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Drone Photography Flying Guide

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Pia Lopez

Investing in the best drone is a great way to stay in loop with modern photography technology. Many say that with modern advancements in technology, anybody can become a photographer very quickly. While we have to agree that this is partially true, we also need to carefully consider what it means to be a photographer. It is not just a matter of pointing and shooting whatever that strikes your fancy, but learning about the techniques, art, telling a story, and sharing a bit of your soul in every single picture you take.

To that point—how can technology make someone a better photographer if machines can’t express feelings like we do? Technology on its own can’t replace what many years of experience and proper training actually gives a user, but it can become a really good companion for boosting our hidden potential and encouraging users to go further with their work.

Not so long ago, thinking about aerial photography was quite the challenge. You couldn’t just say, “Okay, I am going to take a picture of my city from above” without considering the complications. You would need to have access to at least a really tall building in order to catch most of your city, or—if you are wealthy enough—be able to pay for a photography trip via helicopter with good camera equipment. These days, with the technological advancement in the photography field, drones can completely replace the old-school experience, making aerial photography look like child’s play.

Advantages of Buying a Drone Camera

Drone Photography Business Opportunities

Not only are you making an investment with respect to your photography equipment: if you plan to start a drone photography business, you are then taking the first step toward becoming a professional drone photographer. That’s why you need to make sure you possess the best camera drone for photography and video services. Advances made in technology will end up replacing traditional methods and criteria for taking pictures, forcing users to adapt to new times.

Real estate photography takes advantage of these new advancements, as real estate drone photography creates a new way of advertising buildings for sale. Future owners can get a very realistic view of how the neighborhood will look, the amenities in the building itself, the size of the lot, etc. For these reasons, a drone photographer will find themselves more and more in demand by the real estate industry, as it takes a good knowledge of drone photography techniques in order to make a short movie interesting enough for future potential buyers.

Safe and Affordable Way to Capture an Aerial Shot

By using the best drone for taking aerial photos, not only are you saving money as far as not having the need to take a trip by helicopter to take pictures, but it also is no longer necessary to take such risks as climbing on dangerous areas in order to catch a good glimpse of the city from above. Instead, you can take pictures or film the process with your drone and having fun while doing it!.

Disadvantages of Buying a Drone Camera

Battery Life

As with any electronic device, battery life is a major issue. Although the batteries for most DSLR cameras last three hours under heavy use, the battery life can be as short as 10-15 minutes of drone flight. This fact can be incredibly annoying, considering how much of an investment you are making with your new device. High-end models typically have a longer battery life.

Price

Price is also something to be concerned about, as getting a good drone costs as much as buying a mid-range DSLR camera for something that can be lost or damaged much more easily than normal cameras. Perhaps as time goes by, the amortization of a drone will happen much faster, but right now, you should have a lot of experience with drone photography if you plan on purchasing one of the high-end models.

Camera definition on most drones for photography is Full HD. Some models even provide 4K cameras on their units (such as DJI Mavic Air and newer models), but then again the price is an issue, as drones with acceptable camera quality are normally more than $400.

It is also necessary to have a live preview of the flight made by the drone, especially if you are using it in urban areas where the unit could be easily damaged by impact with buildings and infrastructure. Flying a drone in an urban area without knowing the route it is taking could be labeled as neglectful, as it carries a potential risk of hurting somebody if the drone flies near people walking in the streets.

Learning Curve

The learning curve of using a drone is quite high. Most people think it is just a matter of turning on a device and using the controls as though it were a common RC car—it is quite the opposite. Learning how to fly a drone takes time and practice, and it is advisable to practice in large areas, such as parks, in order to minimize the risk of losing your drone camera or hurting somebody in the process. Climate factors, such as strong wind and rain, significantly affect the performance of the drone during flight, even compromising the lifespan of the drone, if it is forced to endure conditions for which it is not suited.

Films/Pictures produced by drones are saved in the most common formats available nowadays, and the good thing is, you can post-produce it with software such as Adobe Lightroom, enhancing your pictures with only a few clicks. Then again, we are showing how useful technology can be for a professional photographer: you can crop areas of the video that don’t suit your purpose, post-produce it with Lightroom Presets, and share it worldwide to make your work tell a story.

Image edited with our bundle Above the Clouds Workflow for Adobe Lightroom

Drone Camera Buyer’s Guide

As usual, we would like to state the parameters we used to narrow the search for the best drone for photography. There are many aspects to consider when picking the best camera drone for photography, but overall are the factors you need to consider for your photography needs:

Flight Time

This is a crucial aspect for any camera drone these days. Models are constantly being upgraded through both hardware and firmware, yet the flight time is something to consider in regards to battery management. At least 20 minutes of flight time is what users expect from the best camera drones on the market.

Flight Speed

What’s the point on piloting an aircraft if it moves as slow as a tortoise? With a limited time to fly, speed is important to reach new horizons quicker. For most units, the average flight speed ranges from 25-35 mph in cruise mode. Some of them peaking up to 65 mph in their faster flight modes. Battery management for faster flying speeds must also be noted, as in some cases it really becomes a battery life killer.

Operative Range

This, in short words, means how far our unit can take both horizontally and vertically for the signal it gets. For units that work with both smartphone and controllers, there are significant differences in this regard as controllers act as signal boosters. On average, consider the current optimal range for a drone operated with a smartphone between 100-150 meters (328-492 foot), and distances over 1.2 miles for remote-controlled aircraft. Altitude to reach ought to be above 100 meters, reaching up to 1km as a desirable value, though most units hover the 500m range.

Design

Putting aside ugly-beautiful discussions on this topic, what we mean with design covers not just the material finish for the units (being magnesium alloy as the industry high-end standard), but also if the camera drone sports an aerodynamic design, if it’s easy to operate under common scenarios due its size, if design decisions can chop its recording capabilities, etc.

Image Quality

Most camera drones for photography come equipped with their own fixed cameras, as is the case of most DJI drones, Parrot models, and several other brands. For acceptable image quality we must consider the max video resolution—either 5.2K, 4K, 2.7K or FullHD as acceptable choices for professional work, the still-image shooting capabilities, and manual controls for the camera itself to adjust parameters such as Exposure and ISO.

FAQs about Drone Photography

Is a necessity to register my drone with the FAA?

For a long time it was required to register any drone over the one-pound weight range to the Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S.. However, recent news tells us that the FAA’s drone regulation rules of 2015 were violating a law passed by the Congress in 2012. Hence, after the resolution of a lawsuit won against the FAA, drones whose purpose does not fall under commercial categories do not need to be registered with the FAA for flying. However, regulations still apply for flying areas, especially in suburban scenarios. Our personal recommendation? Do register with the FAA, especially if you buy a professional drone. Better safe than sorry, and later on you can make a business out of your hobby.

What would happen if my drone falls into the water or faces rainy scenarios?

For most drones, the water question is handled in two different ways. Drones, like any other electronic appliance, are not waterproof. They can resist a mild exposure to rain conditions (like in the case of professional DJI drones), but in the case where the unit runs out of battery and falls into a water area, or if that happens due a hit-and-fall casualty, don’t expect your drone to tell the story.

What does the wind do to my drone?

Like any RC aircraft, the wind can be labeled as an enemy if wind patterns are moving towards our drone direction. Depending on the intensity, it can make the drone overheat due to propellers fighting to keep their flying course, or it can tear pieces of the drone’s body if we talk about plastic-made units. Battery life is also compromised, as the drone must do an extra effort to keep flying. But in general, if we use wind patterns to our advantage, we can gain some flying speed if we fly towards the proper wind direction.

Is it essential to buy spare batteries?

In short, yes. Consider the overall flying time of your drone prior to making that decision. For most units, batteries range from $50-100, and battery chargers allow multiple batteries. Even if you consider you are making a big investment over here, it will pay off in flight autonomy.

Which would be the ideal microSD Card size to buy?

As memory cards keep getting cheaper and cheaper, high-end units require SSD drives to store such bulky footage. Go directly for a set of 64GB memory cards if both your drone and your budget allow. Any video footage over FullHD quality directly translates into GBs of file size, so don’t miss your chance of creating amazing footages due to lack of storage capacity.

Where can you learn how to operate a drone?

Fortunately, there are many ways to learn how to be a professional drone operator. From attending local courses at photography schools to online courses on drone photography, the options are as broad as you would have imagined. We at Sleeklens decided to take things to the next level and offer an Aerial Photography bundle for Adobe Lightroom, as well as a full course that covers every single aspect of Mastering Drones.

Where should I avoid flying a drone?

How to Plan a Drone Photo Shoot: 4 Things to Know Before You Fly

Drone Laws

The first thing we should discuss before we go any further is the importance of following the laws put in place for UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). After doing initial research into purchasing a drone, I was quickly alerted to the ever-changing laws. The fact that many people have made poor decisions which have endangered others, it has led to an increase in restrictions. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) therefore has a list of requirements even if we are flying as a hobbyist.

If we plan to make any sort of money through the use of our drone, legally we are required to get a remote pilot certificate. You can get this by passing the FAA’s Part 107 test. It’s 60 multiple choice questions with a 2-hour time limit that takes place at an airport. It requires a good amount of study and knowledge of air traffic. Many people say you need to pay to take a class in order to pass. This is not the case. If you know how to study you can find all the needed information online.

If you plan to take your drone out of the country it’s wise to read up on the foreign laws as well. Some countries have unique laws while some even restrict anyone from entering their country with a drone. One of the worst situations is being stuck in an airport dealing with customs. Due to lack of prior research, sadly many drones have been confiscated at airports.

Not all sites will be suitable for taking drone photos. Here are some places to avoid flying:

Places with Municipal Restrictions

Certain cities have strong regulations concerning the use of the radio control devices because of the possibility of interference with medical, aviation, and police equipment; as well as to prevent an overpopulation of devices over tourist areas. If you are not sure about a spot, please check this resourceful app.

Places with Physical Restrictions

Somewhat related to the previous point, places with narrow passages that prevent operating the device with such ease could lead to situations that are risky for both the device (from severe damage), as well as for people in the immediate area (remember, the drones have propellers that can be very sharp when operating).

Places with Environmental Constraints

Not all drones are capable of withstanding the same forces of the wind or extreme climate conditions, such as heavy rain, snow/hail or even high temperatures.Therefore, and as a way of preventing future inconveniences, it is best to sit down and plan your future shooting session. In this beginners guide you will find several tips that will help you to locate the best and most suitable places to experience drone photography, within the limits of your equipment and skills.

Location Scouting

Once you’ve established how to properly fly your new drone, it’s now time to find awesome locations. This can be a little tricky at first because everything can look really different from above. I’ve found that using Google Maps and/or Google Earth can be an excellent way to see patterns, shapes, and color from above. You can save the screenshots and locations and then use those as a shortlist for when you head out.

Just like with normal photography, the time you photograph can drastically shape your final image. Most find that shooting early in the morning or in the evening (golden hour) will produce the best images.

Flying a drone requires a lot of focus. I’ve found that picking a location with a lot of people is extremely distracting and results in disappointing results. People tend to always want to know what’s going on and will start asking you tons of questions while you’re mid-flight. In order to avoid this, find a quiet place near your location and launch it remotely. This way, even if people notice the drone they won’t be able to bother you.

Google Earth

Many already know this, but for beginners out there, Google Earth can be a great for when you need to study the locations you plan to photograph.

To get started, first access and explore in Satellite Mode to learn about the conditions of the site you plan to visit. Google will display the location using photos from Panoramio, indicating routes or trails that cross the site, or even with an advanced feature called Elevation Profile.

To do this, it is necessary to select the Path tool, draw two arbitrary points, then save the defined route. When you select the created route, right-click on it and select the option “Show Elevation Profile”. It won’t be like using a complex GPS device, but it is worth a look to get a clear image on how rough the terrain is where you will be constantly walking to follow your drone.

Another excellent resource is to take a look at your desired location in Street View Mode. To do this, just zoom in on the area that you wish to explore and Google Earth will adjust to the Street View Mode, where you can look at photos of the site to get a better idea of how this selected location is going to look like.

Climate Information

After getting a good amount of data on the location that you want to visit, be sure you know the climate conditions before you set off. There’s nothing worse than ruining your equipment because you neglected to think about how the climate is going to be on the day of your shoot. Drone equipment can be quite pricey, and there’s no way to retrieve your data after losing the device.

Use either the Accuweather smartphone app (Apple’s Climate app works better for iOS users unless you have an iPad), or check your local weather station to get an accurate update prior to visiting the site.

Dronestagram

Check out Dronestagram, an amazing website that is like Instagram for aerial images. With the very same idea in mind, you may find this not-so-well-known social media network to be the go to the site to check if your chosen location is actually worth the visit. There are tons of drone pics and videos from users worldwide. You certainly can’t go wrong knowing the sweet spots of your desired shot location beforehand.

Unlike Instagram, you can also access their forum, where you can interact with other drone photographers, or even take part in some of the contests this website hosts from time to time. Looking for new challenges? Then take a look at the portfolio of this network’s top users and compare them with your own work.

Settings

Once you’ve arrived at your location, you want to make sure your settings will give you the best results. It is always recommended to shoot in RAW in order to get the most detail. This will give you more to work on the editing process later on. Many drones, especially all the popular drones like the DJI Mavic, have a portrait mode. Many people overlook this setting and end up shooting everything horizontally. For those who post regularly on Instagram, this mode can be incredibly useful in making your images stand out on your followers feed since you can maximize more space vertically.

Using your histogram can also be extremely useful in properly exposing your images, especially when you’re dealing with a horizon line that has a lot of contrast. Many people will tend to rely on the image being sent to their phone. This can be deceiving especially if you are also having to deal with harsh sunlight. A histogram never lies and it will give you the best neutral exposure.

Your Own Skills and Mindset

If patience isn’t your thing, then don’t force yourself to visit areas where concentration is a must if you’re still not completely familiarized with how to fly a drone. Things can go horribly wrong, and you will turn a joyful experience into a sour one. Like anything else, you have to take baby steps, one at a time.

My personal advice: avoid areas with a large tree population or over water unless you feel pretty confident in your drone piloting skills—and even so, ask a friend to give an honest opinion on how good you are at flying your drone. Better to be safe rather than sorry, right?

Remember to always calibrate your drone’s compass prior to flying over a new location. Some devices tend to show weird malfunction issues due to GPS confusion, therefore keep this as a “pre-flight check.” Hover for a few seconds prior to setting off once the propellers are running—this is the best way to ensure your device is working as it should, as it is easier to land if the drone isn’t high up if problems occur.

Drone Photography Mistakes to Avoid

Drone photography has somewhat become an epidemic amongst creatives as it becomes more affordable and lucrative in today’s industry. The popularity with drones grew more and more as manufacturers started to improve their line of products by making an adjustment to distance, video quality and also image quality. However, with all these improvements we sometimes still end up making a few simple mistakes. Thankfully, most, if not all of these mistakes can be easily corrected.

Composition

One of the first mistakes commonly made in drone photography that I also once did was having very poor or boring composition. As photographers who use hand-held cameras, it is kinda easy to be a bit thrown off or out of your element when composing a shot on a drone. There is often added pressure, as your flight time may be very limited, as well as the paranoia of crashing into anything and losing or end up damaging your drone. However, this is no excuse for a boring composition.

I know many of us, upon getting a new drone, become very excited and want to just about capture anything from in the air, but I urge you to put more thought into what you’re capturing. Take a look at your frame and consider if the elements within it are worth capturing or if they add no a unique perspective to the shot itself.

Bad Timing

Timing is very important when it comes to drone photography, and can often dictate whether or not you will be wasting your time putting your drone in the air. Take into consideration the position of the sun as it relates to the time of day. Shooting in the harsh sun can often create harsh shadows, which often result in drone shots that are not very appealing or might be a headache to correct during post-production. I often recommend capturing drone images during two times of the day. These two periods of the day are sunrise and sunset. Flying your drone to capture images during this time of the day will yield rewarding results with even and soft light that is pleasing to the eye. Of course, this might not be the case for everyone depending on where you are trying to fly your drone, as the lighting situations might be a bit different, but nonetheless, try to avoid shooting in harsh lighting situations.

Horrible Weather

Speaking of bad timing, that brings us to our next point of shooting in bad weather. While it is obviously not recommended that you fly your drone to capture shots while it’s raining, it is also pointless to capture shots during dull weather. Dull weather will yield dull results, even in the best landscape photography locations.

If you want to create amazing drone images at amazing locations, then invest a little more time into planning, and take a look at your weather app or research the forecast to assure you will get the type of whether you need to truly capture your location to the best of your potential.

Skewed Horizon

This is probably one of the most common mistakes made by pretty much every drone photographer from time to time. We end up with a horizon that is not particularly straight, and it kinda throws off your whole image. By extension, this mistake can also make your shot look pretty amateur. However, there is a simple fix to this, such as checking the horizon before taking the shot or simply correcting it during post-production.

Research

It’s easy to not use your drone equipment to its full potential when you are not aware of what it’s potential actually is. Most of us get caught up in the moment of actually owning a drone and being able to do simple functions to get good aerial shots, but that’s it. We don’t invest enough time into learning more about the features and tricks all piled up into this machine. Not being aware of these things can easily lead to lost opportunities.

This is where we have a variety of features at our disposal to use in different scenarios, but we simply did not take the time to learn about them. To solve this, I recommend reading a blog post here and there to educate yourself on the things you are not exactly sure about. You could also use YouTube to your advantage and get some insight into how other well-known photographers or videographers use their drone to achieve different styles or images in drone photography.

Drone Photography Filters

When I became interested in drones and began researching the cluttered market, I was overwhelmed with the various features and options every brand had to offer. The camera specifications are what I was most interested in when purchasing my first drone, DJI Phantom 3 4K. I went with this model DJI because, while it lacked the capabilities to travel miles away from me (like other higher-end models could), I loved that it had a high-quality 4K camera built in.

Drones haven’t always had cameras built into them. Pilots used to have to purchase a GoPro separately and attach it to the device. The luxury of having a built-in camera on your drone also comes with regret, though, because now you can’t swap out the lens for a better option—until DJI came out with the Inspire 2, which allows cinematographers to attach and detach their preferred camera lens.

While having the ability to swap out a lens on a drone is a wonderful thing, pilots have also longed for the ability to defeat their biggest enemy while flying high in the sky: the sun. With drone imaging comes new obstacles while taking photos and/or video. Lighting is an entirely different ball game compared to shooting while on the ground because the light isn’t interfered by trees, buildings, or any other structures—though there are those lovely, fluffy things called clouds.

With too much sunlight, your photos will look washed out and shadows of your subject(s), which will engulf the entire frame.

With too much cloud cover, your image will look grainy, as not enough light is able to enter the camera sensor.

During the golden hour, the prime time to take photographs, your image could look too warm.

In order to combat all of these uncanny scenarios, tech companies, and drone companies themselves, have created innovative camera filters fit for drones. These filters have existed in the past, but on a much larger scale. Because drones have such a small lens and only so much battery life, the accessory had to be small, lightweight, and feasible. Most filter kits, like my newly-purchased Neewer Filter Kit, are made of a lightweight plastic material. Every brand is different, but you simply need to slide the desired filter onto the lens until it is snug and secure. Note: I have not used my filter kit yet, however, I will follow-up with a review of my experience using the Neewer Filter Kit for DJI Phantom 3.

Types of Drone Filters

The Neewer Filter Kit set consists of four filters: the ND4, ND8, Ultraviolet (UV), and circular polarizer (CPL). Using each of these filters will result in a different outcome. The ND4 and ND8 filters vary in that the ND4 equals 2f-stops, and the ND8 equals 3f-stops. These filters, known as neutral density filters, help with normalizing exposure. On a sunny day, the sky’s exposure will be darkened slightly, so the foreground or main subject’s exposure is normal and clear. On a cloudy or hazy day, a neutral density filter will help sift through the haziness and bring out the saturation in your photos.

Potentially better than using an ND filter on a sunny day is an Ultraviolet(uv) filter. This filter absorbs the ultraviolet rays, eliminating haze. Plus, it protects the life of your lens! The most basic of filters in my pack of four is the circular polarizer filter. This filter doesn’t have a film that covers the front of the lens, instead, it simply surrounds the lens and removes unwanted reflections from surfaces like water, and enhances saturation and color in photographs. If you’re flying over a lake on a sunny day, this filter is for you!

All in all, camera lens filters are crucial to have when regularly shooting with a DSLR, let alone a drone. In order to maximize on the already-exemplary fact that a drone can capture stunning, high-quality images from above, it only makes sense to add a filter kit to your set of accessories.

Drones Will Bring Your Photography to New Heights

We hope this article has been helpful when it comes to getting into drone photography. As creatives, we are not perfect, and can always improve our work in different ways. In the end though, drone photography is all about having fun. So, grab your device and set your route. Don’t be discouraged if your first drone pilot attempts end up in failure—you are learning a great new skill that will elevate your photography business.

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Full Frame vs Crop Sensor–Which Camera Sensor Should I Buy?

Posted on September 24, 2022 by Sabina Sister

Welcome to the full frame vs crop sensor debate! It’s important to remember how many different ways we can shoot nowadays, and that one format is not better than the other—just simply better suited for certain styles!

Let’s first start with some background.

What is a Full Frame Camera?

So, what is a full frame camera? We need to know what this camera is if we are to understand what crop camera is. The term full frame camera has its origin from the days when they used to shoot film. The 35mm film was typically used, so Canon was the first manufacturer to come out with a digital camera sensor that was the size of 35mm film. This was considered a full frame camera back then. So, when you think of a full frame camera, you can think of the 35mm equivalent of film. That’s what the term full frame stands for.

What is a Crop Sensor Camera?

On the other hand, a crop sensor camera is a variation of crop size inside a camera. What this does is that it makes the sensor smaller so it can fit on a smaller body, giving you a smaller, more compact version of a full frame. There are advantages and disadvantages to this, which we will dive into later.

Normally, if you are Canon user, the crop factor ranges between 1.3 and 1.6, depending on the make and the model. If you are a Nikon user, it is easy to figure out because it is usually around 1.5.

This should give you a basic understanding of how small the sensor is if you think on the inside of the camera. The full frame sensor or camera has the size of the big box, while the crop sensor has the size of the smaller box, so to say.

However, “full frame” is not really full. It is just the equivalent of the previous sensor standard. So, hypothetically a bigger sensor could be implemented. This would call for a new name for sensors.

If we’re being technical, a full frame sensor should really be called 35mm equivalent sensor and the crop frame should be referred to as an APS C sensor.

So what are the advantages of using this kind of image sensor?

Full Frame Camera Benefits

Full frame cameras perform better in low-light situations. The reason behind this logic relies on the fact that they actually have more photosites, which allows them to capture more light and perform with less noise at high ISO values than a compact camera’s sensors. To think of working at ISO values nearing 12,000 on nonfull-frame cameras is insane, whereas for full frame models it’s actually a fairly common adjustment for night photography. Hence the reason why full frame bodies are known for their ISO performance.

If you are doing a lot of landscape photography and want to take a lot of wide angle shots, you can get a full frame camera and a regular 24mm and you will likely have the same 18mm or a little bit less of what crop frame sensor would shoot. So, you get a wider angle used. A full frame camera is really useful f0r real estate photography, where you need to get an entire room in the shot. If you don’t have a 10mm lens or something like that, you can shoot with a 16mm or 17mm lens and get the same effect.

In general, full frame cameras much more expensive than cropped frame ones, along with their accessories. For example, Nikon FX cameras are valued around 1.8x the value of DX cameras; the same comparison can be applied to a Canon DSLR camera. Lenses and other accessories are more expensive because they are considered professional cameras, not for hobbyists and amateurs.

Another good reason to pick a full frame vs a crop sensor is the opportunity to experience (and fall in love with) the 35mm film of a 35mm lens. One of the biggest aspects of digital photography that is lost is the possibility of creating background blur with ease. Putting aside depth of field technique discussions, 35mm lenses on full frame body makes it much easier. Shooting with film is a special experience in and of itself, but for photography these days, working with a quality 35mm lens paired with a full frame DSLR body is a blessing (especially if we compare it with the APS C camera counterpart).

Full Frame Camera Drawbacks

Now that we’ve covered the benefits of using a full frame camera, let’s dive into some of their drawbacks.

While there are a lot of benefits to having a full frame sensor, they don’t come cheap. If you’re looking to buy a Full Frame camera, be prepared to put a dent in your pocket. Fortunately for you, I’ve done some research and testing on just a few full frame Nikons and Canons.

When it comes to the Nikon D600 it’s the most affordable I’ve seen so far in the Nikon category. With its 24.3 megapixel CMOS FX- Format sensor and high-speed continuous shooting capturing up to 5.5 frames per second with a price tag of $832.40 on Amazon. However after taking a look and researching a few full frame Canon models. It’s safe to say that Canon Full frame models are a bit more pricey than Nikon—even its cheapest (from what I’ve seen) is a whopping $1,399. That would be the Canon 6D carrying a 20.2 megapixel CMOS Full Frame Sensor and up to 6 or more frames per second in continuous shooting.

The second drawback is lens availability. Most cropped sensor cameras will take a full frame lens, but it doesn’t work vice versa. This means that inventory for full frame lenses isn’t as large as you’d expect it to be. Therefore, you need to take this into consideration, especially if you want to jump from an entry level DSLR to a full frame camera body.

Because the full frame sensor is bigger than the cropped frame, it affects the field of view. For photographers that need more zoom, the smaller sensor is the more compatible option.

The depth of the field is kind of a negative when it comes to full frame sensors. Usually, depending on the make and model, the full frame cameras are capable of giving you as much depth of field as you want. So, even if you shoot at f/22 on full frame, the image may not be as sharp as you like, and you may have to do some focus stacking. But on a crop sensor camera, you will be able to get a lot of depth of field because the size of the sensor is so small. Everything from front to back on f/22 and sometimes even at f/32 will be extremely sharp.

Crop Sensor Camera (APS C sensor) Benefits

Crop sensors have a much larger variety of lenses that are often times smaller, making them more portable and ideal for certain types of shooting. If you’re a videographer, crop sensor sizes are the way to go, as they are much more conducive to moving images and rich videos.

Imagine that you are a travel photographer—how pricey is it going to be to be using a full frame DSLR or mirrorless camera + telephoto lens combo instead of just working with a crop-based camera and a good, professional telephoto lens?. If you are on a budget for your photography work, the answer is pretty obvious.

A lot of people want to shoot sports using crop sensor DSLR cameras (APS C sensor) because they offer more crop factor, so you get a better zoomed-in look for your image. Let’s say for instance I want to shoot a football game, and I am all the way across the field with a full frame camera and I don’t have an 800mm, $6,000 lens—it will be a lot harder to get that reach. However, on a crop sensor camera, you get more reach with half the sensor, even with a less desirable telephoto lens for your photos. The main drawback is that you will sacrifice ISO performance in the process.

Full Frame vs Crop: Which One Should I Buy?

For the average consumer with a kit lens and a consumer grade body, stick to the crop sensor cameras. They’re light and are great for capturing simple portrait photography and events. Don’t trick yourself into thinking you need a full frame camera to capture great images. The art of photography is one of skill, and cannot be purchased. Therefore If you can only afford a crop sensor. then you should purchase a crop sensor camera, as you’ll still be able to take amazing photos.

For working photographers and those entering the professional arena, I encourage you to invest in a full frame camera. The image quality and wide angle options are necessary to take professional quality photos. If you like shooting with natural light and low light settings—again, a full frame camera is better because it has more photosites and noise reduction capabilities. A lot of it depends on the camera settings, but it definitely makes an impact on low-light and night photography work.

Once you’ve chosen your camera, though, move on! Focus on mastering lighting, composition, and white balance—all of which will lead to better photos regardless of your sensor size! Remember, gear is supposed to help us, not condition the way we perform our job.

If you feel ready to take the leap towards a full frame body, then congrats as you are taking the first step into becoming a professional photographer. If not, that’s okay as well—no gear can outperform a talented photographer that knows the ins and outs of their camera well.

I hope this article has assisted you in making a choice on a camera to match your needs. Until next time, Thank you for reading!

What is a Histogram?

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

Today I want to talk about one of the most helpful features of the camera—the histogram. Don’t think I always liked histograms. When I started, I found them complicated to understand and in fact, I totally ignored them for a while. However, once I saw the point of the histogram, I started checking them on the screen of my camera every time I was taking a shot. Trust me; the time invested in understanding histograms is totally worth it. They will become one of the best tools you will have, both in the field and in post-processing.

What is a Histogram?

A histogram is a graphical representation of any type of information, it does not have to be an image. In formal terms, a histogram is a bar plot that represents the number of occurrences (y-axis) of a given event (x-axis). This could be, for instance, the number of people with a given age within a group. Imagine, for instance, a photography club where the members have different ages as follows:

20 years old: 3 members
21 years old: 1 member
22 years old: 1 member
23 years old: 4 members
24 years old: 1 member
25 years old: 6 members
26 years old: 0 members
27 years old: 2 members

A frequency histogram representing the data set above would look like the following figure.

In this sample size, you can see the age range represented on the x-axis and the number of members with a given age on the y-axis. This way of presenting the information is very simple and easy to interpret, hence the widespread use of histograms in all branches of numerical data analysis.

A histogram in photography is a graph that shows the range of tones in your photos—in other words, it tells you the frequency distribution of shades in the photo you just took. The x-axis will represent the intensity or brightness (which can go from 0 to 255 on an 8-bit image) and the y-axis will represent the number of pixels with that given brightness. In the case of a grayscale image, a single histogram contains all the information of the image, while in the case of a color image three separate histograms are needed, one for each of the basic colors.

Given an image, a histogram can be constructed, but given a histogram, an image cannot be constructed. In other words, when a histogram is created, important information is lost and thus histograms cannot be used as compressing algorithms. This is because the histogram tells us how many pixels have a given brightness level, but it does not give any information on the location of those pixels within the image.

How to Read a Histogram

So what information can we get from a histogram? This is related to a rule of thumb according to which the more spread among all values a histogram is (i.e. flat) the more balanced the image will be. Now, when applying this rule, you need to take into account what type of image you are dealing with.

Take, for instance, the following black and white image of the Charles Bridge in Prague together with the histogram (highlighted with a red rectangle) as shown in Photoshop.

There are a couple of things that we can learn from this example image. First of all, the scene looks rather dark, and that is why almost all the data point pixels are on the lower (leftmost) half of the histogram. The histogram is ordered from left to right, with the darkest value (0) on the left and the brightest one (255 when working with an 8-bit image) on the right.

In addition to this overall frequency distribution of the brightness values, it is also noticeable that there are two main peaks with a valley in between. In this particular image, the reason for these two peaks is that both the water and the bridge itself are rather dark while the rest of the buildings and the overcast sky are lighter. This means that the scene itself lacks of mid tones and hence the gap in the histogram.

If we improve the image by increasing the brightness and the contrast, we end up with a much flatter histogram that also covers a wider range of brightness values.

Now you can see how the center of the bulk of pixels moved to the right and it lies much closer to the center of the histogram. At the same time (and as a consequence of this), the image looks much more balanced than before.

If you look closely to the histogram, especially on darkest pixels, you can see that the bar graph is now much more disperse than before, with a lot of variations and low values intertwined with high values. This is actually a consequence of the algorithm used to increase the contrast in Photoshop, which is similar to a histogram equalization.

Now, what happens if your image was intended to be dark? Good photos are not necessarily those that comply with all the rules known like for instance a flat histogram, completely in-focus or well balanced in colors. After all, that is why automatic modes do not always produce the images we are looking for.

The example image below, once again from Prague, is a backlit scene that was intended to be dark in order to create a high contrast photo as a result.

Notice how the histogram shows a skewed distribution of pixels on the left side, with a relatively high peak on the far right side of the histogram chart. This is the result of having the Sun on the image, which, even though small, is very bright while the rest of the scene is underexposed to capture the silhouettes and shadows. Trying to get a flatter histogram chart with this example image would render a completely different (and unwanted) result.

Finally, in the example image below, from the Red Square in Moscow, is a much more balanced histogram chart—the vertical axis is reflected on a histogram centered at the mid tones. Even though there is a high concentration of pixels on the middle, the overall histogram shape has a normal distribution—it is symmetric and has a good coverage of all the values without getting into the extremes (under or overexposed areas). This is also a natural consequence of the scene being captured, with no strong shadows or light sources included.

Notice that even though this is a color image, the histogram chart I am showing is the luminosity one. This is because what we are interested on here is the exposure balance of the picture, so the full color histogram will not yield any useful metrics for our purposes.

How to Check the Histogram on a Camera

When capturing an image, it is useful to look at the histogram shape for a couple of reasons. First, the back screen of your camera can be brighter or darker than the average monitor. This means that you could get disappointed when you get back home and open your images with your computer. Also, if the ambient light is too strong, the contrast of the camera screen might no be good enough to distinguish whether your image is properly exposed or not. However, histograms will always be visible and, as long as you stay away from the extremes (unless that’s your intention!), once you get back home you will at least be able to do a good job with post-processing, since your image will not have completely dark or burnt out areas.

You can set your camera to show you the histogram chart on its screen each time you take a photo. This is quite handy, especially at the beginning when you are still not used to checking it and you might forget to ask for it. In my Nikon camera, in order to see the histograms in the playback, I needed to check the histogram chart in the menu of the Display mode. If you have another type of camera, have a look at the Manual and check how you can set it. It will probably be something similar to what I explained for the Nikon.

Most cameras also have the option to show you the RGB histogram. In fact, this is a group of three histograms, each one showing you the histogram of colors Red, Green and Blue. Today, I am going to focus on the general histogram chart, but I just want you to know that you have the option to use it by the 3 colors as well, should you choose to do so.

How to Check a Histogram in Lightroom

You can see the Histogram both in the Library Module and the Develop Module, but you can only really use it for the Develop Module.

So, click on Develop.

You will see it at the Top Right hand corner.

You can also access it by pressing (Ctrl+0) that’s Control + Zero, or on a Mac it will be Command + Zero.

So we could go super in depth here talking about the Histogram, but that is really not necessary to learn how to use it and get great results.

The Histogram is really just a bar graph plotting out all the pixels on your image.

In the example image below, where I have highlighted you will notice R G B with percentages on it, and you will notice how this changes as you hover over areas on your image. This is useful when you are checking areas and you think it looks a little too “Red” or whatever, and you start to change the colors up trying to balance it out to get a normal distribution, you can use these percentages as a guide for that.

You’ll understand more as I go along.

You will also notice when you hover over the Graph it is split up into 5 sections.

Blacks

Shadows

Exposure

Highlights

Whites

By clicking and holding on these individual areas you can you can then manipulate your images.

Play around with each one for a few minutes and when you are familiar, Press Ctrl Z to undo until you are back at the start.

For Photography we would mostly use the Highlights and Shadows area, we would also play around with exposure, but the first two would be our main focus so we’re not losing much detail. For example, a bright Sun or edge of a cloud may be far too bright and you’d want to bring that down just a touch.

The same goes for the opposite , like Black Wheels on a Black Car, you may want to take it back a little and show a bit more detail.

So as an example, we’ll take my starter image below.

As you can see it’s a little Dark due to the exposure, the Highlights aren’t great and it’s a little saturated with color.

To Fix this, I’m first going to Click on Highlights and slide it to the Right a little, to give a bit of life to the models.

Then I’m going to do the same with my Shadows, only this time I’m going to slide to the left a little to bring out those Darks more in the Eyes, Background and Hair.

And Finally, I’m just going to play with the Exposure a little, it’s not really necessary, but it is good to have a look and see if I can balance the image just a little and see if I can make any further improvements.

You can also play with the Blacks and The Whites too, I found that by sliding the Black area to the right it gave me a little bit more color.

Now you will notice on the histogram bar chart, there are two upward facing triangles.

When you click on them, what they indicate are the areas in my image that is absolute Black or absolute White, my whites were fine which means my Highlights are all good and the Blue Dots Highlighted in the Image above are true Black, on this occasion those true Blacks are fine, there’s no problem there. But as mentioned before, you may lose some detail in the Shadow areas, you’d then have to play with Black, sliding back and forth to try to fix it as best as you can.

In my image the Blacks are spot on, no problems with those as they’re deep in the Shadows.

To check back and forth instead of clicking on them all the time, you can press (J) to show both Whites and Blacks, Whites will be in Red and Blacks in Blue.

Getting Familiar with the Histogram

Histograms can look a bit scary at first, but once you know what to look for, they are quite friendly. The histogram is a bar graph with a horizontal axis and vertical axis which represent the shades you have in your photo. On the left edge you have the pure blacks and as you go to the right on the axis you have lighter and lighter tones until you reach to the pure white in the right edge. I have a little trick to remember where are the blacks and whites in the histogram. I always think the histogram is like “B&W photography”, black is first (in the left) and whites after them (in the right). For this trick to work you have to think from a left-to-right writing mode.

OK, so now we know what the horizontal axis means. What about the vertical axis (i.e. height of the histogram)? It tells you how much of each shade you have in the photo. The basic principle of reading the histogram chart is the same; the more data peaks you have in one area on the horizontal axis and the higher they are means that these are the tones and shades that are the most dominant in the photo.

Let’s see this in a real photo:

The histogram is a great tool for getting well-exposed images. A general rule of thumb is to have the histogram chart stretched all over the horizontal axis and avoiding having a skewed distribution (spikes) at the extreme left and/or right of the axis.

A photo with too many peaks in the blacks means that it is too dark or underexposed. To correct the exposure, you will need to increase the light of your image by, for example, using a wider aperture or increasing the ISO.

On the other hand, if the photo has a lot of high peaks in the white, it means that it is overexposed or even burnt. This time, to correct the exposure, you will need to decrease the light of your image by, for example, using a smaller aperture or a lower ISO.

Now you know! If you see that your histogram is too much in the blacks or in the whites, this means that you MIGHT need to correct the exposure of the image. Notice that I said MIGHT. Why? Because photography is a creative craft, so it might just happen that having an underexposed or overexposed photo is exactly what you are aiming for. You need to think what do you need in your final image and then see if the histogram you have matches what you are looking for. I will show you with a little game!

Let’s play the histogram game!

I am going to show you a histogram and you need to make an observation to decide which kind of photo might correspond to it. Spoiler alert! Don’t scroll down too far or you will see the answer! Let’s see the first one:

Histogram 1

Options:

A boiled egg on a white table
A night photography of a street event
A chess board
A multi-color chicken

Solution: Number 2! In night photography you will get histograms with a lot of peaks in the blacks area. But this is normal because night is dark and black is what we expect to find in the frame.

Histogram 2

Options:

A boiled egg on a white plate
A beach at night
A chess board
A gray cat on a brown sofa

Solution: Number 1! We got a histogram with a lot of whites because the image is mostly white!

Histogram 3

Options:

A polar bear in the snow
A groom in black sitting in a black car
A multicolor bouquet of flowers
Eggs in a white plate on a black table

Solution: Number 4! Here the histogram shows peaks in both blacks and whites and almost no middle tones because the photo has high contrast: white and black are the main colors.

Histogram 4

A cat in the middle of the night
A bride in the snow
A colorful house with a sunburst
A colorful patchwork blanket

Solution: Number 3! The beautiful Gaudi House and the most part of the photo is well exposed, so the histogram has a lot of middle tones. However, the sun-star makes the whites in the histogram quite high. Exactly what I wanted!

What do you think about histograms now? Still scary? I hope not! It takes a bit of practice to get used to them, but believe me, it is totally worth it! A basic histogram can be very useful, but you need to get used to the particularities of each image in order to correctly read it. Something similar goes with post-processing. No matter how bright or dark your monitor is, looking at the cumulative histogram will always give you an objective assessment of the exposure of your final image. This way you will avoid the problem of publishing a photo that looks too dark or too bright in other people’s monitors.

Grab your camera and tell me how it goes! Have a happy shooting!

How To Sell Your Fine Art Photography

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Alice Zilberberg

I’ve been selling my fine art photography prints for a few years. The first few of which were spent experimenting, looking to see what works and what doesn’t. Lucky for you, I bring you the ins and outs of the where and how so you can get directly to work!

Is your work sellable? Finding your market

Before even looking to sell, ask yourself: “Is my work even marketable?” Whether you shoot landscape photography, professional nude photography, or make surreal photo manipulations, it’s always healthy to be aware of the demand. Even if your work is marketable, finding the right clientele might take some time. You could start off by making a small batch of prints. Then asking those around you if this is something they would want to put on their wall. Consider offering them at low prices, or even give a few away to those who are interested. Your mom will always love your work, now it’s time to make personal connections with experts like gallery owners and art buyers. When I say personal connections, I mean to meet them in person. These people are too busy to take cold calls from a stranger. Ask them if they know of the right platforms for your work. Remember that not all art types will have a same marketing strategy.

Sell your photography online

Selling prints online are becoming more and more common. The advantage to this is that you can sell artwork directly from your studio. One obvious element to selling more work is to get more people to visit your website. Consider getting your work on other art related websites with a link to your own website. This could increase traffic to your website.

Automated Online Stores

There are websites you can upload your prints to that do most of the work for you. Customers can buy prints, and products made automatically from the uploaded artwork in the form of mugs, t-shirts, laptop and cell phone skins, clothing and so on. This can be a great source of passive income. A percentage of sales is paid to the artist automatically once products are sold. The disadvantage is that these sites typically sell open edition prints at cheaper costs, decreasing the value of your photography. The percentage the artist makes this way is much smaller than selling independently (around 10%) so even if your products sell in large quantities, you’re not making millions here. My recommendation is to create or choose work from your inventory especially for these websites in addition to your limited edition prints which you can sell using other platforms.

Some examples of automated art print stores are Curioos, Society 6, Zazzle, Red Bubble, Cafe Press, Threadless, iCanvas, Eye Buy Art, 500px, and Art of Where.

Curioos

Curioos specializes in producing gallery-quality prints designed by graphic artists. A quick glance at their selection of wall art will show you a range of styles that would fit very well in a Bohemian gallery in SoHo. Shoppers can choose from canvas, aluminum, acrylic glass, and even aluminum disks, integrating unique and stylish textures with grassroots artistic expression.

Curioos also makes it very easy to browse through artistic themes and genres that you like, with an alphabetical sidebar menu ranging from abstract to vintage and everything in-between. For artists and photographers, it just takes a few minutes to set up a free and mobile friendly shop.

Society 6

Society6 is one of the names in the print on demand marketplace that has been established for years. Artists and photographers will be amazed by the wide range of different products on which their design can be printed, from furniture to laptop cases to throw pillows to rugs.

One of the best features of Society 6 is that artists can choose the markup, allowing them to balance out pricing with royalties in order to maximize sales and profit. On the homepage Society 6 features some of their favorite artists, which of course can bring additional traffic to their shops. Setting up a free online store just takes a few minutes. Artists should keep in mind that different items have different file requirements in terms of quality and size for uploading.

Zazzle

Zazzle has also been around for a number of years and has a slightly different business model than many custom printing shops. Zazzle will pair artists with independent manufacturers. Another great thing about Zazzle is that they have partnered with many large companies in entertainment and media along with sports teams to create collections that vendors can also sell, such as Disney (however, there are specific rules you have to follow if you’re selling this merchandise).

Of course, if you’re mainly interested in selling your own art or photography, there are dozens of different products. Zazzle claims that there are over 300 million different unique products on their site.

Red Bubble

RedBubble is a publicly traded Australian company. Some of the artists on there have sold parody material with envelope pushing content, leading to a somewhat edgy reputation in the past. But RedBubble has certainly moved on from that controversy and become a venue where artists can sell their art around the world.

There are 70 different products from shirts to mugs, allowing artists and photographers to put their creativity out there in a way that appeals to almost any online shopper. Shoppers can also filter art by category, price, and medium, which can make it easier for potential customers to find your work.

Cafe Press

CafePress is America’s largest customized product marketplace. Founded in the San Francisco Bay Area (like many other tech companies) it has since moved its headquarters to Kentucky, and become highly rated in the world of ecommerce vendors selling their own merchandise.

For graphic designers who are not so savvy with their own software, CafePress has a tool that can help layout designs for the variety of products they offer. Although artists can set up their own shops, CafePress also partners with retailers like Urban Outfitters, which can bring some foot traffic to your own offering of printed fine art.

Threadless

While many artists and photographers who view their work as falling into the fine art category would like to focus on prints, they should not overlook the market value of selling their creativity on wearable products!

Threadless is probably the best venue for selling apparel. The prices are good and the selection is very broad, with dozens of different shirts, sweatshirts, and other types of clothing that come in a variety of colors and fabrics. Threadless also has periodic contests, and also allows artists to submit work for Threadless to sell as featured designs. Threadless also doubles as a sort of social media platform where other creators can become potential buyers, if you like their products and follow their store.

iCanvas

iCanvas is the best place to buy art prints and works on canvas. While a number of automated art print stores sell a variety of products, and some even focus on other types of products like home decor and apparel, iCanvas is truly dedicated to two-dimensional displays of your best work. Customers can enjoy a very easy shopping experience, browsing by topics, themes, and genres like pop culture, motivational art, and scenic landscapes. Another great benefit for customers and for those looking to start a photography business is that shipping is free, making a purchase more enticing.

Eye Buy Art

With a name that has such an avant garde spelling, you can be sure that Eye Buy Art is the venue into which you will want to put your photography and artwork if you want to build a reputation as an artist. Unlike some of the other venues listed above, you Eye Buy Art is not a dropshipping or print on demand type venue selling a variety of products. This is, rather, a true distributor of fine art from both up and coming and established artists.

Eye Buy Art has been featured in PopSugar, Architectural Digest, Fashion, and InStyle, in addition to other industry publications in the art and design space. Marketing fine art photography can be a challenge for some creative spirits, so a venue like Eye Buy Art as an established name in the fine art photography space can go a long way toward getting your fine art photos out there.

500px

500px is a venue for stock imagery, which may not strike you as appealing as putting your photography or artwork onto a print or canvas or merchandise – but in many ways, is an even better way to get exposure and monetize your work. One of the struggles of freelance photography is the fact that sometimes your hard work can be appropriated by website builders and bloggers without your approval. Putting your images on a venue like 500px can watermark them so that anyone using them will have to pay, which means you collect royalties. You can also build up a reputation in stock photography via commercial licensing.

Art of Where

Art of Where may not be the best place for selling stunning landscapes or nude photography, but it’s a great venue for monetizing photos turned into patterns via lots of consumer friendly products…shirts, backpacks, and masks, for example. Art of Where integrates with Etsy, Shopify, Squarespace, WooCommerce, and other online ecommerce platform options. It also facilitates the creation of customized shipping labels, allowing you to create an immersive purchasing experience. Turning your photography into a print pattern or something fitting for home decor might be a little out of the box for you, but ultimately you could find it very rewarding creatively and financially.

Limited Edition and Online Art Stores

Unlike the stores above, these are stores that sell limited edition prints, typically at a higher price point. The sales are often handled by the artist, meaning that when an item is sold, you are is responsible for printing, framing, packing, sending, and handling client requests. You can set your own pricing, edition number, and keep a larger percentage of the sales.

Some examples of Limited Edition print websites are Etsy, Saatchi Art, 20 x 200, and Art Fido.

Etsy

Etsy is the name in art online. It’s a sort of art fair and art show combined, where everything from digital art to homemade crafts is available to a potential collector. Artistic photography certainly falls into the categories of items sold on Etsy. Etsy does not do any printing or fulfillment for you, so if you are turning your fine art photographs into something like framed prints or a gift card set, you will have to manage that yourself. However, Etsy does integrate with some sites that can take your photo prints and put them on merchandise or a fine art print, the most popular one perhaps being Printful.

In terms of selling fine art photography, Etsy can also be a very useful tool because it’s one of the largest and most popular marketplaces for art. Because it’s not a print on demand venue you can sell specialty items like a limited edition print that you sign and ship. Another great thing about Etsy for fine art photographs is that reviews are applied to your entire store and displayed by every product, making it much easier to accumulate a positive look for your beautiful fine art photography.

Saatchi Art

Saatchi art is a sort of combination of the fulfilled-for-you platforms and the curated online art exhibits. The look of the site is very much like Fine Art America (another venue for purchasing established pieces of artwork by famous artists) but it’s free for anyone to sign up and collect 65% royalties on each and every fine art photograph or piece of art you sell.

If you are doing fashion photography, nature photography, or street photography, for instance, this can be a great venue to display your work in a context that positions them as a fine art photography print. This is because the layout and look of Saatchi is much less geared toward merchandise seeking consumers or those looking for commercial photography, and more towards those looking to engage in the purchase of art or art photography.

20 x 200

The minimalist look of 20 x 200 makes it clear to browsers from the get-go that they are engaged with a curated collection of a particular aesthetic…modern, sleek, simple, and possessing a touch of the Bohemian.

At the time of this article, a fine art photographer or artist might be disappointed to learn that the website is not currently accepting submissions, but it would not be a bad idea to periodically reach out and see when they are.

Art Fido

Art Fido is more than a place to buy or sell fine art photography online. You can buy and sell artwork by communicating in the forums. Often, the transactions are auction-style. It is actually also a sort of curated museum space with articles and interviews and engaging content about the world of contemporary art and photography, and the artists and photographers who make it. It’s also very much a sort of social media posting and blogging space for creators, which can translate into building a following through the greater community of artists and photographers. Art Fido is less about making direct sales and more about marketing fine art photography.

Your website

You should always have the option for clients to purchase from your website. There are many website templates that allow you to build an online store, like the Squarespace E-commerce store which looks great and is easy to set up. Whether you choose to have an online store page or a contact page about prints depends on what works for you and your photography. It should be clear to your customers that the photography on your website is for sale.

Sell your photography at Art Exhibitions

Art Fairs

One of the best ways to sell your work is through different Art Fairs. You can start locally and perhaps expand internationally if and when you see there’s a demand for your work. Art Fairs are different than gallery exhibitions because they are typically a few days long, have more traffic, and are held at a large public space like a square or a convention center. There are Art Fairs exclusively for galleries, and others dedicated to individual artists. The summer season has the largest amount of outdoor art fairs for individual artists, and the outdoor shows are typically cheaper to sign on to than indoor ones. One advantage to Art Fairs is that after paying the booth fees, 100% of the sales go to the artist. These shows could be attended by just about anyone: art buyers, gallerists, artists, and much more. This makes Art Fairs a great way to get connected to people in the art scene. You never know who is going to walk into your booth. Furthermore, longevity pays off in this situation. Showing up year after year can help legitimize your work, showing buyers that you are consistently making art and that purchasing from you is a good investment.

I strongly recommend researching Art Fairs in your city and even contacting participating artists who have similar work to yours, asking about their experience.

Commercial fine art Galleries

Commercial gallery representation is often the first thing artists think about. Finding a commercial gallery can be a long process, and there are many things to consider before signing a contract. Having a source that sells your art for you is certainly an advantage. The gallery could an increase the exposure to your work by showcasing it in auctions and Art Fairs for galleries. However, galleries take a large percentage (typically 50%) of the sales. With additional costs like printing and framing, this leaves the artists with even less at the end. This model can work if the gallery sells a large volume of work. Some galleries have exclusive contracts, meaning that clients can only purchase work from them and not from the artist directly. Non-exclusive contracts allow artists to continue selling work independently or through other galleries in addition to the work sold at the gallery.

Choosing a gallery is a completely individual process and can take some trial and error. Remember that reading the fine print, keeping control over sales, and understanding legal issues are your responsibilities when partnering with a gallery.

Individual art dealers

Aside from galleries who have a physical gallery space, there are also individual dealers who may represent your work and put you in different spaces like group shows. They may also sell to clients of their own. Sometimes they take a smaller percentage of the sales than commercial galleries do.

art gallery — Alice Zilberberg Photography

Auctions

Auction houses and charitable auctions are a good thing to try. Some ask artists to donate a piece of art, or take a percentage of the sale. An advantage of auctions for photographers is that if your print sells, the losing bidder might come directly to you to purchase the next available print in the limited edition for that piece.

Think Outside the box

You’re not confined to the platforms above. Be innovative! think of other ways to sell your work. Is your work tied to women’s issues? Maybe you can contact a women’s hospital to see if they’re interested in buying your work for their space. Do you shoot travel photography? Maybe a travel related company is interested.

How to Become a Freelance Photographer

Posted on August 11, 2022 by Alice Zilberberg

Becoming a freelance photographer can be a rough road when you’re first starting out, but it can also turn into an amazing freelance photography career, if you put in the work. In this article, we’ll give you tips to make your freelancing endeavors successful, discuss some of the the pros and cons of becoming a freelance photographer, and talk about the common mistakes people make when they first get started.

5 Tips for Becoming a Freelance Photographer

Create and Use Mailing Lists

Before I sold fine art prints, I used to sell hair straighteners at trade shows. I was really good at it, and I sold a lot . When my customers walked away from me after their purchase, I hoped to never see them again because if I did, it usually meant they wanted to return it or yell at me.

When I first started selling my art, I didn’t keep in touch with my clients. I quickly realized that I didn’t know who my clients were, which meant I didn’t know how to get in touch with them about shows they might be interested in going to, or new work they might be interested in purchasing or sharing with others.

Make sure to keep your client’s information and start a mailing list right away. Even if you don’t send out your first email until you have enough content, make sure to keep a list of the people who are interested in your freelance photography work. Previous and current clients should be included on your list, as well as people you have personally engaged with and who have expressed interest in what you are doing. Don’t spam people you don’t know.

When everyone is constantly being bombarded with information from social media, so catching someone’s attention is difficult. Email inboxes are a great place to catch a customer’s attention because they are checked regularly, and often have very high user engagement. This makes mailing lists mandatory to keep in touch with clients about news, promotions, and events.

Create Different Sources of Income

When I first started selling fine-art prints, I thought I needed to focus only on selling prints at high prices, and that it would be sufficient to only sell artwork only through galleries. This greatly restricted the volume of people who could purchase my work, and it came with a big pay cut as well.

I decided something needed to change. After creating a few prints at a lower cost and selling them anywhere I could, I saw that all kinds of people could access my freelance photography work, not only top shelf art collectors. I continued to look for all kinds of ways to apply my photography skills and formulated many sources of income.

There are more avenues of revenue then you may think. Don’t be fixated on the one type of income, one type of client, or even one type of style of work. Brainstorm all kinds of ways to use your photography services, skills, and products to create your overall freelance photographer salary.

For example, if you know a lot of Adobe Photoshop, you could create Adobe Photoshop tutorials and sell them online. If you know a lot about photography, maybe you can write an e-book about how to get started. You might also explore selling photos on stock photography websites. Once you have a few streams of income, you can start choosing what you want to focus on, and even what you can automate.

Never Stop Learning

Technology is changing and improving faster than ever. It’s important to remember that the market changes with technology too.

Moving images might be on their way to replace still ones, for example. If you’re a professional freelance photographer, that might mean you need to learn videography to keep up with what clients need. If you don’t do this, a potential client might pick someone else for the job. Pay attention to what’s changing and constantly pick up new photography skills in your trade.

Don’t Work for Free, Unless It’s Strategic

There’s a lot of content on the internet about how you should never work for free or at a lower cost than industry standards. Doing work for free is not a terrible thing—if you do it strategically. You can trade free work for something of value. Ask your client to refer you to three people after you’ve done the job for them. They can also write a testimonial for you to include on your website or LinkedIn profile. Make sure to treat free work as if you are getting paid, and do the best job you can.

Keep in mind that people will think that the way you do unpaid work represents the way you do a paid job.

Another thing you can do is trade services. I started trading photography services with other artists when we can both benefit from each other’s help. I recently did a headshot for a writer who, in exchange for the shoot, helped me write a grant proposal. I’ve also asked someone who specialized in graphic design to create a logo for me in exchange for a print.

Freelancing is Not for Everyone

Make sure that you get familiar with the freelance lifestyle and are okay with it. Doing different jobs for different clients could mean getting calls to do freelance work the next day or even on the same day. It could mean having extremely long hours with little sleep. It could mean prolonged periods without a single freelance job. Your lifestyle might even affect your relationships.

Freelancing is a very entrepreneurial endeavor that usually works for someone who is self-motivated and is a self-starter and doesn’t need a boss to get work done. There are a lot of pros and cons to weigh when it comes to deciding to go freelance, so make sure it suits you and how you operate.

The Pros and Cons of Being a Freelance Photographer

As mentioned, freelance photography isn’t for everyone. As many pros as there are, there are a few cons as well. Here are just a few:

Con: Being Exploited

When it comes to being a photographer or videographer of any sort, being exploited usually follows. This happens when you’re talented and can produce quality work, but others seek to reap the benefit of that due to a friendship.

I found this happening a little too often when I was a beginner in photography, and started to share my work with friends and family. I was then asked to carry my camera when going to meet up with them, and eventually asked to take “some shots” at some point. This became very annoying, as I was not always in the mood or frame of mind to shoot, but at the time I did not want to come off as mean or disrespectful to my friends or family.

Eventually, I got frustrated enough to let it be known that I will not be capturing any picture or content unless I willingly want to do it or am being compensated. If you value your work and yourself, you should demand that same respect from others as well.

This exploitation often doesn’t only come from friends, but also companies and clients. Most photographers and videographer creating their prices and package deals around the duration it will take to complete photography jobs. I’ve experienced times where a client would make a one-hour booking, claiming to only shoot “a few things,” and then I end up doing a three to four hour session that was not planned. These clients either expect to pay the same price or ask for a discounted price when they gave you more work than you signed up for. This is probably one of the most annoying things when it comes to freelance photography.

Con: Payment Issues

With freelance photography, there are often issues with payment. You will meet or interact with client or companies who don’t respect you enough as a freelance photography business owner or a creative to pay the fee for your services. Most of them will even hesitate to pay a booking fee, much less full prices.

This not only indicates a sense of disrespect, but also creates room for tension and awkwardness when you should be paid what you’re owed or what your work is valued. You will soon find yourself often having to explain the breakdown of your prices to some clients, which will become annoying over a certain period of time.

Con: Rushed Editing

I believe this is very common among all photographers, but in the freelance world, it’s very stressful. As a freelance photographer, you encounter many clients who just don’t understand the process of editing and how it works. Clients can sometimes be annoying once you’ve completed a session and have been paid in full. You end up getting emails, messages or phone calls just a day or two after you’ve completed a session, asking if the images are ready. This then puts pressure on you to edit as fast as possible to meet the unrealistic demands of your clients.

I encourage freelance photographers to create a disclaimer with a reasonable turnover time of images before accepting or beginning photography jobs.

Pro: Flexible Hours

No boss or supervisor can give you the freedom to work whenever you want. This is one of the biggest perks of being a freelance photographer and videographer. Being able to set your hours and work in your spare time can afford you many things.

The freedom to travel or even work on the move is an option without any consequences to you. You also have the freedom of working wherever you’re comfortable. So, as a freelance photographer if you’ve completed a photography session a day ago, you’re not obligated to stay home in your workspace and edit if you don’t want to.

Pro: Potential

In the world of freelance photography, you have the potential to make at least 45 percent more income than the regular working individual. I have personally experienced this when I asked a few close friends and family members what their monthly income was, and to my surprise, I couldn’t believe it. I was able to make at least twice the monthly salary of a regular 9-5 worker in the space of doing just a few photography sessions. This helped me understand that time is definitely money.

Pro: Endless Possibilities

Anything can happen when you’re a freelance photographer, so the opportunities are endless. As a freelance photographer, I believe you get back as much as you put into your career. For example, if you don’t try to network and expand your reach to companies and new clients, then you can only make so much income and no more. You control your destiny, and as cliche as it might sound, it is a fact.

In this day and age, having a 9-5 is a prison that many people aspire to escape. You find there are more and more individuals who turn to starting their own business venture or company rather than working for someone else. I can’t say I disagree with this, as I am one of those people as well. I have always had the stern belief that it’s important to get working on your own dreams before someone hires you to work on theirs. Being a freelance photographer is probably one of the best and scary decisions I ever made.

Challenges Faced as a Freelance Photographer and How To Overcome Them

Like everything in this world, being a freelance photographer has its challenges that you will eventually face, but you will also eventually overcome them as well. These challenges can include:

Working Alone

When you become a freelance photographer or videographer, sometimes you turn into an introvert. You’re often glued to your workspace, perfecting your images or videos, and probably only leave your desk for a few things, like eating and bathing. You really start to become someone who is not as sociable as you would hope to be.

After awhile, I started to notice that being an introvert had an effect not only on my social life, but also with my relationship with others as well. I often found myself ignoring those who were trying to invite me to places to be social, just because I didn’t want to use my energy to entertain conversations and would rather work on my craft.

I was forced to come out of this stage because not only was it damaging my relationships with others, but it was also affecting my networking skills. To overcome this, I began to host editing parties where I would invite a few photographers and videographers to my house and we would all help each other and give feedback on our individual projects. This helped me see things from a different perspective and it became refreshing way to interact with others who were as creative as I am.

Inconsistent Income

This has to be one of the most difficult challenges I faced as a freelance photographer. Once you become a freelance photographer or videographer, it’s hard to know how much money you should charge. This is determined by the consistency of work or projects received from clients, as well as the number of clients you have.

Once you’ve established a pattern that has remained consistent for a certain period of time, then you can estimate a minimum freelance photographer salary. Inconsistent income as a freelancer made it difficult to make certain financial plans because there’s no telling if you will have the same or less income the following month. Overcoming this took a little time, but the solution became very simple: I began to put my commercial photography clients and product photography clients on a monthly retainer.

This gave them the freedom to book a certain numbers of hours per month at a set cost with the assurance that they will get their project done in a timely manner. Doing this to most of my corporate clients gave me a sense of comfort knowing that these contracts are almost always in place, and there is a set amount of income that will be made on a monthly basis.

Always Hustle

As freelancers, you’re always hustling and trying to recruit new clients. You should always be prepared to pitch an idea to sell yourself on the spot to someone who could potentially become a client. However, this can be exhausting because you start to feel like you’re working around the clock. This helps you understand and appreciate what people mean when they say “the hustle never stops”. To overcome this, I started to pace myself and try not to do too much to the point where I’m becoming unhappy or annoyed with the choices I’ve made.

With the understanding that time is money as a freelancer, you should always try to do as much as you can in the time that you have, otherwise, you risk forcing yourself into doing a project without passion and just for money. At that point, you’re no longer doing it because you have a passion for it or love it, but more so to get some bills paid.

Distractions

I am probably still a huge victim of this one. As a freelancer, you’re your own boss, which means you set your own work hours and your own rules. However, some of us are not always as disciplined as we would hope to be, so we end up doing a thousand other things and get distracted from doing the job or project we are getting paid to do.

At this point, you begin to appreciate people who have supervisors to help keep them in line. There were often times where I had a vast amount of projects to get done, but then I decided to give in to laziness and sleep the whole day and do nothing. If I’m being completely honest, this still happens on my worst days.

To overcome this, I started to invest my time into a daily schedule. I made it my duty to remind myself each day as to what my dreams are, telling myself that if I want to get there, then I can’t keep sleeping or getting distracted by things that are not in line with what I am trying to accomplish. Once this is done, you will find yourself a lot more focused and driven, even on your lazy days, because your goals and dreams become all you need to get going.

Top 4 Mistakes Freelance Photographers Make

Everybody makes mistakes, but that doesn’t mean we have to make the same mistakes. Sharing our experiences and learning from one another is one of the best ways to evolve quickly. When we end up in tricky situations, we’ll know what to do based on the wisdom that was passed down to us from a professional photographer. And when we experience epic failures of our own, we’ll have the opportunity to stop others from repeating our mistakes.

Giving Different Models the Same Posing Instructions

During one of my first portrait photoshoots, I remember giving my model very specific posing tips. These poses looked incredible on my other subjects, so I assumed they’d look just as flattering when my model tried them out. They didn’t, which confused me and made her feel uncomfortable. Yikes!

Fortunately, we found a solution that I still use to this day: get to know your model’s preferences and best angles before you give them instructions. This leads me to my next mistake…

Not Meeting Models and Clients Before a Shoot

Though many of my models and clients are my friends, some are acquaintances whose life stories I am completely unaware of. There have been times where I immediately started taking photos of models, which led to a lot of miscommunication. Not knowing what my subjects wanted created a large void in my creative work. Get to know your subjects before your shoot. This can be as simple as taking a walk, having coffee, or Skyping together. This is especially crucial when you specialize in wedding photography, portrait photography, or fashion photography.

Make sure you let your client express their opinions. They shouldn’t feel like inanimate objects when they’re in front of your camera. By giving them the opportunity to use their voice, you’ll be able to use your creativity more efficiently. You might also learn new things thanks to their input.

Being Embarrassed by How Much I Charged

I was very young when I started taking photos. All the photographers I looked up to were professionals who charged hundreds of dollars for a single photo shoot. I was afraid that the amount I charged would be criticized because of my age, experience, and equipment. Fueled by those fears, I lowered my prices significantly. This stopped me from fully enjoying my shoots.

If you believe that what you’re charging is fair, don’t be embarrassed by it. Your time is valuable. Your willingness to photograph other people’s beauty is admirable. Don’t forget that.

Assuming It Was Too Late to Start Learning

This is a mistake that I’ve been making for many years. Once I got to a point where I felt comfortable with my skills, I stopped learning about other photography genres. I started focusing on portrait photography only. When I started to develop an interest in other genres (travel photography and fashion photography, for instance), I was afraid it was too late to learn anything. This prevented my work from growing as much as it deserved to.

Regardless of your experience, always consider yourself a student. Don’t be afraid of learning new things, experimenting with new genres, and just being a beginner. Everything you learn will open new doors for you.

Instead of regretting your failures, let them help you improve as a photographer. Learn from them, learn from others, and share your knowledge with the artists around you. This way, we can all move forward together.

“If you want to grow, you need to get over any fear you may have of making mistakes.”
– John C. Maxwell

How to Create Panorama in Lightroom CC

Posted on June 6, 2022 by Luiz Kim

Have you ever desired to take a panoramic photograph and your camera doesn’t have the panorama feature? Do you want to do panoramas without switching to Photoshop or other specialized software? Have you forgotten to take your wide angle lens with you on your vacation? Do not give up on the amazing scenery that is in front of you. Following this tutorial, all you will have to do is photograph some parts of the scene and the software will process your images to produce a panoramic image within Lightroom CC (2015).For those who are not familiar with Panoramic Photography, it is a technique of photography that captures a series of images using a photographic camera and aligns them all together, to make a single photograph with a wider aspect ratio than a commonly used photograph.

Before Lightroom CC (2015) came out, in order to stitch together multiple images, you needed to switch between Photoshop or use other specialized software. Even though there are some cameras that have the panorama feature built into them, but most professional DSLR cameras do not.

Recently, after the latest update, you can create your panorama images inside Lightroom CC itself. The best part is that after the software process all the images, it will create a brand new seamlessly stitched RAW file from the images without rendering the images in pixels, with this new raw file, you will be able to retouch the panorama preset in Lightroom as you would any other image. So, you have to know first how to install Lightroom preset and once it has been installed, you can now create your panorama images inside the Lightroom CC.

Panorama is a feature that has been missing for a long time in the software. In order to create breathtaking panoramas, just follow the simple steps below.

Step 1 – Take multiple shots with your camera

With your digital camera take multiple pictures from left to right or from bottom to top, depending on the scenery you have chosen.
After the first shot is taken, while shooting the subsequent photos, make sure to get a little bit of the scene of the previous image so that Lightroom has data to render them together.
If you are using a DSLR or a camera that can manually change its settings, do not change the aperture of the camera. For example, if you use an aperture opening of F11 make sure you use it in every single shot.
I did not use a tripod to shot the images used in this tutorial, although it is not crucial, the use of a tripod is recommended.

Step 2- Import your images into Lightroom

Import the images that you have photographed.

File/Import Photos and Video

Step 3 – Select the images

Select all the images that will be used. Shift+click the first image and click on the last image in order to select all the images.

If your images are not in sequence, (cmd+click on the mac or ctrl+click on the PC) on each image to select them.

There is no need to adjust your images on the Develop Module at this stage. We will do it afterward, on the final image.

Step 4 – Merge the images

After selecting the images, go ahead and merge them together.

Photo / Photo Merge / Panorama (cmd+M on the Mac or ctrl+M on the PC)

Panorama Merge Preview box will appear.

Auto Select Projection: Lightroom will choose automatically which projection fits better.
Spherical: The images will be aligned and transformed as they were inside a sphere. Best for wider or multi row panoramas.
Perspective: The images will be aligned and transformed as they were mapped to a flat dimension. Best for architectural photography.
Cylindrical: The images will be aligned and transformed as they were inside a cylinder. Best for wide panoramas, but with straight lines.
Auto Crop: The white edges will automatically be cropped. You can also crop it later on even crop it inside Photoshop, that way you can recover these white areas.

click Merge after the best settings are chosen.

After that, Lightroom will render all the images together. Depending on your machine it may take some time to do the renderings.

Step 5 – Adjust the final stitched image

The neat thing is that Lightroom creates a brand new RAW file, that means that you will end up with the maximum capability to edit your image.

Select the new file and adjust it on the Develop Module as you would normally do in any other image.

In the end, you will end up with a nice panoramic picture. So, did you enjoy our tutorial? You may want to check on other tutorials such as How to Correct White Balance in Photoshop and let me know if you find it helpful.

You can watch this helpful video to learn how to make a panorama photo in Adobe Lightroom. This feature has been there for quite a while much like the HDR feature and they were kind of added at the same time. The feature is super easy and does a very good job of stitching together all the images no matter how many you have.

As we begin, you can see that we have eight images at the bottom which I took. These are almost 180 panorama and this was handheld since I did not have a tripod with me. As such, it’ll take a little bit more work for the program to go ahead and stitch them together. This is also a very tricky scene since as I was taking the image, the waves were constantly moving so it’ll also stitch those as well.

To get the panorama, I will highlight on all the images, right click on them, and then choose “Photo Merge” and then Panorama. This gives us a final rendering for the preview and it is clear that this is a little bit low quality and this is just to give Lightroom a little bit easier time to mess with it since it has many pixels to play with especially with eight photos.

We have several projection options to work with including spherical, cylindrical and perspective. The spherical was great for a wide panorama especially that transitions into objects that are kind of in the frame and so it’ll be the best one for the image we have because of the sphere that we have on the bridge. Cylindrical is kind of has the same effects as spherical but does a better job in making vertical line stay straight. However, we are interested more in the horizontal lines than in the horizon of the image, as this makes spherical much better. On the other hand, perspective is mainly suitable for real estate and architectural stuff as it seeks to do a lot of distortion.

We will, therefore, stick with the spherical projection. We have a couple of features such as auto crop which takes away the white space and kind of automatically crops it in so you don’t have to do it later. We also have boundary warp which is a new feature in Lightroom and kinds of take all the white features and stretches the image to try and fill out spaces in the image. We will use the boundary warp and increase the cover size to 100 and this fills in space very easily thus giving us an image that is perfectly fitting in the available space. We can opt to reduce the numbers and then do some cropping but this will mean going back into Photoshop to try and fill in the spaces.

With all the white spaces filled, we will click “Merge” and wait for the program to put all the images together. Once done, we will have an extra image on top of our initial eight. This is the panorama image which looks great and everything is stitched together perfectly.

The next step will be to fix some of the distortions which arise when we shoot panorama images especially if you have them handheld. To fix some of these distortions we will go to Lens Collection and enable for Profile Collection and then go to Transform and try auto to see whether it’ll collect things for us. However, this only does some minimal collections and therefore we will need to play around with the distortion. We will, therefore, go back to Lens Collection and try playing around with the distortion so as to get some straight line. We will need to change things such as scale, aspect, and the rest until we get the best results possible.

This done, we can go ahead and do the fun bit of changing the effects including the shadows, highlights, vibrancy, clarity and temperature to make it look like a sunrise. Once this is done, we will have our panorama image which includes all the eight images combined into a single image. If we want a large image, we will have a lot of data to play with. We can even crop this image to make it narrow one or crop parts of it to make different size photo print if we want to. All these will come out looking perfect since we have all the data to play with which is a combination of the eight images we had. This is the beauty of making panorama images since you have different cropping aspects and know that your image will come out very clear because of the data you have.

You can check more of our Lightroom tutorials as well as Lightroom Presets and Photoshop Actions to help you do your post-processing edits in an easy and remarkable way.

Gift Ideas For The Photographer In Your Life

Posted on January 13, 2019 by Graham Daly

We have just past that time of year where many people across the world celebrate Christmas. Families, friends and loved ones often exchange gifts. But now is the best time to start planning for next Christmas, right? In today’s digital age, chances are that at there is a photography lover within your family or your circle of friends. Or perhaps maybe you are in a relationship with a photographer. But what can you gift to a photographer? Are you struggling to think of gift ideas for the photographer in your life? Well no need to worry, because below are some gift ideas for you to ponder about and consider as potential gifts for that special photographer in your life.

Gift Idea – Tripod

I consider a Tripod to be a fundamental part of any photographers kit bag. It can be surprising how many people attend my photography Workshop/Training who do not have a tripod. A tripod is very useful for capturing sharp and crisp images in various shooting scenarios. But it is especially vital when shooting Product Photography, shooting in low-light or shooting long exposure landscape imagery. A tripod helps to keep the camera from moving which in turn avoids any blur or camera-shake during the exposure.

There are various models of tripods available out there. Smaller and lighter models suited towards traveling or shooting indoors. And then there are the heavier and more sturdy models which are very much needed for shooting outdoors in more adverse weather conditions. Also tripods typically can consist of either two primary materials. These are Aluminum or Carbon Fibre. The former is normally cheaper but heavier. Whereas the latter is more expensive but also lighter. If the photographer in questions shoots a lot of seascapes or spends a lot of their time by the sea, then I would recommend going with the Carbon Fibre options. Carbon Fibre is more durable and resistant against the corrosive effects of salt water. You can get cheap tripods but I would always spending a bit of money and invest in a good one.

Gift Idea – Camera Strap

Photographers who are constantly on the move and shooting subjects with their camera in hand, then a strap of some sort would be beneficial. You can opt for a strap that wraps around the neck or one that wraps around the wrist. I think the wrist straps are certainly very useful for smaller cameras. But I would opt for a neck strap for bigger camera and lens setups. The straps themselves can come in various materials. Leather ones can look rather nice. But I would recommend straps consisting of a Neoprene material. The flexibility of Neoprene will ensure that the strap does not cut into your neck when attached to a heavy camera setup.

Gift Idea – Fairy Lights

These small light bulbs held together in a string like fashion are a great lighting accessory for any photographer to have in their arsenal. They can come in various lengths and colours. The string like nature of Fairy Lights provides great flexibility with regards to their usage. Photographers can use them as blurred (bokeh) foreground or background details within their Product, Lifestyle, Still Life or Portrait style images. They can really add interest to Still Life and Portrait shoots by wrapping them around objects or even your models.

Gift Idea – Magazine Subscription

The internet is great for photographers these days. Plenty of video tutorials and blog content available for free, just like here on the Sleeklens Blog. However us photographers still like holding and reading through traditional photography magazines in our hands as well. Some magazines come out every week, some bi-weekly and some every month. Most magazine providers offer subscriptions. These are always a great gift idea. Simply purchase an annual subscription for the preferred magazine of choice and your loved one will be thinking of and thanking you every time a new issue arrives in the post!

Gift Idea – Power Bank

Power Banks are very useful indeed. There are times when our devices have run out of juice and yet we have no means of charging them. This can happen frequently when shooting at outdoors locations or when traveling out on the road for a while. These Power Banks are like portable charging units that do not require a power source of their own. Instead, you charge these up while at home or at the office. Then they hold this power for you so that you can charge your devices on location when needed. These are useful for restoring some much needed power back to your phones, cameras or laptops while out and about.

Gift Idea – Memory Cards

Sticking with the technology side of things, another great gift idea is Memory Cards. Whether our cameras use SD card or Compact Flash type memory cards, we can never have enough of them. The come in various different capacity and speed combinations. You can get large capacity cards that have a slow speed rating. These are normally the cheapest options available. You can also get both large or small capacity cards that have a faster speed rating. These are usually more expensive. Faster speeds allow enable faster writing of the data to the card. This is useful and very much needed when shooting in burst mode or at fast frame rates. Photography genres such as Sports, Wildlife, Events, etc. spring to my mind.

Gift Idea – Memory Card Reader

If you are going to get them some Memory Cards, you might as well get them a Memory Card Reader as well. After all, what good is a memory card if there is no means of getting the images off the card and onto the computer. Of course you can use the cable that comes with the camera to connect it to the computer. But a Memory Card Reader is much more useful. They offer slots for various different card formats. A perfect solution for the photographer who has different camera models and different card formats.

Gift Idea – External Hard Drive

Another form of memory but this is more of an add-on to your computer as opposed to a camera accessory. Over time the photographer in your life is going to amass a large collection of photographs. All of these digital images will consume hard drive storage. External Hard Drives are a great way of catering for these increased storage demands. You can get various capacity external hard drives. Some models require mains power and others powered via USB. I always recommend having multiple external hard drives. Several drives will provide some redundancy for your data. A backup of the backup or so to speak. Nothing worse for a photographer than to lose their image files. External Hard Drives make for an excellent gift idea.

Gift Idea – Glass Sphere

This next gift idea will not provide any real technological or practical assistance to the photographer in your life. However, it will provide the potential for increased creativity and even some fun! These Glass Spheres can be used with good effect to produce some interesting imagery. The Glass Sphere will reflect and refract all light that passed through it. By focusing on the Glass Sphere with a large lens aperture the photographer will be able to shoot an inverted version of the scene with the real scene outside of the sphere being blurred.

Gift Idea – Drone

This is probably one of the more expensive gift ideas on the list. But one certainly worthy of inclusion. Drones are all the rage these days. You can get small inexpensive models or larger more expensive models. They capture video footage as well as still images. Some are definitely better than others. DJI provide some great industry leading models. But the increased quality does come at a higher cost. However, if you look around, there are always options to suit your needs and your budget.

Gift Idea – Film Camera

Film Cameras are the perfect gift idea for those in your life with whom photography is an obsession. Not only do they look cool and retro but they are great for learning too. Shooting with analogue film will teach you a lot about your photography composition, understanding of light and exposure. You only have so many exposures available to you on the camera film. It also teaches to appreciate how hard the great photographers of yesteryear had it! Digital Photography has brought along a lot of advancements in technology which really does make it easier for the modern day photographer. You can find some expensive Film Cameras online that are probably in high demands among collectors. But you can also find very affordable Film Cameras. Don’t forget the rolls of film to go with it!

Interesting Blurred Foreground Ideas for Portrait Photographers

Posted on September 10, 2018 by Taya Ivanova

Sometimes, our photos end up looking dull and uninspiring. We know that something’s missing, but we’re not exactly sure what it is. Sometimes all you need to do is use blurred foregrounds to enhance your simple photos.

To put it simply, foregrounds are parts of an image that is closest to the camera. If you place an object in front of your camera and set your aperture to a small f-number, like f/2.0, you’ll get a blurry effect.

This effect is great for many reasons, some of which are:

Framing. If you cleverly frame your lens, you’ll end up with a unique composition regardless of what you’re photographing.
Adding a pop of color. Oftentimes, simple photos need an extra boost of color. Vibrant foregrounds can fix that.
Adding depth. A blurred foreground will add more depth and shape to detailed photos.

You can use professional equipment, DIY props, or random objects to frame your photos. In this article, I’ll focus on simple and accessible objects that will enhance every photo you take.

Gates and Fences

Fences have a constant pattern that’s ideal for creative photographs. A fence with a gap, like the one in the photo above, is fantastic for framing landscape photos and portraits.

Hands

If you want to include human elements in your photos, partly cover your lens with a hand.

Stretching your own hand in front of the camera can create a melancholic atmosphere or a sense of yearning.

If you’re a portrait photographer, have your model hide parts of their face with their hand, like in the photo above. You can use this technique to shape their face, highlight specific features, or simply make your portraits look more interesting.

People

Photographing through crowds of people is a popular technique used in street photography. Indirectly using people in your compositions will create a sense of familiarity.

In the photo above, the little girl is adding even more depth to the story. Even though she’s blurry, you can’t help but wonder if she’s just a stranger or if she’s related to the couple in the distance.

Flowers and Plants

If you need to make your indoor photos look more exciting, use plants. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, chances are you own a plant or two. Flowers are perfect for enhancing simple portraits and still life shots. The more colorful they are, the better!

Branches

For fun outdoor shoots, use branches as foregrounds. Shooting through branches will create a contrast between your subject and the foreground. Curvy branches are great for creating striking compositions, while straight ones are perfect for photographers who want to experiment with leading lines.

Windows

One of my favorite foreground styles is the combination of windows and reflections. When you shoot through a window, you’ll get beautiful blurred reflections that will add texture to your image.

Extra tip: when you photograph through a window, don’t stand directly in front of it unless you want to be visible in the shot. Shoot from the side to avoid camera reflections.

String Lights

String lights, or fairy lights, are becoming increasingly popular thanks to the creativity of photographers like Brandon Woelfel. Hold them in front of your lens and they’ll create stunning bokeh. They can be stretched out to your subject, strategically framed around your composition, or simply held by you or your model. Each of these approaches will make your photos look soft and ethereal.

Whether you’re looking to take your compositions to the next level, brighten your photos, or become more detail-oriented, blurred foregrounds will help you improve your photographs. Remember to experiment as possible; even the simplest objects have the power to make your photos stand out.

What are your favorite foreground objects?

5 Reasons Self-Love Will Make You a Better Photographer

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Taya Ivanova

What is self-love? The general definition is a regard for one’s health and happiness.

As photographers, we often beat ourselves up for not being creative, productive, or successful enough. This makes us insecure, resentful, and uninspired.

This can stop right now. Self-love means taking care of yourself, especially when you’re tired. It means being honest, open, and loving.

Respecting yourself will have a significant impact on your work. These five reasons will show you just how important it is to be kind to yourself and why your photographs will be affected because of it.

#1. Proper Rest Will Lead to Productivity

Whether you take photos every day or work in an office, endless job tasks will tire you out. You won’t have time to focus on your other interests, sleep well, or spend time with your loved ones. This, in turn, will lead to an unproductive mindset. It’s a vicious cycle you don’t deserve to be in.

On the other hand, regular breaks and proper sleep will rejuvenate you, which will lead to productivity. Instead of dreading your obligations, you’ll embrace them.

Learn to be aware of what you need, be it a delicious snack or an extra hour of sleep. Here are a few simple yet impactful self-care routines that will make you feel better:

Reread your favorite book
Go on a date with your friends
Go for a peaceful walk in your local park
Listen to music without any distractions
Look through your favorite photographers’ work

#2. You Won’t Have to Force Yourself to Learn New Things

Learning isn’t about forcing yourself to go to school, wasting hours of your time, or relentlessly working on pages of homework. Learning means being truly passionate about a subject and doing your best to master it.

When you respect your skills, you’ll want to work on them. This will make you naturally curious about a variety of topics, many of which will benefit you in the long run. The more you learn about photography, the more skilled you’ll become.

#3. Your Relationship with Your Clients Will Improve

An important aspect of self-love is honesty. This means being honest about your feelings, intentions, and goals.

When you know what you want, you’ll be able to clearly translate your needs to everyone around you. This will make your photoshoots easier because it will prevent a lot of unnecessary miscommunication. It will also help you give the right directions, successfully fulfill your clients’ needs, and be open to admitting mistakes.

#4. Negativity Won’t Shatter Your Self-Worth

Bring your own #1 fan is an incredible way to block out hate. Social media is filled with direct and indirect negativity without which life would be significantly easier. Self-love will encourage you to spend less time on social media, focus on your own interests, and not shatter when someone says something unpleasant to you.

#5. And You’ll Willingly Ask for Help When You Need It

Sometimes, we need support from fellow photographers. Self-love will compel you to humbly reach out to others and ask for help. There’s nothing wrong with sharing your feelings, being open about a struggle, or asking for constructive criticism.

When you receive support, you’ll feel heard, appreciated, and understood. This will encourage you to reach new heights and be a helper yourself.

If you continually beat yourself up, you won’t be as productive, kind, and inspired as you deserve to be. Self-love will improve your life and make you a better photographer.

Learn what works best for you and embrace it. Remember that not every self-care method will appeal to you. Experiment, treat yourself to a variety of goodies and be open to happiness.

Now go do something nice for yourself and tell us about it in the comments!

Top Shooting Techniques and Methodology in ICM Photography

Posted on July 16, 2018 by Graham Daly

Are you currently finding yourself staring at your image portfolio and feeling underwhelmed or lacking creativity? Truth is that it can happen to the best of us. Why not tap Into ICM To broaden your creativity and get your creative juices flowing.

What is ICM?

ICM or “Intentional Camera Movement” is an image making technique whereby one intentionally moves their camera during exposure. Movement is recorded while the shutter is open and can produce some very interesting and abstract results.

The ICM technique is a great way to force yourself outside of the normal and conventional Landscape Photography restraints. Obeying the Rule of Thirds and other composition aides will help you to produce greater images. However, sometimes you just need to break outside of the box and step outside of your comfort zone.

Adding the Intentional Camera Movement technique to your photographic toolkit, will definitely get those creative juices flowing. After some experimentation and refinement of your ICM technique, your portfolio will also be refreshed with some new and exciting images.

What gear do I need for ICM?

Unlike most photography genres, this technique requires nothing outside of a camera and a lens. A tripod can certainly be useful for certain images but it is not essential. In fact, a lot of the time you will probably leave the tripod in the car or at home.

Apart from a camera and a single lens, all you really need is some decent light and interesting subject. One important thing to note though is that best results will be achieved when using a camera with manual controls. A manual camera will allow you to change the aperture, shutter speed and ISO, which will help to create different types of ICM images.

What type of lens you use does not really matter. It can be an old manual lens or the latest and greatest autofocus lens. The lens can be a prime lens or a zoom lens. Zoom lenses with varying focal length range can be useful. The tried and trusted 24-70 zoom lenses can be a great lens to have in the bag for ICM. The flexibility to switch between 24mm, 50mm, or 70mm can be liberating. Zoom lenses also provide the ability to interesting ICM images by zooming or “rolling” the lens during the exposure.

Outside of the gear, all you need is a willingness to head out with the camera and put the technique into practice.

How can I tell if my ICM image making efforts have been successful?

A lot of photography is subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say. ICM images are probably the most subjective. Some viewers might love it and some might hate it. For me, the most important thing is whether the image satisfies me or not. I consider it a success if the image evokes some thoughts or moods within me.

Certain aspects play a stronger part in how our brain interprets and appreciates what it is seeing. For example, when color is absent from an image our brains look for strong structures and shapes instead. Which is why strong composition is so important for black and white photography. I think the opposite is true for Intentional Camera Movement images. The absent of strong structures places a stronger emphasis on color within the image. Of course, you can produce monochromatic ICM images and they might work. But in my experience, ICM images with strong color tones are more interesting than those without. But again, remember that beauty is the eye of the beholder. If you like monochromatic ICM images, then who am I to argue against it.

Top tips for ICM

Below are some of my top tips for producing interesting ICM images. This list is neither exhaustive nor exclusive. These are just the aspects that I have adopted into my ICM shooting technique and methodology. There are other photographers all over the planet who can add more to this list. Each will have their own routine, their own style and will have their own desired ICM results. But this list is what works for me.

Try different focal lengths
Look for interesting color tones
Play around with different shutter speeds – start with 1 second and then increase from there and measure the results
Experiment by changing the focal length on your zoom lens during the exposure (a.k.a zooming/barrel rolling)
Try twisting the camera around in a circular motion during the exposure
Head into the woodlands – some great ICM potential all around the woods
Use a tripod at the coast if you want to keep the horizon level during your ICM images
Look for interesting shapes and patterns within the scene
Try panning left to right or right to left during the exposure
Tilt the camera up or down while the shutter is open
Carry larger capacity memory cards as you will end up clicking the shutter a lot in order to capture that one interesting result!

Hahnel PROCUBE2 – Great Addition To Any Photographers Kit Bag

Posted on July 2, 2018 by Graham Daly

Multiple Cameras Plus Multiple Batteries Means Tripping Over Multiple Battery Chargers!

As a Freelance Photographer, I regularly venture outside during the early hours of the morning in case of those lovely sunrise colors. And as I am often away on location for the day, I am rarely near a power source. This can be quite problematic for me. I have several cameras each with several spare batteries that I constantly need power in. Long exposures, time-lapse, recording video and using the Live View functions on my cameras can drain the batteries rather quickly. Especially so during the colder months in winter. Because of this, before heading away on location, I am always trying to ensure that I have charged all of my batteries sufficiently. As there is nothing worse than arriving on location only to discover that you have flat or low batteries! So to set the scene correctly in your mind’s eye, when I am heading out shooting it is normally dark, way too early, I have not had enough sleep and so I often find myself tripping over the complex array of battery chargers that lay on my office floor. Thankfully the Hahnel PROCUBE2 resolves this problem very nicely for me.

Hahnel PROCUBE2 – Providing The Power To Charge Your Batteries On The Go

The Hahnel PROCUBE2 caters for charging two batteries while at home plus it also comes with car charging abilities. The team at Hahnel were nice enough to provide a 12v charger within the PROCUBE2 box. Now, I know what you are thinking. What is so great about a car charger you ask? Well, a car charger in and of itself is nothing to write home about. However, this lovely unit allows for the charging of two batteries at a time. And not just that. The Hahnel PROCUBE2 also comes with additional charging trays for charging different battery models for a given camera vendor.

For example, the Hahnel PROCUBE2 for Canon provides trays for the main LP-E6 battery model as well as trays for the LP-E8 and LP-E17 models. As an added bonus, it also has a tray for charging four Ni-MH AA batteries and even a USB port for charging your phone! The Canon model has proved very useful for me as I have several LP-E6 and LP-E17 batteries. The LP-E6 battery model is used in most of the Canon Full Frame and even Semi-Pro/Higher-End Enthusiast camera models, such as the Canon 6D, 5DII, 5DIII, 7D, 7DII, etc.. The LP-E17 is used in the Canon M6, M3, M5 mirrorless bodies.

The Different Flavors Of The Hahnel PROCUBE2

Like ice cream, the Hahnel PROCUBE2 comes in a variety of different flavors. There are five different models, each with its own unique color. The Canon model is a Light Grey and the Nikon version is a Dark Grey. The Sony model is Orange. The Olympus is Brown and the Fujifilm/Panasonic version sports a Blue color scheme.

The following list outlines which batteries are supported by each version:

(Canon) Hahnel PROCUBE2 = LP-E6 | LP-E8 | LP-E17
(Nikon) Hahnel PROCUBE2 = EN-EL14 | EN-EL15
(Panasonic/Fujifilm) Hahnel PROCUBE2 = DMW-PLC12 | BLF19 | BLG10 & NP-W126
(Olympus) Hahnel PROCUBE2 = BLN-1 | BLS-5 | BLH-1
(Sony) Hahnel PROCUBE2 = NP-BX1 | NP-FW50 | NP-FZ100

Seeing as I just recently got a second hand Sony A7, with eats quickly through the 6 batteries that I have for it, I think the Sony version will be added to my arsenal in the not too distant future.

My First Impressions Of The Hahnel PROCUBE2

Firstly, the packaging is great. I think it really stands out. The unit is also so small and light. It really takes up no real estate within my office, my Land Rover or in my camera bag. The unit literately fits in the palm of my hand!

As mentioned earlier, I opted for the Canon version first and was impressed that it was able to charge both of my main Canon batteries. The USB and AA charging capabilities proved to be a nice added bonus. I have several rechargeable AA batteries in my bag at all times on account of the various head torches and my wireless remote shutter systems. Walking around in the dark when out shooting stars and the Milky Way can really drain the AA batteries. So it is nice to be able to charge them up in my Land Rover while I am getting warm!

The USB charging is also a really neat feature. Phone batteries seem to die rather quickly on account of all of the smartphone features. WiFi, GPS, Mobile Data, Bluetooth, Facebook, Instagram, Large Screen, etc… These phones are not too smart if you ask me, considering all those features are useless if the phone battery dies! Remember the good old days of the Nokia 3210?

How The Hahnel PROCUBE2 Helps My Photography Business

Delays can occur when waiting around for several batteries to charge. Instead of waiting for all of my batteries to fully charge, the PROCUBE2 allows me to charge the batteries while I drive between shoots and locations. I have four 12v charging points in my commercial Land Rover and so I can have four PROCUBE2 units running at the same time. This has been an absolute game changer for me. If driving on the road for even 60 minutes, the batteries will be charged upon arrival at the destination. That is just pure awesome sauce!

Reasons Why I love The Hahnel PROCUBE2 And Why I Strongly Recommend It

Charge on the go – no need to be near a power supply!
Small and tidy units – takes up no space in my bag/car/office
Color coded for each camera vendor/version
Saves time waiting around at home for batteries to charge
No need to drag the camera OEM chargers around – they only charge one battery at a time anyway!
Charges batteries for all of my Canon DSLRs and Canon Mirrorless bodies
Better than the OEM charger – (in my opinion!)

The ability to charge batteries to go while driving around is really fantastic. I am normally fairly diligent with ensuring that my batteries are charged before and after each shoot. However, if I happen to forget, I know that the PROCUBE2 will solve that problem for me. It is much better to be out shooting, rather than waiting around indoors for batteries to charge!

Graham Daly Photography: My Love Affair With The Milky Way

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Graham Daly

The Milky Way – I Fell In Love With Shooting It!

Since picking up my first proper DSLR camera several years ago, I was quickly drawn to shooting landscapes. And I spent many an early morning and late evening chasing after those magic sunrise and sunset colors. I still like heading out in search of those golden hour images and I am happy when I get them. But I must admit, they are no longer my first love. Over the past two years, I have been seriously attracted to photographing the night sky. I have totally fallen in love with shooting the Milky Way.

Whenever there is a slight chance of clear skies, I will drop all of my other plans, grab my gear and head out to a predetermined location in order to spend several hours admiring and shooting the Milky Way. Nothing brings me more photographic joy than standing beneath the Milky Way arching across the night sky. I am blown away by the sheer beauty of the Milky Way. I count my blessings each time I get to see it. And I can tell you, that those occasions are rare enough over here in Ireland. Our climate produces a lot of clouds!

In future articles, I will dive into more detail around my Milky Way Processing Workflow. I will also highlight other photographers who inspire me with their Milky Way images. But for now, you can read about the equipment that I use and how I plan my Milky Way images.

My “Go To” Equipment For Shooting The Milky Way?

Unlike regular Landscape shoots where I have to take several lenses with me, along with other gear such as my NiSi Filters in order to handle whatever lighting conditions that might arise, thankfully my Astro Photography & Milky Way shooting setup is a lot smaller and simpler. When it comes to shooting the Milky Way, I need not worry about controlling the dynamic range with filters. Nor do I need to drag along various focal length lenses to create different image compositions.

My typical equipment for Landscape images (Canon 16-35mm ƒ/4, Canon 70-200mm ƒ/4, and NiSi 100mm Filters) are left at home and instead, the only lens that I pack along with my trusty Canon 6D is that of the seriously inexpensive but excellent value Samyang 14mm F2.8 IF ED UMC Aspherical lens. In certain regions of the world, this lens is also sold/branded as Rokinon. This 14mm lens provides a very wide angle of view on a Full Frame sensor. This enables me to capture large portions of the Milky Way in the night sky. The lens is very sharp (if you get a good copy!) and handles comatic aberration (otherwise referred to as “coma”) and chromatic aberration very well. How well a lens handles comatic aberration is important for shooting the Milky Way and the night sky in general. Because if the lens does not control coma effectively, then the captured stars will result with comet-like tails. However, the lens does produce a horrible mustache-distortion and a strong vignette.

I also bring the following items out with me on when I head out shooting the Milky Way:

Rollei Rock Solid Alpha Tripod + Rollei T3S Ball Head
Really Right Stuff L Bracket
Hahnel Capture Pro Wireless Remote Shutter Release
Spare batteries for my Canon 6D (OEM Canon + Hahnel Extreme varieties)
Hahnel Modus 600RT Speedlights (for light painting + images featuring myself within the scene)
Various Head Torches (for finding my way around in the dark + light painting/images featuring myself within the scene)
Terrascape Lens Cloths (useful keeping lens clean and wiping off any condensation)
A thermos flask filled with strong coffee!!

Planning & Preparing For Milky Way Shoots

There are several key parts to my Astro Photography Preparation Workflow. When I am out at various locations shooting regular landscape images, I pay attention to interesting objects (man-made structures, trees, coastal rock formations, etc..) that might make good foreground interests within my Milky Way images. I make note of these locations and objects for future Milky Way shots.

While I am at these locations, if mobile data coverage/access is available, I then use the PhotoPills app on my phone to verify how/when/if the Milky Way will line up with the desired foreground object at the specific location. The PhotoPills app is really useful as it allows me to not only to clarify sunrise/sunset times and directions on any given date for a particular location but it also tells me the moon rise/set times along with the moon phase as well for that given date. The PhotoPills app also shows me when/where the Milky Way core will rise and set as well as showing the location within the night sky relative to the location for a specified date.

In many ways, shooting the Milky Way and the night sky is a lot easier and less complicated than shooting regular landscapes on account of the fact that you do not need to worry about how the sunlight is going to interact with the landscape, what parts of the landscape will be in shadow, what the contrast and dynamic range will be like or even whether or not there will be just the right amount of clouds present in the sky in the correct location in order to capture any light/color from the rising/setting sun.

Clear Skies – The Vital Ingredient For Milky Way Shooting!

The main requirement for shooting the night sky and the Milky Way, of course, is that of a cloudless sky. Clouds are the enemy for the Astro Photographer and those looking to capture beautiful images featuring the Milky Way. In order to get the best images of the Milky Way and stars in general, you will need a sky that is free from clouds during a two-week window throughout the month when the moon phase is before or after a New Moon. While moonlight can be great for illuminating the landscape under the night sky and thus removing a lot of unwanted digital noise from your images when shooting, moonlight will cause luminosity of the stars in the night sky to be diminished and will thus cause the Milky Way to be washed out.

Along with using the PhotoPills app for checking the moon phase and moon rise/set times for a particular location on a specified date, I also use several weather forecasting sites to check whether or not clear skies will be potentially possible for that date. Of course, while I can use the PhotoPills app at any stage throughout the year to check out the various planning information points as I eluded to in the preceding paragraphs, I really can only verify the cloud cover and potential for clear skies within a short period of time.

Typically I use five-day forecasts to check for the possibility of clear skies in a given week. When I spot a potential for clear skies on the long-range forecasts, I then start to focus in on those potential days and start paying more attention to the forecasts in the forty-eight (48) and twenty-four (24) hour time periods building up to that date in question. If cloud forecasts look good on the day in question, I then grab my gear, load it into my Land Rover and then I hit the road to get to my desired location and pray for the skies to stay clear while en route!

High-Level Overview Of My Milky Way Processing Workflow

There are certainly more steps involved in my Milky Way Processing Workflow as opposed to my Landscape Processing Workflow. Not that there is any additional complexity. But rather the processing workflow just has more steps and thus requires a bit more time per image. I will write about my Milky Way Processing Workflow in more detail in a follow-up article. So I will just keep things brief and at a high level here in this article.

The following is a generic overview of the workflow that I apply when processing all of my Milky Way images:

While on location, I capture several exposures of the same image composition using the exact same settings. Exif settings are typically [ 14mm | ƒ/2.8 | 20 seconds | ISO 12,800 ]
The duplicate exposures captured while on location will be used for “Stacking” when processing for Noise Reduction purposes.
When I get back home, I then prepare to offload the images from the camera’s memory card to my workstation. To facilitate this I create three folders within a directory specific to that shoot. A folder for the original RAW files, a folder for the processed TIFF files that will be used for the Stacking process and a folder where the final processed JPEGs will be exported to.
Once the RAW files are on my workstation, I import them into Adobe Lightroom Classic CC.
After importing the RAW files, I preview all of the potential image files that I want to process/keep and dump the files that did not turn out correctly for whatever reason (condensation, not sharp, stray and unwanted light pollution, etc…). I use the Lightroom Rating feature to help identity which files I think to hold the greatest potential for processing.
Once I have identified the image composition I want to process first, I select and highlight the range of exposures for that given image composition. This is usually between eight and twelve exposures
I apply basic adjustments to one of the selected RAW files. The adjustments are synced across the rest of the RAW files that will be used as part of the Stacking process. I will go through the exact adjustments that I apply to my Milky Way images in a future article.
Next, I export all of the processed RAW files as full sized TIFF files to the designated “Image Stacks” folder on my workstation. Once exported, I select all of them and I open them within Starry Landscape Stacker. This great application then aligns all of the exposures and stacks them with just a few simple mouse clicks. The stacking process applies a “Median Noise Averaging” process which greatly reduces the amount of total digital noise that will be present in the final outputted image file.
Once the stacking process has been completed, I then export the new composited TIFF file and I then import this into relevant folder structure within my Lightroom Library.
Lastly, I apply some further adjustments to the stacked TIFF file within Lightroom and exports JPEGs with relevant settings.

Top Tips For Capturing The Milky Way

Plan Your Shots – Use PhotoPills to research Milky Way visibility, rise/set times for a specified location on a particular date
Include strong foreground interest
Use large (fast) aperture lenses – ƒ/2.8 would be a minimum aperture to yield the best potential
Shoot several RAW exposures for each image composition while on-location. These can be stacked for noise reduction purposes
Bring plenty of spare batteries, suitable clothing, and coffee!

Photographer Focus: Irish Landscape Photographer Colm Keating

Posted on June 17, 2018 by Graham Daly

Are you a fan of Landscape and Travel Photography? Then check out this article. Continuing on with my Photographer Focus series, in this edition, I am placing the focus on Colm Keating, an Irish Photographer who currently resides in New Zealand.

Who is Colm Keating Photography? Tell us about yourself

I’m a self-taught photographer from Ireland, who now lives in New Zealand. I was studying for a doctorate in chemistry when I decided I had enough and quit to pursue photography full time. I loved chemistry, but I knew I didn’t want to spend my days inside a lab working on the same problem every day when I could be out with my camera instead. That was in Sept 2017 and my life has changed dramatically since then. In January 2018 I moved to New Zealand, and I now live in the Queenstown, surrounded by the southern Alps.

When did you get your first camera and what was it?

Presumably, people probably answer this question with a DSLR but the first camera that really sparked my interest in photography was the first-generation iPhone. This was the first phone I had with a camera and it is definitely the camera responsible for lighting the fire. However, after a few years of iPhone photography, I did eventually get a Canon 600D in the summer of 2013 which is where the traditional photography journey started.

As an Irish Photographer, what type of photography do you mostly shoot?

Although it doesn’t earn me a large income, I will always likely be a landscape photographer over any other genre. Living near the sea, it was seascapes in particular that I mostly shot in the beginning, but photography opened up a whole new world of other interests with it, hiking being a huge one. Now I shoot more in the mountains than anywhere else. And I have fostered a love for adventure photography involving outdoor sports since becoming an avid hiker and camper myself. This is an area where I really want to steer my business over the next few years as it combines my love of landscape photography with outdoor sports. For professionals, I think this is the ultimate goal. Many begin shooting whatever photography jobs they can when they turn pro just to keep things rolling over, however, we all would love to just shoot the type of photography we love in return for an income. This isn’t always possible, but finding a niche where you can mold that genre into a profitable product for someone is the perfect compromise, for me anyway!

What styles of photography or subjects interest and motivate you the most?

Its always been the power and beauty of nature for me. You can go to a gorgeous place over and over and it can look so different from one day to the next, all depending on the mood and atmosphere that the weather creates.

How long have you been a serious enthusiast photographer for?

As soon as I was making dedicated trips out to take photos is when I consider a photographer to be a serious enthusiast. For me, this was about six months after picking up my first camera, so the bug really didn’t take long to manifest in me!

What has been the highlight of your photography journey so far?

Meeting all the other amazing photographers I have had the pleasure of shooting with is by far the highlight. This is pretty much an ongoing thing, which is great as its something I can look forward to for as long as I am involved in photography. Many people reading will no doubt be able to relate to the friendship that can be formed with finding someone else who also has that “photography bug”. A lot of family and regular friends just cannot comprehend why we would stand for hours in the same spot, going back day after day just to catch the place at its best, but other photographers can, and I have been lucky enough to meet many I can now call very good friends.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you provide to your younger self-knowing what you know now?

Just get going sooner. I held myself back, convincing myself the stereotypical route of getting a stable career through my degree was the right choice for me. I now know it was not and I am glad I have made the jump to full-time photography. My only regret is that I did not do it sooner.

What are the hardest parts about the type of photography that you do?

The hardest part will always be dragging yourself out of bed for sunrise. Whether the shoot was a success or not, I have never once regretted getting up for sunrise. However, that knowledge never seems to make it easier to leave the warmth of your bed when it’s still dark outside and it seems you only crawled into it 5 mins ago.

What is in your kit bag?

Nikon D750 and D7100. Nikon 14-24 F/2.8. Tamron 24-70 F/2.8. Sigma 70-200 F/2.8. Haida Filters CPL, 6 stop ND, 10 stop ND. 6 batteries. Peak design strap and capture pro clip. Cable release. Rollei tripod. And last but definitely not least, a shower cap!

Most Photographers have GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) – what gear is on your “to get” list?

To be honest I am very happy with the gear I have. My only complaint is how heavy it all is. As I do a lot of hiking, the weight can be somewhat problematic. Therefore I am considering swapping some of my fast aperture lenses for lighter variable aperture versions. I have not decided what I will do yet though. As regards GAS, I have it pretty well controlled (I think!). I have not bought anything photography related in well over a year, except for replacing a broken tripod head. Now I just have to ensure I keep telling myself that just because I have not bought anything in a year, that it does not allow me to justify a new purchase!

You come from Ireland and are currently living in New Zealand – which satisfies your photography more?

At the moment I have to say New Zealand. My second love is wild camping/hiking and so the setup for that here is just phenomenal. Of course, there are great places to be found for this back home in Ireland too but it is just on another level here in New Zealand. There is also the appeal of a new place, seeing something with fresh eyes. New Zealand most certainly still has for me as I have only been here for six months. I will always want to continue to explore new countries though, that is something I am confident that will never stop.

What is next on your photography journey?

Recently I have begun to shoot more people in my photography, particularly with adventure-related sports. This is something I really want to move into more over the next year or so. That will entail me learning many new photography skills that come with the genre so there is another steep learning curve ahead. For me though, the learning is part of the fun. Dipping into other genres can open your mind to ideas that you wouldn’t have had if you stick in the one type of photography all the time. For that reason alone I really love giving every type of photography a go. Hoping it will bring something new to my staple genre that is landscape photography.

You can view more of Colm’s Photography over on his website at www.colmkeating.com and you can follow along with his adventures over on his Facebook Page www.fb.com/keatingcolm – and his Instagram Feed – www.instagram.com/keatingcolm

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Photographer Focus: Coastal Photography with Rachael Talibart

Posted on January 30, 2018 by Graham Daly

Ever hear of Rachael Talibart or see her photographic work? Well, when you reach the end of this article I hope you will ask yourself “why have I not heard of this amazingly talented photographer before!”. In this second edition of my Photographer Focus series, I am placing the focus on Rachael Talibart who is a Professional Photographer based in the United Kingdom (UK).

1) Who is Rachael Talibart?

I’m a full-time professional photographer specializing in fine art coastal imagery. I live in Surrey, England now but I grew up on the South Coast, in a yachting family. For the first twelve years of my life, every weekend and all of the school holidays were spent at sea. Those years left me with a lifelong fascination for the ocean. Although I now live in a landlocked county, I go to the coast at least once a week.

I first became interested in photography during my teen years when I was given a little cartridge-film camera for Christmas, one where the case folded down to make a handle. The obsession really set in when I took my first 35mm camera on a 9-week solo backpacking trip around the world. I had just qualified as a solicitor in a big City of London firm. This job allowed me to take unpaid leave before settling into the rigors of practice. When I returned, I spent my first paycheck as a qualified solicitor on an SLR. And that was it – I was completely hooked!

2) A question we ask all photographers – What is in your kit bag?

My main camera is a Canon 5DSR. That is accompanied by the usual selection of Canon lenses, a Benro tripod, and LEE Filters. I’m proud to say that LEE Filters now support my photography and workshops. I like the flexibility of a DSLR and I’ve been using Canon for so long now that the cameras are like an extension of my hand. This means I can concentrate on creating without any distractions. While my preferred cameras have stayed the same, my preferred lens focal lengths have changed in recent years.

My Canon 16-35mm lens used to be the most often-used lens in my kit bag but now I use it the least. I like the Canon 24-70mm and even more the Canon 70-200mm, which is probably my go-to lens these days. Using telephoto lenses and longer focal lengths enable me to simplify my compositions, allowing me to think carefully about what I want to depict.

3) How crucial is post-processing to your photography?

I try to spend as little time on post-processing as I can. This is not because I have an attitude about it or think it’s more ‘pure’ to get the shot in camera but rather because I like being outside and not on my computer. So, obviously, I am going to be more creative in a place I enjoy. However, I do shoot RAW so I must process my images and I do almost all of that in Adobe Lightroom. I rarely need to go into Photoshop but if Photoshop helps me create the picture in my mind’s eye, then, of course, I will use it.

The other important thing for me is to try to leave a decent gap between taking an image and processing it. Sometimes, if I look at the pictures on my computer too soon after a shoot, I can feel disappointed. I’m sure we’ve all had that feeling at some point in time or another. A time gap between the capture and processing stages enables the emotion of the experience to subside and that results in a more considered edit.

4) Do you have a favorite image?

I find it hard to choose a favorite image but if pushed, I would probably pick Poseidon Rising. This image is one of my Sirens series, the set of images that has done most to raise my profile. Although all the photographs in this series were taken with very fast shutter speeds, they were a long time in the making. I had worked it out that the beach at Newhaven in East Sussex often had good surf. I had been going there almost every week all winter, capturing the sorts of images everyone else makes there. Essentially that of waves crashing against the lighthouse.

But I was frustrated because I felt I was making photographs similar to other people’s photographs, and I hate that. However, all those visits, while yielding no ‘keepers’, were very useful because I was working out exactly what sort of image I wanted to make there. One day, I captured a photograph of a wave, with no lighthouse and no other landmarks. Next thing I knew, an idea clicked in my head. I wanted to capture a series of waves that looked like monsters and name them after mythological maritime creatures. And so my Sirens were born.

I picked Poseidon Rising in particular because it most typifies what I was trying to achieve. A wave of attitude, named after a Greek god with plenty of attitudes, in an interesting light and unlike the images made by everyone else on that stormy day. I am so glad to see that my Sirens project has been well received. They have been winning multiple awards including Black and White Photographer of the Year and the Sunday Times Magazine’s award in Landscape Photographer of the Year. The series is being published as a fine art book, due to be released in February.

5) Are there any challenges to being a Landscape/Nature Photographer?

I think the most challenging part of being a nature/landscape photographer is that title! I do not really see myself as such, but that’s how I am often pigeonholed. Photography struggles to be considered as an art, in the UK especially, but to a certain degree everywhere. I think that is even worse with ‘landscape/nature’ photography. People expect images in that category to be records of recognizable places or creatures. With that sort of photography, there is still plenty of scope for artistry, skillful composition, beautiful light and subtle editing. I admire and enjoy photographs produced by many excellent photographers in this genre but it is not what I am trying to do.

I am less concerned with representing a place. When I go out on location, I am not trying faithfully to show the scene as it might have appeared to you if you had been standing right next to me. Instead, I want to show you the one thing in that scene that appealed to me personally. I want to convey how it felt to me to be there in that moment. Perhaps we should call it ‘interpretative photography’ rather than ‘fine art’ but it is all semantics in the end. Some might even argue that all photography is interpretative on some level and I can hardly disagree!

6) Any tips for other photographers?

One piece of advice I give to my workshop clients – find a place you love, and return there repeatedly! When we travel to far-flung places, that we may never visit again, we are likely to capture the obvious and clichéd shots. We become ‘photography tourists’ to some extent. It is difficult to avoid influence from photos we have seen, that were produced by others at that place. When we return to somewhere often, we can just relax. We can risk wasting time on experiments because we know that we will be back. I think that is when people start to find their own unique vision.

7) What does your photography future hold?

I have a lot of plans in the pipeline for 2018. There is the Sirens launch, several exhibitions, and I would like more gallery representation by the end of this year. My Workshops and Photo Tour business are continuing to grow. In fact, it is becoming hard to satisfy demand! I’m also starting to lead residential photography holidays/workshops for Ocean Capture, a leading fine art photography workshops business owned by Jonathan Chritchley.

I have a full schedule of speaking engagements and I will take on writing commissions whenever they come up, as I enjoy them. The category winners of Outdoor Photographer of the Year had been announced at the time of writing this interview. I was one of the judges for that competition this year and I’m looking forward to continuing in that role. Creatively speaking, I want to continue refining my compositions to simplify them, and seeking subjects in the smaller details. However, even if I knew I would never win another award, sell another print or run another workshop, I can honestly say that I would still be out there, in the teeth of a storm, having the best time ever and I hope to be able to do that for a very long time to come.

8) Lastly, where can we see more of your great work?

Photographer Focus: Laura Oppelt Photography

Posted on January 28, 2018 by Graham Daly

Several weeks ago I was contacted by Sleeklens and interviewed [ Graham Daly Spotlight Interview ]. Needless to say, I was delighted to be interviewed and allowed to share my photographic journey and insights with the Sleeklens audience. Now, I am also delighted to actually be writing and contributing content towards this very same great audience – how cool is that!

To start things off, I wanted to introduce a new “Photographer Focus” series whereby I intend to place the focus on various photographers that have caught my own attention and whose photographic work inspires me to head out with my own camera. In this edition, I am focusing on Laura Oppelt, an incredibly talented 20-year-old landscape photographer from Germany.

1) Who is Laura Oppelt?

My name is Laura Oppelt and I was born in 1998 in a small town near Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Growing up in the countryside, I enjoyed being outdoors and discovering nature. When I was younger, I got a cheap camera and started to literally photograph everything around me. The images were poor in terms of photographic quality and just snapshots really but I kept going and later decided to save money for my first DSLR. Since that time back in the summer of 2013 I really worked hard on improving my photography knowledge (a continual work-in-progress!) and I decided to focus my attention and energy on landscape photography.

The greatest step so far in my development took place in 2016 when I switched to a Full Frame DSLR. Even though the camera is just a tool for taking pictures and by far not the most important thing, it gave me a more satisfied feeling and afforded me new possibilities. But the best teacher is practice! The importance of trial and error really cannot be underestimated. During my travels, I learned a lot, discovered stunning places and experienced the beauty of our world, which is the basis for all my pictures. I still consider myself as a learner and search for my own style but I’m very curious what will come next.

2) Do you find that your passion for photography consumes a lot of your time?

Yes! I try to head away on photo trips as often as possible and especially on the weekends I’m really busy with photography. As it’s my biggest hobby, I love spending time with it, but that’s not always possible of course. A very time-expensive aspect of photography is also the post-processing. I’ve still got loads of unprocessed images and I don’t know if they will ever be processed!

3) A question that all photographers are asked – What is in your kit bag?

I’m shooting with the Canon 6D and the Canon wide 16-35mm f/4 lens. I also always carry a Sigma 20mm f/1.4 in my camera bag for night photography. Let us also not forget the Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens. Lastly, I use a Sirui tripod and LEE Filters.

4) What is your general workflow when taking pictures?

That depends on the conditions and the scene. I always use the Live View function of the camera to compose the image and try to find leading lines as well as foreground interest. Then I decide if filters are necessary or not and if yes, which specific filter (e.g. a graduated hard or soft filter). Besides that, I often take three different exposures, in case that I need them later in post-production.

5) What is the key ingredient that you always look for when producing images?

I think an interesting foreground is always a great way of strengthening your image composition, especially in landscape photography. Sometimes I include people in my images as well to add some scale.

6) How crucial is post-processing to your photography?

It’s an important issue for me because I want to make the best out of my images and with some very easy steps, such as boosting contrast or adding a vignette, you can increase the overall effectiveness of the image. But I also don’t want to spend too much time with the post-processing and I try to keep the image as natural as possible.

7) Do you have a favorite image?

That’s a quite difficult question because I’ve got different favorites due to different reasons. There are favorite images because of the experience I had when taking them and there are favorites because I’m very satisfied with the editor the composition or the light captured within the image. If I had to pick only one photo, I would choose a photo I took during a backpacking tour on the Faroe Islands in the summer of 2017 because everything just came together perfectly: the landscape (a mountain above the sea with a great view over the fjords and the villages at the coast line), the light (right before sunset) and the experience (it was pure freedom on top of that mountain peak with an incredible view). I titled the photo “Experience for a Lifetime“ because it had such a great impact on me.

8) Are there any challenges to being a Landscape Photographer?

Yes! The constantly changing weather situations and that it sometimes takes huge power and resolve to overcome your own laziness! And of course that you manage to make the people who look at your images feel the same that you felt in the moment when you pressed the shutter. That is probably the most difficult and challenging aspect of all.

9) Any tips for other photographers?

Maybe that the most important thing about photography is that you like what you do and that you have fun. Take the images for yourself and not for somebody else. Try to develop your own style which is very challenging in its own right because I think this is a never-ending process.

10) What inspires you?

Our beautiful world has so much to offer that I think inspiration can come from everywhere. Other photographers who have a lot of impact on my own motivation are Dennis Polkläser, Nicholas Roemmelt, and Bruno Pisani, to just name three of them.

11) What does your photography future hold?

A challenging question because there are so many possibilities. I would like to just improve my image making abilities further and to experience some new photography adventures. I would also really love to publish some of my pictures in magazines or to have an own exhibition someday … But that’s very far away from now.

12) Is there anything else you want to say?

Go out, explore and enjoy life! Simple, but so difficult at the same time!

13) Lastly, where can we see more of your great work?

I have a brand new website now at www.laura-oppelt-photography.de . My 500px account is https://500px.com/laura_oppelt. You can find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lauraoppeltphotography and my Instagram profile at https://www.instagram.com/oppdager/.

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What to Do When Things Go Wrong During a Portrait Photo Shoot

Posted on January 17, 2018 by Taya Ivanova

Failure can’t always be avoided

. Crying children, uncomfortable models, and technical issues can all stop you from having a creatively fulfilling photoshoot. Even though people and situations are unpredictable, you can have control over what happens. There are things you can do to:

Fix any problem that occurs, no matter how impossible it may seem
Increase your model’s confidence because of your calmness during the incident
Attract more clients thanks to your problem-solving abilities

Below are five scenarios featuring different people and obstacles. Each scenario comes with a few solutions that will keep you grounded and make your subjects feel at home. With these tips in mind, you won’t have to panic the next time you bump into an intimidating problem. Just take a deep breath, remember what you learned, and act like the skilled photographer that you really are.

Take a Break When the Kids Start to Cry

It’s easy for children to lose their patience, especially in the presence of a stranger. If your little model starts to cry or run around, don’t get frustrated. Most importantly, don’t show your frustration. Patience will clear your mind, allow you to find a solution quickly, and show your clients that you’re a tolerant photographer.

If your model is restless, let the entire family take a break. Even if this adds an extra hour to your session, it will be significantly better than continuing and getting highly unflattering results. Once everyone has relaxed (talking and eating always help!) you can safely continue your shoot. If you want to be very hospitable, have a few goodies ready for when your models get tired. They’ll appreciate your thoughtfulness.

When Your Model Looks Uncomfortable, Be Supportive

Feeling left out and incompetent can immediately ruin anyone’s self-confidence. To solve this problem, be open about your past experiences. Make sure your subject feels like a normal individual worthy of being photographed. Don’t let your models bring themselves down. Don’t make it seem like perfection is attainable. What you want is for them to feel their best. Once they do, everything else will fall into place.

Be kind, share funny experiences from the past, try to make them smile, and let them know that making mistakes is okay! If they get the idea that you won’t lose your temper every time they strike the wrong pose, you’ll gain their trust and boost their confidence.

When There’s a Technical Issue, Make Sure You Have Backup Gear

Many wedding photographers stick to this rule like their lives depend on it. Without backup gear, a full-day shoot can turn into a photographer’s worst nightmare. Here are a few things you should have (in addition to your main equipment) in case something breaks:

- Camera body
- Batteries
- Lenses
- Lens filters
- Memory cards

If you’d like to find out more about backup gear, check out this article.

Prepare Lighting Equipment in Case the Weather Gets Bad

Make sure you check the weather forecast before you plan a shoot. If the weather isn’t promising and you can’t afford to postpone your shoot, bring an umbrella and a reflector to the location. An umbrella will keep you, your equipment, and your clients dry during an unexpected storm; a reflector will enhance your subjects’ faces on an overcast day.

In addition to bringing helpful equipment, make sure there’s a building nearby where you could stay during a storm. The last thing you want is to make your clients feel unsafe. Knowing what to do and where to go will save you from a lot of unnecessary misunderstandings in the future.

Photography, like any other job, has the potential to throw you into a pit of annoying mistakes. Don’t let this trouble you. Knowing how to deal with problems will help you focus on what matters most: taking incredible photographs of incredible people. Being prepared may not completely eliminate failure, but it will definitely keep you happy, sane, and positive. That, dear reader, is how you deserve to feel.

Where to Find Cheap Photography Props That Will Boost Your Inspiration

Posted on January 12, 2018 by Taya Ivanova

Photography-related products don’t always have to be expensive. Sometimes, the cheapest and most beautiful props can be found in the most unexpected places. If you take the time to look for them, you’ll find priceless gems that will boost your inspiration and make you a more creative photographer. Being able to make unusual items look graceful in photographs will give you a chance to improve as an artist. Your skills will help you make the most of any photo shoot, regardless of your budget. This will attract clients to you, give you more room to think outside the box and make you stand out as a photographer.

If you want to be a more imaginative artist, you should expose yourself to more opportunities. What every person can benefit from is the ability to find affordable items that will help him or her create a masterpiece. These items can be found almost anywhere: in thrift stores, libraries, and more. Here is a complete list of places where you can find awesome props and boost your inspiration.

Thrift Stores

Some items simply don’t look good when they reach a certain age. Others go out of fashion, are passed down to unenthusiastic family members, or lose their spark. While these possessions may not appeal to their owners, they could catch your artistic eye. Clothing items like scarves, which may not look that beautiful on a neck anymore, can be turned into props and used as elegant backdrops, foregrounds, or materials for DIY projects. There’s no limit when it comes to the potential of used items like these.

Other things you might find in thrift stores are vintage gems ideal for conceptual photo shoots, interesting items of clothing, and materials you could use to create foregrounds/backgrounds. Such props may also inspire you to embrace photo manipulation; for example, obscure items like curtains can be transformed into mighty waves or extravagant gowns in Photoshop. If you’re a fan of editing, thrift stores will open a whole new world for you!

Second-Hand Bookstores and Libraries

Purchasing used books will open your mind, give you creative ideas, and encourage you to experiment with something new. A fictional character’s perseverance, for instance, may become a source of empowerment for you. If you’re into fiction, look for relatable stories and characters. Finding comfort in magical realism will provide you with an unquenchable thirst for meaningful photographs.

If you prefer non-fiction, keep an eye out for coffee tables books with inspiring visual references or how-to books related to art. These guides will teach you something new about your beloved hobby or simply give you the opportunity to find pure inspiration.

Online Stores

Websites like Amazon and eBay are filled with cheap props that can significantly improve your work. When you search for items, make sure you avoid products that might hurt you or damage your camera. Safe props include:

- Backdrops
- Wigs
- Costumes
- Accessories like glasses

The quirkier an item, the more striking your results will be!

At Home

Confetti garlands, giant polaroid photo frames, flower crowns, chalk drawings, dreamy photo filters, and paper masks are all things you can make on your own. (If you have children, some of these DIY projects will keep them entertained and encourage them to pose for the camera!) DIY projects can be found almost anywhere online. The ideas are unique, affordable, and fun.

If you’re interested in any of these projects, let us know and we’ll make a separate tutorial for you! 🙂

Though investing in valuable photography equipment is necessary, you don’t have to do it all the time. Find used items, turn them into works of art, and show others how wonderfully creative you are. Once you’re happy with the results, donate your props; someone might find them just as inspiring and create incredible art of their own. It’s a beautifully organic process. Why not become a part of it today?

What to Avoid When Posing Models: A Reference Guide

Posted on January 8, 2018 by Taya Ivanova

If you’re active on social media, you’re probably familiar with the perfect photo: a body-flattering pose, a breathtaking expression, and a look that speaks of pure confidence. It may seem like the models in such photos are naturally perfect and that nobody else can even dream of modeling the same way. The truth is that these individuals simply have a strong knowledge of posing which greatly contributes to their modeling success.

Certain angles can make even the most stunning models look unappealing. Every person has a variety of expressions and poses that can make or break an image. It’s up to you to help your subjects find these strengths. To do this, you can show them what not to do. The reason this approach works is that mistakes, unlike ideal poses, are universal; anyone can learn from them. Once your subjects know what to avoid, they’ll discover confidence-boosting poses that will not only make them look incredible in your photos but give you a chance to take your work to the next level. Let’s begin!

Don’t Make Them Uncomfortable

Awkwardness and posing don’t work too well together. An overload of compliments, criticism, or silence will make any model feel out of place. If you don’t want to try too hard and give the wrong impression, get to know your subject’s personality first. This will help you understand the kind of treatment they’d be happy with. Even a short conversation will reveal their personality and, in turn, allow you to reveal yours.

Don’t forget to talk about yourself, too. Opening up to people will make you appear relatable, charismatic, and friendly. You and your model may find mutual interests or acquaintances that will help you bond during the photoshoot. And even if you don’t perfectly click with someone, there will always be an opportunity to make them feel good in your presence.

Don’t Ask Them to Pose Immediately

Many photographers treat posing like acting. Instead of telling their models to strike a pose, they ask them to move around, interact with their surroundings, and visualize something specific. This may not appeal to every person you work with, but there’s something important you can learn from it: giving your models room for imagination will help them pose naturally. Spontaneity, in addition to a lack of strictness, will open up many creative doors for you.

Avoid These Poses

Once your model feels comfortable in front of your camera, it’s time to let him or her know what to avoid:

Slouching: this is something many people do unintentionally. To avoid this, your models should straighten their backs, take a few deep breaths, and slightly turn away from the camera. This will instantly make them look relaxed and comfortable.
Entire body facing the camera: this will make your models look awkward and wide. Instead of facing the camera, your subjects can slightly turn their shoulders or put their hands on their hips.
Pressing arm against the body: this will flatten your subjects’ arms and make them look much bigger than they actually are.

Don’t Forget the Hands

Awkward-looking hand poses can make a generally beautiful image look unnatural. Make sure your models’ hands are relaxed; their fingers should be slightly spread out and placed on their shoulders, under their chins, or wherever they decide. Give them freedom when it comes to their hands, but always make sure to correct them when they start to look too tense. A proper hand pose will give your photographs an air of grace. When your models see how elegant they look in your photos, they’ll feel even more confident in your presence.

Posing isn’t always a walk in the park. Even professionals need clear instructions when working with new photographers. If someone with years of experience needs direction, imagine what a struggle it is for non-models to feel comfortable in front of the camera! A small amount of patience and posing knowledge are all you need to create a healthy photographer-model relationship.

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When Should You Embrace B&W Photography?

Posted on December 24, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

When does an image deserve to be converted to black and white? This is a question you have probably asked yourself countless of times during confusing editing sessions. Some photographs simply look better in black and white, while others stand out gracefully only when their true colors are present. Others look fantastic no matter what.

To make the decision-making process easier, consider the points below. They’ll help you answer important questions about your work, ones that will give your photographs a chance to shine in the best way possible. You’ll be compelled to observe your image, spot both distracting and appealing elements, and come to a conclusion you won’t regret.

This is when you should embrace b&w photography:

When Your Photograph Is Hard to Edit

Some photographs simply don’t look appealing in color. More often than not, those same images look significantly more beautiful in black and white. If your photo has too many distracting colors, chances are that you’ll like its monochromatic version much more. I’m often surprised to see what a dramatic change a simple conversion can make!

When There Are Lots of Shadows

A person’s face partially hidden by mysterious shadows, a street filled with silhouettes on a bright day, and a mountain surrounded by intimidating rainclouds all have one thing in common: they possess photogenic shadows. Impactful black & white photographs often have a lot of contrast, so pointing it out in your own work using highlights and shadows will make it look all the more astounding.

When You Want to Get Rid of Busy Elements

In addition to color, there are many elements that can ruin a photograph’s composition. A background filled with moving objects of various colors, shapes, and sizes may distract the viewer’s eye and obliterate the entire meaning of an image. If you have photos of locations crowded with different subjects, convert your results to black & white. This will help viewers clearly see what you want them to see.

When There Are Textures Involved

Eye-catching textures have the potential to get lost in colorful compositions. Faces, houses, roads, and landscapes are all made up of elements that, when devoid of color, transform into masterpieces of their own. If your image is filled with interesting lines, patterns, and shapes then consider converting it to black & white. To really enhance the textures in your image, gently increase the clarity, contrast, and sharpness in your editing program.

comparison for b&w — Edits like this are subtle yet effective. To create a similar effect, increase your photograph’s clarity, contrast, and sharpness in Lightroom. The Tone Curve tool is also very helpful when it comes to intensifying highlights and shadows.

When There’s an Abundance of Negative Space

Environments are ideal for telling deeper stories, focusing on unusual subjects, and highlighting things the human eye wouldn’t notice at first glance. Unfortunately, environments are also known for their negative space, something that can prove to be a nuisance during the editing process. If you take very atmospheric and environmental photographs, black & white photography may be perfect for you. Black & white conversion will turn any extra space into an aesthetically pleasing blank canvas.

When Emotions Are Your Main Focus

This is particularly helpful for portrait photographers. Relationships between people – and human emotions in general – look very genuine and raw in black and white. Experiment with black & white if you have intimate photos of this sort, and you may get very touching results.

From now on, black & white photography will no longer be an unsolvable mystery. Whether you’re an avid portrait photographer, a curious landscape artist, or an eager photography enthusiast, a solid knowledge of black & white photography’s strengths will strengthen your own work. Once you familiarise yourself with the approaches above, you’ll know exactly what to do with every image you edit in the future.

Gear review – Canon EF-S 10-18 mm

Posted on September 3, 2017 by Leonardo Regoli

One of the main advantages of DLSR cameras over compact cameras is the ability to exchange lenses. No matter how wide the range of a zoom lens incorporated in a compact camera, the versatility that comes at hand with the possibility of choosing the lens of your preference is hard to match.

That said, apart from the obvious downside of having to carry bulky bags, lenses tend to be expensive, even more expensive than cameras. And there is no way around here. Since the price of the lens is in direct relation to the quality of the optics inside and the manufacturing process, if you want to achieve the best possible result, you will have to make important investments in your lenses.

However, from time to time, manufacturers manage to pull out incredible quality with relatively low retail prices, and that is what Canon achieved with the 10-18 mm. This wide angle lens has not-so-great aperture (probably the weakest point of all) at 4.5 – 5.6 but being fair, a wider aperture is one of the most difficult features to achieve and, given the overall quality and at a retail price of about $300 (compare this with $650 for its predecessor, the 10-22 mm), I feel there is not much to complain about.

Focusing

I am showing how outdated my lenses are here, but one of the improvements from some of my other lenses that I truly love in the 10-18 mm is the focus. First of all, by moving the focusing ring backwards, it is now much easier to get sharply focused images under specific conditions such as when using ND filters. If you ever tried to take a photo using a ND1000 filter and a lens with the focusing ring attached to the filter thread, you know what I mean. Dark ND filters do not let enough light in as to do the manual focusing with the filter on, meaning that one has to first focus and then attach the filter trying not to rotate the focusing ring in the process. By simply moving the focusing ring a few centimeters back, life became much easier than before!

In terms of auto-focus, the lens has the STM system. STM stands for stepping motor, which are a type of electronic motors capable of moving very small steps in a controlled fashion and they are very quiet. In general, if you have already used STM or USM lenses before, you might not be that surprised, but if your previous experience is with the old standard auto-focus for budget lenses such as the 18-55 mm kit lens (old version), you will be amazed. Also, even though it is not supposed to be as fast as the USM system, for normal purposes such as travel or landscape photography, the auto-focusing is pretty fast.

Focal length

But of course, if you are thinking about buying a wide angle lens, your main concern is probably the focal length. First of all, keep in mind that this is a lens that was designed for so-called APS-C sensors. The difference between full frame and crop sensors is beyond the scope of this review, but in general, a focal length of 10 mm on a crop sensor will be equivalent to a focal length of 10 x 1.6 = 16 mm in a full frame sensor, or in a 35 mm film. And, more importantly, do not try to attach a lens designed for a crop sensor to a full frame camera, or you will damage your sensor!

The following image shows the difference between the two extremes of the focal length (18 mm on the left and 10 mm on the right). The wide-angle provided by the 10 mm is great to capture indoor architecture shots. Notice, however, the distortion at the borders of the image, especially on the bottom left corner, where the white round table looks like an oval. This needs to be taken into account during post-processing.

That said, the focal length range is a great complement to the kit lens, especially if your interest lies in travel, architecture, landscape or something more specific such as climbing photography, or any type of photography where you want to capture a subject and still be able to get a good portion of background on your frame.

Distortion

Something inevitable when dealing with wide angle lenses is the optical distortion. This is a consequence of how light rays are guided through the lens towards the camera sensor/film and, even though a careful manufacture can help in that sense, completely getting rid of it is an impossible task.

The 10-18 mm lens does a pretty decent job in this sense as well. Also, thanks to the many options for post-processing readily available nowadays, getting rid of the remaining distortion is an easy task. Still, the fact that some distortion will be present is something that you should keep in mind when taking photos with any wide angle lens so that you can plan your composition so that when you post-process your images no important information is lost.

Overall construction

Apart from some useful features such as having the focusing ring detached from the filter thread, the lens feels quite robust. Being part of the cheapest line of Canon lenses, the 10-18 mm is mainly constructed of plastic which can make it less resistant in the long term, but at the same time, it allowed Canon to build a very lightweight lens that makes it really easy to carry around.

Summary

In general, I would say that, even though the 10-22 mm is a faster lens than the 10-18 mm, for those amateur photographers that are either on a budget or just starting out and willing to try out different focal lengths without having to get a hole in the bank account, the 10-18 mm is definitely a great choice as a second lens.

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Minimalism in Photography and Interiors: A Chic Guide

Posted on August 5, 2017 by Simran Nanwani

Minimalism can have various definitions but for me, it means simplicity. Whilst reading an article on minimalist photography, I came across this interesting quote by Steve Johnson:

Minimalist photography is not simply about taking a photograph of less. Minimalism is about getting to the essence of something.

The main idea of minimalism is trying to capture a shot simply and letting the viewer interpret the deeper meaning of the image. In this article, I will be showing you various aspects of minimalist photography and interiors. How different styles in interiors and photography can bring inspiration and soothe your mind.

Simple and minimalist are not easy to approach in photography. Some people have a sense of it and are able to capture the essence. The images shared below are from various skilled photographers who have captured the spirit of minimalism.

By Anne Closuit Eisenhart

Anne’s photography is nostalgic as in her own words, “Seeing is ignoring the whole in order to look at the detail. Seeing is looking with one’s whole being. It is looking for an emotion that you are already carrying within yourself since you have read this book, listened to this song, watched this painting. The uprooting, the relocations, the “start over elsewhere” taught me to look backward, tenderly, to cherish these manifold pasts.”

The image above speaks of a bright moment with the soft colors of blue and white dancing in the background. The image gives you a sweet and peaceful feeling whilst also focusing on the pretty flower vase.

Her images tell a story. We shall explore her images and the stories below:

By Anne Closuit Eisenhart

Here, we can see the beautiful flower is creating a reflection of herself in an old antique mirror. This photograph looks like a beautiful painting and a work of art. The balance between clean and rusty creates a lovely combination in the plain setting.

By Anne Closuit Eisenhart

Plain, soft and sweet are the words that cross my mind upon seeing this image. The wood, white background and lovely patterns from the vase allow the flower to pop out. A perfect angle to define the moment with a creative touch.

We will now shift to some lovely interiors.

Anam Lone shares her love for Scandinavian interior design and photography on Instagram and her blog. Her images below are from her own home where she shows tips on how to do home decor simplistically.

By Anam Lone

In this lovely setting, the combination of black and white cushions accentuate the room with the lovely gray background. You can see how the moment has also been captured from a good angle to share with us the interiors and also minimalist photography. It is modest yet elegant.

By Anam Lone

Another pretty setting with lovely colored chairs giving the interior a smooth pastel touch. The sunlight shining through the room through the frames and lights creates a nice ambiance. A creative capture as well defining all the details in the room simply.

By Rebecca Capurso

All of Rebecca Capurso’s images have a refined touch showcasing lovely interiors. Rebecca is a graphic designer from Adelaide, Australia. She shares a few words about how the interest in minimalist interiors came about: “I think my love for minimalism has grown from my profession. I remember studying the work of Dieter Rams who really embodied the ‘less is more’ expression in all that he did. We were always taught to think about the ‘white space’ and this really stuck with me. The minimalist approach really opens up space and creates a sense of calmness in a home.”

As you will see in her images below, the layout of each setting is immaculate. The way each area has been captured is also innovative.

By Rebecca Capurso

The painting and the floor highlight the white background and moment nicely.

By Rebecca Capurso By Rebecca Capurso

The chairs, colorful vase and complete whites form a nice sync.

By Rebecca Capurso

The wood, vintage lamp, and pillow covers match the complete aesthetic of the atmosphere.

By Rebecca Capurso

A fine capture defining minimalism and perfect angle bringing the whites and light into a nice composition.

Some sources say, that Minimalist styles have taken inspiration and evolved from Japanese Zen culture. Moving towards the minimalist style of photography, we can see some images from Aki Sato, a photographer from Tokyo, Japan. As Aki says ” I really love simple interior, monotone fashion even in my usual life. I think that’s why my photo is something minimal.”

By Aki Sato

The striking lines, boxes, and shadow define the runner stunningly. In her images, as you will see below, they have great contrast and are pretty straight forward.

By Aki Sato By Aki Sato

Jay McCullough a photographer from the United States, has always loved photography. His styles range from minimalism to mood to light to magical moments with his children. He says: ” I could not be more in love with capturing the beauty and artistic expression through photography.”

By Jay McCullough

This strikingly beautiful image can be considered minimal or not as well. But, I shall leave that for you to interpret it. It is very interesting how the background forms one part of the image, distorting your vision by splitting it into two images. Very well captured moment.

By Jay McCullough

Lastly, what a lovely blue mood, calm and serene shining through the glass vase. It is eclectic and simple.

From all the images and styles above we can see a variation of minimalism. Defining it by keeping things simple would not be enough. As every moment has a different tone to minimal. The idea is to create a moment and story that brings out the object or even interiors of a space, giving it a stylish and refined touch.

When approaching minimalist photography, it is tricky yet, if we like to focus on a particular object and create a sublime modest moment, we can certainly achieve it!

For more images have a look at their feeds on Instagram: Anne | Anam | Rebecca | Aki | Jay

Thank you to Anne, Anam, Rebecca, Aki, and Jay for allowing me to create this article through your classy images.

How to take enchanting photos using cellophane

Posted on July 13, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

It’s a given that professional photography equipment enhances every artist’s workflow and is an absolute joy to work with. However, professional tools aren’t the only things that can help you become a better photo-taker. There are many unlikely things in our homes which have the potential to add an extra touch of creativity to our work. Some obvious things, like lamps and mirrors, are often used by creatives because of their interesting ways of either creating or reflecting light. Other things, though occasionally used by artists, aren’t as popular. One of these handy little photo instruments can be found in almost every person’s kitchen: cellophane.

You might be wondering how cellophane, a transparent sheet mostly used for the preservation of food, can be used in the world of photography. You may have noticed that despite the sheet’s transparency, it can quickly become opaque when crumpled up. This haziness is ideal for the creation of enchanting photographs of all types. Whether you’re photographing animals, people, or something entirely different, cellophane can help you experiment with textures and clarity. This experimentation will compel your mind to absorb new ways of thinking creatively. In turn, these innovative ways of thinking will allow you to become a better, more observant, and more open-minded photographer with a bountiful supply of initiative.

Cellophane can be used in limitless ways, depending on your imagination. Though the following tips will help you look at photography from a creatively peculiar point of view, don’t stop there. Let these ideas be the foundation for even more fascinating and striking ideas.

Using cellophane to take photographs with blurred edges

If you want your images to be sharp with a vignette of blurriness, cut your cellophane into a square that’s a little larger than your camera lens. Afterward, proceed to cut a hole in the center of the square – its size depends on how unclear you want the edges to be. The smaller the cut in the center, the blurrier your image will appear and the more challenging it will be to get sharp results. Once you’re happy with the results, wrap the cellophane square around your lens, making sure that the cut-out hole is placed roughly at the center of the lens.

Something to keep in mind is that it might be difficult to focus your lens manually due to the tightly wrapped cellophane. To make focusing easier, don’t wrap the cellophane square around your entire lens and leave some space for your fingers to change the focus. Though using tape is optional, it could prevent the cellophane from constantly falling off. Remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect or visually appealing since the effect itself is the most important part.

Using cellophane to take unclear yet dreamy photographs

To create photographs that are beautifully textured yet slightly unclear, cover your lens with cellophane in the same way as the previous method, but without the cut-out hole. Again, wrap it in such a way that will give you the opportunity to manually focus your lens. If you use auto-focus, loosely wrap the cellophane around your lens to give it enough space to find the right sharpness. The effect will make your photographs look like they were taken straight out of a dream. A certain level of sharpness will remain, though everything will be covered in a pleasant layer of cellophane fog.

If you want to be even more creative, combine freelensing with cellophane. This will result in unique and charming photographs. For more interesting results, crumple up the cellophane before using it. Adding textures to editing programs like Photoshop will further enhance your shots. If you use Lightroom, make sure to apply your favorite preset for even more stunning results. Using all of these tools and features will transform your images into works of art you’re proud of.

This portrait is a combination of cellophane, free textures, and a Lightroom preset.

The beauty of cellophane is its unpredictability. For photographers who are interested in experimenting creatively, this is an exciting chance to grow and to learn new things. No matter what genre of photography you cherish most, use cellophane during one of your shoots. The results might surprise you, teach you new things, or show you a completely new way of looking at photography. Whatever happens, you will be closer to becoming a more experimental and open-minded photographer.

Happy shooting!

Get Creative with an App: Cool Smartphone apps for photography – Part 2

Posted on June 28, 2017 by Simran Nanwani

Smartphones have made our lives a lot easier especially for photographers. The continuous developments in technology and gadgets with improvised cameras on smartphones, allow us to capture any moment in one click. They also come with a range of applications to choose from for photo editing. This is the second part of the article, a continuation from Get Creative with an App – Cool Smartphone apps for photography. In this article, I will share with you some tips from a few of my go-to apps: Fragment, Noir, LoryStripes, Darkroom, and Mextures.

FRAGMENT

This is an app created by talented individuals at Pixite Source. When feeling inspired, I like to juxtapose images and get creative with them. Fragment is an interesting app where you can create different variations to your images. The app is packed with many features to use, in case you get confused you are able to use their random fragment feature to pick the one that suits you.

After opening the app and choosing the photo you want to work with, you will come across the screen below. Click the white highlighted option (randomized fragments) and choose the fragment you like. If you want to edit the fragment from the photo, you need to click the red highlighted option to see which fragment works for you. Upon completion, you may choose to save or refragment.

When you are satisfied with all options you chose, you can click the yellow highlighted option as seen in the image below. By clicking it, you will be able to adjust the brightness, contrast, 3D effects, blur some parts or even invert as in using colors for a contrast between two fragmented portions.

Fragment works when you want to create a quick juxtapose edit to your images, it has many options, and it adds a completely different look to your images. I like using this app most of the time for editing with graphical options.

LORYSTRIPES

Continuing from Fragment another Pixite Source creation app, to complete my edit I go to LoryStripes to add some finishing touches to the same image. You may choose to do this by using the same image, or you can use a completely new image for a different kind of edit to your image. As the name of the app goes, this app is all about Stripes with various icons and styles. As you can see in the image below, I have chosen to add the airplane style, if you see on the corner of the style there is small randomize icon where you can click on it to choose how you’d like the style to be placed.

In the image below, you will see the next screen after selecting your style. In this screen, you can click any of the options highlighted in yellow to choose the color and visibility of your style. As I would like to add another airplane style after completing my edit, I choose to click ReStripe.

In order to erase a portion of the style, see image below and click the yellow highlighted options. Upon completion, click save.

Lorystripes is a good app to work with when looking for lines. It also helps to broaden your imagination with its 3D styles to add to your images and compile a new outlook. I use this app to add icons that the app provides to create an imaginative approach in my images.

NOIR

My all time favorite Black and White conversion app would have to be Noir. This app converts your image to a clean and crisp black and white, hassle free. It doesn’t require too much effort to edit your colored image. The features are pretty straightforward.

After uploading your image, see the white highlighted options to choose the color you’d like as your background and preferred color sepia, blue, green or black and white.

You will also see the meters in the above image to adjust the composition of your image. When doing the edits, you will notice the image is slightly blurred, ignore it and continue editing. Once you complete the edit, you will see the results.

DARKROOM

Darkroom is not an app I use much but, for instant and simple filters this app gives good results. It is simple to use with nice filters to choose from. If you see the images below, the editing process is not tedious. You can start by choosing the preferred filter and then adjusting the brightness, contrast, etc. for the composition. Apart from Snapseed, I would recommend this app for a good clean image.

MEXTURES

Dreamy, vintage, dusty looks? All of this can be achieved using this one app. Even if I don’t use it often, but this app is the solution for all sorts of filters and colored editing. It gives your image a fresh and subtle touch. The way around this app is easy especially for beginners or even experts. Simply choose the desired formula to overlay your image, if you like the result, then your image is ready to save. If you would like some different styles or color, you may do some minor edits to it to complete the image. See images below for the complete steps.

In the last two images above, you will see the settings after you have chosen the formula. The formula divides itself into 4(four) layers (depending on formula) for you to play around and modify. To have the complete set of the overlay filters and formula you need to pay for it on AppStore but, they also have discounted packages for a reasonable price.

In conclusion, all the above apps mentioned, including from the first part of this article, are mostly the apps I love and enjoy using. There is no specific go-to app, despite a number of new apps emerging and evolving, I still find myself using these apps for my edits. The choice is yours, which app suits your taste to create images that stand out. Enjoy the process and continue to share your innovative creations!

The importance of lighting and why you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment with it

Posted on June 23, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

The importance of lighting in photography is a well-known topic that’s been discussed for ages, by both professionals and amateurs. We can easily define light as endless, ever-changing, and infinitely majestic. Light can soak a location with heartwarming golden colors or simply dance with mist in a dark room. Because of its versatility, light is often feared.

Experimenting with light seems to be an intimidating idea; first attempts to master light are often met with failed results, which might discourage many artists. After all, it’s still possible to take visually stunning photos when there’s a plentiful supply of light available. Though unsuccessful shots are inevitable in any photographer’s life (regardless of their level of experience), befriending the many sides of light is highly important. Several failed shots are worth experiencing if the ultimate goal is a strong understanding of light.

The importance of lighting in limited light situations

Creative potential and light go hand in hand; if there’s even a small source of light somewhere, there’s a chance you’ll be able to use it to create fascinating shots. Dark rooms with limited light, for example, can be used to take mysteriously inspiring portraits. If you prefer to decrease your ISO number as often as possible, encourage yourself to get out of your comfort zone and use a high ISO number. In most cameras nowadays, a high ISO isn’t extremely damaging to a photograph, especially if you shoot in RAW mode. A combination of RAW, a high ISO, and a sturdy tripod will allow you to take photographs that would lose their mystery if more light were available.
Limited light is also a great opportunity to take abstract photographs. Unclear portraits of people whose faces are slightly concealed often have the power to tell a deep story. Silhouettes or shadowed faces are great examples of photos that could instantly catch a viewer’s eye. If storytelling is something you’re interested in, limited light could help your stories come to life.

The manipulation of light

Light can be manipulated to make your photographs look like carefully crafted works of art. Find beautiful fabrics in your home (curtains are a great resource) to create intricate shadows on sunny days. If you’re a portrait photographer, this shadow play will help you take unique photos of people, photos that both you and the model will be proud to have. Interesting shadows can also be created using hands, trees, hair, grass, and more. Your imagination is the most important part of the equation, so make sure you nurture it whenever you have the chance. A big imagination will constantly give you peculiar and brilliant ideas, which will help you to continuously grow as a photographer. The more ideas you’ll acquire, the harder it’ll be to not make great progress.

Artificial lighting and its role in Photography

Though natural light isn’t accessible 24/7, artificial light is always there to help you take better images. This kind of light can be altered more easily than natural outdoor light, making it possible for you to have more control over everything. Artificial light can be moved, decreased, and covered in an endless amount of ways. Even everyday objects as simple as torches, desk lamps, and phone light can be used to take stunning portraits. That’s why it’s crucial to acknowledge the importance of lighting early on.

You might be repelled by the unflattering colors that artificial lights tend to create – yellowish or blue hues that alter skin tones dramatically. This, however, can be fixed by altering a camera’s white balance. If your camera’s white balance doesn’t fix the issue, don’t refrain from continuing to take photographs. Editing programs such as Lightroom can decrease an image’s temperature and gracefully fix any unwanted colors.

Confront your fears

Any creative fear can be changed by directly confronting the fear itself. If you’ve always avoided darkness for fear of getting blurred results, learn the power of high ISO numbers and strong tripods. If you’ve never been a fan of artificial light, research the works of talented studio photographers like Sue Bryce and give artificial light another chance. If you think your home is boring, notice the way light enters your room or the way your lamp makes your table shine. If you find too much natural light distasteful, dare to experiment with shadows. Open your mind to the beauty of light, no matter where you are, and you’ll get brilliant photographs in return.

Happy shooting!

Moscow Throughout the Seasons: An Inviting Adventure to Photography

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

Moscow, though often associated with endless coldness, goes through a variety of unique seasons. Every month possesses an air of mysteriousness; however, despite the unreliability of the weather, a creative opportunity is always waiting to be found and cherished. In this article, you’ll be introduced to the unpredictable seasons of Moscow, from freezing winter months to welcoming spring days. I hope this gives you a better idea of what this grand city is like throughout the year.

Moscow’s Winter

Winters are unrelenting in Moscow’s more rural areas. The city is treated kinder than surrounding villages, providing visitors with warm stores and outdoor food stands. Exploring the city’s streets often feels like observing everything through fogged up glass. The snow, often reminiscent of the violent storms one sees in documentaries, seems to speak of endless cold days and silence (save for the endless traffic, which is at its busiest). This time of year in Moscow is perfect for cozy indoor shoots. Those who have the time and desire to experiment with studio photography will find themselves thriving during this time. The brave individuals who do step outside are often provided with outstanding photo opportunities. Whichever option you choose if you ever visit the city, remember to dress warmly and have a thermos (or two) with you at all times!

In villages, the silencing atmosphere can be either comforting or intimidating, depending on how much of a city person you are. Village homes are covered in thin layers of frost. It’s not uncommon to see chickens huddling and clucking busily, completely familiar with the season’s harshness. The sight is so unique that one can’t help but take photos of everything, even if the temperature threatens to freeze any exposed skin. Though this time of year is considered the most discouraging, it holds uplifting treasures for those who listen, observe, and create.

Moscow’s Spring

In the spring, magic resides in details. Winter’s ice cold hands finally begin to thaw, leaving behind signs of exhilarating life. This is a hopeful and tender time of year filled with long days and sweet-smelling parks. Colors slowly begin to bleed into the picture; though they’re not as intense as summer’s bursts of color, their presence is strong enough to lift even the heaviest of spirits. This, of course, is necessary after months of dullness. Spring, unlike winter, is ideal for outdoor shoots. The floral additions, rejuvenating golden hours, and energizing mornings promise gorgeous wedding, portrait, and nature shots. Those who love anything flower related in the creative world will find joy in the middle of the month when the flowers lose their shyness and confidently step into the world.

Moscow’s Summer

Summer enters the scene grandly, like a relative you can always rely on. It lazily walks around, each step a day full of hazy thoughts and memories. The heat in Moscow isn’t unbearable, much to everyone’s relief. There may be days when the very center of the city seeks to burn your skin, but that is often impossible to predict beforehand. (This is why it’s always handy to have access to suncream and a hat.) It’s during this time of year that photographers of all sorts can thrive. Golden hours and longer days generously spend their time with people, promising endless creativity. The endlessness is so comforting and believable that for a moment, it’s possible to forget that the colder months are just around the corner. However, summer has a way of removing that fear and we almost, almost, don’t mind it when autumn knocks on the door with a suitcase full of leaves.

Moscow’s Autumn

This is a product of summer and winter, a realm between two very different worlds. Autumns in Moscow are crisp morning air, dry hands, and the foretelling of a renewed cycle. This is a time of preparation, of finding warmth before the winter calls the city’s name. Autumns are perhaps the most wonderful time of year for fashion and portrait photographers. Before the leaves depart, Moscow is a golden nest ideal for portraiture, landscapes, and everything in between. The lack of intense coldness allows for relatively comfortable shoots; at the same time, the chilly weather makes coming home all the more pleasant.

And just like that, the cycle begins all over again, each season waiting for an artist to capture its best and worst sides.

Complete guide to flash for beginners (III): Tips for using an external flash

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

If you are still reading this article series is probably because you decided that you need an external flash or you even got already one! Congratulations! You did the harder part. Now it is time to have fun! Unlike with the built-in-flash, shooting with an external one is a bit more than pointing and firing. If you don´t know yet how to handle your new gadget, don´t worry! We will give you some tips that will help you starting using it.

#1. If you want to use the TTL, you need to set your camera in Aperture Mode

This might seem obvious for a lot of photographers, but I did not know it when I started using the external flash. I usually shoot in Manual, so the TTL was not working for me. I was kind of: “What happens to this flash? Maybe I have to ask for a refund because it doesn’t work!”. So remember: No Aperture mode= No TTL!

#2. Wait a little between shots to give time to the flash to load

Maybe you are used to shoot several photos in a raw or in continuous mode. External flashes need some time to load , so if you shoot too fast, some of the times it won´t fire.

#3. Become a Bouncing master

Bouncing is one of the most important things you can do while using a external flash. It is not common to flash directly to the subject. Light will be too strong, it will look unnatural and in addition, it is uncomfortable for the model. Instead, the good thing to do is pointing with the flash to a surface close to your subject (wall, ceiling…). It is the light that reflects from this surface the one that will add light to your subject. It will be a diffused light, so it won´t be so strong and it will look

If you don´t have any evident surface to bounce in, you can use other things, such as the white clothes of somebody around you, a board, some furniture… or you can use reflectors and difusers .

#4 Be respectful when using your flash

Don´t fire your flash directly to the eyes of neither people nor animals. I always like to make sure that people does not mind I use the flash, especially if I am shooting events. The strong light can be quite annoying, so it is good that people agree. Some people get into the situation of wanting you to take nice photos, but they don´t want you to use the flash (or they complain about the light). In that cases, try to explain to them nicely that not using it might affect the quality of the photo. If they decide they don´t want flash anyway, at least you were clear about the consequences.

#5. Be extremely aware for not flashing babies.

It is easy remembering not using the flash when you take photos of a baby at home. But when you are in an event or with a big group of people, it is easier to miss it. Flashes are quite aggressive for delicate eyes of a baby, so try to be always aware of the proximity of one of them.

#6. Do wrist workouts.

Do some gym style exercises that will increase the strength of your wrists. Just kidding!! But if you are going to hold your camera with a external flash for long time (this happens a lot if you are shooting events), you will notice the extra weight. Rest form time to time to avoid soreness (and now I am serious! After shooting a night wedding and carrying the camera with the flash for several hours, I felt my writs sore next day).

I hope you liked this series and that you find it useful. Have a happy flashing

The Stories Behind Funny Outtakes: Spontaneity at its Best

Posted on May 25, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

We’ve all taken laughable images before. From being photobombed to tripping over unexpected objects, we’ve made ourselves (or our subjects) look silly in front of the camera. While photography is an amazing opportunity to find refuge and acceptance, it’s also a great chance to humble yourself and find joy in the smallest of situations.

I’ve accumulated an abundance of hilarious photographs over the years, some of which can be viewed below. Every shot is accompanied by a short explanation and behind-the-scenes story. I hope these images bring a smile to your face. Have a wonderful, wonderful day and don’t forget to laugh. 🙂

When others spot you

Self-portraiture plays a significant part in my creative life. The wonderful places I scout are often well-known tourist locations, though it seems that my camera has the power to attract unexpected visitors even to the emptiest of places. There have been many times when I’ve had to face an inquisitive neighbor or attempt to look casual next to a group of passing tourists. Though the act of taking self-portraits (or photos in general) is nothing to be embarrassed about, we naturally feel awkward whilst posing among people who are doing normal, day-to-day things. Interestingly enough, my funniest outtakes involve friends or family members who’ve caught me trying to do a blue steel pose in front of the camera. The images below are my reactions to their laughter.

This was taken in my favorite backyard on a wonderful summer day. My father unexpectedly turned up while I was hiding in the bushes, startling me. His amused expression encouraged me to pull a few faces.

There’s a gorgeous location in the mountains of Cyprus which bathes in tranquility. Taking photos there is an absolute joy, especially on scorching days. After taking a bunch of “serious” images, I started pulling faces just for the fun of it. However, while pulling a particularly unappealing face, I was spotted by a family member.

Unruly hair flips

There is nothing quite as amusing as a hair flip gone wrong. Furthermore, there is nothing quite as hilarious as a blurred photo featuring a hair flip gone wrong. My hair, which has a mind of its own, has to deal with my bird-like arm movements and unflattering facial expressions. More often than not, these hindrances provide me with funny opportunities to humble myself. 🙂

Nature’s various pranks

Many of my photos end up becoming outtakes thanks to a falling leaf covering my eyes or a branch sticking out of my hair. Though these results can still be used in a portfolio thanks to everyone’s beloved cropping tool, there’s something hilariously special about sharing the uncropped versions with others. For example, the photo below was taken in the same backyard I previously mentioned; upon throwing a few fallen leaves into the air, the camera caught a strange little moment: a small decoration gifted by nature. 😉

Uncooperative pets

I have a darling Scottish Fold kitten whose sassy attitude often prevents me from having successful shots (though you could call funny photo shoots successful). Despite being extremely photogenic, she rarely enjoys being held for a long time, especially in the presence of a camera. Some of her photoshoot habits include, but are not limited to, eating my hair, biting her own tail, and scratching my face. The positive side of this is that her rambunctious personality makes successful shots all the more valuable. More importantly, she gives me a chance to have a shoot that’s not only creativity-fulfilling but also very fun.

Fur in your mouth + your cat biting her tail may or may not be a good combination. I wanted this shoot to be a calming and graceful one, but the energetic ball of fur in my arms had different plans. (Not pictured: after biting her tail, she proceeded to bite, scratch, and finally lick my fingers. I’m not sure if she loves or hates me.)

I greatly favor unexpected outtakes, but I also find beauty in intentional face-pulling and expression making. It’s important to have fun during a shoot, no matter who or what your subject is. If there aren’t enough amusing elements around, create your own world of funny situations. If you’re working with someone, remember to relax; even if your shoot isn’t a humorous one, mutual comfortability will result in equally comfortable and visually appealing images. So remember to relax, have fun, and pull a few funny faces during your shoot.

Happy shooting!

The Power of Seeing Monochrome: Tones of Black and White

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Simran Nanwani

Colors have a way to give you a bright and cheerful feeling. There is just something about a photo that speaks colors. It brings out that energy and brightens up your day with it. Did you know that even photos in Black and White/Monochrome can intrigue you?

Black and White definitely gives you a retro feeling of the olden days, when photographers like Andre Kertesz, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Fan Ho created wonderful artistic memories. At the same time, in current times you will find many photographers including myself, trying to experiment shooting or even editing in Black and White to create a different moment with a touch of the past.

How do we find the right photo to edit in Black and White? Or maybe capture a moment in Black and White?

In a recent assignment titled “Cities in Black and White” on National Geographic by Matt Adams, I tried to experiment and submit to the assignment. We were allowed to edit photos into black and white. In the assignment, Matt gave us a guide as to what to see or how to find the right photo to edit. It was not easy to choose the colored photos to transform them in Black and White yet, it was a fun learning experience. It has also continued to help and guide me to keep improving and trying out various edits to get the right tones of Black and White.

Seeing through black and white can be a challenge but it can be simple. We have been quite accustomed to having the option of shooting in color that when looking at black and white it feels too plain. It is in that simplicity that many great moments have been created in the past and even today.

The photo above has been shot in pure black and white. There was the “Weekend Hashtag Project WHP” on Instagram at the time titled “Shadows and Light” if I recall correctly. This project helped me to experiment capturing in black and white. I saw the chair and the sunlight during the day was pretty good to create a shadow effect. From a particular angle, I captured the shot, to portray the serenity of the moment using the chair as my object.

We now turn to comparing between color and monochrome photos to see how editing and conversion can also bring out a good black and white tone to photos.

This prominent red colored photo of an art gallery brings the moment to life with the red, the artwork and the structures. I chose this photo to transform it into black and white. As you will see once transformed, there is a completely new sense of the moment. Everything is the same the artwork, structure, and perspective. We can’t say that color is missing as the essence is the same. It is now just a matter of personal preference.

In this photo, the raindrops with the bluish green background bring the raindrops to life with every detail of it. After we convert it to black and white we can see not just the raindrops are alive but every single aspect of the photo is visible. There is complete clarity. The black and white is my personal preference as it defines what I wanted to capture the moment.

Walking around Patan Durbar Square, Nepal this scene was quite pleasant. The details of the wonderful palace building with the sunlight blue skies and people walking around created a lovely moment. Capturing this in color and after a while transforming it to black and white, made the moment feel more captivating. The details of every aspect pop out more through monochromatic tones.

The insides of Patan Museum, Nepal was a feast for the eyes. The architecture and intricacy kept me fascinated looking for various aspects to capture this royal beauty. As we entered, without thinking I just clicked this scene of the girl standing and people sitting around. After completing the National Geographic assignment, I tried experimenting by converting this image to black and white and turns out the transformed version is much better. It focuses completely on the girl standing thus, creating a complete moment around it.

This moment was another pure black and white capture inside a Cathedral. The lighting inside was perfect to bring out the details and the black and white tones defined this moment entirely.

Lastly, through this patterned inside ground of Istiqlal Mosque, we can see how the colors combined with the skies form symmetry. Patterns can help to define black and white tones in moments more. Changing the image to black and white gives it a refined touch where all the lines and structure come in harmony together.

There is no perfect combination or formula to doing it right, just simply practicing. Fan Ho said, “it was always his goal to wait for the lighting and composition to fall into place when photographing.” That could be our benchmark when capturing in monochrome. As for editing, there could be many things we can take into consideration like patterns, structure, architecture or even people. It really all depends on finding the right balance and tones to convert it. Requires a lot of trial and error to get what you are looking for in the photo.

Monochrome will continue to be something we experiment on as we do not have the limit of films and that is what makes it a challenge. The questions of how did they do it in the past? How did they learn the balance of composition? The simplicity and limit enhanced their creativity to get it right. They were able to capture the essence of what composition is not quickly, but smoothly. With color, it can feel like we have more distractions when focusing on an object or moment. Both has its positives, eventually, the choice is ours to make and create photos to share and inspire.

The Reasons Behind Green Screen in Studio Photography

Posted on May 21, 2017 by Jennifer Berube

Green screens have a mixed reputation in the world of photography. On the one hand, if they’re used improperly, the final image looks fake. On the other, green screens allow studio photographers to create surreal images or put their models in exotic settings. A green screen is a fantastic tool, and there are plenty of reasons you should utilize it in your own studio photography.

Green Screens Give You the World

If you have a dedicated studio, you’ve already invested quite a bit in your photography. Even if that studio is in your home, setting aside an entire space and bringing in all the equipment you need is costly. You know what else is costly? Finding and shooting on location.

A green screen gives photographers the opportunity to place their subjects anywhere they want. In the age of digital art, having a collection of green screen portraits is a vital tool for many artists. Have you ever noticed how stock photography almost always utilizes a clearly defined subject with a white, blurred, or simply distant background? Most of those images feature subjects that were taken in front of a green screen.

With a green screen, your subjects can be flying, added into old family photos, or simply given a beautiful, but the unrealistic background. You can also use pre-collected images of locations and add those backgrounds to portraits in post-production. It takes practice to edit such images well, but if you use the same background multiple times for graduation, engagement, or glamor photos, you can master the art of adjusting your studio lighting to reflect the conditions of the artificial background.

This looks much better than simply pulling down various backdrops, which never look truly three-dimensional. It’s the same principle, though. It simply takes advantage of newer techniques and hardware. Naturally, this approach also saves the photographer money. A single green screen is much cheaper than a set of different backdrops.

They Make Editing a Breeze

If you hate editing basic portraits, the green screen could be your new best friend. While traditional white backgrounds are prone to smudges, wrinkles, and other eyesores, green screens literally disappear in editing. You can add in a pristine white background with very little work. It’s a shortcut to perfection.

Conversely, if editing is one of your favorite parts of photography, or you use your photos as part of elaborate manipulations, a green screen can help make your final images better. After all, cutting out a person’s hair in Photoshop will never be anything but a chore. It rarely looks exactly right, either. Green screen keeps everything about the subject but features nothing, not even a white backdrop, that you would need to edit out. This gives you more time to focus on the art of your project.

The Gear is Simple

Chances are, you already work with a digital camera. The only expensive equipment you really need for green screen work is your digital camera and the computer you use for editing. If you already have both of those, your major investments have already been made.

Green screens themselves are usually very cheap. Depending on the material, you can get a fabric backdrop for under $20. More expensive options are available, of course, and provide arguably better results. Higher quality materials, such as muslin, cost more. Rigid pop-up backgrounds, like FancierStudio’s Collapsible Backdrop, cost nearly twice as much as your cheapest options, and they’re fairly small. However, they’re free of the drapes and wrinkles that may cast shadows that will make editing more difficult.

If you go with a traditional fabric backdrop, you can either mount it to your wall or purchase a stand. These run anywhere from $30 to $100 depending on size, materials, and additional features. A basic stand, like LimoStudio’s 10 ft. Adjustable Backdrop System should cover nearly all studio photography needs.

Eventually, you’ll need digital backgrounds. You may not need to buy them, though. Plenty is available for free through online creative collaborations, and you should always work on developing some of your own. After all, no other photographer has your eye or style, so it’s good to have digital backdrops that compliment the style of photography you use in your studio.

Finally, IT’S FUN!

All technicalities aside, working with a green screen is simply fun. It’s a brilliant editing shortcut for simple portraits, and it allows photographers on just about any budget to expand their range. It brings nature into the studio through pre-shot digital backdrops, and it opens the door to some truly creative projects. The gear is simple, and you probably already have the most expensive equipment on hand. Whether you’re looking to reduce your work, find the perfect background, or give your sitters superpowers, a green screen and some editing can deliver your dreams.

An Autumn Morning in Cyprus and Self-Reflections

Posted on May 20, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

Autumns in Cyprus are a blur of fog, crunchy leaves, and rainy (self) reflections. Every autumn, my family and I would spend hours collecting refreshing water, hiking, and taking quirky photos in the mountains. Since Cyprus is a fairly humble little island free of endless traffic jams, getting to places requires no effort at all. This easiness allows the island’s inhabitants to freely explore the entire island. In the autumn, this is particularly useful.

There was a certain year when autumn grandly announced its arrival and showered the island with shades of amber and brown. Everybody was in a state of perpetual awe during this enchanting time; most people were either taking snapshots all the time or simply absorbing, wide-eyed, the bountiful supply of picturesque scenes. I was amongst the former, dutifully photographing both landscapes and details with any camera I could get my hands on. It was a refreshing period of time which put us all in a world where worries concerning time and pain didn’t exist. Because every individual had the chance to experience this worry-less reality, even if temporarily, more people seemed to get along. It was as if the season had cast a spell of tranquility on us all, blocking all resentment from entering our newfound bubble of safety.

The mountains’ personality changes along with the time of day. Aware of this fact, we decided to visit the mountains before they awakened. On a cozy morning, we packed spinach pie and a thermos full of hot tea and went looking for an adventure. On our way there (a trip that takes no longer than an hour and a half), we spotted a shepherd herding a flock of sheep. The group was carefully hidden behind a timid layer of fog, a ghostly yet comforting reminder of a simpler life. Such a sight, though common in the mountains, is a rare occurrence in the city itself. This is why exploration is precious – you could visit the same location over and over again, but the creative opportunities it would provide you with would always be diverse and endless. Finding unexpected situations to photograph is an absolute joy for us all. The good news is that you needn’t go far to experience this joy.

Around 30 minutes into the trip, we stopped to grab a few snacks in our favorite store, a place that smells like the best bakery in the world mixed with the wondrous scent of forests. There, we spotted another unexpected moment: birds appearing out of nowhere like fountains in the sky. They quickly and elegantly flew around the area, leaving behind mild echoes and feather souvenirs. This, combined with Birdy’s cover of the song Skinny Love, left an unforgettable mark on me. Though the grandiosity of this moment might not have abandoned me in the years to come, I would’ve forgotten to remember it had it not been for the images I took during that experience. It is for this reason – that significant yet unpredictable moment, when documented in one form or another, stay with us forever – that I cherish photography and everything it has to offer.

Entering the heart of the mountains was, as always, akin to a sigh of relief. Our favorite spot, an outdoor space where visitors could relax and collect fresh water, was located next to an abandoned little shed surrounded by a stream. In another environment, this would’ve been a disconcerting view; in the autumnal morning mountains, it was a visually appealing comfort. We spent the rest of the morning nibbling on goodies, discussing the beauty of the chilly season, and taking comfortable walks in the area. Every moment felt strangely endless, and in a way it was. When I go through the photographs I took back then, I find myself reliving every vivid moment as if it only happened a week ago. To quote from Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Slaughterhouse Five: “Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.”

I encourage you to visit all kinds of places, even your own backyard, and to look at them through the eyes of a curious observer. In that world of inquisitive thoughts, you will find exactly what you need, especially things you never knew you needed. There is endless value in being both present and photo-ready on this unpredictable, marvelous, colorful earth.

Beating anxiety, one photo at a time

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

Many people experience intense anxiety at one point or another. The feeling is often paralyzing, forcing a person to believe that they don’t belong anywhere. Though it’s a very private experience, anxiety is also a universal feeling which many of us can relate to and understand. In the photography world, anxious thoughts are powerful enough to affect even the most confident minds. Fortunately, embracing photography can obliterate uneasiness and push us to be more courageous when facing both personal and creative challenges.

Anxiety comes in all shapes and sizes, from a tiny pang of fear to a heavy storm of relentless doubts. If you’re not comfortable whilst socializing, you might fear the idea of photographing strangers or working with new models. If self-portraiture is something you wish to experiment with, you might be afraid of getting unflattering results. Natural as such insecurities may be, they can be removed with the help of a camera. All you need is persistence and a tiny drop of courage.

If you’re a beginner, especially one who’s interested in portraiture, then taking self-portraits first will greatly benefit you. When I first began taking photographs, I was both anxious and shy. The very thought of asking people to model for me made me queasy. Because I wasn’t confident in my own creative skills, I didn’t believe anybody else would be. This resulted in many solitary hours with the camera, which taught me much about photography’s technical aspects and my own posing abilities. Having to be in front of (and behind) the camera opened my mind; this, in turn, helped me understand the models I would be working with later on. Being able to relate to the modeling side of photography helped my future subjects feel relaxed in my presence. Knowing that I myself had been afraid of the camera made them trust me. If the photographer could face her self-doubt, why couldn’t they?

Self-portraiture let me confront my own fears and express negative emotions creatively. This was both cathartic and artistically productive. Since emotional images are often associated with tears and fury, we aim to avoid them. However, vulnerability doesn’t revolve around fragility only; it’s a combination of sensitivity, openness, and self-awareness. Understanding your emotions will not only help you create touching photographs, but it will also enhance your empathy, allowing you to be comfortable with any kinds of emotions. Viewing deep feelings through your lens will provide you with an objective perspective, one that will enable you to understand yourself and your needs better. Once you get to know yourself, your anxiety will lose its intensity and self-portraiture – or any other form of art – will become a place of creativity and growth.

If you’re not interested in portraiture but still feel anxious when taking pictures, find a comfortable location and photograph anything that appeals to you. Not having to worry about being disturbed by strangers will relax your mind and enhance your creativity. Go out on days when everybody else is busy or find a spot in your area that is rarely visited by people. These places will become comforting homes outside of home. In them, you’ll find the necessary time and space to familiarize yourself with your camera and various lighting conditions. Once you begin to “feel” your camera, you’ll feel brave enough to explore more, photograph more, and challenge yourself more bravely.

If you think photography causes anxiety, then think again. Photography can be a place of comfort for the frightened and a refuge for the weak. In the world of photos, sensitivity is happily embraced and nurtured. Furthermore, the same sensitivity is turned into amazing works of art which challenge and motivate others to improve. Practicing in any way will:

make you comfortable with your camera
give you space to understand yourself as an artist
enable you to empathize with future clients and models
help you embrace your own emotions

Most importantly, all of these things will allow you to beat anxiety, one photo at a time.

Good luck!

Photographer interview: Isabela Mayer

Posted on May 10, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

Isabela Mayer is a talented portrait photographer from Londrina, Brasil. Using all kinds of creative techniques, Isabela gracefully captures her models’ inner and outer beauty. In this interview, we talk about inspiration, how she fits photography into her busy schedule, and more.

What inspired you to start taking photographs?

I’ve always liked taking pictures since I was a child, but I think what really inspired me to go after a photography career were book covers. I love reading and even though we’re not meant to “choose a book by its cover” I’ve always done that, the books with beautiful and interesting photos on the cover caught my eye every time.

You have a great variety of stunning portraits. How do you make your models feel comfortable in front of your camera?

I feel like I’m a bit of an awkward person, I’ve always been really shy so working with models was a big challenge for me in the beginning. Nowadays I try to relax, make conversation and get to know them. The shots always turn out to be a lot of fun!

Judging by your gorgeously edited photographs, you seem to be very familiar with post-processing. What do you love most about editing?

I love choosing the colors I’m going to use for each shot. I feel like that’s a big part of how I make my images look my own.

In relation to the previous question, what’s your favorite editing program?

If I could only choose one I’d say Lightroom, it is so versatile! But I don’t think I could live without Photoshop. I usually combine both.

Since your portfolio is rich with portraits, what’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone who’s about to have their first client shoot?

I’d say take your time. Don’t be nervous and rush things, check your camera a couple of times to make sure you are happy with your images, the important thing is the final result and not how fast you end the shoot!

What parts of the photo-taking process do you find most challenging?

Finding locations. I live in a region where everything is green and not that interesting and the buildings are not that pretty either… I have to improvise and choose my angles well to make it work.

What do you wish you had known when you first started shooting?

I wish I had known more about photography equipment. When I first started out I spent all my money on the wrong things and later had to change all my equipment so it fit my purposes better.

You’ve grown so much as an artist over the years. What has been the biggest obstacle in your journey so far and how did you overcome it?

Thank you! My biggest obstacle is definitely university. I study architecture full time, so it’s a struggle to find time for photography. I think I’ll only overcome it when I graduate, haha, but as of now, I do my best to fit shoots into my crazy schedule, even if it means not sleeping much!

Is there any type of photography genre you’d like to experiment with more?

I think wedding photography. I’ve started taking photos of couples lately and it’s so captivating! I like the idea of telling stories through my photographs and there’s nothing quite like a good love story. Also, I love capturing feelings.

And finally, what do you tell yourself when you feel insecure about your work?

When I feel insecure I usually just take a break, watch films, distract myself for a bit so I can start having ideas and getting excited to photograph again. I try to always keep in mind that photography is a never ending learning experience, you are always learning new things and improving and sometimes that involves making mistakes or criticizing your own work.

You can find more of Isabela’s work on Facebook and Instagram.

Using mirrors to give you more creative space

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

Complete Guide to Flash for Beginners (II): Things to Consider when Buying an External Flash

Posted on April 30, 2017 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

In the previous article, I talked about the advantages and disadvantages of using an external flash. If you decided that it is time for you to get one, now you will face the big question: Which one should I buy? I struggled quite a lot before I got my first flash because I didn’t understand well the specifications. In addition, I did not know what I needed to have in order to answer my requirements. Today I will share with you everything I learned in the process of buying a flash. I hope this will make it easier for you!

Get to know what the specifications of a flash mean

When you are new into flashes, it might seem that the specifications and reviews are written in another language. TTL, guide number, flash value, zoom coverage, bounce capacity, speed sync…. a lot of new terminology you never heard before! Let’s go over all of them. You will be able to understand flash terminology in a flash (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun)!

Guide number: measures the flash’s ability to illuminate the subject so that it will have a balanced exposure. It is calculated as the distance the subject from the flash times the f-value of the aperture (in order to simplify it, the calculation is usually done with the iso value of 100). This calculation can help you decide on the type of flash you should buy but also can help you to decide on placement in the photo when using the flash you have and your camera settings.

Zoom coverage: indicates how far the light from the flash can reach (and still be effective for the photo). Some flashes can adjust the distance to be synchronized with the zoom of the lens

Bounce capacity: Certain flashes have swivel and tilting heads. This feature enables you to use the flash not only for illuminating your subject with direct light (which can be too hard in certain situations) but also to reflect (or bounce) the light off of surfaces, softening it in the process.

Speed Sync: When using a flash two actions happen: the shutter opens to expose the sensor (or film) to light and it discharges a burst of light onto the subject. In the basic level, these two actions need to be synchronized in order to be effective. In a more advanced level of flash usage, if it fires closer to the moment the shutter opens or having the flash closer to the moment the shutter closes will of light closer to the yield different effects.

TTL: In the camera, you have different modes to choose from: auto, aperture, manual etc. The external flash also has several modes of action. In manual mode, you set it as you want and the settings will remain that way until you change them. In TTL mode your flash changes its settings according to instructions from the camera. The camera tells the flash to discharge twice; first before the shot to allow the camera to adjust the flash settings, and second while taking the shot itself (while the shutter is open) in order to illuminate the subject.

Evaluate the use you will make

Choosing between one flash model and another will depend on the usage you intend for it. Some of the most frequent uses are:

Indoors portraits: When you take photos of one or two people in small and closed spaces, as is usually the case with indoors photography, you’ll mostly use the flash to remove shadows and give a bit more of light to the scene. You don’t need a super powerful flash with long coverage because you are usually close to the model and your light conditions are not the worst (you are not shooting in total darkness). However, it will be nice if you have TTL (it will be faster and your model will have easier time). Having a flash with rotating and tilting head will be useful too, because it will give you more flexibility to bounce the light from different directions and objects.

Indoors group portraits: Same as above, with the difference of having more than two subjects, this means you’d need to take the photo from a bigger distance from them so they will all fit in the frame. If this is your case, you would want a flash with higher flash value so it could reach from further away.

Portraits outdoors: You’ll probably be taking portraits at several locations which probably won’t provide the same protective and dependable environment a studio (or a room) would provide. I heard stories about flashes falling from cliffs or get broken because they fell because of a gust of In this case, I’d recommend you to get a flash that will be powerful enough, but still cheap (you might want to consider to take your chances with a none brand-name product). Then, if something happens to it, you won´t feel so bad about it.

Events: Events are a bit of a mixture of all of the above, they could require you to switch between locations, you might need to take photos of groups and/or individuals, you’ll probably need to take photos of little details as well as wide angle shots. In order to truly be prepared you might consider having more than just one flash (and even more than just one camera). Of course that depends on the nature of the event and what is required of you.

These were just some examples, meant to give you food for thought while you analyze your future use of the flash and why some flashes might fit better that others. You are the one that knows the type of photos you want to take, so the final decision is yours and it might be different from what I said in the examples.

Decide on a budget

Prices start at around 10 US Dollars and can go up to hundreds of dollars. Decide on a budget before you start looking. You can find the perfect flash for you and then realize that it is way too expensive and you can´t afford it. I always recommend not spend a lot on the first one you get. You don´t know yet if you are going to use it as much as you think. You might love using flash, but you might also hate it. Getting a flash with good quality/price ratio is always a good choice in my opinion especially when you are trying something new. You can always upgrade to a more expensive one in the future, when you are sure of your needs and real requirements. Also, it is better to make all the beginner’s mistakes done on a cheap piece of equipment than on an expensive one.

Same brand of your camera or a third party flash?

You can get a flash from the same brand as your camera or from a totally different company that makes flashes compatible with your camera (third party). There are advantages and disadvantages to the two options.

If you get a flash from the same brand of your camera, the compatibility is assured. Besides, most brand names provide worldwide repair services and most reliable private repair services will also be familiar with them. Moreover, some added value functions such as remote communication between the camera and the flash would work only when using devices of the same brand.

Third party flashes are usually cheaper, making a great option in case you have a budget to consider. Also, you might want it to have features or accessories that are provided by a specific brand.

First or second hand?

The advantages of getting a brand new flash are quite obvious, you know exactly what condition it is, you have a warranty and who to contact if you have issues or need of technical support. The major disadvantage is the cost. On the other hand, some people prefer buying second hand equipment when they try a new thing; it’s cheaper, you don’t have the constant fear of scratching it when using it and if you are electronic savvy who likes to fix things by yourself, warranty is not an issue. However, when it comes to flashes you must keep in mind that it has a light-bulb which has a life span measured by how many times it’s been fired (or lit). Make sure it is not going to burn out soon and keep in mind it will entail further expanses and a visit to the service lab.

I hope you’d found my article helpful. If you have any questions, suggestions or remarks feel free to write a comment. Happy shooting!

A day in the life of a photogenic kitten

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

I own a sassy little Scottish Fold called Mimi whose rambunctious personality gives me unique photo-taking opportunities every day. Though I mostly focus on portraiture, taking photos of animals gives me a chance to broaden my creative horizons and familiarize myself with mind-opening, genre-specific techniques. With this in mind, I decided to focus on an average day with my cat and find interesting creative doors as the day progressed. Here are the results.

While some cats are nocturnal animals, others enjoy sleeping at the same time as their owners. Mimi is a combination of both, switching from a peaceful nighttime cat to a wild creature lurking in the dark. The former is preferred by everyone not just because it gives the family an undisturbed night of sleep, but also because it makes Mimi fairly sleepy in the mornings – the ideal time to take cozy pet photos. A kitten experiencing the light of a new morning is exceedingly charming. This time of day is particularly useful for those who own wild kittens; photographing them early in the morning will help you avoid taking unsuccessful and blurry shots. Keeping the curtains drawn on a bright morning will also provide you with the best light: a mild yet clear environment for the best indoor pictures.

Mimi turns into a hyper creature as soon as she devours her breakfast. While this part of the day is a challenging one to capture, it’s worth diving into thanks to the often funny creative opportunities that arise. The light during this time is still mild, so worrying about lighting conditions isn’t a necessity. Taking into consideration the importance of capturing movement, the good lighting conditions are a huge plus. If the light isn’t favorable when your cat is in a playful mood, consider increasing your camera’s ISO number for less blurred results.

To make playtime more entertaining for both you and your cat, consider using distractions such as toys and snacks. These will catch your pet’s attention and serve as visually appealing foregrounds. Other objects which have the potential of becoming striking foregrounds are hair, blankets, and plants. Remember to reward your cat every few minutes so it feels encouraged and loved. Grumpy pets don’t make the best models, no matter how sweet they may look.

Exploring the apartment is something Mimi thoroughly enjoys, no matter how well she knows every room. Washing machines, doors, tables, and windows all fascinate her beyond measure. For unique and endearing images, follow your cat around and notice what interests them. Photograph them while they’re in their own bubble of curiosity. Exploration is the perfect time for spontaneity, and spontaneity is perfect for eye-catching and impressive shots.

Take advantage of your cat’s favorite hobby: napping. Mimi can sleep for hours on end, occasionally getting up and freezing mid-stretch. Since cats are so flexible, their sleeping and resting positions are often quite amusing. Mimi, for example, loves sleeping with her paws lined up neatly in front of her, just like The Sphinx of Giza. Photographing your cat’s unique quirks will give your photos more personality, so use your pet’s naptimes as an excuse to take awesome photos.

It really is all in the details. Focusing on parts of your cat – its paws, ears, eyes, and so on – will allow you to think more creatively due to the fact that it takes careful observation to find outstanding details. Instead of photographing your cat from a distance, find graceful parts that stand out to you. Making a collage out of those parts could be the start of an interesting project, for instance.

In just a day, you could acquire a plethora of sweet cat photographs. Imagine how wonderful your results would be if you photographed your pet more often if you started a project tracking its development and growth. Such projects, tough as they may sometimes be, are fantastic methods of improvement. Whatever you decide to do after reading this article, remember to reward your cat, be present while shooting (even if you’re focused), avoid stress, and most importantly, enjoy this wonderfully pleasant time together. The experience will leave you feeling warm and the photos will be the beginning of something wonderful.
Good luck!

5 Tips for Taking Unique Pictures of Fish

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Jennifer Berube

With bright colors, unique shapes, and smooth, gliding movements, it’s no wonder fish are a popular subject for photographers. A trip to the aquarium provides endless inspiration for potential captures, but it’s important to know what to look for to ensure your shots give you the results you want to see. Even if you’re shooting fish outside in a lake or river, there are some things you should keep in mind as you venture out with your camera.

Fish photography presents several unique challenges – like low light, reflections, fast-moving subjects, and shooting through water. Fortunately, these roadblocks can all be overcome through practice. In fact, once you know how to approach them, they can actually work to make your final images more interesting.

Your captures of fish could be some of the most spectacular photos in your portfolio – you just need to know how to approach these unique challenges in a way that will produce fantastic results.

1. Stay Out of the Shot

Even though aquariums are generally fairly dark, all those layers of glass reflect each bit of light in the room. You’ll see that the glass reflects the walls, benches, and even you and the other visitors, as well as reflections from all the other tanks. Using a lens hood and pressing your camera against the glass can help to block out all that extra light, but chances are you’ll still need to check your position to make sure your frame doesn’t include any unpleasant intrusions.

Even if you’re shooting outside, you’ll likely have to deal with reflections – but this time, they’ll be on the surface of the water. These can trip up your camera’s light meter, making it think there is more light in the scene than there actually is. Be careful about trusting any automatic settings, and use a handheld light meter if you can.

2. Capture the Action

Fish darting around and even jumping up out of the water will be moving quickly. You’ll need to use a wide aperture setting to let in as much light as possible, allowing your camera to use a faster shutter speed. That way, you can freeze the action and catch those fish in motion before they zoom off to another part of the aquarium, or disappear back beneath the waves.

This can be tricky in an aquarium, where the lighting might not be bright enough to allow for a quick shutter speed. To achieve this, try to find a scene with solid lighting and wait for the fish to come to you. Chances are you won’t have to wait long before some vibrant fish come along and capture the light with their bright scales.

3. Get Up Close

Using the right lens can make a huge difference when you’re trying to shoot something as small as fish. It can also help you cut through the water during a shoot at the aquarium, because the more water you have between yourself and your subject, the softer your focus will be. Frame your subject in a tight shot by using a lens that has a good range and can zoom in, where necessary.

At the aquarium, fish might also swim right up close to the glass – and if you’re pressed up with a lens hood, you might be too close for zoom. Ideally, you’ll want some range, so you can shoot wherever the fish might be swimming.

4. Don’t Sweat It

Condensation is a frustrating part of shooting anywhere you’ll find water. Humid environments, like on a lake or in an aquarium, can cause your camera to sweat and fog up. Newer cameras will even shut off to prevent damage if they recognized too much condensation in the internal circuitry. To keep this from disturbing your shoot, give your camera some time to adjust to a new environment before you try capturing photos.

5. Make Your Subject Pop

Whether you’re shooting at an aquarium or outside, it’s important to think carefully about your compositions. Frame your image in a way that makes the fish stand out from the background, which can be a challenge.

In an aquarium, you’ll have to fight against other brightly colored fish that might be competing for attention, or dark shadows that could close in on your subject. In the wild, there are all kinds of other distractions to deal with – splashing water droplets, plants and other animals can get in the way of a clean, simple composition that shows off the spectacular fish you’re trying to photograph.

Using these tips to take photographs of fish will help you come up with some impressive images that showcase the movement, colors, and shapes of these beautiful creatures. Grab your camera and get to the aquarium to test them out before the crowds show up!

Winter traditional events: taking photos in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Catalonia

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

Although winter might look as a gray sad season in many cases, it is not so in Vilanova i la Geltrú, the town where I was born. There are numerous traditional events here which take place in winter.

Vilanova i la Geltrú was formally recognized as a town already in the year 1274. The town is located about 40km south of Barcelona on the coastline known as “Costa Daurada” (the golden coast). It has the third largest port in Catalonia and agriculture and maritime trade are a traditional source of income in the town, however, the main source of income today is an industry.

Vilanova i la Geltrú is especially known for its traditional and popular festivals who are among the richest and most varied in Catalonia. The people of Vilanova are well known for their good spirit and enthusiasm for their festivals. The festivals are not held just for fun, they also intensify the sense of belonging to the community which is very consolidated and keeps the Catalan traditions alive. In fact, Vilanova is the only city in Catalonia able to keep the celebrations of Carnival under the totalitarian regime of Franco. Today, I want to share two traditional winter events that I hope will make you feel like coming to visit.

Traditional events Vilanova — Tradition is very important in Vilanova and most of the citizens have at least one full suit of the traditional clothes, even from a young age.

Sant Antoni Abat

The Feast of Sant Antoni Abat (Saint Anthony), also known as Tres Tombs, is a festival held every January 17. Sant Antoni Abat is the patron saint of the town and protector of animals. The festival starts with the will of honoring animals such as horses and donkeys for their important role in labor works. In our days all animals are honored. The festivity consists of three rounds of riding, racing, and blessings of the animals.

In the time of the festival and before you can witness processions and correfocs (fire-runs). In the correfoc, groups of people from the town (or invited groups from other towns) dress up as devils and dance in the streets with pitchforks that have fireworks attached to them. Groups of drummers, trumpeters, and other musicians follow the dancing demons and escort them with rhythmic traditional music. Spectators are encouraged to take precautions and not get too close unless they come with protective gear.

There are other traditional performances that usually take place at the weekends before and after San Antoni’s day. Many of them are done by members of the younger population of Vilanova.

Keep in mind: Depending on the country, laws about publishing photos of people in public spaces might change. In Spain, it is not allowed to publish photos without the permission of the model. There are some exceptions, such as for journalism or cultural reasons and only when the person is not the main focus of the photo. Street photography encounters here an ethical problem shared by all photographers as my colleague Leonardo Rigole explains in his article “Capturing life: A journey through street photography”.

As a photographer, you have the responsibility to get information about the laws regarding publication of people’s images in each country you visit. It is true, though, that sometimes the information is quite imprecise and that there are tons of people in the events taking photos with their phones and uploading directly to the social media without even thinking about it.

I personally decided not to upload photos that contain recognizable kids. Photos of details and closeups that don’t show the face can be a good alternative for the photos you want to share online. And about adults, I share their images when I consider them to have a cultural or informative aspect and always in a respectful way. However, if somebody would ask me to remove a photo, I would do so immediately.

Carnival

Carnival or “Carnaval” is a festival held in the seven days prior to Lent. The name carnival is associated with the word “carne” (from Latin, meat or flesh). In old times this week was the last week in which people could eat well until spring came; the people were already deep into winter and the food storages were starting to empty. It seems contradictory to have a feast in this period but this was in fact the last days to make use of meat and other rich foods because later they would go bad. Today the holiday is a week long celebration of dances, processions, masquerades, pranks and humorous miss conduct.

The apex of the celebration is at the weekend, on Friday the town’s folks go out to the streets in costumes to watch and take part in processions with music players, iconic characters, and a correfoc. The main event happens on Sunday. It is called Caramelada and it consists of a candy war. Thousands of couples organized in groups walk the streets in traditional clothes and bags with candies. While marching in the streets they wave the flag of their group and sing songs.

The couples fling sweets at rival group members and “innocent by-standers”. The High event of the day are a series of jubilant candy wars that take place in the town’s main square.

Don’t miss the cleaning staff. They are a spectacle by themselves.

Tips: Protect your lenses with at least a UV filter. A lot of flying candies end up crashing in your lens in a strong way. The different groups are entering into the square following a schedule. There is a war every half an hour or so, starting usually around 12h. The first ones are the kids. If you want to make sure you have a nice spot in the square to take photos, go there quite early because it gets full pretty quick.

At the end of the Caramelada you will be able to see how the city ends full of candies!! Bring shoes that won’t fall easily apart because the soles will stick to the sugar of the candies!

I hope you like the winter celebrations happening in my town! I can assure you they make the winter much more colorful! If you decide to come and visit, if you want to go to Vilanova and have questions or if you want to tell about your own winter traditions please write a comment! Have a happy shooting!!

Photographer interview: Martina Bertacchi

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

Martina Bertacchi is a talented photographer from Italy who photographs people in worlds unlike our own. Her portraits are charming and striking, focusing on the subject’s raw beauty and their surroundings. In this interview, Martina talks about her inspiration, ambitions, and the tips she’d give to aspiring portrait photographers. I hope you enjoy this eye-opening conversation!

What inspired you to start taking photographs?

I started taking pictures by chance about 6/7 years ago when I was still at school, and photography became a sort of safety valve on the days of full study. I took inspiration from the smallest things, also in the house, but mostly when I went out I really liked to capture nature, leaves, and flowers. My main source of inspiration was the Internet, sites like Flickr and Facebook have helped me a lot. I saw some photographs and I remained amazed by their beauty, so much that I wanted to start playing around with my camera and make it my own. Only much later I began to get interested in portraits.

You have many stunning photos of people. What do you look for in a model?

I love spontaneity in people. I think that in every single person there is a beauty. I consider it very important to constantly look into it, details even in the face. Sometimes the imperfection can become perfection. I prefer delicate, dreamy faces that tell something.

The subjects in your photographs are always very sharp and well-lit. What advice would you give to aspiring portrait photographers?

The advice I would give to a young aspiring portrait photographer is to not be fooled by the desire to have super expensive equipment but to also start experimenting with a simple camera, play with the lights and natural shadows. I think good post production is more important, as that is what gives meaning and feeling to your photo. Lightroom helped me a lot in the beginning.

What does your editing process consist of?

First I shoot in RAW. I find it essential to recover the lights in the background, and it’s more appropriate for the white balance. To develop the raw format I use Lightroom – as I said before, I modify the lights, use Photoshop to work on the skin, and then I play with colors, curves, tones, and contrast.

Who are your favorite artists and why?

I do not have a favorite artist. There are so many that I admire and I esteem. I prefer to quote emerging photographers that inspired me a lot, like Marta Bevacqua, Alessio Albi, Laura Zalenga, Alexandra Sophie. They represent fully the emotions, through their stories – almost fairy-tale atmospheres that fascinate me a lot.

Is there anything photography-related you wish you could tell your younger self?

I would say to always be themselves, to never give up, and never stop to create and experiment new things and to be inspired by anything that surrounds them.

Your models look very graceful and natural in your images. How do you make them feel comfortable in front of your camera?

I’m actually very shy. It happened several times to turn on the music and let myself and my models be carried by it. I always try to make them express themselves without forcing anything.

Is there a photography genre you’d like to experiment more with?

I’d like to experiment more with taking pictures indoors, with natural light, and why not also self-portraits. I find them very intimate and full of emotions.

What do you find most challenging about portrait photography?

Surely to capture the perfect moment, whatever fills my heart with joy and creates something magical and beautiful.

If a photographer approached you and asked for 3 tips, what would you tell them?

Yes, I have three pieces of advice for people who love making photography:
Let yourself be guided by your feelings and inspirations and most importantly, take the time to observe the environment in which you take pictures and always give a close look to your subject’s details in order to give value to your portraits.

You can find more of Martina’s work on her Flickr and Instagram.

Complete guide to How To Use Flash : Do I need an external flash?

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

There is a moment in the life of each photographer that the big question arrives: Do I need to get an external flash? The question is not easy to answer, mostly because when you are new to the subject, even the terminology used to describe them sounds confusing. After checking for a couple of flashes it’s easy to feel even more confused, so you can end up not getting an external flash or getting the first one you check. I want to help you to decide if you should get an external flash by putting together a complete guide with everything I learned when I decided to go into the wonderful world of external flashes.

In this first article, we will focus on the advantages and disadvantages of both the external and the built-in flash. This will help you to decide if you need to invest in an external flash or not. In the following articles of this guide, I will talk about things you should consider when you choose your external flash, some useful accessories and I will give some tips to start using your brand new flash! Let´s start!

Built-in flash

A built-in flash is an integral unit of the camera that discharges strong, rapid pulses of light when you are taking a photo. It is working in the most basic way possible. It is synchronized with the camera’s other apparatus.

Advantages of using a built-in flash

#1. Always with you: One of the main advantages of this flash is that it is already in your camera. You don´t need to choose it or make any effort to remember to put it inside your bag. It is always there ready to fire!

#2. Intuitive: Using the flash is something quite intuitive to most starting photographers; you are in the dark, you pop out your camera’s built-in flash, you take the photo- problem solved.

#3. Small and light: The built-in flash does not add extra volume or weight to your camera bag. Depending on the situation, this can be a really good thing.

Disadvantages of the built-in flash

#1 Light always comes from the same spot: The most obvious disadvantage of the built-in flash is marked in its name; you have no control over the light source location or its direction, it will always come from right in front of your subject. And most of the times this means that the light will go straight to his eyes (besides being annoying, it produces a very evident red-eye effect).

#2. Lack of adjustability: Most built-in flashes offer very little in terms of adjustability. Some cameras offer three options: “No flash” in which flash will not be fired, “Auto flash” in which the camera will trigger the flash if the exposure is too low, or “Default flesh” in which the flash will be fired every time you’ll take a photo. That´s all! In cameras with more advanced flash options you might find some more options, but usually, you need to change them from the settings menu and it is quite uncomfortable to do it.

#3. It uses your camera battery: The built-in flash is dependent on your camera’s battery, making your battery’s lifetime shorter.

#4. Not good for long distances: Although it could illuminate quite well for short distances of up to three or four meters, it loses its effectiveness at greater distances.

External flash

The external flash is like the built-in flash’s bigger brother. It is an external unit which can be attached to the camera body through a designated port called a horseshoe. The more basic external flashes are merely triggered by the camera while the more advanced ones can get more information from the camera such as the lighting conditions and the settings of the camera (aperture and shutter speed)

Advantages of using an external flash

#1. It saves camera battery because it has its own

#2. Placement flexibility: the fact that the external flash has its own battery means it is also possible to mount it on tripods or on feet of its own and place it wherever you want.

#3. Bouncing Head: the light source itself is usually set on a rotating and tilting head which allows you to play a bit more with the lighting’s angle, enabling you to bounce the light off of surfaces (this is good when you want to avoid hard light)

#4. accessories: the external flash can be combined with many gadgets and accessories such as reflectors, tripods, filters, diffusers and more. Using them could be very helpful and fun.

#5. You can control the light better: at the most fundamental level, the flash is a lightbulb, its intensity does not change, but the duration of the discharge can change if the flash is lit for a longer time the amount of light captured by the sensor is greater. In the external flash, setting and changing the duration of the discharge is one of the most basic things you can do.

#6. You can synchronize several flashes: I don’t know if you are thinking about using more than one flash for now, but it is good to know this possibility exists. It is a good way to ensure even lighting in the photo, especially when you have a big group or a complex subject, or if you want to create certain effects.

#7. They can reach further: external flashes have more power than the built-in ones, so you can illuminate subjects that are further from the flash.

Disadvantages of external flashes

Like with everything else in life, there is a trade-off when using an external flash. The more you want to get from the flash, the more planning is required and less spontaneous you can be.

#1. It adds weight to your camera bag: having its own battery means the weight is greater. Think that you usually will carry extra batteries too. So you end up with almost the same weight as if you are traveling with two cameras, and when you take a photo it’s as if you’re holding a camera and a half.

#2. It might take a lot of places: most external flashes are too big to fit in a standard camera side bag and require you to either have a specific bag or have a much bigger bag and the flash to be detached from the camera while inside.

#3. It is one more thing you need to recharge (and to remember to recharge). Having its own battery means you have another thing that requires a charger and a socket, this could be especially limiting if you are traveling

#4. You need to invest extra money: external flashes are not included with the camera, so you will need to spend some money and depending which type of flash you want, they can get really expensive (the range of prices is wide). In addition, depending on the type of photography you are into, it might be at risk of damage or loss (outdoors, bad weather conditions…) so you might prefer to get two cheaper flashes instead of one that is more expensive.

#5. Not so intuitive: after using them for a while they are not so complicated, but at first they are a bit hard to get used to. It is not just turn on and fire.

#6. Not all the flashes are compatible with all the cameras. This means you should ALWAYS CHECK COMPATIBILITY before purchasing a flash

In summary, built-in flashes are a good option if you don’t want to carry the extra weight that an external flash (and it’s batteries!!) might add to your bag. It will free you from charging batteries all the time and needing to check if they are ok (they don´t last so long when you the flash a lot). However, this freedom comes with a price: the loss of flexibility and control. Usually, the built-in flash is good if your photos aim to document a moment without too much regard to the photo’s technical quality (a good example of this situation will be when you are at a party and you want to commemorate your friends goofing off). However, when you want to have more control over your photos, The built-in flash is quite limited. If this is your case, you will need to consider the option of getting external flashes.

This is my first article in a series of articles about flash I hope you find it useful. If you have any questions, topic suggestions or remark write me a comment. Have a happy shooting!

How to take heartwarming photos with your cat

Posted on April 7, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

We’ve all attempted to take a sweet photo with our pet at one point or another. Such attempts are often fruitless, especially when cats are involved. Taking photos of them, let alone with them, is akin to running a marathon on an unpleasantly humid day (covered in scratches). The secret to taking interesting photos with your cat involves patience, observation, and creativity. The tips below will help you understand your cat and your camera better. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to take unique and heartwarming photos with your beloved pet.

Prepare your camera beforehand

It’s important to understand your own camera before you attempt to capture your cat’s personality. Plan your shoot at least a day before you have it. Consider the following:

Time of day
Unless you’re planning to use a studio, the time of day is of extreme importance during the shooting process. The darker it is, the higher your ISO number should be. The best lighting conditions are during golden hour (if you’re photographing outdoors) or at noon (if you’re indoors).
Focus
Are you going to be close to the camera or quite a distance away from it? Knowing where you’ll stand with your cat (so that both of you fit into the frame) will prevent you from having a confusing, unsuccessful shoot. Make sure your camera’s aperture is small enough to avoid blurring important parts of your composition. (A large aperture might create photos in which only your cat’s nose is in focus, for example.)
Prepare a distraction
Collect a few of your cat’s favourite toys and treats. Attaching its favourite possessions next to your camera will allow it to feel more comfortable and will encourage it to pay more attention to your camera. You could also ask someone your cat is familiar wih to help you distract it. Some cameras have a blinking timer light perfect for capturing a cat’s attention. If you feel like experimenting, see what your cat finds interesting and look in the same directions; this will add a great touch of spontaneity to your images.

Know where you’re going to shoot

Is your cat familiar with the spot where you’re planning to take photos? Taking it to a place which it doesn’t know well might result in panic, scratches, and a failed shoot. Consider your cat’s favourite places and take photos there. Even if they might not be the most picturesque locations, you’ll get a great experience which won’t stress anyone out. With time, your cat will be comfortable enough in your arms (and in front of your camera) to explore other locations.

Make sure your cat is comfortable and happy

If you own rambunctious kittens, play with them a few minutes before your shoot to avoid restlessness. If you have older cats, make sure they’re content and full. Photographing cats soon after they’ve woken up will prevent them from getting too excited and allow them to be calm enough for your shoot. Unlike us humans, cats look photogenic even after a long nap, so makeup or skin (fur) retouching shouldn’t be a worry at all. Furthermore, remember to have some food nearby so your cat knows that its hard work will pay off. Reward it with a small treats every few minutes to encourage its enthusiasm. In addition to treats, keep toys and a bed nearby to make your cat feel safe.

Experiment

If posed photos don’t interest you, embrace spontaneity instead. As mentioned previously, you should familiarize yourself with the settings in your camera before your shoot. Make sure the focus, aperture, and shutter speed are perfect for the lighting conditions you’ll be working with. Once you’re happy with the settings, position your camera and interact with your cat. Play with it, reward it, and accept its unpredictable nature. The results will be unique and perfect for memory-keeping.

The more you shoot, the more your cat will enjoy the photo-taking process. When it feels more comfortable in your camera’s presence, feel free to experiment with different times of day, light patterns, etc. Here are a few ideas: a silhouette of you holding your cat at night, a double exposure, a simple casual photo in the kitchen with backlight illuminating the room.

If a shoot doesn’t go the way you expect it to, try again later. Don’t allow yourself to give up easily. Photographs of any kind, especially ones with your pet, are worth the hard work and determination because of the wonderful memories they keep for us.

Tips and Tricks for Using a Light Meter

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Jennifer Berube

Light meters might seem like an intimidating piece of equipment, but they can be one of the most important tools a photographer has at their disposal. The information provided by a light meter can help you set your exposure properly to achieve the mood you’re looking to capture in your image. By using the reading from a light meter, you can set your camera to shoot the image correctly exposed, or under or overexposed to suit your artistic style.

Cameras have a limit to the level of brightness they can capture, called dynamic range. A good light meter gives you an idea of where these areas of brightness fall. It shows you which areas will be either too light or too dark to contain any details.

That way, you can adjust your camera’s exposure to capture the most important parts of the image. You can also see if you need to expand the dynamic range of the scene by switching to a high dynamic range technique.

However, your camera can often produce inaccurate light readings. This happens especially often if you’re shooting a scene with a lot of black or a lot of white, to influence the perceived brightness. This confuses the computerized meter, and if you trust your camera to adjust the exposure for you, you’ll end up with a disappointing result.

Types of Light Metering

Built-in light meters aren’t capable of measuring incident, or ambient, light. This is the light that falls directly onto your subject and is measured through the meter’s lumisphere, which looks like a white dome. With an incident light meter, you can correct exposure errors that can occur when your subject is backlit.

Reflective light metering picks up the brightness of the light bouncing off your subject and can be set to measure the light using several different patterns. Evaluative metering uses a precise algorithm to measure the exposure in several zones within the frame. Center-weighted metering will prioritize the middle of the frame when judging exposure. Finally, spot metering reads the light in just a small part of the frame.

By measuring the intensity of both ambient light and reflective light, a hand-held light meter can give you a much more accurate reading. Once you’ve input your ISO, and your shutter speed in certain instances, the meter tells you what f-stop setting to use on your camera to achieve the perfect exposure.

Shooting Landscapes

You probably only need an incident meter reading to accurately set your exposure for capturing landscapes. Hold out your meter and check to see that the light hitting your lumisphere is the same light falling on the scene you hope to shoot. Make sure you don’t have the lumisphere in direct sunlight – you want to measure the incident light in the shadowy parts of the scene, to retain as much detail as possible in your image. Once you’ve pressed the meter button to see the f-stop reading, set your camera’s shutter and aperture and get shooting.

A reflective meter reading will be more accurate if you use your meter’s memory button to capture readings from a number of areas with differing brightness. Use the average button to get an appropriate exposure value, and use that average reading to set your camera.

Shooting Portraits

Using an incident light meter when shooting portraits helps you to retain the details and tones of your subject’s skin and face, creating a more accurate and interesting portrait. Use the lumisphere to get a reading of the light falling on your subject’s face and adjust your camera’s settings accordingly. Portraits are generally more flattering when they are shot slightly overexposed. Once you’ve got your reading, bump your camera up one more stop for a bright, attractive head shot.

Again, take several readings from important parts of your subject – highlights on their cheeks, shadows in their hair and clothes. Press the average button to see the final exposure value to input on your camera.

Shooting Still Life

A light meter is a very valuable tool for shooting professional quality still life product photos. Capture a reading of the light hitting your subject by using your meter’s lumisphere, no matter how bright or dark your subject is. The reading from your meter will give you a good base exposure to set your camera, but feel free to bump it up or drop it down a few steps to achieve the effect you’re looking for.

By now, you should have an idea of which areas are most important to get a good reading with a reflective spot meter. The average of these readings will give you a solid exposure value, but again, adjust it however you like to capture the mood you hope to achieve.

Using a light meter will take a bit of practice, but the more you use it, the more you’ll understand how helpful this tool can be for any kind of photography. Save yourself tons of post-processing work and retain the important details in every shot by investing in a professional light meter to shoot properly exposed images every single time.

Tips for Winter photography in a warm weather area

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

I love winter photos. There is something special in landscapes full of snow, people covered in several layers of winter clothes, animals with white fur… Unfortunately, I do not get many chances to take such photos because I live close to Barcelona, in a warm Mediterranean area. For me snow is something extremely unusual. It snows here once in 20 years and when it happens Barcelona just shuts down.

Although our winter doesn’t look so wintery we still have it!! It is just different and not so hard as in other parts of the world. But we still notice a big difference between our summer and our winter: we have rains and cloudy days, temperatures are lower and it can get really windy. However, we still have quite a lot sunny days even in winter.

Winter photography tips are a bit different for areas with Mediterranean or any other warm weather. Unless we travel to some mountain, we won’t need special protection for our gear from low temperature or snow and even rain can be handled quite easily.On the other hand, we don’t have the typical image of the white winter people usually think of. Today I am coming with winter tips adapted to warm weather areas. Let’s check them out!

#1 Focus your photos in weather elements that represent winter in your area

Observe your winter weather, look for weather elements that represent it. It might be the wind, the rain or a gray sky. Try to include weather elements in your photos to give them a more wintery look. Trees moving billowing in the wind, heavy clouds, rain puddles in the streets…

#2 Include nature elements in your frame

Nature has strong seasonal patterns, so you can take advantage of it! Trees without leaves, plants that are typically from winter, birds or other animals that are typical for winter.

#3 Take photos of winter events

There are things that happen only in winter in winter. Well, known holidays such Christmas also got quite universal, so including Christmas decorations might also have a connection with winter ( if you are in the North hemisphere).

But there are a lot of other local events related with “winter”. For example, in some catalonian comarques such as Garraf and Penedes, we celebrate the “Xato Days”. The Xato is a typical dish that we eat just in winter. During the Xato Days, experts in xato meet for contests that will determine who is cooking the best Xato. These contests are held in the different municipalities, in a street event. Here, we heard “Xato” and we think: Winter food! You can find local events around the world that are related to winter. Maybe not a lot of people knows about them outside your region. However, I think that sharing your local events through your photography is a great way to show a different and unique aspect of this season and to spread your local activities and traditions.

#4 Look for universal elements that we all associate with “cold”

In the last tip, I told you to go local. Another totally different strategy is to look for elements that everybody associates with winter. Photos of people with coats, wood hats, scarves billowing in the wind, cups with hot steamy beverages, burning fireplaces, all are associated with winter.

#5 Emphasize the wintery look of your photos in Lightroom

You can emphasize the wintery look of your photos using Lightroom or any other editing program. Color has a big association with the mood of your images. Increasing the blue colors by using the Temperature slider in Lightroom (Develop module) will give it a cooler look.

You can check this article about Color and mood to learn in more detail how to modify the color of your photos.

Decreasing the saturation of your photos or using a matte effect might also help you to get a more wintery look. You can check the Masterclass about saturation to learn how the Saturation slide work. For winter look, the saturation should decrease (moving the saturation slider towards the left) because you want to lessen the colors instead of enhancing them. The matte effect is also a good resource for winter. I explained how to get this effect in Lightroom in my article about “Tips for post-processing forest images in Lightroom”. Scroll down to the “Add a dreamy look” for detailed explanations.

Winter presets are also really helpful. Besides saving a lot of time in post-processing, presets provides you with a lot of new creative approaches.

Photographer interview: A Time with the Talented Marvel Harris

Posted on March 17, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

What inspired you to start taking photographs?

I bought my first camera at the age of sixteen. I started photography with self-portraits, to capture my own emotions which I found hard to deal with and difficult to talk about. While growing older, my passion to capture the vulnerable parts of myself and other people only grew. I have been battling with mental illness since the age of twelve and taking self-portraits and showing them to my parents has helped me to communicate.

I have always wanted to help others by being open about my own struggles. At first, I found it extremely scary to capture my own vulnerabilities and to share the pictures that I took of myself on Social Media, but I got such sweet private messages from people, telling me that I have helped them, that it motivated me to keep creating what I love to create and love to do.

You take stunning images of other people. What do you look for in a model?

Thank you! When I capture the imperfections and vulnerabilities of people other than myself, I want to let them feel that painful feelings can become more bearable when you share them with others. I noticed that sharing my own story made me feel less alone. Together with my models, I want to tell a story and make the invisible visible.

Who are your favorite artists and how have they influenced your work?

Lots of photographers have influenced my work and Facebook has helped me to get in contact with some of them. People like Ines Rehberger, Joel Robison, Laura Zalenga and Taya Iv are an inspiration to me, because they tell wonderful stories with their beautiful and outstanding images; they motivated me to capture my own stories and in my own way.

Your self-portraits are incredibly honest and touching. What does a typical self-portrait shoots look like?

Right now I am working on a project called ‘Inner Journey’ and the pictures for that series are currently taken with my Fujifilm X70. The series is about mental illness, self-love, self-acceptance and my struggle with gender identity.

I also have a Canon EOS 7D and I use a tripod to hold my camera and a remote to handle long-distance shots instead of a timer. When I grab my camera to take self-portraits, it’s mostly when I don’t know how to deal with feelings such as anxiety, emptiness, loneliness or being desperate about the future. After capturing emotions like that and after editing the picture in Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop, I can look at myself from a distance and stop my negative thoughts from spiraling out of control; self-portraiture helps me to feel able to breathe again after an episode like that.

As you can see, photography is therapeutic to me and I think that’s why my self-portraits are as honest and raw as they are.

If you could photograph anyone in the world, who would it be?

I don’t have any specific person in mind. To me, it really doesn’t matter who sits in front of my camera, but if I am able to tell a story together with the person in front of my camera.

But I would love to meet the photographers that inspire me, so we can take pictures together.

What has been the most challenging creative obstacle in your life so far, and how did you overcome it?

Taking pictures with light different from natural light. Sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone, how scary this may seem, and experiment with things different from what you are used to doing.

For me that was experimenting with hard light and hard shadows. Eventually, I found my way in there and came to the conclusion that it can also be fun to step out of your comfort zone and to explore new things.

When you’re faced with a creative block, what do you do?

I will start writing in my journal, because I am more connected with myself when I write; when I am more connected with myself, it will be easier to find the inspiration to start shooting again.

If you could give your younger self one piece of photography-related advice, what would it be?

Keep trying and experimenting and never stop creating because people don’t like your work. When people say left, go right for once and see where you will end. Try to improve yourself every moment and follow your own path by doing what you love the most.

You have a rich collection of black & white photos in your portfolio. What do you love most about monochrome photography?

We don’t see the world in black and white, but when you are fighting against a mental illness the world seems like it has lost all its colors; it seems dark.

I think when you are focusing on capturing emotions, that you are more drawn to the subject when shooting in black and white; looking into someone’s eyes, without being distracted by all the different colors, can provide a stronger emotional connection.

What, in your opinion, is the most important thing an aspiring photographer should know?

Stay true to yourself and create your own style. Accept criticism and ask people for constructive feedback, but don’t apply blindly. Never compare your own journey with the journey of someone else, because you are unique and life is a long journey of self-discovery.

You can find more of Marvel’s work on her website, Facebook, and Instagram

Capture Daily Life with Style: Framing lifestyle with a camera

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Simran Nanwani

How does one capture daily moments?

We walk about our daily lives and pass by every minute without realizing how quickly time flies. Try slowing down our pace, observing every moment that goes by, feeling it and then capturing a snapshot.

When capturing what’s the first thought that crosses your mind? How amazing the sunset is, or how beautiful the flower is?. What about how simple the moment is or how in harmony with nature everything is? The idea of beauty differs from person to person. But, paying attention to simplicity and nature is what everyday life photography is all about. We are continuously looking at daily happenings and finding the inspiration to snap a shot; the thought should only be to do that. Staying in that moment where the eye can reflect it into a picturesque moment. It’s not about when I capture this; the first thing would be posting it on social media but, it’s about the moment itself.

Red Flower by Elaine Taylor

Technology and social media, as good as it is, if we don’t use it productively, takes the taste of true photography out of our lives. We have “forgotten” what it is to capture the moment for what it truly is. There are 365 days photography challenges everywhere, only to challenge us to click simple moments without planning. These challenges are only to motivate the photographer, so we don’t lose touch with photography.

There is no technique necessary when clicking every day, but it’s more about paying attention to everything around us, feeling it and then transmitting it into a moment. It could be as simple as a cup of coffee on a table. You see, you like how it looked, and you clicked.

Cup of Coffee by Elaine Taylor

The image above has been captured by a good friend Elaine Taylor for her Project 365, and the image ultimately reflects the spontaneity yet the subtlety of the moment.

Here are some words from Elaine on why she wanted to try the 365 days Project and how the experience has been so far:

There were three things I wanted to do this year in relation to my mobile photography.

The first was to share more of what I shoot. I take shots every day but share just one or two images per week via my Instagram profile. I have thousands of images in my camera roll that are unlikely to be seen by anyone but me. The second was to take more pure Hipstamatic shots. I adore Hipstamatic. It’s the first app I installed on my phone and the thing that kickstarted my mobile photography passion. The third was to print more of my images.

I’d seen a post on Facebook by Eric Rozen, Founder of Hipstography.com. He was planning to do a 365 project this year. It inspired me to do the same. I thought it would be a great way to achieve all the things I’d mentioned above. So I set out to record a pure hipstamatic shot every day and intend to create (and print!) a book or calendar at the end of the process.

I’m really enjoying it so far. It’s a great way to document my every day life and will be a reminder of key dates/events, but much more than that, a reminder of the little important stuff that happens daily. I’m trying to focus on capturing an image that is a good reflection of that particular day without worrying about what I posted the day before. I’m aware that I won’t be sharing an amazing photo every day, but I hope each one will be meaningful and together provide a good reflection of 2017 when I look back on them.

A few of her images from her project:

Top it Off by Elaine Taylor

Colors and Flower by Elaine Taylor

Play by Elaine Taylor

Her images portray the moment in its purest and simplest time captured straight from the heart. And that is what photography is all about.

Sharing some of my everyday moments captured instantly and the stories behind it:

Blue Skies at Monas

It was a clear day when we started our walking tour to the National Monument (Jakarta), and as we were about to finish the tour, the skies were starting to turn gray and gloomy. You can see our National Mosque in the distance, and I wanted to capture this image with the angle pointing towards the skies and mosque. There was not much contemplation to the capture but more of feeling and clicking.

Rain On

Raindrops have always caught my attention for the longest time, not sure why but it’s probably the way the round drops beautifully form on the window. It is amazing how nature creates such intense, lovely moments precisely. It can be a challenge to capture raindrops especially to get the shot you have in your mind, but with a few clicks, I was able to click this image.

Coffee and Yellow

Sitting at the National Museum (Jakarta) coffee shop, I noticed this scene and instantly captured it. The classic windows, with the posters in frames and the bright yellow, transports you to a nostalgic era.

Chinese Lanterns

During Chinese New Year, I came across this lovely lantern decorations in an alley, and as always, the colors attracted my attention. The ambiance of the night filled with colors intensified my motivation to click simply.

Graphical Collision

This was a graphical poster I found at a mall in front of a renovated store. Something about the illustration transported me to Paris or Europe even and I wanted to try to create a picture with the graphics in the background.

Backdrop Sunlight

This was captured last year at a restaurant during a trip to Bali. The table with a blend of the Singer Sewing Machine reminded me of the olden days. It was fascinating how creative the combination was. The sunlight in the backdrop reflecting on the table created an image in my mind.

Through all the images, you can see that eventually what sets everyday life images apart is they are unplanned. It is a moment that stands as it is and has been captured through the heart spontaneously. There has to be a blend of two things: what you feel during the moment and clicking it once you’ve felt it. Many times when I have done so, the images created turn out far better than the ones I planned.

We must not forget that very first feeling we felt when seeing the moment and transmit it into a scene so that as we look back, it will only make us Smile. Beautiful treasured moments do not come from planning rather from the willingness to take the leap of faith and taking a shot that has come from your heart.

How to create your very own home studio in 2 days

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Blagoja Martinovski

Have you ever wonder how much of your precious time and even more of your precious money will you need to create your own home studio?

Well, this went thru my mind couple of weeks ago after I needed to rent one. I started an online research, and I created one, and believe me it was not difficult and it did not cost much.

So let’s get started. First, you need space, extra room in your home, a garage, or a basement. Sure, if you don’t have extra room things get tricky, the cheapest solution, in this case, is to use your home.

Go to a furniture store and by two coat hooks. They have to be only useful, not expensive pretty or something fancy. Put them on the both end sides of your studio’s back wall.

Next, you will need a sheet that is wide and long enough. The longer and wider, the better. I guess that you will figure that this is the backdrop.

Also if your space is wider, you will need a rope between the hooks and clamps so that you can stretch the sheet evenly. Don’t worry about the clamps because they will stay out of the photos.

You will need a continuous lighting kit set, speedlights, stands, umbrellas or other light diffusers. If your studio has windows with direct daylight, you may consider buying light reflectors also.

If you have constant lights facing your object, you will instantly see how is the light falling on. But these kinds of lights are showing a lack of power and brightness. Therefore, you will need additional light. Speedlight’s are compact and easy to operate on the set. The best way to use these lights is in conjunction with radio triggers and receivers. This allows you to use them off the camera and you can move the speedlights around the studio. But the best of the best is to have professional studio strobes. These are a dream come true when compared to the speedlights and constant lights, but they come with the highest price tag. They are seriously powerful, and they have very fast charging time that will never slow you down. But strobes are professional equipment and don’t consider them if your plans are a studio for a hobby.

Umbrellas are here in the studio to spread light. This is a nice choice if you are trying to light a bigger area or a group of people. In the stores, you can buy different types of umbrellas, but for a home studio stick with a white umbrella or a silver reflective umbrella. These are highly portable and very cheap depending on what you get.

Now all of these things should be put in their own space. You don’t want somebody to trip over your equipment and make a mess of it. Having this dedicated space is also important because you don’t want your clients to feel like they have just invaded your personal space. Also, your clients, kids, or friends-models will appreciate the comfort in your studio, and this additional will influence the quality of your final product and to the will to collaborate with you.

Consider leaving a room to zoom in the studio. The perfect studio should be a least 6 meters long so that you can make a standing portrait with a 50mm lens. You can shoot standing portraits in the shorter studio with wide angle lens, but you will find out that you have distortion on the photos and that is not good when we are talking about portraits.

Also if the ceilings are low, they will bounce of the light making the ceiling a big reflector board. If your photos show unwanted light, then consider putting a black piece of fabric on the ceiling only to suck the light.

After you are done with your studio preparations, you should practice a little bit, and find your perfect set up, depending on the object that you are shooting. Your photos will look very professional and if it is your first time at a studio you will be amazed of your final product. Don’t forget to hang some of your best photos on the wall. Probably your clients have already seen some of your work somewhere on the social networks or your web page, but seeing a printed photo is something else. Printed photo it’s an entirely different experience and really brings the photo to life.

As for the answer to the question, it takes me 2 days and 307$ (2x speedlights 96$, 2x Stands 76$, 2x umbrellas 60$, 1x reflector (5 in one) 45$, 1x sheet 20$, Clamps and hooks 10$) to create my own studio.

Hiding and highlighting facial features

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

At times, the key to a unique portrait is a touch of mystery: hands covering an eye, windswept hair sheltering half a person’s face, a seemingly simple texture highlighting one’s lips. These subtle layers of obscurity create fascinating – sometimes even abstract – works of art, ones which amuse their viewers and make their creators beam with pride. Transforming simple portraits into creative, eye-catching ones isn’t as challenging as many artists believe. Even if you’re short on time during a shoot, you can still take gorgeous photographs which will please both you and your subject. Here are tips on how to do this.

Hair

We’re all familiar with portraits in which the model’s face is hiding behind vibrantly colored locks. The impact such images have aren’t capable of losing their allure since there’s an overwhelming amount of hair textures and colors out there. No matter how cliché such images might seem to you, try covering your subject’s face with their hair and see if the results pleasantly surprise you. 🙂

Foregrounds

Foregrounds possess an infinite amount of creative possibilities because they can be almost anything, from a tattered curtain to a wrecked window pane in an abandoned house. These objects, visually appealing or not, will inevitably increase the meaning of your images and add a great creative touch to them. Foregrounds are blurred most of the time, so how they look shouldn’t be important to you. Experiment with shapes, sizes, and patterns, remembering to hide parts of your subject’s face at the same time. The results will impress both you and others.

Cropping

The cropping tool is perfect for creating mysterious photographs. If you find an image too dull and exposed, forget the rules for a moment and crop part of your subject’s face. Experiment fearlessly with this tool and see what looks right to you as an art-loving individual. Combining intriguing foregrounds and cropping half of your subject’s face to expose their eye, for example, will create an image the story of which others will want to know. Similarly, you could conceal your subject’s face with their hair and crop out their lips. Photos of this sort are a great way to experiment with compositions and to challenge yourself as a photographer and editor. Additionally, mysterious (yet at the same time, simple) photos like this are often used for book covers, a huge plus which will inevitably enrich your portfolio.

Hands

Since hands are capable of reflecting a plethora of emotions, adding them to your portraits will give them even more potential to touch your viewers. If you wish to give your photos a fragile touch, photograph your subject peeking at the camera through their fingers. If you want to achieve a feeling of inner strength, shoot your subject while they’re covering their mouth during a carefree moment of laughter. These interactions and “disguises” will add an interesting element to your photograph, something that’ll make your entire portfolio stand out.

Light

While overexposure is often looked down upon, it can prove to be a useful tool for photographers. In the image below, the lower part of the subject’s face is overexposed, giving a powerful idea of silence. Her surprised and almost pleading expression adds to the image’s quietening atmosphere, further strengthening the concept of silence. Thus, finding patches of light and concealing/highlighting certain facial features will not only make your images interesting to look at, but it will also intensify their meaning.

Objects

While foregrounds serve as composition enhancers, objects like plants can be used to both hide parts of a face and become a part of it. Flowers are ideal for this as they’re photogenic and capable of beautifully complementing a face. (For example, simple white flowers could enhance a natural makeup look.) If you’re having a (client) shoot outdoors, make the most of nature, especially branches and flowers. Hide certain facial features using nature to tell a powerful story. (If you don’t have a desire to strengthen your storytelling skills, this method will still work for you.)

Textures

The Internet is brimming with textures of all sorts. Even if you’re not experienced in Photoshop, you can master textures within a few minutes thanks to the abundance of free tutorials out there. Textures are valuable to all kinds of photographers – they add gorgeous details to images that would’ve been too simple without them and are capable of concealing unwanted details. Furthermore, they just make your image look great. Use them to your creative advantage, whether it’s to cover an eye using a light leak or to hide everything saves your subject’s lips using a stock photo of water.

What story do you want to tell? Will hiding your subject’s eyes and focusing on his or her lips reflect your unique story? Will cropping half of their face make a strong point? Prepare ideas before your shoot, taking the time to consider your shooting location and your model’s features, and you’ll end up with impressive, incredible results.

Good luck!

How to Capture Water Splash Photography

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Blagoja Martinovski

What I’m going to offer to you today would be how to freeze a moment, reproducing the illusion of motion with a bowl of water and a piece or whole fruit. In another word, today subject is Fruity Splash photography.

It is not an ordinary photography; I consider this type of photos as a special effect photos.

So let’s begin. A friend of mine is planning to open a smoothie store and asked me if I could make some fruit pictures for him. I did not want to make simple ordinary dead nature photos, and that’s how I came up with an idea for this kind of photos.

You don’t, need much of equipment. A tripod and a remote shooter, average macro lens, a Speedlite flash unit or two, a transparent bowl, and cardboard background (I prefer black background) will be enough. Back in the days when my brother had an aquarium, we had different kinds of problems with the tap water, so I used bottled water just to get rid of all the bubbles on the inner side of the bowl.

The setup is the most important. First, the surface will be flooded with water from all the splashes, so be prepared to clean and keep a towel close to you. The camera should be set to cover only the bowl and the background. Then get your flashes ready. If you have only one flash, you should consider having an additional reflector or a bright light. They should be set on the both sides of the bowl, not in the front or the back of the bowl. This creates a great effect and is visible on both the glass and water. Buy many different kinds of fruits just to have many objects for shooting. Also, you can make two photos with one fruit if you shoot the whole fruit and a second photo when sliced. If you ask me Lemons and other citrus fruits are the best because of the freshness, they bring in to the photography.

Now we are talking about the camera settings. Use aperture form f/4 to f/8. I found that f/5.6 works great. For the shooter speed, you should use anywhere between 1/125s up to 1/250s, but you should experiment on this and find what is best for you. The ISO is also something that is negotiable, I used ISO 400, and it was just fine. The request from my friend demanded that I use RAW format rather than JPEG, and that is what I always prefer to use for something like this. For this setting, the autofocus works great, so manual or auto-focus does not make any difference. The white balance is set on flash. Finally connect the remote shooter because we don’t need any vibrations on the camera, and make sure that the camera is away from the bowl because nobody wants to splash water on the camera and the lens. It is a must that you use the continuous burst shooting or a timer mode.

The only thing left is that you drop the fruit in the bowl. But wait, it is not that simple. This is where patience is the key to success, and it is the fun part for this kind of photography. You will need to master the art of pressing the shutter with your left hand, waiting for the timer to end, then dropping the fruit with your right hand and firing the flash with your left hand. The timing is essential, and you will miss a fruit or two just to figure out when to press the button or to drop the fruit. Be sure that you don’t drop the fruit from a location that is too high; it will create a big splash that the camera may not capture, along with that, it can create a mess in your home studio. With practice, you will determine the height for the drop, and you will get the perfect photo. After your first success, things get easy. I find that you get the best splash in the photos if you trigger the flash as the fruit hits bottom, though this will take a lot of trial and error and you will probably end up with a lot of photos of your fruit hovering over the surface of the water. The key is to take a lot of photos. But after you upload them into your computer you will have to choose only 5 to 10 images, because it’s “impossible” to edit all of them.

Post processing the photos is the next step. This is optional but is recommended.

So that is it, go on and try this beautiful and fun technique.

How to adjust the color temperature of your photos directly in your camera

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

Have you ever taken photos and realized that the colors are not as you saw them in the scene? Don’t worry because this is common in photography. This effect is caused by the difference in the light sources. The sun on a bright day, on a cloudy day, a light bulb… different light sources emit light with different hues and this makes them have different color cast. Our brains “corrects” the color cast, but our cameras don’t do it unless we tell them. Have you ever heard about white balance (WB)? This is what will help you to avoid color casts in your photos due to the light source. Color and WB might be a bit confusing at first, but once you understand, it gets easy and fun to play with them. Let’s start with color!

How to adjust the color temperature of your photos directly in your camera — The same scene with different color temperature has a totally different effect on the viewer. The upper photo has a slightly yellow cast that makes it seem warm. The lower one has a blue cast that makes it have a cooler feeling to it.

A bit of color science: The connection between color and temperature:

I am not going to get into a huge scientific explanation, but I think it helps to know the story of William Thomson in order to understand where some color concepts are coming from. William Thomson was also known as Baron Kelvin the 1^st (1824-1907). He was a mathematical physicist and engineer. He was the responsible for formulating the Kelvin scale which measures absolute temperatures (for that reason temperature is measured in Kelvin units!).

In his experiments, Kelvin noticed that, as it is being heated, carbon changes its color. Thus he saw that it is possible to align a scale of colors to the one of temperature. This is how the concept of color temperature was born. At absolute zero (-273.15ºC, cold) the corresponding color is black. The visible spectrum of the scale runs between 1700K and 12000K. Ironically, the colors are organized on the kelvin scale in reverse from what we consider as “warm colors” and “cold colors”; “warmer” colors like red orange or yellow have lower temperatures on the kelvin scale than “cooler” colors like blue or purple.

Color temperature and photography

The color temperature of a photograph is the dominance of some colors over others. When the lighting is what we call “neutral” the whites will appear as white. However, when the scene has a light cast that goes towards the red (yellow, orange) or towards the blue than whites won’t look like white anymore, but reddish or bluish respectively. So depending on the light of a scene, its color temperature will vary. Let’s see it with some examples

5500K: white or neutral. Correspond to the midday light

Less than 5500K: more yellow, red

More than 5500K: towards the blues

Some useful numbers that are good to keep in mind are:

1000K: candle light (they are towards the yellows)

2000K: sunset (yellows-reds)

2500K: light bulbs (they usually have a yellowish tint)

6000-8000K: cloudy day (they are towards the blue and gray colors)

So, in different situations, our light emits different color temperatures, which in turn give our photos different hues. This can be used to make beautiful photos. However, this also causes complications. As I said before, our human brains are able to detect and adjust the images we see with our eyes so we understand what is the true color of the object we see. Our cameras are not able to do it and unless we tell them what is the color temperature of the scene.

Fortunately, we have ways to correct the hues of our photos. We can do it in post-processing using Lightroom for example, but usually, I prefer doing it through the camera itself.

How to adjust the color temperature on the field: white balance

Most cameras (even point and shoot compact cameras) have an option to set the white balance, using this option you are telling the camera what type of lighting you are in. Here I will talk in general, but take a look at the manual of your camera to check specifications.

Auto white balance: This is the easiest way and it actually works in most of the cases. I am not the biggest fan of auto modes (I even shoot most of my photos in Manual mode!!), but I had to admit that Auto White Balance does a decent job. You just need to set your camera on Auto WB and it will make the best adjustment according to the measurements it does when the photo is taken. However, in some cases, the AutoWB is not working well (it usually happens more with artificial lights) and then you need to use other settings.

Semi-automatic white balance: In the more basic cameras, you can choose between a few preset defaults. The most common are Cloudy, shade, tungsten, fluorescent and flash. Each one of these presets try to compensate the light temperature in each situation and bring the hues closer to neutral lighting. Let’s see it with some examples:

Photos from cloudy days are usually looking quite gray. The Cloud setting will warm them up already in your camera. The shade preset is doing something similar, but adding a bit more of yellow than the Cloudy preset.

Color temperature — Cloudy days are usually quite cold in their color temperature because they have a lot of blue and gray in them

For indoors and night photography, fluorescent and tungsten can be really handy. Fluorescent lights are quite cold, so using their preset will warm the image. On the other hand, tungsten lights are usually warm, so their presets will cool down the image.

When you are using a flash, your photos might look a bit cold. The Flash preset will also warm the image a little.

Presets change from camera to camera so have a look to your manual and get to know the presets of your camera and play with them in order to understand the effect they have on the image.

Tell the camera a value in Kelvin: In the more advanced cameras in addition to the auto WB and the semiautomatic presets, you can also define the light balance yourself by telling the camera the Kelvin value of the light of the scene.

If you took a photo with a color cast you don’t like, don’t worry! You can change it on your computer! However, I highly recommend you to have the files in RAW format and not jpg. Although it is possible to modify color temperature in jpg format, the loss of quality will be so high that it won’t be worth it. With RAW, the process will be easy and your image will keep its quality.

You can adjust color temperature in post-processing using different software. My colleagues wrote about how to do it in Lightroom, Camera RAW, and Photoshop.

Use color temperature creatively

Now that you have an understanding of color temperature and white balance, you can use the color temperature in order to express what you want in your images. Do you want to give a sense of warmth to your image by adding a bit of yellow? Use the Cloud setting even if it is not cloudy and you will have a yellow cast in your photo! Do you want to add a bit of blues to add a sense of coldness? Try with the Tungsten preset! Experiment and have fun with WB!

Happy shooting!!!

Naturally enhancing photographs in Adobe Lightroom

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

Finding the Perfect Backgrounds for Your Photographs

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Mariah Baumgartle

There is always an element in photography that you have to think about with every subject, and that’s background. This is true in still life, product, fashion, portraits, and even landscape. There are a few background choices for each of these different types of photography. A background can be a wide array of buildings, walls, floors, color, landscape, greenery; the sky is the limit (literally.) It is always a good idea to know what to look for while location scouting as well.

A lot of your background detail also has to do with your depth of field. You can either control your background with a blurred or sharpness by a shallow or deep depth of field, depending on your subject matter. A shallow depth of field is popular in portraits, so your subject is your main point of focus. You can use a deeper depth of field though to enhance your background clarity and texture. Keep your subject away from the background and not right up against a graffiti wall and tree, this is because these textures and colors can be too distracting. Shooting your subject in wide open spaces with a shallow depth of field and will give you the ability to have a subtle background of light colors and textures. Graffiti is a great example for this because it is a popular choice for a fun and colorful background but can also become a little distracting to your subject so by shooting your subject away from the background you can still gather the color and design without too much detail. Other background choices that you can use the subtle color, texture, and pattern are brick walls, wallpapers, and colorful doors. Think about the landscape in your image too and the great environment you are located in.

A variety of angles can also help your background choices. If you are shooting down on your subject you can use various lines on the road, grass, or any other greenery around or even just the texture. Shooting forward onto your subject will give you space and environment area that you are in. Shooting up on your subject can make you a viewpoint of the sky, clouds, or anything else above your subject matter.

Food and still life photography gives you an excellent array of choices with colors, textures, and backgrounds and offers a great way to be creative. You can even make your backgrounds using various woods and papers. Another background choice for smaller subjects is scrapbook paper from your local craft store where you can purchase paper patterns that look like wood, marble, and other surfaces that you enjoy.

There are some things you will want to avoid in your background. By using these guidelines, it will help you avoid distractions from the subject of your image. You usually want the brightest point of your image to be your subject; this means that you will want to avoid brighter highlights in the background or colors that could be distracting such as bright oranges, neons, etc. Poles and tree branches are common objects that can get in the way of a great photograph and something you want to avoid, especially when shooting portraits.

If you are having a difficult time finding the right kind of background texture and color you can always Photoshop out your background and replace it with a new background. There are many Photoshop actions, and Lightroom presets to help you achieve this. This is also where green screen photography comes in handy. A green screen can help you knock out the background easier to replace it later on. This color is used because Photoshop can read the color much better to separate from your subject in post editing.

When we are talking about the background, you always want to consider foreground as a factor in your photography. The foreground is a great way to bring depth into your image and also a good use of framing. You can achieve this by setting objects in front of your still-life images. Use trees or greenery in the foreground with a shallow depth of field, or any other creative factors to frame your image. If you find your foreground is too sharp in your image and becomes a distraction you can always blur this in post-production.

Why is Photography Post-Production Important?

Posted on February 21, 2017 by Jennifer Berube

Post-production is the defining factor that separates professional quality images from casual snapshots. Just as writers need editing, photographers need post-production. You don’t have to be a professional, though, to benefit from editing tools. Even if you don’t plan on selling or showcasing your photos, you still want your photos to represent what you meant to capture. Although photography techniques and equipment continue to improve, its methods are still primitive compared to the mechanics of the human eye. Post-production gives photographers the opportunity to fix errors and enhance an image’s features so the image lives up to the photographer’s vision.

Post-production is half of the art behind photography. It’s the photographer’s chance to engage with their photos in a hands-on fashion, making improvements and alterations to the RAW image. The photographer’s artistic vision is not complete until after the finishing touches they add using photo editing software like Photoshop or Lightroom.

Flaws

Reality isn’t perfect. Your camera isn’t perfect, either. Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate and you’re left with images that appear too dull, too dark, or even overexposed. Accidents happen, too, and you may discover your perfect shot was actually taken with the wrong settings. Portraits may need retouching, and you may discover your photos are off-center or in need of cropping. No photographer, and no camera is perfect.

Photos Aren’t Always True to Life

No matter how advanced your equipment may be, it can’t capture the exact same shades and lighting you perceive with your naked eye. Every photographer is familiar with the frustration of trying to capture a beautiful sky without turning the foreground into a black mass. On the other hand, if you have a clear, well-illuminated foreground, the sky will almost inevitably become a blank, gray or white field. The secret to linking illuminated foreground with fascinating clouds and blue skies is post-production.

Light is essential for photography, but it can still cause problems. Although you can control your light sources very well in an indoor studio, you may still have issues with color. Light causes more problems when you shoot on location, however. You will deal with backlit subjects, side lighting, and frustrating shadows. Your eyes compensate for various light levels, but your camera records all of those levels at the same time, which means even slightly brighter areas will appear overexposed in your image. Post-production allows you to adjust the image the camera captured to match what you saw with your eyes.

Your Vision May Not Be True to Life

Photography is an art form. In order to bring your vision to life, however, you will often have to manipulate the contents of your photo. Post-production allows you to bend reality to suit fantastical shots or to add various effects to your work. It’s common for photographers to blend black and white techniques with color features, or for light sources included in an image to be exaggerated for dramatic effect.

Post-production also gives you tools to manage the quality and focus of light and color. This is essential for composites and single images alike since these qualities set the tone and mood of your photo. The same qualities also determine the focus of an image. Many of today’s most popular photographers use regular post-production techniques to transform simple images into fantastic glimpses into the photographer’s imagination.

Benjamin Von Wong takes incredible underwater photography, for instance, and relies on post-production to translate flat, gray shots into images full of bright contrasts and dazzling colors. Von Wong routinely overexposes his images in order to have the most range for post-production. While it’s easy to enhance shadows, it’s harder to recover details buried in darkness. Without the edits he makes in post, his images wouldn’t quite be the breathtaking masterpieces that have gone viral.

Even Good Photos Could Be Better

Even a little time in post can turn an average photo into something worth sharing. The second look gives photographers the chance to see their image as a viewer rather than as the photographer. They can assess angles, light, and subject. Cropping, one of the easiest and most common post-production tools, can dramatically change the entire focus and balance of an image.

More advanced techniques can reveal details lost to overexposure and restore a realistic color balance to the image. Whether you are improving professional portraits or trying to recapture the memories in your vacation pictures, post-production can make the difference between giving your image a frame or sending it on a trip to the trash can.

Everything you do in post is just as important as the initial shoot. Collecting RAW images is probably more fun than editing them, but a RAW image is an unfinished product. Photographers often display some of their greatest artistic talents in post-production, and photography is one of today’s most popular art forms. It doesn’t matter if you take photographs for yourself or others. You owe it to your craft to spend at least a little time in post-production.

Tips for low light photography without flash

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you had to shoot low light photography without flash? It happened to me in some events, one of them was a night wedding in the countryside.

Wedding in low light — Weddings at night are beautiful…but they are difficult to shoot!

These challenging situations of having to shoot low light photography without flash usually happen at events when the flash is annoying some of the participants and guests or when babies are involved. On those occasions, I feel as if someone tied my arm behind my back (only one of them, the other is holding the camera). With these limitations, I have to change the way I shoot photos. I am happy to share with you a few things you can do if you find yourself in situations of this kind.

External lights — It can be frustrating not being able to use external flashes (on the left) or LED lighting devices (on the right). Take these situations as challenges that will make you grow as a photographer (yes, optimism is a good approach here).

Use a wide aperture

The first thing you can try to nail that low light photography without flash is to open your aperture wide. If you know about your predicament in advance, you should choose a lens with a wide aperture that you are comfortable to work with (keep in mind that not all wide aperture lenses will be good for you, there is a tradeoff and you need to compromise over things). When you work with this low f stops (wide apertures), you should keep in mind that they are usually making the background blurry. This is great for isolating your subject and making it pop in the photo, however, if you forget about this, you might lose important parts of the image that you wanted sharp. Just try to remember and take care.

Shallow depth of field — This photo was taken with an aperture of f1.8. As you can see, the depth of field was so narrow that the only thing in focus is the megaphone of the little guy on the right.

Although fast lenses (the ones that can get really wide apertures) are great for low light photography without flash, they are also quite expensive. I have just one of them, a 35mm. This is a great lens and it is affordable. It is pretty good for newborn photography, when you get close to your subject and you usually have time to react or even set a little the scene. However, for situations where you have to react fast I think using a zoom lens can be more useful. The problem is that those are much more expensive! I have never been able to get one. If you are in my situation, keep reading because I developed strategies which solve low light situations without getting expensive equipment.

good lens for low light — This is my only lens that can get to f 1.8. It is a 35mm and I love it!!

Increase the ISO…and fix it later in post processing (Lightroom)

I am not the biggest fan of using high ISO values because the images get noisy. But extreme situations like low light photography without flash call for extreme measures! A high ISO value of 800 or higher will be helpful in this case. It is always good to know that you can reduce the noise in post-processing. And good news: using Lightroom for dealing with noise is easy. In the Develop module, under the Detail section, you will find several interesting slides dedicated to Noise reduction: Luminance and Color Noise slides.

The Luminance Noise is the general noise caused by the brightness of the image, Color Noise is the color dots you see when you zoom in on an image that you shoot at high ISO. You can see them easier in the shadows of an image. Before starting to work on reducing the noise it is better to zoom in on the image by clicking the 1:1 in the Navigator and selecting on it the area you want to focus in.

First thing to do is to reduce the Luminance Noise. A good value will be 30-40.

low light photography — These are the original image settings.

Keep in mind that when you decrease noises, you also lose definition. Everything has a price! Photos can get a painted look, so you aim to find the sweet spot where you reduce enough noise but still keep enough detail.

Once you are done with the Luminance Noise Reduction slider, you can adjust a little bringing some detail with the Detail Slide. Increasing the detail brings noise back though. You can also increase the contrast a little, but this one also brings noise back. In summary, The Luminance Noise slider is the one that you have to use to do the first Noise reduction and then you can tune it finer with the Detail and Contrast sliders. It might be tricky at the beginning, but it gets better with some practice.

Now you need to do the same with the Color Noise Reduction Slide. The default value is 25. If you don´t have a lot of noise, this value might be good, but if your image has a really high ISO value, you will need to increase it quite a lot. Try 50 and adjust accordingly. Then you can fine-tune it by increasing the detail, but remember that this will bring back the noise. You can also play a little with the Smoothness slide. I usually leave Detail and Smoothness on their default values.

And finally, if you can’t beat the enemy, join him. Add a grainy effect. It might seem like you were looking for it! The trick here is to make the photo look clearly grainy, to let the viewers see that this effect is intentional.

Use a tripod or alternative stabilization methods

To increase the amount of light going into your sensor, you can also decrease the shutter speed. There is a limit where the speed is so low that the slight movements of your hands cause the photo to be smudged and blurry. This limit depends on the lens you use (more zoom, more evident is the shaking) as well as your personal abilities. Usually, the limit is around 1/80 sec. You can avoid it by simply using a tripod.

I find tripods really useful in low-light situation when you can stick to a spot and take photos of objects or places. However, if you need to be mobile, or you are in a busy event, the tripod can be uncomfortable and sometimes even impossible to use. In that case, you can use alternative stabilization methods, that might not be so efficient, but they can solve your situation. If you have money to spare, you can buy equipment such as monopods, or wearable chassis. Alternatively, you can use any surface you find to stabilize your camera (like tables, closets, chairs…anything can work). You can lean on a wall and shoot with the elbows tight to your sides to avoid shaking. You can also sit or lean forward with your elbows on your knees while shooting.

If you still get people blurry because they move all the time, you can try to ask them to freeze their movement for longer than usual (“excuse me, could you just not move for three seconds”). Try to make it sound fun and people will usually be fine with it.

I hope these tricks will help you in low light situations. Do you have any other strategies to handle it? Please, share it with us. We are always happy to learn new things. Have a happy shooting!

Get Creative with an App – Cool Smartphone Apps for Photography

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Simran Nanwani

Smartphones have made our lives a lot easier especially for photographers. The continuous developments in technology and gadgets with improvised cameras on smartphones, allow us to capture any moment in one click. They also come with a range of applications to choose from for photo editing. Having used smartphones for a while now, some of my personal go to apps would be Snapseed, Hipstamatic, VSCO and SKRWT. Here are some tips about using these apps and why I have preferred them every time.

Snapseed

Snapseed has always been my go-to app for editing most of my images; it’s like using Photoshop but a lot simpler. Snapseed is an app developed by Google, and it is available for iOS and Android. It is a well-developed app with all the necessary features you need to create crisp, clean and vibrant images. Editing with Snapseed allows you to play around with various features to create a picture that suits your taste.

Before Edit

When you open the app, you pick an image that you’d like to edit. After choosing your image, you create the edit by selecting the features as shown below.

After you choose the features and adjustments you need for your image, you click save, and you will have the edited image as seen below.

Some of the features I used in this edit were Tune Image, Structure, Drama and Blur. The Tune Image feature can be used to play with the brightness, contrast, saturation, ambience, highlight, shadow and warmth by increasing or decreasing them accordingly. To improve the details of the image, you can use structure by increasing it. I choose mostly not to sharpen my image depending on the need. Features like drama, blur or HDR, can be utilized depending on the mood you want to portray in the photo.

Standby Bikes at Old Town, Jakarta

There are other features in Snapseed which are worth trying like selective adjust when you want to brighten or darken a particular area in your image. The HDR scape feature can be used when you have people or landscapes in your image and would like to draw more attention to detail on them. The Black and White feature is also quite useful to transform your images from colour to Black and White.

SKRWT

Ever captured an image that is not in perfect symmetry? Unable to find the right app to get it in place?… SKRWT is the answer. It is relatively a newer app than Snapseed but works perfectly for putting your pictures into perspective. This app is available for iOS and Android.

Before Edit

As you open the app, you choose your image, for example, the above image and then start playing around with the features to create your perspective. See image below.

After Edit

I enjoy using this app as the available features are easy to use, and you can quickly create an exceptional alignment and structure to your images. They also have a very active Instagram account with useful tips and discussions on photography.

VSCO

VSCO is an app with a variety of filters/presets to give your images a touch of nostalgia or clarity depending on the filter you choose. It also has a photo sharing community and is available on iOS and Android. This is my go-to app when I want to create a classic or mellow image.

After choosing preset

VSCO can be used to capture, edit and share images. Using the same image as SKRWT, I’d like to complete the picture processing with VSCO. Once you open the app and add your image, you can choose which preset you like. After selecting the preset you can use the other features to adjust brightness, contrast, highlight, saturation, sharpen, fade, etc. to compose your image. See picture below after the complete process.

Hipstamatic

Last but not least, my all-time favorite app Hipstamatic. This app is only available on iOS. Hipstamatic is an app that provides you with numerous Film, Lens, and Flash to shoot. Recently, they have added the editing feature so; you can use any image from your camera roll and edit it using Hipstamatic film and lens. Trying to find the right combo for your images can be a challenge when you start using the app. But, as you use the app you understand more how it works. There are Instagram accounts like Hipstaconnect that help you with challenges on a weekly basis to familiarize yourself with the app.

Before Edit

When you open the app, you can choose the image you like and then choose one of the combos available at the bottom or create your combo of film, lens, and flash. See image below.

Basel combo

After choosing the preferred combo, you can make other adjustments like brightness, contrast, fade, saturation, clarity, texture, depth of field, etc. to the image. See image below.

This is the second preferred app for me as it has a variety of features with specific details that you can use to create an image. The final version of the image after the edits can be seen below.

‘Si Jagur’ the Canon at Old City, Jakarta

There are some apps we can use to create images that suit our creativity and style. But, it is always best to draw it down to those very few that work for you regarding features and usage. The more apps you have, the harder, it will be for you to produce images fitting your style. Variety can make it confusing to pick the right app. If the app has useful features, is user-friendly and produces excellent images, it makes you want to keep going back to the app to edit your images. The apps above have worked for me till date as I always go back to them for all my edits.

Make your editing process a fun and creative aspect, to compose images into a stunning moment.

Why faceless portraits are worth taking

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

How to use a reflector to enhance your photography: a beginner’s guide

Posted on January 23, 2017 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

One of the most important elements of photography is, of course, light. If you like taking photos outdoors, one of the challenges you will face is that you can’t adjust the light sources so much. The sun and street lights can’t be moved, so you need to find the way to make their light work for you. Sunlight is also influenced by the time. For example, if it is high noon our light is coming from right above us and it is a very hard light. But if we are taking a photo at sunrise or sunset, the light will come at an angle. Light intensity also varies between sunny days and when the sky is hazy, foggy or cloudy.

Light variance allows us to take spectacular and diverse photos. However, sometimes we want to have a bit more control over the lighting. One of the simplest and most efficient means to do it is by using a reflector.

What is a reflector?

In my opinion, the best photography equipment that I ever got is my reflector. It took me several years into photography to get one. I guess that I always saw reflectors as something that only professionals use. In fact, reflectors are one of the most affordable pieces of equipment a photographer can have. Mine have cost me around 14 euros in Amazon.

A reflector is basically a surface which redirects the light towards a desired subject. You can even make one yourself with a cardboard and aluminum foil. There are many variations and kinds of reflectors available on the market. The most common and affordable ones are the collapsible round reflectors with multiple colors. They consist of a foldable frame with a translucent cloth stretched over them. These frames come with a reversible envelope which offers four different surfaces (usually white, silver, gold and black). Don’t repeat my mistake, get (or make) yourself a reflector soon. You will see how easily your images improve.

How to use a reflector

Using a reflector, you can bring in light from additional angles and lighten shadows. In other words, you use them to change the direction of the light sources in order to add light to dark areas that make your image look bad. Using a reflector is very similar to what we did when we were kids and we played with the light beams from mirrors, but in a more delicate way.

A common use of the reflector is for portrait photography in the middle of the day, when the light is coming from above the model’s head. In this situation, the model’s face will be full of shadows and hard lights. In addition, the eyebrows cast a shadow under the eyes, making him/her look a bit like a raccoon. By using our reflector, we can bring light from a lower angle and lighten the model’s face, this way we avoid the “raccoon effect”.

You can set the reflector on a stand or hold by yourself. However if you are holding the camera it can get really complicated. You can also ask an assistant or a friend to hold it. Another option is that your model holds it. A good option is to let your model sit and put the reflector on top of his/her knees. In some situations you might need to use your imagination and have the reflector standing on walls, cars, columns or even lying on the floor. Don’t be shy and try different options until you get the results you want. This is part of the fun of a photo session!!

Gold and silver sides of the reflector

Keep in mind that both the silver and the gold colors are metallic and reflect a lot of light. For that reason they should be used from a certain distance (that will vary according to light conditions). If you are using it to reflect light on a person or animal, it might be even blinding. Take care and if you need it, ask the model to close the eyes until you adjust the light reflection to an intensity that will be comfortable for him/her.

sleeklens-43-4 — The metallic colors reflect the light almost like a mirror, be careful when you aim it at people.

As the silver side reflects the light without softening it, besides being a good option for greater distances, it is also great for weaker lighting conditions. Silver is also a good one to start getting used to reflectors because you can see the effect very vividly, making your life easier at the beginning.

sleeklens-43-13 — In the first photo I didn’t use the reflector, the middle one was taken with the reflector too close to the model, the last one was taken with the reflector set at a greater distance. See how the light is much more delicate in the last photo in comparison with the others

The gold is very much like the silver except that it is giving the reflected light a warm yellow shade, similar to the golden hour light. It can be great for emphasizing sun tan, or if you want to bring out a certain color in the photo. But take care, because the yellow light can be overpowering.

sleeklens-43-6 — In this photo you can see how the golden-yellow light reflected from the gold emphasizes my friend Nita’s sun tan. you can also see how the shadows articulate her muscles

White side of the reflector

The white side reflects a very soft and delicate light, you need to place it very close to your subject in order for it to have an effect and it won’t work if the lighting is bad (like at dusk, or if it is cloudy), but the result will be a very warm and soft photo, which is great for portraits (family, children, pregnancy photos, flowers).

Black side of the reflector

Finally, a reflector can be used as a light blocker too. If you have a light coming from an undesired direction. For example, if you have light reflecting from a window, you can reduce the reflecting light by placing the reflector with the black side towards your subject.

refector — Here you can see the effect of the black side of the reflector, on the left I didn’t use a reflector and on the left photo I used the black. Do you see the difference?

Using the reflector’s frame as diffuser

Besides reflecting the light, the reflector’s frame (the one with a semi opaque cloth) can be used as a diffuser. Diffusers soften the light coming directly from a light source and make the shadows less hard..

sleeklens-43-14 — These two photos were taken in the same spot moment one after the other. In the upper photo I took the photo when Inna was subjected to the hard mid day light, in the lower photo Inna was “sheltered” from the harshest light by the diffusing inner frame of the reflector.

I want to thank my friends Inna and Nita for being my models and also my nephew for letting me use Porky to illustrate this article. Now that you have the basic information about reflectors, it is time to grab yours and start experimenting with it!

Enjoy and have a happy shooting!!

Activities to improve your photography skills easily

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

If you are new to photography, you might feel a bit lost. It is easy to get stuck in using auto mode because it is fast, easy, and many times can produce a decent result. However, if you feel like you could improve your photography skills and get more out of the camera it is time to take matters into you own hands.

There are tons of things to learn and it is hard to decide what to do first. You can easily spend days and weeks just reading photography books and articles, watching tutorials or jumping from one website to other and adding more and more into your to-do list. If you want to improve your skills as a photographer at some point you need to put theory aside and start taking photos yourself. However, with our usually busy life, it is easy to let weeks pass without touching your camera and shoot a single image. For that reason I thought it might be useful to make a list of easy photography activities that will help encourage you to grab your camera and start practicing your craft without complicating things so much.

photography skills — If you started photography recently, it is normal that you feel a bit overwhelmed. It feels a little like being lost in a new country.

A theme a day/week

If you don’t know which subject to pick, you can start by choosing one color or a geometric shape. You can even ask somebody to help you decide. They don’t even need to know why you are asking them. It can be something like: Which is your favorite color? Do you prefer squares or circles? Once you know your photography subject, take photos of only this. Focusing on one photography subject might seem restrictive at first, but it will push you to develop your creativity. Extra mile: once you have all your photos, select the best ones and build a composition. Then share it with the person that helped you to pick the subject. He/she will love it!

Practicing one photography composition element for one day, week or month

Learning composition can be one of the most overwhelming things in photography. Composition is based on the relation that the different elements of your image have between themselves and with the frame. Trying to control all these relations might be overwhelming, even when you have been already taking photos for a while. To make it easy, you can create a list of composition elements (lines, negative space, symmetry, patterns, texture…) and focus on one of them each time. The amount of time you work on each element is up to you. When you finish the list, you will have a nice photo collection which will illustrate how you understand composition. If you repeat this activity over time (every certain months or every year), you will be able to see your how you evolve as a photographer.

Blurring people

When I started, I was obsessed about sharpness. I wanted everything inside the frame to be clear. No blurriness allowed! However, I changed my mind when I started to see the potential of showing movement in my photos. Don’t misunderstand me. I am not talking about out of focus images. I am talking about movement! A great way to practice is by going somewhere relatively crowded, set your shutter speed on a high value (slow speed, like a quarter of a second) and take photos of the people moving.

Try to combine different degrees of blurriness: everybody blurry, just some people blurry and also nobody blurry. For this you need to play with different shutter speeds. You might need a tripod if your shutter speeds are too low. I, for example, need a tripod at any speed slower than 1/60 seconds. Decreasing shutter speed means that light will enter into the sensor for longer. If for that reason you are getting photos with too much light, you can close the aperture and decrease your ISO. If it is still too much light, a Neutral Density filter might help.

Play with the different light angles and look for the shadows

You don’t need any fancy studio light. You can do it with a home lamp or a flashlight. Pick an object you like and shine the light on it. Try different light positions, directions, add light modifiers (color papers, clothes…) and see the affect light has on the shadows of your object. You can also do this exercise outdoors placing your object in different positions regarding to the sun, or taking photos in the same place but at different times of the day.

Photo sequences

Taking photo sequences is a great way of telling stories with your photos. Photo sequences add a dynamic effect and they are great to give a sense of action and movement. You can do photo sequences of tones of subjects. You can start with friends/family or animals. Take 2 or 3 photos of any activity they are doing: walking, cooking, putting make up, dancing, doing homework… take a lot of photos (shooting in continuous might help) and afterwards choose the 2 or 3 that work better together. You can also do it with objects by placing them in different ways in your frame to build a little story.

sleeklens-42-mosaic_demons — “Correfocs”, which means fire-run, are one of the outstanding traditions of Catalan Festivals. People dressed up as demons run through several streets while holding lighten fireworks. This photo sequence was taken in Vilanova i la Geltru, Catalonia.

Dust buster

Take the photography equipment you are using the least (lens, tripod, external flash, filters etc.) and make it your point to use them for the day. You might realize that you should use them more, or you might realize you should give them away. Either way, it will help you to be more efficient.

Close ups- animals

Try to take photos of animals from as close as you can, this will help you to understand how to approach animals, how close should you try to get, from which direction and how fast you should move.

I hope you like these activities and that you find them useful. Do you like any other activity to practice your skills? Now it is your turn: grab your camera and have fun with it!! Happy shooting!!!

Tips for learning photography when you have no free time

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

I started photography just six years ago. At that time I already had a professional career as a Biologist. I moved from Barcelona to France and then to Israel for work reasons. Now I just moved back to Barcelona because I found a new job in a private laboratory. I work there 40 hours/week. Besides that, I need to take care of some things for my family while still trying to do yoga and sport to keep healthy. I also cook my meals, I need to go to the supermarket…. Well, let’s say that I am quite busy in my daily life, and I guess that if you are reading this article, this sounds familiar to you.

learning photography — I am Biologist and I spend 40 hours each week working in a laboratory analyzing the microbiological quality of water samples.

Photography is one of my passions. For that reason, although I don’t have a lot of free time, I still want to develop myself as a photographer. The biggest challenge is to combine my everyday life with my more artistic side. Along the years I have developed some strategies that help me to organize myself better and keep learning photography even during busy times.

Take profit of the trips to and back from work

Maybe you are lucky and you live a 5 minutes walking distance from your workplace. But if you need to invest time every day going and coming back from work, I have good news for you: your photography might benefit from these traveling times. Taking photos on your way to work might not be convenient or at all possible, but you can still use this time by learning the theory or feeding your creativity with some resources.

If you are using public transportation, you can invest this time in reading photography or art related books. An electronic format might help you to travel lighter (this is extremely important when you are already carrying your meals and some other things you might need throughout your day). If you don’t want to carry a book with you, using the phone is an excellent alternative. You can use a RSS reader application to make lists of interesting photography articles that you can later read on your way to work. I am using one now that I like a lot and it is called “Feedly”. Another thing you can do for taking advantage of your trips to work is searching; for new photography resources or courses, doing some networking with other photographers…

If you drive or walk to work, you can listen to photography broadcasts. You might also listen to some TED talks about photography or creativity. You just need to plan ahead which information you would like to listen to. Sometimes you can even download the broadcasts/talks.

Learn in baby steps

I don’t know about you, but when I decide to learn about a new subject, I get excited and I want to learn everything about it right now! But if you are a busy person, this way of thinking can lead you to frustration: since you are busy, you never have what you think is the right amount of free time for learning the subject properly. You wait until you have enough time to learn a particular photography subject. After some time you get mad with yourself because you didn’t manage to learn anything because you just can’t get a whole afternoon off two times a week… If this happens to you, it is time to change your learning strategy! Divide the subject you want to learn into small lessons that will require less time to finish or just decide on an amount of time you can invest each day on the subject.

For example, you might decide to read 3 pages of a book each time you have a chance, or read one photography article each time, or invest 15 minutes after dinner each day in learning something. It might not seem a lot at first, but if you are consistent, you will notice improvement in your learning curve along time. If you do this, I recommend you take notes or write a summary of what you learned. That way, when you have the time, it will be that much easier to catch up on what you read already but might have forgotten a little.

Take photos with what you have at the moment

I wish I could always take photos with my DSLR camera, lenses, and tripod. However, because of my everyday obligations, it is quite difficult for me to carry my gear everywhere I go. I used to think that if I don’t have my DSRL camera, then I can’t practice photography. Nowadays I know this is not true. We don’t leave the house without our phones. And all of them have a camera. Depending on your phone, you might not have the best camera, but it is still a camera! For example, I have a simple camera on my phone. I can’t set it’s aperture or shutter speed and when there is not a lot of light, the photos can turn out quite noisy. But I can still take photos with it to practice my composition or storytelling skills. I’d rather practice photography with my phone than not at all. When I have the chance to take my DSLR and gear with me, I practice all the other things that my phone doesn’t allow me to do.

Join a photo challenge

You can decide to take upon yourself a challenge and take one photo every day/week/month. One photo a week might seem an achievable goal even if you are busy. But to be honest, I find it quite difficult if I am doing it alone. One alternative is to join a photo challenge. It is usually easier to accomplish things every week if others are doing it too, because you feel encouraged. You can find several online. If you are a busy person, I recommend you to have a look at 52frames. Each week there is a subject and you need to submit one photo. I recommend this challenge because the community is really welcoming and the policy is about enjoying your photography and improving by being consistent. You don’t need to submit a masterpiece each time, but you need to submit something. And by doing so, you assure a bit of creativity in your life every week!

Be patient with yourself

There is a tendency in our society to do a lot of things and do them fast and now. This trend is somehow making us less patient with ourselves. As we love photography, we might have the feeling that we need to take great photos NOW. However, there is a learning process. And this process takes time. If you are a busy person, you have to understand that you can invest just a bit of time on photography every day/week and in consequence, it will take you longer to improve your craft, but if you are consistent, I assure you that you will improve. Whatever you do, don’t turn photography into something stressful. If you are extremely tired one day, you might consider skipping your practice and rest. The same goes for times when you have an unexpected event that changes your entire schedule and miss your photography plan of the day. These things happen and it is OK to skip your photography practice. Just make sure you come back to your practice routine as soon as you can if you want to develop your photography skills. Patience and persistence will take you far on a long road.

Do you have any other strategy for learning photography during busy times? I would love to hear about them and include them in my list. Have a happy photography learning!

Getting Your First Gallery Show

Posted on January 8, 2017 by Jennifer Berube

A great way to make money as a photographer and get noticed is to have a gallery show. But getting your first art show can be extremely difficult. Galleries spend a lot of money putting a show together. They are less willing to put on a show for a new, unestablished artist. But do not lose hope. It is possible to get a gallery show with persistence and passion. Through hard work and enough patience, you can land your first gallery show and get plenty more in the future.

Get Established

Before you go after a gallery, it would be best to do a bunch of small jobs or even a few big photography jobs. If you have proof that your work has already been bought, the gallery is more likely to show your work. An artist who already has a name for themselves (however small) is less of a risk to the gallery. Also, an artist that has already sold their work will have a higher chance of selling work at an art show. You don’t necessarily need previous work to get a gallery, but having a past list of jobs will certainly help.

Find the Right Gallery

Finding the right gallery is difficult. Most cities will have at least one gallery somewhere, but if you live close enough to the major cities (especially New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago), you’ll have more luck. The more galleries there are, the more room there will be for new artists, and the better chance you’ll have.

When picking out the gallery you want, start small. It is not wise to go after the biggest and best galleries when you have little to no professional work. However, some major galleries do a new-artist spotlight, so it can be useful to keep an eye on them. To start, make a list of the smaller galleries that show work similar to your own. This means visiting the galleries to see what they’re selling.

Meet in Person

It’s not enough to simply call a gallery and hope for the best. Most galleries receive several calls a day and you’re likely to get lost in the shuffle. The best thing to do is to go to the galleries in person and make appointments to meet with the art directors. A lot of galleries will say they don’t accept new artists, but keep trying. The most important thing to do is be polite. Be persistent, but don’t be rude. Most places just want you to prove you’re committed. After you show them a great portfolio that proves you are passionate about your work, you’ll get an interview with an art director about your work.

On a Budget

Some galleries will pay to print and frame your work. However, when you’re starting out, you’ll have to pay for that work yourself. It’s a good idea to get a professional relationship with printers and framers in your area.

Most businesses offer deals on bulk work and by building an artist relationship with them you can sometimes get discounts on supplies. The more work you do with a business the stronger your relationship and the better work they will do for you.

Inventory Versus Show

A lot of times, getting in with a gallery does not guarantee a show. Especially if you’re a new artist and don’t have a lot of stellar pictures to sell. Often your work will sit in the back room as part of the galleries inventory. This work won’t be showcased to the public but will be available for potential buyers.

You won’t make a lot of money and won’t get any critical attention. However, starting out in a small gallery, even just being in the background, will help get you into bigger and better galleries. After some time you might be able to break into a show, or team up with other artists to do a combined show that is less of a risk for the gallery.

Gallery Policy

Before approaching a gallery, check their policies. You can either ask on the phone or check if they have a website with the information. Some galleries only accept new submissions at certain times of the year. It is also important to know whether the gallery has an open or closed policy. With a closed policy, you won’t be able to sell your work through other galleries. With an open policy, you can work with other galleries but your original one will get a cut of the payment. Keep these in mind as you move forward.

Getting a gallery show is an important step in the career of a professional photographer. You won’t always get a spot-light show right away, but starting small is a good step. Make sure to check the policy of the galleries you look at and always try to get an in-person meeting. With enough passion and commitment, you can get a good gallery to show off your work.

Tips for Amazing Fireworks Photography

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Jennifer Berube

If you want to test your skills as a photographer, then fireworks photography is the way to do it! Not only will you be shooting at night, the subject of your shot is a moving pyrotechnics display. If you want to include more in the frame, such as the crowd or the skyline, you’re adding more complications to the process. Let’s get started by looking at what equipment you’ll need.

What to Pack in Your Bag

The following are absolutely essential to bring with you:

Tripod
Cable release
Flashlight
Extra batteries
Extra memory cards
An SLR or DSLR camera

The flashlight will come in handy when you’re trying to find equipment or change settings on your camera. You’ll need the tripod and cable release to keep the camera steady, and this is very important for good fireworks photography. A slight shake of your hand, or even from pressing the shutter release, will cause blurring and distortion. Don’t skip out on the battery either, you’ll be using settings that can drain the power faster than usual.

Get There Early

As with any event photography, you want to get there before the crowds and scout a good location. There are different elements to take into account when you’re focusing on fireworks instead of people. One factor is smoke from the fireworks. This will get increasingly worse as the night goes on, so make sure you’re upwind from the display to minimize the problem.

The other things to take into account are how you want to frame the shot and what you want to include within it. If you want the horizon line, especially if there are buildings or bridges silhouetted against it, you need to make sure your shot is even. While an angle can produce a unique artistic effect, you’re going to want to stick with the same frame throughout the evening. It’s better to go with a level shot unless you want all your photographs to be taken from that artistic angle.

Camera Settings for Fireworks Photography

This is where things start to get a little tricky. It’s best to use manual mode, and you’re going to have to play around to get the exact look that you’re going for. Here’s a rundown of the basic settings and how you can manipulate them for different shots:

Shutter Speed: A slow shutter speed is best for fireworks. Anywhere between 2.5 to 8 seconds will work depending on what look you want. Too low and you’ll get stunted fireworks without long trails, too high and the middle of the fireworks will turn out almost solid white. If your camera has a bulb setting, use it. This will allow you complete control over the exposure of each individual shot.
Aperture: You can play around with this, but suggested settings fall between f/8 and f/16. The middle range is best and will produce nice sharp images.
ISO: Low range is adequate as a higher ISO will produce more noise. Try a setting of 100/200. There will already be smoke interference, so it’s best not to add to it.
White Balance: This is a matter of preference in some ways as the white balance will alter the color of the fireworks. For RAW, just set the white balance to auto. If you’re not using RAW, you can play with automatic color filters to see if one gives a truer color than another.
Focus: Turn off autofocus! It’s far better to frame the shot early, when it’s still light out, and choose the focus manually. You can also start with autofocus, then switch to manual. That way, the camera automatically chooses a good focus without wasting time by refocusing between shots.

You should turn off noise reduction, flash, and vibration reduction as these settings will ultimately work against you.

A Handy Trick from the Professionals

If your camera has the bulb setting, you can use a small black piece of cardboard to create a neat effect. Make sure it’s not glossy as this will ruin the end result. Basically, hold the cardboard in front of your lens at the end of a burst of fireworks, then remove it at the beginning of the next one. The reason you need the bulb to do this is so that you can hold the exposure from the end of one burst and the beginning of another. If you do it right, the image will have double exposure and should show both firework bursts in the same shot. It can be tricky to do, but it’s well worth the effort.

No matter what, remember to have some fun with it. Not only are you at a beautiful fireworks display, you get to photograph it! Even if your shots don’t come out right, you’ll learn something from the process. Keep trying and you’re sure to land an amazing shot one day!

Panning technique and Moving Object Photography

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Blagoja Martinovski

I’ve you have ever opened motorsports magazine you’ve seen them everywhere – the panning shots. It’s the technique when the photographer manages to make a speeding vehicle look perfectly still, whilst successfully catching the feel of motion by making the background a blur of color.

Even thou, it’s a technique mainly used for motorsports, it has wide application in other types of photography, it can help make your wildlife and nature shots look out of this world. It can be used even for people, basically, everywhere you need to show the motion of the subject.

The best part is that you don’t need expensive lenses or equipment specifically for this purpose. You can do it with any DSLR camera and kit lenses (yes, 18-55).

Panning image of Supermoto race: ISO-100, f/5.6, 1/250sec. — ISO-100, f/5.6, 1/250sec.

So, how does it work?

The main catch is the shutter speed. You will most likely be using shutter speeds much slower than you usually do. How does 1/100 sound? Or even 1/30? Sometimes slower, sometimes faster, this will depend on the subject you are shooting. For example, in motorsports you can pan fast motorcycle even with a shutter speed of 1/250, on the other hand, to catch panning image of a person on a bicycle you should set the shutter to 1/50 or less. The light has plenty to do with it, so you will have to play with the shutter speed a bit.

Don’t forget that you need to be positioned against the moving subject, and not to have any objects between your camera and the subject. Panning trough smaller subjects like street signs can sometimes be interesting if it’s before or after the subject, but usually, it will get in the way so try always to have clear sight.

Panning image of motocross rider: ISO-800, f/25, 1/100 sec. — ISO-800, f/25, 1/100 sec.

How to do it?

Switch the dial to Manual mode, set the shutter speed to 1/100 and then play around with slower or faster settings depending on the subject. The speed of the subject is important, so you can set a fixed shutter speed for let’s say car. If it’s a slow-moving car you will need 1/30, if it’s fast moving the car, set it to 1/160. Big difference, but you will have to find what will work for you.

Since we are setting slow shutter speeds, we need to raise the aperture. I’m talking about f10 or something in that range. On some cloudy days, I’ve done panning images even with f/25. So again, you will have to check and see what will work best for you and your camera. ISO settings can be totally up to you, start with 200, then go up/down depending on the light conditions.

Panning technique - ISO-200, f/10, 1/160 sec. — ISO-200, f/10, 1/250 sec.

Go out on the street, start with the moving cars as a test subject, that way you have a never-ending supply of subjects. Panning for the first time can be quite fun, but sometimes can be really frustrating. Approach it with a clear mind, this is a new technique for you so no need to lose nerves if you don’t succeed the first time you try it.

Stand still (using monopod or tripod might help you) and point the camera to the moving subject, follow it through the viewfinder as it comes and goes by you. Do this several times, just to get the feeling what will you be doing. It’s important to follow the movement of the object with your camera, left to right or right to left, you need to follow it as it passes you. As soon as you are comfortable with it, start focusing on the subject, push the shutter half way and stay with the moving object.

It’s important to set the focus on your camera to Continuous Focus or Tracking (Servo) depending on the DSLR model you have. If you use camera which doesn’t have the continuous focus option, you will need to pre-focus first, then to start shooting. Also, it’s a good idea to switch from single frame to multi-frame or continuous mode for shooting. You will get more images to choose from, and you will increase your chance of getting decent panning image.

Panning image of World Superbike race - ISO-100, f/13, 1/80 sec. — ISO-100, f/13, 1/80 sec.

When the moving object approaches you, focus on it and press the shutter, but continue with the movement of the camera, don’t stand up to check the image. Press the shutter and follow the object all the way, when you hear the click don’t stop, just follow the object with your camera exactly as you were practicing before.

When the moving object is gone of sight check the images, you should have your first panning images. Again, don’t be frustrated if you fail to do it from the first try, it takes practice to make it perfect. It’s all about the correct settings and the movement. Be smooth, follow the line of movement and match the speed of the object, very soon you will have amazing panning shots.

If you’ve already succeeded, drop a line in the comments, we would love to see what you did.

Inspiration Photography Tips: Bring the Muse Back into Your Life

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

Photography is a creative craft. Taking a great photo requires a combination of several factors: you need to have good gear and know how to use it. You need to know the different photography techniques and composition. You need to have good conditions (sometimes you could control these factors and other times not). Also, you need to know how to work around the conditions you are facing and the list goes on and on. The factor I want to talk about today is a slippery one yet very important- inspiration. I think that all photographers suffer ups and downs regarding their inspiration. I have periods when I know exactly what to photograph, how it should be and which emotions I want to convey. During these periods I find myself trying new things and developing photography projects.

sleeklens-40-5 — There are periods in your photography journey that are bright and full of ideas. But these periods don’t last forever. You will suffer times without inspiration and photographer’s blockage. These ups and downs are part of the life of any creative activity.

Sometimes, without any apparent reason, inspiration just slips away. My muse abandons me and I feel lost. I don’t know what to do with my camera or where to go to take photos. In fact, I don’t even feel like taking photos at all. If you have suffered one of these periods you know what I mean. The problem is that artistic muses are unpredictable and fickle, so it is difficult to know when they will come back to you or what may trigger them. Fortunately, there are some easy things you can do to bring the muse back into your life and make you run to grab your camera again.

Visit museums

Plan a visit to one or several museums located close to your place (or not so close if you feel like traveling a little). You can leave your camera at home and just focus on the museum. Any type of museum might work: paint, history, sculpture… The idea is that you see new things. You never know where inspiration is going to come from. But you will have more probabilities of recovering your muse if you increase your artistic inputs. This is because of the creative process itself. The brain collects images and information from the world and builds its own ideas. The more you experience, the more your brain will have raw material for creating.

Expose yourself to other cultures

Another way to increase your information and artistic inputs and boost your inspiration is learning about other cultures. My favorite way to do this is traveling (when I can afford it…). However, when traveling is not an option, there are other ways to learn about cultures such as books, articles, blogs, and talks. Personally, I learned a lot about other cultures thanks to friends from other countries. You can ask them to tell you about their traditions. Be curious and keep your mind open; there is a whole world out there!

sleeklens-40-1 — Meeting people from different origins is a great way to get in contact with new cultures, such as the Bedouin and Australian aborigine of these photos.

Go outdoors

When you feel out of ideas, it is easy to go online and check photography websites to see what others are doing. Although this strategy might work sometimes, it can also be a bit frustrating. You might think: “Look at this! Everybody is creative but me!”. This line of thought will increase your frustration and won’t help you to get your inspiration back. In these moments, I recommend you to go outdoors. You can organize a hike, or you can just go for a walk to a park or a nearby city. You will get two benefits from doing that. First, it will help you to disconnect and clear your head (muses usually prefer relaxed minds) and second, you never know what or who you will see out there.

Connect with family and friends

Besides the fact that friends and family are the ones who would be there for you and could give you ideas, tagging along with them and trying to do new things is always a source of new ideas. Do you have a friend that loves cooking? Join him/her! Maybe you end up discovering that you like food photography and then you will have lots of new things to photograph! This was just an example, but the possibilities of exposing yourself to new things are endless. Put attention to what your family and friends like to do and join them! You might be surprised by the result!

Join a photo community

Photo communities are a great source of new ideas. There are a lot of online communities, so you will need to do some search and decide which type of community is best for you. I find the most interesting communities offer weekly or monthly challenges or assignments because they make you grab your camera and do something. Although the challenge itself might not be an idea of your own, the experience will get while trying to achieve the goals can lead you to your own creations which is great! I also recommend joining a local community. This type of community gives you the chance to meet with other photographers and share ideas that will enrich you as an artist. They usually organize photographic walks that are not always focused on the subjects you usually photograph. Going out a little of your comfort zone is always a good way to increase the chances to get inspired.

sleeklens-40-4 — I like nature photography and portraits, so if it is up to me, these are the subjects I photograph. I decided to join a photo walk with a photography community in Barcelona and they took me to a train station. At the beginning, I didn’t know what to do with myself. But after a while, I got inspired thanks to the enthusiasm of the other photographers and I managed to take some decent photos from a subject I am not familiar with at all.

In summary, if you want your inspiration back, a good way to get it back is to expose yourself to new things. With all of this new knowledge, your brain will be able to create new ideas. If you feel blocked, keep calm and find new things to learn and do. Enjoy and your muse will find you!

How to take impressive photographs of pets

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

Taking photographs of your pet can prove to be as challenging as taking photographs of children. The cheerful nature of pets, as well as their seemingly endless urge to run around, are infectious and picture-worthy; however, when we attempt to capture that, we often find ourselves looking at blurry, unexciting results. Though capturing the temperaments of our furry companions can be difficult, it’s certainly not impossible. Here are a few tips on how to make the most of your pet’s disposition.

1. Positive associations

Show your pet that the camera is their friend – to do that, either attach their favourite toy to it (whilst making sure that your pet won’t harm your camera by attacking said toy), or reward them if they stand still for a photograph. They’ll quickly develop positive associations with your camera, giving you more time to find your best shot.

2. Playtime

If your pet is too restless for the first method, then playtime is the ideal opportunity to create fascinating images. Whether your pet enjoys running around independently, chasing a toy, or anything else that suits their desires, a countless amount of creative possibilities are available. Keep in mind that a few blurry photographs aren’t a reflection of your artistic skills – what determines your worth as a photographer is the amount of determination you possess to take that one great and memorable photo.

A faster shutter speed will capture your pet’s movements sharply and clearly. Take note that the faster the shutter speed is, the more light you need, and the higher your ISO should be. However, don’t be afraid of increasing the ISO; a small amount of added grain won’t ruin your images. On the contrary, it will give you more chances to photograph beautifully spontaneous moments. Don’t let shadows, unusual patches of light, or physical obstacles intimidate you; oftentimes, they end up adding unique elements to an image, creating something that is exclusively yours in style.

3. Resting time

Playtime isn’t the only way for you to take advantage of your pet’s good looks. If increasing your ISO and following your pet everywhere didn’t provide you with impressive images, don’t be discouraged; sleeping pets are equally fun – albeit far easier – to photograph. Many pets (especially cats, thanks to their elegant flexibility) have amusing ways of sleeping, which can help you have a fun and uncomplicated photo shoot. Such images are perfect for printing, sharing online, making someone smile, or selling to an enthusiastic animal-loving person.

If you want to enjoy your shooting session a little more, observe your pet before it falls asleep. Photographs of yawning pets can open many artistic doors for you, especially if you’re familiar with editing programs like Photoshop (i.e. adding objects like microphones or megaphones to the image to create something humorous out of a basic yawn). Photos of your pet stretching may give you similar opportunities. However, don’t let these tips limit you. The more you observe your pet, the more remarkable habits and peculiarities you’ll notice.

4. Use foregrounds

Neat and unornamented photographs of pets might seem attractive enough, but don’t let that prevent you from playing with blurred foregrounds. Whether you use a phone or a professional camera to take pictures, you can achieve this effect. Simply place any object in front of your lens and cover as much of it as you see fit. You can use toys, windows, or even your hands. Experiment with colours, shapes, and sizes. Outdoors, you can photograph through fences, gates, branches, flowers…the possibilities are endless. If you keep this in mind, you’ll find creative beauty in every detail, indoors or outdoors; look at this perspective as a variety of mouth-watering spices you’ve added to a simple meal in order to make it outstanding and uniquely yours.

5. Experiment with angles

Experiment with angles, and I don’t mean the type of photogenic facial angles we humans desperately crave. By angles I mean camera positions, especially striking ones. Animals have the natural tendency to look camera-ready from any angle, so you don’t need to worry about offending them by exposing a double chin or an unflattering expression. Combine this with the previous method and you’ll get a composition which exclusively focuses on your pet while adding a hint of colour or appealing light somewhere in the corner. Eye-catching!

6. Include people and other pets

If your pet isn’t comfortable being alone in front of the camera, photograph it with someone it knows and loves. Photos of pets communicating with humans and other pets alike can create warm memories which will last a lifetime. Regardless of your pet’s size or weight, you can come up with an idea that flawlessly captures the personalities of both your pet and the person – or animal – it’s interacting with. If you’re into self-portraiture, use a timer; many have blinking lights or beeping sounds which may capture your pet’s attention and create the perfect shot.

Again, don’t limit yourself to only one method of picture taking. If you don’t have a model or another pet, try adding your own elements to an image. This can add an interesting foreground, as well as a more affectionate feeling, to your image; for example, if you’re stroking your pet or giving it something to eat, take a moment to photograph the process. This will instantly give your image an attractive and friendly atmosphere. It will also reveal the relationship between you and your pet, allowing viewers to feel a natural warmth in your photographs.

From observing them while they play to watching them sleep, to witnessing their relationships with humans and other animals, there’s no end to photographic opportunities when it comes to your pets. Taking photos of them will not only provide you with impressive images, but it will also give you a chance to bond with them. Thus, both the process and the results will be enjoyable and memorable, creating a warm experience which you’ll cherish your whole life.

Good luck!

7 Useful Tips for Photographing Celebrities at an Event

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Jennifer Berube

If you’ve always dreamed of being a fly on the wall at a celebrity event, maybe it’s time to grab your camera and use your photography skills to get your foot in the door. The following tips will help you get amazing photos of celebrities that fit with the specific event and sell.

1. Do your Research Beforehand

If possible, you’re going to want to know about the layout of the venue before you arrive to take photographs. Do as much research as possible, and even visit the place if you can. This ensures that you will already know where you can frame the best shots, and it will help you feel at ease during the event. This will also help you to blend in to your surroundings better.

2. Learn How to Blend In

If everyone knows you’re taking photographs, then you’re not going to get those shots of celebrities interacting naturally. When you research, take note of the expected attire and dress accordingly. Look like you belong and you won’t be as noticeable. Additionally, it is a good idea to always keep your camera in hand. Not only will you be ready to quickly capture a moment, you also won’t draw attention to yourself by grabbing your camera to do so.

3. Carry the Right Equipment

You’ll need a good camera that works well in all types of light, especially low-levels of light. You should have extra batteries and SD cards to ensure you’re ready to keep snapping pictures until the lights have faded and everyone has gone home. Make sure you use a camera you are very comfortable with, and know the settings well.

4. Work with the Scene

The point of researching the venue beforehand is to know where you’ll be able to get the best frames for shots. Take note of this and use it to your advantage. Are there some interesting decorations that would make for a stunning photograph? Is a celebrity wearing something that pops against a certain background? Knowing the scene and how to set it will take you very far.

You also need to know what kind of lighting you’ll be working in so you can have your camera settings ready. It’s a good idea to avoid flash as this can take the guests out of the moment, leading to photographs that fail to capture the natural flow of the evening. If you’re light is low, take a step back and zoom out to capture the most light without using your flash.

5. Take a Variety of Shots

You should capture a mix of action shots, posed pictures, and photographs that set the scene by focusing more on the wide view than an individual subject. It’s a good idea to get there before the party starts and get some general pictures of the overall setup before people arrive. This will not only please the venue, it will help you to better frame photographs later.

6. Frame Photographs According to the Event

You’ll need to keep the event in mind to know what kind of photographs to focus on. At a red carpet event, you’ll want to strive for up-close individual shots where the celebrity is looking directly at the camera. Once inside, you’ll need to widen the view to include the action. Is someone having an emotional reaction to what’s happening on stage? Try to capture the reaction and the event that caused it within the same shot. At a film festival or more social event, you’ll want a mix of individual shots with group action photographs.

7. Be Respectful of the Guests and the Venue

Don’t focus on one person or a group of people for most the evening. Remember that, while celebrities profit indirectly from a good photograph through publicity, they are also there to enjoy themselves. If they feel like they’re being stalked, that’s not going to be possible. It may even give you a bad reputation, which will only hurt you down the road. Respect the venue as well by blending in and being polite. A venue will not invite you back if you someone feels harassed by your attempts to get the right shot.

If you need some practice, consider covering non-celebrity events until you feel more comfortable with your skills and abilities. It’s not going to work out well for you if you don’t know the basics of how to use your camera. You need to be quick, and you need to know how to play with the settings to get the perfect shot. You’d also do well to remember that celebrities want to be photographed at events because it increases their publicity, so there is no need to feel nervous or intrusive.

If you feel like you’re ready, it’s time to grab a camera and hit the red carpet!

Feel Festive in Jakarta: Christmas Spirit in Indonesia

Posted on December 29, 2016 by Simran Nanwani

As the year approaches to an end, with the Christmas spirit still fresh and still enjoying the holidays together, we wonder what Christmas means in Jakarta, Indonesia. Christmas is a holiday season celebrated by almost everyone today not just by a certain ethnicity or religion. Many people enjoy the spirit it brings, the joy, the peace and the bliss it makes one feel during this season. Christmas can be interpreted in many ways and people take this time of the year to give back to society, to help the needy or even to give selflessly. In Indonesia, being the largest Muslim population, the most celebrated Holiday is Eid/Idul Fitri. Although, now, Christmas is beginning to be recognized and celebrated more by people in Indonesia. The festive atmosphere in Indonesia, can only be felt in the malls around the city with their extensive and colorful decor.

In a tropical city like Jakarta, we do not have the pleasure of enjoying the cold weather or to see the snow but we get to feel the spirit of joy through our friends who celebrate this joyful occasion or by listening to Christmas carols in various places around the city. Unfortunately, as Christmas is a normal public holiday, the roads and streets in the city are not decorated with lights and ornaments.

Christmas has always been a favorite holiday for me. This merry season has always brought me a feeling of joy, warmth and excitement. For me, during this festive end of the year season, it is more of winding down and enjoying the break from a well-spent hectic year.

I shall share pictures of the holiday spirit that I found in various aspects and decorations. The small ornaments and details that have made Christmas a celebrated festive season everywhere, are what the pictures shared below will be about. The photos are a mix of last year and this year. They have all been captured using iPhone, edited using various apps: Snapseed/Tadaa/Hipstamatic.

This was a very interesting display found in Body Shop last year. The snowmen creatively decorated on the Christmas Gift boxes intrigued me to capture it from various angles. My focus was to try to get the green and white together in one complete image.

With lights all over this tall Christmas tree, at a nearby mall, it was a perfect opportunity to try some bokeh.

Still fascinated with the tree, the Christmas balls and colourful lights motivated me to capture this image using Hipstamatic.

Wreaths a customary decoration on doors or home interiors based on ancient beliefs are made of evergreens constructed to resemble a ring and symbolizing strength. This beautiful wreath, I found on the front door of a residence. It was captured using my native iPhone 6S camera. I edited this using Hipstamatic as I wanted to give it a rustic touch.

A beautiful framed setting done by TWG Tea at a nearby mall.

As I was walking, I noticed a girl sitting next to the teddy bear and her friend taking a picture of her.

The colours and moment itself intrigued me to capture it as it is.

A cute Christmas tree cut out decor piece, was something I couldn’t miss capturing.

I edited the image using Tadaa and Over apps to add a Winter feeling to the image.

Trying out a looking up perspective, that was decorated with this lovely colourful decor.

A day after Christmas, at a mall nearby, I found this decor in blue and white and people were taking pictures in front of it.
This scene plus the busyness around the mall, tempted me to click a snap.

Using Hipstamatic, I wanted to change the mood to nostalgia thus, changed the colour to a black and white image.

Lastly, adding a touch of patriotism, this shot was captured last year at a painting exhibition.
The red and white colours portrayed here, which are also the colours of our national flag, illustrates the Christmas colours in it’s own way.
I added this image only to show the connection to Christmas through the Indonesian colours.

Through all the photos above, I have tried to share the spirit of this festive season in my country.
Capturing various moments from different perspectives and angles, and adding a touch of edits to bring the festive mood alive.

Christmas may not hold a special meaning to me, but someday, I would love to experience this season in countries that celebrate it. So, I can also experience the spirit of joy and bliss. Wishing you a peaceful holiday season!

Moscow and St. Petersburg – Basics about Russia for photographers

Posted on December 28, 2016 by Leonardo Regoli

Being the largest country in the World, Russia has many different places that provide photographers plenty of subjects, ranging from natural landscapes to probably some of the best environments for street photography. In terms of travel photography, two of the most well known cities, namely Moscow and St. Petersburg, contain a cultural heritage and a combination of famous landmarks and small streets that will leave any visiting photographer with that feeling of ‘I should go back’.

Both cities are the most visited ones by tourists inside Russia and, while both are wonderful destinations, each one has its own atmosphere and differ in many aspects with each other. Being closer to western Europe and the capital of imperial Russia until 1918 when the Bolchevique revolution took over power, St. Petersburg has a more Europe-like feeling while Moscow has a more traditional atmosphere, making it a great place for street photography as well.

Moscow

One of the things I love about traveling is the feeling I get when standing in front of landmarks that I’ve seen thousands of times in pictures. One of those times was when I stepped out of the Okhotnyy Ryad metro station, turning around and suddenly seeing the Red Square and the St. Basil’s Cathedral in front of me. That said, the Red Square alone provides an incredible number of subjects and points of view so it is definitely worth it to keep coming back during the length of your trip with different light conditions.

The Red Square is surrounded by the St. Basil’s Cathedral on one end and the State Historical Museum on the other. On one of the long sides, the Kremlin and the Lenin’s Mausoleum are located and on the opposite side the so-called GUM, which is a shopping mall with an incredible architectural design for a place to go shopping.

Another religious building that stands out in the capital city is the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the tallest Orthodox Christian church in the world. The current building is pretty new, built after the fall of the Soviet Union on the same spot where the original church, which was demolished on the order of Stalin in 1931.

Although all the famous landmarks and buildings are definitely worth visiting, a trip to Moscow is not complete until you spend some time trying to merge with the locals. Getting lost in some of the streets can be an incredibly rewarding experience from the photography point of view, but be careful since, as any big city, Moscow can be dangerous. Read some travel guides before embarking on the trip and follow any advice they provide on this matter. And don’t forget to visit the metro system; some of the stations are just architectural works of art!

St. Petersburg

As I mentioned earlier, St. Petersburg has a more western Europe feeling to it. This can be a good or a bad thing depending on what you are after, but I would say that it is difficult to get disappointed after visiting the city.

If you are planning a trip to Russia to get a feeling of the local culture (local culture can have a lot of different meanings in a country that spans over eleven time zones), St. Petersburg can fall below your expectations. That said, the architecture and organization of the city preserves a lot of the imperial Russia and places like the Hermitage museum are definitely worth a trip to the country by themselves. The museum not only is located on a majestic building, but it also hosts the largest collection of paintings in the world.

Another landmark that cannot be missed and that provides a great photographic subject is the Church of the Savior on Blood. This rather strange name comes from the fact that the church was built on the exact place where the Emperor Alexander II was wounded by an explosion that would later cause his death.

Once again, the magnificence of the exterior of the building is almost shadowed by the interior. The walls of the church are completely covered by mosaics depicting religious scenes and, although without a tripod, it is allowed to make photos. The tall walls and the impressive ceiling will be more easily captured with a wide angle lens, so bring one if you one.

If you still have time, there are many other places worth visiting. Just to name a few: St. Isaac’s Cathedral (also providing a great vantage point to make photos of the city from above), the Peter and Paul Fortress or even the streets named in Dostoievski’s masterpiece Crime and Punishment. In short, if you are a fan of travel and photography, Moscow and St. Petersburg are two cities that should definitely be in your bucket list.

Beit She’arim: photographing a Necropolis in Lower Galilee, Israel

Posted on December 26, 2016 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

Although I am originally from Barcelona, I have been living in Israel for almost 5 years. In this time I had the chance to visit a lot of places. Some of them are well known all over the world such as Jerusalem, the Sea of Galilee or the Jordan River. One place you might not have heard of is Beit She’arim National Park. It is located in the town of Kyriat Tivon (Lower Galilee) and it has been recently recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

This is the facade of one of Beit She’arim’s cave: the “Cave of the Coffins”

This National Park is an interesting site for photographers because you can take a quite diverse collection of photos. The remains of the city and the underground Jewish Necropolis are located in a hill surrounded by the beautiful Jezreel Valley, so you can combine your images of the old city with landscape and nature photography.

A bit of Beit She’an History

Beit She’arim was a Jewish city of great importance in ancient times. The settlement in the area started around the 9th century BC and lasted until the 6th century CE. In the 2nd century CE the city reached its glory days when Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi made it his seat and brought with him the Sanhedrin (the highest Jewish judicial and ecclesiastical council in the Land of Israel). The city was destroyed during a revolt against the Roman Empire in the 4th century CE and although it was rebuild, it never regained its glory and was abandoned and forgotten a few centuries later.

The most outstanding remains from the ancient city is its necropolis. After the burial of Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi in Bet She’arim many Jews from the Land of Israel and from the Diaspora made arrangements to be buried in there as well. More than 30 burial caves were excavated. The entrances to the caves are stone facades in classical designs with impressive stone doors which pivot on hinges. The doors lead to subterranean halls and burial chambers hewn in the bedrock and containing burial shelves and sarcophagi. Found on the walls and coffins, are decorations and inscriptions in many ancient languages, providing information about those buried in the graves.

Planning your visit

You can access the Park by car (about 20 minutes east from Haifa) or by bus. However the main buses don’t reach so close to the Park. The average time a visit to the Necropolis takes is estimated in something around 2 hours (for non-photographer visitors). The Park has opening hours that you can check in the website of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. For planning your visit it is important that you know that one part of the Necropolis can be visited just on weekends and only if you register in advance.

The Necropolis is underground, meaning that you will go into several caves in which you will be able to see graves, coffins and wall decorations and inscription. It is a dark environment, so I recommend you to bring a tripod in order to take nice photos (long exposure photography) and a flashlight. Outdoors, there are places with some shadows, but in general there are not a lot of trees. If you want to visit the place in spring-summer, take precautions for not getting dehydrated or suffer a sun stroke. A hat or something to cover your head might be helpful. Don’t forget your water, especially if you also want to walk in the surrounding valley. Once you leave the Necropolis, there are no spots to fill your water bottle.

In the Necropolis

When you are taking photos in the Necropolis you will need to change the settings of your camera quite a lot because you will move between the dark caves to the bright outdoors. You might need to use high ISO values inside the caves. Make sure you put your ISO down when you are outside if you don’t want to end up having unnecessary noisy photos. A good option can be to use the AUTO ISO option if your camera allows it.

The caves entries are great subjects to photograph. Some doors have interesting decorations so have a look before you go in.

You can get even closer to the details.

Inside the caves you might need to set a tripod in order to take sharp photos. In the darker spots it might be difficult for your camera to focus automatically. In these cases, you can use a flashlight to point to some spot inside your frame, focus on this light spot, turn off both the flash light and the auto focus of your camera and shoot. If you need to re-frame, you will need to turn on the auto focus of your camera and repeat all the process. You can also try to focus manually.

The coffins are adorned with decorations as well as the walls, both coffins and walls might be interesting subjects for your images.

Other coffins have flower decorations.

One of the most important decorations found is a Menorah (a seven branched candelabrum) carved in stone; this is one of the oldest depictions of the Menorah that was used in the Jewish Temple, one of the holiest Jewish relics.

The Ancient City

Next to the Necropolis you can find some ruins of the Ancient City such us the Dwelling Houses and one of the Gates. If you like taking photos from viewpoints, I recommend you to go up the little Hill where the city was originally located. On the top there is a photogenic statue of Alexander Zaid (1886-1938), a frontiersman and guard of the area.

From the top you have views to the Jezreel Valley and the Mount Carmel. It is also good spot for panoramas.

Hiking in Jezreel Valley

Jezreel Valley is the biggest Valley in Israel and in the area surrounding Beit Shea’rim there are several trails. I was living right next to the Valley and I loved walking around taking photos. A lot of the photos I use to illustrate my articles were taken in this place. The landscape is mostly agricultural and it change seasonally. In the winter and spring it is quite green, in summer it becomes golden and in autumn the main colors are browns.

This photo is from the end of summer and it looks totally different than in winter.

The morning can be a bit foggy during the winter. The golden hour of the sunset is a great time to take photos in the Valley.

I loved taking portraits in the Valley during the Golden hour. Here my dear friends Rotem and Guy.

I hope you liked Beit Shea’rim. It is a place that I carry deep in my heart because it is where I was going to run, relax and of course, take photos. Feel free to contact me with any question about this Park or if you need more information. Have a happy shooting!!!

How to post-process your images according to your photographic vision

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

I like reading and watching all kind of tutorials and talks about photography. I have a list of photographers I admire but the one that has had more influence on me is David du Chemin. He is a world and humanitarian assignment photographer that promotes quite actively the idea of developing your own photographic vision. At first the concept of “my own photographic vision” sounded foreign to me. I am not a famous photographer and I don’t even have the best quality gear. How was I going to have a photographic vision? Well, I was mistaken. We all have a photographic vision. The difference is that some of us are not aware meanwhile others work actively in order to develop it and express it.

The concept of photographic vision can be confusing. One of the reasons I like David du Chemin is for his way of making complicated things look achievable. He defined vision as the way YOU see the world. It is unique because it depends on how your eyes and mind filter the image you see in front of you. Thanks to this definition I understood that I also have a vision of life and I decided to work on discovering it (this will probably be a life-long job). I focused in the 2 big parts of my workflow: shooting and post-processing. Today I want to focus in the post-processing part and tell you the 3 things I started doing that are helping me to find and express my vision.

sleeklens-37-4 — You won’t find your photographic vision one day and that’s all. Your vision will evolve and change along your life because it is the way you see things.

Make a personal list of how do you understand certain components of a photo

I found really useful to look other photographers’ works in order to understand my vision. This might seem a bit contradictory at first, but let me explain myself better. We all have a particular way to understand a scene. This is because we all have a different background, experiences, feelings… so we face things and react to them in unique ways. It is part of the beauty of being human.

mosaic-1 — Which one of these 2 images do you prefer? This will depend on the things they make you think when you see it. One of them will fit your vision better than the other and just you can know the reason for that. Working on your vision means to study your reactions and thoughts, it is a kind of self-study.

I find really difficult to establish abstract connections between elements of an image such its color or sharpness and my feelings or vision. For that reason I decided to do a bit of research about myself using other photographer’s images at first. How I do it? I look for a photo that calls my attention and then I study the feelings the image awakes on me and the possible connection between the feeling and the photo element. Writing my conclusions in a document or notebook is a good way to keep track of my thoughts.

I use this list to know myself and not to copy the style of the other photographers. You should check photos that you like and also the ones you don’t like too much (it is also good to know what generates this rejection feelings). For example, thanks to my research I know that sharp images for me are synonym of energy and strength.

sleeklens-37-5 — This image is quite sharp and for me sharpness means strength.

Now, if I take a picture in which I want to express energy and strength I know that one option to achieve it is to sharpen the image in post-processing. Or after watching tones of photos of flowers I realize that I love when they look a bit blurry in the border of the petals because this gives them a delicate look.

sleeklens-37-6 — Thanks to my study of photos I understood that I connect some blurriness with softness.

I let myself to growth the list slowly in order to enjoy the whole process of understanding the way I see things. Follow your own rhythm and try not pushing your vision.

Work on your photos thinking on the feeling you had when you were shooting

Ideally, I would recommend to post-process the photos as soon as you can because then you will have fresh in your mind the vision you had meanwhile you were shooting. Maybe you were happy, or melancholic, or taking some photos make you think in a particular subject. The idea is making this thoughts pop out in the post-processing. This will depend on your own way to see the world, but I will give you some examples using my vision just that you can understand what I mean:

For me happy moments are full of light and color, so a photo that expresses my vision of happiness will look something like this:

However, I relate nostalgic moments with a kind of dreamy mood, so if I want to express this in the same image, it will look like this:

In this case, the post-processing will depend on your way to understand happiness and nostalgia. For that reason doing some previous work on knowing yourself (previous tip) will be really helpful.

We can’t always post-process our photos right after shooting. We might be taking photos far from our computer and it will take us time to get there. Or maybe we are busy and we just find the time for post-processing after some days after the shooting (or even weeks!). In that cases I try to make a real effort of remembering my feelings on the shooting day or I even write in a little notebook some notes that will help me to fly back to the real scene once I am sitting in front of the computer.

Start by choosing just few post-processing tools that will help you to express your vision

There are a lot of post-processing tools you can use in order to better express your vision. However, it can be a bit overwhelming to do a self-discovery work about your vision and at the same time try to master all the Lightroom or Photoshop tricks. I would tell you to focus in few tools and once you feel comfortable with them, you can introduce more. Some tools that can be good to start with are both the Temperature (Temp), Tint and and Clarity slide in Lightroom.

With the Temp and Tint slides, you can modify the colors of the whole image to fit the vision you had when you took it. You just need to play around with the slide until you get to a point that fits you.

screenshot-1 — Here a photo I took in Germany with its original values of Temp and Tint.

screenshot-2 — When I was there I was amazed by the autumn look of the scene. For that reason, I moved the Temp slide towards the yellows and browns.I wanted to increase the autumn colors.

screenshot-3 — But imagine that instead of autumn colors I want to show how cold it was over there and that the place was quite lonely. In that case I will move the Temp and Tint towards cold colors (blue for example) and grey. For some reason I always relate cold weather with blue and grey color. This is my particular vision of “Cold”.

mosaic-2 — My vision of autumn in the left vs my vision of “cold” in the right.

Moving the clarity slide you can either make all the details of the image stand out or you can soften them.

mosaic-3 — In the image in the left I moved the clarity slide to the left (decrease clarity) in order to give the leaves a softer look, that for me is synonym of being delicate. On the left, the clarity slide was moved towards the right (increase clarity). You can see the details of the leaves better. The image looks harder, that for me means that these leaves were quite tough.

I hope you liked this tips for starting working on your photographic vision. Do you have any other technique to do it? I would love to hear about it! Have a happy post-processing!!!

Beit She’an: the ruins of ancient city in North Israel

Posted on December 11, 2016 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

Israel is a small but highly diverse country. You can drive from north to south (the longest distance in the country) in just 6 hours. If you come to Israel, you will be able to visit mountains, beaches, ancient cities, religious sites, the desert… Your camera won’t have time to rest! Cities like Jerusalem, Tel Aviv or Haifa might be familiar to you. But Israel has also smaller cities that are interesting. One of them is Beit She’an, where you can visit the ruins of an ancient and splendorous city.

A bit of Beit She’an’s History

The city has been populated continuously since the 4^th millennium BC (some 6000 years ago). Along the years it’s been occupied by many nations such as the Egyptians, Canaanites, Israelites, Assyrians, Hellenists, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders and more. The city has even had several names: Ashe’an, Baysan, Beit She’an and Scythopolis.

Beit She’an reached the peak of its glory under the Roman rule when it was called Scythopolis and it was the leading settlement among the Greco-Roman cities of cultural importance. The Roman city is characterized by high-level urban planning and luxurious facilities including a theater (the best-preserved theater in ancient Samaria), a hippodrome, a Cardo, bathhouses, public latrines, a brothel and more. On year 749, the city was completely devastated by the Golan earthquake of 749. A few residential neighborhoods were established on top of the ruins, probably by the survivors, however, the city never recovered its magnificence. In the early decades of the 20th-century, excavations started in order to reveal the ruins of the ancient Roman city.

Visiting the ancient city

Beit She’an is located in the east of the northern region of Israel. You can get there from any big city in Israel by car, bus or the brand new train line. Today the ruins of the ancient city are a National Park maintained by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. This means that in order to visit the ruins you will need to take into account the opening hours of the Park.

The visit will take you between 2-4 hours. But taking into account that you are a photographer, it can be even a bit longer. The place is quite bare and doesn’t have many spots with shade, so it can get really hot especially in spring-summer. Bring with you a hat or something to cover your head and lots of water. It is easy to get dehydrated when you are entertained with your camera. In the hot seasons, the light in Israel can be really hard for the most part of the day. If you like taking photos using softer light, try to get to the ruins as early as possible.

In the Park

When you enter the Park you will find a model that will give you an idea of how the city looked like in its glorious days.,

From this spot the ruins will be spread below you, so it is a good moment to take a panorama.

To your left, in the distance, you will see a complex with a modern day roof. This is one complex of bathhouses. Right in front of you, you will see the long street known as the Cardo (that is the heart of any Roman City) and to the right, you will see the entry to the ancient theater. You can start the tour in any direction you may prefer, but I recommend you to go first to the theater and spend the hottest hours under the roofs of the bathhouses.

Other places you can’t miss are the public latrines, the Cardo and its shops, the brothel or the bath Houses.

The bathhouse was one of the city’s most important social centers. This is where people was getting clean, but also getting beauty treatments, sought medical aid, participated in sports (like wrestling), and enjoyed many other services. In this photo you can see the floor of the “hot room” the columns supported a second floor (on which the people walked), the room was heated by introducing hot air into the space between the two floors.

At its end, the Cardo crossed a second main street. In that point, you could see the marks of the earthquake that devastated the city.

The photographic challenge in the ruins

The biggest photographic challenge you will have in these ruins is to make some order in your composition. An earthquake destroyed the city and it has not been reconstructed, so at some points, it might look like a mess of stones and pieces of buildings.

One way to make a bit of order is to find lines that might lead the composition.

Another suggestion is to use the pieces of buildings to frame other elements.

I hope you liked this ancient roman city. Feel free to contact me with any question about this Park or if you need more information. Have a happy shooting!!!

Using color as a composition element to add mood to your photos

Posted on December 4, 2016 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

The list of elements that have a role in the composition of your photography is quite long: lines, patterns, symmetry, texture, depth of field, color… yes! Color! Have you ever considered a color like a composition element? If your answer is not, keep reading because I will give you some information that might change the way you approach color in your photography.

Colors and emotions

Colors are generally associated with certain emotions.

Red: Passion, intensity, power, strength and attention

Orange: enthusiasm, joy, optimism, creativity

Yellow: energy, intellect, happiness

The 3 previous colors (red, orange and yellow) are also known as warm colors. They are exciting colors. They give a feeling of high energy.

Green: nature, tranquility, freshness, harmony, fertility

Blue: calmness, peace, responsibility, confidence, trust

Purple: royalty, extravagance, luxury, mystery

The 3 previous colors (green, blue and purple) are also known as cold colors. They are considered relaxing colors. They give a feeling of calmness.

Black: elegance, formality, power, sexy, mystery

Brown: stability, structure, support

The 3 previous colors (white, black and brown) are also known as neutral colors and they are usually great as backgrounds.

Subjective interpretation of colors

Although there are general interpretations of colors, as individual with different social background and experiences, we perceive them in different ways. I mean, there is a subjective aspect in color interpretation. The feelings a color awakes in you might be different than mines. It is for that reason that we have personal preferences for certain colors. I can give you an example of a personal interpretation of colors. According to the list, purple symbolizes royalty, wisdom, and luxury. For my mom, this color means fear because when she was a little girl she was terrorized for some religious parade in which people was wearing purple clothes. She had a life experience that completely shaped her relation with the purple color to the point that nothing at home was in this color (or any of its shades). You can probably find examples like this one in your own life.

Color in your photo composition

In the moment you are composing your photo, you can stop one moment and think if you can include colors that will contribute to your composition. What do you want to say with your photo? Do you want your image to have a general feeling of balance and calmness? Then you might consider to include mostly cold colors such as green and blues and avoid as much as possible elements in warm colors.

If you want something more energetic, you should consider to include warm colors.

You can also mix warm and cold colors to get a combined feeling of warm and freshness

Change the color mood of your images in Lightroom

You can also play with the color of your photos in post processing using for example Lightroom. To do that, it is better that you shoot your photos in RAW. This photo format will give you more flexibility in the editing for changing colors.

There are different ways you can change the colors of your images. Today I am going to focus on a really straightforward one: playing with the Temperature slider. This technique will help you to get familiar with colors and moods. Once you master this one, you can get into other ways to do it, such as adding color filters or by using the split tone sliders.

You will find the temperature slider in the Develop module, in the Basic adjustments. Moving the slide to the left you decrease the temperature of your colors, meaning that you make them cooler. If you move it to the right, you increase the temperature, adding warm to your photo.

You can get warmer tones by moving the temperature slider to the right. In this particular image, a value of 7119 worked pretty well.

You can get cooler tones by moving the temperature slider to the left.

Deciding which is the right color for your photos is up to you because it depends on what you felt when you were taking the photo and the feelings you want to express.

Now it is your turn to experiment with colors. Tell me how do you feel about adding color to your photo composition and if you are happy with your new results! Enjoy!

Black and White Lighting – How to Light a Black and White Portrait

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Jennifer Berube

Lighting is essential to photography, and this is especially true for taking black and white photographs. Depending on what kind of lighting you’re using, you can capture a flat image or silhouette, a dark image with textured portions of the foreground showing through the shadows, or a crisp image in which you get a clear portrait of the subject with all of the rich texture and dimensionality.

You need to know what style you’re going for before you determine what kind of natural or artificial lighting you’ll need. You should also take the subject of the photograph into consideration as different types of lighting work better on different subjects. Portraits will be our subject today, so let’s take a look at different lighting techniques for this type of black and white photograph.

Portraits and Lighting

When working with black and white portraiture, if you’re outdoors, overcast lighting actually works really well. While this will produce a pale image in color, in black and white it creates nice contrasts between the lights and shadows. You’ll also pick up the grayscales that add depth and rich texture to the image.

If you’re indoors, you’ll need to play around with main lights and fill lights until you create a rich tonality. Find a balance between the highlights, shadows, and mid-tones by playing around with the positioning and number of lights that you use. It can help to set your camera to preview the shot in black and white even though you will take the shot in color and convert it later using a computer program.

Strong directional lighting will create harsh shadows that may not look good in a black and white portrait, which is why overcast outdoor lighting works better than bright sunlight. Remember this when you’re playing with the lighting in your studio. Try using a strong backlight with soft foreground lighting to create strong contrasts without losing the mid tones that add depth and texture.

On the other hand, you may enjoy the look of harsh shadows created by hard, directional lighting in a black and white image. As shown in the above photograph, it can create some interesting contrasts. The only real rule is to discover your style, then set up your lights to reflect it.

General Rules to Follow, Bend, or Break

As with any form of art, it’s better to understand why something works than it is to follow a set of rules with the blind hope that you’ll get the shot you want.

With black and white photography, the name of the game is contrast. You want deep blacks and ultra-whites to stand out against each other within the image. At the same time, however, you don’t want to create such a stark contrast that you end up with a flat image – or maybe you do.

Black and white portraits, specifically, bring in another element to style. A black and white photograph is all about capturing mood and emotion with the image. When you are deciding what style of lighting to use, keep in mind what mood you wish to convey. Also, the eyes of the person are one of the most important parts of the image as the expression of your subject will also affect the mood of the shot.

So, if you’re shooting indoors—whether your subject is a person or a still-life object—think about what you want the final image to look like before you set up the lights. If you are going for something two-dimensional, use hard lights in the background. You can choose to fill in the foreground with some soft lighting if you want to create a little more texture, but you don’t have to if a silhouette or flat image is what you’re going for.

Shaping Light

If you want something more three-dimensional and with all the detail, you may not need a hard light in the background. However, you will need to play around with more soft lights off to the sides and in the foreground. This will bring out more of the grayscale, creating a richer texture without losing the contrast. This creates a dark background wherein only the softly lit portions of your subject shine through.

Lastly, if you want a more even image that doesn’t focus as much on contrast, and captures all the detail of the shot, use a combination of hard backlighting and soft foreground lights. You’ll want to create a little deeper shadowing than a color image would require keeping the photo from falling flat but try not to create a harsh shadow unless you are going for a particular style.

Have fun playing around with lighting to see what kind of shots you get, and remember that bending the rules can sometimes result in a truly unique picture.

Faking Golden Hour: How to Create Believable Sunset Lighting Indoors

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Jennifer Berube

Golden hour, whether it’s early morning or evening, can be a photographer’s best friend. The natural, golden lighting of the setting sun creates an ethereal effect that can really make an image pop.

What do you do if you need that ethereal effect, but you don’t have the option of lugging everything outside at just the right time to capture the shot? The following tips and techniques will help you set up your studio to capture believable sunset lighting effects from the comfort of the great indoors.

Use Flash Lighting Sources and Gels

You can use an array of varying strength flashes and gels to effectively render sunset lighting inside. This technique works well if you’re shooting an image that is meant to look as though it was taken indoors with sunset lighting coming through a window.

To start with, set up a strong flash in the background of the image. You can cover the light with a gold gel, or use a combination of yellow and orange placed side-by-side over the light source. This will provide a strong directional glow in the background of the image that looks like the setting sun as it crests over the horizon. Place the flash outside the window or directly in front of it, if possible, using the glass to further refract the light.

Next, you should set up a weaker flash in the foreground – try using an for this one. Place a gold, yellow, or orange gel over the flash. Use light diffusion to create a soft glow by aiming it away from the foreground, casting the light on a gold reflector or reflective wall. The other option is to aim it at the foreground while using a softbox which will create a more directional light. Be careful with this as you can accidentally make it look as though the sun is shining from two different directions.

Fill in the Shadows

You may need to use additional SB600 or other speedlight, and reflectors to fill in the shadows and create just the right glow. You’ll need to experiment with your space and your camera to get the type of sunset effects you’re looking for.

If you don’t want to use a window to create the effect of having the setting sun in the background of the shot, then angle your backlight so that it is not causing such direct illumination. Instead of a flash, you can also use bare-bulb lighting for this. Either way, remember that the lighting will create deeper shadows when it is placed further away from the foreground.

You should also remember that sunset lighting often creates unique directional shadowing. You will need to play with your light positioning and reflectors to create proper shadowing in the image.

The Right Camera Settings

You’ll need to control the exposure of the image by playing with the shutter speed, ISO, and aperture settings on your camera. You can try out different combinations to create different effects. Let’s take a look at two basic ways to create a different type of sunset image using these settings.

Crisp Images with a Sunset Glow

If you want the entire image to appear crisp and in focus, try the following settings: Use a low shutter speed and a tripod. The low speed will help you capture more light, and the tripod will keep the image from appearing blurry.

Next, you’ll want to use a high aperture setting. This will produce a lower-level of light, but this should be balanced by the shutter speed. The aperture setting, when combined with the right lighting, will ensure that the image appears crisp instead of soft and nuanced.

The last thing to do is play with your camera’s ISO settings. High-quality equipment can use ISO setting above 400, but low-quality equipment may produce a grainy effect at higher settings. Low ISO lets in less light, high ISO lets in more. Use the ISO to better balance the lighting captured by the camera’s shutter speed and aperture settings.

Soft Images with an Ethereal Background

If you want the light in your image to appear more glowing, with only the foreground appearing in crisp focus, then try out the exact opposite of the above. Set a higher shutter speed with a lower aperture setting, then use the ISO to create just the right balance of lighting.

Recreate the Effects of Nature

If you want to take an indoor sunset shot that looks like it was taken outdoors, you’ll need to play around with some additional equipment. You can place vellums with holes in front of lights to create cloud shadowing or use a softbox cover with a hole in the center over your foreground light to create the glowing directional light of the setting sun.

While these tips and tricks will help you to get started, experimentation is the only real way to get things set up just right. Have fun working it out in your studio, and please feel free to share any tips you discover along the way!

Setting up the Studio Before the Model Arrives

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Jennifer Berube

Nothing screams unprofessional like having a client waiting around for you to finish setting up your studio. Whether you’re indoors or out, you want to have everything ready to go before your model arrives. But how do you set everything up around a person who isn’t even there? There’s more to setting up a photo shoot than just putting up some lights and setting your camera on a tripod. You have to think through different stages of the photo shoot, like how you’re going to shape the light, or what props you need. Once you do this, you’ll come off looking professional and your pictures will come out looking amazing.

Backgrounds and Props

The first thing you’ll want to think about is the setup of your space. Do you want to be next to a window, are you outside against a specific setting? Once you determine where you want your model to be posed, you should think about how the photo shoot will go. Is the shoot going to be a quick take against one solid background, or will you want to spice things up a bit and move the model around? It’s important to consider this and set up accordingly. If you’re indoors, make sure you have different background sheets ready to be changed in and out as needed. If you’re outside, scope out different locations and suggest them to your client as you go.

It’s also important to think about props. If you’re doing a quick or serious shoot, you probably won’t use them, so it’s best to store them away. However, if you’re doing a long playful shoot, or you’re working with a young model, it’s a good idea to set aside a handful of props you’ll want to introduce into some photos. Try and pick things that match your client’s personality. And be sure to ask if there’s anything they might be bringing along or want (such as an author promoting a book or an athlete who might want a symbol of their sport).

Lighting

Lighting can make or break any picture. Depending on if you’re in an outdoor or an indoor setting, you’ll need to do a different setup to get the lighting to work just right. It’s easy enough to measure the light, even without your model there to test. You can use a mannequin (or just the head of one) to see how the light will reflect on someone. Using a light meter, you can see what you need to set your aperture to, and adjust the lights accordingly. Not only will this make you look professional but it also reduces waiting time at the start of the shoot so you can get more images of your model in at a time.

There are a lot of different tools you can use to help set up your studio and some tricks to getting things ready for multiple locations. Light diffusers and umbrellas are perfect for changing the light without having to add and remove large spot lights or flashes. If you don’t have an assistant who can hold them up as you go, invest in some simply stands that you can attach these to.

Now that you have one space ready to shoot, you might decide you’d also like to shoot next to the window, or in the corner of the room. If you don’t have enough equipment to have different sections set-up ahead of time, go through the same process with your mannequin and use tape to mark where your lights and diffusers should go. This way, while your model fixes their outfit and/or makeup to get ready for a new location, you can quickly move your equipment over and be ready and waiting for them.

Once the Model Arrives

Once the model does arrive, there’s very little to do either than shoot away. However, it is best to make sure you check your readings with the person there in case there needs to be any smaller adjustments. Keep an open communication with your model while you do this, ask them about props or background, or any specific poses they want. This not only helps the mood feel more relaxed, but it also allows you to make small adjustments without looking unprofessional as you go along.

When working with clients, or even just friends and family, you want to come off looking professional. You want the model to feel at ease that you know how to work your equipment. The only decisions they should have to make are background colors and use of props, the rest needs to be up to you. Getting everything set up before your model arrives is not only professional, it helps extend the time of your shoot, allowing you to get more pictures to help please your client.

DIY- Lens cap for making your own creative shaped bokeh effects

Posted on November 24, 2016 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

Have you ever seen those photos with this effect where light sources are shaped like hearts or stars? The effect is called bokeh and to take this kind of photos you need 2 things: knowing how to create a bokeh and a kit for the shapes.

So what is Bokeh? Bokeh is an effect which happens when you set the focus so that the background of the photo is blurry. When this happens, light sources in the background are also blurry and so they look in the photo like bright circles. Usually, the bokeh is achieved by using wide apertures. You will need to play with the depth of field in order to get the blurry effect you want. You can have a look at the article of our colleague Arnel Hasanovic to learn in more detail how to shoot photos with bokeh.

Today I am going to focus on the second thing you need to get this creatively shaped bokeh: the bokeh kit. You can get a kit on Amazon. However, you can also do it yourself. First of all, creating these bokeh kits is easy and cheap and you don’t need any special equipment. Second, you can get your family and friends involved in your bokeh project, making the experience even funnier. In addition, creating your own kit will allow you to be more creative because you can create any shape you want and not be restricted to the shapes that come in a commercial kit.

Let’s start with the list of things you will need to create your bokeh kit:

– A sheet of dark Bristol/thick paper (I prefer black, for not adding a color cast to your photos)

– Pencil

– Scissors and/or scalpel

– A lens (preferably a lens with a wide aperture).

– A drawing compass, a ring or other small round object

– Optional: glue/another type of adhesive substance

sleeklens-33-2 — Here are the tools and materials I used. I also used a ruler to be more accurate but it is not mandatory to have.

Step one:

Draw a circle with the diameter of the lens that you want to use. The easiest way for me to do it was to use the lens itself as a mold (I recommend to place a filter on the lens to protect it)

Step two:

Cut out the circle, this will be your bokeh cap.

Step three:

Trace a second circle on the bokeh cap, about two millimeters smaller than the diameter of the cap. You can do it approximate or you can measure it with the ruler or a drawing compass.

Step four:

Using your scissors, make one millimeter long cuts from the cap’s circumference towards the center (the line you drew in step three will help you to do it accurately). Make the cuts as dense as possible.

Step five:

Using a drawing compass or a ring, draw another circle in the center of your bokeh cap (the ruler can be handy here as well, to place the center in the right spot). It should be small, around 2 centimeters in diameter. This circle is the maximum size of the hatch you should make in the following steps.

Step six:

Draw the shape you want for your bokeh effect inside the circle you draw in step five. Make sure to draw it as centered as possible. And now the most important thing: use a scalpel to cut out the shape of the hatch. Be as exact as you can. The more accurate you are with cutting the shape, the nicer and sharper the effect will be, make sure to trim all the edges too.

Step seven:

Fold the little cuts you made in step four, all in one direction and fit the cap into your lens. You can tighten the cap at the rim to the lens by using a pencil or a Q-tip (but do it gently, not to damage the lens).

Optional step:

You can make a little handle that will help you to remove the cap when you finish by gluing a small strip of paper close to the rim of the cap. I used a two-sided sticky pad.

And that’s all! You now can go and take super cool photos with a shaped bokeh effect! I took some photos with our Minion. Who is going to be your model? Have a happy shooting!

To get this photo I focused on the Minion. I needed to put some light on him because it was really dark.

How to Photograph Water – Water Photography Tips

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Jennifer Berube

Water is a wonderful part of nature that everyone can appreciate looking at. Whether you want to photograph a river, an ocean, a lake, or a waterfall you’ll need to know how to set up your camera for the perfect shot. Water photography is a tricky subject. However, by changing a few camera settings, you can get an excellent shot. Once you know how to set up the shot beforehand and properly change your settings for the type of picture you want, you’ll be a water-shooting pro in no time.

Water Photography Tip #1: Protecting Your Camera

One of the most important things to keep in mind when doing water photography is the safety of your camera. Just like any other electronic, your camera will not fare well when wet. Shooting near water can harm your camera and even make the photos come out looking splotchy and hazy.

To protect your camera from falling in the water during water photography sessions, always use a tripod that is steady. Not only will the tripod protect your camera, but it will also make the image steadier. Sometimes you’ll want a slower shutter speed for your camera, and if you’re holding it in your shaky hands, the photo may come out blurry.

When in a place where water spray is likely, such as the beach or a waterfall, be sure to cover your camera. Enough light drops on a camera can ruin it. When you are ready to set up your shot, be sure to cover your lens up until you’re ready to shoot. An old camera filter or a plastic bag will not only protect your camera lens during your water photography, but it will also prevent watermarks from getting on the glass and ruining your photo.

Water Photography Tip #2: Setting up the Shot

Water photography is mostly a game of composition. Even with wrong camera settings, a nicely composed picture can turn out great. But no amount of fancy settings or filters can take a horribly framed photo and turn it amazing. With water, the placement of your camera is of the utmost importance. You can create amazing scenes using curves and natural objects such as rocks and vegetation.

Generally speaking, lines are what attract the eye. When someone looks at a photo, their eyes follow the lines created by the objects. A good photo uses these lines to draw the eye to the important aspects of an image. Being out in nature, you’re going to have to find these eye-catching lines yourself.

The best spot to take pictures of water isn’t always the most convenient. You may have to walk along a river or climb to a certain part of a waterfall to get the best shot. Generally, you want to find curves. Waterfalls and ocean waves have plenty of these. When looking to shoot rivers, try to find a bend or a handful of swerves to help get the attention of your audience.

A picture of just water isn’t going to be all that astounding. Try and think of a photo you’ve seen that shows the river without the bank, the ocean without the beach. There aren’t many. A lot of the attraction to water images is the nature that surrounds them. Keep this in mind when you’re preparing your shot. You want to include the rocks, the sand, and the vegetation that surrounds your water. Use the natural landscape to frame your shot or divide it into neat lines. It may take some time searching, but eventually, you’ll find the perfect spot to shoot.

Water Photography Tip #3: Setting Shutter Speed

Once you’ve found where you’re going to shoot, you need to figure out how you’re going to shoot. When it comes to water there are two main types of effects you can make. You can either produce an image with still water or one that’s moving. Both of these types of effects create stunning images, and it is easy to get both in one shot.

Creating water effects comes down to shutter speed. Shutter speed is how fast or slow your camera takes a picture. When you hear a camera click, that’s the shutter closing on the image, capturing it. If the shutter speed is slow, the image is revealed for longer, letting the camera pick up more light and movement. When it’s fast, the image is revealed for a shorter period and the camera can’t pick up on everything.

If you want to create still water images, you’ll want to set your shutter speed to a faster setting. Faster settings do allow you to hold the camera (use a strap so it doesn’t fall in). Because the picture doesn’t have a lot of time to capture the image, it will only catch a fraction of what’s going on, leaving you with the illusion that the river or waterfall wasn’t moving at all.

However, if you like the idea of showing motion, and want a streaming-like effect on your images, then use a lower speed. This is where your tripod will come in handy, so the image doesn’t shake. As the image is revealed for a longer period, the camera can pick up on the movement of the water, and track it as it goes along. This allows for the final image to have movement in it.

Photographing water can be tricky and dangerous to your camera. But as long as you take proper safety precautions, your camera can help you get the perfect image. Just remember to spend enough time scoping out the perfect shot. And don’t forget to change the shutter speed as you go to get some different effects in your pictures.

How to Become a Music Photographer

Posted on November 20, 2016 by Jennifer Berube

If you’ve decided to step out into the exciting world of music photography, you may feel a little lost and wonder how to get started. There are a few things you need to know right off the bat. If you follow these steps and tips, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a professional music photographer.

There’s Always More to Learn

Even if you’re already an expert photographer, you still have things to learn. A photographer is also a small business. Whether you’re an expert or beginner you need to know how to market yourself in the industry, how to speak with professionals, how to effectively manage money, and how to brand yourself.

No matter how well you can handle a camera, you should always seek to improve your skills as well. For the novice, consider taking courses. There are many courses available online and in traditional university settings, and you can get started with professional web tutorials from established experts.

Be sure to focus on people who work specifically within the music industry so you will learn what is expected. Photographing a band is not just about getting a good image for their album cover. The image should be framed, lit, and laid out in such a way that it captures the essence of their music and style. You’ll need to use the right settings to ensure you capture a quality motion image in a low-light area.

In a 2013 interview with icould.com, legendary music photographer Steve Gullick gave the following advice to people getting started in the industry:

“You have to be absolutely single-minded and dedicated to perfecting your craft, there are loads of talented people that want to do the same thing, you have to be better than them; if you don’t do this, you’re probably wasting your time and should concentrate on photography as a hobby.”

Build a Portfolio

Education matters, but not as much as having an impressive portfolio of images. You can begin putting together a professional portfolio at any time. Go to concerts and music events in your area, follow your favorite bands on tour, and take as many pictures as you can. Choose from the best and use them to create a portfolio on your website.

Make Industry Contacts

This one might make you nervous, but building a professional network is a basic component of any kind of business. So how do you make industry contacts?

The same way you build a portfolio: get out and interact with the musical community. Go to shows where the band has yet to be discovered, you’ll have an easier time getting to know them and their manager. New bands are always looking for professional photographers to help capture and design their image, and you can work with a new band for a discount rate. Use those connections to build your portfolio and get your name out there. As your notoriety and skills increase, you can increase your rate to match them.

Refine Your Craft

Your craft is photography, first and foremost. The secondary aspect of your craft is a business. Pay attention to your successes and failures. Has anyone complained about your images, work ethic, or how you present yourself to professionals? Find ways to correct these mistakes and you’ll continue to grow as a professional music photographer.

Continue to study photography. Learn how to use lighting and angles to capture the essence of a moment, the music, and the band. Make a study of how other photographers have worked with musicians to create sets that appeal to the audience and the performer.

Study the Masters of Your Trade

It’s easy to lose heart when you’re starting out in any endeavor. Taking the time to study the careers and lives of other professionals in your industry will help guide you through the rough terrain and give you the hope to keep going. Study the top photographers currently working in the music industry and learn from them.

Tips for the New Music Photographer

Now that you have the basic steps to get you started, here are a few tips to help you further down the path ahead:

1. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there

If you have a killer idea, don’t be afraid to pitch it.

2. You don’t need the most expensive equipment to start with.

While you will need to get expensive equipment as you progress, you can start with basic equipment.

3. Learn how to use social media platforms to build your notoriety.

Figure out which social media platforms work best for you and learn how to use them for marketing. Choose one or two to focus on at first, otherwise, you’ll be spending too much time building those accounts.

Now that you’ve learned the basic steps to getting started, grab your camera and find a show: you have some pictures to take.

How To Create a 3 x 3 Grid Collage in Photoshop

Posted on November 19, 2016 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

Creating a collage is a great way to show your photos. They allow you to get a bit more creative with your work and develop your designing skills. And they are perfect both for printing and for social media!

The sizes, number of photos and design of a collage are extremely diverse. To show you how to create one, I choose the 3×3 square collage for a couple of reasons. First of all, if you have no experience with collage, this 3×3 square format is a great one to start with. You will learn the technique of creating a collage without messing with picture sizes so much (this will be the next step in your learning process). The second reason is because this collage is a great way of sharing your photos on social media, especially on Instagram. Taking into account that Instagram is one of the social platforms more suitable for photographers, I thought it might be interesting for you.

You can build your collages in different programs. Our college Arnel Hasanovic explained how to create a collage in Lightroom. Today I want to show you how I create collages in Photoshop (Or you can try an action). It takes more time than creating it in Lightroom, but it gives you much flexibility. Let’s jump into it!!

#1. Decide on the final size and resolution of your collage

You can create a collage at any size you like. In this tutorial, I am going to give explanations for a digital collage (I am not thinking of printing it) and I will use the dimensions that are ideal for publishing it later in Instagram. In 2016, Instagram square picture size in pixels is 1080x1080px. If you prefer, you can use any other square size that will be more convenient to you. Regarding the resolution (pixels per inch, or PPI), 72ppi is considered the standard for internet images.

If you want to print it, take measurements of the place where you would like to hang or store your collage to have a better idea of the size you need. In your case, you will need to work with the size in centimeters or inches instead of pixels. Just as an example, instead of 1080×1080 px, for you it will be 20x20cm. But the steps you have to do to create the collage are exactly the same. For printing the recommended resolution is 300 dpi (dots per inch)

#2. Calculate the final size of your individual photos

Now that you know the size of your collage, you can calculate the final size of your individual photos. You just divide the length of your collage by 3 and you have it! In the Instagram collage of 1080×1080 pixels, our individual photos will be 360×360 px (the red square in the image above). Same calculation if you are working with centimeters or inches. For example, if you want a 20x20cm collage, your individual photos will be 6.7×6.7cm.

#3. Pick your individual photos for the collage

Now that we did the hard part of deciding sizes, the fun part starts! You need to pick photos from your collection. You will need just 9, but I recommend you to pick some more in case some of them doesn’t work so well in the collage. I use Lightroom to have my photos organized. What I usually do is creating a collection with the images I want to use to create the collage. If you don’t use Lightroom, you can just pick your photos and put them in a new folder in the computer.

#4. Resize your individual images

You don’t have to resize them, but doing it will make your life easier. Your final image once in the collage will be 360×360 px. I found really useful to resize my photos to have their short side like my final square (360px).

As I am coming from my LG collection, I just resize my photos meanwhile I import them to a folder on my computer. Fast and easy! You can use any other software you like to resize your images, including PS. Do this step as you prefer.

#5. Create your new canvas in PS

The time to work with PS has arrived. If you are a PS beginner, you might find helpful a series of articles written by Julian H where he explains this software from scratch. Today we will start by creating a new canvas 1080 pixels width and 1080px height with a resolution of 72 pixels/inch. I want to create a black canvas. To do so, I choose in the “Background contents” the option of “Background color” and that I have the Background color previously set to black. I also name it as “Collage”. This will be important for step 7.

If you want to print your canvas, remember that in this step you should write 300 pixels/inch in the resolution instead of 72. Your settings will look more like this:

Click ok to create your brand new canvas.

#6. Create 9 square white shapes and place them inside your canvas

Select the rectangle tool and check that you have the settings like in the image below: shape, white fill and no stroke. Then click on your canvas and a window will appear. You can then define the size of your square to 360x360px.

By clicking ok you will create a new layer called “Rectangle 1”. With the move tool (V) you can select the square and move it to the upper left corner.

To make it faster you can duplicate your rectangle layer 2 times by selecting the layer and pressing twice Ctl+J in Windows or Cmd+J in Mac. With the move, tool arranges the squares to form the first line of your collage. There is a trick here that will make yours like easier. In the move tool, check the box “Auto-select”. This will allow you to select any layer by clicking on it in the canvas instead of moving from layer to layer in order to select the square you need to move.

Then select the 3 rectangle layers and duplicate them by pressing Ctl+J/Cmd+J. With the move, the tool moves the 3 rectangles to cover the second line of the collage.

Repeat the steps to cover the 3^rd line with white rectangles.

#7. Open your images in PS and place the first one in the collage

There are different ways to open your images in PS. For collages, I prefer to do Files>Scripts>Load files into Stack.

A browser will open and you can select all the images you need for the college. They will open as a layer in a new canvas.

Think in which square you want to place your first image and select its corresponding layer in your “Collage”.

Come back to your images and right click in the layer that belongs to the image you want in the first square and duplicate layer to the document “Collage” as in the image below.

The first image is in our collage!

Important step now!!! Right click on the layer with your image and create a clipping mask. This will constrain the image to the little square.

Now you can move the photo inside its little square by clicking on the photo with the move tool and drag it where you want. If you need to resize it you can do it by pressing Ctl+T in Windows and Cmd+T in Mac (transform tool) and a rectangle marking the edges of your image will appear. Meanwhile you press shift (check in mac), you can resize the image without losing its dimensions. I repeat… meanwhile you PRESS SHIFT. You need to play with the moving and resizing until you get the result you want.

Then press Enter and you have it!

#8. Place the other 8 images

Repeat step 7 with the other photos. Remember to place the image layer on top of the square layer you want it to appear. Super important!! When you copy the layer with your image to your collage it will appear in the upper right corner.

Move it to its right square with the move tool first.

Then create the clipping mask.

Tip: if you lose track of the square you are looking for, just unselect it for one moment and you will see a black square in the place where the square is supposed to be. Then mark it again and keep placing your images as usual

Eventually your collage will be finished! Congratulations! Steps 9 and 10 are optional, depending on your antithetical preferences.

#9. Add a grid

This is going to be way easier than you think! Start by right clicking on your first rectangle layer (or any other you like) and select “Blending options “. Select “Stroke” and choose “Inside” in the Position field.

A frame will appear inside your selected square. The other parameters are up to you. You can play with the size and the color.

Now you can just right-click on the square with the frame and Copy Layer Style. Then you select all the other square, right click, and Paste Layer Style.

Your grid is done!!

#10. Make the photos look a bit more uniform

You can make the photos look a bit more uniform by adding an Adjustment layer. First thing clicks on the “Create new adjustment layer” and choose “Color Lookup”.

In the properties, you can select different presets. Check them out and pick the one that suits better your collage. In my case, I picked the one called “Fall colors”.

#11. Save your collage in jpg and share it!

Flatten all your images before saving your collage (see image below).

And that’s all! You can save your collage both as jpg and pdf (in case you want to modify it later). If you made it for Instagram, now it is time to go and share it!!

I hope you enjoyed making your first 3×3 collage!!

Just in case you wonder how to cut something in photoshop, here is an easy way to cut something complex in Photoshop.

London from a photographer’s point of view

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Leonardo Regoli

Without any doubt, London is one of the top destinations in the world when it comes to tourism, consistently ranking among the top 5 in almost every list year after year. While there might be many reasons for this, one of them is the beauty of its sights combined with a myriad of buildings and structures that create one of the most beautiful and well-known skylines in the planet. In fact, if I had to choose a word to describe the capital city of the United Kingdom, that would be photogenic.

In this post, I want to make a short virtual tour around some of those wonderful sights together with a couple of tips that can help you come back from your visit to London with at least a handful of wonderful photos. Needless to say that the city has a lot more to offer (museums, nightlife, entertainment, etc.) and, if you add to this the golden rule of travel and landscape photography (make photos during the blue hour!), that means that you should plan for a trip lasting at least a week or so. This latter piece of advice especially applies to London given its (in)famous weather, so expect at least a couple of rainy days!

Palace of Westminster

Probably as soon as you read London an image of the Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament comes to your mind. This wonder of the Gothic architecture has become the trademark of this cosmopolitan city. Its location next to the River Thames and the Westminster Bridge makes it a perfect subject for architecture and travel photography.

One of the great things about the building (from a photographer’s point of view) is that it can be captured from different points of view and under different light conditions and still produce wonderful photos. This also makes it difficult to come up with a composition that has never been tried before, but the truth is that this situation is common to pretty much any city that attracts millions of tourists each year.

One of the compositions that have become a classic is the view from the bridge across the street with the trail lights of passing cars and/or buses in front, injecting dynamism to the image. Still, the light conditions can vary from day to day and it can also be enjoyable to get your own version of classic shots, so it is definitely worth it getting there once the Sun is below the horizon.

Tower Bridge

Another landmark of the city is the Tower Bridge. Often mislabeled as ‘London Bridge’, this rather strange bridge is another sight that you cannot miss, especially during the blue hour.

If you are lucky enough, you can make a photo while the road bridge is open to let a boat pass by. It is common nowadays to see small ships that provide tours along the river that have a large mast only to justify raising the bascules. In total, the bascules are raised around a thousand times a year and the current regulations require that a 24-hour notice is given. The times when the bascules are going to be raised are published on the bridge’s website together with other useful information so you can actually plan in advance for the right light conditions for your photo.

The River Thames bank

Going west from the Tower Bridge it is possible to have a good view of the financial district of London, commonly referred to as ‘The City’. This cluster of tall buildings (visible between the two towers of the bridge on the blue hour photo above) are also a nice subject and the river itself provides on of the best vantage points to capture this small skyline.

London has a mixture of modern and old architecture that can provide an interesting contrast to include in your photos. While this contrast is present all over the city, some spots have become particularly popular among photographers and, once you get there, it is quite obvious why. One of those locations is the view of the St. Paul’s Cathedral from the Millennium Bridge, right next to the Tate Modern and the Shakespeare’s globe, two other great examples of this same contrast.

The places I listed here are just some of the most well-known spots for photography in the city. However, what makes London a wonderful destination is that, apart from the touristic spots, there are virtually infinite small streets and corners that will guide your imagination so that you can make the most out of any trip you make. In short, if you are planning to go to a major city for your holidays, give London a serious thought and you won’t be disappointed.

How to Improve a Dull Photo in Lightroom

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

Lately, I have been sharing with you several photographic journeys around Catalonia. I have shown you places as La Garrotxa, Sitges, and Barcelona. For me, nature and portrait photographer, it has been a nice challenge to take photos of streets and buildings. I discovered I like it a lot! Once back home, with the photos already in my Lightroom presets catalog, click here. I faced a new issue: how to improve some of the street photos I took? Some of them looked quite dull. My brain is used to think about softening images: I soften flowers to make them look more delicate, I soften wedding photos to make them look dreamy… but softening a street or a building?? It didn’t seem right to me. I did a bit of thinking and a bit of trying and I ended up finding a post-processing workflow that I like to use to improve dull photos. Are you interested in installing presets? See the details here.

I shot this photo in Olot. It might be familiar to you because I used to illustrate one of my last articles.

You agree that this photo looks pretty dull, don’t you? However, if you look at the histogram you can see that this image has a lot of potential because no pixels were either too bright or too dark. They were all inside the dynamic range of the photo (If you are not familiar with histograms I invite you to take a look at the article of Julian H about Lightroom Histograms. Before starting working in Lightroom, I recommend you to stop and think what you want to achieve. This will give you an indication of which slides you need to move. In this photo, I wanted to do 3 important things: increase the contrast, give a bit of color to the buildings and recover the sky.

General adjustments

I always start by doing general adjustments (they affect the whole photo). For the first steps processing this photo, I used some of the slides in the Develop Module, specifically in the Basic panel. I wanted to increase the contrast, so I moved the Contrast slider to the right (+19 in this case). To recover the sky of any photo, you can start by moving the Highlights slide to the left. In today’s photo I moved it to -100. And to gain a bit of color I increased the Vibrance by moving its slide to +43. Just these 3 adjustments can already improve a dull photo, a lot.

However, the buildings had too many shadows, so I moved the Shadows slider to +100 and I increased the exposure a little (+27).

It is quite common that when you reduce the shadows of a photo, the contrast gets weak. But it is ok because just by darkening the blacks a bit (-36) you can recover the contrast.

Local adjustments

The photo looks better already. However, it can be improved much more by doing adjustments to just some parts of the image (local adjustments). In this case, I wanted to recover the colors of both the sky and the buildings even more. There are several ways to add local adjustments to a photo using Lightroom. Today I used 2 brushes: one for the buildings and one for the sky. If you are not familiar with Lightroom brushes, don’t worry! There is a guide written by Mantas O. Ciuksys on how to use them that will help you a lot! The first brush I used all over the sky and as I wanted to recover the colors I moved the Highlight slider to -100 and I also gave a punch to the saturation (+13). More uses of brush in editing, see here.

dull photo — In pink, the area I brushed for editing just the sky.

The second brush was used on the houses. BUT just on the houses that I wanted to emphasize (the 3 first houses from the left side). This time I increased the saturation quite a lot (+80).

You can see how the 3 houses changed after applying the brush to increase the saturation.

Final sharpening

The last adjustment was to increase the sharpening of the whole photo to +64 (Sharpening is in the Detail panel).

Here you have the final photo. Much more colorful and vibrant than the dull original one!

Using the Sleeklens Brick and Mortar Workflow

If you want to save time in your editing like the one I just showed you, I have good news for you!! You can use the Brick and Mortar Workflow, that comes with 78 presets and 28 brushes. I have been trying it for editing urban photos from my last articles and I am really happy with the results I got with just a few clicks.

The thing I like the most about these presets is that you can stack them, meaning that you can use several of them in the same photo. I will give you an example of this workflow using the same photo from before. I started by applying the following presets:

0-All In One – Beautiful Daylight. This gave already a great improvement.

5-Polish- Make it Pop (to increase the colors of the image).

5-Polish-Sharpening.

6-Tone-Warm-Highlights.

For local adjustments I used 2 of the Brick and Mortar Brushes on the 3 first houses on the left:

Exposure-Brighter Shadows.

Color-Saturation.

And that’s all! It took me less than 2 minutes to edit the photo! Here is the final result!

I hope you enjoyed giving a bit of color to some dull photos. Feel free to contact me with any question or suggestions. What do you do with dull photos? Do you do something similar to what I do? Do you have a totally different workflow? Have a happy post processing!!!

10 Tips that will help you prepare a yoga photo session

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

Yoga is an ancient eastern discipline that is getting more popular every day in western countries. Yoga combines physical, mental and spiritual practices that help to improve the well-being of the practitioner. My personal story with yoga started four years ago when I decided to take some classes. It was a life-changing experience, not just because of the benefits I got for my mind and body, but also for my career as a photographer. A friend that is a yoga professional asked me to take photos of her in different yoga postures (called asanas) because she needed them for her social media channels and accounts (to promote herself). This is how I got into yoga photography… and I love it!

My friend Nita was the one who asked me to do my first yoga photo session. This photo was taken at our last photo shoot in Barcelona.

If you also want to get into yoga photography, first of all, you need to know how to get ready for the photo sessions. Most of the preparations I do for this type of sessions are the same as for another kind of portrait photography. You might be interested in checking my “A How-To Guide on organizing a portrait photo session” to learn in more detail how to get ready. However, there are some special things in yoga photo sessions that are handy to know beforehand.

#1 Get inspiration from yogis on social media

Some yoga professionals have a great social media presence. You can find them on Facebook, Periscope and of course…Instagram! In my opinion, Instagram is one of the best sources for yoga photography inspiration. If you follow some of the great yogis you will have an idea of the trends in the field. The list of yoga professionals you can find on Instagram is endless. Some of my favorite accounts: kinoyoga, yoga_girl, beachyogagirl, nolatrees, carlingnicole, patrickbeach, dylanwerneryoga. And last but not least, the Instagram of my dear yogi friends: reinodenita and lilatotheworld.

Ask your yoga model if she/he has something in mind. Probably she/he is also following other yogis and can provide you a list of asanas she/he would like to try. However, do your own search to increase the variety of options.

#2 Get familiar with the asana’s names

Asana is the name that yoga postures receive. They have names in Sanskrit, such as “Urdhva Mukha Svanasana”. But don’t worry. You won’t need to learn Sanskrit to be a yoga photographer. All the postures have translated names in English. For example “Urdhva Mukha Svanasana” is also known as “Upward-Facing Dog”. Easier, right?

You will get familiar with these names while you are doing your inspirational searches. You can also make yourself a list of names with the corresponding asana posture and take it with you to the photo session. Having an idea about yoga terminology will make it easier for you and your model to communicate and convey your ideas during the session.

#3 Divide the asanas by categories

If you take the list of postures with you to the photo session (like I do), you should have them classified in a way that makes sense to you. This will help you to be more efficient. To find an asana in a big list can get really complicated, especially when your model is waiting for you to tell him or her what to do next! I usually divided them by standing positions, sitting, inversions, bridges, arm balances and so on

#4 Take photos from all the asana categories

Having the asanas organized in several categories has another advantage: you can make sure that you pick asanas belonging to each category and be certain that you have a good variety of photos. Your yogi model would love to have such a variety of photos!

#5 Get close

The whole body is included in the asanas. However, getting close to your model and take photos of just specific body parts can add new perspectives to your images. Hands, feet, back… play with your close ups and you will be surprised by your results!

#6 Clothes matters

Yoga is not about fancy clothes. However, clothes are important for the photo session. First of all, having several outfits will add variety to the photo session, so it is always a good idea. It is also possible that your model is promoting some brand. You should make sure to get photos of all the clothes he/she is interested to be photographed in. In any case, you should include time for changing outfits when you plan the schedule of the photo session. You should also think how/where the yogi model will change the outfits. The solution for this will depend on the location of the photo shoot; if it is held in an urban environment maybe you should contact a local clothing store and ask permission to use their changing rooms if it is held outdoors perhaps you should bring with you a tent…

I also recommend you to tell your models to choose the outfit wisely, especially the underwear. They are going to be moving all the time and sometimes they are going to be upside down. They need outfits that stay perfect in all these different positions. Also, the last thing you want in your photos is underwear coming out. Or if it does…it needs to be a beautiful one! If you don’t want to spend hours on Photoshop retouching clothes, take care of these details during the photo session.

#7 Give the model time to warm up

Yoga asanas are demanding. It is dangerous for the model to start with the yoga positions without warming up. Make sure they have enough time to do it in order to avoid injuries right before or even during the photo session. You should also make sure your model doesn’t get cold during the photo session, especially in between postures. Remember, for them, it is also a workout, they sweat, and between postures they can cold really fast!

#8 Decide when to do the complicated postures

Some asanas are more demanding than others for the models. It is always good to ask them when they prefer to do them. Some yogis prefer to do the hardest positions at the beginning of the photo session because it is when they feel fresher and stronger. Other prefers to leave them to the end either because they need to warm up and stretch first, or because after these hard asanas they won’t be able to do anything else. You need to adjust the photo session to their body requirements.

#9 Never push your client to do something (even if it seems easy)

Some asanas might seem easy when you look from the side, but they are not. In these cases, it is especially easy for you and/or for your model to get carried away in an attempt to get the perfect photo. You mustn’t let your model lose the awareness of their body and their limitations! If they push themselves too far it can end in serious injury. Be respectful and if they tell you that they can’t do something (even if it seems easy to you), believe them. The safety of your model is the most important thing, not the photos. Anyway, there are tons of other asanas, all of them are beautiful!

#10 Go to a yoga class before the photo session to get a feeling

Participate in a yoga session! I’m not telling you to become a yogi now (it is entirely your decision), but yoga is easily available for everybody and there are a lot of yoga studios everywhere. You should attend a class in order to get the yoga feeling and understand where your model comes from and what he/she has to deal with. This will make you a much more empathetic photographer. It is always a good thing to improve the model-photographer relation!

I hope these tips will help you on organizing your yoga photo sessions. Feel free to contact me with any question you might have. I will be happy to help you! I would like to thank all my yogi models for giving me the chance to become a yoga photographer! Nita, Ashley, Ami and Inna… you are amazing! Namaste!

Tips for editing your flower photographs in Lightroom

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

In a previous article I gave you some tips about flower photography. Today I want to talk about the editing of this type of photos. I always recommend doing your best in the moment of capturing the photo. Invest some time looking for the right perspective, work on the composition of your image, avoid cluttered backgrounds, focus on the right spot and aim for a good exposure. However, there are some simple things you can do in post-processing that can make your flower photo even better.

I will show you some of my general post editing tips in Lightroom. They are general, not universal. These tips will give you a good basis to start with, but they might not work in all the situations you might encounter. You will need to experiment with your flowers a little (this is part of the fun in photography, isn’t it?). The basic idea behind all my editings is to make my main flower/s pop out. So let’s jump to Lightroom Develop module and see how these tips goes!

Do some global adjustments first

This is a good tip for any kind of photography. First of all do the global adjustments, meaning the ones that affect the whole photo. For this tutorial I am going to use this straight of the camera photo:

The slides I like to work with are:

Exposure: You might need to adjust a bit the exposure (or a lot if you didn’t manage to adjust it at the moment of taking the photo). If your photo is overexposed, you need to move the slide to the right and if it is underexposed, to the left.

Highlights: I usually try to recover some highlights by moving the Highlight slide to the left. This is especially useful if you have to deal with a background which is too bright because it will bring a bit of detail to the photo. By default, our eyes are drawn to bright things so they tend to focus on the lighter areas of an image. If the background is too bright it will draw our eyes to it and make us ignore the flower, and this is exactly what we don’t what want!! So if you can make the background less bright, it will be better. This doesn’t mean that you always need a dark background. You can use white backgrounds too. What I mean is that they should not be extremely bright.

Shadows and blacks: If I see that my main subject has an interesting area too dark, I move the shadow slide to the right. You will see how details will appear in your image.

However, the contrast of the area can get a bit weak. Increase a bit the blacks (moving Blacks slide to the left) and your problem is solved! By decreasing shadows and increasing blacks you give a higher dynamic range to your image.

Add your personal touch with the clarity slide

I love the clarity slide! This is the point in the editing when you really need to decide which kind of final look you want for your flowers. Do you want to show all the little details of your flower? Then you should move the clarity slide to the right. This might darken your photo a little, so you might need to adjust the exposure again.

If you prefer a softer look, move the clarity slide to the left.

In this case too, you might need to adjust the exposure. In the example, by changing the clarity I also causes the colors to stand out a bit too much, to counter this side effect, I moved the vibrance slide to the left in order to get a more natural look.

When you decrease the clarity of a photo you get this blurry dreamy effect. However, you might like to keep the details in specific parts of the photos. For this, you can use a circular filter like in the image below.

screenshot-10 — You can add a circular filter to do local adjustments in your photos. In this case I checked the “Invert Mask” because I wanted the adjustments to be made inside the circle. I wanted the center of the flower to be more defined, so I increased the clarity and the sharpness of the area inside the circle. Note that I feathered the circular filter quite a lot to make the adjustments gradual from the center of the circle to the outside.

So here you have the 2 versions of the same photo.

This is the final shraper version of the image — This is the final sharper version of the image

This is the final softer version of the image

Increase (or not) vibrance/saturation

By increasing the vibrance and/or saturation you can make the colors of your flower pop out. However… if you increase them too much your flower’s color can get to a point it looks unreal. If you are doing some creative post-processing, this might be a good thing. But if you are trying to achieve a natural-looking flower image, too much vibrance and saturation will not be good.

screenshot-12 — I did some general adjustments to this image, but I didn’t touch the vibrance and saturation slides yet.

I usually increase the vibrance little by little until I reach to a point that I like. Sometimes you won’t need to touch vibrance/saturation at all because your original picture has already beautiful colors.

screenshot-13 — I usually increase the vibrance little by little so I could find a point where the colors stand out, but the flower still looks real

In this image I increased both the vibrance and the saturation too much the so that you can see their effect on the photograph. You should be careful with these slides because you can reach an unnatural look pretty easily.

Highlight your subject

Imagine that you have a photo like the one below. The background is ok because it is quite dark, but your flower does not really stand out.

In this situation you can use a circular filter to highlight your flower and make it the focus of your image. I usually add the circle, then I check “Invert Mask” so that all the adjustments will affect the inner part of the circle and I feather it at 100 to make the adjustments look gradual. You might need to play a little with your adjustments, but usually you will need to increase the exposure. I also like to add a bit of sharpness and clarity, but this is up to you!

screenshot-16 — I use the circular filter to increase the exposure of my main subject/s and make them pop out from the darker background.

If you are using black backgrounds…make them really black!

If you are using black backgrounds for your flower photography, they might look a bit grey-ish in the original photo.

Make them really black by using Lightroom brush tool. You just need to “paint” the background. I like to check the “Show Selected Mask overlay” because then I can see in red the places where I paint. Another tip: check “Auto Mask” and Lightroom will detect the edges and will help you to paint just the background (and not “stray” with the brush onto the flower).

screenshot-17 — When you have the “Show Selected Mask Overlay” checked, you can see in red the places where you “painted” with your brush. Check also “Auto Mask” to make Lightroom help with not painting outside of the borders.

Once you have painted the background, adjust the brush by decreasing the exposure, making the shadows darker (slide to the left) and make it smooth by moving the Clarity slide to the left too.

Last thing is doing general adjustments to the photo to make the flower really stand out!

Now it is your turn to practice with your own flower photos and Lightroom! Do you have a tip I have not included here? Tell me about how it goes with your editing! Have a happy post-processing!!

Tips to improve your flower photography

Posted on November 5, 2016 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

I think that flowers are one of the most photogenic subjects in nature. Do you agree? Their big diversity of colors, shapes, and sizes offers endless possibilities. In addition, there is something attracting about the ephemeral nature of flowers. I always think about the impermanence of things when I am taking photos of flowers. It’s as if they are telling me “Look at us, we are beautiful and we are not going to wait here for much longer, so bring your camera already”. As Frida Khalo said: “I paint flowers, so they will not die”. I am not good at painting, so I take photos of them instead! Today I am sharing with you some of the tips and tricks I learned along the way.

Keep it simple

Flowers are beautiful, so they don’t need much more things in the frame beside themselves. I agree that this might be a matter of aesthetic preferences, but in general the most part of the flower photos that will make you go “Oooooh” have very few elements in the frame, if not just a single flower.

flower photogrpahy — Flowers are beautiful subjects that don’t need much more in the frame in order to show their beauty.

Eliminate distractions

Your main objective in flower photography is to highlight the main flower/s in your photo. This means that you need to eliminate from the frame as many distracting elements as possible. These elements can be other flowers, branches, anything you can find around gardens and parks… there are a lot of them! You can try to crop out distractions by doing a close up of the flower. You can also move the flower so that the distracting elements disappear from the frame. Another option is to move and change the perspective in which you are taking the photo.

There is another way to make a background look less distracting: make it blurry. You can achieve this effect by using a wide aperture (low aperture number). f/5 or lower can work really well. It is also useful to keep in mind that a longer focal length will make the background blurrier. For example, if you shoot with a 150mm lens, the background will be blurrier than if you use 35mm. In conclusion, a good option (if possible) would be to combine a low aperture number with a long focal length.

Make sure that you are focused on the right place

This is especially important if you are using wide apertures. You might be so focused on getting blurry backgrounds that you might lose a bit of the focus of your camera. Think always which part of the flower must be sharp in your photo. Then, after taking the photos, check that you achieved what you want. A lot of times I realized that I didn’t focus on the right spot only when I was back home uploading the photos to my computer! Oops!!!

Create your own backgrounds

In some occasions, you can create your own distraction-free background. You can use a simple blackboard (or any other color you like) and just place it behind the flower. These photos lose the atmosphere that the surroundings provide them (because just by looking at the photo you can’t really tell where they were taken). But on the other side, by using a background you make sure to have at least some elegant images of your flower.

Be aware of the wind

When you are shooting at low shutter speeds the slightest movement of the flower will make it appear blurry in the photo. Be aware of that! You can try to block the wind or wait patiently to have a moment of calm. You can also increase your ISO and/or use a wider aperture (meaning lower f-number) to be able to use a faster shutter speed. However, this blurry effect can be beautiful too. It can give a unique and creative look to your photo. If you like this blurry style… go for it!!

Try different perspectives

Don’t be shy trying perspectives. Take photos of flowers from the front, the back, from up, from down, just a part of the flower, the whole flower… You might be surprised by your results.

Allow yourself to be creative in the editing

Flowers are perfect for trying a more creative editing. You can use Photoshop filters to make them look like a painting, you can add a soft effect for a more romantic look… Have fun to experiment!! I will share with you some of my editing tips for flowers in my next article.

And now you just need to find some flowers and start practicing your flower photography! Do you have a tip I have not included here? Are you crazy about flowers as I do? Tell me about your experience! Have a happy shooting!!

Accepting Criticism to Improve Your Photography

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Jennifer Berube

Getting criticism can be hard to anybody. No one really likes to be told what to do, or that what they are doing is wrong. But learning to accept criticism and using it to improve your photography can help bring your photos to the next level. And trust me, there is always the next level. By learning to tell the difference between constructive criticism and non-constructive criticism, and by learning how to tell opinion apart from truth, you can learn to use your peers’ responses to your work to improve upon it.

Constructive Criticism

The first step in accepting criticism is learning what critics to listen to. Someone who tells you simply that your photo is terrible isn’t really there to help you. When someone is criticizing your work, keep an ear out for the specifics and any advice they offer on change. If someone says the background is too blurry and needs to be in focus for the picture to make sense, that’s constructive criticism. If someone says that the background is blurry and therefore the whole picture is worthless, that’s just someone trying to bring you down. Make a conscious note of who offers you constructive criticism and who doesn’t so that in the future, you can get straight to the right advice.

Constructive criticism always has a reasoning behind it. If someone doesn’t tell you why they think the model’s pose is horrendous, then ask them why. If they can’t tell you, then they’re probably just being nitpicky and a downer. If they can tell you, then they’re there to help you improve as a photographer. Always be sure to seek out the latter group of people when working on further projects.

Opinion vs. Fact

When reaching out and showing your work for criticism, it’s always important to get as many people to look it over as you can. When only one person says something about your photo, it can be hard to tell if what they say is a real problem or just a personal preference.

Let’s say that you take a studio portrait and ask 10 people to examine it. Three people say they don’t like the pose the woman has in it, while seven people say the pose is okay. At the same time, seven people say the background is too dark, while three say it’s just fine. Also, five of them say they like the prop used, and five say they don’t. What should you do?

In cases where you have a large body of people, the majority rules. It doesn’t really matter how much artistic experience each person has, the more people that have a problem with something, the more you should look into the problem. In this case, you should probably change the background to something lighter next time but shouldn’t feel too concerned about the pose. For the prop, you can either go for a larger audience, pull in more people to look at the photo or make a judgment call based on what you appreciate.

Turning Criticism into Better Work

Now that you know what isn’t working in your photo, what can you do to fix it? As stated above, the best answer is to simply ask your peers. What was it about the prop that wasn’t working for those five people, and how would they improve it? Trying out others’ suggestions can help make your photography better. At the same time, sometimes you get a whole bunch of different suggestions and have a few ideas of you own.

The next best thing to do after asking for their opinions is to go back to work and try out all the different ways. Open or close the aperture a bit, zoom in or out, change the colors, try a whole bunch of different combinations. Afterward, take all of your photos back to your audience and lay them out. Let everyone decide on which combinations work best. Just like before, go with whatever the majority chooses to ensure that you’re getting the best picture for everyone.

Don’t Let it Get to You

One of the reasons it’s best to only go to someone who can offer constructive criticism is that being told over and over that your work isn’t as good as it could be can drain a person. By ensuring that only critics with good intention are helping you, you can avoid a lot of the negative self-doubt that comes with the other kind of critics. Also, keep in mind that there’s always room for improvement. Every picture out there is going to need some work one way or another, even the greats of the art still work towards improvement. Whenever you get criticism, see it not as a negative towards your work, but as the chance to make it something even better than it already is.

Reading Body Language During a Photo Shoot (to make the studio a comfortable place)

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Jennifer Berube

Going into a small room with lights and cameras everywhere can make people feel a little ill at ease. You’ve probably heard it said that 2/3 of our communication is through non-verbal commands. Being able to read body language and react to it can not only help you get your model to feel more at ease, it can also help you capture better pictures that your client will be happy with. Learning how to identify discomfort and how to resolve the tension in a camera-shy model is the difference between a good photographer and a great one.

How to Identify Discomfort

If your model or client is feeling anxious or nervous about the photo shoot, they’re going to let you know. Even if they don’t tell you how they’re feeling with words, they will certainly let you know with their body. Blocking and pacifying gestures are something we all do unconsciously when we’re feeling afraid or nervous.

Blocking gestures allow us to put a boundary between ourselves and what we fear. Whether it’s crossing our arms over our chests, or holding a prop between us and the source of anguish, blocking gestures help us feel more comfortable with our surroundings.

Pacifying gestures allow us to calm ourselves without being as aggressive or ready to run as a blocking gesture. Blocking gestures say “I’m cautious of you and I’m putting this here to keep you back and give me an escape.” Pacifying gestures, such as playing with jewelry or rubbing one’s hands, say “I’m cautious of you but I’m trying to calm myself down.”

If your model is being fidgety before the shoot or starts holding props you give them directly in front of their bodies, they are probably uncomfortable with the photo shoot. The following tips will help you create a comforting aura and get the perfect pictures they want.

1. Lead by Example

When someone is standing in front of you and ordering you around on what to do, it can be quite scary and sometimes belittle. It’s even worse for a person’s anxiety if they’re trying to do what that the instructor asks them and can’t seem to get it done right. The best way to get your model in the right position is to show them how to do it yourself. Not only will you get them where they want to be, but by showing them and doing it first yourself, they’re more likely to trust you and be comfortable in your presence.

2. Be Confident

Being confident in a studio goes far beyond just being secure in your knowledge of the camera. Always be prepared to answer any questions the client might have about their poses or props. If you ask them to sit in a chair with their legs crossed, try to explain why you think that pose would work for them.

Most importantly, be calm and explanatory about any malfunctions that happen. It will happen to everyone at some point; a camera will stop working, a light will go off, a battery runs out. When this happens, don’t panic. Always be in control of the situation, even if you’re not sure what’s going on. Explain to your subject that there’s a technical difficulty. It can put a strain on someone to sit still with a stranger while they are frustrated trying to figure out something they don’t understand. Talking through your problem can help you bond and close the awkward gap. It can also help you figure out the problem by trying to explain it.

3. Use Their Anxiety to Your Advantage

Often being forced right away to let your guard down can be difficult. Instead, don’t try and immediately have your model open up to you. They’re going to be guarded with their body for a while until they feel comfortable. If your subject comes in with arms crossed, use that to create a powerful, confident image. Have them stand up straight with their head high and arms crossed. Move the camera so that they fill up the whole screen or even go out of the frame, even try getting a little lower and doing a superhero shot. These little actions allow them to get used to being a model while still generating powerful and useful images.

4. Get the Real Smile

It’s easy to tell a fake smile from the real smile. Real smiles engage the whole face, lips, cheeks, and eyes. Fake smiles often only engage the mouth. An anxious model trying to smile is going to create some awkward photos, no matter how great your technical skills are. Start a nervous subject off by doing some non-smiling photos. Let them look off into the distance thoughtfully. As you’re getting ready for some smiling pictures, try and make them laugh. Tell them a joke or a funny story, anything to get their whole face involved for the perfect picture.

Being able to identify body language and use it to your advantage is key to being a great portrait photographer. It’ll be hard and awkward at first, but the more you practice, the easier it will get. Soon you’ll be a master at body language and will be able to manipulate it in many ways to get your client the dream picture they didn’t even know they wanted.

Abstract photography – Playing around with your camera

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Leonardo Regoli

Most of the people start with photography by getting a camera (no matter what type), going out and trying different things. It usually takes a while until one finds what topics or types of photography are the preferred ones and, once that happens, it takes even longer to develop the technique to a relatively good level. What takes even longer, probably a lifetime, is to develop our own vision of that type of photography that we enjoy the most. Making good photos can be difficult, but making unique photos is what makes good photographers stand out and it is indeed the most difficult step of all.

In terms of learning curve, a common problem that arises once we acquired a good technique is one of stagnation. It usually comes a moment in our life as photographers (both amateur and professional) when we find ourselves satisfied with the results we achieve, but where our production rate falls steeply. In fact, for most people, the better one gets as a photographer, the fewer photos one takes and, I think, this is a perfect combination to get us to that stagnation point I mentioned. To get out of that situation it is necessary to find ways to motivate yourself, and trying out different things can be a great idea.

Now, while simply taking a trip or trying a style of photography you are not used to (like, for instance, making some portraits for a landscape photographer) can help you find motivation, today I want to focus on different ways of perceiving and capturing the world with your camera that can be considered as abstract. Some of the ideas I explore in this article are alternate ways of using your gear, while others are just related to the way you look at the world around you. That said, the abstract is a very broad term and creativity has no limits, so don’t be afraid to try different things with your cameras and always be careful with sensitive parts (especially the sensor) when doing so.

Zoom blur

This is probably the easiest way of using your camera in a non-standard way. In fact, you may have probably already tried this but if not, it is worth a shot. You basically need a camera with a manual zoom lens. By manual here I simply mean that you can control the focal length with your hand in contrast to using a motor like in compact cameras. You then compose your image and, while taking the photo, move your zoom (either in or out) so that the movement is captured by the camera. For this, you need a relatively slow shutter speed (about 1/10 should do it) and the trickiest part is to actually move the zoom while taking the photo, not before and not after. Also, since the motion of your hand will surely affect the stability of your camera, you might want to try this with your camera on a tripod. Although the technique is very simple, if you carefully choose your subject it can provide an interesting and visually appealing effect.

Leave your lens out

A camera can be clearly divided into two parts: body and lens. The body is simply the interpreter of the incoming light (through a sensor in the case of a digital camera and through the film in the case of analog cameras) and the lens is the part responsible for focusing the incoming light so that the final image makes some sense. Something you can try is to replace the lens of your camera for some other focusing mechanism.

If you take a photo simply without any lens, you will get an almost completely white image without any information on it. However, if you put some type of focusing object between the camera and the subject and play with your exposure times, you can capture the world under a completely different light. As a focusing object you might try things like glasses (crystal works pretty well), narrow apertures (mimicking a pinhole camera) or even liquids; in general, anything that diffracts the light on some way.

Be very careful with this experiment and do it only under conditions you can control (preferably indoors). When you take a photo without a lens, for the exposure time you are actually exposing the sensor to the surrounding environment and this can lead to a dirty sensor in the end. In fact, even before exposing the sensor, any dust particle flying around can end up deposited on the mirror of the camera and from there it doesn’t take much until it reaches the sensor!

Abstract compositions

A simpler way to experiment with your camera is by going out and looking at normal subjects from different angles and perspectives. Instead of looking at the global scene in front of you as you usually do, concentrate on small details and, when taking the photo, position yourself in different ways than you normally would. The idea is that, in the end, the photo doesn’t resemble the subject you were capturing, being simply unrecognizable or difficult to identify.

These are just three ideas and I am sure you can come up with much more. The main aim is to avoid repetition and routine to prevent you from practicing your skills. Simply go out and play with your camera and your subjects and you might end up pleasantly surprised!

Understanding and Using Line, Shape, and Form in Photography

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Jennifer Berube

There are individuals who enter into the world of Photography without a background in Art and without an understanding of the elementary principles that make up pieces of artwork across all types of mediums. In total, there are six principles – Line, Shape, Form, Pattern, Texture, and Color. Using each of these individually or together will help take your photography to the next level.

The three most important of those principles to understand are a line, shape, and form. When composing a shot through the viewfinder, these are things a photographer should be taking into consideration to create the most visually appealing image possible. We’ll brush the surface of each one so you can begin putting these principles into practice.

Finding Lines

The line

is one of the most important principles in photography. It is what creates shape, form, texture, etc. It is a line that draws the viewer into your photograph and creates the mood for them.

Vertical lines will give a feeling of dominance and power as they tower above the viewer. Think of shooting up at skyscrapers as they climb into the sky. Or standing in a forest and capturing trees at they grow. You will see vertical lines being used often in photos of roads and highways. Putting the yellow center line in focus in the middle of your photo and allowing it to continue vertically out of the frame will bring the viewer into a journey of where the road goes.

Horizontal lines can give a feeling of stability and calm. Generally, the viewer’s eye is moving across the photo instead of into it. This allows them places to rest and admire the landscape that you’re capturing. This can be seen in mountainscapes where the horizontal range travels across the photo or birds perched on power lines.

Diagonal lines can be used to draw a viewer in, adding a dynamic impact and creating action as the line comes towards the front of the photo. The use of diagonal lines could be seen in a sports photograph as a player runs towards the edge of the frame.

The Basics of Shape

When thinking of shape in photography, imagine a flat, two-dimensional object without light and shadow. A silhouette is a great example of shape within a photo. The shape should be something your viewer can identify, as it becomes part of your subject matter.

The best way to make a shape identifiable is creating a high-contrast image. A dark silhouette against a light background will emphasize the shape of the subject. Shooting up towards the sky and allowing what’s in front of your camera to darken can achieve a silhouette with high-contrast. Buildings and people create great silhouettes against evening sunsets.

Lighting to Make Form

The form takes line and shape and turns it into a three-dimensional subject that comes alive in a photo. Those shapes that were flat objects before now have highlights and shadows. How you choose to light the form will add depth to a photograph. However, the form is one of the most challenging principles to capture in photography as you are working with a two-dimensional medium.

Look for the light, particularly lighting from the side. If you light from the back, you will reduce your form to a shape. The same is true if you have a harsh light from above that will flatten the form.

Utilizing focus in your photo can create depth and will also bring out forms. Placing an object in the foreground that is in focus while everything behind the object falls off out of focus can accentuate depth. Bringing proper light into the photo will draw the form out of your foreground object.

There are many principles are art to consider when shooting a photograph. However, it is best to start with the basics and work out from there. Understanding line, shape, and form will add visual interest to your photos and make them less predictable. Using lines will dictate how your viewer reads and responds to your subject matter. Shape, especially when combined with the rule of thirds will give your viewer something recognizable to relate to the photo. Bringing line and shape together when used with appropriate light will create form. Through form, you can add depth and an element of three-dimension to an otherwise flat, two-dimensional medium.

The best thing to do is great your camera and start practicing. Print out your photos and draw lines on them to understand how they read. Recognize shapes and take note on how you could better accentuate forms.

8 Ways to Improve Your Pet Photography

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Jennifer Berube

Whether you’re planning to photograph your own dog or cat or take on capturing someone else’s, it’s best to be prepared due to the unpredictable nature of animals. Depending on the personality of the particular pet, you may have to have some extra dedication to getting the perfect shot you want.

But, no matter if it’s just a hobby or you want to break out into the pet photography business, here are eight surefire tips to help you get amazing shots that really bring out the animal’s personality and turn them into your best friend on set.

1. Have a Goal in Mind

What type of shot are you hoping to capture? Are you aiming for a portrait shot with an empty background or an action shot? Do you want to include props or will the pet be dressed up at all? Planning ahead of time will take some of the stress off in the moment. Write down a shot list for the day and have an idea of how you can capture each one.

2. Bring Treats

There’s no better way to get an animal comfortable around you than through their stomach. Treats can be a great way to get someone else’s pet to come to you and relax, whereas you can use them with your own to practice tricks they may know. You can also use treats to lure them into positions or into a place that the background is less busy.

3. Get Comfortable

Animals are amazing at picking up on our feelings regardless if we’re outwardly showing them. Similar to when you shoot portraits with people, it’s best to allow your subject to get used to you first before the real magic will happen. Spend time in their environment and allow them to come to you first. This is especially true with cats that can be a bit more cautious of strangers.

4. Your Environment or Theirs?

Where you shoot will depend greatly on what your goal was as discussed in the beginning. If you’re photographing dogs, you’ll be able to capture them wherever their personality most shines. This may be best done in the home on the couch or out at the park with a Frisbee. With other animals that are stuck inside the home, it might be helpful to clean up and “decorate” an area of the home to add some visual interest in the photos.

5. Bring the Right Equipment

Most modern day cell phones are equipped with cameras. Even a point-and-shoot camera will be capable of producing decent quality images. Whatever you’re shooting with, it’s ideal to use a fast shutter speed or Sports mode to help reduce blur. Animals are quick and aren’t able to always sit still for the perfect shot, so you need to take steps to catch high energy moments.

If you’re shooting with a DSLR, a zoom lens might be another great addition. This will allow you to photograph animals that are a bit on the shy side and allow you to stay out of their personal space while still getting up close photos. Another personal favorite is using a prime lens such as an 85mm. These lenses are great for tight portrait shots that showcase the eyes and facial detail.

6. Try a New Angle

We generally look at our pets from above, giving them a very subservient feel, as they are much shorter than us. It can add a lot of visual interest to a photo to get down at their level and shoot there. You can even elevate them into a position of power by getting below them and shooting up, creating a larger than life perspective. Practice with different angles and what type of personality you want to represent in the photo.

7. Think About Your Lighting

As with any portraiture, your lighting plays the biggest role in the overall feel and quality of the end result. When shooting in the home, try to open the blinds and find a spot that has the most natural but diffused light. White curtains can be great for diffusing afternoon sun and can be the best place to photograph. Avoid dark rooms or bright overhead lights that have an orange haze.

If you are planning to shoot outdoors, avoid harsh afternoon sun and aim to shoot in the dawn or dusk hours. You can also move into the shade, which will naturally diffuse the sunlight but still bring out the color in their eyes.

8. Relax and Have Fun

Most important of all is to have fun with what you’re doing and relax. Smile, don’t be too loud or boisterous and let the magic unfold in front of you. When it comes to photographing pets, you may be in it for the long haul if you have a perfect composition in mind. Be prepared to adjust the shot list you originally started with and find special moments throughout the day.

Using Lines In Your Compositions – Photography for Beginners

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Leonardo Regoli

Given the inherent optical nature of photography as an art, geometrical shapes are ubiquitous. However, using some shapes intentionally in your compositions can greatly improve your final results. In this post I want to talk about lines and how to use them on your favor.

First of all, when I say lines I mean both straight and curved ones. There are different situations where you can benefit from either of them and when and where to use them will depend on the specific elements present in the photo you are trying to take.

Guiding the viewer’s eye

One of the most useful, abstract and at the same time common ways of using lines is in such a way that they guide the viewer’s eye to a given spot in your composition. Even if you don’t actively try, chances are that you have a couple of photos in your personal collection where you actually made good use of lines that were present at the location for this purpose. The reason is simple. They not only work once the photo is produced, but also when you look at the scene in real life. Having those lines there will actually help catch your attention and decide to make a photo in the first place.

The human brain has a natural tendency to find patterns and follow edges. In fact, if you think about how we actually follow any moving object, what we basically do is follow the shape given by a closed line forming the edge of that given object. This way, when we are presented with an image where strong lines are present, our eyes will naturally tend to follow those lines and, if your main subject (or an important one at least) is located at the end of those lines, the viewer will automatically pay special attention to that subject, making it easy for you to declutter your image.

Natural frames

Another appealing use of geometrical shapes is to frame a photo. It is obvious that we humans like frames. Otherwise, most of the art in museums and photos hanging on our walls would not have different types of frames. It actually is pretty common to find photos posted on the internet with some sort of digitally created frame around.

Nature and man-made structures can provide very appealing frames as well. Be it the arches of a bridge, a natural rock formation or even the frame of a window, using lines to frame the main part of your image can provide a completely new point of view and drastically change your original composition, sometimes for better but sometimes for worse.

Architecture

Architecture photography, by definition, is full of geometric elements. While older styles like Gothic (e.g. Cologne cathedral in Germany) are more cluttered, modern architecture tends towards a more minimalist approach and straight lines are present everywhere. This allows you as a photographer to create interesting compositions where you can used those lines again to guide the viewer’s eye towards a specific point, or simply produce abstract images that sometimes are classified as fine art (these work especially good in black and white). Some styles like the Baroque (e.g. St. Peter’s Basilica) contain arches and large columns that can also help you achieve interesting effects both in terms of including the lines formed within your composition or using them as frames.

Another type of structures that are definitely worth looking at are bridges. Once again, modern and older bridges present completely different shapes and lines that can help you create images out of the ordinary. As with everything in photography, one of the most important (and frequently overlooked) aspects is looking at things from non-conventional points of view. This will help you both develop your own style and train your eye to get interesting compositions faster as you practice more and more.

Light trails

A great option to create dynamism and lines in any image is by using light trails. Depending on the path followed by the light source (cars, bikes, planes, etc.), the lines left behind can be straight or curved and they have the power of capturing the attention not only due to their shape but also because of their bright nature.

In general, while lines will always be present in your images in some way or another, actively thinking about how to use them when composing an image will provide you with new ways of looking at your subjects, so next time you are out making photos, remember to look for them and have fun!

How to Shoot in Infrared

Posted on September 10, 2016 by Jennifer Berube

When we look around the world, we see things in the visual spectrum. We see things as our eyes have evolved to see them, but there is much more to see. One spectrum we can’t see without modern technology is the infrared spectrum. Seeing things in the infrared is actually really amazing, and it allows us to see things in a whole new way.

Many see infrared as a dream-like image, and it can change your entire perspective of an image. A lot of photographers, pro and hobbyist, shoot HDR to add an overly exaggerated color and get surreal images, but this is taking it to the next step. It can make your images stand out as something unique and wonderful.

The question is, how do you create the image with your camera, without having to spend a lot of money on high-tech technology? Well, the good news is that you have a couple of options to help you get that cool infrared photo.

Infrared Filter

The first, and by far the cheapest, is to use an infrared filter. These filters are priced at about $30 to $50 and they will give you that unique perspective you were looking for without having to change anything with your camera. All you do is attach the filter and start taking those photos. It should be noted that these do work great, but they won’t give you as crisp and clear infrared photos as you would get if you took the pictures with the next option.

A good infrared filter is the Hoya 52mm RM72, which will give you the effect you’re looking for.

Convert Your Camera

If you have a spare camera, or you just want to do infrared photos, you can convert the camera permanently to only take infrared photos. This is done with an infrared cut filter and the installation of an infrared filter into the camera.

You should only do this option if you want to convert to infrared permanently, and you want to specialize in that style of picture from this point on. One reason for this is that your camera will shoot with fast shutter speeds and a low ISO. This is very useful if you are getting action shots in sports and you want to use the infrared.

Another point to think about is that there are companies that handle infrared conversions, so you should actually send your camera off to them so that you can make sure that the conversion is done properly, and that you will continue to get great and crisp photos but in the infrared spectrum.

Why Shoot Infrared?

You may be asking why you would send your camera off to have it converted to infrared when you could just take normal pictures. This is a very good question, but it comes down to the fact that you will get stunning photos that offer drastic contrasts and create an otherworldly look to the pictures. The light focus is in a different wavelength, and your photos will be something that truly catches the eye.

Tips

Shooting in infrared does take some practice, but these tips can help you get the best photos with the infrared conversion.

First, shoot with small apertures and make sure you do a bunch of test pictures to ensure that everyone is in focus. Second, when you can you should always get the pictures during the midday sun, so about noon to 3 p.m., to get the best look for the photos. Lastly, when you are shooting portraits, you should use a flash to fill out the shadows and help to define the subject and enhance them at the same time.

Post-Production Tips

When you are working in post-production following the photo shoot, you should make sure you change the white balance of the picture to give the sky a look of being more red than usual, and that will also give the skin tones of your subject a bluer feel to it. You can also swap out colors through the Channel Mixer in Photoshop, which will once again create very interesting photos.

Have fun with the photos and really play around with the infrared look. You can get some stunning photos with infrared filters, and you can take something that would seem boring in natural light, and create a photo that is out of this world with infrared filters.

Top Tips For Incredible Sports Photography

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Jennifer Berube

Fast-paced sports are some of the best and most dynamic things to get pictures of. You get the passion and the pain of sports, and you get to capture individuals at their moment of victory, or loss. It is truly amazing to get great sports photos and there are several great things you can do to get the best sports photography.

With great sports photographs, you can get a job with magazines, newspapers and more. For some, there is no better way to make a living than with sports photography. Follow these tips to get the best pictures in your sports portfolio.

Know What You Are Doing

This doesn’t mean that you should know what you are doing with photography, that is self-explanatory. It means you should know what you are doing with the sport. You should get pictures of a sport that you have followed so that you can anticipate the action and anticipate when the next great photo will be.

You should look for an original point of view first. Knowing more about the sport will help you know exactly where you should stand to get that original shot, and a shot that no one else is going to get. In addition, know your sport and look for the iconic moments that can come up. If you understand the sport, you will know that the iconic moments are not always when someone scores, but can come away from the action and randomly.

Know How to Shoot Sports

When you are getting the photos at sports events, your camera should not be set to what you would use to get portraits. The action shots are important and you will need to set your aperture wide open. Doing this will help to blur out the background, but focus on the action in front. This can create stunning sports photos that create clear action for the viewer to focus on. You should also make sure that you shoot tight, so that the subject fills the frame. Doing this will make the image and the subject more impactful.

Each sporting event is going to need different types of lenses. Small lenses will work for action on a field, but for action outside especially with winter sports, a fisheye lens is a great way to capture skiers and snowboarders on the half-pipe.

Be Ready to Go

Whether you are getting pictures of golf, or snapping shots of fast-paced hockey, you need to always be ready to go. Have a high action camera hanging around your neck at all times, and have the lens that is going to work best for the photos that you want. Keep an eye on what is going on not only in the focus of the action on the field, but also elsewhere. Essentially, you have to be watching everything and be ready to get that picture in a split second.

Take Lots of Photos

The key to sports photography is that you need to be ready to take a lot of pictures. Things can happen quickly on the field or on the court, and getting the photo that really stands out comes down to knowing where to be, being ready for the action and taking a lot of photos. The great thing is that we live in an age where you can take thousands of photos on one memory card. Granted, that is a lot to go through, but if you take 100 shots of one scene of action on the court or in the arena, you are going to get some amazing photos. That being said, you should not rely on just taking a lot of photos. That won’t make you a better photographer, but it will help you get a photo you might not have had originally.

Sports photography is a really great field to be in. If you love sports, there is literally no better way to make a living than to take photos while you watch sports. You can also really make a name for yourself with sports photography, especially if you take these tips and apply them to your photography. By being a better sports photographer, you will get those big contracts at the big sporting events, to help make your career.

Best 8 Pentax Cameras for Photographers

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Igor Letilovic

Well, here we are, it’s time to talk about Pentax. I’m sure it’s a brand name that everyone with any knowledge of photography has heard of but it’s still not nearly as popular these days as some other brands. Some may believe that they have nothing compelling to offer over the competition, others may only remember it as a relic from the past and leave it there and some just don’t care at all and have grown to like the most popular brands and stick with them. The aim of this article is to prove that Pentax is still alive and kicking and that they still possess the tools to make their mark on today’s market.

Best 8 Pentax Cameras

Pentax K-1Go to Amazon

The wait is finally over for a new full-frame DSLR under the Pentax name. This is surely the camera that should put the Pentax name on the lips of many photographers once again and rightfully so.

Watch video review

Overall rating:

Features:

100

Image Quality:

100

Performance:

100

Design:

100

Pros

Ergonomic Design
Improved ISO
WiFi capable
Great image quality

Cons

Pricey
Slower than other models of the brand
Small LCD display
Limited number of lenses available

Click to read the full Review

Pentax K-1 is one of the latest full-frame DSR cameras to have hit the market. The professional camera offers some key features which photographers will find unique including a 36.4MP 35mm sensor. The camera is also equipped with Pixel Shift Resolution equipment capable of delivering super-high-resolution pictures with higher color reproduction accuracy, less noise and finer details. Additionally, it features a 14-bit RAW-uncompressed image recording (PEF or DNG) and innovative prime IV image processing engine.

The camera features a magnesium alloy body and it’s comprehensively sealed. However, despite the many top of the range features, the camera is available at a relatively low price which makes it a great deal to consider. Other features offered by this full-frame DSLR cam include 5-axis image stabilization, 33-point AF system, 100 percent penta-prism viewfinder that has 0.7x magnification, 1/200 flash synchronization speed and AA filter simulation among others.

The Pentax K-1 DSLR camera has a built-in GPS with Astrotracer function and electro-magnetic compass, Wi-Fi and 6.5 fps when in Advanced Photo System type-C crop mode (4.4 fps continuous shooting). K-I also has a lock button, a new feature that helps to lock different dials and control buttons temporarily. Can shoot full HD 1080 videos at a speed of 30 per second.

Flexible and user-friendly

If you are familiar with the K-3 II camera, you will find a lot of similarities especially when it comes to the outward construction. However, the Pentax K-1 is much heavier (1010 grams) when without a memory card or battery and also has bigger dimensions (110(Height) x 136.5(Width) x 85.5(Depth). It is therefore the largest in the family or Pentax DSLR cameras so far.

The DSLR camera is also resistant to dust, water and cold as it is built with 87 special sealing system. It can be used under temperatures reaching -10°C. The K-1’s core photographic capabilities are a noteworthy feature which previous Pentax camera users will find irresistible. The camera has a number of time lapse options and exposure modes but the image mobilization, high resolution sensor, large viewfinder and well positioned dials definitely do stands out when it comes to the functionality. If you are after quality images and ease of use, the Pentax K-1 is the camera to beat.

Dustproof, weather resistant and cold-resistant construction will ensure us the versatility of applications, and can operate at temperatures of up to -10 degrees Celsius.

Pentax 645DGo to Amazon

The less expensive of the two from the 645 lineup, although bearing a quite limited 1.1 fps continuous shooting speed, limited 100-1600 ISO range and no video recording option it still brings a medium format sensor camera in the hands of photographers at the price that is much easier to swallow than some offerings from other competing brands.

Watch video review

Overall rating:

Features:

100

Image Quality:

100

Performance:

100

Design:

100

Pros

Ideal for Landscape Photography
40mpx Resolution Sensor
Dual SDHC card slots
Comfortable controls

Cons

Really Expensive
Issues with Aliasing
Produces very large sized RAW Files

Click to read the full Review

If you are looking for a digital medium format sensor with a massive resolution, then Pentax 645D will be a good bet to consider. The camera has a resolution of 40MP and the price is impressive especially considering the quality you get as far as tone capture and details are concerned. Much of the 645D’s handling is close to the one you get from the Pentax K-7 DSLR camera thus making it an ideal cam for landscape photography.

It is however worth noting that this system like a DSLR uses a vertical-run shutter thus denying you the higher flash sync which is achievable with leaf shutters from many other cameras within the competing range. With the CCD sensor, Pentax 645D has an output of 7264×5440 pixels which are captured in 14-bit Raw or JPEG. The camera has a dimension of 44 by 33mm thus making it 1.7 times bigger than the full-frame (35mm) sensors and smaller than the actual 6 by 4.5cm frames. The 645D’s lens has a crop factor of 0.79x.

Ease of use

As with Pentax DSLRs, the 645D has a Prime Engine II processor which provides a conventional ISO 100-1600 range. The model has a 77-segment metering system plus it gives users a choice of partial, spot and evaluation modes, as well as +/-5EV exposure compensation. Another noteworthy feature you get from the model is the new SAFOX IX+ autofocus that offers 11 optional AF points out of which nine are cross-type sensors.

There are many different presets for white balance plus color temperature and manual settings, all with alteration. There is an array of options for the shooting mode with PSAM complemented by a Bulb mode, shutter and Aperture (Tav), sensitivity, user settings and flash sync. On the rear of the camera you’ll find a green button which allows for quick auto setting by pressing once. The Dynamic expansion, in-camera HDR settings and a succession of digital filters are easily accessible from the menus.

Another advantageous feature found in the Pentax 645D is a much larger viewfinder (compared to DSLRs) which makes manual focusing much easier. It also has a 3-inch LCD rear screen with 921k-pixel resolution for displaying digital level or shooting information.

Pentax 645ZGo to Amazon

Compared to it's predecessor it brings a myriad of necessary improvements like the new 51.4 megapixel sensor, faster 3 fps burst rate, a lot better 100-204800 ISO range, high resolution articulated screen and 1080p video recording and all that at the price point that makes it very competitive in the medium format camera market.

Watch video review

Overall rating:

Features:

100

Image Quality:

100

Performance:

100

Design:

100

Pros

Impressive 51.4mpx Sensor
Tiltable LCD monitor
Full HD and 4K Video Compatible
Medium Format DSLR camera
Weather Sealed Body

Cons

Amazingly Expensive

Click to read the full Review

The Pentax 645Z is a camera with staggering resolution. However, the 51.4M pixel medium-format digital sensor has much to offer beyond the pixels and every professional photographer will find it to be a suitable match for their studio work. The digital sensor has some amazing features but its dimensions are the same as those found in the Pentax 645D at 44 by 33 mm. it therefore goes without saying that the camera has a 35mm lens with 0.8x focal length multiplier.

But while the 645D employed a CCD sensor, the new model has employed a CMOS sensor which is a technology worth noting in addition to the resolution increase. This means that photographers will enjoy the advantage of increased sensitivity up to ISO 100-204,800 from the ISO 100-1600 offered by the 645D. This admirable increase makes the Pentax 645Z much more resourceful while making it ideal not only for landscape and studio photography but also for other types of photography.

The 645Z sensor can capture videos at a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels in Full HD at either 24p, 30p or 60i frames per second. The camera doesn’t have AA filter thus making it possible to capture the maximum resolution from the sensor. AA filter simulator feature offered by the camera can however be used in case moiré patterning does become an issue.

The 51.4-million-pixel sensor uses a 3.2-inch, 1.04-million-dot LCD Screen which can be tilted for greater usability thus making it a great tool for landscape images especially when partnered with the live view. When the camera is used with 75mm lens, the magnification of the optical viewfinder reaches 0.85x with 98% view field.

The camera is compatible with Flucards which offer Wi-Fi connectivity thus supporting large image transfer and remote camera control as well. Pentax 645Z has a weather sealed construction thus making it a good investment especially if you are a field photographer. With 14-bit RAW files, the camera is a real deal especially when it comes to potential image malleability during post processing.

Pentax K-70Go to Amazon

Most of the potential camera buyers are always looking for a way to get the most of their hard earned buck and this DSLR is the one that could bring them just that.

Watch video review

Overall rating:

Features:

100

Image Quality:

100

Performance:

100

Design:

100

Pros

WiFi capable
Image stabilization
Articulating Screen
Anti-Aliasing filter simulator
External microphone port

Cons

Low battery life
Heavy body
No touchscreen

Click to read the full Review

A midrange DSLR camera, the Pentax K-70 is one of the best cameras for outdoor photography. The camera has a 24 megapixel CMOS sensor and it’s the first Pentax DSLR to feature the new on-sensor phase detection. The K-70 can utilize the sensor-shift IS technique for pixel shift mode thus enhancing resolution and reducing color noise. The IS system is also be used to replicate an anti-aliasing system thus enabling users to select whether to use less moiré or maximum resolution.

One of the selling points of the K-70 is its weather-sealed body which has large optical viewfinder plus a 3-inch fully clear LCD offering night vision operation for astrophotography. The K-70 has integrated Wi-Fi and can capture full HD videos 1080p/30p. The DSLR camera also features a hybrid autofocus system that gives contrast-detection and phase-matching focus plus 1080p continuous video focus.

It doesn’t have an anti-aliasing filter but has an AA filter simulator. In addition, it has a special motor for easy aperture adjustment for videos, a tilting and rotating LCD which can be concealed, 1/6000 shutter speed and in-built anti-shake system. There are over 200 lenses compatible with the K-mount.

Pentax K-70 has 100 sealing parts which makes it both weather resistant and dustproof but weather resistant lenses are required if you are shooting under rainy conditions. It can be used in temperatures as low as 14° F (-10° C). Its top ISO of up to 102,400 makes it an ideal camera for capturing images in low light and at night without any disappointments. You can say goodbye to blurry images thanks to the sensor-shift shake reduction system which takes away the need for lenses stabilization.

The K-70 also provides a 4.5 shutter steps compensation effect due to the high-precision gyro sensor. Pentax K-70 is available in silver and black color options.

Pentax K-3 IIGo to Amazon

This is the most advanced camera with an APS-C sensor that you can currently get from Pentax.

Watch video review

Overall rating:

Features:

100

Image Quality:

100

Performance:

100

Design:

100

Pros

Solid design
Weather-sealed
Superb detail quality
Compatible with a good amount of lenses

Cons

Lacks WiFi
Pricey
Omits in-camera Flash

Click to read the full Review

For people looking for semi-professional DSLR cameras, the Pentax K-3 II could be a good option to consider. The camera features some striking technologies with the 24MP APS-C sensor standing out as the key feature in this camera. It has an anti-aliasing simulator and pixel Shift Resolution technology capable of delivering excellent high-resolution pictures with less noise, accurate and quality color reproduction, and finer details. K-S II also offers diffraction correction and features a built-in electronic compass, GPS system, 27-point Safox XI-AF element which can be operated at as low as -3EV and enhanced shake-reduction mechanism.

The newer Pentax K-3 II has a faster focus speed and superior autofocus tracking precision in the AF.C mode. Other great features offered by this semi-professional camera include 86,000P RGB light-indicating sensor, full HD 1080p 60fps video, ISO range of ISO100-200, integrated digital filter effects and 8.3fps continuous shooting. The camera also has a cold-resistant, weather-resistant and dustproof construction, 3.2-inch LCD screen with 920k dots, USB 3.0 port, dual SD-card slots and built-in dust removal. Unlike other Pentax DSLR cameras, the K-S II is only available in black body and can be purchases with a 16-85mm WR lens.

Ease of Use

K-3 II is a little bit lighter that its predecessor K-3 camera but fractionally bigger. It weighs roughly 700g without a memory card or battery fitted and has a dimension of 102.5(H) x 131.5(W) x 77.5(D). It offers more than 30 controls externally with most of them having different functions. It’s a bit complex when it comes to functionality but doesn’t feel intimidating or too jumbled despite the many switches and buttons.

On its right-hand side, Pentax K-3 II offers deep, curved handgrip which is coated with rubberized composite for better grip. You can easily reach the shutter buttons with the right forefinger while holding the grip of the camera with three fingers. The RAW.FX button is situated on the front thus enabling for easier setting og image quality to either Adobe DNG or Pentax’s PEF format. The button is also customizable to optionally control digital preview, exposure bracketing, composition or electronic level adjustment.

The autofocus mode button is located underneath the Pentax K-3 II with three different modes (AF-C, AF-A and AF-S). There is also another switch underneath for auto-focusing and changing between manual. In place of the pop-up flash which was in the K-3, the new K-3 II has built-in GPS unit.

Pentax KS-2Go to Amazon

One of the cheapest DSLR camera models we can find from Pentax, but that doesn't mean its quality becomes somewhat disappointing.

Watch video review

Overall rating:

Features:

100

Image Quality:

100

Performance:

100

Design:

100

Pros

WiFi capable
Compact design
Mobile LCD screen
Weather-sealed

Cons

Lacks touchscreen
A bit pricey in comparison to competitors
May experience some intereference with the shutter in WiFi mode

Click to read the full Review

The Pentax K-S2 is a compact DSLR camera featuring lighted camera controls, LED indicator lights and an eye-catching design. However, beneath this flamboyant exterior are some of the greatest features which make it a unique camera for photography lovers. The DSLR camera is both intuitive and compact with an 18-55mm lens which makes it a friendly tool for different photography genres. The PRIME M Split image processor and 2-MP APS-C CMOS sensor are at the core of Pentax K-S1’s performance enabling users to capture clear and high-detailed pictures with perfect performance at speeds of up to ISO 51200.

The camera also features a number of technologies such as sensor-shift Shake Reduction mechanism that helps take sharp images in shooting conditions that are less than ideal. Although the sensor doesn’t have an anti-aliasing filter, you can put it into simulation mode to reconstruct the effects for use under certain conditions. The DSLR camera is highly responsive with an 11-point SAFOX IXI+ autofocus sensor plus the capacity to capture 5.4fps. The K-S2 can also record full 1080p HD videos.
Other unique features offered by the Pentax K-S2 include HDR shooting and in-body RAW data development. The camera also has enhanced creative filters and modes for improved shots. The K-S2 is compatible with FLUE and Eye-Fi cards thus giving the camera more capabilities.

The camera is packaged with a multipurpose 27-82-5mm corresponding in 35mm format. When shooting in normal out-of-focus areas, the cam uses 6 diaphragm blades. The K-S2 can be operated or stored under temperatures ranging between 0 to 40°C (32 to 104°F). It also features enhanced scene modes, creative modes, auto picture modes and filters which allow for easy adjustment and modification of the general visual look of images in-camera.

The lightweight design of this camera allows for greater portability while the featured SP coating is highly effective in repelling water, dust and grease from the lens elements. With the aspherical lens elements, the K-S1 reduces the chromatic aberrations during the zoom scope while also contributing to produce sharper and clearer images.

Pentax K-50Go to Amazon

Another fine model by Pentax: a 16mpx DSLR camera up to meet most of the challenges you may encounter in your daily life.

Watch video review

Overall rating:

Features:

100

Image Quality:

100

Performance:

100

Design:

100

Pros

Weather sealing
Excellent features
Image quality
Available in different color combinations

Cons

AF loses precision with some lenses
Fixed LCD screen

Click to read the full Review

The Pentax K-50 is feature packed, despite the fact that it comes at a unique price. Some of the key features found in the mid-range DSLR camera include 100-51200 ISO range, cold-resistant, weather-resistant, and dustproof construction, Full HD 1080p video recording at 6, 24, 25 and 30 frames per second continuous shooting, series of integrated digital filter effects and SAFOX IX+ AF system with 11-point. The mid-range DSLR camera also features High Dynamic Range system and in-body image stabilization.

Ease of use

With almost 100% viewfinder frame coverage, 100,000 shutter releases, and 920k pixel 3-inch LCD monitor, the K-50 is undoubtedly top of the rank when compared to most other competitors. It also features a matrix meter of 77-segment, automatic lens distortion compensation, live-view plus face recognition, and shake reduction mode. The Pentax K-50 is compatible with Eye-Fi card that supports wireless transmission not to mention that it also comes with lateral chromatic aberrations along with DFA and DA lenses.

The control layout of the K-50 is similar to its predecessor, the K-30, but with the usual appearance and feel instead of the new and more excessive styling found in the K-30 model. The DSLR weighs 590 grams without memory card and battery and has a dimension of 96.5(H) x 129(W) x 70(D). The camera feels pretty solid despite that fact that it is constructed of plastic. It can be operated under at temperatures reaching as low as 14°F (-10°C).

The different buttons of the Pentax K-50 are strategically position for easier reach and this is made even uncomplicated by its smaller size. The mode dial is situated on the top part of the camera body next to the handgrip thus making it easy to make any changes using your right thumb when shooting while at the same time getting a comfortable grip of the camera. With your thumb and forefinger, it will be easy to access the rear and front dials used for aperture and shutter setting changes respectively.

The K-50 comes in three different colors, black, white and red but the color-to-order services from Pentax allows for a wide selection of 120 color combinations.

Pentax Q-S1Go to Amazon

If you thought that a big clunky DSLR or a more manageable mirrorless camera with a large sensor are needed to get the flexibility of changing lenses and manual controls you might be surprised to hear that it’s not the case.

Watch video review

Overall rating:

Features:

100

Image Quality:

100

Performance:

100

Design:

100

Pros

Compact format
Near silent shutter
In-body stabilization
Quick and efficient menu

Cons

Small sensor
ISO values over 1000 add lots of noise
Pricey
LCD hard to see in sunlight

Click to read the full Review

It has a reputation of being the smallest compact structure camera in the world but there are many other things which make the Pentax QS-1 a unique choice for many photographers. The most amazing thing with the camera, however, is that the lenses are interchangeable with 8 difference lenses available for this mount. The QS-1 features a 3-inch TFT LCD, 12.4MP 1/1.7-inch backlit complementary metal-oxide semiconductor sensor (CMOS). Other features include 1080p Full HD video recording, 460,000 dot color monitor, and an ISO range of between 100 and 12,800 and SD card compatibility. Both the QS-1’s lens and body are available in a wide range of different colors which creates a blend of 40 different colors.

Ease of use

One of the major pluses in the Pentax QS-1 is the decent range within which the dials and buttons are positioned. The key controls are within a modest reach with the mode dial being located on the top part of the cam to help switch between various exposure modes including movie mode, shutter priority, fully automatic and aperture priority.

The camera’s shutter release button is also found along the mode dial but it is raised a little bit from the body of the camera for easier access. You will also find a second dial used for performing multiple tasks based on your shooting mode and an on/off button button on top of the camera body
Other buttons available with the Pentax QS-1 include the playback button and flash pop-up switch. The hotshoe is also found on top of the QS-1 camera and this can be used to attach external accessories such as viewfinder or flash in case there is need.

Other buttons can be found on the back of the camera and in a well-organized manner. One of the buttons include the +/- exposure compensation push button to help in the adjustment of exposure compensation whenever you are shooting in semi-automatic or automatic modes. The switch can also be used to switch between aperture priority and shutter speed when using the camera in manual mode. Unless you are using the Pentax QS-1 camera under extremely bright sunlight, the screen allows you to enjoy a good view since it is both clear and bright with limited amount of glare or reflection.

Pentax KPGo to Amazon

This camera is the newest edition to Pentax’s lineup of midrange DSLRs.

Overall rating:

Features:

100

Image Quality:

100

Performance:

100

Design:

100

Pros

Excellent image quality
Great low light performance
100% viewfinder
Magnesium alloy body
Weather sealing
Fast AF system
Wi-Fi Capable
In-body image stabilization

Cons

Subpar video quality
Unimpressive battery life
No 4K recording
No touchscreen
Average screen resolution

Click to read the full Review

It comes equipped with a new 24-megapixel APS-C sensor which promises improved low-light performance over the older sensors and also ups the maximum ISO sensitivity to 819200. It’s also one of the first DSLRs to feature an electronic shutter which gives it the ability to shoot at an impressively high shutter speed of 1/24000 sec.

As is the case with most Pentax cameras, the KP also features a body that’s made to high standards, and that’s also weather sealed. Other features include a 27-point phase detect AF system, sensor-shift image stabilization, 100% accurate pentaprism viewfinder, 7 fps burst rate, Wi-Fi and a microphone jack.

It also features the Pixel Shift Resolution mode which combines multiple photos into one cleaner photo with more accurate colors and less noise. The KP is also able to record videos at 1080p resolution and at 60 fps which are a step up from the usual 30 fps mode, but still not as good as having the ability to record 4K footage.

Selection Criteria

There are a lot of important factors to consider when complaining a list like this one and picking the best cameras out of the bunch isn’t always an easy thing to do. The first thing we had to do is to figure out the most logical way to separate each camera into a set number of points that perfectly describe its feature set and overall capabilities. After a long though process, we decided on a list of nine most important factors that will allow us to easily differentiate one camera from another and let you choose the best one for you with more ease. Let us examine each of those in more detail, so you can get a better understanding of how we decided what cameras deserve to be on this list.

Design – While it may sound like something that is purely subjective and only relates to how good are the looks of a particular camera, it is also something that relates to how its built and is it comfortable to use. It’s important to find a camera which has the right balance between an attractive design and comfort, but since your camera is primarily a tool for taking photos and videos we will always favor functionality over good looks in our reviews.

Price/Product rate – It’s true that there is a number of professional users out there who aren’t worrying too much about the asking price for their cameras because they need the best of the best for their work and can’t satisfy with anything less. Most of the users, however, are always on a look out for a product with a great price to features ratio and we will gladly help them in making the right decision. When choosing a camera to feature on a particular list, we are always looking for a product that offers enough compelling features no matter its price point, so the end user ultimately feels happy about their purchase and that they are sure that their hard-earned money was well spent.

Weight – While it’s not the most important factor when choosing a new camera, it certainly is when you’re buying one that you’re planning to carry with you often or if you’re, for example, travelling a lot and you don’t want to be burdened by the weight of your camera too much and enjoy your trip instead. This is especially important in the case of a compact and mirrorless camera, where portability is one of their main selling points. You also need to take into account the build quality, which will also add some grams to the total weight of the camera. So, you’ll need to decide if you want a camera that’s lighter and easier to work with or you want a more durable and substantial camera that will be slightly less portable.

Waterproof capabilities – Protection from the elements may not be the first thing on someone’s mind when buying a device with electronics inside of it, but many advanced and professional users who are always shooting in different weather conditions find this an important factor when buying a new camera. To keep things in the right perspective, we usually won’t judge an entry-level or even a mid-range camera on the account of its water or dust proof capabilities, but we certainly will for a more expensive one where it’s expected that it has enough protection to be able to withstand any shooting scenario you throw at it and work its magic any time of the day.

Grip – One of the most important things to consider about your new potential purchase. It’s of utmost importance that the camera is designed in a way that it fits comfortably and securely in your hand without any chance of being dropped while you’re shooting with it or simply holding it while walking or taking a look at the scenery. This is where some manufacturers drop the ball when designing a camera with all metal or all plastic construction, but without the necessary parts that provide a good grip like some rubber or faux leather accents on the front and the back of the camera. What’s also important, especially with larger cameras, is that it has a deep enough grip on its front and the one that allows for your fingers to comfortably wrap around it and allow you to hold your camera with confidence and without the fear of dropping it.

Image quality – This is possible one of the main reasons to why someone decides to buy a dedicated camera. While there are many other benefits to buying a camera, as stated on this list of different metrics, image quality may be the one that takes the cake. It’s true that our smartphones have become very capable in taking decent looking photos and videos, but a lot of them still haven’t come close to most compact cameras in terms of image quality, let alone more advanced ones. So, there’s a big chance that you’re looking into buying a dedicated camera to get even better quality photos or videos and you’ll want to know how capable each model of camera is in this regard. When examining image quality of a particular camera we are always taking into account things like sharpness, color balance, noise performance, dynamic range, JPEG algorithms, lens quality and sometimes even of features that allow you to tinker with the look of your photos directly from the camera itself like different filters and picture styles. You can rest assured that you’ll easily be able to pick a camera from our list if image quality is one of your most important factors when buying a new camera.

Adaptability – The importance of adaptability varies from one type of camera to another and so does its importance as a factor to take into account when purchasing a new camera. So, it depends if you’re buying, for example, a compact camera which usually isn’t very expendable and are made to work out of the box and with almost no input from the users aside from using the camera. On the other hand, mirrorless cameras and DSLRs are a completely different story. It’s important that they don’t come with proprietary, but with universally compatible connectors for accessories like flashes, microphones, headphones or memory cards, so a lot of choices can be given to users in choosing the right one for them. Even more important is the choice of lenses that are given at your disposal. While most of the camera manufacturers offer a decent selection of first-party lenses, some of them don’t offer much in terms of alternatives coming from third-party companies. We will certainly take something like into account when choosing the right camera for you and make sure you’ll be covered as much as possible in this regard.

Ease of use – Making an intuitive user interface that’s easy to navigate and a control layout that won’t require you to re-learn everything you already know about using a camera should be a top priority for every camera manufacturer out there; yet, it isn’t. For this reason, we will always carefully examine each and every camera and make sure that using it won’t become a chore no matter if you’re a beginner or an advanced user. We will also see how much the camera offers in terms of customization and how well it can adapt to your certain needs. This is especially important for mid-range cameras and above, where having a lot of programmable controls and different quick menus is always a desirable thing to have. If we’re talking about a beginner’s camera, we will make sure it has enough modes and features that will help you learn your way around photography and figure out how a particular camera works. No matter the camera type, this is certainly one of the most important things to look for and we’ve certainly got you covered.

Availability – Since we are always dealing with products that come from very respectable and globally familiar brands, availability often isn’t a big issue, except in the case where the camera becomes outdated and it stops being manufactured. When that happens, we’ll make sure to update our articles to bring you the newest models possible, so this potential problem can be avoided in its entirety. Other than that, all of our cameras can easily be purchased online and so can every important piece of gear that they can be equipped with.

FAQs

What’s the best Pentax camera on this list?

That would be the K-1. It’s the latest full-frame offering coming from Pentax and offers a lot in terms of image and build quality and also in terms of useful features like in-body image stabilization, Pixel Shift Resolution and weather sealing. If you’re looking for a Pentax camera to cover all of your needs, this is the one.

Which one of these cameras could be considered the best buy product?

There are a lot of cameras coming from Pentax that would fit very well into this category, but our pick would be the K-70. It is one of the one most well-rounded cameras on this list that you can get. It offers a very capable 24-megapixel sensor, built-in image stabilization, a 100% accurate viewfinder, rugged body and decent performance. In a nutshell, it’s hard to beat such a camera at its price point.

I’m looking for a camera with excellent battery life, which one should I pick?

While the Pentax K-1 offers a slightly better endurance, if battery life is something you’re after, then it makes much more sense to invest in the K-3 II. You’ll be able to get around 720 per charge if you’re primarily shooting through the viewfinder, which is an excellent endurance for any DSLR.

I need a compact camera that will easily fit in my pocket or my purse, which one should I get?

Well, the only camera on this list that fits that description perfectly is the Pentax Q-S1. Not only is it one of the smallest cameras we’ve seen in the last couple of years, but it also comes with one very unique feature and that’s the ability to swap lenses just like on any other mirrorless camera or a DSLR. It also offers larger than average sensor, good build quality, a respectable amount of control and it even comes in a variety of different colors so you can easily pick a color combination that speaks to you the most.

I need a camera that provides great image quality and that’s also rugged and weather resistant, but I don’t have the budget to pay the premium price that these types of cameras usually carry with them. Is there a camera for me out there?

Well, luckily for you, there is. Pentax has made the KS-2 especially with users like you in mind. It comes at a very competitive price point, but it also offers a capable 20-megapixel sensor, sensor-shift image stabilization, a big, bright and accurate viewfinder as well as having weather resistance. It sports a unique design among all the other DSLRs, which is also to be appreciated if you care about your camera’s looks.

I’m currently using a compact camera as my main photography device and I’m looking to make an upgrade to a DSLR, but without having to spend too much money. I’m also what can be considered a beginner in photography, so I want it to be simple to use as well. What model would you recommend me?

That certainly has to be the Pentax K-50. It’s an entry-level DSLR that is catered both to those users who are just learning about photography and want to enter into the world of DSLRs as well as those who need a camera that takes good photos, but without all the hassle of it having to be set up each time you want to take a picture. Interestingly enough, despite its low price it still offers better than average image quality, weather and dust resistance, a 100% accurate viewfinder, in-body image stabilization and a respectable burst rate of 6 fps. It’s a camera that clearly tries to punch above its weight in some of its aspects and that’s something that’s always commendable.

I’m currently doing some research about medium format cameras and I’m trying to decide if they are worth of the hefty investment over something like a full frame camera. I’m curious of how the two offerings from Pentax stand in regard to how much they offer for their asking price and do they really offer enough in terms of features over a regular camera. Can you clarify it for me a little?

Well, the first thing you should know is that medium format cameras aren’t the types of cameras that were imagined as mainstream products and that they are only meant to be used for certain types of jobs. They are catered to those situations where having a lot of megapixels is a desirable thing to have and sharpness and detail in your photos is of utmost importance. So, they are especially appreciated by portrait and landscape photographers, as well as those who are used to making very large prints for their photos. The Pentax 645D and 645Z aren’t the best medium format cameras on the market, but they are unbeatable in one important regard; their price. You really can’t find any other cameras on the market that offer all the benefits of having a medium format sensor, but with such a low asking price (for a medium format camera anyway). So, if you see yourself as a photographer that fits well into everything we’ve said about medium format cameras, that you should seriously consider investing in one. If not, then get a full-frame or an APS-C camera and you’ll still be able to get some great looking photos, but for a lot less money.

Is Pentax really back in terms of being competitive on the camera market once again or is Ricoh just trying to sell unimaginative products under a familiar name to try to appeal to those who were urging for a new Pentax camera for all these years?Pentax is certainly back and in full force. They are competing well at every price point and trying very hard to prove their worth to you once again. We are very impressed with all the cameras they have to offer, from the little but powerful Q-S1, to a competitively priced powerhouse such as the K-70, to their latest and greatest full-frame offering the K-1. Each of these cameras and ones in between them offer great image and build quality as well as some unique features of their own and each of them is fairly priced for what they have to offer. Pentax has even gone that far to use their expertise to make two unique medium format cameras, like the 645D and the 645Z, which is something that not many of the current camera manufacturers can brag about. There is one area where their cameras still need some noticeable improvement and that’s video recording. We hope that Pentax will improve on that in the next iteration of their cameras, so they will really make all-around great products that are worthy of such a familiar and well-respected brand name.

A Walk with @Instastreetid – Street Photographers Community

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Simran Nanwani

Street photography

is one genre in photography that can be simple yet complicated due to the details and the unlimited scope it provides in exploring photography. Although, the main trick to the capturing street is spontaneous, just go shoot. There are many ways to approach this style some say, it’s more like stealing moments as you often capture people at random. This genre has taken over the world and many people have created various groups or hubs on a number of social media platforms based on it. As an Indonesian, I have only recently come across this extremely creative and passionate hub called @instastreetid. Amazed by their initiative and a huge community, I decided to approach them to share with us their story and journey.

by @boyjeconiah_blackwhite

Let’s take a look at what Yasin (Muhamad Yasin Zubaidi) @kangyasin and Adela (Adela Pradikta) @adelafxpradikta have to say about the community:

What is @instastreetid ? How did it start?

It is a street photography community that was formed in 2015 as a forum and means for lovers of street photography to be able to share stories, experiences, and knowledge, as well as the aspiration and appreciation using a social media platform – Instagram.

Instastreetid initially formed because of common interests on Instagram often called igers on street photography. Based on similar interest a photo hunting event sparked and was held jointly as “1 Day Instameet Street”. The event took place on Sunday, May 17, 2015, and was held simultaneously together in six cities, namely Jakarta, Palembang, Batam, Riau, Balikpapan, and Bandung. With the success of the hunting event, the street photography enthusiasts did not want it to just finish by being together for one day. After an interval of one month, the following group evolved together into a community of street photography enthusiasts.

by @ijoel_terbang

How many regional accounts do you have and how has the community grown so far?

We have been in the community for approximately 1(one)year, and it has been growing very rapidly with the rise of street photography in Indonesia. We cannot deny that every community has it’s ups and downs, but until now, our community has flourished and we exist in several regions namely:

a. @instastreetid as a central account.
b. @instastreetid_jbdtb to represent the Greater Jakarta area.
c. @instastreetid_smg to represent the Semarang area, vicinity.
d. @instastreetid_mks to represent the Makassar area, vicinity.
e. @instastreetid_sby to represent the Surabaya area, vicinity.
f. @instastreetid_pdg to represent the Padang area, vicinity.
g. @instastreetid_jgj to represent the Yogyakarta area, vicinity.
h. @instastreetid_mdo to represent the Manado area, vicinity.

by @yousufkurniawan

How did you join instastreetid? How many of you are involved in the community?

As the founder and manager of the main Instastreetid community, I Kang Yasin @kangyasin (an article on street photography by Yasin can be read here) along with five other colleagues, namely:

Adela Pradikta – @adelafxpradikta
Rachmad Ravael – @kangpael_
Baskara Puraga – @agareds
Agung R.U – @a.m.theater
Arifan Sudaryanto – @arifansdr

by @gilangbrajaHow can we become members of your community? Do you have specific criteria?

Our community regularly opens the opportunity for Instagrammers out there to be able to join. Periodically, we conduct open membership which we normally share on our Instagram.

The requirements to become a member of Instastreetid community essentially is by going through a brief interview to determine their motivation and knowledge about street photography, as well as the reason for choosing our community. As an illustration of applicable procedures, prospective members can go through the process to join and interview online via Line Messenger as then, our discussion forums till date uses online media on Line Group.

During the interview process, we ask prospective members to send us some pictures of their work. From there we can begin the process of debriefing by measuring the extent of their knowledge of street photography.

Our community is open to anyone who is interested in learning street photography therefore, the interview is at the same time an initial process where we provide information to prospective members who do not understand what street photography is, so that, they know what they will gain as a member of Instastreetid.

by @widodoadiprasetyo

Do you organize meetups? If yes, how often and how is the turnout?

We as the regional board participate in Jabodetabek region because we are stationed mainly in Jakarta and the nearby areas. Thus, we regularly conduct meetings in the form of hunting together, meetup sharing session which is often held on the weekends, which is Saturday / Sunday. We do not hold meetups on national holidays unless we have events then we will hold a gathering.

For other regional-regions, we have the admin as union leaders in each region. They will organize their community accordingly in each region based on the central committee.
Based on the experience and community development, every meetup that we hold, the participants who come keep growing especially during our public events that are published on social media.

by @nuryhanu_belajar_photo

How has the community gained exposure locally through media?

Instastreetid is currently only for those passionate about street photography in Indonesia and we feature a photo of the day, namely to give appreciation and motivate street photography activists who use our hashtags by displaying the best photos of the day. With this, it will attract the interest of other street photographers in Indonesia to our community, but in future, we will do our features of photos from other countries as well.

We have also connected to a HUB called GramHUB ID, it is an event where some members of the community can support each other and share information about the world of photography. Some regions are already working together and have been reported in the local media.

by @kangyasin

We hear of communities having exhibitions of their artist’s works, has instastreetid been involved in exhibitions locally or internationally?

As for exhibitions, we have held several regional exhibitions in Surabaya and Semarang, but not yet internationally.

by @mtaufikbw

Have you collaborated with International communities through events or meetups?

Currently, we haven’t had collaboration with communities outside Indonesia, may be in future if possible we would be very happy to work with countries other than Indonesia.

Do you consider your community an active community? How do you see yourself in comparison to other communities on Instagram?

The Community of Instastreetid is the first community-based street photography in Indonesia on Instagram so, it’s supposed to be an active community to develop the potential of street photography enthusiasts in Indonesia. Instastreetid as one of the photography community in Instagram has a special interest in street photography and our community is more focused and specific to develop this stream of photography.

by @windapratiwi14

As part of the community, how has your experience been so far?

We as the organizer and founder of Instastreetid continue to develop ourselves for the development of our community. Our self-enrichment is done through workshops and photography classes to help us cultivate the community. The presence and involvement of various members from different cities have provided us with more knowledge of the developments of street photography.

by @adelafxpradikta

What are your future hopes and plans?

As our community has grown, many plans and improvements need to be made. Refining the system of organization has become one of our main priorities as we keep growing and the number of members we have is not small. Our hope is that this community serves not only as an ordinary photo community but as a vessel for street photography enthusiasts to find a place where they can start to learn and share their knowledge. In other words, we would like this community to evolve into something bigger like a street photography organization in future.

by @y05f

Any message to motivate and inspire us to join your community?

We won’t deny that street photography can not be understood by everyone. But, street photography is filled with moments and surprises and all of which can be seen in an online gallery @instastreetid. Thank you.

by @bmntr

This inspiring interview has shown us how many street photographers are there in Indonesia. Through the street photos above, you can travel to different cities around Indonesia by seeing the various aspects and moments beautifully portrayed. There are many communities on Instagram that have various goals but this community @instastreetid seem to have a clear focus and objective. We hope they can achieve their aspirations and encourage all of us to capture street photos without hesitation.

Simple Tips for Amateur Photographers to Improve Your Photography

Posted on August 30, 2016 by Jennifer Berube

Everyone can call themselves a photographer, but there are photographers, and then there are photographers. As an amateur, you may think that you are not in the same league as someone who makes a professional living at it. This doesn’t need to be the case. You can be just as good as a professional photographer, and all it takes is knowing how to take advantage of your own skills and the environment around you.

In order to become a better photographer, there are several tips to get you to that next level and help you begin your career as a better photographer:

Get Criticism

As an amateur, it can be very difficult to get the criticism of another. It can be soul crushing in some ways, but it doesn’t have to because criticism can make us better and can make us be more than we are. That is why you should get feedback from others. Feedback can be harsh, but it can be good, and no matter which way it takes, it will help you become better as a photographer.

Shoot Less

I don’t mean go out less; I mean get out there and shoot but really concentrate on what and how you’re photographing. It can be hard to shoot less when you want to get plenty of pictures, but this can be really good for you.

In the past, a photographer had to be very selective with the pictures they took because there was often only so much film in their pocket. In the days of digital media, it is easy to take 1,000 pictures. If you take 1,000 or 10,000 pictures, you are going to have at least one to 10 that are simply stunning. Does this mean you are a better photographer, or is it just the law of averages getting good photos? This is why you should put more pressure on yourself to get the right pictures by being selective. It will sharpen your skills and make you a better photographer as a result.

Don’t Go Automatic

It can be easy to just use the automatic setting so that you don’t have to worry about shutter speed, aperture, light metering, etc., but this does not make you a better photographer. You need to get using M mode because that will force you to use aperture, shutter speed and ISO to make very unique photos but to also give you an understanding of how you can use the environment around you to create stunning photos.

Be Inspired By Others

As a photographer, there is nothing wrong with becoming inspired by someone else and using their own methods to make you a better photographer. A good artist will emulate another artist to start with. This may seem like copying but by doing this, you will begin to learn more and more about yourself as a photographer and in time your own style is going to develop as well.

Take a look at other photographers online. What do you like? What do you dislike? Find the style that inspires you, a certain picture that you really like and try to capture the same thing.

Keep It Simple

It can be tempting to have a lot of camera equipment at your disposal but that can get you bogged down and make things very difficult when you are trying to get the right photo. Instead, just keep things simple and keep it down to basics. Just have one camera and one lens, and use the combination to its full potential. Think outside the box to get the photos you want with just a small amount of equipment.

Know The Rules

To be a better photographer, there are composition rules you can use to get the image you want. One of the best is the Rule of Thirds, which places points of interest on intersections on the camera screen. You can also use leading lines to lead a person’s eye to the picture. The use of diagonal lines will create the image of movement, and be sure to use framing as well. Framing can use doors and windows to create natural frames for the picture.

Using patterns and repetition is very important, and symmetry is very pleasing to the human eye. Use those things to your advantage.

We all have the potential to be great photographers, and using these tips can help get you on the path to becoming the great photographer you always wanted to be. Just remember to keep it simple, keep it natural and don’t force yourself to be the type of photographer you are not.

Travel Photography: The Perfect Combo of Capturing & Exploring

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Simran Nanwani

Every city has its own flair and specialty. When we travel to any country and explore different cities we enjoy and discover something new. A trip to a new place makes us feel our holiday was well spent. Being a tourist means “a person who travels to explore a place for pleasure”, this means we can be a tourist anywhere even in our own city. Having lived in Jakarta, I wouldn’t have thought of discovering my city as a tourist. Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia and Indonesia is known to be the World’s Largest Archipelago. A city that is vibrant filled with cheerful people willing to help and guide you anytime, anywhere. Each city has their specific landmarks that is a must visit. In Jakarta, there are not many places to visit but some give a completely new outlook on what our city is all about.

There are many ways to see your city like a tourist, you can have a group of like-minded friends and go together or join a group of explorers who do tours to various parts of the city. I chose to do the latter and have found many new things about my city. By seeing new things, learning more about my culture has helped me to grow through photography.

Capturing is about Perspective or Vista, a way we see everything around us. Thus, taking pictures through exploring helps to motivate the photographer to gain perspective and have an outlook. Through my trips, I saw my city in a new way and tried to click as many photos as I could to treasure the moments. Whilst clicking, I was able to experiment with my camera to understand the principles of Photography. I learned the meaning of ISO, Aperture, Exposure, Focus, and White Balance and how to use them during my captures. Through the process, I realized once you understood how to balance the light with ISO and Aperture the rest goes with how we feel during the moment. Although, I am not even close to mastering these main features but the mystery behind the balance allows me to keep sharpening my skills.

Through the photos below, I shall share my experiences when taking them.

Jatinegara

This shot was taken last year, during our Jatinegara walk as we stopped by a Buddhist Temple in the area. Inside the temple, I was taking a couple of shots and trying to find the correct point of view to get the right lighting. The top portion with the Chinese writing and lanterns plus how the doors were opened peeking towards the opposite direction was quite fascinating. This helped me frame the top and capture the shot.

Trying to achieve the “Bokeh” effect. This was quite a spontaneous shot whilst at the Temple.

When crossing the bridge, from a distance, this particular scene had formed a sort of symmetry in my mind. The lines, curve, and shadow gave this moment a more crisp look. These aspects tempted me to click.

Taking photos with different views and colors has always intrigued me. What better way to try it out whilst looking down. The row of colorful books with passers-by was an opportunity not to be missed.

This smiling lady with her baby sitting at her small hijab stall caught my attention instantaneously.

MONAS and MOSQUE

Monas our National Monument is a crucial landmark in Jakarta with its famous history and scenic top view of Jakarta. Whilst climbing up the monument, the steps and a portion of the monument formed a specific frame in my shot.

Upon reaching the peak of Monas, we were able to have a view of Jakarta from all angles. It was quite interesting to take a couple of shots and see the city from the top.

The exterior view of the Mosque (Masjid Istiqlal) can be seen in the previous photo. This is known to be the largest mosque in Southeast Asia and here, you can see the interior of the mosque. The architecture of this building is intricate and captivating yet, it can be tricky to try to shoot every aspect of it.

SUNDA KELAPA

A reflection of the two buildings and an old traditional house was hard to ignore as we were exploring the slum area in Sunda Kelapa. The Sunda Kelapa is another important landmark as it is the Old port of Jakarta.

TAMAN SUROPATI (MENTENG)

The greenery and serene atmosphere around this lovely park in Menteng area (the first residential area in Jakarta) felt like a perfect moment to shoot. An alley filled with tall trees in the morning hours completed the setting.

Getting to our National Stadium was quite a challenge as it was a rainy day. The experience of being in this huge empty stadium with the sound of rain inspired me to feel the moment and then click.

This second photo of the Stadium was a shot where I was trying to attempt to get a minimalist touch and a semi-circle shape within it.

The photos above have a variety of different photography styles that I have tried to achieve. Certain aspects and styles of photography by some renowned photographers have encouraged me to try different styles.

Did exploring make me enjoy taking photos more? Yes, it, in fact, made me want to take more photos not because I had to but because when seeing a place, there are so many wonders around that can be clicked from various angles. Capture and explore can be a perfect combo for those of you who would like to grow through photography. The journey to keep taking photos carries on and we need to find ways to keep the passion of photography alive within us. Seeing your city from a new perspective like a tourist would can broaden your imagination and creativity as a photographer.

Getting Started in Commercial Advertising Photography

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Jennifer Berube

There are many facets to photography that can be highly profitable to you. While you can spend years doing street photography and doing it well, nothing really beats commercial advertising photography for the amount of pay that you can make. It is also very rewarding to work in that industry because you are literally shaping the opinions of people with your photography. From shooting models for a clothing line to taking pictures of food for a fast food chain, each day is different and each day brings you new things to discover.

It is not as simple as just taking pictures for an ad agency. You have to really know what you are doing, and you have to know the keys to success in advertising photography. The first thing to know is that whatever you used to think about photography, it all changes when you are doing advertising photography.

Know Your Style

Before you get into commercial photography, it is important to know what your style is going to be. We all have different styles when it comes to photography, and understanding your style will help you know the campaigns to work for. With any art form, it is vital to know your style so that you can create something that is true to you, not to someone else.

Shooting your style will bring you grater success when you are working in advertising photography. It will resonate with you, and that will make you good at it. The better you are at it, the better you will do in the career.

Market Differently

Your whole job is finding new ways to sell a marketing message through photography. You have to think in a dynamic and interesting way. If that is the case, why would you go about things the typical way to market yourself? You have to think differently so you can market yourself differently. You can take pictures, build your portfolio and market yourself that way but this is just going to be a huge waste of your resources.

Instead, you focus on getting that one really amazing picture and start marketing that picture, rather than a portfolio of pictures. That will get you noticed and it will save you years of time.

There are several other things to consider when it comes to marketing yourself as a professional photographer so you can start making money, including:

Know the marketing process and be familiar with how marketing works. Use what you learn to teach yourself to market yourself, and be a better advertising photographer.
Know what clients you want and then begin to reach them. You can do this through actually setting up meetings, or through emailing them with your work. Either way, don’t be afraid to approach them and get them to see your amazing work.
Don’t spend years building your portfolio, as we already said. Send your one amazing picture right now and get noticed now. Why wait for years when you could be getting advertising work right now, at this very moment?

Be An Artist

You are a photographer right? Wrong, you are an artist and it is important you start seeing yourself that way. You need to start thinking of yourself as an artist so that you can start pushing the boundaries of what you can do. You want to push the limits of reality, and you want to choose what to render in the photo. Go down into your imagination and discover what it is that really makes you an artist and what will make the photograph pop as an advertising message.

It is the creative process of an artist that really makes a photograph something more. Don’t be afraid to experiment with what you can do, to make an image that changes how people see a product or service, through your photography.

When you are working in commercial advertising, there are going to be new challenges and opportunities for you to deal with. They will be rewarding and difficult, but it will allow you to explore yourself as a photographer and how you see the world. In many ways, being a commercial photographer can change how you see everything around you. It is an amazing career to be in.

The Local Angle: Photographing Your Neighborhood

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Bill Sharpsteen

More and more, I read how unhealthy constant sitting is—geez! it can even trim years off your lifespan!—and how simply walking for an hour a day is all the antidote you need to retrieve that mortal time you would otherwise lose to inactivity. (It’s worth noting that you don’t even have to do the hour all at once, but can break it up if your schedule is so hectic, you can’t devote more than, say, 20 minutes at a stretch.)

While I do exercise just about everyday—along with spending hours in front of the computer—I’ve tried to get into another habit whenever I go for those life-expanding walks: I bring my camera and record the neighborhood while I travel it on foot. It’s not complicated, really. I just hook up my Canon 5DMIII to a BlackRapid strap and it hangs upside-down at my side within easy reach. I’ll vary the lens just for kicks. Some days it’s the 16-35mm. Other times I’ll endure the heavier 70-300mm. Or more often, I bring a 24-70mm, my favorite lens.

And if I miss a shot because I had the wrong lens? Doesn’t matter. This is about exercising my heart and my eyes at the same time. If I snag a good picture now and then, wonderful. If I don’t, my life isn’t ruined.

The Hidden World Down the Street

Someone left this nearly empty bottle next to a light and the mundane became an interesting juxtaposition of objects.

I’ve come to believe that having a camera for my local walks is relates to that miracle of photography when having that camera at my side that turns my curiosity and visual awareness loose. Rather than allowing the normal complications of life to distract me, my eyes become lenses in a way, focusing on usually obscure details or how the light hits the trees a certain way at a certain time of day. My brain turns into a sensor of sorts and I visualize every scene I pass, seeing it as a photograph that may or may not hang on the wall or be posted.

Perhaps even more miraculous is how the mundane becomes special and I record it for that reason. And even if I don’t photograph it, I see it, sometimes for the first time after passing it for weeks.

nails and staples on phone pole_mini — Most people have probably passed this telephone pole a thousand times without seeing the nails and staples on it. I might have done the same thing if I didn’t happen to have a camera with me at the time. It made for a great jumble of shapes and tones.

One of the great achievements of photography has always been how it shows other people the slices of life they wouldn’t experience themselves. In a way, walking through the neighborhood with a camera does the same thing for me. I see bits of the world I didn’t know existed. Sometimes, it’s silly stuff like the Coke bottle someone set next to a light fixture at the entrance to a parking lot, the glass in each mimicking the other. Or the telephone pole with an armor of staples from so many people putting up garage sale notices on it. Or the moments when my wife—who accompanies me on most of my walks—suddenly does something so heartbreakingly photogenic, it seems like a crime not to freeze the moment in pixels.

Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles. My wife, Gloria, removing her fleece while on a walk would have been a lost opportunity had I not been with my trusty Canon.

The Historical Record

There are other reasons, as well, for bringing a camera on your walks. Change is constant. Can’t stop it. And I’m always thankful I have records of the neighborhood where I’m living because I never know when something could suddenly be transformed or just disappear. Put another way, what would we do without the photographers of the past who took pictures of what must have seemed at the time like nothing special scenes that eventually disappeared? Here in Los Angeles, that’s the dirt streets of the past that ran through orange groves and years later are now car-choked thoroughfares lined with stores and offices. If nothing else, thanks to those photographers, we’ve gained a little perspective on the direction of urban evolution and perhaps a lesson on where things are headed.

The 2 Freeway overpass, Montrose, California. An urban detail that may be there for years or disappear tomorrow. Who knows?

Memories are unreliable. After your neighborhood has changed over 10 years, details of its past get hazy pretty quickly. Take a picture of it now! History is important and it’s always the simple stuff that gets forgotten. Be that photographer who people later thank for showing what the congested avenue looked like before . . . who knows?

A shopping cart dangling above the Los Angeles River. Yeah, that's right, the LA River. At the moment a concrete flood control channel, but in 30 years, maybe it will be green and verdant again. You never know. — A shopping cart dangling above the Los Angeles River. Yeah, that’s right, the LA River. At the moment a concrete flood control channel, but in 30 years, maybe it will be green and verdant again. You never know.

Practicing Your Craft

There’s also the matter of exercising that visual skill we should all keep toned and ready for possibly more consequential images. Look for compositions in everything you pass. Notice the light, the shadows, the juxtapositions of objects. The more you do this the more you’ll spot possible images. This pays off for me when I’m in a place I’ll never visit again, or only have a limited amount of time to photograph. I don’t miss as much because my eyes are more attuned to what could end up a good photo. I also find that keeping this skill for quickly evaluating possible photos makes a huge difference when I’m the recipient of a great scene with fantastic light and only have maybe a moment or two to compose an image before the shot disappears. I make decisions faster and more decisively so I don’t miss as many opportunities as I used to.

sunset over La Canada_mini — A sublime sunset over La Canada-Flintridge, California with the San Gabriel Mountains. I’m convinced the only way to get this right was to have a big ol’ DSLR hanging at my side.

Speaking of those ephemeral moments, I’ve never regretted lugging the DSLR with me, the brick that it is. I know, I know—the best camera is the one you have with you and so why not just pull out my phone and shoot with that? After all, it’s a lot lighter. Here’s why. No matter how good a camera phone is, it’s still not going to get the sublime way a sunset lights up a cloud like a regular ol’ camera—set for RAW—will. Or any other scene for that matter. If I’m going to take advantage of a rare moment, then I’m going to do it right! (That is, I want all the processing ability a RAW image gives me to get the final image as perfect as I can.)

I suppose the bottom line is we all need to exercise in order to be healthy and perhaps add a few more fruitful years to our lives, and life for me is just a little bit more joyful when I can go for a walk and return to that deadly desk chair carrying a great picture I just took.

[The opening image was taken on Mulholland Drive in the Los Angeles’ Santa Monica Mountains.]

A Day on Dartmoor – Photographing the National Park

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Mark Jones

The South West of the UK is home to a number of moors but Dartmoor is the most well-known around the world, and among photographers. The 954km²national park is famous for its rugged and often mysterious landscape which offers many opportunities for stunning shots in unique locations.

To access the best bits of the moor, and not just the tourist hotspots, a good pair of walking boots and a map is required. So it’s always worth knowing what to expect, where to find things, and what kind of kit is needed so unnecessary equipment isn’t dragged through bogs, up steep hills, and along stony trails.

Kitting Up

Aside from walking boots, a waterproof bag and jacket, a map, compass, and something to eat and drink, you’ll want to think about what camera kit you’re going to take with you. With a variety of locations and subjects on the moors, it’s a good idea to be prepared to ensure the number of shots missed is minimised, though you also want to be careful of making sure you’re not taking too much equipment if going on a long trek.

Two lenses, a prime lens, and telephoto, are a good option. A telephoto lens with a broad range can be useful for switching between landscape and wildlife photography. The other advantage of the telephoto lens is that it can minimise the need for lens changes is bad weather conditions as it’s often hard to find sufficient shelter for a quick switch when you’re out in the middle of the moors. Prime lenses will be better for indoor shots, and night photography.

If you’re planning to stay out late to capture a moonlit tor or try long exposures it’s worth taking a spare battery as plug sockets are few and far between as well. A tripod is going to be essential for taking long exposures of waterfalls, streams, and stars but a monopod might be a better option as a standby depending on what you want to capture (and it’ll also make a great walking stick).

Sunrise/Sunset

The best place to go for sunrises and sunsets, based on the number of tripod-laden photographers that congregate there on a regular basis, is Brentor on the western edge of the Moor. Not only is it home to a church that’s the best part of 1000 years old, and the remnants of an Iron Age hill fort, but at 330m above sea level, the tor offers breath-taking views over Dartmoor.

Although it’s a fairly steep climb up to the church there is a car park close by, so it’s safe to take the heavy kit with you.

Mid-morning

There’s just no other way to get to some of the best parts of the moor than by hiking there, but more often than not it’s worth it – especially in the case of Whistman’s Wood. The ancient wood is one of unique spots on the moor with its twisted Oak Trees offering visitors a Middle Earth-like experience. There’s a car park located on the opposite side of the road to the Two Bridges Hotel, and from there it’s about a two and a half mile walk.

The claustrophobic little wood has a unique character so whichever way you shoot it there’s a good chance you’ll get an interesting shot. Whether using a wide or narrow lens to capture the expanse of the wood or its quirky details you can’t go wrong. If you don’t have a wide lens with you panoramas can really help to capture its unique character.

If you want to photograph an equally enigmatic but wider landscape Cosdon Hill is another spot which is also panorama-friendly, offering excellent views and an ancient stone cairn.

Midday

If it’s a clear day on Dartmoor (which happens more often than you might think) you aren’t going to get the most exciting shots in the midday sun. However, it’s the perfect time for grabbing a spot of lunch in one of Dartmoor’s many inns and exploring its many quaint villages. Widecombe-in-the-Moor is a popular tourist spot but there are many other less well-known spots to have lunch and collect a few great snaps. The Highwayman Inn is one particularly interesting spot which is reportedly one of the most haunted inns on the moor and features a dining room made from an old shipwreck.

When shooting indoors in confined spaces a fast prime lens is a good option, as long as the focus length isn’t too narrow, or a wider lens combined with a high ISO setting.

Afternoon

Dartmoor isn’t just home to natural wonders – there are plenty of fascinating buildings (and the remains of them) on the moors as well. The afternoons are a great time to visit some of the Moor’s castles with romantic ruins such as Okehampton Castle, and a complete castles like Drogo, being great places to shoot in the afternoon light.

The castles are run by Historic England and the National Trust so if you’re using your photos for commercial purposes you’ll need to seek permission. Lydford Gorge is another impressive spot to visit, also run by the National Trust.

There’s a fee for entry but the gorge is the perfect spot for dramatic shots and the nearby village of Lydford is also worth exploring with its own small castle, and quaint church. It’s a great example of a place where having a telephoto lens with a wide range is useful as there are some areas where you’ll need to go as wide as possible to capture your surroundings and others where a narrower focal length will help to capture some unique details and textures.

Night

While it’s not recommended to go walking on the moors at night there are plenty of conveniently placed car parks that will allow you to get some impressive shots of the tors and the stars. Although Haytor is the most popular and probably most photographed spot on the moors and is usually good for nothing more than a picture postcard shot, the night time offers the perfect chance to put a more interesting twist on the familiar landmark and practice your astrophotography.

Time your visit so you leave at least a couple of hours after sunset so that all light will be gone and you have a nice dark (and hopefully cloud-free) sky. However, the hours after sunset do make for a deep blue sky which can help to create its own unique mood.

The best settings for astrophotography will vary depending on your camera but using a prime lens at its widest aperture (or maybe just a few stops up for extra clarity) is a great place to start. In terms of shutter speed the longer you leave the shutter open the more likely you are to notice the movement of the stars – which is great for star trails but not for nice sharp images. How long you can leave your shutter open before trails start appearing will depend on your lens.

According to the “600 rule,” all you need to do is divide 600 by your focal length (x1.5 if you’re using a cropped sensor) and the answer will tell you the maximum shutter speed in seconds before your stars start streaking. For example, using a 50mm lens this will be 12 seconds. Increasing the ISO sensitivity will really help to pick up as many stars as possible but be wary of sensors which create a lot of noise at higher ISOs as it will become hard to tell the stars from the speckles.

Back Home

To get the most out of your moorland shots it’s well worth spending some time finessing them in Lightroom. While the moors can be magic while you’re up there, they can look less exciting in raw pixel form. With lots of greens and browns and greys colour pictures shot on a nice summer’s day can look a bit boring. Black and white suits the moors really well and really brings out the drama of the landscape, especially on cloudy days, though be careful as it’s easy to get carried away.

Processing pictures of stars can also be difficult, but one easy trick is to increase the clarity in Lightroom which will help bring all the little points of light out.

Photographing the moors can take practice, and may require repeat visits and persistence to get the perfect shots you want. Adverse weather conditions can make life difficult for a photographer, especially if it starts raining or snowing, or the fog rolls in. Whole tors can disappear in an instant in a thick fog so be prepared for disappointment, but greater rewards when you get the shot you’re after.

5 Photography Assignments To Become a Better Photographer

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Kim Suarez

I’ll be the first to admit, I hated school. I hated the structure and the monotony. I would have much rather completed the work on my own time, preferably outside. In any case, I actually do miss school now. I’ve since learned, thanks to Gretchen Rubin’s Better than Before, that I respond best to external accountability. I do need a certain structure and accountability partner to keep me on track, otherwise, I will easily fall off and walk away from the challenge. This is why I am constantly taking classes or reading books which layout assignments in photography.

One of the more fun resources I’ve found for this is Aperture Foundation’s The Photographer’s Playbook, which outlines 307 assignments and ideas from photographers around the world. Some are concrete, some are conceptual. But they all will make you think and look at a subject in a different way. I understand it is not new, but I often refer back to this book, either when I feel a lack of motivation, or just as a source of inspiration as I begin a new project. Below, I’ve outlined 5 of my favorite assignments, for those who have not had a chance to read the book or are simply looking for a fun project. I feel my photography has improved, I’d love to hear how the assignments work for you.

Photography Assignment #1: Take 1 Photo/Day for 7 Days

This assignment is based on Michael C. Brown’s assignment in The Photographer’s Playbook. He urges the student to take one photograph per day for 7 days in a row. The exercise will leave the student with not only a better understand of their week, but of themselves. They will learn what is truly important to them, and what they should be focusing on. In photography, we often take assignments that have us telling a story which is not our own. Here, the only story we tell is our own. Our own experiences of the past 7 days, and we can understand what stands out as important to us. Do this assignment, and see if another photographer can join you. After completing, get together and review the images. Offer critiques. You will learn a lot about the other photographer from these images.

Photography Assignment #2: Take A Trip

This assignment is based on Todd Hido’s assignment in The Photographer’s Playbook. He tells students to take a trip, somewhere new, whether close or far and just go. Don’t plan anything out, just buy the flights. See where the character and emotion of the city take you. Start to brainstorm story ideas as you spend time there. Don’t worry, the ideas will come to you. What do you notice? What draws your attention above all else? This is what truly interests you, and this is what you should explore, both on your trip and back home. Turn the photos into a story. Even better, add some writing to it, and you’ve just created your first travel piece. This can be submitted to local publications, and once picked up, you’ll have your first published writing and photography piece!

Photography Assignment #3: Find Your Passion

This assignment is based on Ed Kashi’s assignment in The Photographer’s Playbook. He urges the students to discover and explore subjects which they are passionate about. This means having a general interest and the willingness to spend hours, weeks, years with the subject. He spent eight years photographing aging in America, a subject which he felt passionate about, and which he’s maintained interest in, even after moving on to other projects. Your assignment is to find your passion and explore it deeply. This means to spend hours with the subject, asking questions and having a true interest. This will show through in the photograph, if the passion is not there, this will show as well. Be patient with this, as it will not come quick or easy. Over time, you will be able to find an interesting perspective which is yours alone. This is another element of a strong photographic story.

Photography Assignment #4: Get Close

This assignment is based on Alexis Lambrou’s assignment in The Photographer’s Playbook. She recalls a professor who was inspired by the famous Robert Capa quote “If your picture isn’t good enough, you’re not close enough”. He had them reach out in front of the camera and focus on their hand. Afterward, they had to tape in place the focus and walk around shooting. It would force them to get closer to their subject than they might previously get. This is such a great assignment and it really changes how you approach shooting, soon finding yourself getting more comfortable approaching a subject and getting in close.

Photography Assignment #5: Think Bigger

This assignment is based on Gus Powell’s assignment in The Photographer’s Playbook. He lays out six street photography assignments which will make you think twice next time you are on a photo walk.

Wait at a bus stop and photograph the other people waiting. Don’t get on the bus, but stay and continue shooting. Move on to another bus stop if needed.
Pick a color and focus all your shots on this color. Start big, like a blue sky, and work down to a very small subject like a piece of trash on the ground.
Whenever you find something interesting, shoot the image but then turn completely around and take an image of what is directly behind you.
Pick someone out of a crowd and follow them. Don’t shoot any images and don’t be a total creeper. But just see where they go and experience the journey of where they are taking you.
Learn to visualize the way people move by trying to shoot two people walking past, right at the moment when they cross planes. Do this multiple times and then move on to shoot three, even four people in this way.
Take some images which you think are bad, and print them out pocket-size. Carry them with you and reflect on them as you are out shooting. Notice what you like or don’t like and if that translates in any way to what you are currently shooting.

Gus’s assignments teach us a different way to see the subject, and to look out for things which can be easily overlooked. Pick one of the above, and try it out next time you are out with your camera.

These may not be innovative, life-changing assignments, and they may not even work for you. They were designed to force your perspective to adjust, slightly or drastically, and look at a subject in a different way. Doing this is essential to improving as a photographer, and even to just maintain skill level. You may not think these assignments have helped you in any way, but next time you stop to think about a shot or project idea, it may surprise you how these have altered your way of thinking. I urge you to purchase this book, look up similar assignments online or sign up for a class, online or in person. Continuing to challenge your thinking and skill set will be vital to your development as a photographer. There is always something new to learn.

Tales from a Blue Town – Photography Adventures in Chefchaouen

Posted on August 13, 2016 by Leonardo Regoli

I think it would be appropriate to say that each place has its own magic. Be it a landscape like taken straight out from a dream or a city that makes you feel like you are inside a Kafka novel, each location on Earth has something that makes it somehow standout from any other place you might have visited before.

When talking about Chefchaouen, it would definitely be the blue color of its walls. Right before arriving, you will see the picturesque houses on a hill that seems to be painted in a light blue that contrasts with the surrounding desertic landscape. Chefchaouen comes from the Berber word Ichawen that means horns, a reference to the shape of the mountain that is located right next to the city.

Chefchaouen is a small city in Morocco, located about 100 km southeast from Tangier. Founded in 1471, it has a population of about 40,000. The origin of the blue shades of its walls is not known, with one of the most popular theories being simply that the blue color keeps mosquitoes away while others relate the color to a religious origin, being adapted from the former Sephardi Jewish inhabitants of the town.

In any case, the narrow streets, as well as the markets and small shops that can be found while walking through the town provide a wide variety of subjects for travel and street photographers alike.

Another landmark of Chefchaouen are the markets where different handcrafted souvenirs can be acquired. Aside from the crafts themselves, the markets are another great subject to capture the lifestyle of the small towns in the Maghreb countries. The colors that can be found in spots where spices, wool and leather goods are produced stand out against the blue background of the town.

The difference in culture between western countries and the North of Africa is more noticeable in small towns like Chefchaouen. Although tourism has a strong presence in everyday life for its inhabitants, Chefchaouen remains as a great place for street photography. Sitting on one of the squares of the city for even a short period of time can provide you with countless opportunities to capture photos that can easily make it to the top of your personal favorites.

A common way to get to Chefchaouen, specially for those traveling from Spain, is to take a ferry from the south of Andalusia (Algeciras) to Tangier, and from there to take a two to three hours bus or taxi ride. This will also allow you to visit Tangier and its surrounding areas as well.

Tangier is a much larger city, with almost a million inhabitants. Being an important entry port from Europe, it has a dynamism that sets a strong contrast with the quiet life of Chefchaouen’s inhabitants. The old medina is a very popular shopping destination for both locals and tourists and it is a great place to capture a snapshot of the typical everyday life in these north-African markets.

Another point of interest close to Tangier is the Spartel lighthouse, located at Cape Spartel, the point where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. The lighthouse itself is incredibly photogenic and definitely worth a visit by itself, even though many people get there on their way to the so-called Caves of Hercules. This is a cave with two openings; one to the land (the main entrance) and one to the sea, with a shape that resembles the map of Africa.

While there are many destinations that are definitely worth visiting in the north of Africa in general and, more specifically, in Morocco (Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh), Chefchaouen presents itself as a great balance between a rich travel and photographic experience and a relatively low number of tourists, so I would strongly suggest you add it to your tick list, if it is not there yet.

The fact that the city is relatively small makes it also perfect for either a daytrip from Tangier or you can also stay for a couple of nights if you want to expand the experience but in any case you should take your time to explore the small streets and have your camera always at hand, since the combination of the blue walls with a passing local can easily become one of your best shots during the trip but it can as well be gone in just a few seconds.

Photo Walks: A Way of Improving Your Photography Skills

Posted on August 13, 2016 by Sara Rodriguez Martinez

According to Wikipedia a photo walk is the act of walking with a camera for the main purpose of taking pictures of things that the photographer may find interesting. For me a photo walk is much more than just walking and taking photos. I see it as a way of improving your photographic skills. Photo walks are commonly considered group activities. The groups might be formed by amateur photographers that organize themselves or they might be also activities offered by a professional that set some guidelines and teach along the walks. Although I like the idea of group photo walks, I didn’t have the chance to do it yet. I hope I’d get the chance to do it in the near future. For now I have a less communal approach: either I go by myself, or with a friend. In group or alone, I highly recommend you to try photo walks.

Photo walks partner — I usually go on photo walks alone or with one or two people. My husband is one of my photo walks partners (here is a challenge for you: can you find where I am in the photo?).

Theme photo walks help you develop your creativity

Choosing a theme for a photo walk is an interesting thing to do. You can choose any subject such as shapes (triangles, circles…), colors (yellow, blue..), numbers or things (windows, doors, traffic signs…). If that day I am unable to decide a subject, I just ask somebody to tell me either a color, or a shape. And whatever they say I do. I saw that this helps me to develop my creativity because it forces me to take photos of things that I wouldn’t choose by myself. Trying to take nice photos of things that you don’t find attractive at first sight might push you out of your common thinking box.

Thematic photo walks — I did a photo walk about circles. This subject pushed me to take photos that I wouldn’t usually take.

Photo walks help you to improve your composition

You can pick a composition subject and focus on it in your photo walk. You can work on finding leading lines, look for patterns, rule of thirds, symmetry… Practicing composition when you are enjoying a relaxed photo walk will take you to the point that you can create well composed images even under stress (as for example in the middle of a portrait photo session).

Composition and photo walks — Using leading lines is a technique of composition where you lead the eye of the viewer through different elements of photo by using lines. They also give a sense of infinity. I like doing photo session focusing on leading lines.

Photo walks give you the chance to experiment with new things

Have you been reading about a new photography technique that you would like to try? Go on a photo walk focusing on that technique and you could see how you get better at it along the walk. You can try night photography, macro, HDR, long exposure photography…

Night photo walks — I am not a night photographer. But planning photo walks at night took me out of my comfort zone and made me experiment with my camera.

Photo walks help you to find your photographic style

I learnt this from the photographer Marlene Hielema. When you photowalk, you don’t have to focus on the technical aspects of photography. You don’t have to take perfect photos. You can even set the camera on program mode (I know it can be hard to do it, but give it a try). What can you do if you don’t need to take care about the technicalities? You are left with just the creative side of photography. Focus on the way you see things. Once you return home, check the results of your walk. Pick the photos that show better what you wanted to express and analyze them. Do they follow a pattern? Finding these patterns will help you to understand your style.

Photo walks are a great way of networking

If you are going in a group photo walk you will have the chance to meet new people. If you are going alone, you will have the chance to talk with the people you are taking photos of, and you will probably meet a few curious people who would want to know what you are doing. You can interchange details with these people (phone number, social media) and share your photo walk images with them.

Photo walks might improve your mood

A photo walk is a physical activity done outdoors (sometimes even in the sunlight and the fresh air!). Walking is good for your health and being outside will bring refresh your mind.

Outdoor photo walks — Going outdoors and enjoying the fresh air is always good for your mind.

And finally some tips:

Take only the essentials

You will be walking for a while, so if you carry a lot of gear and other stuff it will become heavy and will make the photo walk a not so nice experience. Be brave and take just one lens. Take out unnecessary things from your camera bag.

I do recommend to take with you water (and maybe a hat and sunglasses) and a small snack, just in case your walk turns a bit longer then you expected.

Be safe

When you are focused on taking pictures you can disconnect a little from the surroundings. But you should keep all the time a certain amount of awareness. Don’t walk into the road without looking for coming cars. Don’t walk into other pedestrians. If you are in a place with a lot of people, keep an eye out for possible thieves. If you are going alone on a photo walk, tell somebody where you are going and for how long. Although a photo walk can also be a great chance to disconnect for a while, evaluate the area you are going to be at before leaving the phone behind, on long walks, walks in the wild, or in unfamiliar neighborhoods, it might be better to have your phone with you (just in case).

Keep safe in your photowalks — If you are taking photos in a place with a lot of people and traffic, you need to take care to be safe and not to disturb the others.

Be respectful (with people and with the law)

If you are taking photos of people, it is important that you keep a respectful attitude. Remember that it is nice to ask people for permission to take their portrait (it is also an opportunity to meet new people). Depending in which places, you must do it. For that reason it is always good to know the laws regarding photographer’s right (They change in every country). You should know beforehand what you are allowed and not allowed to do with your camera. It can save you a lot of problems.

Sit from time to time

I know that the activity is called photo walk, but you can also sit from time to time to rest. Sitting is also good for observing. You can study the place where you are and take other kind of photos.

Sitting during your photo walks — I decided to sit for a while. It was then when this little bird came close enough for me to be able to take a photo. This wouldn’t have happened if I was walking and moving around.

Do you like photo walks? Have you ever tried them? Are you going alone or with a group? Share your experiences with us, we would like to hear form you! 🙂

Have a happy shooting!!

Must Have Accessories For Landscape Photography

Posted on August 12, 2016 by Kim Suarez

Imagine you’re standing at Glacier Point, shooting the beautiful morning sun as it rises behind Half Dome. Sipping on hot chocolate, you adjust your settings accordingly to the flooding light. The air is wet and there’s a faint vanilla scent from the surrounding Jeffrey Pines. You screw in your Graduated Neutral Density filter and take a couple shots. The sun is rising slow and you are in no rush, savoring each moment you have, just you and the camera this morning. Nothing else matters.

Compare this to someone who ran up, took a shot, and then ran back to their computer for post-processing. They don’t care about crafting the perfect image in the camera, they know they can fix it in post. No hot chocolate for them, no smell of the Jeffrey Pines. No memories other than the photograph.

Where would you rather spend your time? Perfecting the image in camera on location, or spending the majority of your time behind a computer trying to fix the image in post? This answer should not be difficult. What draws photographers to landscape photography is the promise of long afternoons hiking up to the perfect spot and setting up the camera, the sole focus for the next few hours is to get the shot, nothing more.

To ensure you can maintain this lifestyle, you will need a couple accessories in your camera bag. While you can find lists of up to 30 must have accessories, you really just need a few essentials to get started, the rest is up to your creative vision. You cannot buy that, nor can you buy experience. So get out there!

Landscape Photography Filters

Polarizing Filter

A polarizing filter is great for stopping down the entire image. It will reduce glare from reflective surfaces, like water or even from leaves, by stopping down up to 3 stops, depending on which filter you purchase. A polarizing filter will also help to increase saturation in an image. While you may think these are easily replicable in post-processing, there are certain aspects of reducing glare that will be difficult to adjust in Lightroom, requiring more advanced knowledge of the program.

Neutral Density Filter

While you may be able to get away with not carrying a polarizing filter in your bag, a neutral density filter is a must. These filters are offered anywhere from 3-10 stops on average. What’s great about a neutral density filter is it’s ability to block out light, which will allow you to adjust one or more of you camera settings to more of an extreme. You can see this in an image of a waterfall or river, where the water is blurred, the result of a long exposure. The neutral density filter allowed for the slow shutter speed, while still maintaining proper exposure in the image. This is something you could not achieve in post-processing.

Graduated Neutral Density Filter

A graduated neutral density filter works in much the same way as a neutral density filter, but as the name suggests, the filter intensity fades from one end to the other. The purpose of this is for scenes where the sky is too bright when exposed for the landscape. We’ve all seen images like this, where the sky is blown out. Just having a graduated neutral density filter can make the difference between an ok and mind-blowing landscape photograph. While this can be applied in post processing as well, getting it right in camera will ensure the most natural looking image, while allowing for more time in the field and less at your computer. Where would you rather process your image? In front of a beautiful landscape or inside on your computer. Again, not a hard choice to make.

Other Must-Have Accessories

Tripod

An essential accessory for landscape photography, a tripod will allow for those beautiful long exposure shots of star trails and blurred waterfalls. Even if you are shooting a classic landscape image, a tripod is essential to have, in case exposure requires a slow shutter speed. This will happen often, when you want the entire sweeping landscape in focus. The wide aperture requires a slower shutter speed, and increasing ISO introduces more noise into the image. When shooting blurred water to create a dreamy landscape, you’ll need to pair your neutral density filter with a tripod, otherwise there’s no way to achieve this look. When deciding which tripod to get, first confirm what you need. Does it need to be lightweight? Will it get wet? Does it need to hold up heavy lenses? Once you know what you are looking for, then you can narrow down your options and decide which to buy based on price point. There are options at every price point now.

Remote Shutter Release

Pairing well with a tripod, a remote shutter release will ensure there is no camera shake when taking long exposures. Even with a camera on a tripod, the act of pressing the shutter can cause unwanted blur. Remove shutter releases are inexpensive and small, not taking up much space in your bag. It really adds no extra bulk to carry one along with you, you’ll be happy to have it. It could even force you to become more creative with your shooting, trying multiple long exposure options where you normally would shoot handheld. It could add a new dimension to your photography.

While there are more accessories you can carry in your landscape photography, these are the essentials. Don’t get bogged down thinking you need a ton of gear just to get a good image. You can take beautiful photographs without even using the above. The most important is to get out there with what you have and start shooting. Buying more accessories will not make you a better photographer if you don’t know your camera. As your skills grow, so too can your equipment, but for now, keep it simple and enjoy the journey.