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Roger Cicala: Understanding field curvature for fun and profit

24 Dec
When deciding which 35mm lens to buy, what do you want to know? How sharp it is? How it handles? How much it costs? I want to know what its field curvature looks like. (Spoiler: the plot on the right is from the little guy.)

I’m not a fan of lens testing purely for the purpose of winning pissing contests. I am, however, a great fan of lens testing for learning how to best use a lens. There are a few tests I find particularly useful, and the single most important one is field curvature.

Field Curvature (in metrology speak MTF v Field v Focus) tells me a lot about how to use a lens. It is also the most complete way to test a lens because it’s three-dimensional. Shooting a brick wall or test chart the way most people do is 2-Dimensional. The 2-D chart test below says the lens is sharp in the center and soft at the edges. How nice.

This is a test image of a lens’ MTF, basically what you’d see shooting a test chart except with color representing sharpness. This one is sharp in the center, really soft at the edges, and a tiny bit softer on one side than the other. But what does that tell you about the lens? Not much.

I’ve spent over a decade developing fast, sensitive optical tests. My gold standard is a modified $ 250,000 optical bench that quickly analyzes field curvature. That test (the graph below) tells me that this lens is actually amazingly sharp at the edges, but that field curvature causes the area of maximum sharpness to be further forward at the edges than at the center. In a 2-D test, the edges look soft because they are out of focus when the center is in focus.

A 3-D (Field curvature) MTF graph. The center focus is along the black horizontal line. The Y axis represents focusing distance, the X axis edge-to-edge sharpness, and the MTF is the color (red is sharpest). So the edges of the lens are very sharp, but not at the same focusing distance as the center.

The 2-D test chart images, like the first graph, are taken right along the black line of best center focus. They show the center is sharp and the edges soft. The 3-D graph shows, the edges are very sharp, but not in the same plane of focus as the center. That’s very, very different than the edges are soft.

Think about that for a second. Photographer #1 gets that lens, knows how to frame with it, and posts about how awesomely sharp the edges are in his photographs, which are 3-D. Photographer #2 buys it, tests it on a 2-D chart and sees the edges suck so he sends it back because it’s supposed to have sharp edges. Again and again.

Inexperienced photographers think a curved field is bad and a flat field good. But a designer may have chosen to let the field curve so the lens has other, wonderful attributes. Not to mention a curved field is a tool that can be useful. Many great portrait lenses are great portrait lenses because of their curved field, for example.

knowing your lens’s field curvature will help you take better pictures

I showed how to check field curvature with just a photo in a previous post. Today I’ll show a slightly different method using a test chart or brick wall. But field curvature isn’t really about better testing; knowing your lens’s field curvature will help you take better pictures.

Take the lens above as an example. I saw a group photo taken with that lens. The photographer positioned everyone in a slight crescent rather than a line because he knew the lens’ field curvature and placed his subjects so they were all in best focus. Someone else (someone without that information) would probably have said the lens was ‘too soft at the edges’ to use in a group shot.

Field Curvature graphs (clockwise from top left) showing overall curvature (this lens doesn’t have much); astigmatism, tangential field, and sagittal field.

A Quick Word About the Graphs

The shape of the field is different for sagittal and tangential rays (the two lower graphs above), which many people don’t realize. Where the fields don’t overlap, there is astigmatism (upper right graph above). The overall curvature (upper left) is what you see at home if you do my not-patented ‘field of grass’ test. Most of the time I’ll just show the sagittal and tangential fields; you can eyeball whether they overlap or not and what the overall curvature would be like.

Testing Field Curvature at Home

If you follow my grass-photo-with-find-edges-filter technique, you get a nice image showing the field curvature. You’ll also know if the field is tilted and if it is, how badly. Here’s the grass test for two copies of the Sigma 24mm f.14 Art, a lens with a bit of field curvature. One copy has tilt problems and it’s pretty easy to see which one.

One copy is good, one is pretty tilted. Can you tell which one is which? I thought that you could. This two-copy test took 60 seconds, was shot hand held, and required no home testing lab.

If you’ve already got a home testing setup and want to put some numbers to your lens, that’s easy, too. First, mount the lens on a tripod and manually focus on your 2-D target of choice: test target, brick wall, treeline, whatever. (If you don’t use a tripod and you don’t manually focus, you should be filled with shame and delete all your test posts because you did NOT test the lens. I never, ever, take a single AF image of a test chart. It’s a waste of time. But you can do the find-edges technique with a hand-held AF shot even if you don’t own a tripod and don’t know how to manually focus.)

Where was I before the rant? Oh, yeah. Take your first image past (distant) to best center focus, then take a series of 6-10 images while manually moving the focus back a bit after each shot until you’ve gone out of focus to the near side.

I never, ever, take a single image of a test chart – it’s a waste of time

Next, you take that set of six or 10 through-focused images, find the one with best center sharpness, the one with best right edge sharpness, and the one with best left edge sharpness. If they are all the same image (it happens sometimes), congratulations – you have a very good lens with a flat field. Most of the time, though, you will get one of three other possibilities:

  • Both edges are sharpest in the same image, and the center is sharpest in another. Which means: The field is curved but not tilted.
  • The edges are sharpest in different images: The field is tilted.
  • One edge never gets as sharp as the other: The lens is optically abnormal.

For example, let’s say you take six images. Images #1 and #6 from the sequence shown below were way out of focus, so I’m only showing you images #2-5. The center is sharpest in image #3, the right edge sharpest in #4, and the left in #5.

What this tells me is that I’ve got a lens with a field that is both curved towards the camera and tilted to the left.

Taking a series of images from far focus (2) through near focus (5) lets you evaluate field curvature and tilt.

Let’s all take just a moment to think about all those threads that started with someone posting just image #3 and asking “do you think this lens is OK??” You’ll see 57 or so responses with no definitive conclusion because the OP didn’t give enough information from which to draw a proper conclusion. If they had done a through-focus test, they probably wouldn’t need to ask the question; the answer would be obvious.

Why Should I Bother?

If the field is badly tilted (scroll back up to the first grass images) you’ll know to exchange it for another copy, or if a little tilted you’ll have that information for framing your shots. I had a favorite landscape lens which had a field that was slightly curved and slightly tilted. It gave me great images, usually with a subject of interest closer and on the left side in sharp focus. It was a great lens for me because I knew how to frame my shots with it and I liked the different look that gave.

If the field is markedly curved, you can use that knowledge to better frame your shots. Or perhaps you’ll decide that this lens isn’t for you. Personally, I often prefer a curved field because it’s a tool I can use, but some people want flat fields all the time. I might choose one lens over another for certain shots because of the field curvature. That lens I showed at the beginning is going to focus the edges closer than the center, for example. It might be great for isolating the subject for center-framed portraits. Or to frame shots so the center point of interest is further away than the edge points of interest. I would prefer a different lens with a flatter field for an architectural shot. You might prefer flat fields for all of your shots, for that matter. I find field curvature a fun tool, but some people are flat lensers.

As an alternative, if the field is really curved, focusing slightly away from center gives an overall sharper image. Here’s an example. The Zeiss 50mm T/1.5 has big-time curvature with the edges towards the camera as shown in the top-half of the image below.

Field curvature of the Zeiss 50mm T1.5 showing that if you place the focus point to the left or right of center you get maximum edge-to-edge sharpness. The calculations show the best off-axis point is 9mm from center (about halfway to the edge) but you could eyeball this pretty accurately.

I love a curved field for just this reason. Center focus can isolate my subject but off-axis focus brings good edge-to-edge sharpness. I get to choose. I love getting to choose.

I have some cool software (bottom half of the image) that tells me exactly where to focus to get the best edge-to-edge sharpness (the black line across the field curvature graph) but you can eyeball your homemade field curvature graph and know where it should go – about halfway to the edge in this case. This can serve as an alternative to stopping down for edge-to-edge sharpness, or let you get edge-to-edge sharpness when stopping down isn’t enough.

The big takeaway is you can often get excellent get excellent edge sharpness in lenses with field curvatures if you know how to use them. Many lenses with flatter fields sacrifice edge sharpness to get flat fields, and you can’t find edge sharpness that just isn’t there.

Do you know the focal length at which your zoom lens has the flattest field, or at which focal length the field curvature changes? That’s useful information, and I want to know this kind of thing for every zoom I carry (pro tip, the flattest field is rarely at the center of the zoom range; it’s often 1/3 of the way from one extreme). Some zooms have massive curve at an extreme, but if you zoom just a few mm away from the extreme the field is much flatter. That’s another useful thing to know.

Very often your 24-70mm is curved one way at 70, while your 70-200mm is curved the another (ditto at 24mm, etc.). Knowing that helps choose which lens best frames the shot. (I should also mention that one zoom is always sharper than the other at 70mm. Of course, I probably should also mention neither one is really 70mm. Most 24-70mm lenses are actually 26-67mm; most 70-200s are about 73mm to 190mm.)

Sagittal field of Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L III and24-70mm f/4 L IS, both set at 70mm.

The 70-200mm has a very slight curve back towards the camera and is pretty sharp (red) even at the edges at 70mm. The 24-70mm has a more significant curve and is not as sharp at the edges. Depending on what you are shooting, those differences could be important.

At least a few of you, I hope, have read this far and are now interested in field curvature. This article is already long enough, so I’ll stop here for today. For the next article though, I’ll show example field curvatures from various kinds of lenses. To be clear, I’m not going to put out 6,342 field curvature graphs for all the lenses at all the focal lengths. I’m showing you how to fish, not hosting a fish fry.

Since everyone tells me I should click-bait tease the next article, here you go: Next time I’ll show how field curvature explains ‘3-D pop’ and ‘microcontrast’. (Spoiler: No, no I won’t. Field curvature explains a lot of things and is a useful tool, but it’s not magic.)

Until Next Time…

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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GIMP vs Photoshop: Which Should You Use in 2021?

24 Dec

The post GIMP vs Photoshop: Which Should You Use in 2021? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Gimp vs Photoshop in 2020

Which is the better post-processing program, GIMP vs Photoshop?

That’s what this article is all about. I’m going to take you through the pros and cons of each program – so by the time you’ve finished, you’ll know which option is right for you.

So, if you’re ready to determine the best editing software for your needs…

…then keep on reading!

GIMP vs Photoshop: Overview

Photoshop is proprietary software that is available via paid subscription, whereas GIMP is a free, open-source program.

In the old days, before 2013 when Adobe changed to its subscription model, price was enough to decide between Photoshop vs GIMP.

You could choose Gimp for free, Photoshop CS6 for $ 699, or Photoshop CS6 Extended for $ 999. For most photographers, GIMP would inevitably win out.

Nowadays, you can have Adobe Photoshop starting at $ 9.99 USD per month. That’s a very reasonable price, even for a hobbyist.

Of course, GIMP is still free, so don’t automatically pay for Photoshop without thinking.

Instead, I recommend you take a careful look at the key differences between these two programs:

GIMP pros

  • Portability
  • Light download
  • Faster processing
  • Customizable
  • Free

Photoshop pros

  • Mobile
  • More tools
  • Handles more color profiles
  • Supports RAW and other file formats
  • Non-destructive editing
  • Good value for the money

Mobility and portability

using Photoshop on mobile

If you only have one computer and do all your photo editing there, this isn’t an issue for you. However, most photographers don’t edit that way.

You see, here’s one of the most important differences between GIMP and Photoshop:

GIMP is more portable, while Photoshop is mobile.

GIMP doesn’t have a mobile version, which puts it at a huge disadvantage in today’s world where every smartphone has a camera.

Of course, you can still edit your photos on your phone for free. There are many options out there (including Photoshop, as I’ll explain in a moment). However, you can’t do mobile editing with GIMP.

What GIMP does have is portability. If you need to work on multiple computers, GIMP can be downloaded as many times as you want. You can even install GIMP on a USB drive so you can use it on any computer without having to download it.

This is an excellent choice if you want to edit your photos in a university library or in the business lounge at your hotel or airport, for example.

Photoshop, on the other hand, can only be installed on two computers. Also, the program needs to be fully installed, so you can’t place it on external hard drives.

However, Photoshop does have a mobile version: any paid Photoshop subscription comes with Photoshop for the iPad.

Plus, Photoshop for smartphones has three free versions (though you’ll need a free Adobe account to use them).

In summary:

Photoshop wins if you need to edit on the go. GIMP wins if you need to use it on many computers, including public ones.

Size and speed

Gimp vs Photoshop size

GIMP is a very light program (after all, you can install and use GIMP from a portable USB drive!).

Photoshop, on the other hand, occupies quite a lot of space on your hard drive. It also uses a lot of RAM. So if your computer has limited processing capacity, Photoshop won’t be your friend.

There are some ways to optimize your computer for Photoshop use, but all in all, Photoshop will always be more resource-intensive than GIMP.

For Photoshop, you need 4 GB of available hard disk space (and additional space is required for installation).

GIMP requires 200 MB for the official install. This can grow depending on how you enhance GIMP over time.

As far as memory goes, Adobe recommends a minimum of 8 GB and preferably 16 GB of RAM. I’ve used Photoshop with 4 GB of RAM, and it works – but it’s choppy. GIMP, however, only needs about 20 MB of memory.

Note that the memory required by both GIMP and Photoshop can significantly increase depending on the images you’re working on, so that’s always something to bear in mind.

Ultimately, thanks to its size and processing requirements, I have to give the win to GIMP.

System and tools

I mentioned at the beginning that GIMP is open source while Photoshop is proprietary software.

This means you can modify GIMP as much as you want, from adding tools to directly changing the source code.

Modifying a program is great, but if you don’t know the tech behind GIMP, you probably won’t be able to take advantage of the open-source design. Even installing GIMP plug-ins can be difficult, and without these enhancements, you’ll be left with a program that is too bare to be appealing.

On the other hand, if you can get the hang of it, this flexibility can be hugely helpful. Plus, there is a big community behind GIMP, and many members are constantly creating interesting program additions. That way, you don’t have to wait for the GIMP team to release the next update; you can use community members’ programming to enhance your own GIMP software.

Photoshop is delivered as a finished product. You can’t make many changes, but it also doesn’t require much in the way of enhancements. You can set up your own workspace and add plugins, but that’s about it. On the upside, you get continuous updates included as part of your Adobe subscription – and in every update, you get high-quality improvements and innovations, thanks to a huge team that has maintained Photoshop’s status as the industry standard for many decades.

Photoshop also gives you the tools to create graphics and 3D designs, which is a very big plus if you have use for it.

Otherwise, these features will take up a lot of space in your system, but you don’t have the option to remove them and keep only what you need.

When it comes to tools, I find it difficult to declare an overall winner. Photoshop is a more robust program, but GIMP is more flexible. I’ll call it a tie, depending on your needs and skills.

File formats and color profiles

Photoshop color profile

As you know, digital images are files with information. The file format is the way in which this information is encoded and stored.

Photoshop has its own native format: the PSD, or Photoshop Document. In the same sense, GIMP has native XCF files.

While the PSD is native to Photoshop, it’s very compatible; it can be opened by the Adobe apps, CorelDRAW, and even GIMP.

On the other hand, the XCF file format is not supported by other image editing programs. This makes it difficult to share original XCF files.

As a workaround, you can export the file using one of the common file formats like JPEG or TIFF, but the lack of XCF support does present some problems if you want the file recipient to build on your own edits (assuming they don’t use GIMP).

Also, GIMP doesn’t open RAW files by default. If you want to work with RAW files in GIMP, you have to download and install a plugin called UFRaw, whereas Photoshop has a built-in companion program, Adobe Camera RAW, which handles RAW files with ease.

When it comes to file management, you also have to consider the color profile options.

Gimp can only handle the sRGB color profile, whereas Photoshop has many more options. This is important when you want your images to look their best on the web and for printing.

To recap:

Regarding file formats and color profiles, Photoshop offers more options and is more compatible with other programs – which is why I’d give the win to Photoshop.

Editing and layers

Non-destructive editing

I already covered the tools in a previous section, so you know that, for advanced editing, Photoshop has the edge over GIMP.

Both programs support plugins, actions, and presets. You can find many great options for free. The only difference is that Photoshop has more variety to choose from because it’s more popular overall.

The same rules apply for tutorials:

You’ll find so many more educational materials for the Adobe products compared to GIMP.

Finally, there is one thing Gimp is sorely lacking: non-destructive editing. Photoshop offers both adjustment layers and smart objects, which are extremely important for serious editing and hand Photoshop a definite win.

Cost and value

Gimp and Photoshop pricing

Last, I want to talk about cost and value.

When you download GIMP, there is no cost or subscription involved in the process. You get a photo editing program for free.

That’s not bad at all, considering that you’re not paying any money or giving out any information that many other “free” programs require.

However, you’ll need to download GIMP enhancements separately.

A Photoshop subscription includes the editing program, plus cloud storage space, a free customizable website on Adobe Portfolio, and access to Adobe Fresco, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark. You can also get Adobe Lightroom if you choose the Photography plan.

And you have access to all the perks that come with the size and experience of Adobe, such as thousands of high-quality, creative brushes designed by Kyle T. Webster, as well as the most innovative tools that a big team of experts can develop.

When it comes to value, I have to declare a Photoshop vs GIMP tie. GIMP is free in every sense of the word, and you get excellent software.

For Photoshop, you do have to pay, but considering the low cost, the high quality, and the number of extras that you get, the program offers great value for the money.

It all comes down to what you need and what you can afford.

GIMP vs Photoshop: Conclusion

In my opinion, Photoshop is worth having if you’re into photography post-production.

That is, of course, if you can afford it. If you can’t do that just yet, then GIMP is a magnificent choice.

I actually have and use both programs. There are some things I find easier to do in one software versus the other. So owning Photoshop and GIMP gives me the best of both worlds!

I hope this GIMP vs Photoshop comparison gave you enough information to decide on the right program for you, based on your needs and budget.

Remember that the most important thing is your passion and your skills, so keep on creating – no matter which program you choose!

To download GIMP, click here, and to purchase Photoshop, click here.

Now over to you:

Which post-processing program do you prefer, GIMP or Photoshop? And why? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post GIMP vs Photoshop: Which Should You Use in 2021? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.


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Aperture and Shutter Priority Modes

22 Dec

The post Aperture and Shutter Priority Modes appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

aperture priority mode and shutter priority mode explained

What is Aperture Priority mode, what is Shutter Priority mode, and why do they matter?

Over the last few months, we’ve been looking at different elements of exposure and how to move off “Auto” mode on your digital camera. We’ve looked at aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. We’ve discovered what each setting is and what impact changing it will have on your images.

But now that we’ve looked at the theory of how changing these elements impacts an image, I’d like to discuss how to use them by examining two key shooting modes that many digital cameras offer. These should help you take a step away from the automatic settings that you might be spending a lot of time with.

So if you’re ready to learn all about Aperture Priority mode and Shutter Priority mode, then let’s get started.

The elements of exposure: A quick recap

In other articles, I’ve discussed how the three elements of the exposure triangle impact one another. This is particularly important when it comes to aperture and shutter speed.

Remember:

As you increase the size of your aperture (i.e., make the hole that you shoot through bigger), you let more light onto your image sensor.

As a result, you’ll need a shorter shutter speed to get a well-exposed image.

Conversely, if you increase the length of time your shutter is open, you decrease the aperture size that you need to get a well-exposed shot.

Make sense?

Priority modes

Aperture and Shutter Priority modes are really semi-manual (or semi-automatic) modes.

They give you some control over your settings, but also ensure you have a well-exposed image.

You see, semi-automatic modes such as Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority work by letting you select some of the settings. Your camera then chooses the remaining settings (in order to create a nice exposure).

Let’s take a look at each mode separately:

Aperture Priority mode

Often, Aperture Priority mode is represented on your camera Mode dial with an “A” or an “Av.”

In this mode, you set the aperture you wish to use, and the camera sets the shutter speed based on its evaluation of the light.

When would you use Aperture Priority mode?

Aperture impacts the depth of field of your images.

(In other words: By adjusting the aperture, you change how much of your scene is in focus. A narrow aperture results in focus from foreground to background, whereas a wide aperture results in a small sliver of focus surrounded by blur.)

As a result, most people use Aperture Priority mode when they want control over the depth of field.

aperture priority mode and shutter priority mode dandelion seed head

If you want a shallow depth of field (for example, in the shot above, the depth of field is very shallow, keeping the front dandelion seed in focus but blurring out the background), you’ll select a large aperture (f/2.8, for example, as in the dandelion photo) and let the camera choose an appropriate shutter speed.

But if you want an image with everything in focus, you must pick a smaller aperture (for example, f/16) and let the camera choose an appropriate shutter speed.

When choosing an aperture in Aperture Priority mode, keep in mind that the camera will be selecting the shutter speed.

And there comes a point where shutter speeds get too long to handhold your camera (usually around 1/60s).

Once you go below 1/60s or so, you’ll need to consider using a tripod.

(Also, if you’re photographing a moving subject, your shutter speed will impact how it’s captured; a slow shutter speed will mean your subject will be blurred.)

Shutter Priority mode

Shutter Priority mode often has a symbol of “Tv” or “S” on your camera Mode dial.

In Shutter Priority, you choose the shutter speed you wish to shoot at, and you let the camera decide on the best aperture for a well-exposed shot.

When would you use Shutter Priority mode?

In our tutorial on shutter speed, we talked about how the main impact of different shutter speeds is how movement is captured in your images.

As a result, most people switch to Shutter Priority mode when they want more control over the sharpness of a moving subject.

For example, if you want to photograph a bird in motion, and you want to freeze it so there’s no motion blur, you’d choose a fast shutter speed (e.g., 1/1000s, like in the photo below). Your camera would then take into consideration how much light is available in the scene and set an appropriate aperture.

aperture priority mode and shutter priority mode tricolored heron

But if you instead want to photograph a subject with some motion blur to illustrate its movement, you might choose a slower shutter speed, such as 1/25s. And your camera will select a smaller aperture as a result.

The photo below was taken at 0.4s as the flower waved in the wind. Do you see the motion blur that the slow shutter speed created?

aperture priority mode and shutter priority mode blurry flower

But don’t forget:

As the camera chooses different apertures, the depth of field in your image will change. If you choose a fast shutter speed to freeze your fast-moving object, your camera will choose a wider aperture – and your photo will have a narrower depth of field.

My final recommendation: Practice!

As you can see, Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority do give you more control over your images – but getting used to them can take some practice.

So as you use these semi-automatic shooting modes, don’t just think about the setting that you select; also keep an eye on the settings that the camera selects for you.

I find that, when shooting in “Av” or “Tv” modes, it’s often best to bracket your shots and shoot a number of images of the same subject (when you have time) at different settings. This will ensure you’re likely to get at least one shot that meets your needs.

The best way to learn about Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority modes is to grab your camera, head out with it, and experiment. Switch to “Av” or “Tv” and start playing with the different settings (taking lots of shots as you go). Particularly pay attention to how the camera makes changes to compensate for your selections and what impact it has on the shots you take.

In Aperture Priority mode, take some shots at the largest aperture you can (i.e., use small f-numbers) and see how this blurs the background (and also increases the shutter speed). Then head to the other end of the spectrum to take some shots at the smallest aperture you can (i.e., use high f-numbers) and see how this keeps more of your image in focus.

In Shutter Priority mode, play with fast and slow shutter speeds to see how they impact your photo’s depth of field.

Don’t be frustrated if your initial shots are not what you expect; it takes practice to wrap your head around these modes. But keep in mind that, when you do master both Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority, you’ll have a lot more creative control over your shots!

aperture priority mode and shutter priority mode shallow depth of field dahlia

The post Aperture and Shutter Priority Modes appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.


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Outfits for Family Photoshoot: How to Choose and Coordinate?

22 Dec

If your home is anything like mine there are photos of you and your family dotted all over it. There’s something heartwarming about looking at the different moments in time and reliving them. Remembering how you felt, the smells, tastes and sounds of the day. It’s no wonder that year after year families just like yours and mine enlist the Continue Reading

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Canon to Release an APS-C EOS R Mirrorless Camera in 2021

21 Dec

The post Canon to Release an APS-C EOS R Mirrorless Camera in 2021 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Canon APS-C EOS R camera

It’s more certain than ever before: 

Canon will release an APS-C EOS R model, probably before 2021 is out. 

The APS-C mirrorless camera (dubbed the “Canon EOS R7” by Canon Rumors) has been rumored for months – we reported on it back in March of this year – but its existence has been hotly debated on the internet. 

Why?

For one, Canon already offers a popular series of APS-C mirrorless models (the EOS M lineup), which would make the EOS R7 a bit of an oddity. And an EOS R7 could pave the way for an EOS M phaseout.

To be clear, Canon hasn’t actually acknowledged the existence of the EOS R7. But Canon Rumors has it on good authority that there is “an APS-C sensor-equipped RF mount camera…in the wild with a select group of photographers.” 

And from a historical perspective, the EOS R7 makes sense. The Canon EOS 7D and EOS 7D Mark II were Canon’s two semi-professional APS-C DSLR models, designed for bird, wildlife, and action photographers who couldn’t afford a Canon 1D series camera or who simply wanted to maximize reach in the field. They offered blazing-fast autofocus, high continuous shooting speeds, and rugged bodies that could handle extreme conditions. 

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

But the EOS 7D Mark II launched way back in 2014, and despite various rumors, no successor has ever been announced – which is what makes the prospect of an EOS R7 so exciting for fans of the 7D series. 

Of course, we don’t know for certain that an EOS R7 would be a true “7D Mark III” model. But an APS-C EOS R camera would be well-placed to cater to the same type of photographers so enamored with the 7D series. An RF APS-C camera would offer the technological advancements of the EOS R series, access to Canon’s excellent (and fast-growing) RF lens lineup, plus a 1.6x crop factor (one that’ll turn the new Canon RF 100-500mm lens into a 160-800mm powerhouse!).

According to Canon Rumors, the EOS R7 “looks nearly identical to the EOS R6,” and Canon Rumors suggests that “specifications [will] be nearly identical as well.” This makes sense; while the Canon EOS R6’s 20 MP sensor offers little in the way of resolution, it makes up for it in autofocus speed, 20 frames-per-second continuous shooting, excellent in-body image stabilization, dual card slots, stellar low-light performance, 4K/60p video, and more – exactly what you’d expect from a next-gen Canon EOS 7D model.

So for any bird photographers, wildlife photographers, or action photographers looking for a relatively inexpensive but high-powered APS-C camera…

…the wait is almost over!

Now over to you:

What do you think of Canon’s decision to create an RF-mount APS-C camera? And do you think it’ll be a 7D successor? Share your thoughts in the comments! 

The post Canon to Release an APS-C EOS R Mirrorless Camera in 2021 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Gear of the Year: Dale’s choice – Fujifilm X-Pro3

20 Dec
Photo: Dan Bracaglia

I think we can all agree that 2020 has been an unpredictable year, so it seems appropriate that my gear of the year is a camera I wouldn’t have predicted a few months ago: the Fujifilm X-Pro3.

But first, a bit of context.

Some of my earliest photography was done with a hand-me-down rangefinder camera, a Kodak Retina IIc. I loved the experience of shooting it and still remember exactly how it felt in my hands. I even remember how it smelled, no doubt the result of the grease used to lubricate gears, something you don’t get from digital cameras today.

However, as much as I love rangefinders, I’ve never had a natural knack for focusing them. I can do it, but it’s not my superpower. To this day, I have tremendous respect for photographers who can quickly and accurately focus a rangefinder.

Mt. Jefferson in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains. Velvia film profile, processed in-camera.

ISO 160 | 1/250 sec | F2.0 | XF 18mm F2 R

That’s a roundabout way of explaining why I mostly shot with SLRs for so many years and never lusted after a Leica.

This is where Fujifilm comes into the story, but maybe not in the way you’d expect. You see, I was never so much a fan of the X-Pro series, which always seemed big and chunky, but rather of the fixed-lens X100. I didn’t need one, but from the day I first used an X100 in person, I wanted one. Badly. It was sexy, compact, and provided a shooting experience similar to a rangefinder, but with autofocus. Eventually, I broke down and bought the X100T, and it remains my most-used camera to this day.

With that in mind, I suppose it seems odd that I picked the X-Pro3 as my gear of the year instead of the X100V, so I should probably get around to explaining that.

Pre-pandemic family gatherings. Acros film profile, processed in-camera.

ISO 5000 | 1/80 sec | F2.8 | XF 23mm F2 R WR

It turns out the thing that made me enjoy the X-Pro3 most was the exact thing I expected to dislike about it: the inverted rear screen, which is undoubtedly the most polarizing feature of the camera. Unlike most cameras, the X-Pro3’s screen folds inward and remains hidden until deliberately folded out. There’s an extra step required to access menus or, more importantly, to chimp images.

I trained myself years ago not to ‘chimp’ images on the back of a camera when doing work for clients; I didn’t think it conveyed professionalism or confidence. When shooting for fun, however, I’m like most people. I like to see my photos right away. Because instant gratification.

With the X-Pro3, I shoot differently. Nothing actually prevents me from flipping open the screen to look at my images, but a glance at the back of the camera reminds me that that’s not what this camera is about. The thought of flipping open that screen feels like cheating, so I don’t.

Cowboy country. Astia film profile, processed in-camera.

ISO 320 | 1/170 sec | F6.4 | XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS

It’s a subtle shift in mindset, but one that I’m really enjoying. I find myself having more of those zen moments where it’s just me, the camera and my subject. By removing the temptation even to look, I’m spending more time taking in what’s around me, looking through the viewfinder, and just enjoying the journey. I can look at the photos later.

I’m starting to fully realize how the presence of a screen impacts the way I shoot a digital camera, and I’m beginning to appreciate why someone might spring for a model like the Leica M10-D, which has no screen at all.

The only area where I feel let down by the X-Pro3 is its hybrid optical viewfinder, which is a core part of the camera’s experience. Viewfinders on previous X-Pro models had a magnifier that would engage depending on the attached lens’s focal length, allowing the user to view frame lines for a pretty wide variety of lenses.

Home on the range. Astia film profile, processed in-camera.

ISO 640 | 1/3200 sec | F4.0 | XF 18mm F2 R

That’s missing on the X-Pro3. You can’t see frame lines for lenses wider than 23mm (equivalent to 35mm), which I notice when shooting Fujifilm’s 18mm F2, though fortunately, that lens’s field of view pretty closely matches the viewfinder itself. The EVF is very usable, and I’ll switch over to it at times, but it takes away some of the magic.

Many people pigeon-hole the X-Pro3 as a camera for street photography only, which is unfortunate because it’s really quite versatile. I’m definitely not a street photographer, yet to my delight, I found it to be an incredibly satisfying camera.

A lot of unexpected things happened this year, and not all of them were bad. I got to know my family better, even over FaceTime, I spent more time with my pets, and I caught up on projects that have languished for years. I also discovered a camera that brings me joy and reminds me of why I started taking pictures in the first place. That feels like a pretty good way to start 2021.

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In the Dark: 10 Tips for Street Night Photography

20 Dec

The post In the Dark: 10 Tips for Street Night Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by James Maher.

street night photography tips

Much is spoken about photographing during the twilight hour, but what about after that?

Night is my favorite time for street photography. Cityscapes are lit with a myriad of interesting and colorful light sources, such as lampposts, neon signs, store windows, car lights, and bare bulbs. People dress in their favorite outfits to go out. Bland scenes by day can suddenly turn ominous and fascinating at night.

street night photography diner
1/80s | f/2.8 | ISO 1600

Here are 10 tips for street night photography – so you’ll think about starting your next street photography session at twilight!

1. Use the ideal camera settings for sharpness at night

To freeze motion during the day, I prefer to use a shutter speed of 1/320s, with 1/160s as my lower threshold.

At night, this changes. In the brightest areas, you will be able to photograph at 1/250s, but most of the time it will be best to use a shutter speed somewhere between 1/160s and 1/60s.

You need to have steady hands and a wide-angle focal length. In fact, to photograph handheld at 1/60s, you need to stop your own motion completely. Fortunately, with some practice, it can be done.

street night photography person in the snow
1/125s | f/2.5 | ISO 6400

A wide-angle lens is necessary for this type of photography because the longer the focal length, the faster the shutter speed you need to keep an image sharp. With a 28mm or 35mm lens, it becomes much easier to handhold the camera at slower shutter speeds.

It will also help to use a fast prime lens, such as a 35mm f/2. It is possible to shoot at f/4 in brighter areas, but being able to shoot at f/2.8, f/2, or even f/1.8 will greatly expand your opportunities.

Finally, you will need to raise your ISO significantly. With modern digital cameras, you can photograph anywhere from ISO 1600 to ISO 6400 and get decent or good image quality. It’s just not possible to photograph handheld at night otherwise. I prefer to shoot at ISO 3200, and I sometimes go to ISO 6400 if needed.

To learn more about photographing with a high ISO, you can read this article, called “Reasons to Shoot High ISO Images.”

2. Seek out the light sources first

on the streets at night
1/60s | f/2.8 | ISO 3200

You should always pay attention to the main light sources in a scene. This is true no matter where or when you are photographing, but it becomes even more important at night. Start by finding a beautiful light source or an area with good lighting, then wait around for something to happen.

Focus on how these light sources hit your subjects. If you are leaning against a shop with a lit sign behind you, like the man in the photograph above, then as subjects pass you they will be lit with a strong light that has a gorgeous color to it. If your lens’s aperture doesn’t go wider than f/4, this is a fantastic way to boost your shutter speed.

On the other hand, if you stand in the street and aim the camera at the light source, as I did for the photo above, then the light will be less pronounced on the subjects, but you will get the beautiful sign in the scene. Notice the difference between the light on the left and right side of the man’s face in the photo.

3. Photograph nightlife

photographing the nightlife
1/125s | f/2 | ISO 6400

Some of the most interesting night street photography occurs where the most people are, and that is often where the nightlife is. 

So seek out the night life and shoot it!

A fantastic project to look at for inspiration is Maciej Dakowicz’s “Cardiff After Dark” series.

4. Alternate between getting close and stepping back

I’m a proponent of Robert Capa’s advice: “If your photos aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” However, I often alter this strategy at night.

I try to get close to many of my subjects, but I will also try to create compositions where the subjects are small aspects of the overall scene. At night, backgrounds can be much more beautiful than during the day, so it often works to have people become the secondary element in the scene, rather than the primary focus.

The technical advantage here is that you do not need to use a fast shutter speed to capture the motion of subjects when you are farther away. You can freeze a moving subject at 1/60s from farther away, whereas you will need to use at least 1/125s when close.

5. Tripod and crowd blur

motion blur night street photography
1/8s | f/4 | ISO 800 | Tripod

For night street photography, it’s usually best to go handheld, since you never know what interesting thing is going to happen and where it’s going to happen. However, one of the times to use a tripod is when you want to capture a busy scene with lots of people and motion.

Experiment with slower shutter speeds, such as 1/8s, and shoot a lot of photos. It took me a long time to capture the image above, because I wanted the people spread out evenly throughout the entire scene, and I also wanted something interesting in the foreground (ultimately, this was the pose of the woman in the street and the man looking at her).

It took some waiting and a lot of captures for this to happen.

6. Use a flash

Whether you want to try flash on the street is up to you, but keep in mind that it can easily lead to a confrontation. I prefer to work with the constraints of the natural light on the street, and I also get uncomfortable flashing strangers in the face in dark settings, but many prefer to photograph this way. It creates a fantastic look when done well.

Using a flash frees you from a lot of the constraints of photographing at night. You can use a faster shutter speed, include more depth of field in the photo, and reduce graininess (noise).

You can have the flash do all of the work lighting the scene, where the foreground area is lit and everything else is dark.

Alternatively, you can set the camera to expose for the scene, similar to what you would do without the flash, and then use the flash to add some fill light to your main subjects in the foreground.

7. Noise and the dreaded underexposed image

people sitting on bench at night
1/250s | f/2 | ISO 3200

You should always expose correctly when photographing with a high ISO.

That being said, even with the best settings, some of your images will be taken in areas that are too dark to be exposed correctly. It’s impossible to photograph this way and expose every image perfectly in-camera. For the occasional shots with excellent content that you want to save, you will have no choice but to raise the exposure when editing.

For that type of photo, I first ignore the noise and get the exposure and look correct in Lightroom. After I do this, if I’ve had to raise the exposure a significant amount, the grain will look terrible. Luckily, there are some ways to save an image like that as long as you’re photographing in RAW.

What I do is first remove the grain – then I add it back. I want the image to look grainy, but I want the grain to look pleasing. There are many noise reduction programs, such as Photo Ninja, Topaz’s DeNoise, and DxO. Personally, I like Lightroom’s built-in noise reduction. If the noise is still bad after noise reduction, I will sometimes bring the image into Photoshop and add a very slight Gaussian blur.

Then I will use Lightroom’s grain settings to add grain back into the photo. This grain looks much more pleasing to the eye than brightened, extreme digital noise, and it can further hide some of the technical deficiencies of underexposed images. The result will not be a perfectly sharp image, but it will still be pleasing and beautiful.

8. Blur and imperfection

Aim to get your photos as sharp as possible when you want sharpness, but know that a photo can still look fantastic even if it’s not tack sharp.

You don’t need to freeze motion perfectly when photographing at night for the image to still look great. I hold my day images to a higher standard than my night images when it comes to sharpness. They need to be interesting and look good, and that’s what counts.

Also, at shutter speeds around 1/60s to 1/30s, you can experiment shooting handheld with a slight blur, where your subjects are somewhat sharp but have a little motion to them. It’s a great way to add an energetic feeling of movement to an image.

9. Night images should be dark

a dark shot at night
1/250s | f/2 | ISO 3200

This is an overly general statement, so feel free to disagree, but I want to make a point here.

I believe that night shots should look like they were taken at night. They should be dark, with deep shadows and areas that are hard to see and make out. When you look at the histogram of a night image, it should be further toward the dark side (the far left) than a day image.

When you expose a night shot, especially with automatic settings, the camera will often misread the scene and overexpose the image. The photo will be bright and you will be able to see everything as you would during the day, but it will not feel like a realistic night scene. In such cases, you’ll want to lower the exposure compensation on your camera slightly.

There are many situations where bright night images are a good thing, but don’t be afraid to make your night images dark and realistic.

10. Be careful

Depending on where you live, going out at night with a camera is not always the safest idea. Travel light, keep your equipment to a minimum, and be careful about where you go.

Use your best judgment regarding who to photograph and think about bringing a friend along. You don’t want to suddenly find yourself in a bad situation.

Tips for street night photography: conclusion

Getting beautiful street photos at night isn’t always easy.

But if you remember these tips and you practice frequently, you’re bound to get some great shots!

Do you have any street night photography tips you’d like to add? Please share them in the comments below!

The post In the Dark: 10 Tips for Street Night Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by James Maher.


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DPReview TV: Sony FX6 Review

19 Dec

What would the Sony a7S III look like if it were a cinema camera? Spoiler: it would look like the Sony FX6. This week, Jordan reviews the FX6 to see how it compares with the a7S III. Which one would he pick? You might be surprised.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

  • Introduction
  • Jordan's background
  • A Sony FS5 body with a7S III internals?
  • Design changes
  • Audio inputs
  • Interface and menus
  • Electronic variable ND filter
  • Recording modes
  • Raw video recording
  • Autofocus
  • Picture profiles
  • Who's it for?

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10 Tips for Creating Great Family Portraits

19 Dec

The post 10 Tips for Creating Great Family Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darlene Hildebrandt.

family portrait tips

Family portraits are a lot of fun – and they can be highly rewarding, too! However, it’s often tough to get started. After all, how do you pose an entire group of people? How do you interact with them? How do you get great photos?

Thanks to my background in classic-style studio portraiture, plus 25 years of experience photographing portraits and weddings, I have a few tips up my sleeve to share with you.

family portrait tips example

In fact, with a little planning, doing a family portrait will be fun for both you and the family you’re photographing. Here are 10 tips to help you have a successful and enjoyable photo session.

1. Use a tripod whenever possible

I already know what you’re thinking:

A tripod cramps your style. It’s too heavy and cumbersome, whereas your style is more free-flowing.

That all may be true, and in some cases (like when photographing kids running or doing more documentary-style photography), it may be better to shoot handheld. 

However, just consider another side of the coin.

Heise-0005fsm

Most people are nervous when being photographed. Yes, nervous! Some are downright scared, and some would even go so far as to say that they hate having their photo taken.

So it is part of your job to help your subjects feel more comfortable and relaxed. That can be hard to do when you’re also nervous, especially if you’re new to portraits. But there’s a big advantage of putting that camera on a tripod. Two, actually.

  1. A tripod automatically forces you to slow down. That’s a good thing! You can check your settings, review the composition, and preview the exposure to make sure you’ve got everything right. It’s easy to get carried away once you put the camera up to your eye, only to later realize you had the wrong white balance, your ISO was 6400, or you accidentally shot tiny JPEGs instead of standard RAW files. A tripod will help you slow down to avoid an “Oops!” moment.
  2. A tripod allows you to get your eye away from the camera so you can actually make eye contact with your subjects. Your subjects are very real people, and they feel even more uncomfortable staring straight into your lens than they do looking at you. You can gesture to get the kids’ attention and you can make faces. But you’ll get way better expressions by interacting with your subjects than you’ll get while looking through the viewfinder. Try it!

Hood07-034f

2. Shoot in Manual mode

Assuming that you’re setting up your family portrait photoshoot in advance, you have control over all the elements.

Meaning that, once you get set up, the exposure should not need to change.

Unfortunately, if you set your camera to Aperture or Shutter Priority mode, depending on the metering mode selected, the camera could choose a slightly different exposure for each frame. You do not want that! Consistency is very important.

Inconsistent exposures create more work in post-processing, as you have to even out all the photos. Plus, they can cause a slight color shift, increase noise (if some of the shots are underexposed), and result in other undesirable things.

To keep your exposures consistent throughout the whole shoot, use Manual mode. Just remember that each time you change the pose, location, etc., you need to check the exposure again. I just fire off a quick test shot, review the histogram, adjust if necessary, and continue.

3. Lock the focus

Just as you do not want the exposure to change from frame to frame, neither do you want the focus to be adjusted. Assuming you’re using a tripod, you will not be moving. And if you’ve posed your group in a relatively static position, they should not be moving, either. Not much, anyway. Here, we are only concerned with moving closer to the camera, or further away from the camera.

So set your camera up to do one of the following: use focus lock, use back button focus, or use manual focus. With any of those options, the focus will not change from shot to shot.

If you use the shutter button to focus and someone moves a little bit so that the focus dot hits the background, you’ll have another “Oops!” moment. If you aren’t sure how to focus using one of the methods I recommended above, consult your camera manual.

Bonus tip:

Here’s an easy way to focus manually with pinpoint accuracy:

Turn on Live View so you can see the image on your screen. Hit your Zoom button (it may have a magnifying glass or a “+” sign on it) once or twice. The image on the rear LCD will zoom in so you can see what is in focus, which allows for more precise manual focusing. Press the Zoom button again to return to normal view and turn off Live View.

Liebel-002-600px

4. Stagger the heads

What you want to avoid here is a boring straight line, straight row, or straight column of heads. Diagonal lines are more dynamic and add interest to an image, so try to do that with the people in your portrait group.

Imagine there is a line drawn from each face to the next. Try and position your subjects so that no head is directly on top of, or beside (on the same level), another. Make diagonal lines, not flagpoles.

Use props to seat some people or bring some small folding stools. Have some people sit down or stand up on something. Use objects in the environment to pose your subjects, or if you have nothing available, just arrange them so the heights are staggered.

family by a lake

5. If it bends, bend it

This is a general rule for photographing people, and it’s a good one. People tend to stand stiff and rigid when you position them, so you need to get them to bend a few body parts to look more natural. Nobody naturally stands stiff as a board.

Here are a few starter poses:

  • Get your subject to shift their weight to one foot and stick out one hip away from the camera.
  • Get your subject to put a hand in a pocket. I usually recommend they put their thumb out, otherwise they have a tendency to shove their hand to the bottom of the pocket, which looks unnatural.
  • Get your subject to hook a finger on their belt or through a belt loop.
  • If your subject is sitting, have them lean forward a bit and put weight on one hip.
  • If your subject is standing against something, have them cross one foot over the other, toe down.
  • Have sitting (males) put one knee up, foot flat on the ground (but make sure they rotate so you aren’t looking straight at their crotch).

You get the idea. The best way to get someone to do any of this is to do it yourself and have them mirror you. Face them, do the pose you want them to do, and have them mimic it exactly.

family by a building
An example of bending body parts. The girls did a much better job here than the guys, but even the arms bent at the elbow helps. Some people are stiff, and they may present a challenge. Just do your best.

6. Let kids be kids

I’ve found that often parents will tell their kids, “You need to be good and smile” before a photo session. For many kids, this puts too much pressure on them to perform. I usually prepare parents by getting them to tell their kids this instead:

We’re going to the park to take some photos. It will be a lot of fun.

That’s it! Set no expectations other than fun. Then you, as the photographer, should prepare yourself. Bring along props, and get Mom to bring one of the kids’ favorite toys or books. I usually have a hand puppet and bubbles in my camera bag along with my gear. If the kids don’t want to sit and smile, don’t force them. Let them run around and be kids for a while and shoot that. Play with them; make it fun. A few minutes later, they may cooperate and sit for a bit.

When I’m photographing kids, I make a total idiot of myself. I make funny noises, I sing songs (I’m really bad, but they don’t care), I make fish faces, and I play peek-a-boo behind the camera. I run back and forth to the camera with my hand puppet. I lie on the ground. I stick my butt out. Kids are the ones that have life the right way around; it’s us adults that ruin it. Let them be kids, and let them have fun. Then be ready to capture the fun when it happens!

Kids playing a game of peek-a-boo around the tree
This was a game of peek-a-boo around the tree. Look at those genuine smiles! You can’t force those.

7. Pose people to flatter them

Here’s the bottom line:

If Mom thinks she looks fat, then she isn’t going to like the photos, no matter how great the lighting and expressions (see the next tips). So you’ve got to get the posing right.

Be aware of people’s perceived “flaws” and work with them. Here are some quick tips:

  • If someone has a bigger bottom half, don’t pose them walking away from the camera using a wide-angle lens.
  • For double chins, take a slightly higher camera angle (above the subject’s eye level). Making them look up stretches their neck and minimizes the chin/neck area.
  • A bump on a nose will show up when they face one way and not the other (usually). So study their face to find out which way to shoot them.
  • When you have a couple with a huge height difference, get the taller partner to stand with their feet further apart. That will make them slightly shorter, closing the gap a bit.
  • For really heavy people (or those overly self-conscious of their weight), use the lying down in the grass pose and pile the kids on top (as shown in the image below). It works great every time, because it hides tummies, stretches out chins, and makes the kids closer in size (it just shows faces!).
family posing with kids
The lying in the grass, pile on top pose. It’s great for families with small children. This family didn’t need the pose to correct anything; it’s just fun having the kids jump on top and squish Mom and Dad.

8. Lighting is king; get some in their eyes

Light can make or break any photograph, and portraits are no different. The biggest thing you want to make sure you do for portraits is to get light into your subjects’ eyes. There are many ways to do that, and it’s a huge topic, but here are a few things you can do to start off with good light:

  • Choose the time of day to do the portraits very carefully. Generally, late evening – about an hour before dusk – is the best time for portraits. Why? Because the sun is lower in the sky, and you don’t get the harsh overhead light you do at midday. Light is more directional, and it’s usually a bit diffuse if there’s haze on the horizon.
  • If you can’t shoot at dusk, find some shade. Get the family out of the sun, but make sure you don’t get a lit-up background. Bright areas in the background will draw attention away from the subjects. Look for areas in the shade of large buildings or under large trees.
  • Avoid shooting on an overcast day simply because the lighting is even and less harsh than bright sunlight. While it is true the light is softer and less harsh, the direction isn’t great. Overcast days give you direct overhead lighting and dark eyes, especially for anyone with deep eye sockets.
  • Add some light using a reflector or a flash if need be. Again, this is a complex subject, but learn to tell when you need more light on your subjects’ faces. Here’s a quick tip: If you cannot see a catchlight (the light source reflected in your subject’s eyes), then there isn’t enough light on their face!

Just as important as getting some light in the eyes is having it come from a good direction. We’ve established that overhead isn’t good direction, and neither is light straight from the camera. So turning on your built-in pop-up flash isn’t going to give you good light. Neither is mounting an off-camera flash above your camera. Light direct from the camera flattens the subject, and that is not what you want.

Instead, you want the light to come slightly from the side; 30-45 degrees from camera is a good starting point. To learn more about this, read my article on the 6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know.

family portrait just before sunset
This was done just before sunset. The sun is coming over the kids’ shoulders on the left (from behind). I used a flash bounced into an umbrella off to the left to add light to their faces. Without the flash, they’d be in shadow.

9. Expression is everything

Lighting is king, but getting the right expression is everything! You can totally screw up the lighting and the pose, but if you get your subjects laughing or making the perfect face, the photo will be a big hit!

So how do you do this?

Being a photographer means that you sometimes have to be a comedian or a clown. Knowing the right thing to say or do to make people smile is mostly experience.

Sometimes you’ll get tough adults, too. The dad in the photo above by the brick wall pretty much has the same expression all the time. I’ve known this family and photographed them for 13 years; they’re my friends. So I know I can bug the dad a little bit or get out the ducky to have some fun at his expense.

If there are small children or babies involved, make sure to get their attention. It even helps to have an assistant; tell them to bring Grandma along or a friend to help out.

What always happens is you get the kids all looking and smiling, but what are the parents doing? Looking at the kids! I always tell the parents, “No matter what, keep looking at me as I make a total fool of myself. Do not look at your child!”

family posing with a baby
The baby is laughing, while everyone else followed instructions and looked at me. Success!

10. Have a little fun with it

The last tip is to not take yourself so seriously. Create a few really whacky shots at the end of the session (or even in the middle of the session if the energy seems to be fading).

Tell your subjects to do a group squish and really get them to squish. Often, they will start laughing, and as they pull apart, you can grab the shot.

Do a pile-on down in the grass. Ask your subjects to jump in the air or make goofy faces (you make one, too!). It breaks the tension and lightens up the mood.

family with kids posing while making faces
I was making a similar face!
family jumping
My off-camera flash stopped working, so this shot used on-camera flash (not my first choice!). But we were all tired and I thought this would be fun, so we just went for it. Notice how Dad has a new expression!

Bonus tip

Get the family to think about what they are going to wear ahead of time.

Some people disagree with my point of view on this, which is totally fine. But if you want to read more about it, see my article called “Clothing for Portraits – How to Tell Your Subjects What to Wear.”

Tips for family portraits: conclusion

Capturing stunning family portraits isn’t hard – especially if you remember these ten tips.

Just don’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself, and everything will turn out great.

So get out there, photograph some families, and have fun!

The post 10 Tips for Creating Great Family Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darlene Hildebrandt.


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GoPro Hero 9 Review: Is It the Perfect Action Camera for You?

19 Dec

The post GoPro Hero 9 Review: Is It the Perfect Action Camera for You? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

GoPro Hero 9 review

Every fall, GoPro releases a brand new version of its popular and classic action camera, the GoPro Hero. Some years, it’s a significant release with big changes, and other years, it’s an incremental step forward.

Where does the brand new GoPro Hero 9 fall into place, and should you buy this camera?

Read our GoPro Hero 9 review to find out.

GoPro Hero 9: Overview

Since GoPro is practically the inventor of action cameras, you’re probably at least partially familiar with the GoPro Hero.

It’s always been a compact, rectangular camera that’s rugged – waterproof, crushproof, and made primarily for the outdoors. Listed below are a few significant GoPro Hero camera releases:

GoPro Hero 5

In terms of GoPro history, the GoPro Hero 5 was a significant camera for a couple of reasons.

It was the first GoPro that was waterproof, so you didn’t need to stick it in a waterproof housing for underwater shooting.

Plus, the Hero 5 was the first GoPro with a built-in LCD display screen on the back of the camera.

Every GoPro since the Hero 5 comes with both of these features.

GoPro Hero 9 Review

GoPro Hero 7

The next major GoPro release was the Hero 7.

This was the first GoPro camera with built-in HyperSmooth, which promised “gimbal-like stabilization.” Every GoPro with HyperSmooth has amazing video stabilization, even in the roughest conditions. In fact, depending on your personal video quality preferences, you may not even need to use a gimbal or external stabilizer with newer GoPro models.

The Hero 7 was also the first GoPro Hero to include custom shooting presets via the back-facing LCD touchscreen for easy camera operation.

GoPro Hero 9

The latest GoPro release is the first to include a built-in front-facing screen (more on this below). It’s great for vlogging, taking selfies, and composing your shots while standing in front of the camera.

Additionally, the Hero 9 boasts the highest resolution of any GoPro camera. At 23.6 megapixels, the resolution is roughly double that of its predecessors. This allows for shooting higher-resolution photos (20 megapixels) and videos (up to 5K).

From here on out, I’ll be talking solely about the GoPro Hero 9.

GoPro Hero 9 Review
Left to right: The GoPro Hero 7, Hero 8, and Hero 9.

Design and ergonomics

Aside from the inclusion of the front-facing screen and the relatively large size, the Hero 9 looks like many other modern GoPros. It has two physical buttons – one on top and one on the side – and a rear touchscreen LCD.

Accessing the camera’s many features is quite simple, thanks to the inclusion of shortcuts and presets that can be accessed via the rear LCD.

The Hero 9 is powered by a rechargeable battery. It can also be charged via the USB-C port, the only built-in port on the camera. If you desire additional ports such as a 3.5mm microphone jack and a micro HDMI port, you need to buy the GoPro Hero 9 Media Mod (more on this below). The Hero 9 uses a single micro SD card to record.

The Hero 9 is waterproof up to 33 feet (10 meters) without a waterproof housing, though dive housing can be used to further waterproof the camera.

Finally, the Hero 9 can be used without a cage, thanks to the built-in folding fingers on the bottom of the camera. That way, you have the mount directly on the camera base.

GoPro Hero 9 Review
The GoPro Hero 9 (left) can be mounted without a cage. The Hero 7 and all cameras prior require a cage to be mounted.

GoPro Hero 9 Pros

Now let’s take a look at some of the GoPro Hero 9’s best features, starting with:

Best photo and video quality ever

Thanks to the Hero 9’s impressive resolution, image quality is at an all-time high. You can now shoot 20-megapixel photos in both JPEG and RAW format, and videos can be shot at 5K/30p or 4K/60p.

Even if you don’t intend to export a 5K video, shooting at this resolution can be beneficial for post-production. When you shoot at 5K, you can crop your video later without sacrificing resolution. You can also take high-quality still shots from your 5K video footage.

Front-facing screen

While some may scoff and say that front-facing screens are only important for vloggers, don’t knock it until you try it. Being able to see your composition from the front of the camera will change the way you shoot. It’s especially helpful when you stick the camera in a tight corner.

But if you’re still not sold on the front-facing screen, there’s an option to disable it and simply display camera settings instead.

front-facing screen on the GoPro Hero 9
The GoPro Hero 9 with the front-facing screen.

HyperSmooth stabilization

Shaky video footage has been long gone since the Hero 7 first debuted with HyperSmooth. Somehow, GoPro keeps finding ways to improve HyperSmooth, and it’s in its third version with the Hero 9.

Besides eliminating video shake from sports footage, HyperSmooth helps with another GoPro feature: TimeWarp.

Essentially a moving time-lapse, TimeWarp is great for conveying the passage of time while on the move (think walking, hiking, or driving), and HyperSmooth keeps that footage stable.

Horizon Leveling and Scheduled Capture

A new feature on the Hero 9 is Horizon Leveling. When enabled, this automatically keeps your video’s horizon straight.

Since the camera tends to be mounted on a moving subject, keeping the horizon straight is something that many GoPro users often struggle with.

Scheduled Capture is another new feature that allows you to schedule ahead of time when the GoPro should start shooting. It’s especially helpful for creating time-lapses.

Improved internal microphones

Ever since the GoPro was designed to work without a cage, the sound quality has gradually improved. The Hero 9 has three built-in internal microphones, and they do a great job of picking up audio. The only time the audio seems muddled is after the camera has been submerged in water.

If you want to get the best possible audio out of the GoPro, you can do so by adding an external microphone. However, for that you’ll need to buy the Media Mod (discussed below).

GoPro Hero 9 in the Media Mod
The GoPro Hero 9 inside of the Media Mod.

Mods

Starting with the Hero 8, GoPro began releasing Mods to add features to its cameras.

The main Mod is the Media Mod, which is aimed at vloggers. This Mod includes cold shoe mounts for adding accessories, a micro HDMI port, a 3.5mm mic jack, and built-in microphones.

Despite the added cost, the Media Mod delivers on its promises and turns the GoPro into a viable vlogging camera.

Other available Mods include the GoPro Light Mod (a glorified flashlight), a front-facing Display Mod, and the ultra-wide Max Lens Mod.

(Most of these Mods are intended for newer GoPros, so if you own an older GoPro, be sure to check its compatibility before purchasing Mods.)

the Media Mod
The Media Mod (available for Hero 8 and Hero 9 only) includes cold shoe mounts, built-in mics, a micro HDMI port, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm microphone jack.

Lots of third-party accessory options

Since GoPro has been around for so long, there are tons of third-party accessory makers selling all kinds of things to expand the functionality of GoPro cameras.

Some accessories are specific to GoPro models (i.e., form-fitting cages), but many accessories, such as mounts, lights, and microphones, can be used with every GoPro out there.

Cons

No camera is perfect, and the GoPro Hero 9 is no exception. Let’s take a look at the drawbacks of this action camera:

Larger size

To accommodate a larger battery and the front-facing LCD, the Hero 9 is the biggest GoPro ever. It’s still a small camera, but its slightly larger size means that any previous form-fitting cages you might own will no longer fit.

You’ll also have to buy Hero 9 batteries and a battery charger.

Poor low-light shooting

While the GoPro Hero 9 has a larger megapixel count than previous GoPro Heros, it performs miserably in low-light conditions. If you want to shoot photos or videos after the sun goes down or indoors, use the Light Mod or consider a different camera.

Buggy software

In my experience, most modern GoPros are prone to freezing bugs, and the Hero 9 is no exception.

The good news is that there’s a fast way to reset the camera should it freeze:

Simply hold down the Record and Power buttons for a few seconds, and the camera will reboot.

GoPro Hero 9 with the Max Lens Mod
An HDR SuperPhoto taken with the GoPro Hero 9 and the Max Lens Mod.

Firmware updates

Almost immediately after the Hero 9 came out, GoPro released a statement saying that two firmware updates would be on the way before the end of 2020.

These firmware updates promised fixes such as:

  • Increased touchscreen sensitivity
  • Image quality improvements for 4K shooting
  • GPS accuracy
  • Scheduled Capture bug improvements
  • External microphone compatibility with the GoPro mic adapter
  • More possible fixes on the way

One firmware update was released in October 2020, and the second was delayed from November to December 2020. In GoPro’s own words, “The more we test HERO9 Black in the field and the more feedback we receive from users, the more we identify little upgrades that will have huge impacts on the user experience.”

Not everyone will find the issues listed above to be a problem, but if you’re suffering from any, just know that a fix is on the way.

Should you buy the GoPro Hero 9?

Now that I’ve gone through the bulk of this GoPro Hero 9 review, it’s time to ask:

Who should think about purchasing the Hero 9?

If you have an older GoPro…

If you have a model older than the GoPro Hero 7, the Hero 9 will seem like a huge upgrade.

Not only is the image quality better, but you’ll also have a touchscreen with presets for easier control, buttery-smooth video, and better sound quality.

If you have the Hero 7 or 8, there’s no need to upgrade unless any of the key features, such as the front-facing screen or 5K video, have appeal.

If this is your first action camera…

For those new to the action camera market, you’re in luck – because there are a lot of good options. There’s the cheaper DJI Osmo Action or the modular Insta360 One R, both of which are excellent picks. It’s worth researching both of those cameras to see if they better fit your needs.

However, if you want a tried and true action camera that has the best image quality, stability, and sound on the market, then the GoPro Hero 9 is the best that money can buy. You can grab it here.

What do you think? Are you interested in purchasing the GoPro Hero 9? Let me know in the comments below!

The post GoPro Hero 9 Review: Is It the Perfect Action Camera for You? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.


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