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5 Landscape Photography Mistakes That Keep Your Images From Standing Out

Shooting landscapes is one of the most popular genres of photography. Photographs of landscapes typically capture the presence of nature and can inspire you. Outside towns and cities, you are surrounded by beautiful scenery. However, taking a good photo of those epic views is not as easy as you think. Are you making these landscape photography mistakes?

Here are some tips to help you uncover why your landscape photos are not working for you and how you can turn unsatisfying pictures into your best ever images.

1. Including too much detail in the frame

Have you ever been on an amazing trip, gazed at a glorious landscape and captured the incredible scenery on camera only to find out your picture doesn’t stand out? There are several reasons why this is happening.

Including too much in the frame is one of the reasons why your photograph is not appealing to you. Perhaps the trees you have included are overwhelming the scene and making the view too broad. If so, eliminate these objects from the frame. Crop inwards slightly and simplify the field of view.

2. Wonky horizons

One common mistake some photographers regularly make is to capture a scene with uneven horizon levels. You can become so engrossed in enjoying a breathtaking view that you can overlook this aspect.

Make sure you pay attention to ensuring the horizon line is straight when photographing your next landscape image. Don’t leave it until you get home to find out that your pictures are unbalanced or crooked.

3. Taking the picture without thinking

Another mistake people make when photographing landscapes is to start snapping away without giving any thought as to what they are capturing. It is easy to get carried away with an incredible view in front of you. But if you take the time to consider why your photographs are not working for you, your results will improve.

Take a view of the location with just your eyes, think what you would like to capture, and then take your photo. This approach of “seeing the scene” first can help you to take better pictures rather than just picking up your camera and taking a shot without thinking about what you are photographing.

4. Shooting flat, uninteresting scenes

Imagine your dream landscape scene is right in front of you. You’re standing at the top of a magical mountain, alongside a beautiful flowing river, or above some rolling hills in the countryside, for example, and you start photographing the beautiful view.

When you check your images you discover they look dull and uninteresting. So you ask yourself why they are not standing out?

A major factor that can make or break an image of that stunning panorama is light. Without directional sunlight in your shots, the images can look flat and lifeless with few textures and tones. Below is an image where the sun catching the hills adds warmth to the image to make it more interesting.

On your next landscape photography trip, I recommend paying attention to the light and trying to take pictures of more illuminated scenes. I suggest taking a photograph in no light and comparing it with one captured in some light.

Look at the differences and see how the images vary. Ask yourself how do they contrast? Is one better than the other? What makes it stand out?

5. Including distracting elements

Once you have found a visually compelling location and have some nice light, give some thought to the composition. Consider what subject matter looks interesting and only include that.

You will not be making the most of a scene if you include unsightly aspects of the surroundings such as telegraph poles or overhead electricity cables. If you have no choice but to capture these elements in your composition, you can always remove them in post-processing.

Below is an example where I have eliminated distracting elements after taking the picture, in the post-production phase.

Before

After editing.

Editing the photo to remove the unsightly wires enhances the image and helps to focus attention on the church, trees, and the mist.

Conclusion

With this article, I have identified five key landscape photography mistakes as to why your images might not standing out, and to help you take better pictures at your next photography outing. Now it’s time for you to put these tips to the test, so get out there and capture your greatest ever landscapes.

Do you have any tips you would like to share?

The post 5 Landscape Photography Mistakes That Keep Your Images From Standing Out appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

May 30, 2018
Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 for E-Mount Sample Gallery

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The Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD has a lot going for it. It’s sharp, lightweight and at €829 / $ 799, is far cheaper than Sony’s own 24-70mm F2.8 GM. We’ve got our hands on a production model and are putting it through a full review, but in the meantime, we’ve been shooting with it around town to get a feel for its performance.

Take a look through our gallery to see for yourself how the lens lends itself to everything from landscapes to portraits (of both humans and, of course, cats).

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 30, 2018
The Importance of Light While Shooting in a Studio

One of the most important things about professional photography is lighting. Light is the one element that can make or break a photo shoot. Having the correct lighting at the right time is of the utmost importance. Yet, many photographers, especially beginners, tend to overlook this fact. Every aspect of photography relies heavily on lighting. After all, light is the Continue Reading

The post The Importance of Light While Shooting in a Studio appeared first on Photodoto.

Photodoto

May 30, 2018
Leica M7 film camera comes to an end

Leica has discontinued its M7 film camera after 16 years of service. According to the Red Dot Forum, which is run by the Miami Leica store, the last of the M7 standard and ‘a la Carte’ bodies has been built and no more will be made. The Miami store lists the camera as ‘Out of Stock’ but models will remain in circulation elsewhere until they are sold through. The UK Leica stores have stock listed at £3900 and New York at $ 4795 – the same price as the Leica MP and £/$ 100 more than the M-A film bodies.

The M7 caused a bit of a stir when it arrived with features that required battery power to operate – particularly the electronic shutter. Without power users are restricted to shutter speeds of 1/60sec and 1/125sec, whereas models before the M7 had used an entirely mechanical shutter and could therefore continue working in the event of a flat battery- or no battery.

The M7 also brought aperture priority to the M range, a feature that has found a place in a number of M bodies, but not all, since, and it was the first M to feature a DX code reader to automatically set the ISO for the internal metering system by ‘reading’ a code printed on the film cassette.

Ironically, while the slightly modern M7 will descend in to history with its new-fangled electro-wizardry, two perhaps less helpful film models will continue the previous traditions of fully mechanical shutters and all-manual operation. The MP and the M-A remain on the product list, though the MP seems to be widely listed as Out-of-Stock in official Leica stores.

For more information see the Red Dot Forum and the Leica website.

Red Dot statement

Leica M7 Film Camera Discontinued

Today marks the passing of a legend, the venerable Leica M7. First introduced in 2002 as the follow-up to the M6, the Leica M7 brought a more modern aperture priority mode and electronically-controlled shutter to a classic mechanical M design. The M7 was also the first M camera with a built-in DX code reader for ISO detection. The camera has been well-loved for over 15 years, but all good things must come to an end.

Effective immediately, Leica will no longer produce any more new M7 cameras, in black or silver. There still might be a handful in stock at various dealers, but once sold out, no more will be coming from Wetzlar. The same goes for the a la Carte program. No M7-based configurations will be accepted or built for customers wanting a custom camera.

While this is certainly sad news for analog lovers, fear not. The Leica MP and Leica M-A film cameras remain current items in the catalog and will continue to be produced.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 30, 2018
Thoughts and Field Test of the Fujifilm X-H1 Camera
This spring, the Fujifilm X-H1 was released to the masses. It’s touted as the company’s camera with the most video features to date, even topping the popular X-T2. As long-time owners of the Fujifilm X-Pro2, my husband and I jumped on the X-H1 bandwagon early, sending in our preorder the day it was announced.

Our main intention was to use it to support our new venture into videography. In the short couple of months that we’ve been shooting with the Fujifilm X-H1, we’ve found it to be not only a superior camera for video but for still photography as well.

Here are our thoughts so far. This camera is most comparable to the Fujifilm X-T2, which is already a respectable video performer. We don’t have the X-T2 but will make some comparisons to the X-Pro2 that we do have.

Key Specs
- First announced in February 2018
- 24-megapixel X-Trans APS-C sensor
- 5-axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS)
- Touchscreen rear LCD with 2-axis tilt
- 3.69M-dot OLED viewfinder
- DCI and UHD 4K video capture at up to 200 Mbps
- Slow motion 1080p (from 120 and 100 fps)
- Internal F-log capture
- New film simulation – Eterna
- 24-bit audio capture
- Timecode
- Dual UHS-II compatible SD card slots
- Anti-flicker shooting mode
- Built-in Wi-Fi with Bluetooth
- Currently priced at $ 1899 USD for body-only; $ 2199 when bundled with the VPB-XH1 vertical battery grip.
What’s New?

Physical Body

Compared to most other Fujifilm cameras, such as the X1ooF and X-Pro2, the X-H1 is much bulkier, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Much of the bulk comes from the camera’s larger hand grip and buttons, making it much easier to carry the camera.

The X-H1 also ads an AF-On button for those who prefer using back-button autofocus. It also has top-panel LCD similar to a DSLR. In practice, the top-panel LCD seems unnecessary, especially since it takes the place of the Exposure Compensation dial that is present on the X-Pro2 and X-T2.

New Quiet Shutter Mechanism

This is among our favorite features of the X-H1: its shutter is whisper-quiet, offering a soft yet audible click when a photo is taken.

Not only is the shutter quiet, it also allows the camera to offer an Electronic First Curtain (EFC) shutter mode. EFC allows you to reduce the risk of shutter shock without increasing the risk of rolling shutter.

5-Axis In-Body-Stabilization (IBIS)

For videomakers, in-camera stabilization is key for helping capture smooth footage. The X-H1 is Fujifilm’s first camera to include IBIS and right off the bat, we’re impressed with its performance.

When activated and used with an image-stabilized lens, capturing smooth hand-held video footage is easier than ever before. As an added bonus, IBIS also helps you shoot still photos at low shutter speeds.

Improved Video Performance

Although based on the same sensor and processor as the X-T2, the Fujifilm X-H1 boasts significantly improved video features. Shooting options have been extended to include DCI 4K and UHD 4K shooting. If you’re unfamiliar with the two terms, here’s a quick summary. DCI (short for Digital Cinema Initiatives) 4K is 4096 x 2160, while UHD (Ultra High Definition) 4K is 3840 x 2160. For videos winding up on YouTube or TV, UHD is fine. But for videos that will be projected in theaters, DCI 4K is a better choice.

The X-H1 also allows for recording F-log footage internally. In video-terms, shooting in log format is like shooting in RAW. Your log footage tends to be less saturated and less detailed so that you can color grade (post-process) the video footage to your liking later. F-log made its debut on the X-T2, but it could only be done via an external recorder. The X-H1 is Fujifilm’s first camera that allows for the recording of F-log directly to an SD card in 4K.

Another vital video feature making its Fujifilm debut on the X-H1 is 120 fps slow motion video. It can only be recorded at full HD, but the slow-motion video quality has been stellar, especially when paired with IBIS.

New Eterna Film Simulation

Fujifilm has long been known for their excellent color reproduction, even back in the days of film photography. Thankfully, that is passed down in Fujifilm digital cameras in the form of film simulation modes. They’re similar to the color profiles offered in digital cameras from Canon, Nikon, and Sony.

Until recently, Fujifilm had six unique film simulation modes on its cameras: Provia, Velvia, Astia, Classic Chrome, PRO-Neg STD, and PRO Neg HI. The X-H1 is the first camera to ship with Fujifilm’s seventh film simulation, Eterna.

Designed for videographers, Eterna is characterized by more muted, subdued colors and rich shadow tones. Our observations so far are that Eterna is designed for further color grading in post-production, and also to attract the video viewer’s eye to the action in the scene and away from the rest of the frame.

What could be improved

One of many things to love about Fujifilm is that they really listen to their customers. Kaizen firmware updates are frequent and they add useful features that build on the cameras. Here are a few things we’d like to see rolled out in firmware updates, or in the next version of the X-H1.

Physically, the chunky handgrips and the bigger buttons are appreciated for improved ergonomics. However, the missing exposure compensation dial is a big disappointment. Also, the rear LCD having only a two-axis tilt is limiting; it needs to be able to fully swivel to appeal to the vloggers and also make it easier to shoot from different angles.

Finally, battery life and video recording limits on this camera leave much to be desired. The X-H1 limits 4K video recording to 15-minute clips. This can be extended to about 29 minutes of shooting in 4K if you use the optional battery grip. However, the battery grip adds lots of bulk to the camera, making it less pleasant to shoot with.

Hopefully, Fujifilm will take a cue from Sony and their new NP-FZ100 battery, which arguably is the best-performing battery for mirrorless cameras at the moment.

In Conclusion

The Fujifilm X-H1 is the first of a new line of cameras that make the bold statement that Fujifilm is a viable alternative for videomakers. This camera builds on the already credible video features of the X-T2 by taking it a step further with the addition of features such as Eterna film simulation and 5-axis IBIS. If you’re a serious video maker, keep an eye on the X-H series. It will only improve more with each new release.

Overall Rating: 9/10

To hear more about our experience with the X-H1 and how it compares to the X-Pro2, check out the video below featuring the main Fujifilm shooter of the two of us: my husband Martin.

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The post Thoughts and Field Test of the Fujifilm X-H1 Camera appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
May 30, 2018
NASA photographer Bill Ingalls’ camera melted in fire caused by rocket launch

Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Last week, a tweeted image of a melted camera belonging to NASA photographer Bill Ingalls caught the Internet’s attention. In a statement clarifying the matter, the space agency explained the story behind the image, saying, “His creativity and efforts to get unique images are well known within the agency and to those who follow it.”

Ingalls has worked as a NASA photographer for 30 years. In its statement published Friday, NASA explained that Ingalls knows where to setup his cameras, and that a grass fire caused by the GRACE-FO launch on May 22 was behind the damage. Though Ingalls had placed two cameras outside of the launch pad safety perimeter, the melted camera was one of four placed within the perimeter.

Speaking with NASA, Ingalls said, “I had six remotes, two outside the launch pad safety perimeter and four inside. Unfortunately, the launch started a grass fire that toasted one of the cameras outside the perimeter.”

Despite the camera casualty, NASA says the memory card within the camera survived the fire. The space agency published a GIF of the fire as it moved toward the camera, which recorded its own demise. NASA says it’ll “likely” display the melted device at its Washington DC headquarters.

Via: NASA

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 30, 2018

Sony reveals faster, higher-res OLED viewfinder display

Sony has unveiled a faster, higher-resolution OLED panel for use as an electronic viewfinder. The UXGA panel gives a 1600 x 1200 pixel resolution (5.76m dots) for those of you who don’t still think in terms of 1980s PC monitors. This is a 25% increase in each direction, compared with the panel used in the likes of the Panasonic GH5 and Sony a7R III. Despite the resolution increase, Sony says the panel uses the same amount of power.

The panel can be run either progressively (with one row being shown after another), at 120 fps or in a dual-line progressive mode that we expect to halve the vertical resolution in return for a 240 fps mode to give a more lifelike preview.

A redesigned structure places the color filter array directly on the light-emitting silicon, maintaining the angle of view, despite the move to smaller pixels. Sony says it has also designed a circuit to mitigate some of the voltage and consistency drawbacks of the move to finer pixels.

Unusually, Sony specifies a sample price for the panel: ¥ 50,000 (~$ 460). We suspect this price will come down once production ramps up, especially for orders of tens or hundreds of thousands of panels, but it hints at the costs of including a high-res viewfinder in a camera, and why the a7 III misses out on the 3.69m dot display used in the more expensive a7R III.

Sony Releases 0.5-type OLED Microdisplay with Top-of-Class UXGA Resolution, Featuring the World’s Smallest Pixel Pitch of 6.3µm

Tokyo, Japan—Sony Corporation today announced the upcoming release of the ECX339A OLED Microdisplay featuring UXGA (1600 x 1200 resolution), the highest in class for a 0.5-type. This product achieves the world’s smallest pixel pitch of 6.3?m by leveraging Sony’s OLED display technology and miniaturization technology, enabling a resolution 1.6x higher than the previous model^*1. By employing a new drive circuit design that operates on half the voltage of the previous model^*1, the new product achieves the same level of low-power operation as its predecessor but with much higher resolution. When paired with Sony’s original driving system^*2, a frame rate up to 240 fps is supported—double that of previous product^*1.

0.5-type OLED Microdisplay ECX339A

Model name	Sample shipment date	Mass-production shipment date (planned)	Sample price (excluding tax)
ECX339A 0.5-type OLED Microdisplay	January 2018	November 2018	50,000 JPY

Enhancing the resolution on microdisplays has traditionally presented problems such as deteriorating image quality due to decreased pixel pitch and inferior viewing angle properties. The new product features optimized transistors layout and process to address uneven characteristics and loss of withstand voltage, the issues associated with transistor miniaturization. The Sony original variation compensation circuit also enhances picture quality. Additionally, the color filter is deposited directly on the silicon substrate, reducing its distance from the light emitting layer, and the filter’s color array has been modified. This helps to secure the viewing angle properties while achieving high resolution.

OLED Microdisplays are widely used in digital camera electronic viewfinders (EVF) for their superior high contrast, high color gamut, and high-speed responsiveness. Sony, having achieved this high resolution and high frame rate, now offers even more realistic image display and accurate capture of subjects for use in high-end cameras that demand extremely high image quality.

Going forward, Sony expects this high-definition OLED Microdisplay to be employed in a diverse range of fields and applications such as AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) head-mounted displays.

Comparison of images on OLED Microdisplays. New product (UXGA, left) and previous product (QVGA, right)

Main Features

1.High-resolution UXGA in a 0.5-type
The new product has achieved the world’s smallest pixel pitch of 6.3?m by leveraging Sony’s proprietary OLED display technology and miniaturization technology, and has superior resolution 1.6x higher than the previous model^*1. Generally, transistor miniaturization results in characteristic variation and reduced withstand voltage. This product uses a Sony original compensation circuit and optimized layouts and process for each individual transistor to address these adverse effects. Furthermore, the color filter is deposited directly on the silicon substrate, reducing its distance from the light emitting layer, and the filter’s color array has been modified to secure the viewing angle properties while achieving high resolution.

Measures to secure viewing angle even with smaller pixel pitch
New product (UXGA, left) and previous product (QVGA, right)

2.High-speed frame rate
A new drive circuit design supports a high frame rate of up to 240 fps^*2, nearly double that of its predecessor^*1. This has made it possible to capture fast-moving subjects in the viewfinder with higher accuracy, so users will not miss a photo opportunity, delivering a more comfortable shooting experience. In head-mounted display devices, this will help to improve image delay issue for items superimposed on real-world vision of AR and to avoid motion sickness during usage of these kinds of devices.
3.Low power consumption
By employing newly-designed peripheral circuits that operate on half the voltage of previous model^*1, the new product delivers the same low-power operation as its predecessor when operating at the same frame rate, despite the nearly 1.6x increase in the number of pixels.

Key Specifications

Name	ECX339A
Display Size	0.5 type (12.6 mm Diagonal length)
Resolution	UXGA?1600×RGB×1200?
Pixel pitch	6.3?m
Max. frame rate	120 fps (progressive) / 240 fps (dual-line progressive)
Power consumption (200cd/m2)	310 mW @ 60 fps (progressive) / 120 fps (dual-line progressive)
Video interface	LVDS/Sub-LVDS
Max. luminance	1,000cd/m2
Contrast	100,000:1 or higher
Color gamut (u’v’)	sRGB ratio: 110%

Footnotes

*1 Compared with the Sony OLED Microdisplay ECX337A (0.5-type QVGA (1280×960)).
*2 Driving method of dual vertical line simultaneously (“Dual-line progressive” driving technique)

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 30, 2018

ON1 Photo RAW 2018 – A Beginner’s Guide

When people start photography, or even after they have been doing it for a while, they find a time when they want to start learning how to do some processing on their computer. Then they are faced with a heap of options. There are so many choices and trying to work out which one to choose can be hard. One option that is becoming very popular is ON1 Photo Raw 2018.

You can buy the software outright, so you don’t need to worry about any monthly subscription costs like others are offering. It is easy to learn and you will find that ON1 can likely do everything you need to do. One of the best aspects is the community of photographers around the program as well.

Having fun with layers and the textures.

Here is a beginner’s guide to help you find your way through ON1 Photo RAW 2018 and give you the confidence to start working on your photos. You can download the program from their website.

There is a 30-day free trial available to see if you like it before buying, which of course you will. You can also just pay for it which isn’t very expensive either. Finally, if you do purchase it you will have the peace of mind knowing it is backed by a 30-day money back guarantee.

Browse Module

This is where you start when you open the program. Here you can find all your folders that contain your images. This is where you should start exploring what is possible inside ON1 Photo RAW. You can’t break anything and it is good to see what is available.

Hover over all the menu items along the top of the main window. You will see File, Edit, Album, etc., each of those has different options. While you may not use many of them at first, it is always good to know what is there. It will help you understand what is available and if you watch the many ON1 videos you will understand what they are saying and how easy it is to learn.

In the Browse module. Hover along the top to see what is in each of the menus.

An image with only basic adjustments made to it using ON1 Photo RAW 2018.

The most important thing to do is to find where your photos are located. Then click on Browse and look below. You may have to go searching, but just use the same process that you would if you were looking for them on your computer.

Again, it’s simple. Just point Browse to where your photos are located for them to appear. You don’t have to import photos to start working. You can add folders, subfolders, albums and smart albums (collections) so that they are easier to find in the future as well.

In Browse, you can see all your folders and subfolders.

Now it is time to pick a photo. Once you have one selected, double-click on it, press Enter, or you can just go to the side panel on the right, go to Develop, and your image will open there. Watch the short video below on the Browse module.

Develop

In this module, you can start to make changes to your images. This is where you can begin the process of creating the image that you had in your head when you took it. This is also where the first steps in raw processing will occur if you are shooting raw files.

Overall Settings

In Develop you can make many of the most common adjustments. Most images need something, whether that is changing the exposure, or perhaps bringing out the shadows, and you can do it all in the Develop module. If you’re just starting out with editing, the Tone and Color Mode is a good place to begin. From there you can make many adjustments to your image that will help make it look a lot better.

Overall Settings is where you can make most of the adjustments you will need to do.

You should play with all the sliders to see what they each can do. Don’t worry about going too far, nothing is fixed, and you can undo everything. In the photography industry, we call that non-destructive editing. You aren’t doing anything to your image that is permanent.

When using the sliders you don’t have to click on the actual pointer, just click anywhere you want and the pointer will catch up to you. You can slide along underneath it as well.

You will make the changes by using the sliders in the appropriate panels.

Go to the Extremes

Another reason for going too far is that it can help you work out where you need to be with your image. Take the slider to the max, and then you bring it back to where you think it should be. As you do this, you will start to understand what each slider is for and how you can use it. Don’t forget to try it in both directions.

Take the sliders to the extreme, see how far you can go. Don’t forget to bring them back.

Resetting or Undoing

If you want to go back to where you were at the start simply go to the top of the section (where the heading is) for example, Tone and Color. On the right, you will see a half-circle with an arrow. Click on that and everything will be reset.

Press the icon in the top right of the adjustments window to reset everything you have done.

For individual sliders, if you would like to reset just one, double-click on the name of the slider.

You can see in this section you can also change the white balance, vibrancy, and saturation. You can add structure to the image, though this should always be applied with caution. Many people think it will help sharpen their image, but if the image is not sharp already structure will not do that. What it does do, is give your sharp lines more definition.

This is the section where you can change the color aspects of your images, like White Balance.

There are a couple of other settings used for portraits. If you are doing photos with people you should try them out and see how they work with your images.

Lens Corrections

Most lenses affect your images and it is in the Lens Correction area of ON1 Photo RAW that you can correct that. Most of the time the software can detect your lens is, but if you use an unusual lens then you may have to add its profile or tell the program which lens was used. You don’t have to do this, but if you are using a wide-angle lens then it can be good to apply this setting.

Lens Correction is where you can fix the distortion that your lens can cause.

Details

The Details section is where you can reduce noise in your photos and do some sharpening. Both need to be used with caution. Overdoing it can cause unwanted halos and give your images a weird harsh texture.

As with the other sections, you should play around with all the sliders to see what they each do. Some will seem to make a difference, while others will look like they’ve done nothing. To really see what they do try enlarging the image to 100 or 200 percent. Some of them only work on individual pixels.

Details is the area where you can sharpen your image and reduce the noise in it.

Along the top of Details, you can see a default, low, high, and other options. These are like presets that you can use, or you can set your own and save it.

Using Detail to help reduce noise and sharpen the image.

Show More

Under Overall Settings, you will see a button that says Show More, click it. More adjustments will then be shown. If you select one a new window will appear under the others. Scroll down so you can make the necessary changes. Like many of the other settings try them all to see what you can do.

Under Overall Settings, you will see Show More. You will be given more options for adjustments to your image.

Local Adjustments

If you would like to make adjustments to particular areas of your image only, then this is the place for you to do so. Local Adjustments allows you to target parts of your images as opposed to global edits that apply to the entire image.

Local Adjustments is next to the Overall Settings tab.

If you decide that you want to make a certain part of the image darker or lighter (or add vibrance or detail) then choose Add Layer and a brush will come up. The brush has feathering which you can change to suit your image. The solid circle in the middle is how big the solid part will be and the dotted line around the outside is how far the feathering will go. To change that you can do it along the top, click on Feather, and move left or right to change the size.

The brush comes with feathering and it is good to know how to adjust it.

Along the top is where you change the brush settings.

Choose a setting that will make a big a difference for your image, like lighten or darken. Brush it over the area you want to change, this is how to make your selection. This is a good way to figure out and select the area that you want to edit or adjust.

In Local Adjustments, you can make the selection of the part of the image you want to work on.

Once you have the area you want to adjust selected, you can change the settings however you want. Undo the lighten or darken, go to the adjustments in that window and make the changes you really want. You can add as many layers as you want to make lots of changes to different parts of your image.

Experiment with this. Have a go at all of them to see how they work. It is a good way to learn what is possible. When you are done testing, you can delete any unwanted layers. Click the cross in the top right corner of each one.

Tools in the Develop Module

On the left side of the program, there are some tools. Some of them you can use straight away, other tools you can only use within the Local Adjustments tab.

Straightening Your Image

One of the questions that I get asked the most is “Why are all my images crooked?” It is such a common problem and something everyone does. Part of my answer is that it is so common, that most editing software has very easy ways to correct it. ON1 Photo Raw is no different.

The first tool in the left-side panel is the Crop Tool. Click on it and then look at the top panel across the image where you will see a small level. Click on that.

To make your image level you need to click on the crop tool first, and then look for the level icon along the top.

Pick a straight line to use in your image, like the horizon, or a tall building. Click on one end of your straight line, then hold and drag down to the other end. Keep the line along the straight edge and then click at the other end. You will see the image straighten, then just press enter to apply and crop it. The image should now be level.

Click along a straight line to make the image level.

Sometimes it can take a few times to do this, so if it doesn’t look level then just undo and repeat.

The image is now level or straightened.

Making an image straight and level.

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Removing things from your image

It is in the section, that you will find the tools you need to remove unwanted items from your images. The Healing Brush, the Eraser, and the Clone Stamp are all here. Again, you should play around with them to see how they each work and the effect they will have.

The tools you will use to remove unwanted things in your images.

Use Ctrl/Cmd+Z to undo what you have done.

The first two options, Erase and Heal are like brushes so you can apply them to the items you want to remove.

The third one is called Fix, but you need to take a sample of the image to copy over the unwanted thing. You can do this by looking for an area that can be copied and then apply Fix to that area. Once you have selected the area press Alt or Option and a circle with a cross will appear, click on that area. Now you can release the Alt or Option key and then click on what you want to get rid of.

Using those tools to remove a duck from this image.

It might take a few attempts, so don’t be discouraged. Just make sure that what you are replacing the area with something that will match.

Presets

There are a number of presets that you can apply to your image. These are great when you first start as they can really show you what is possible with the program. You can add a preset, but each time you add a new one it will cancel out the previous one. If you want to stack presets on top of each other, simply right-click on the preset thumbnail preview, and choose Insert Preset.

On the right-side, you will see a number of new windows appear with all the adjustments that were made to help get that effect. If you study them you will start to understand how ON1 Photo RAW works and what you can apply to your own images.

ON1 Photo RAW comes with a series of presets.

As all the adjustments are there from the preset, you can also make your own changes to fine-tune the preset to your liking You might find parts of it are not exactly how you would like them.

The preset Firenza was added to this image.

When you go to Develop you can see all the presets on the left. Click on the different folders and quite a few of them will come up. You can see them applied to your image in small preview versions.

There are many different presets that you can use. You can see a small version (thumbnail) of each as a preview of how it will look applied to your image.

However, if you would like to see them a lot bigger then all you need to do is click the square in the top right corner of the window with the presets. It has four small squares inside a larger one.

Click on the four dots in the upper left corner to get bigger previews of the presets.

This will give a grid view and you can see how each one will look applied to your image. This is a much easier way to plan and choose which one to use.

The larger previews.

If you would like to see even bigger versions then simply click Ctrl or Cmd and the plus key. You can really see how the preset will look on your image. To exit, press Escape or the arrow in the top left corner.

Applying the preset to your image.

Moving on to Effects

One of the first things you will notice in the Effects Module is that there are more tools available. There are brushes and gradients that have masks attached to them. The mask will make it easier to make changes and corrections later on if you decide you don’t like them. Masks are good to use, but you do need to get used to them. It takes a bit of practice.

When you go to the Effects Mode you get a lot more tools to start using. Many come with masks.

Presets and Filters

Over where the presets were in the Develop mode, you will now find a series of Filters that can be applied to your image. As you did with the previous module, you can click on one, then the four preview thumbnails of the filters for that set on your image.

In Effects, you also get to use special filters to apply to your images.

You can also select the filters on the right under Overall Settings. If you know which one you want to choose then you can just select it there. When you do make the selection you will see that a new window will open up. In there you can adjust the filter as you want it. You can change the opacity, along with other settings that are used to make the filter. You don’t have to accept everything the filter gives you, feel free to tweak the options to your liking.

Click on the four dots again to get larger previews.

Over on the right under Overall Settings and Local Adjustments, there is a button called Add Filter, click it to see a list of the ones available.

Once again, you should try them all and see how they work. Try adding several filters to the same image. If you don’t like it you can press Ctrl/Cmd+Z to remove it. Otherwise, click the cross in the top right corner.

For each filter there are windows where you can make adjustments to the filters you have applied.

Working with Layers

Layers can be scary, but once you know what they are and how to use them you will see a lot more opportunities open up for your image.

The Layers Module has a lot more tools and adjustments you can use. Plus it also gives you the added bonus of being able to apply other images and work with layers.

You can change the sky if you aren’t happy with what is there in your shot. ON1 makes this very easy with the masking brush. You can make it so that you only mask particular colors, for example, so you can remove just that one and show the image that is below.

To replace your sky or to add textures you have to be able to work with layers and learn about blending them. It can be very hard to grasp at the beginning, but if you keep experimenting you will figure it out.

Here you can see the effect of several textures added and blended to completely change the look of the image.

Resizing Images

This is where you can resize your images depending on what you are going to do with them. For most of us, that is probably going to mean doing images for Social Media. However, there are a lot of other options available so you can prepare your images for printing or whatever you need.

If you want big prints, Resize uses Genuine Fractals® technology to enlarge your images.

Resize is where you can get your image ready for social media or printing.

The ON1 RAW Community

If you really want to go to this level then consider watching the many videos available on their YouTube channel or on their website under product training. ON1 also has a great community (called ON1 Plus Pro, which is $ 149 annually, regular price) and always includes the latest edition of ON1 Photo RAW as a perpetual license. Or you can buy the lower priced standard membership, ON1 Plus, for just $ 49.99 per year without the upgrade to the next version of ON1 Photo RAW. ON1 Photo RAW 2018 is available for $ 119.99 for new customers and an upgrade price of $ 99.99 for previous owners.

The entire community is always happy to help you learn. The membership also includes different coaches, themes, and topics each month to teach to the Plus community. Some of the names coming to ON1 Plus this year include Matt Kloskowski, Tamara Lackey, Don Komarechka, Colin Smith, Hudson Henry, Colby Brown, James Brandon, Jim Welninski, and Dan Harlacher the Product Director.

You will find many videos that take you through the more complicated parts of the program step by step. Dan has a great voice and is a great instructor. They are all really good.

Editing Your Photos

Whether you are a beginner or more advanced user, ON1 Photo RAW will have what you need. It isn’t a hard program to learn, especially with all the added support that ON1 offers. If you are a very beginner then it is the perfect place to start and grow into.

Disclaimer: ON1 is a dPS advertising partner.

The post ON1 Photo RAW 2018 – A Beginner’s Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

May 29, 2018
Wildlife photography in Yellowstone with Jake Davis and the Panasonic Lumix G9

April in Yellowstone National Park is a unique time. The park, which covers 3500 sq mi / 5600 sq km in the western US, is still quiet before the busy tourist season, and the weather fluctuates wildly from day to day. Wildlife photographer Jake Davis showed us around Yellowstone during this unusual period, capturing the local residents in all kinds of conditions with the weather-sealed Panasonic Lumix G9.

This is sponsored content, created with the support of Amazon and Panasonic. What does this mean?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 29, 2018
How to do Visual Storytelling with Photos
The old adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words”, essentially means that what you can see in one image would take many words to describe the contents, the action, the emotion, what it’s about, and so on. It’s visual storytelling. One powerful picture can evoke an instant response and connection. It allows people to shape what they see, tell its story to them in their words.

Think of some of the most iconic images in history – the sailor kissing the girl in a crowded street by Alfred Eisenstaedt, the Migrant Mother holding her children during the depression by Dorothea Lange, Clearing Winter Storm by Ansel Adams. They are all powerful images that tell a story with impact.

Sometimes we want to tell more of a story of a place or an event, where we can take many images and tell much more of the story. This allows us to include extra detail elements, wider scene-setting shots, and have the action covered from different angles or points of view.

Doing this provides new challenges. The overall story needs to make sense, have a beginning/middle/end sequence, as well as have some action or conflict and possibly resolution. So the challenge is not just to take enough images to cover what is happening, but to then blend them into a coherent story which makes sense to the viewer.

What does it take to do visual storytelling with photos?

Here are some tips to help you increase the visual storytelling elements of your images.

Example images below

A 90-minute drive from where I live is a small village called Akaroa. It was settled in the 1840s by French settlers and later other Europeans, who shared it with the local Maori tribes. The history of the area is very important and celebrated every year with a weekend festival, starting with a parade featuring descendants of original settlers. I went along with my camera a couple of years ago and spent the weekend wandering around.

This is a context statement (see #4 below) and comments have been added to some images to provide further context.

1. Answer the five key questions
1. What is happening?
2. Who is there?
3. Why is it happening?
4. Where is it happening?
5. When is it happening?
In relation to the festival. first I needed some scenery shots – this is the where.

Looking back up Akaroa Harbour to the Village, with Banks Peninsula hills in the background.

Akaroa main wharf.

Include any well-known landmarks in the area – things that will easily visually identify it to anyone who has been there or seen them before. This helps give a sense of place and tells more of the where story.

2. Framing a sequence of events

Instead of trying to cram everything into one big image, where it can be confusing, shoot a series of more specific shots that relate to each other and tell the story that way.

Sequencing – is there a group of images you can put together that tell their own story?

3. Story structure

Your visual storytelling needs certain elements included to help it make sense, tell the story you want it to, and engage the viewer. This is called narrative. Essential elements of story structure include:
- Introduction – Sets the scene, introduces important characters, sets the tone and theme.
- Plot – What is happening, who is it happening to, what are the outcomes?
What about the event? where is all the color and excitement? This is the What and the Who and the Why – which are all part of the plot.

I liked the contrast of the Maori woman and child in their native dress, against the bold red of the brass band.

Children in native Maori dress followed up by the descendants of French and German settlers in period style clothing.

Everyone enjoying the beautiful day out.
- Themes – Your images should be linked in obvious, but subtle ways, to each other and this can be done in different ways:
  - Visual – Repeating elements (e.g. street signs), color (have a limited color palette or always show an element of a single color in each image).
  - Style – Have a consistent style in the way the images are shot or are processed, using a specific focal length or lens.
  - Consistency – Shooting the same subject but in different places or situations (e.g. interesting doorways, statues, manhole covers, all in different cities or countries) or shooting the same subject over time (a pregnancy story, or engagement to wedding day story).
  - Relationships – Between people or elements in an environment.
And as is traditional in Akaroa, dinner at the end of the day is fish and chips from the local shop by the beach, and ever-present seagulls fighting over a chip.

Note this isn’t the story as I would necessarily tell it visually, but examples of different shots of a place and an event to give you an idea of the things to look out for.

One of the things I did do is provide some consistency with the way they are edited, so tonally they are all the same, other than the variations in color temperature of the sun at different times of the day.

4. Context

The relationship of all the images to each other provide the overall context for the story to be structured within and therefore viewed. So when you are building your visual story you need to have an idea of the context to frame it all within. Otherwise, it could appear to be a group of random images that may or may not be visually related in some way.

It may be that a short textual description or explanation sets the scene and provides the viewer with enough context to assimilate the images within. However, that option may not always be available so plan your story so that it can stand alone on its own visual merits.

Final examples

Are there any local characters you should include? This is part of the Who.

Is there any interesting architecture that helps tell the story – like in this instance, some historical buildings?

This older building has been modernised but the date gives testament to its origins. The decorative street lamps add extra flavor.

Akaroa embraces its French history with red/white/blue featuring strongly, and many places and streets are French names.

Detail shots are also nice to include, they can add flavor to the series, and interest with different points of view. Use them to tell parts of the story.

This guy was clearly important but I didn’t catch his name.

A confession

I have a confession to make. The reality is that these images are actually sourced from about three different trips. They were not all shot in one weekend for the purpose of illustrating my point, and to a certain extent, that shows in the coherence of them.

While a story could be cobbled together from these images (or other ones in my archive) they were not all shot with the idea of craft and doing visual storytelling. That shows the importance of thinking about this beforehand and shooting with intent. It means your final outcome should be the better for it.

Summary

Event or travel photography has its own challenges, and it may not always be possible for you to think about doing visual storytelling when you are in the midst of things. Maybe you don’t have to cover the whole event or trip – maybe, just a special portion of it catches your interest. Visual stories can be small and intimate too, they don’t have to be grand scale every time. A family birthday, the local school fair or market, a day out the beach, a walk in the park on a nice evening – three images, five more shots, and a few pairs of sequences.

Hopefully, this will give you enough of an idea to start thinking about telling a story with your images, it is not something I do enough myself, and if you have any tips, feel free to comment below.

The post How to do Visual Storytelling with Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
May 29, 2018