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Four Ways to Generate Stunning Bokeh in Your Images

06 Aug

Bokeh refers to the blur in the background of an image, and for photographers, stunning bokeh is like gold. We want it, struggle for it, need it. Yet how do you generate stunning bokeh consistently?

Fortunately, there a few simple ways to create high-quality background bokeh.

macro flower bokeh photography tulip - Four Ways to Generate Stunning Bokeh in Your Images

In this article, you’ll find four ways that will enhance your ability to produce pleasing bokeh, and therefore increase your photographic versatility and skill.

I’ll first discuss techniques such as increasing the subject to background distance and shooting wide opened. Then I’ll explain bokeh-enhancing situations such as backlighting. You’ll finish with the knowledge to creatively generate stunning bokeh in your own images.

macro flower bokeh photography aster - Four Ways to Generate Stunning Bokeh in Your Images

What is pleasing bokeh?

A quick word on great bokeh: In general, bokeh simply refers to the background blur generated by a lens. However, there are two types of bokeh that I’m going to focus on here.

The first is what I will call geometric bokeh. Geometric bokeh is out of focus highlights that actually take on a geometric shape. This particular shape depends on the nature of the lens, but circles, hexagons, heptagons, and octagons are all fairly common.

When properly utilized, this type of bokeh can add an impressive edge to your images.

macro flower bokeh photography aster geometric bokeh

The lights in the background of this image produce geometric bokeh.

I will refer to the second type of bokeh as creamy bokeh. This is the smooth, out-of-focus look that photographers often strive to achieve.

macro flower creamy bokeh photography daisy

This daisy image has very creamy bokeh.

Both types of bokeh can be generated, but require slightly different methods. Let’s take a look at each.

1. Shoot wide opened

This is really the bread and butter of creating stunning bokeh. Regardless of whether you want geometric or creamy bokeh, shooting wide open (that is, with an aperture in the f/1.2-2.8 range) will greatly increase your chances of achieving it.

I will focus on creamy bokeh here.

macro flower creamy bokeh photography tulip

A wide aperture assisted me in producing a really creamy bokeh background.

If you stop down your lens so that the depth of field is far less shallow, you’ll find that you lose the possibility of nice, creamy backgrounds.

This is because a larger depth of field means that the background is rendered less blurry. To generate the creamiest bokeh, you want to blur the background as much as possible. It’s as simple as that.

To generate better creamy bokeh, widen your aperture to decrease the depth of field. Only then will you start to achieve that beautiful, creamy look and stunning bokeh.

2. Maintain a good subject to background distance

Another essential aspect of producing pleasing bokeh is keeping a good distance between the subject and background. As in the first tip, this applies to both creamy and geometric bokeh, but I’m going to focus on creamy bokeh here.

When I talk about the subject to background distance, I’m referring to the distance between the elements of the photograph that are in focus—your subject—and the elements of the photograph that are out of focus, i.e. your background.

macro flower bokeh photography - Four Ways to Generate Stunning Bokeh in Your Images

Why does having a good distance between the subject and background enhance the quality of creamy bokeh?

It has to do with the depth of field. A greater distance between the subject and background means that the depth of field (the area that is sharp within the image) ends far before the background. The background is then rendered in the form of a lovely blur, rather than as a more in-focus mess.

So in order to increase the creaminess of the bokeh, increase the distance between your subject and your background.

3. Find bright highlights behind the subject

I’ve talked a bit about generating creamy bokeh, now it’s time to turn briefly to geometric bokeh.

Impressive geometric bokeh is created by highlights. One way to get strong geometric bokeh is to look for bright lights in the background.

macro flower bright geometric bokeh photography

The water behind this flower was reflecting the setting sun.

You can achieve this in a few ways. For instance, you might look for objects that filter sunlight, such as leaves. They break up the rays of the sun and turns them into small pinpricks of light that then become impressive geometric bokeh.

You can also look for elements that reflect light. Water is a great option. Another is water droplets. Areas that are wet with morning dew can generate beautiful bokeh when placed behind the subject.

macro flower bokeh photography dandelion - Four Ways to Generate Stunning Bokeh in Your Images

Third, you might search for small light sources in the background. Car lights, street lamps, or christmas lights all work well, especially when shooting after sunset.

Fourth, if you really want to create bokeh but are struggling to find the proper conditions, you can create them yourself. Bring a string of fairy lights with you when you’re shooting, and place them behind the subject.

macro flower bokeh photography yellow

I used fairy lights to create the geometric bokeh in this image.

Geometric bokeh is not all that common in photographs, but can be fairly easily produced. Just follow the tips discussed above!

4. Put the subject in the shade, with a bright background

This method of generating stunning bokeh is unique, in that it can produce amazing creamy bokeh when used one way, and amazing geometric bokeh when reversed.

Both ways involve making sure that your subject is in the shade. Both methods also involve having a bright background. Ideally, you should be shooting in the early morning or late evening when the sun is low in the sky.

macro leaf autumn bokeh photography

Where the techniques diverge is in the placement of the sun.

If you shoot with strong frontlighting—that is, if the sun comes from behind you, over your shoulder—position your subject so that beautiful golden light spills onto the background behind your subject (while your subject remains shaded).

Then that golden light will often render the background similarly golden, and you’ll find that your bokeh becomes wonderful and creamy.

macro flower bokeh photography cosmos

If you shoot with strong backlighting—that is, if the sun comes from behind your subject—position the subject so that the sun must go through trees, leaves, branches, or grasses. As mentioned above, this creates bright highlights behind the subject.

These are then blown into beautiful geometric bokeh.

macro flower bokeh photography

Feel free to experiment. Try to vary the amount of shade on your subject, moving from complete shade to direct backlighting.

macro flower bokeh photography

This flower was more directly backlit.

Whether you choose to shoot with frontlighting or backlighting, by placing your subject in the shade and working during the “golden hours” of sunrise and sunset, you’ll generate beautiful bokeh.

Conclusion

While photographers often struggle to create beautiful bokeh, it doesn’t have to be hard. By shooting with a wide aperture, using a large subject to background distance, by positioning the subject so that bright highlights exist behind it, and by using special types of lighting, you can begin producing images with stunning bokeh.

macro flower bokeh photography hyacinth

Know other ways of generating great bokeh? Please share them and your bokeh images in the comment area below.

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You probably don’t know what ISO means – and that’s a problem

06 Aug

Whatever camera or phone you have, it’ll report the ISO value it used to take its photos. Despite its ubiquity, ‘ISO’ probably doesn’t mean what you think it does. Worse still, it may be holding your camera back, both in terms of the images it takes and in the tools it provides you. This means it’s potentially holding your photography back, too. Part of the problem stems from the fact that ISO sounds like something you were already familiar with.

At first glance, ISO settings look just like the sensitivity ratings used for film (to the extent that there are some people who still refer to ASA: the US standard incorporated into the ISO standard for film). But ISO in digital isn’t the same as film. it’s essentially a metaphor for the way film sensitivity worked, if you got it processed in a minilab machine. This is a problem.

It causes confusion

The apparent familiarity and simplicity of ISO setting leads to a number of common misunderstandings. Despite what you may have heard or read, changing the ISO of your camera does not change its sensitivity.

ISO changes the lightness of the final image but it doesn’t change the fundamental sensitivity of your sensor. Nor is it an indicator of amplification being applied: although many cameras do increase their amplification as you increase the ISO setting, this isn’t always the case.

“Why can’t I use ISO 100 in Log mode?” The answer is that a log gamma curve is so flat that it requires very little light to achieve middle grey, which means it’s considered a high ISO. Strictly speaking, though, you can’t really calculate an ISO value for log at all, since the standard is based on a different colorspace and gamma. It’s a similar story for Raw.

This may sound like semantic nit-picking, but it causes a lot of misunderstandings. It’s widely thought that the additional noise in high ISO image comes from the ‘background hum’ of the sensor’s amplifiers. This feels right: we’ve all heard more hum if we turn up the volume on an audio amplifier. Unfortunately it’s simply not true: most noise actually comes from the light you’re capturing, so it primarily depends on your shutter speed and aperture*.

The ISO standard doesn’t specify that amplification needs to be used, nor does it specify what happens in the Raw file

The ISO standard doesn’t specify that amplification needs to be used, nor does it specify what happens in the Raw file. All it does is relate initial exposure to output JPEG lightness, however that is achieved. The only sure difference at the Raw level from an increase in ISO is that the change in ISO setting almost certainly led to less exposure, which means less light and therefore more noise for each tone from the scene.

There’s an ISO standard that’s slightly more pertinent to Raw files, which looks at when the sensor becomes completely saturated, but this doesn’t correspond to the standard used by your camera. So next time you see a graph comparing ‘Manufacturer’ and ‘Measured’ ISO, what you’re actually looking at is the ‘JPEG ISO’ vs ‘Saturation ISO.’ Any differences between the two mainly tell you how many stops above middle grey the manufacturer’s JPEG tone curve is designed to deliver.

It encourages poor exposure

As well as giving a false sense of simplicity, ISO’s increasingly tenuous attempt to mimic film ratings can mean making poor use of sensor response.

Film (particularly negative film) has a very distinctive response curve that gives lots of latitude for recovering highlights. Digital is very different: it offers a much more linear response but with a hard, unrecoverable clipping point in the highlights. And no, your favorite software doesn’t really recover completely clipped highlights from your Raw file**.

This graph shows the signal-to-noise ratio (essentially the noisiness) at different brightness levels of film and digital. The film response peaks and then gradually declines, with plenty of scope for recovering highlights from the right-hand side of the curve. The digital response rises to much higher levels than the film, then cuts-off abruptly. So why would you expose these two media in the same way?

Illustration based on DxO’s analysis

And yet, despite these differences, the digital ISO standard is based around ‘correctly’ exposing JPEG midtones***. A 2006 update to the standard gave manufacturers some flexibility in terms of how many stops of highlights they wanted in their JPEGs above middle grey****, but it still encourages exposure based on midtones, with a pre-set number of stops above this for highlights.

That’s not the best way to expose digital. The best results are achieved by giving as much exposure as possible without clipping the brightest tones you care about: a process called ‘exposing to the right.’ This maximizes the amount of light, and hence signal which, in turn, optimizes the signal-to-noise ratio (essentially ‘noisiness’).

And yet, by worrying about the JPEG middle grey, cameras end up giving every image the same number of stops for highlights, even though this is wasted in low DR scenes (that highlight space isn’t used and exposure is lower than optimal) or insufficient in high DR situations: the lovely colors of the sunset you’re shooting are lost, unrecoverably, to clipping.

ISO200 (DR 100)

ISO 400 (DR 200)

ISO400 (DR 100)
Fujifilm’s DR modes essentially give you a choice of amplification and tone curve combinations that include different amounts of highlight information. These end up being rated as different ISO settings.

The ISO 200 / DR 100 example on the left has the least noise. The ISO 400 / DR 200 image has a shorter exposure, bringing more noise, despite having the same amount of amplification as the ISO 200 image. This low level of amplification means it has retained more highlight information than the ISO 400 / DR 100 image on the right, which used the same exposure but more amplification.

This problem isn’t easily solved: there are times that exposing-to-the-right will result in noisier midtones than you want. In these situations, you have to let the highlights go. However, fixating on JPEG midtones isn’t helpful.

It warps camera development

This brings us to the biggest problem with using a clumsy metaphor for film sensitivity as the way of setting image brightness in digital: it means we aren’t given the tools to optimally expose our sensors.

ISO ends up conflating the effects of amplification and of tone curve, meaning you have to do your own research to find out what your camera’s doing behind the scenes, and what the best way to expose it is.

We aren’t given the most basic tools: Raw histograms or Raw clipping warnings that would help optimize exposure

The preview image your camera gives, the histograms it draws and the exposure meters and guides it offers are all based on JPEG output and their midtones, because ISO says that’s what matters. This means we aren’t given the most basic tools we need: Raw histograms or Raw clipping warnings that would help optimize exposure. It means no development has been done to create more sophisticated tools that would help you judge the quality implications of exposing to the right, and when to let the highlights go.

In short, ISO is an increasingly shaky metaphor that promotes misunderstanding, obscures what your camera is doing and robs us of the tools we need to get the most out of our cameras. Isn’t it time for something better?

Thanks to Bobn2 for feedback and fact-checking

* This misunderstanding possibly stems from another misunderstanding. The hum you hear when you turn up the volume on an audio amplifier isn’t caused by the amplifier itself, it’s the hum of the mains electricity, made audible. [Return to text]

** Highlight recovery sliders usually rely on only one of the color channels having truly clipped, and try to guess the value of the clipped channels, based on the remaining, unclipped one, so tend to be limited in their effectiveness. [Return to text]

*** We put the word “correctly” in inverted commas because the more you think about it, the harder it becomes to pin down what ‘correct’ exposure might be. If you’re certain that you know what ‘correct’ exposure means, then you should probably check through the assumptions that underpin it. [Return to text]

**** This change is why the JPEG ISO ratings used by manufacturers don’t need to coincide with clipping-based Raw ISO numbers. We’ve previously written an article about how it works. [Return to text]

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Tamron introduces affordable 17-35mm F2.8-4 full-frame lens for Canon and Nikon

06 Aug

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Tamron has introduced its 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD lens for full-frame Canon and Nikon bodies. This compact lens, which weighs just 460g (16.2oz), features 15 elements, including low-dispersion and glass-molded aspherical elements. Both ‘BBAR’ and fluorine coatings are employed, with the latter helping to fingerprints and moisture from adhering to this weather-sealed lens. The Optimized Silent Drive motor promises ‘excellent AF speed and drive noise reduction,’ according to Tamron.

The 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD will be available in early September for Nikon FX bodies, with a Canon EF model to follow later. It will be priced at a very reasonable $ 599.

Tamron Announces the Smallest, Lightest Ultra-Wide-Angle Zoom Lens in its Class

A sophisticated balance of outstanding optics and matchless mobility

August 6, 2018, Commack, New York— Tamron announces the launch of a new ultra-wide-angle zoom lens, the 17-35mm F/2.8-4 Di OSD (Model A037), for 35mm full-frame DSLR cameras. The vision behind the Model A037 is that of an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens that has a separate concept from SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD (Model A012), with superb image quality and easy portability. At just 3.5 in in length and 16.2 oz. in weight, it is the smallest and lightest in its class. The focal length ranges from an ultra-wide 17mm that is suitable for professional landscape photography to a standard 35mm perfect for snapshot photography. As for F-stops, the wide-angle end is a large aperture F/2.8, and at the telephoto end is a fast F/4. The Moisture-Resistant Construction and Fluorine Coating help to enhance the user’s photographic experience. For those looking to try out an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for the first time, as well as having a lens that is easily portable, the A037 is the definitive choice. The lens will be available in Nikon mount on September 4, 2018 at a suggested retail price of $ 599. The launch of the Canon mount model will be announced at a later date.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

1. High-performance imaging for shooting vast landscapes in sharp detail
The optical construction (15 elements in 10 groups) uses four LD (Low Dispersion) lens elements to minimize axial chromatic aberrations that can occur with ultra-wide-angle zoom lenses. With two properly positioned GM (Glass Molded Aspherical) lenses, distortion and other aberration can be satisfactorily corrected as well. Being the smallest and lightest in its class and dedicated to high quality imaging, the engineers have paid particular attention to size. The lens has also been carefully designed to allow peripheral point image reproducibility and thereby facilitate a high degree of sharpness and contrast. The Minimum Object Distance (MOD) for the entire zoom range is a short 11 in., so background blurring is still possible when opening the aperture and approaching the subject close-up with this ultra-wide-angle zoom.

2. Advanced coating technology along with proprietary ghosting analysis simulation technology enabled the high level of backlighting control
Resistance to backlighting is extremely important for wide-angle lenses as they are often subjected to strong light sources. The Model A037 has a high level optical construction that repeatedly employs comprehensive ghosting analysis simulation. The BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) Coating is highly effective in reducing reflection, allowing ghosting and flare throughout the entire zoom range to be controlled.

3. OSD (Optimized Silent Drive) enables both excellent AF speed and drive noise reduction
The AF drive system employs an OSD (Optimized Silent Drive) to ensure quiet operation. Through the innovative optimization of the system that includes AF system speed reduction gear, Tamron could greatly reduce the drive noise in comparison to conventional AF types with built-in DC motors. AF performance and speed have also been vastly improved. Thus, even if silence is required, AF can be employed without having to worry at all about noise creation. The Model A037 can provide superlative AF precision for exact focus even when shooting moving objects, as well as outstanding trackability.

4. Circular aperture to produce a smooth-edged bokeh
A 7-blade diaphragm is configured to retain a smooth, circular-shaped aperture opening even when stopped down by two stops from the wide-open aperture. This produces a smooth-edged bokeh in background light spots and avoids rugged aperture geometry.

5. Moisture-Resistant Construction
Seals are located at the lens mount area and other critical locations to prevent infiltration of moisture and/or rain drops to provide Moisture-Resistant Construction. This feature affords an additional layer of protection when shooting outdoors under adverse weather conditions.

6. Fluorine Coating
The surface of the front element is coated with a protective fluorine compound that has excellent water- and oil-repellant qualities. The front surface is easier to wipe clean and is less vulnerable to the damaging effects of dirt, dust, moisture or oily fingerprints, allowing for much easier maintenance. The coating also provides an enhanced level of durability, and will sustain its effectiveness for years.

7. Compatible with TAMRON TAP-in ConsoleTM, an optional accessory
The new A037 is compatible with the optional TAMRON TAP-in Console, an optional accessory product that provides a USB connection to a personal computer, enabling users to easily update a lens’s firmware as well as customize features including fine adjustments to the AF.

Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD specifications

Principal specifications
Lens type Zoom lens
Max Format size 35mm FF
Focal length 17–35 mm
Image stabilization No
Lens mount Canon EF, Nikon F (FX)
Aperture
Maximum aperture F2.8–4
Minimum aperture F16–22
Aperture ring No
Number of diaphragm blades 7
Optics
Elements 15
Groups 10
Special elements / coatings LD/GM elements, BBAR/fluorine coatings
Focus
Minimum focus 0.28 m (11.02″)
Maximum magnification 0.2×
Autofocus Yes
Motor type Micromotor
Full time manual Yes
Focus method Internal
Distance scale No
DoF scale No
Physical
Weight 460 g (1.01 lb)
Diameter 84 mm (3.31″)
Length 93 mm (3.66″)
Sealing Yes
Colour Black
Zoom method Rotary (extending)
Power zoom No
Filter thread 77 mm
Hood supplied Yes
Tripod collar No

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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How to do Extreme Close-Up Photography with a Macro Bellows

06 Aug

Macro photography is technically designated as the ability to photograph subjects at magnifications equal to or greater than life size. This means that if the subject’s projection size on the camera’s sensor is the same size as the subject itself, then you have life-size magnification, also known as a 1:1 ratio.

Even though many lenses state they have macro functions, a true macro lens must be able to do 1:1 or greater ratio magnification. These specialized lenses allow for a closer focus distance and have great image quality, but they tend to be expensive.

There are cheaper ways to create macro images though. Reverse rings, extension tubes and close up lenses are good options, but my very favorite one is the macro bellows. In this article, I will show you how to use macro bellows to achieve great extreme macro images the easy way.

The Gear

I am very proud to be the lucky owner of one of the very rare Spiratone Kenlock tilt-shift macro bellows sold by Hama in the 80s.

This is probably the rarest and the fullest featured bellows out there, designed originally for 35mm SLR cameras.
In fact, it looks like a scaled down monorail camera with the ability to be adapted to an SLR body.

macro bellow - How to do Extreme Close-Up Photography with a Macro Bellows

This is an amazing piece of gear, despite the fact it was built in the 80s for film cameras, that remains perfectly actual and can be used with modern digital cameras.

It has removable adapters for different brands of lenses and camera bodies.
In this particular setup, I’m using an M42 mount 50mm Tessar Carl Zeiss Jena DDR 2.8 lens and full frame sensor Canon 5D MKIII.

Because this equipment was made for old cameras with flat fronts without a hand grip like the modern digital ones, I am also using a Canon 25mm Extension Tube between the camera body and the bellows to give me some space for the mount.

This is obviously an expensive setup, but you can find many inexpensive simple function macro bellows that can be used with your existing camera and lenses.

Magnification

The magnification ratio is simply the relationship between the size of the (in-focus) subject’s projection on the imaging sensor and the subject’s size in reality.

Imagine a subject like a bug that is 1cm long in real life;

  • If its projection on the camera’s sensor is also 1cm then you have a 1:1 ratio.
  • You have a 2:1 ration if its projection on the camera’s sensor is 2cm.
  • And so forth…

This magnification is achieved by the extension of the bellows operated by two knobs that allow you to move the front and rear elements.

macro bellow on a Canon body - How to do Extreme Close-Up Photography with a Macro Bellows

Retracted, the macro bellows creates a smaller magnification.

extended - How to do Extreme Close-Up Photography with a Macro Bellows

Extended, the macro bellows makes a greater magnification.

There is some really complex optics math behind this magnification process that I am not able to calculate myself. So I used an online calculator to try to understand what I could achieve with this setup and these are the results I got.

magnification - How to do Extreme Close-Up Photography with a Macro Bellows

I was able to find out that the combination of this particular lens with this macro bellows allows me to get a magnification of 3:1 with the bellows at its minimum extension and 5:1 at its maximum extension.

Focusing

The process of focusing is done by moving the whole set constituted by the lens, macro bellows and camera body along a rail, making it closer or further to the subject.

Although it might sound simple, it is, in fact, a very hard process due to the scale of the image we are composing. Any minimal movement throws everything out of focus. So the use of a sturdy tripod and making sure the subject doesn’t move are critical factors to minimize error and allow precise control.

The focusing process is usually done with the lens at its widest aperture to allow enough light in and then it is changed to the chosen aperture for the image capture.

lens - How to do Extreme Close-Up Photography with a Macro Bellows

This aperture open/close process is done automatically in modern cameras and lenses, but with most bellows, it is not possible to have the communication between the camera and the lens due to the lack of electronic contacts, so it has to be done manually.

Sometimes this simple act of changing the lens aperture is enough to change the focus plane, making it a really hard process to control.

Depth of Field

This is for sure the toughest factor to control in macro photography. The depth of field is extremely reduced at this magnification even when photographing with the lens’s narrowest aperture.

A tilt and shift bellows like the one I am using helps to minimize the depth of field issues with some focal plane movements. But many macro photographers choose to use a much more complex technique called focus stacking. The process consists of digitally merging multiple images taken at different focus distances, resulting in a greater depth of field in the final image.

Getting the Picture

Now we’ve gone through the basic technicalities it is time to put everything in action.

For this setup, I will be photographing a dead house fly I found near my living room window. The fact that is not moving makes it a perfect case study to use in a macro stage.

To allow me full control of the equipment, I prepared a tethered setup with the camera connected to a computer, being operated by its native capture software. This way I can avoid touching the camera to release the shutter.

For lighting, I will use two speedlights controlled by a transmitter connected to the camera’s hotshoe that also allows power control through software.

setup for macro - How to do Extreme Close-Up Photography with a Macro Bellows

The intention was to create some light and shadow volume on the fly and separate it from the dark background. Here is the result:

house fly - How to do Extreme Close-Up Photography with a Macro Bellows

Illuminating such a small subject is a very difficult task as the smallest changes produce totally different results. Such is the case in this next image with softer light where I used only one flash and one reflector, instead of two speedlights.

house fly - How to do Extreme Close-Up Photography with a Macro Bellows

To me, it is really fascinating to see a fly at this magnification with all the small details. It is a creepy experience for sure.

This was just with the macro bellows retracted. For the full magnification experience, I will now extend the bellows all the way and experiment greater magnification.

This time I will focus on the fly’s head and the lighting will be done with an LED panel and a small reflector.

behind the scenes shot - How to do Extreme Close-Up Photography with a Macro Bellows

Here is the result:

fly head extreme close-up - How to do Extreme Close-Up Photography with a Macro Bellows

Now we’ve achieved extreme macro with fantastic detail.

Conclusion

It is amazing how an old lens and macro bellows can produce such a high-quality image.

Give this technique a try, I’m sure you will have a lot of fun and make some great images along the way! Please share your macro images with a bellows in the comment area below.

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6 Tips To Help You Improve Your Documentary Photos

06 Aug

Documentary photos can have a powerful impact on viewers. They can notify people of an issue that they wouldn’t otherwise know about. Documentary images can help focus attention on different cultures that are rarely seen by other people. They can inspire, tell stories, and above all they can take the viewer on a journey that they may not go on themselves.

It’s important to remember that documentary photos differ to the conventional travel photographs. Yes they can overlap sometimes but documentary photos need to tell a story first and foremost. Here are 6 tips to help you improve your documentary photos.

woman burning leaves - Documentary Photos

1. Tell a Story

Before even a single photo has been taken, you need to decide on the story that you want to tell.

Are you trying to capture a specific event or ritual? Do you want to shed light on an environmental issue? Or do you want to document a different aspect of an already well-photographed location by focusing on say the grittier side of it away from the glitz and glamour?

Whatever the story is, your first action should be to write it down in a sentence. That will become your brief and with every photo you take, you should be looking to ensure it meets that requirement.

Not only will this help you to begin to build a shot list of potential things to photograph, but it will also ensure that you are always focused on the subjects you are photographing.

man cooking over a fire - Documentary Photos

2. Brainstorm Shots

Once you have an idea of what your story is about, you can begin to create a shot list based on that headline. So for example, if you want to photograph a traditional festival, some of the things that might be on your shot list could be things like:

  • The performers getting ready
  • Close up of the costumes
  • Head and shoulder portraits of the performers and audience
  • Action shots of the festival in action (for example dancing, singing, etc.)
  • Wide-angle shots capturing the entire event (for example to show the scale)
  • The venue (if it is in a place of special interest)
  • Any traditional foods or drinks served

This will help you plan your shoot and make sure that you cover different aspects of the story you are trying to tell.

Clearly, while you are there you may find that this list changes and other things get added or crossed off. The key is to make sure you capture a variety of shots based on your initial brief.

two men in red costumes - Documentary Photos

3. Planning and Setting Up

It’s not by accident that documentary photographers seem to be in the right place at the right time to capture stunning shots. This is not by accident or luck. There has likely been a lot of planning and research that’s gone into the shoot to ensure that they can maximize their time and capture the best photos. So, do your research before you start shooting.

For example, if you are photographing a parade get to that location a day before and work out the best place to be. Ask the locals if they know anything that might help you. Or if you are planning to photograph a remote tribe, contact local guides that can help you get there and also translate if needed.

Preparation is a huge part of documentary photography and you should spend time making sure you are fully prepared before you start.

parade with a religious float - Documentary Photos

4. Be Ready to Shoot

Once your research is done and you have planned everything, it’s time to execute and capture the photos. There is no magic formula for choosing your camera settings when taking documentary photos, as every scenario is different.

But you can prepare for it in advance by understanding your camera and predicting the scenario that you might face. For example, if you are photographing locals in their home where you are likely to encounter low light conditions, you can safely assume that you will need to raise your ISO level to be able to capture the shot. So, practice at home so that not only can work quickly but also you know your camera’s capabilities at high ISO settings.

Or if you are going to be photographing a dance festival where there will be fast movement practice being able to focus accurately and capture sharp photos. Trying to predict the scenario you are working in will often help ensure that you don’t panic when you are actually there and taking photos for real.

demonstration by doctors and nurses - Documentary Photos

5. Story Over Aesthetics

Arguably this is where documentary photography and travel photography differ.

While often in travel photography you want to try and tell a story, you also need to convey that in a beautiful and aspiring way that will make people want to travel to that destination. But documentary photography is about telling the story first and foremost and if the aesthetics have to suffer to capture it, then so be it.

So, don’t be afraid to break away from convention if it means you will capture the shot that will help tell that story.

protestors in the park - Documentary Photos

6. Edit Ruthlessly

Once you have captured all of the images that you wanted to get, then arguably the really hard work starts.

You need to edit and select the best of those images with which to showcase and tell the entire story. Flick through magazines and you will see that generally, a photo essay is anywhere between  6-10 photos maximum. You need to be ruthless in your culling and only feature photos that contribute to the overall story.

Try to detach yourself and think like a photo editor, not a photographer. The end result should be a collection of photos that are strong enough individually but also work as a collective.

Lightroom browser of images - Documentary Photos

Conclusion

Well done documentary photos can be mesmerizing to view and they tell an incredibly powerful story. It could be argued that they are often more powerful than the words that go along with them. Even the simplest stories can be phenomenal in a series of photos.

But capturing a set of photos that are different and yet can work together as a series and also tell a story is incredibly difficult. Follow these six simple tips and you will be on your way to capturing amazing documentary photos.

Now it’s your turn. Share your amazing documentary photos below.

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DPReview TV: the Laowa 24mm F14 Probe may look strange, but it sure is fun

05 Aug

This week we take a look at one of the more unusual optics we’ve seen for quite a while. The Laowa 24mm F14 Macro Probe lens may look like something out of a science fiction movie, but as Chris and Jordan discover, it opens the door to some really interesting photo opportunities.

Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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How to Use the Lightroom Editing Trifecta: History, Snapshots, and Virtual Copies

05 Aug

I often find myself knee-deep into editing a photo when an idea hits me to try something totally different. Maybe it’s exploring different cropping options, creating a black-and-white version, or getting crazy with the adjustment brush. One useful feature of a Lightroom editing workshop is that it gives you the flexibility to explore as many different paths as you want for a picture. While always giving you the freedom to jump back to different editing points or start over entirely.

Three of the best ways to do that are with the History, Snapshot, and Virtual Copy options. Let’s dig deeper into each one separately.

butterfly on a red flower - How to Use the Lightroom Editing Trifecta: History, Snapshot, and Virtual Copies

Lightroom History

Decades ago in the early days of personal computers, you were lucky if you could click undo more than once. Even the first version of Photoshop did not allow more than one undo!

This meant that you had to be extraordinarily careful when creating or editing digital images because any changes were basically permanent. Whereas today most programs allow virtually limitless error-correction when it comes to undoing your work. Lightroom is no different and if you want to fix a mistake just choose Edit > Undo and any errors or changes will be immediately wiped away.

Better than undo

History in Lightroom is sort of like undo but it is infinitely more flexible. It’s a veritable time machine that gives you the freedom to revert back to any aspect of your editing even if you have made dozens and dozens of changes to an image.

Whereas Undo lets you go back to earlier versions of your image one step at a time, the History panel actually lists all the changes made since you imported an image into your Catalog including the numerical values of each edit. If you make a change that involves a numerical value those will show up in the History panel as well, including the amount of the change and the resulting value.

For example, if you adjust the Exposure by +0.5, the History panel will show you Exposure +0.50 and then the resulting exposure value of +0.50. If you make another exposure adjustment of 0.2, you will see that in the History panel along with a final value of +0.70. This helps you see a written description of all the edits you have made to an image as they were applied.

lightroom history - How to Use the Lightroom Editing Trifecta: History, Snapshot, and Virtual Copies

The complete history of all my edits to the butterfly image at the top of this article. Clicking on any of the edits listed will instantly let me jump back in time to that particular step of the editing process.

History is saved within your catalog

Every image’s complete editing history is saved in your Lightroom Catalog so you can revisit changes you made to photos years ago just as you can with photos you take today.

Using the History panel is fairly straightforward. Click on any edit and your image will instantly revert back to when that change was made.

However, if you then make any subsequent edits at that point, the changes will be reflected at the top of the History panel and therefore will not take into account all the additional edits you already made. This is where the Snapshot tool comes in handy.

Lightroom Snapshots

You can use Snapshots in combination with the History panel or all by themselves. Either way, it opens up a great deal of editing flexibility that is light years beyond what the Undo/Redo commands have to offer.

As you work through your edits on a photo you might find yourself wanting to save the current state of your image so you can make additional changes but still have the option of reverting back to a specific point in time or a specific set of edits later.

Snapshots let you do that easily with one click. They are extremely useful for trying new things or even just saving various versions of a single image.

countryside weather vane - How to Use the Lightroom Editing Trifecta: History, Snapshot, and Virtual Copies

The above image was taken on a recent trip through the state of Kansas. I got it printed as a canvas for my wife to hang on the wall.

Creating and naming a snapshot

After creating this version of the picture I wanted to make some additional changes and even try a black and white version. But I did not want to lose the original image in case I ever want to get it re-printed. Lightroom makes this a simple one-click step. All I had to do was click the + button under the Snapshot panel. Lightroom then created a version of the image frozen in time at that exact point in the editing process.

name your Snapshot in LR - How to Use the Lightroom Editing Trifecta: History, Snapshot, and Virtual Copies

After creating the Canvas Print Snapshot I did a black-and-white conversion, changed the Blue color slider to adjust the brightness of the sky, and re-cropped it to be a 3:2 aspect ratio.

black and white version - How to Use the Lightroom Editing Trifecta: History, Snapshot, and Virtual Copies

I was happy with the result, so I saved a new Snapshot which I titled according to the edits made.

black and white snapshot named - How to Use the Lightroom Editing Trifecta: History, Snapshot, and Virtual Copies

Benefits

This process lets me switch between two versions of the same image with the click of my mouse. I can also create as many Snapshots as I want while also re-naming or deleting them by right-clicking on any given Snapshot name. In addition, I can use the History panel to create Snapshots by hovering over any of the edits listed in the History, right-clicking, and choosing the “Create Snapshot” option.

Finally, one nice but an often-unnoticed benefit of Snapshots is that you can move the mouse over your list of Snapshots and see a preview of each one in the small window in the top-left corner of Lightroom. It’s a handy way to see what each snapshot looks like without clicking and loading them one by one.

snapshot version of windmill - How to Use the Lightroom Editing Trifecta: History, Snapshot, and Virtual Copies

Three renditions of the windmill photo now exist, each with its own Snapshot that I can click on at any time to load that particular version.

Virtual Copies

One limitation of the Snapshots is that you have to manually click through your Snapshots one by one by one if you want to export them as individual photos. This is fine if you have one or two snapshots of a single image, but if you need to export multiple snapshots from multiple photos the process can become cumbersome right away.

This is where Virtual Copies really shine. While they are similar to Snapshots there are some key differences that make them highly useful in certain situations.

maternity portrait - How to Use the Lightroom Editing Trifecta: History, Snapshot, and Virtual Copies

I cropped this image into a square and while the client loved it, she asked if I could send her a vertical version. I used Lightroom to make a Virtual Copy and re-cropped that so I would always have my original crop.

How they work

Virtual Copies function in a manner almost identical to Snapshots in that you can create what is basically a saved state of your edits at any point in the editing process. After that, you can add more changes to each saved state without impacting the other Virtual Copies.

To create one, right-click on any image in the Library or Develop module and choose “Create Virtual Copy” or choose “Create Virtual Copy” from the Photo menu (or use the keyboard shortcut Cmd/Ctrl+’). This essentially duplicates the photo in your library (as a new thumbnail) but does not actually create a copy of the original file.

Virtual Copies are duplicate versions of images that can be edited like any other photo in your library, and function almost identically. A Virtual Copy has its own unique editing history, can be cropped and adjusted like any other image, and can utilize editing presets as well.

The only way to distinguish Virtual Copies from other photos is that they have a small triangle icon (like a page turning) in the lower left corner of their thumbnail.

How to Use the Lightroom Editing Trifecta: History, Snapshot, and Virtual Copies - virtual copy in thumbnail strip

The small triangle icon in the lower left corner of an image thumbnail indicates that it is a Virtual Copy.

Snapshot or Virtual Copy?

Snapshots are fine when I’m experimenting with different editing techniques, but I prefer Virtual Copies on client work, particularly when I want to give them multiple versions of a single image.

For example, when processing a recent session I was able to edit an image for white balance, sharpness, tonality, etc., and then create a virtual copy with those same edits that I cropped much closer. When I exported my images from Lightroom both versions got rendered and saved to my computer, which is not the case when working with Snapshots.

How to Use the Lightroom Editing Trifecta: History, Snapshot, and Virtual Copies

I had two different crops of this image that I wanted to send to the clients. I used Virtual Copies instead of Snapshots so both would be exported when I created the final batch of images to send to them.

Conclusion

Lightroom has a host of small but powerful features like this that, once learned, can greatly streamline and enhance your workflow.

Do you use History, Snapshots, or Virtual Copies? If so what are some of your favorite tips and tricks that help you get your work done more efficiently? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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Tips for Shooting Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images at Blue Hour

05 Aug

You have probably seen out of focus cityscape bokeh photos with pleasing lights, like the photo below. The term “bokeh” comes from the Japanese word “boke”, which can be translated as “blur”. You should be familiar with bokeh effect that is typically seen in portrait photography where a shallow depth of field is used to purposefully throw the background out of focus (i.e. bokeh) and draw attention solely to the subject.

Unlike portrait photography, everything is thrown out of focus for cityscape bokeh photos that we’re trying here. It makes colourful light orbs appear prominently in the image and creates a unique art style. If you haven’t tried these cityscapes with bokeh lights before, follow along with the simple four steps below. It’s super easy!

Singapore - Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images

Singapore skyline with bokeh lights at blue hour (26mm, f/4.2, 15 seconds, ISO 100).

Step 1: Find a location with enough lights

Shooting at popular cityscape photography spots works great, but any place (such as a road in front of your house) might be suitable as long as there are sufficient lights. The choice of location isn’t very critical, as everything is blurred out, anyway.

My favourite spot to shoot from is an overhead bridge. It always gives pleasing results with many different colors of light sources available (buildings, cars headlights and tail lights, street lamps, traffic lights, etc.).

Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images

Shot from an overhead bridge in a suburb. You don’t necessarily have to go to the city center to shoot photos with bokeh lights (34mm, f/2.5, 1/2.5 second, ISO 100).

Step 2: Start shooting 10-20 minutes before the end of dusk

Cityscape bokeh images won’t work if the sky is still bright. It’s around this time (10-20 minutes before the end of dusk – check gaisma.com for your local dusk time) that city lights have been turned on, and the deep blue color of the dusk sky creates a beautiful backdrop for glittering bokeh lights.

Singapore - Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images at Blue Hour

Singapore skyline with bokeh lights, shot exactly at the end of dusk (28mm, f/4.5, 6 seconds, ISO 100).

Shooting after dusk with the pitch black sky as a backdrop also works fine, but I personally prefer shooting during blue hour.

Singapore - Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images at Blue Hour

The same view shot 20 minutes after the end of dusk (28mm, f/4.5, 13 seconds, ISO 100).

Step 3: Use Aperture Priority mode and a wide aperture

You may start with the smallest f-stop number and adjust to your liking. A wider aperture (smaller f-stop number) results in larger bokeh orbs, as seen in the photos below that were shot at the exact same location at different settings (top: shot with f/1.8, bottom: shot with f/4).

Singapore - Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images at Blue Hour

Shot at f/1.8

Singapore - Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images at Blue Hour

Shot at f/4

Step 4: Switch to manual focus

Use manual focus (as opposed to autofocus) and turn the focus ring until the lights are completely out of focus. This is easy as pie, but if the word “manual” turns you off, you can remain in autofocus and do the following, too.

  1. Set to single-point AF (autofocus).
  2. Hold up a lens cap (or a small item) towards the sky in front of you, as seen in the photo below.
  3. Focus on the lens cap and press the shutter button halfway down to lock the focus (which makes everything else out of focus).
  4. Move the camera to reframe the shot as you like and press the shutter down the rest of the way.

Singapore lens cap - Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images at Blue Hour

No Fast Lens, No Tripod Needed

In order to capture these pleasing cityscape bokeh effects, you might be thinking that you need a so-called “fast lens” (i.e. a lens that is capable of opening up to f/1.4 or f/1.8, for example.) that portrait photographers typically use.

No, you do not! In fact, you can take these bokeh photos using f/3.5 on your kit lens. Some photos in this post were shot at f/4.5 on my trusty Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5, hardly a lens that is considered fast.

Furthermore, you can take these bokeh photos handheld (i.e. without using a tripod), as shooting with the aperture wide open (or close to it) helps keep the shutter speed high enough. Anyway, stability and sharpness aren’t very critical, as you are shooting photos that are completely out of focus!

The only occasion I use a tripod is when I want to create smooth water by using a neutral density (ND) filter. Then, a tripod is a must, as the exposure lasts at least for several seconds even if you’re shooting with the aperture wide open.

Singapore - Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images at Blue Hour

Singapore CBD with bokeh lights at blue hour, shot with a 3-stop ND filter attached (20mm, f/3.5, 13 seconds, ISO 100).

One View, Two Images

What I particularly like about shooting cityscapes with bokeh lights is that a single view can produce two completely different images, one in focus and one out of focus, like the photos below shot at the same location.

At blue hour, I typically shoot an in-focus cityscape with a few minutes of long exposure first. Once finished, I switch to manual focus and shoot out of focus photos with the cityscape bokeh lights until the deep blue hue in the dusk sky is gone.

By the way, I like shooting with a little smaller aperture like f/3.5 to f/4.5 so that the shape of the skyline is still recognizable for those who are familiar with the place.

Singapore in focus - Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images at Blue Hour

Singapore skyline in focus (18mm, f/11, 194 seconds, ISO 100).

Singapore out of focus - Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images at Blue Hour

Singapore skyline with bokeh lights (18mm, f/3.5, 8 seconds, ISO 100).

Conclusion

I hope this article helps you get started with cityscape photos with pleasing bokeh lights if you haven’t tried previously.

As a cityscape photography enthusiast myself, I’ve found it quite fun to shoot something that looks completely different from otherwise ordinary cityscapes. If you have any questions or tips to share, feel free to do so in the comments below.

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Desert Oddity: Shooting Under Rare Conditions in Namibia

04 Aug

Earlier this year I guided a group of photographers in Namibia. It had been some time since my last visit and I was very keen to return, but little did I know that this beautiful African country would see some very rare weather conditions during my visit. In this article I’ll describe what happened.

It was a peculiar time in Namibia, with some very weird weather. A massive thunderstorm hit about 1500 km north of where that kind of thing normally happens, and bizarrely enough, it happened exactly when we were there. We were rained on during our entire visit to the ghost town of Kolmanskop, which my participants weren’t too happy about, since it meant they were missing the famous light coming out of the windows of the buildings.

Kolmanskop on a normal sunny day. The light plays a significant role in the images usually produced here.
The same room on a rainy day. The pockmarked dune was unique and visually quite interesting, but there was no light.

Locals said the last time it had rained that hard was 12 years ago, and small children were panicking, having never experienced such a storm in their lifetimes! Several 100-year-old roofs collapsed, further restricting access.

I, for one, enjoyed the rainy conditions. The dunes inside the rooms were all pocked with raindrops, which contributed a great deal to the uniqueness factor.

But Kolmanskop was just the forerunner. After wrapping things up there, we headed to what was planned to be the highlight of the trip: Sossusvlei Desert. A local friend told me to watch the dunes upon arrival: if there were lines on the dunes, it meant that there was heavy rain in the desert. I have to admit I didn’t really understand what he was talking about – lines on the dunes? But upon seeing the dunes, I immediately got it.

The rain had painted the dunes with wonderful dark brush strokes. Note how high the dunes are in comparison with the full size camel thorn trees!
The dark lines completely transformed the red dunes.
Flame-like patterns accentuated by the dark lines. Note that the blurred tree is due to heat-haze, not misfocusing.

I could barely contain my excitement for the next morning shoot. We were scheduled to shoot in Deadvlei, and heavy rain over the Sossusvlei dunes meant a chance for water in the pan. Unfortunately the Namibian sun is hot, and most of the water had evaporated before our arrival. A very small number of tiny puddles remained, and my group and I took advantage and produced some unique shots.

The dead camel thorn trees of Deadvlei reflecting in rainwater. The puddle was actually tiny, and to get the image to look like this I had to shoot at water level, getting mud all over the bottom of my camera.

I returned to the lodge quite happy with my results, but I knew that by the next day there would be no water left. In the morning I woke up expecting a standard Deadvlei shoot. But when we reached the end of the short hike, something marvelous appeared before us. The pan was absolutely full of mist!

I quickly pulled myself together and informed my participants that we needed to make very good use of the mist. It could dissipate before sunrise or even in a few minutes, and so deep focus and efficiency was needed to capture as many good images as possible.

We kept shooting, and the mist was moving back and forth in the pan, but it was still there. In fact, at times it seemed to be getting thicker! When the sun started hitting the dunes, I knew it was money time.

This isn’t a unique composition by any means, but the heavy mist made it exceptional. Note the figures being lit by early sunlight on top of the dune to the left.

As the sunrise progressed, I tried to utilize the mist to my advantage, and used it to create depth in my images but including trees in different distances. The further trees were deeper in the mist.

Many more compositions presented themselves, some more unusual, some less so. But all were beautifully enhanced by the mist.

A misty twist on a well known composition. Note the dark lines on the background dune.

As the sunlight began moving across the pan, I could incorporate the lines it created in the images, to create even more interest.

When the mist finally dissipated, we could all take a breath and digest what had happened. That once-per-decade storm that left enough water to allow reflections had also left a large amount of moisture in the air, creating the mist. We couldn’t help feeling incredibly fortunate to have witnessed this special combination of circumstances.

Luck is a major factor in nature photography. While a good photographer can create good imagery in sub-optimal conditions, there are times when it all comes together, and the photographer who is ready – and focused – will reap the rewards.

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 Southern Iceland, Northern Iceland, The Lofoten Islands, Patagonia, Greenland, Namibia the Faroe Islands and Ethiopia.

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

More Namibia:

  • Behind the Shot: Dali’s Dream

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)

 
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GoPro Q2 2018 results show improvement: new products promised for late 2018

04 Aug

GoPro has revealed its Q2 2018 financial results, boasting a massive 40% quarter-over-quarter revenue increase to $ 283 million and net loss of $ 32 million, which the company says is a 51% sequential improvement. This marks two consecutive positive quarters for GoPro, which has historically struggled and taken various actions, including multiple layoffs, in an effort to survive.

GoPro saw its inventory drop $ 47 million from its first to second 2018 quarters, reaching the company’s lowest inventory level since early 2014. Year-over-year, GoPro also reduced its operating expenses by $ 16 million and increased its paying Plus subscriber numbers by 9% quarter-over-quarter.

GoPro says it took 97% dollar share of the action camera market in the US, with its Fusion model taking 48% of the nation’s spherical camera category

GoPro claims its 18th straight quarter of having the #1 selling camera in North America, also citing a strong presence in the spherical camera, European, and Asian markets. Based on data from NPD Group, GoPro says it took 97% dollar share of the action camera market in the US, with its Fusion model taking 48% of the nation’s spherical camera category.

During the company’s earnings call with investors yesterday, GoPro CEO Nicholas Woodman revealed that the company will release three new products later this year. Details on those three products were not provided, but it’s likely one will be the company’s upcoming flagship Hero 7, an update to the Hero 6 action camera released late last year.

Catch up on GoPro’s Q2 investors’ call

Via: GoPro

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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