeline at least a week before to make sure the day unfolds as planned.

Answer These Questions First

The following questions are important as they determine how you are going to schedule each portrait event of a wedding day.

Some of the questions will have to be answered by the couple and other questions are for you to answer.

All of them equally important to the timeline!
- Will the couple be having a ‘first look’?
- If not, will there be enough light after the ceremony to take the bride and groom portraits?
- If the couple is doing a ‘first look’, will they want bridal and family portraits following the portraits?
- If the couple is not doing a ‘first look’, then the family portraits will have to be done separately. Also, bridal party portraits may have to be done separately as well. Is the couple okay with having these portraits separate?
- Will the couple want sunset photos?
- Are the locations for the portraits far from the ceremony or reception venue?
What it comes down to is whether the couple is deciding to have a traditional wedding or a ‘first look’ (when the couple sees each other before the ceremony).

Photography timelines are vastly different for each, which I will explain in more detail below.

It Doesn’t Have to be Fancy

The wedding photography timeline doesn’t have to be made in Adobe Illustrator (although you could do that). A simple Word document, or equivalent, would work just fine.

Having this schedule gives the couple a chance to look over the timeline and if need be, make changes of their own.

The following questions are important as they determine how you are going to schedule each portrait event of the wedding day.

Also, you’ll want to create a template of some sort since you’ll be creating more timelines as you continue to grow your business. Once you get more experience creating these timelines, it will get easier and easier to fill in the details.

Traditional Wedding Day Photography Timeline

A traditional wedding means that a couple will not see one another before the ceremony and portraits get taken after the service. It usually isn’t a problem.

However, it is important to note if there will be enough light after the ceremony or if you will have to photograph the couple using artificial lighting.

This couple opted to keep their wedding day traditional. Portraits were scheduled right after the ceremony.

The easiest way to create the wedding photography timeline for a traditional wedding is, begin with the times of the two most important parts of the wedding day: the ceremony and the reception.

From there, you will be able to work your way back and schedule the times for the rest of the days’ essential details.

The same couple also decided to have sunset photos after dinner and toasts.

Say, for example, the ceremony begins at four o’clock in the afternoon, and the reception starts at seven o’clock. Begin with writing the ceremony time down first, and work your way backward until you reach the ‘getting ready’ part of the day.

‘Getting ready’ photos can lead into the bridal portraits seamlessly.

Example Timeline for a Before the Traditional Ceremony

Working backward in time from the ceremony, a sample wedding day timeline may look like this:
- 04:00 pm – BRIDE AND GROOM ARE MARRIED
- 03:00 pm – Travel time to ceremony location and allow the bride to have touch-ups and get ready for the ceremony. Photos of the ceremony location and details. Candid photos of guests arriving
- 02:45 pm – Portraits of the groom with his family
- 02:00 pm – Portraits of the groom with groomsmen
- 01:00 pm – Portraits of the bride with her family
- 12:00 pm – Portraits of the bride alone and with bridesmaids
- 11:00 am – Photography coverage starts
- 10:00 am – Getting ready
Even if you may not be photographing the ‘getting ready’, due to collection choice or otherwise, it’s good to have a general layout of the day.

This couple kept their wedding traditional. There was no more light after the ceremony and we prepared for that because we had a timeline.

Example Timeline for After the Traditional Ceremony

Once you have the bulk of the day laid out, it’s time to schedule all of the events after the ceremony.

It can look something like this:
- 05:00 pm – Portraits of the family with the couple after the ceremony. This can be either at the altar, ceremony location or somewhere close by.
- 05:45 pm – Portraits of the bridal party altogether with the couple.
- 06:00 pm – Bride and groom portraits
- 06:45 pm – Arrive at the reception location. Take detail photos of the reception set up.
- 07:00 pm – Reception time
- 10:00 pm – Photography coverage ends
Knowing when family portraits will be done can help keep everyone on schedule.

At the Reception

During the reception, it’s good to consult the coordinator or planner to ask what their scheduled timeline is. When there is no planner or coordinator, go to the DJ booth and consult with them.

The reception is much more relaxed than the rest of the wedding day. Here, you can follow the timeline that the other vendors provide so that you can focus on getting great photos of the dancing without the pressure.

Work with your clients to outline which portraits are the most important for them. That way, you carve out enough time for those. The remainder can be filled in throughout the day.

For example, if the couple isn’t interested in having family portraits after the ceremony, fill the time with more bridal party photos or extend the couples’ portrait time.

Ask your clients if they want sunset photos or if they will be having something special during the day. This way you can include it into the timeline.

Each wedding timeline can differ. Beginning with the ceremony and working in reverse will give you the quickest way to lay it all out.

‘First Look’ Wedding Day Photography Timeline

Again, even though the couple will be seeing each other before the wedding, it is quick and easy, to start with the ceremony time.

We’ll keep the same times for this example so that you can compare the two. Refer back here when you are creating your clients’ wedding timeline.

‘First look’ before the ceremony.

‘First Look’ Example Timeline for Before the Ceremony

The ceremony begins at four o’clock and the reception begins at seven o’clock.
- 04:00 pm – BRIDE AND GROOM ARE MARRIED (Ceremony)
- 02:45 pm – Bridal Party Portraits with the couple
- 02:00 pm – Bride family portraits and groom family portraits
- 12:30 pm – Bride and groom ‘First Look’ and portraits
- 10:00 am – Getting ready photos
A timeline can change somewhat depending on ‘light’ situations. The afternoon sun is very harsh, especially for outdoor photography. You’ll want to avoid setting this time for the bride and groom portraits unless necessary.

In my experience, this is more often the case.

The above is a typical wedding timeline and even with the harsh light, you can opt for a covered or indoor location.

‘First Look’ Example Timeline for Before the Ceremony with Formals After

When your couple chooses to only do the ‘first look’ before the ceremony, and then do the formals later in the day, the wedding day could look something like this:
- 04:00 pm – BRIDE AND GROOM ARE MARRIED (Ceremony)
- 02:00 pm – Couple portraits alone
- 01:30 pm – Bridal party portraits with the couple
- 01:00 pm – Bride family portraits and groom family portraits
- 12:30 pm – Bride and groom ‘First look’ only
- 10:00 am – Getting ready photos
This couple had their ‘first look’ and formals before the ceremony. They also had formals after the ceremony during sunset.

‘First Look’ Example Timeline for After the Ceremony

From here, the post-ceremony timeline would look something like this:
- 05:00 pm – Portraits of the family with the couple after the ceremony. This can be either at the altar, ceremony location or somewhere close by.
- 05:45 pm – Cocktail hour at the reception venue
- 06:00 pm – Photograph reception details and other candids during this time
- 07:00 pm – Reception time
There are many different timelines because every wedding event is unique. Depending on your style, you might schedule the portraits earlier or later in the day.

Perhaps you’re photographing on a beach and want beautiful sunset photos. You may choose to take pictures of the couple earlier, and again during sunset.

Stick to the Timeline But Also be Flexible

Keep in mind that setbacks happen more often than not during wedding days. Fortunately, you have a handy wedding timeline. Due to the way it is set up, you have the option of rearranging and moving things around if necessary.

An example of this would be if a groomsman is running late to the bridal party portraits, you can begin with the bridesmaids. Or if the bride is late for the portraits or ‘first look,’ you can switch to the pictures of the groom with his family instead.

We didn’t have time before the ceremony to take the full bridal portraits so we opted to do them at a later time.

Having the timeline in mind during the wedding day will make these setbacks easier to overcome. You can reassure your clients that you will still get all of the photos that are of utmost importance to them.

Template for Quick and Easy Wedding Day Photography Timeline

Creating timelines doesn’t have to be a grueling task. Use the below template to help you effortlessly create quick and easy wedding photography timelines. It works for both traditional or non-traditional weddings, and begins with the ceremony and working backward.

Once you’ve created your timeline, make sure to confirm all of the details with your couple. Sure, things can change on the day, but it is still essential for the couple to sign off on it.

Be sure to send a copy to the wedding planner or coordinator as well. That way, everyone is on the same page in regards to the timeline of how the day will unfold.

Conclusion

As the photographer, it’s important that you, your clients, and team, are all on the same page as the day unfolds.

Taking the time to create a timeline of each significant photographic moment during the day will save time and keep you in control of the photography.

Work with the coordinator or DJ for the reception events. Add these to the timeline, even if they might be changed on the day.

With time and experience, you’ll be creating wedding timelines quickly and effortlessly!

Do you have trouble with wedding day photography timelines? Are their extra things you would consider? Share with us in the comments below.

The post How to Create a Wedding Day Photography Timeline Quickly and Effortlessly appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
November 5, 2018
Samyang 14mm f/2.8 Lens – Astrophotography On A Budget

When it comes to choosing lenses, there are two main schools of thought. The first is to use a minimum number of zoom lenses with a large range of focal lengths. The second is to use more lenses with a smaller range of focal lengths.

As a travel photographer, I’ve worked hard to minimize my gear. I would love to own a dozen lenses, I just don’t want to carry them all. It’s rare to find more than three lenses in my bag.

I’ve followed that first school of thought for years, and it’s served me well.

The Case For Specialist Lenses

Whatever you photograph, there inevitably will come a time when you want a specialist lens for a specific subject. I’ve experienced this a couple of times.

In a past life as a wedding photographer, I owned a macro lens that I bought exclusively for photographing details such as rings. My other lenses weren’t up to the task, so I added it to my kit for just a few detail images per wedding.

Fast forward a few years, and I discovered a love for astrophotography. I found once again that my landscape lenses weren’t up to the task.

Astrophotography is a highly specialized subject and one that calls for the right gear. I was getting some reasonable night sky photos with my 16-35mm f/4 lens, but I wanted something wider and faster. I needed another specialist lens.

The Samyang 14mm Ultra Wide-Angle f/2.8 IF ED UMC Lens

My search for a lens that was wider than 16mm and faster than f/4 led me to a few lenses that I would’ve loved to add to my kit. The problem was that they were all either too large or too expensive. I didn’t want or need another wide-angle zoom lens.

Then I found the Samyang (also branded as Rokinon) 14mm f/2.8 lens. 14mm gives you a 115° view, which is plenty wide enough to capture the night sky.

The maximum aperture of f/2.8 is fast enough to capture insane amounts of light in the stars. Being a prime lens, it’s lighter than most wide-angle zoom lenses. As if that wasn’t enough, it’s cheap.

Weight

At around 550g, this lens isn’t going to add a lot of extra weight to your camera bag. It’s made mainly of plastic, but build quality is surprisingly good for the price.

It isn’t the highest quality astrophotography lens on the market, but for a budget lens, it’s good enough.

Sharpness

Image sharpness is about what you would expect for a budget lens.

It’s sufficiently sharp for astrophotography, but personally, I wouldn’t use it for landscape photography during daylight hours.

This lens also has quite a significant distortion, but that’s unavoidable with such a wide lens. Lightroom’s lens correction profile does a pretty good job of correcting it.

Focus

One thing you need to consider before buying this lens that it’s manual-focus only. It also uses a manual aperture ring.

This has never been a problem for me, as I’ve found auto-focus to be virtually useless when photographing the stars. The focus ring has a nice smooth feel to it and a large throw, making focusing incredibly accurate.

You’ll also need to consider that you can’t use filters with this lens due to the large front element. Again, this shouldn’t be an issue if you’re using it for astrophotography, because you won’t be needing filters.

Who Is This Lens For?

If you’re looking for a wide lens on a budget, you should definitely consider the Samyang 14mm f/2.8 lens.

For a great astrophotography lens that won’t break the bank, it’s hard to beat. It may not be the best option if you’re planning to sell large prints, but the image quality will be sufficient for most photographers.

Other uses for this lens could be architecture and real estate interiors photography.

You could definitely photograph landscapes with it, but the image softness could be an issue. If you want a higher quality, sharper lens, you’ll need to increase your budget a fair bit.

It’s available with mounts for Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Pentax, and compatible with both full frame and cropped sensors.

Have you used the Samyang 14mm f/2.8 lens? What’s your go-to lens for astrophotography?

The post Samyang 14mm f/2.8 Lens – Astrophotography On A Budget appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 4, 2018
Gallery update: The Nikon Z7 goes wrestling

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We’ve done a lot of shooting with Nikon’s Z7 since it came out. From landscapes to portraits and live music to cars shaped like giant shoes, it’s seen a lot of action. But none of that action is quite so dramatic as semi-professional wrestling.

Check out our updated sample gallery to see how the Z7 performed with the dramatic lighting and dramatic personas that are par for the course at an evening of DEFY wrestling here in Seattle.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 4, 2018
DPReview TV: Crop sensor, pro body cameras

Not everybody wants or needs a full frame sensor, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up pro-level performance on your camera. In this episode, Chris and Jordan compare four of the top performing APS-C and Micro Four Thirds models currently on the market: the Fujifilm X-T3, Nikon D500, Panasonic G9, and Olympus E-M1 Mark II.

Whether your priority is landscapes, portraits, sports and wildlife, or street photography, we’ll help you figure out which of these models is right for you. Want more information? Check out our in-depth reviews and sample galleries for each of these cameras.

Also, make sure to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week by subscribing to our YouTube channel!

Fujifilm X-T3 review

Nikon D500 review

Panasonic G9 review

Olympus E-M1 II review

Fujifilm X-T3 sample gallery

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Nikon D500 sample gallery

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Panasonic G9 sample gallery

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Olympus E-M1 II sample gallery

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 4, 2018
Escura Instant 60s is a retro-inspired instant camera that doesn’t need batteries

Battery-free instant cameras and printers appear to be all the rage right now. So, naturally, another company is tossing its hat in the ring. Hong Kong-based CARBON, a brand under the Graphic Guides Design Company, has launched a Kickstarter campaign for the Escura Instant 60s, a hand-crank Instant camera that uses the ubiquitous Instax film.

The camera, which is built with a retro 60s-inspired design, features a 60mm equivalent lens, two aperture options — F8 and F11 — and a shutter speed of roughly 1/100th of a second. There’s also a bulb shutter mode when using the optional spring shutter release cable. It’s also possible to capture multiple exposures on a single Instax print.

As with past battery-free cameras and printers we’ve seen, the process is as simple as turning the winding mechanism after capturing a shot. As you turn it, the print runs through the rollers and is fed out the top, ready to sit and be developed over the course of 90 seconds or so.

CARBON has also developed an external flash designed to be used with the Escura Instant 60s. It features the same retro design and is automatically synchronized with the shutter release.

The Escura Instant 60s is expected to ship in February 2019. Pledges start at roughly $ 55 (converted from HK$ ) for a single camera and go up as more cameras and add-ons are included. To find out more information and to secure your pledge, head on over to the Kickstarter campaign.

Disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 4, 2018
The One Skill That Will Help You Become a Better Portrait Photographer

Watch any accomplished people photographer at work and you’ll see deliberate intention. Not so much with their camera, but with their subject. Bruce Gilden takes just moments to photograph New Yorkers in the streets. Nick Knight spends hours with models in his studio or on location. The relationships they have with the people they photograph is calculated and purposeful.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Photographers with less experience approach making a portrait differently. They’ll look at the camera in their hands, make technical decisions, alter and check settings, change lenses, perhaps add filters. All with the intention of making a better photograph.

Meanwhile, the portrait subject is probably feeling a bit lost or ignored. They may become disinterested, or even bored.

Engaging with the person you want to photograph will help you get better photos far more than fiddling with your camera at the last minute.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Connect and Relate

Pay attention to your subject. You won’t see an experienced professional focusing on the camera when they are with their subject. They will have already taken care of the exposure and focus options, made conversation, and paid their compliments. The smiles and laughter will come naturally, or a more somber mood established if needed.

Relating to your subject, giving them your attention and engaging them will help them relax. When the subject enjoys the process and feels good about it you’ll get much better portraits.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

For this photo made during a street parade, I wanted to eliminate the background. This was a challenge as there were people and activity everywhere. I had to move her until there was nothing distracting behind her. As I did, I chatted with her and mimicked how I wanted her to hold her hands. She was fascinated that I was being so precise and enjoying the interaction.

Even if you have only a short time to make a portrait, learning to connect is the best thing you can do to improve your craft. For me, it was extremely difficult as I’m a naturally shy person.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Purposefully Build Your Confidence

My career started in the photography department of a daily newspaper. I quickly realized that to be successful I needed to overcome my insecurities. Most photos in newspapers include at least one person in the composition, so if I didn’t overcome these securities, I wouldn’t have a job for long.

You probably won’t have the same pressure to perform and come up with publishable pictures. But if you aren’t accustomed to connecting with people, you’ll need to change if you want to make engaging portraits.

Shy photographers often think, ‘I don’t want to impose on people, or cause them any bother.’ This is the first aspect of portraiture you need to work on.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Instead of thinking you’ll be a nuisance, think that you might just make someone’s day by photographing them. People often like attention. If you approach them with a smile and a friendly manner, you’ll be surprised at the responses.

Revisit the Same Locations

Building relationships with people over time will allow you to photograph them more easily. We run photography workshops in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The people at the markets and villages are now quite familiar with us. We know many people who enjoy being photographed. We’ve been purposely building relationships.

You may have a local farmers market or your kid’s football club you can go to regularly with your camera. Return to the same locations and photograph the same circumstances. Doing so will help build relationships – and your confidence.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

I’d never photographed this man before. But he’d seen me around taking photos and was keen to have his picture taken. This makes life easy for a photographer. Him being so open and willing meant I could easily engage with him and get a very natural environmental portrait, even though he was posing. I showed some interest in him. I asked about the produce he was selling and he responded warmly.

Take Control of Your Camera

Know your camera. Plan ahead and set your gear before you’re with your subject. Choose the right lens. Guess what the light will be like and whether you want a soft or sharply focused background. If you’re unsure about using manual controls, choose aperture priority so you can get the depth of field you want.

When you know your camera well and are in control of it, you’ll be free to engage your subject. Talking with your subject before taking their photo will be far more beneficial than messing around with your camera settings.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

I’d seen this porter at the market a number of times, and sensed he was a little shy. But I wanted to photograph him. He has an interesting face and traditional tattoos on his forearms.

When I saw him resting on his push cart I set my exposure manually and made a test frame from across the street without him being aware. I guessed my focus distance and then approached him. I anticipated him being shy, and that some of the vendors might start teasing him and encouraging him to smile.

He agreed to me photographing him. But as he did, he put his hands by his side. I asked him to put them back where he had them, explaining that I wanted to photograph his tattoos as well.

In this short moment, two or three people did start to tease him. He got embarrassed and pushed his handcart off down the street. This frame is the only clear one I got.

If I’d been ill-prepared with my camera and not engaged him, I doubt the picture would be as interesting.

The next time I saw him I gave him a print of his portrait. He always says “Hi” to me now and gives me a big smile when we visit the markets.

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Learn From the Masters

When I was learning there were no YouTube or other internet resources to help me. These days there are dozens of documentaries and programs showing photographers at work. Find some you admire and wish to emulate, and learn how they do it.

This documentary about some of New York’s well-known street photographers will give you a good insight into how different people achieve their results.

One of my favorite Instagram feeds is that of Lee Jefferies’ portraits. In this video, he tells a little of his story, and how he creates his incredibly intimate portraits of homeless people.

Many of the best portrait photographers are naturally more reserved. This comes through in their photography. Their portraits speak more about the subject than the photographer.

Engage Intentionally

Next time you make a portrait, converse and connect with your subject more than with your camera.

And if you’ve had a fun conversation with someone while making a portrait, share your story with us in the comments.

The post The One Skill That Will Help You Become a Better Portrait Photographer appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 4, 2018