Blog

Adobe Photoshop Express update brings perspective correction and vignetting

The Android version of Adobe’s popular mobile image editing app, Photoshop Express, has just received an update expanding the feature set with a few useful new functions.

Perspective Correction lets you correct converging lines and other types of perspective distortion. You can select a Full Auto setting or pick vertical or horizontal skew. The correction is then applied and fine-tuned using a slider.

Some type of vignette effect is available on most editing apps out there, so it’s about time the feature has made its way to Photoshop Express too. You can adjust the diameter of the vignetting effect by pinch-zooming and set the intensity on a slider to create the final result.

Additionally, it’s now also possible to share multiple images directly from the gallery, and change wallpaper and profile pictures directly from the app’s share screen.

The new functions are welcome additions to the app’s already quite extensive feature set, making Adobe Photoshop Express worth a closer look for anyone who edits images on a mobile device. The latest version of the app can be downloaded free of charge from the Google Play Store now.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 8, 2018

Interview: How the Panasonic DC-G9 and GH5S were born

Sean Robinson is Imaging Product Manager at Panasonic Lumix Professional Services, based in New Jersey, USA.

Panasonic’s latest cameras are flagship products aimed at very specific kinds of photographers. The Lumix DC-G9 is Panasonic’s first high-performance model intended for sports and wildlife photography, while the GH5S offers a more focused, professional-friendly 4K video feature set than the original GH5.

We sat down with Sean Robinson, Imaging Product Manager at Panasonic Lumix Professional Services recently to learn more about how the G9 and GH5S were developed. The following interview has been edited slightly for clarity and flow.

Sean – can you describe your job at Panasonic?

I’m one of four product managers for Panasonic Lumix imaging products in the United States. My job is to be a touch-point between our merchandising and product management groups, and the photo specialty retailers and media partners like DPReview.

How much contact do you have with Lumix photographers?

I have a direct line to our team of Lumix ambassadors – primarily in the United States, some of our European and Canadian photographers. Depending on where we are in a product cycle, I’d say about 40-60% of my time is taken up with collecting feedback and working with photographers.

We start by asking ‘what can we build for you?’

How does a camera like the G9 get developed?

Like all of our products, we always hold a number of brainstorming sessions with our internal teams and select external photographers and videographers. With the G9 there was a very heavy emphasis on figuring out what are missing in the lineup right now, and what can we do to create something new. Something that doesn’t necessarily have to be bound by the hybrid photography mentality that we’ve been in since the beginning of the GH line.

So we start by asking ‘what can we build for you? What do you want to see from a camera from us?’ And from that initial list of requests our engineers go back and start working on the feasibility of implementing those requests.

There’s a ton of information coming in from various different professionals

The Lumix DC-G9 represents something of a departure for Panasonic, being aimed squarely at sports and wildlife photographers who want ultra-fast frame-rates and tough build quality, without paying too much of a penalty in terms of size and weight.

Who are you asking those questions of?

For the most part we’re speaking to our Lumix ambassadors. And we have ambassadors in pretty much every region where Panasonic has headquarters. Globally that’s between 40-50 photographers and videographers. There are also a number of conversations that happen internally within Panasonic, because a lot of people inside the company have backgrounds in photography. So there’s a ton of information coming in from various different professionals.

Did you reach outside of the pool of existing Lumix ambassadors and speak to photographers that use competitor products?

A lot of feedback was provided from our existing ambassador team, but a number of photographers that we work with are testing the equipment, maybe they’re interested in the Lumix brand but they have allegiances to other products that they’ve been using for years. Their feedback was also critical. Someone who’s using full-frame competitor A, for example, they might have a very different set of requirements or opinions compared to someone who’s on our team as an official brand ambassador.

If we see consistent themes coming through feedback, the requests move into development

We definitely don’t ignore any feedback, from anyone. It’s not always like an official interview, where we sit down and talk to someone 1:1, we’re also constantly scouring forums and Facebook groups, and when someone calls into our call center or messages us on Twitter for example, all of that information is captured. It’s collated weekly, and reported back to our team in Japan.

The addition of the top-plate LCD to the G9 was as a direct result of feedback from photographers during the product planning process.

And that’s everything from pie-in-the-sky requests for features that have never been seen on any camera ever before, to more simple mundane things like dual memory card slots, or having a status LCD on the top of the camera. Both of those requests came from speaking to photographers. If we see consistent themes coming through all of that feedback, then the requests move into development.

Were there any kinds of photographers that you wanted to get feedback from specifically, when you were planning the G9?

With the G9 we were very interested in speaking to wildlife and sports photographers. The three main people that I know personally who we worked with a lot were Daniel Cox, Bence Máté and Daniel Berehulak. For those three, we already work with them, and NDAs are in place, so a lot of the process is very conversational. We sit, we listen to what they want, and our team will counter with some of the things that we could definitely do, versus some things we’d need to study more, and some things that simply can’t be done at the moment.

There’s always a consistent touch-point, of checking the work as we’ve moving forward so that if something has to change in the middle of development, there’s enough time to do that, and put out a product that’s as finished as possible.

We got a lot of feedback from videographers and production houses around where the GH5 fell short for them

Can you think of a specific example of when a feature was tweaked or changed before announcement, based on feedback from photographers?

The menu system in the GH5, when that whole change was initially conceptualized. We needed to change the menu system to the point where a working videographer or stills photographer could easily move through it. The first version of the menu system made a lot of sense from an engineering standpoint, in terms of where features were grouped, but when we started working with the photographers and videographers, they started giving us a lot of feedback about where they expected to see features, and how things should work.

All of that feedback went back to our software and UI designers and they tweaked it. They met a month or so later with a revised version. That was one a fast-paced process, since it didn’t involve complete retooling of equipment or anything like that.

The GH5S shares the same basic chassis as the GH5 but offers a more focused feature set, intended primarily for enthusiast and professional videographers. Feedback from existing GH5 users was critical to establishing whether there was a market for a more specialized variant.

The GH5S is an interesting product – who did you make it for, and what kind of conversations happened in the planning process?

When the GH5S was being planned, we took a very broad look at what the industry’s needs were, as a whole. We got a lot of feedback from videographers and production houses around where the GH5 fell short for them. We have the advantage of a very large broadcast team, obviously and since we have a lot of resources in that world we were able to take a step back and look at the market and ask – ok, if there’s a specific need – in this case a high level cinema camera in a form-factor like the GH bodies -what would the real-world applications be?

So talking with cinematographers, high-level DPs and production houses we worked on finding out the viability of that market. If we figure out that there is a need for a product like that, which nobody else is making, in a lot of cases, that’s enough for us to make the decision and go ahead. In the case of the GH5S, nobody else made a product like it at that price point, and our team had the capabilities to do it, while keeping the same chassis as the GH5.

The entire GH family, from the original GH1 to the GH5 (on the far right). The GH5 and GH5S are larger cameras than their predecessors, but the include features that were hardly even dreamed of when the GH-series was first introduced a decade ago.

The GH5 benefitted from a major mid-life firmware update, based on feedback from users – do you have structured check-in points in your products’ lifespan to generate that feedback?

Yes, absolutely. That process never stops. And just as importantly, we’re always looking at what our competition is doing. What’s coming down the line? What can we do in an existing model to really up the game? We have conversations with our team in Japan almost every day where we ask ‘what is the market saying?’ And our team really places a lot of importance on what our users are getting out of the products, and what they’re creating, and if we can find ways of improving the product or make it more efficient by adding new features we’ll do it.

New hardware is great, but improving an existing product is one of those areas where we can give back to the community

There’s been a major shift internally, in the years that I’ve worked at Panasonic where the concept of breathing new life into any existing product is one of our big pushes. New hardware is great, but improving an existing product is one of those areas where we can give back to the community. They helped us develop those products from day one, and if we’re able to give them more without making them buy a new camera, we’ll do it.

Click through to learn how two visual artists are using Panasonic’s latest cameras in their work

This is sponsored content, supported by Panasonic. What does this mean?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 7, 2018

The Importance of Learning From Failure to Help You Grow as a Photographer
There’s a scene in the 1995 movie Apollo 13 when Gene Kranz, flight commander of the ill-fated moon mission, tells his team that, “Failure is not an option” as they struggle to find a way to bring three astronauts home from the depths of space. While that moment certainly makes for dramatic storytelling, it’s often far from the case when photography is concerned.

I would even go so far as to say failure is not only an option but necessary for you to grow as a photographer. There will be times in your photographic journey that things just don’t go as you had hoped despite how much you plan ahead. While some of these instances might slow you down the important part is learning from failure, growing from your mistakes, and becoming a better photographer as a result.

This picture turned out great, but there have been plenty over the years that didn’t.

I would like to share some things I’ve learned over the years from times that I have failed. Hopefully, this will help you benefit from my experiences.

Know your gear well

On some of my first sessions with clients, I had a very difficult time getting my camera to do what I wanted it to do, and many of my images were ruined because of it. A few were too bright, others were too dark, and some weren’t even in focus.

Luckily I shot in RAW so I could fix some of the issues in Lightroom. But things would have gone a lot smoother if I had just taken the time to understand my camera, learned how to use it, and knew what to do when shooting instead of spending hours adjusting images afterward.

Your camera is loaded with buttons, dials, menus, and options. Do you know what they all do?

Example

To illustrate what I mean by this, take a look at the following image I shot almost five years ago. Thankfully I did this session as a favor for some friends of our family because looking back on it I would feel terrible if I charged them money for these pictures!

I remember being frustrated at seeing the LCD screen of my Nikon D7100 as I took these pictures because they were all coming out so dark! I didn’t know what was wrong, and I didn’t know what to change on my camera to fix the problem.

Looking back there was any number of remedies for this overly-dark photograph that I could have used. Had I only known how to actually work the knobs and dials on my camera, simple things like the follow could have solved it:
- Adjust the exposure compensation (duh!).
- Change to spot metering instead of matrix metering (of course!).
- Locked exposure on a bright part of the scene and recomposed the shot (why not?).
Thankfully I used RAW and not JPG so the image wasn’t a total loss, but the skin tones are washed out and the picture is not nearly as vibrant and dynamic as if I had just gotten it right at the time of the shoot.

Clearly, I had a lot to learn about lighting, composition, and why having clients sit on a canvas drop-cloth with their feet out is not a good idea.

This advice is not just for newbies

This advice isn’t just for professional sessions with clients either. Something happens when you get new gear and want to put it through its paces. I attended a wedding recently as a guest, not as the official photographer, but I had my shiny new Fuji X100F with me and even though I thought I knew how to operate it, I made a crucial mistake that cost me a lot of good shots throughout the evening.

For a good 20 minutes I couldn’t figure out why my camera wasn’t focusing right and all my shots were coming out poorly exposed. Finally, I realized that I had accidentally activated the built-in ND filter. There was even an icon on the LCD screen indicating the ND filter was turned on, but I didn’t see it because I just wasn’t as familiar with the camera as I should have been.

Suffice it to say I felt like a complete amateur when I realized that a mistake I made had ruined so many good photo opportunities, but I quickly learned from it and hopefully now you can too!

Familiarize yourself with the location beforehand

Years ago, not too long after I got my Nikon D200 and 50mm lens, I thought I was a pretty big deal and knew everything there was to know about pictures. After all, I had a prime lens! What else was there to understand? (Spoiler alert: A lot. A whole lot!)

One of the biggest mistakes I made during this early period was to show up for photo sessions without ever having been to the location beforehand. This made it impossible, as any seasoned photographer would know, to plan out some of the basic essentials of a photo shoot and look for things like lighting, foreground and background elements, and even where to have my clients sit, stand, or walk.

Hard lesson to learn

The worst offender of the bunch was a session I did for a high school senior where most of the pictures turned out – well, let’s just say less than ideal because I failed to plan ahead in terms of the physical location. We agreed to meet at a cross-country track, with almost no natural shade, at 5 pm. This is what happened:

From one of my first high school senior sessions, and one I wish I could erase from existence altogether.

After searching for something, anything, to block the sun so he wasn’t squinting – I finally found this set of metal bleachers behind a tree. But because I didn’t understand how to operate my camera to get the exposure right (see failure tip #1) I got shots that were lit like some kind of circus act and were far too over or underexposed.

If I had taken some time to visit the location first I could have at least mentioned some alternative places at the track, or even suggested a different location entirely. Instead, I got out of my car and met the client and his mom with the kind of overconfident swagger that only a new wet-behind-the-ears photographer has, and ended up biffing most of the shots.

I did scrape by with enough competent shots to make it worth their while, but nonetheless, I walked away having learned something I will never forget.

This was from one of my more recent high school senior sessions. I think it’s just a bit better, don’t you?

A few more for good measure

There are a host of other times I have failed as a photographer but each time I have tried to engage in some self-reflection and understand where I went wrong, As well, I tried to talk with other photographer friends, so I don’t make the same mistakes in the future.

My work has grown, and so have I, as a result of these failures. I would almost go so far as to say that failure is downright essential if you want to refine your craft as a photographer.

It took years of poor decisions and overlooking the obvious for me to learn enough about photography to take this simple picture of a dogwood flower.

Without going into too much detail, here are just a couple of other times I have swung and missed, photographically speaking, over the years along with a bit of caution for others thrown in for good measure.

When in doubt, take more photos

I was born in 1980 and grew up in the era of physical film, so when I got my first digital camera I carried that mentality with me. As a result, I missed out on a lot of good shots, especially with clients, because I thought I already had enough and didn’t want to fill up my memory card.

With the price of memory cards being so astronomically low, there is no excuse for not taking enough pictures, and you can just delete them later if you need to.

Control your depth of field

After I got my 85mm f/1.8 lens I took it out to a photo session with clients before thoroughly using and understanding it, which is always a big mistake. I also thought that I could shoot everything at f/1.8 because it gave me such a cool background blur!

What I didn’t realize at the time was the extra-large aperture was also causing half the people to be out of focus due to the insanely shallow depth of field. Just because your lens has a super wide aperture doesn’t mean you should always use it. When in doubt, stop it down a bit.

I focused on the mother, front and center, and shot this with my 85mm lens at f/1.8 to get a blurry background. What I didn’t realize was that also meant the husband was out of focus as a result.

Know when enough is enough

This one is going to vary depending on the type of photography you do. But as someone who takes a lot of family and child photos, it’s important to know when to hold ’em and know when to fold ’em.

Kids, and even parents, can be fickle and there were times early on when I would drag out photo sessions long after I should have called it quits. “Hey let’s get some more shots over there!” I would say. My clients would begrudgingly oblige while I scampered off ahead of them in a vain effort to capture authentic smiles and emotions.

Dragging out a photo session won’t help you get better pictures. But it will make your clients roll their eyes and think about booking someone else next time. Someone who will take a hint and pay attention to their needs!

I learned over the years that kids just don’t last long at family photo sessions, so I took a ton of pictures and tried to keep things interesting by switching up the poses. 20 minutes later these kids were ready to be done, and I could have tried to stretch things out further but it would have only led to frustration.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the many lessons I have learned over the years that, while painful at the time, have served me well in the long run.

What are some of the ways in which you have failed, fell down, or otherwise came up short and what did you learn from it? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. Hopefully, we can all learn from each other’s mistakes.

The post The Importance of Learning From Failure to Help You Grow as a Photographer appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
May 7, 2018
Pentax K-1 II Review: Worth the upgrade?
79%

Overall score

Jump to conclusion

The Pentax K-1 Mark II is a supremely weather-sealed, tough-built full-frame camera with a 36MP stabilized sensor. Billed as more a refinement of its predecessor than a replacement, the K-1 II gains a new hand-held Pixel Shift mode and sees improvements made to its AF Tracking algorithm – it also has a new pre-processor. Unfortunately, our testing reveals this additional processor applies full-time noise reduction to Raw files resulting in inferior image quality to that of its predecessor.

Key features:
- 36.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor with no anti-aliasing filter
- 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization
- 100% pentaprism viewfinder with 0.70x magnification
- 33-point AF system (25 cross-type)
- Updated AF Tracking algorithm
- New hand-held Pixel Shift mode
- Extensive weather-sealing
- 1/200 sec flash sync speed
- 14-bit Raw recording (DNG or PEF)
- Built-in GPS with electro-magnetic compass and Astrotracer function
- 4.4 fps continuous shooting (6.5 fps in APS-C crop mode)
- 1080/30p video
- Wi-Fi
The K-1 II faces stiff competition from other full frame models at this price point, many of which out-spec it across the board. But for landscape and adventure shooters, you’d be hard-pressed to find a full frame camera with as many useful and unique features, like built-in GPS, an Astrotracer mode for night sky photography, sensor shift technology, and LED lights on the body (to assist in the dark).

Over the course of several weeks, we’ve put the K-1 II through its paces in both the field and in our test lab. Read on to see how it performed and how it stacks up as a whole against the competition.

What’s new and how it compares

Here’s what’s new in the K-1 II plus how it compares to existing models from other companies.

Read more

Body and design

The K-1 II has a host of unique body features borrowed from its predecessor including its clever articulating LCD mechanism.

Read more

What’s it like to use

From landscapes to portraits, we’ve spent plenty of time shooting with the K-1 II in several different situations.

Read more

Image Quality

Our lab testing reveals the K-1 II’s image quality is actually a step back from that of its predecessor. Will you notice the difference?

Read more

Autofocus

The K-1 II’s 33-point AF system may have limited coverage, but it shows improvements over its predecessor when it comes to tracking.

Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
May 7, 2018
4 Tips to Help You Love Using Manual Mode

In this article, I’d like to share with you a few tips on how to utilize some of your camera’s functions to help you come to grips with shooting in Manual Mode.

Sometimes stripping back to the basics and only using minimal, older equipment with none of the modern features new cameras possess, can help you grow as a photographer. Sometimes making good use of selective technology on your digital camera can also help you learn and create more accurate exposures more easily than is ever possible with older cameras.

I started learning on a camera which had no auto anything. There were no options other than to learn Manual Mode. I still use shoot manual 99% of the time.

During the photography workshops we run, I love to encourage people to switch to manual and commit to it for a period of time. If you try Manual Mode once or twice for a short time it’s likely you will not “get” it. You need to commit and using only Manual for most of what you photograph for long enough until you feel you are making progress.

1. Live View/Electronic View Finder

Many cameras now have LCD screens/electronic viewfinders which display how the exposure will look when you take a photo in Manual Mode. If your camera has this function it pretty much eliminates the need to look at the exposure meter or change your metering mode to obtain well-exposed photographs.

By focusing your attention on the exposure of the image on your LCD screen or in your electronic viewfinder while you are adjusting your aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings you can easily see when your photo will look good.

You need have your screen or viewfinder set so it’s neutral, not too bright and not too dark. To check this you can take a few test photos and then review them (on the computer). If they are over or underexposed adjust the brightness value of your camera’s LCD screen and/or viewfinder until your photos have the same exposure value you are seeing in the viewfinder or on your monitor in Live View mode.

2. Use Your Spot Meter

If you prefer not to use Live View or do not have an electronic viewfinder which displays the changes to the exposure value as you adjust your controls, using the spot meter can help you achieve more accurate reading and set your exposures more precisely.

Modern cameras have a selection of metering modes which include a spot meter. Most often using the averaging mode, which takes a reading from multiple segments of the image area and gives an exposure value the camera calculates, is sufficient.

However, in some situations, particularly if your subject is back-lit or contrast in the scene you are photographing is high, using the spot meter setting will allow you to make a reading off the area of the image which is most vital to you.

For example, making a portrait where your background is significantly lighter or darker than your subject it is best to take a spot meter reading from their face as this is usually the most important part of your image. Using the averaged setting your camera’s meter will also read from the background and calculate that into the result it returns, potentially giving you a less than satisfactory exposure.

Learning to use your spot meter will assist you in creating more accurate exposures. I have one of the function buttons on my cameras set to switch to spot metering, allowing me to quickly and easily take a reading from any particular part of my composition.

3. Review Your Photos

It’s not a healthy practice to always be checking your camera’s monitor after every photo you take, as this can interrupt your attention from your subject. But it can be helpful to review your first few images after making adjustments to your exposure settings.

Taking a look at the results after changing your aperture, shutter speed, or ISO will give you a clear idea as to whether your settings are suitable for the photos you want to create. If you see a photo that’s too bright or too dark overall or in a part of the composition you prefer to see well exposed, then you will need to make some adjustment to your settings.

As you practice this technique you may start to find you can estimate how much you need to alter your exposure settings rather than consulting your exposure meter again. This does take some practice, but if you form a habit of doing this, you will find this is a quick and easy way to achieve a better exposure.

4. Check Your Metadata

Our digital cameras record an incredible amount of metadata, associated information about each photograph you take. Learning to read and understand even a small amount of this information can assist you in producing more consistently pleasing exposures.

Being able to freely review the exposure value for any photo you have taken can help you understand why it’s good or maybe why it needs improving. I find this information most handy when I am sitting at my computer reviewing my images from a photography session.

Comparing photos made with different exposure values and looking at the metadata can help you have a better understanding of what settings you can use next time.

In Conclusion

Autofocus, Facial Recognition, Auto White Balance, and ISO flexibility are all modern advancements in camera technology which make using Manual Mode easier. Because you don’t have to pay so much attention to these things and can better concentrate on setting your exposure well.

Exposure is one of the key elements of every photograph. Learning to understand how you can use the various features of your camera to assist you in making better exposures will help you become a more creative photographer.

?

The post 4 Tips to Help You Love Using Manual Mode appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

May 7, 2018
Which Size Lensball is Best for Crystal Ball Photography?
The world is in your hands, well it can certainly seem that way when you do crystal ball photography. The crystal ball allows you to take refraction photos, which reveal the background scene within the ball. It’s a great technique, with which many people are having a lot of fun.

The photographic technique has now become so popular that photographers have re-branded the crystal ball as a lensball! So the question that’s often asked is which lensball size is the correct one to buy? Let’s take a look at the various options available when buying a crystal ball, and decide which is the best for you.

Which size of the lensball is the best? There are three here, an 80, a 120 and a 60mm ball.

Small Lensball

The small size lensball is anything less than 60mm, so all the way down to a marble. These balls are the easiest to pack and are considerably lighter than the other balls. So what are the strengths and weaknesses of this particular size?

Strengths
- Weight – These add almost no weight to your bag at all, and this also makes them easier to use for handheld photos.
- Size – Again owing to their small size they’ll be easier to pack, giving you more space for other items. The smaller size also allows you to place the ball in gaps where the larger balls won’t fit.
- Handheld – This size makes it easier to hold the ball between your finger and thumb, which becomes more difficult at larger sizes.
This position to rest the ball is only possible with a small lensball.

Weaknesses
- Weight – This is also a weakness. Once a heavy ball is in place it usually stays there. The problem comes on a windy day, where the wind can move a lighter ball much more easily.
- Focus and distortion – This lensball size will have a smaller sweet spot for focus, and a greater proportion of the ball will be distorted. Using a smaller aperture can help, as more of the ball will be focused.
- Lens required – You will need a macro lens when using a small lensball if you wish to fill the frame with the ball.
The small size is perfect to hold between your index finger and thumb.

Medium Lensball size

This refers to balls at 80mm in diameter. Many photographers see this as the ideal size for their refraction photography. There are a lot of good reasons why you should also use this size of lensball. Let’s break it down, as this is the crystal ball you’ll likely be using.

Strengths
- Weight – This is a little heavier, but still not noticeable. So it’s a nice thing to carry in your camera bag to add a bit more creativity to your work.
- Size – This is a decent size, though you might not fit this ball into a small space. The ball will fill a nice portion of your frame with a standard lens, using a macro is optional at this size.
- Focus and distortion – By this size, the sweet spot area of focus within the ball dominates the scene inside the ball, and distortions at the edge are much less noticeable.
Weaknesses
- Size – There are very few weaknesses in this size of a lensball. However, if you wish to take a photo where you frame just the edge of the ball this is more difficult. Likewise using the ball to eclipse a background object is also more difficult, as the ball is that much smaller.
The lensball is ideal for many kinds of creative takes on typical scenes. Here it’s used to capture a road lined with cherry blossom trees.

Large Lensball

The large size refers to those balls that are 100mm or over in diameter. This size is not common amongst most photographers, though this is the size I cut my teeth on for crystal ball photography.

Even with the extra weight, this is often the preferred size for me personally, it just gives better quality images in my opinion. Whether this is the size for you will come down to if you want to carry the extra weight or not.

Strengths
- Optics – This size offers the best in optics, a larger proportion of the ball will be in sharp focus.
- Handheld – This is a much more natural size to fit in the palm of your hand or someone else’s palm. One classic crystal ball composition is that of a hand cupping the ball.
- Size – This makes it far easier to fill the frame with your ball, and even hide some background elements behind the ball.
A larger size ball will both fill the frame more easily and cover up the background when it’s close to the camera.

Weaknesses
- Weight – The obvious weakness here is weight. Those not used to carrying a heavy camera bag should avoid this crystal ball size. The weight is equivalent to an extra lens in your camera bag. It comes down to whether you want an extra lens or the larger crystal ball in your bag.
- Size – While optics are better when photographing this size, the larger size is not so good for storage. This will take up a large space in your bag.
This particular way of holding the crystal ball is one of the classics. It’s not so natural looking with a smaller sized ball.

Safety

The crystal ball is a really great photographic tool to play with, though there are some safety issues you need to be aware of. You will also find that staff in the airport may consider the crystal ball a lethal weapon! This means you will have to put it in your checked luggage, hand luggage is not an option.

So what are these safety concerns then?
- Fire hazard – Keep the crystal ball stored somewhere out of the sun. The glass will act in the same way a magnifying glass does, and while this will usually only result in smoke it can lead to a fire as well. Oh not to mention, it can burn your hand when you are holding it as well!
- Gravity – Due to its spherical nature the ball is liable to roll. If it rolls off the edge of a tall building it can cause damage to whatever it hits. Take care with the ball in such situations.
Having a small crystal ball with me enabled me to fit it in the gap of this fence.

Conclusion

Asking which size if crystal ball you should buy is a little like asking which is the best tripod. Everyone knows the sturdiest tripod is best, but that it’s impractical to carry around for the whole day.

The same is true of the crystal ball, the 80mm medium sized ball then is probably the best choice. There is certainly a case for the smaller or larger size of balls though, so if you decide to get a second ball how about a different size?

Using more than one ball at a time can also be fun!

As mentioned in this article, the 80mm is both not too heavy, yet doesn’t sacrifice the image within the ball making this a good size.

Have you bought a crystal ball, or are you thinking of doing so? We’d love to see your comments, and images – please share below.

The post Which Size Lensball is Best for Crystal Ball Photography? appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
May 6, 2018
DPReview TV: Fujifilm X-H1 Review

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! In this week’s episode of DPReview TV, Chris and Jordan go to the zoo with the Fujifilm X-H1. Watch as they photograph lemurs, red pandas and maybe even a Tyrannosaur while putting this camera to the test.

Read our in-depth X-H1 review for even more analysis, and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more from Chris and Jordan!

Read our X-H1 review

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 6, 2018
Tips for Editing Hockey Photos in Lightroom
In this article, I’ll give you some tips for editing hockey photos using Lightroom. If you’re a hockey mom or dad, read on to make the photos of your kid on the ice stand out.

Shooting hockey is hard

Have you ever tried to photograph lightning?

Sometimes that’s what it feels like when taking pictures at a hockey game. Every play is a blur. You can feel the game’s speed and intensity right until the final whistle. Emotion and sweat mix together on the faces of players who battle and fight for every inch, as the arena shakes with a thunderous ovation from the spectators.

In short, it’s a whole lot of fun to capture through a camera. But after the crowds are gone and your ears have stopped ringing, it’s time to head home, load your images up on the computer and apply your special brand of editing.

Editing hockey photos can be tricky too

Regardless of what camera you use, all hockey images will benefit from some attention in Adobe Lightroom before you share them on social media or in a local publication. And despite the thrills of the sport, the arena is a tough place for a photographer. You have to deal with low or inconsistent light, high ISO settings and low shutter speeds, scuffed up glass and more.

Learning the technique to get decent shots in the first place is half the battle — but that’s a story for another time. Today, it’s time to head into the editing room.

Note that even though this guide specifically addresses features in Adobe Lightroom, the same concepts can be used in any photo editing program with similar controls.

Shoot in RAW

First off, if you’re serious about getting the best hockey pictures possible then it’s a good idea to shoot in RAW. Sure, file sizes are a lot larger, but this is because more data is preserved for each shot. When you’re editing, you’ll be thankful for all the extra leeway you can get with a RAW file over a JPG.

That’s not to say that you’re doomed if you shoot JPG. It just means you’ll need to be extra careful getting the settings right in the camera since there won’t be nearly as much flexibility when editing later. The choice is yours.

Cull Aggressively

Culling is the process of removing and maybe also deleting photos that simply don’t make the cut.

Not every image is a keeper. Especially in sports photography, you’re going to get images that are out of focus, poorly composed or simply not very interesting. If your goal is to edit every single image you take, you’re going to go crazy.

Choose the best of the best to focus your time and energy on, and then start editing those.

Cropping and Straightening

It’s rare to nail the best possible composition right in your camera. Sure, it happens from time to time, but it’s more likely that your pictures will benefit from a bit of cropping and straightening.

Consider what’s important in the frame. You want to have a nice balanced composition that fills the image. Think in terms of simplicity: if you crop out a stick or skate that appears in the corner of the image it will help your final picture feel more clean and professional.

This is the image out of the camera. It’s already a fairly tight shot, but it would be even better with a crop.

That’s more like it! Now the action feels close and intense.

It might not be possible to do a tight crop of a shot and maintain quality, depending on how your camera handles high ISO settings. If you find that your images are always just a little too zoomed out, remember that for next time you photograph a game.

Straightening out your images is a big help as well. As you track the play through your camera, it’s easy to start tilting the camera.

There are times when a crazy tilt gives a sense of action and energy to a picture — but often it just looks like the players are about to tumble out of one side of the image.

The players by the bench look like they’re ready to slide down to the bottom left side of the shot.

This straightened version feels a little more stable.

Take the time to straighten your pictures and they’ll look much more professional and balanced.

Understanding White Balance

Cameras interpret color differently than our eyes do. Under tricky lighting conditions, cameras don’t always capture an accurate representation of color.

Correcting the White Balance is an important part of your final edit since it’s hard to appreciate an image that looks too blue or too yellow. If you shoot in RAW, you can adjust the White Balance without losing any image quality. With JPG, you can still make minor adjustments but don’t count on being able to save many images.

The White Balance slider in Lightroom.

If you have a shot that needs to be fixed, the eyedropper tool can be useful for getting you fairly close to the mark. Click on something in the shot that is a neutral color, such as the boards, and then adjust from there. Pay close attention to skin tones and always remember that the ice should be white.

The Auto White Balance setting missed badly on the original shot, choosing to use 4450K

After some correction, I settled on 3800K as a White Balance that displays the colors more accurately.

Finding the right White Balance can be tricky, especially since different display screens can have subtle variances. But with a bit of practice, correcting the White Balance in your shots will become a piece of cake.

Contrast, Shadows, Blacks and Dehaze

Your approach with editing is going to be very different depending on whether or not you have to shoot through the glass. In the NHL, photographers either shot through a small hole in the corners or from higher angles where they can see above the glass. But you may not have that luxury.

Shooting through thick glass usually robs a picture of a lot of its contrast. Contrast plays an important role in giving an image depth and making it “pop”. So you’ll need to add that back in the final edit.

Lightroom offers a couple of sliders that can manage this.
- Contrast: This slider will make dark mid-tones darker and light mid-tones lighter. When used in moderation it can make a picture appear richer, but be careful not to overdo it and create surreal tones.
- Blacks: This slider influences the darkest tones of the image. This can be useful for fixing hockey pants, sticks and skates so that they are black again, rather than a faded dark grey.
- Shadows: This slider affects the mid to dark tones of the image. Typically this slider plays a big role in determining the brightness of the crowd and the players’ faces.
- Dehaze: Introduced only a few years back, the Dehaze slider tries to interpret how light has been lost and scattered in the image. It works well with foggy images and is actually a good fit when shooting through hockey glass as well.
This shot was taken through the glass. The colors are weak and the contrast is very poor. Overall, the image looks dull.

After applying Contrast and Vibrance, the picture comes back to life! This image uses the following settings; Contrast +45, Shadows +42, Blacks -19, Dehaze +25.

If you’re lucky enough to get the chance to shoot without a pane of glass between you and the players, these contrast sliders will still be an important part of your final edit.

There is no “right” amount of contrast to use; just adjust the slider to taste and to make sure the final image is full and rich.

With no glass between the player and the camera, this shot is clear. It still benefits from some contrast to bring out color and drama.

Adjustments used for the image above.

Keep your Whites White

The ice at a hockey rink is white. That means that it should be white in your final image as well. This can be a tricky process, especially since cameras don’t “see” the same way that your eyes do.

If you overexpose an image, the ice might turn into a uniform blob of white. If you underexposure, the ice becomes a murky gray. It’s a delicate balancing act.

A perfectly timed snap – but the underexposed ice looks terrible!

Once again, shooting in RAW gives you a bit of leeway. With RAW you can get good results correcting the exposure by plus or minus two stops. With JPG, a missed exposure could mean that the picture needs to go into the trash.

When editing, you’ll want to pay attention to your histogram and clipping warnings. If the ice is overexposed, it will show as a line right up against the right side of your histogram. Your final image should have bright ice but without clipping.

The histogram of a typical hockey image (above). The mountain far to the right is the white of the ice. If it was all the way to the right, we’d start losing detail in the highlights.

After some tweaks to the exposure, the celebration can begin!

In Lightroom, you can adjust the overall image with the exposure slider, or you can target the ice surface more precisely by adjusting the Highlights or Whites sliders.

Start by adjusting the “Whites” slider, as this controls the maximum brightest point of the image. Once this is set, you can also adjust the “Highlights” slider, which affects a range of the brightest tones.

The goal should be to bring out a bit of the texture in the ice made of snow and grooves carved into the surface.

Brushes, Graduated Filters & Other Adjustments

Now let’s dig into some of the incredible tools in Adobe Lightroom. This is the point where your friends will wonder what kind of wizardry you are conjuring up to make your pictures look so good.

Adjustment brushes give you pinpoint control over selected areas of a picture. This is perfect for when you’ve got your whole image to a good point, but there are just a few more details that you can’t let slide.

Brushes can be used to apply any of Lightroom’s editing features. In the example below, I can use a brush to brighten up one of the players, who was a bit too dark in the finished image.

The player in black was just a little too dark, even after all our adjustments. Never fear – now’s the time to use an Adjustment Brush.

Above are the settings applied to the brush. We’re raising the shadows to make the player brighter, but also adding contrast so that the adjustment doesn’t look unnatural.

The final image looks much more balanced!

Graduated Filters are fantastic for tackling uneven light or color shifts. If you’re a photographer in the big leagues, chances are you’ll be shooting at arenas with top-of-the-line lighting. But most of us aren’t there yet.

You’re probably more familiar with an old rink that has flickering lights, sections of the ice that are darker, or even the dreaded mixture of color temperatures. Find yourself in this situation and it’s going to take some fancy footwork to save your image.

The image below stood out for its strong composition and a good view of the players’ faces, but it doesn’t get much worse than the uneven light. No fear, Lightroom to the rescue!

Ugh! This picture is the perfect example of terrible hockey rink lighting. Is it even possible to save it?

Fortunately, this shot was taken in RAW. So after applying some exposure and contrast adjustments, we can now use a Graduated Filter to try to fix this mess.

The settings on the filter (above). We’re giving it a bump in exposure, and some heavy White Balance corrections.

Voila – the picture is saved!

Lastly, Lightroom also offers a Radial Filter, which can be used to create effects similar to a vignette. This is a useful tool for subtly drawing attention to a certain player.

Saturation, Vibrance & HSL

Hockey sweaters are typically bright and vibrant with color. However, high ISOs, poor lighting, and dirty glass can often cause those colors to appear faded and drab in your image.

The Vibrance and Saturation sliders play an important role in bringing your image back to life with color.

For more precise control over colors, you can also turn to the HSL sliders. HSL stands for Hue, Saturation, Luminance, and these sliders allow you to modify an individual color in the image.

Is the home team wearing yellow? You can make their shirt colors “pop” by adding a saturation boost in the yellow channel but be careful not to ruin the balance in the rest of the image.

Example of how to give just the yellow channel a bump in saturation.

If you’re looking for a more advanced application of the HSL sliders, try using them to eliminate unwanted colors from your image.

The image below is suffering from being a bit too colorful. All the spectators in the back, plus the yellow on the goaltender’s glove don’t really suit the color palette.

Fortunately, we can go in and start reducing the saturation of those colors that don’t fit in the image, giving a more professional and cohesive final shot.

An intense shot, but the mishmash of color in this image is a bit distracting.

These settings reduce the saturation on several channels. Note that we aren’t affecting either team’s colors.

It’s a subtle effect, but now the colors are a bit more controlled, which improves the overall quality of the image.

The HSL sliders are also an invaluable tool for controlling unwanted color casts in your final image. If you can’t quite seem to find the right White Balance and there’s an overly blue or yellow tone lingering in your image, you can reduce the saturation for that specific color.

This might be necessary when shooting in arenas that have uneven lighting or that use a variety of types of light.

Adding Grit

Hockey isn’t a soft game. Play can get rough and gritty in a hurry — and you may want to try to capture a flavor of that in your edit. For this, you can turn to the Clarity slider.

The Clarity slider controls edge contrast. Using a pinch of Clarity can really help with bringing out textures and lend a gritty feel to the image.

A +10 Clarity boost keeps this picture grounded in reality.

Sliding Clarity up to +85 creates a distinct and gritty style.

Be aware of how stylized you want your image. If you’re trying to edit the image to reflect reality, the Clarity slider should be used in moderation. But if you’re looking to let loose and create a bold, loud image, the Clarity slider can quickly become your best friend.

Sharpening & Noise Reduction

We’re getting close to the finished product! The combination of fast-paced action and high ISO speeds means that you’ll need to pay a bit of attention to sharpening and noise reduction.

This is a tight crop of the finished image. Sharpening is set to +40 and Noise Reduction is +15. There’s still some grain, but it isn’t overly distracting.

Now we move both Sharpening and Noise Reduction to +100. The grain is gone, but all details and texture have been smoothed out of existence as well.

The finished image, with +40 Sharpening and +15 Noise Reduction.

While modern cameras have vastly improved how much grain is produced in high ISOs, you’ll want to add some Noise Reduction. Don’t panic about the amount of grain while viewing the image at 400% zoom. Some grain is okay — in fact, it will be barely noticeable at all when viewing the picture under normal circumstances.

Noise reduction should be beneficial to the image; if you notice that details start to lose definition, then you’ve overdone it.

Sharpening can be added according to taste as well. Oversharpening can make the image look metallic and fake, so try to find the right balance.

Export and Share!

Last but not least, click “Export” and share your shots with the world! Maybe you’ve grabbed some awesome shots for a friend or family member, or maybe you’ve set a goal to become a professional photographer for the NHL.

Either way, you’re sure to have learned a few more tricks and will be able to apply that newfound knowledge to the next game you photograph.

Good luck chasing those elusive action shots!

The post Tips for Editing Hockey Photos in Lightroom appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
May 6, 2018
Event Photography Etiquette: Avoid Embarrassment With These 10 Dos and Don’ts

Maybe you’re already a seasoned event photographer interested in improving your business, or perhaps you’re reading this because you’re about to photograph your first event and want some pointers. As a photographer, you want to be keenly aware of your image as well as behavior when working on-site with clients. A superior professional image shows the world that you’re both competent and worth the cost of your services for event photography.

This article provides my recommendations on how to appropriately conduct yourself before and during an event photography shoot. Positioning yourself to land assignments and inspire confidence in your clients starts with your demeanor and presence.

1. DO Wear Appropriate Clothing

Your apparel says a lot about you. On one event photoshoot, I was approached by a guest who appeared interested in hiring me for a freelance job. But he hesitated, saying “Honestly, you look expensive. I’m not sure I can afford you.” While that assumption may have been right, his reaction was far better than “You look cheap, maybe I can lowball you.”

Always ask your client about the dress code ahead of the event. Did you forget to ask? Play it safe and dress your best. It’s better to be the sharpest dressed person in the crowd than the jeans-and-t-shirt person in a sea of tuxedos.

2. DO Respect Privacy

As a photographer, you’re probably familiar with the fact that not everyone likes being photographed, much less by a stranger. In order to make guests feel at ease, introduce yourself, “Hi, my name is John/Jane Doe and I’m here Photographing for XYZ Media.”

Guests might ask for further info, such as where the photos will be displayed. It’s wise to gather this info with your client ahead of time. Sometimes an introduction isn’t necessary. Once guests see you making the rounds with your camera, they might just grab you for a quick shot, no questions asked.

To avoid liability/privacy concerns, you can specify in your contract that it’s the client’s duty to inform guests of a photographer’s presence for the event. In my experience, clients have no issue with this.

3. DO Show up Early

Most of my event clients want to know that I’m willing and able to arrive early, which I do as a courtesy at no extra charge.

Showing up early not only allows you to familiarize yourself with the venue and points of contact, but also shows your professionalism. Take precautions: Leave extra time in case of traffic, car troubles, or those dreaded wardrobe or equipment malfunctions. Plus, when you arrive early you can grab some preliminary test images of the venue/rooms as well as important detail shots.

4. DO Learn People’s Names

If you sometimes have trouble remembering names, as most of us do, take care to write down all client names (especially new clients) in BIG letters on your notes sheet for the event.

Everyone likes hearing their name, and a prospective client will subconsciously be more impressed if you can end the conversation with a friendly, “Well Kathy, I’m glad we talked and I’m looking forward to working with you.” Re-read that sentence in your head but without the name this time. It sounds a bit cold and dry, right?

5. DO Interrupt as Politely as Possible

As you make your rounds during a networking or cocktail hour, many people will be engaged in conversation. When it’s unavoidable interrupting a conversation, I recommend approaching while making eye contact.

Typically someone in the group will notice you and your camera and know what you want. If nobody notices you, don’t be too shy or just stand there awkwardly. A gentle tap on the shoulder might be in order. Of the hundreds of times I’ve approached people for photos, I seldom get a “no”. People understand that photography is my job, and most are happy to pose for a photo.

6. DON’T Photograph People Eating

For most events over two hours in length, there will be a portion where guests are treated to a meal or hors-d’oeuvres. Photos of people eating should be avoided, so this is your chance for a work break.

Pay attention, however, because you can get some great candid photos of tables at the tail end of a meal when the satisfied diners are typically in a good mood. I’ve captured many great photos of guests post-meal laughing and chatting this way. I recommend standing back and using your zoom lens to capture these images.

7. DON’T Be Pushy With Public Figures or Celebrities

You might be excited to learn that someone notable, a political figure or even your favorite musician will be attending an event. Thanks to the bad behavior of so many paparazzi over the years, many public figures dislike or distrust photographers. Can you blame them?

Keep this in mind as well: most celebrities dislike being told what to do. If you’re photographing a meet-and-greet situation and it’s not an intimate portrait session, be careful about asking a celebrity to strike a pose or shift position, regardless of whether or not it would help the photo. Try to gauge the individual’s temperament and mood. If he or she ignores your question or reacts badly, don’t persist! Shooting around such non-cooperation will be necessary.

8. DON’T Show Alcohol or People Drinking

Not everyone cares if they’re photographed holding a beverage; in fact, some people like that image. Regardless, as a courtesy to guests, it’s best not to show them drinking alcohol. When photographing a group of guests standing around a table, it’s a good precaution to ask whether any of them would prefer to set their drinks down first.

Cropped to remove the drink.

9. DON’T Drink Alcohol While Working

Quite often you’ll find alcohol flowing freely at events and parties, including even the high-level corporate get-togethers. You may be tempted to join in on the fun. If you are, I recommend waiting until your job is done and your camera gear is safely stashed away before indulging.

You wouldn’t want your client to give you the okay, only to have the CEO of the company or the bride’s father spotting you with a tall glass of whiskey in one hand and a camera in the other. You’re a professional, and that’s not a good look for you.

Editor’s note: I personally would recommend NEVER drinking at an event you are hired to attend, even if you are done shooting for the night. Other people can’t know that you’re off the clock. They just know that you’re the official photographer and that they saw you drinking. So use your own judgment.

10. DON’T Make Sales Pitches to Attendees

I recall reading a one-star review of a wedding photographer who acted completely inappropriately on a job and it stuck with me. Not only did that photographer allegedly flirt with the bridesmaids but he tried handing a business card to the groom during the cake-cutting ceremony instead of photographing his client’s special moment.

Take note: Bad timing and poor social awareness could land you poor reviews and do harm to your business and reputation.

That’s not to say that your conversations with attendees couldn’t turn out to be productive, just remember that your paid job at the event is to photograph. Assuming that you’re maxing out your assignment, it’s fine to chat with guests here and there. But let the subject of your services arise from their questions, not from your self-promotion.

Summary

In summary, there are many precautions to consider in order to come off as a professional at an event. Whether it’s a wedding, party or corporate engagement, self-awareness is key, and a little preparation can go a long way in demonstrating your competency and professionalism.

If you follow these tips and do your best work, your clients will undoubtedly be impressed and more importantly – happy.

The post Event Photography Etiquette: Avoid Embarrassment With These 10 Dos and Don’ts appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

May 6, 2018
10 photography gifts mothers actually want

10 photography gifts mothers actually want

It’s a widely acknowledged fact that mothers are superheroes who deserve to be celebrated every day of the year, which is why it’s important to get things right on the only official holiday dedicated to mom. If the mother you’re shopping for happens to be a photographer, we think she’ll be way more into one of these gifts than another set of decorative wine glass charms.

How do we know? Well, we cheated and asked a group of moms what they really wanted this Mother’s Day. With apologies to our friends in the UK where Mother’s Day has already passed (we know you got your mum something great) here are some suggestions by moms, for moms.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack
$ 260/€270 | peakdesign.com | Buy Now

Peak Design has earned a reputation for its highly functional Everyday bags. They aren’t exactly cheap, but they’ve quickly become the go-to for photographers who want a stylish daily bag that thoughtfully accommodates photo gear. The backpack comes in 20L and 30L sizes, but if a tote is more mom’s style, that’s an option too.

Tenba BYOB Camera Insert
$ 50/€35| tenba.com | Buy Now

Let’s be honest, who among us *hasn’t* carried a lens wrapped in a dish towel at the bottom of their purse? It’s not ideal, but desperate times call for desperate measures. When a dedicated camera bag isn’t right for the occasion but you still want to carry a camera or lens, there’s a much better way: the Tenba BYOB Camera Insert. It’s offered in a few different sizes and fits snuggly into a larger purse or tote and provides safe storage for a couple of lenses or a camera body.

Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI
$ 400/€500 | canon.com | Buy Now

If Mom’s a lighting genius who shoots portraits every weekend you can definitely skip this one, but if she’s a Canon shooter looking to dip a toe into flash photography then the 470EX-AI is a great option to consider. It automatically pivots and rotates to bounce light for more flattering portraits, which is a useful way for flash beginners to learn the ropes. It can also be used manually, or to automatically move between a manually selected position when switching between landscape and portrait-oriented shooting.

Fujifilm X100F
$ 1200/€1270 | fujifilm.com | Buy Now

There’s just no denying the universal appeal of the Fujifilm X100F – pretty much every photographer we know either has or wants one. It’s gorgeous, a dream to shoot with and just an all-around likeable camera. Sure, it’s a much bigger investment than a cute lens-shaped coffee mug, but if it’s the year to pull out all of the stops, we think the X100F is a winner.

Olympus TG-5
$ 400/€410 | getolympus.com | Buy Now

The list of compact cameras worth buying (rather than just using your smartphone) is dwindling every year, but the Olympus TG-5 remains a worthwhile investment thanks to its hardy weatherproofing. More and more smartphones have some level of water resistance, but that’s just a fraction of the TG-5’s rugged capabilities. Bring it to the beach, drop it in the pool, freeze it on the ski slope – it’ll keep going. It’s a life-proof camera that’ll sub in nicely when Mom wants to leave her expensive gear or smartphone out of harm’s way.

Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2
$ 147/€140 | fujifilm.com | Buy Now

The Instax Share SP-2 is a small, wireless printer that uses the ubiquitous Instax Mini Instant film. It connects to a smartphone app and produces credit card-sized prints with color and sharpness we prefer over competitors like the Polaroid Zip. In an age of Instagram likes and Facebook tags, it’s surprisingly delightful to print and share photos the old fashioned way.

Moment lenses
$ 100 (lens only) | shopmoment.com | Buy Now

Moment’s smartphone accessory lenses are regarded as some of the best you can buy. They require a proprietary case, and cases are only available for some of the latest and most popular smartphone models. The case itself is attractive though, and we’ve been fans of using the Wide lens to give ourselves extra options when we’re out shooting with just a phone.

Pulse Bluetooth Camera Remote
$ 130 | Alpinelaboratories.com | Buy Now

It’s hard to for Mom to be in the family photo if she’s always the one behind the camera. If she has a Canon or Nikon DSLR that doesn’t offer built-in Wi-Fi control via the manufacturer’s app, the Pulse Bluetooth camera remote might come in handy. It acts as a remote shutter for those all-important family portraits, and it also includes time-lapse and long exposure tools that are fun to experiment with.

Clickin Moms membership
$ 60/year | clickinmoms.com

Clickin Moms is a community that welcomes photographers of all skill levels, from beginners to working pros. Get Mom a year-long membership for $ 60 and she’ll have access to tutorials, mentors and discussion forums. Being connected to a community of like-minded photographers is an excellent way to stay inspired and keep growing as a hobbyist or professional.

Photography classes

This was the most popular response from the moms we polled on the topic of Mother’s Day gifts. There are tons of great resources online for photographers who want to learn new skills and brush up on technique, and a virtual class is easy to fit into a busy schedule. KelbyOne.com is widely regarded as an excellent source for learning Photoshop and Lightroom, and CreativeLive provides a wide range of classes for hobbyist photographers and working pros alike.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 6, 2018